House Wary of Two Lobbyist Proposals

The first measure, House Bill 1219 would allow lobbyists and lawyers who work at firms that employ lobbyists to sit on committees established by the judicial branch.

Representative Jim Splaine understands that lobbyists play an integral role in the state’s government.

They testify on legislation, they brief lawmakers, they’re usually well informed.

He says he doesn’t have a problem that the people who wear the orange badges are paid to influence policy debates.

But Splaine says that doesn’t mean lobbyists should be given even more power.

7:56 big difference between that and actually being in a postion of power and have a voting decision on what those committees do. That is something, in order to maintain our honesty in government we have to keep separate.

Splaine says lobbyists or their firms would only use the appointments as leverage to make more money.

5:06 there are law firms that would like to be able to say on their marquee, their letter head, or trying to get clients, they have members in their firms who are on these judicial councils.

Splaine says the reason the Senate is pushing the plan is because the lobbyists or law firms- as a thank you for the appointment, will turn around and cut checks.

11:22 I don’t know how letting lawyers serve on judicial commissions whether they have an employee or a partner who wears an orange badge is going to get me any money.

Senator Peter Burling, who sponsored the proposal.

Burling is retiring at the end of this session.

...All that is about is preserving the NH tradidional way of governing this state and that is using volunteers from the profession to help out on committees....there is zero there.

Burling says in a state that relies on volunteers, there’s no room to be picky.

He says right now, the courts can’t select lawyers from some of New Hampshire’s most prestigious law firms to help resolve judicial branch questions.

Another measure brought up by some House Democrats and Republicans is lifting the ban on insurance companies making direct political contributions.

Under current state law, a corporation doesn’t have to form a political action committee if it wants to support a candidate.

But a statute dating back to 1907 prohibits insurance companies from doing the same.

Manchester Senator Lou D’Alesandro recently added a provision to repeal that prohibition.

He says he did it to be fair.

TAPE: you are just leveling the playing field, b/c all other entitites have an opportunity to contribute. And this one entity is forbidden to contribute.

When pushed to explain why this legislation would be inserted into an altogether different bill at the 11th hour, D’Alesandro says it’s become very expensive to run for elected office.

T.377
:30 if you look at the US Senate, it has millionaires, and these millionaires can stay for a long period of time. ordinary people can not get these jobs....so the process has become exclusionary. And that’s happened here.

It now often costs at least $100,000 to run for state senate.

And Representative Splaine believes it’s the hunt for more money, that’s been the real driver behind these two provisions.

9:20 both political parties and candidates for office, particularly in the Senate b/c it becomes so expensive to run, who want to find ways to reward lobbyists. b/c then lobbyists reward candidates running for office. And I think that’s the wrong thing to do.

Even though the House has voted to oppose both measures that doesn’t mean they are dead, completely.

Over the next two weeks, House and Senate lawmakers will be making a variety of compromises on different bills.

Some of those compromises happen behind closed doors, and provisions can be slipped into unrelated legislation.

Splaine and others say they’ll be watching to blow the whistle if it happens.

For NHPR News, I’m DG.