Spending tax dollars on lobbyists to encourage yet more government spending is a new growth industry in South Carolina, says a new South Carolina Policy Council fact sheet and a practice in need of reform.

During the past few weeks, several localities across the state have announced plans to hire lobbyists to petition the state and federal government for more money. Such lobbying, the unfortunate byproduct of government– driven economics, is unproductive, wasteful, and in some sense, deceptive, the Policy Council says.

According to the South Carolina Ethics Commission, 90 lobbyists were employed in some capacity by taxpayer funded entities during the first half of 2009—at a cost to taxpayers of more than $1.54 million. But lobbyists are only required to report fees used to promote or oppose legislation “through direct communication with public officials or public employees.” That means fees for other services, including time spent drafting a bill, conducting legal research, or crafting legislative strategies, do not need to be disclosed.

In 2003 Governor Mark Sanford took a first step by banning cabinet agencies from hiring lobbyists, but there is currently no law restricting state entities from hiring lobbyists. The Policy Council fact sheet investigates the scope of taxpayer funded lobbying on South Carolina, and offers solutions for meaningful reform.
South Carolina Policy Council
1323 Pendleton St.
Columbia, SC 29201
803-779-5022
scpolicycouncil.com