$75 Million Spent in ’87 by Lobbies, FPPC Says

More than $75 million was spent last year to influence action on bills in the Legislature and decisions by the Deukmejian Administration, the Fair Political Practices Commission reported Tuesday.

Spending on lobbying grew by $11.3 million, or nearly 18%, over 1986, the commission’s annual report on lobbying said.

“Lobbying expenditures are continuing to climb to record totals,” said John Larson, who was appointed by Gov. George Deukmejian two years ago to head the commission.

The Metropolitan Water District, which supplies water to about 14 million Southern California customers, led the list of big spenders, reporting more than $1.86 million in lobbying expenses.

Other top spenders were the California Manufacturers Assn., $1.57 million; California Medical Assn., $1.03 million; Western Oil & Gas Assn., $965,000; California Tax Reduction Movement, $928,000; Assn. of California Insurance Cos., $917,000; California Trial Lawyers Assn., $849,000; State Water Contractors, $816,000; California Teachers Assn., $694,000, and Pacific Telesis Group, $693,000.

Active Water District

The water district’s top spot is unusual for a public utility, particularly one which employs a single in-house lobbyist. In previous years, the district, with its $476- million annual budget, disclosed less than $200,000 in lobbying expenses and was ranked no higher than 50th among the 1,750 private and public organizations that spend money to lobby.

That changed in 1987, a spokesman said, when the state Water Resources Control Board began a series of statewide hearings into water quality problems affecting San Francisco Bay and the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, from which Southern California draws much of its water.

The outcome of those hearings could significantly alter the amount of water made available through the state Water Project to the south, and to the MWD.

“The reason we are number one on the hit parade is that all the expenses related to the ongoing hearings have to be reported to the FPPC and treated as lobbying expenses,” said spokesman Bob Gomperz. The cost of hiring consultants, assigning staff, travel and related expenses accounted for more than $1.7 million of the total, Gomperz said.

Variety of Expenses

The MWD also spent nearly $25,000 on meals for lawmakers and other state employees and on tours of water facilities, Gomperz said. “All that adds up,” he added.

The State Water Contractors, a group of 30 water agencies, was ranked eighth in lobbying expenses, also in large part because of its participation in the hearings.

Most of the other groups at the top of the list have traditionally maintained major lobbying efforts in Sacramento and year after year appear among the FPPC’s top 10.

The other exception is the California Tax Reduction Movement, an organization begun by the late anti-tax crusader Howard Jarvis.

Jarvis’ successor, Joel Fox, could not be reached for comment. The organization has been active in promoting tax limitation efforts in the state and was involved in at least one direct mail campaign last year on behalf of legislation to roll back tax assessments on homes purchased after 1978.

Although many of the big companies and interest groups represented in Sacramento have their own lobbyists, most also hire independent lobbyists. And these lobbyists reported doing quite well last year.

Jackson Barish & Associates, headed by veteran lobbyist Clay Jackson, topped the list of lobbyists with more than $1.71 million collected from a variety of clients, including insurance companies, breweries and lottery equipment makers. The firm was ranked first in 1986 as well on reported earnings of $1.27 million.

Other lobbyists that reported the largest payments in 1987 were Nossaman, Guthner, Knox & Elliott/JLA Advocates, $1.42 million; George R. Steffes Inc., $1 million; Heron, Burchette, Ruckert & Rothwell; $970,000, and A-K Associates Inc., headed by S. Thomas Konovaloff, $963,000.