A prominent state consumer advocate raised concerns Wednesday about lobbyist influence as the Maryland General Assembly convened its annual 90-day session in Annapolis.
Mollie Woods, an attorney with the Maryland Office of the People’s Counsel, told Spotlight on Maryland that special interest groups wield significant influence in the General Assembly due to their financial resources and “the size of their lobbying efforts.”
Lobbying has impacts on all aspects of legislation, from what actually is proposed as a bill to what happens to a given bill, to how a bill is implemented,” Woods said.
An analysis by Spotlight on Maryland found that local and out-of-town organizations spent over $86 million in the state during the 2024 reporting period. This represents a 28.4% increase in lobbying dollars spent since 2021.
Ethics data shows that more than 91% of lobby dollars were spent on compensation for advocates representing special interest groups. Expenditures on special event tickets, gifts and event sponsorships for policymakers totaled over $2.5 million in lobbying costs.
Click here to read the rest of the article written by Gary Collins over at WJLA News Channel 7
