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April 22, 2011

MTA No. 3 in lobbyist spending

By The Mainebiz News Staff

The Maine Turnpike Authority's spending on lobbyists this year ranks it the third-highest in the state, behind groups representing tobacco and gambling interests.

The MTA, which in late March said it would end its practice of hiring outside lobbyists, spent a total of $38,178 on seven lobbyists through April 15, according to the Sun Journal. The group spending the most so far this year on lobbying is Altria Client Services, a subsidiary of Altria Group, which owns tobacco giants Philip Morris and John Middleton. The organization paid lobbyists more than $40,000 this session, mostly related to legislation that would increase the state's cigarette tax and ban the sale of certain tobacco products. Second on the list is Maine Racing LLC, which supports efforts to bring racinos to Biddeford and Calais.

Other groups making the top tiers for lobbying expenditures are the Maine County Commissioners Association with $38,038, Central Maine Power Co. with $32,733 and the Maine Association of Realtors with $31,875, according to the paper.

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