Niki Kelly has an article for the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette entitled State lobbying plan comes under scrutiny.
State officials are considering watering down a proposed rule that would require lobbyists to register with the Indiana Department of Administration when trying to influence the executive branch.
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There is nothing in the rule that precludes communication with state officials, but it does require a form to be filed once a year that identifies who is lobbying whom and for what.
According to the proposal, any person who is employed and receives payment exceeding $1,000 a year for the purpose of lobbying the executive branch must file with the state Department of Administration – an agency with the primary function of guiding state government contracts for goods and public services through the system.
There are many exceptions, such as an attorney representing a person on a tax matter, a person acting on his or her own behalf and any communications with the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.
Lobbyists apparently feel the rule would be unduly burdensome with respect to their communications to the executive branch during the rule-making process and want to water it down. Julia Vaughn, of Common Cause Indiana, has what looks to be a good modification. She suggests exempting any lobbying with respect to rule-making that is taken in meetings subject to the state’s public access law but that other behind-the-scenes negotiations would still fall under the rule.
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