Pro-Kirwan Forces Spent Most on Session; 37 Lobbyists Cleared $250K

From Maryland Matters, reporter Josh Kurtz. For the full story go here.


How did Kirwan get pushed so hard and rise to the top of the legislation heap in the last Maryland General Assembly session? The old-fashioned way. Lobbyists. And money.


The below is taken from Kurtz' article, which discusses all the lobbyists who had a hand in moving legislation through the General Assembly. This excerpt focuses on Kirwan:


"Meanwhile, the two entities that spent the most on State House lobbying during the six-month reporting period were both trying to pass the Blueprint for America’s Future — education reform legislation that cleared the General Assembly but was vetoed by Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R).


The list was topped by Strong Schools Maryland, a nonprofit set up primarily by business leaders who supported the ambitious but costly blueprint, which reported spending $559,596 from Nov. 1 to April 30, and the Maryland State Education Association — the state’s principal teachers’ union — which spent $516,558.


Johns Hopkins — the university and the medical center — were third in lobbying spending, followed by the Maryland Jockey Club, which operates Pimlico Race Course and the Laurel Park race track, and lobbied for an elaborate plan to improve both tracks.
In all, about 240 businesses, educational institutions, nonprofits and other entities reported spending at least $50,000 during the six-month period that included the legislative session. Twenty-one spent at least $200,000 — a list that heavily featured health care entities, energy companies, and financial and real estate interests.


The top spenders on lobbying:

• Strong Schools Maryland: $559,596
• Maryland State Education Association: $516,558
• Johns Hopkins (lobbying summary doesn’t specify whether it’s the university or the medical system, so it is likely both): $481,756"