{"id":729045,"date":"2023-06-26T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-26T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/?p=729045"},"modified":"2023-06-23T13:13:09","modified_gmt":"2023-06-23T18:13:09","slug":"oklahoma-lobbyist-spending-rebounds-from-pandemic-era-decline","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2023\/06\/26\/oklahoma-lobbyist-spending-rebounds-from-pandemic-era-decline\/","title":{"rendered":"Oklahoma Lobbyist Spending Rebounds From Pandemic-Era Decline"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Oklahoma lobbyists have spent nearly $380,000 this year on gifts, meals and beverages for state legislators and other elected officials through May, a 42% increase over the same period two years ago. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With COVID-19 concerns heightened, advocacy groups scaled back large in-person gatherings<\/a> during the 2021 legislative session. Expenditure reports filed with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission show that sort of spending has rebounded. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In late April, the Oklahoma Restaurant Association spent $21,000 to host a dinner reception for legislators at the Embassy Suites hotel. The Oklahoma Cattleman\u2019s Association spent nearly $3,900 to serve lawmakers and their staff ribeye steak sandwiches and chips for lunch on May 16. Under current reporting guidelines, lobbyists aren\u2019t required to disclose individual recipients if every legislator is invited to an event. <\/p>\n\n\n\t\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\tTHE LATEST<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Audio\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Audio Stories: December 29, 2025<\/a><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/article>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n\n

Geoff Long, executive director of the Oklahoma Society of Professional Advocates<\/a>, said scarce venue availability and rising inflation coupled to make hosting large-scale events during the pandemic more difficult. As concerns over the virus wane, lobbyists are again using come-and-go events to converse with lawmakers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA big piece of government affairs is really educational. No legislator is going to be an expert on everything,\u201d said Long, an attorney who previously worked as general counsel for the Oklahoma Ethics Commission. \u201cThey put these events together so you can put multiple together to talk about issues.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lobbyists have spent more than $183,000 on gifts, meals and beverages for state legislators, the highest total since 2019. While lobbyists may not spend more than $500 on gifts and food for an elected official over a calendar, elected officials aren\u2019t capped on how much they can receive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n