California sees surge in registered lobbyists, raising concerns about influence on policy decisions. (CalMatters/Rahul Lal)
- The number of registered lobbyists in California has reached a record high of 3,245, a 10% increase from last session.
- There is now at least one lobbyist for every legislative staff member, compared to two staffers per lobbyist in 1995.
- Lobbying spending hit nearly $420 million in the first nine months of 2024, surpassing previous years' totals.
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California saw its biggest increase in registered lobbyists last session since at least 2011, with a roughly 10% increase for a record of 3,245 people.
Sameea Kamal
CalMatters
The increase in lobbyists means there’s now at least one lobbyist for every legislative staff member.
Longtime lobbyist Chris Micheli attributes the jump to high turnover in the Legislature, leading to an “exodus of legislative staff” who went into advocacy. In 2022, 26 members opted out of seeking re-election, in addition to the seven who reached term limits.
Micheli also noted a rise in state agency rule-making, which motivates those in support of or against regulations to lobby. The number of legislative staff has shifted only slightly since the mid-1990s, impacting how much time members have to write and research legislation.
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Trent Lange, executive director of California Clean Money Campaign, expressed concern about the system becoming skewed towards wealthy interests that dominate campaign spending, rather than regular people.
Lobbyists are required to register with the Secretary of State’s office and report on their activities each quarter, according to the state’s Political Reform Act. The law defines lobbyists as those who are paid to influence legislation or regulation through direct communication with lawmakers, outside of public comments.
The recent jump in new lobbyists was the highest since 2011 when a law requiring placement agents to register as lobbyists nearly doubled the number of registered lobbyists.
The rise in the number of lobbyists coincides with an uptick in money spent on lobbying, with industry and advocacy groups spending record amounts each year since 2022. Spending to lobby California legislators hit nearly $420 million in just the first nine months of 2024, compared to $484 million in all of 2023 and $443 million in the entirety of 2022.
Jonathan Mehta Stein, executive director of California Common Cause, called it “absolutely wild” that nearly $1 billion was spent on lobbying last session, expressing concern about policy decisions being diverted away from serving the public interest.
About the Author
Sameea Kamal covers politics for CalMatters, with a focus on democracy, representation and accountability.
About CalMatters
CalMatters is a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom committed to explaining California policy and politics.
