When it comes to the decisions of your local legislator, you’d be surprised at just how little they actually know about the issues they vote for. So how do House and Senate members decide what is best for their assigned districts? Well, they rely heavily on lobbyists. If you have ever been down to your state capitol, you have probably seen them before. They are the guys in suits, with identifying stickers laughing and shaking hands with the legislators. At first glance, it may seem that their only job is to stand around and schmooze, but they actually play a critical role in the laws that are passed in your state.
According to James E. Toney, member of the Georgia Professional Lobbyists Association and founder of Cornerstone Communications Group, a lobbyist is simply a person whose job is to convince legislators to vote in the interest of a specific group or entity. Also known as the “Jet,” Toney has been a lobbyist in the state of Georgia for over 20 years. He and his company represent special interest groups like the Georgia Independent College Association, the Georgia Society of Anesthesiologists, the Georgia Affordable Housing Coalition and several more.
Toney got his start as a copy boy at an Augusta newspaper and worked his way through the University of Georgia’s journalism school. He believes that the role of a lobbyist has changed drastically in recent years.
“If your issues aren’t being represented down at the Capitol, it could literally put you out of business,” said Toney in a class lecture at Georgia State university last week. He also said that today’s issues are so much more complicated, and lobbyists have more competition. The state of Georgia alone went from having a couple hundred lobbyists two decades ago when he started, to over 1,000 registered today.
An additional method for a special interest group to secure a vote from a legislator is to make campaign contributions to that lawmaker’s campaign. It is not uncommon for a legislator’s campaign to have several group contributions even in a non-election year. Take Georgia senator Emanuel Jones, D-Decatur, for example. The year , his campaign received small donations from the Georgia Amusement and Music Operator’s Association, the Georgia Aflac PAC, and the Troutman Sanders law firm located in downtown Atlanta. Troutman Sanders donated the largest contribution of $300, dollars. Compared to the $2,600 contribution limit for state senators, $300 surely doesn’t seem like much, however it goes a long way in planting a seed when it comes to which way Senator Jones will sway in an election. And since these contributions go to Jones’ campaign and not him personally, this is all completely legal. Most special interest groups favor a combination of a nice sized campaign contribution with a competent and able lobbyist on their behalf.
James “Jet” Toney believes anybody who is a competent communicator can be a lobbyist. According to him all it takes is the ability “to verbally communicate in short, succinct, but intelligent sentences.” His transition into lobbying almost two decades ago has proven to be fruitful not only for him personally, but for the state of Georgia as well. Often an overlooked role by the everyday person when it comes to state legislature, lobbying plays an essential role in the lives of state residents.
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