Because ONE Massachusetts believes that transparency, enabled by user friendly searchable data bases, is key to encouraging and supporting civic engagement and accountability we are encouraging ONE Mass network members to talk with their Senator about two things next week.
We support a clear unambiguous definition of lobbying activities and urge that procedures be set in place to mitigate the registration costs for small non profit organizations with a total budget under $1 Million.
We ask for your support for for a balanced and adequate package of new revenues that both addresses the structural deficit and begins to stablize the critical public structures that keep our communities and our state healthy and strong.
p.s.When this particular reform gets through the Senate, the conference committee and is finally signed by the Governor we will continue our work with Common Cause not only to track the changes in the bill but also develop a series of on site and online trainings to help paid lobbyists and volunteer advocates be in full compliance. One of our models comes from the experienced folk in New Hampshire .
crossposted at ONE Massachusetts
Just asking. And what kind of “mitigations” are you proposing for “small nonprofits w/a total budget under 1 million? Would this include 501(c)(6) nonprofits? Ony 501 (c)(3) nonprofits? What about nonprofits with budgets of less then $100k? Less then $25K? Just asking, once again. Some of the “volunteer advocates” are not affiliated with anyone and have a budget of zero. Like me. How about that category?
over a yet undetermined amount of money ($2500, $10,000 or $1 a quarter?)for a yet undetermined amount of time (20 hours, 40 hours, 60 hours a quarter?) will be required to register and report. Volunteers like you are safe from being regulated by the Secretary of State as a powerful lobbyist.
<
p>Mitigation might include a waiver from the $1000 registration fee for certain (yet undefined type of incorporated or non incorporated)non profit or for profit whose total budget is under $1 million. Some are recommending drawing the line at $500,000, some are suggesting $5 million.
<
p>What do you think?
<
p>I’ve personally lobbied state reps, my state senator, and other gov’t agents in Massachusetts for over 10 hours in a 3 month period. Completely unpaid and not representing any particular organization. I corner them in local political events, I find their offices on Beacon Hill, I write and phone and email them.
<
p>I’m not saying I hit 10 hours every quarter, but I’m sure I’ve hit that mark.
<
p>
<
p>Am I a lobbyist?
At least I would hope not for the purposes of this law. That would ensnare so many of us who are active and consistently show up at events for legislators. I’ve probably hit the threshold from time to time as well.
How to distinguish between what most people think of lobbyists and those who actively work as citizens to improve their government.
<
p>Perhaps the very clear distinction is one of payment. Can anyone thing of a situation where a person would pass the “consensus” of being a lobbyist but be unpaid?
who spend more than 10 hours lobbying over a three month period or who are paid more than $2500 for lobbying over a three month period must register with the Secretary of State and report the specific bills and budgets and regulations they are concerned with and report any and all lobbying expenses.
<
p>If Christopher and Stormv are not paid to lobby by any individual or corporation they do not have to register or report as lobbyists.
<
p>As unpaid volunteer board members or clients or neighbors or concerned residents they can talk to their Rep, Senator, administration official or their staffs by phone, by email, by letter by one to one conversation, in a group of 25 angry people at a demonstration, at their daughters wedding or their uncles wake, at church or at a party, a political fundraiser, an out of town convention about any proposed change in a stupid or smart policy, rule, regulation, law,management decision they want,as many times and as long as their voice and patience lasts.
<
p>These days, it’s called civic engagement.
<
p>Go for it.l
We’re not speaking the same language here. In my world (math and computing), when considering A or B:
A true, B true => TRUE
A true, B false=> TRUE
A false,B true => TRUE
A false,B false=> FALSE
<
p>A: paid more than $2500 over a three month period
B: spend more than 10 hours lobbying over a three month period
<
p>A or B.
<
p>For me, B is true. That means A or B is true. That means I have to register.
<
p>What am I missing Judy?
I’m not Judy, but the context (and not your logic) is missing. The Governor’s proposal starts by defining an executive or legislative agent as someone who receives compensation– then later in each section provides an exception for lobbying incidental to the person’s regular activites, with incidental defined by the hours and dollars involved. You can read the proposed legislation (the sections at issue here are the first two) and the Public Integrity panel’s report at:
http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=go…
You identified exactly the problem. How do we balance the need to track “strategizing, planning, research, and other background work only if performed in connection with or for use in an actual communication with a government employee.” for a small non profit corporation like a coalition with the homeless with a big for profit corporation like say casino operators or ticket sellers?
is that the languages includes “strategizing, planning, research, and other background work only if performed in connection with or for use in an actual communication with a government employee.”
<
p>Here’s a hypothetical – Let’s say there’s a nonprofit group that does advocacy work on behalf of the homeless. This group has one registered lobbyist out of a staff of 12 people. The lobbyist is the only one who regularly contacts legislators or government officials, but the entire staff does work preparing the briefing materials used by the lobbyist. So now that entire staff of 12 has to register as lobbyists because they did 10 (or however many) hours of background work? How much money will that nonprofit have to pay the state that could instead be used to help homeless people in MA?
<
p>This is where the law seems silly to me. Not all support staff should have to register.
it’s too early
It’s easy to build in a sliding scale based upon the size of an organizations budget and if we’re going to do that, shouldn’t the scale be just about budget and not the profit status?
with eur13 in an op ed in the Herald today
<
p>
I get registering for transparency purposes, but what the heck is a fee for? You shouldn’t have to pay to be allowed to lobby.
<
p>A distinction between non-profit and for-profit organizations might be worth considering. As a taxpayer/constituent, I’m alot more concerned about the shenanigans of the special interests in it for their own narrow benefit than public interests pursuing the betterment of the community.