Report: Michigan lobbyist spending up 6% in 2019 to $23M

The Michigan Health & Hospital Association tops the list of interest groups and Governmental Consultant Services Inc. (GCSI) leads multi-client lobbying firms in spending this year, according to a new report from the nonpartisan Michigan Campaign Finance Network (MCFN).

Total reported lobbyist spending was $23.2 million during the most recent Secretary of State reporting period from Jan. 1 through July 31. That’s a 6% increase over the previous high for the same period in past years, said the MCFN, a Lansing-based group that tracks money in politics.

The biggest spenders have been multi-client lobbying firms, led by GCSI with $913,343. Coming in second was James H. Karoub Associates ($790,017), followed by Kelley Cawthorne ($725,282) and Midwest Strategy Group ($713,799).

For individual interest groups, the Michigan Health & Hospital Association took first place with $358,058, followed by MGM Grand Detroit ($247,302) and the Michigan Credit Union League ($239,177).

The MCFN reported a spike in spending from Enbridge, which is fighting efforts to block a tunnel for its Line 5 oil pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac, as well as Immigration Centers of America, which wanted to build a private immigration detention center in Ionia. The National Football League, Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association have all upped their lobbyist spending, as well.

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The spending total includes payments made to individuals who represent clients in Lansing, lobbyist-funded food purchases for officeholders and lobbyist-funded travel purchases for officeholders. The next disclosure period is from Aug. 1 to Dec. 31.

There are 1,501 groups, businesses or labor unions had registered to lobby Michigan officeholders and 1,443 individuals or firms had registered as lobbyists, the MCFN reports.