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Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, a grassroots organization, will have a meeting at the McCracken County Library in Paducah on Wednesday evening February 1st from 7:00 - 8:15.

...Lobbying continues to be a growth industry, as overall spending is up 11 percent from 2014, and compensation has more than tripled over the past 20 years, up from $6 million in 1996. Meanwhile, the number of lobbying employers has increased by 35 percent -- from 448 in 1996 to 694 businesses and organizations registered today. The top lobbying spenders and the amounts spent in 2016 are: Kentucky Chamber of Commerce ($281,378); Altria Client Services and its affiliates, including Philip Morris USA and U.S. Smokeless Tobacco ($274,358)....

While there are more lobbying interests represented in Frankfort, the number of lobbyists has decreased by eight percent in the past 10 years, indicating the growth of lobbying firms which represent multiple clients.

...Last year, the top 10 lobbying firms employing a total of 44 lobbyists, earned $10.8 million of the $18.7 million in compensation paid by businesses and organizations for legislative lobbying. So, seven percent of the 601 registered lobbyists represented almost half the lobbying employers and earned 58 percent of the compensation.

From the amounts earned, all lobbyists in 2016 paid $894,000 in expenses, including rent, phone, research and administrative assistance, food, lodging, and transportation...