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Lobbyists' Role in Iowa Politics

Duration: 05:17

The business of "influence" is growing at state capitols. According to the Center for Public Integrity, a Washington DC-based organization that produces investigative reports on issues of public concern, state lobbyists and the companies that hire them, spent a record $1.3 Billion in 2006. That’s 10% higher than 2005.

In Iowa, there are some 685 lobbyists registered to lobby the Iowa Legislature. That's 4.5 lobbyists per legislator. How much influence do they have on legislation and what, if any, is the oversight on their activities? The video overview contains interviews with two lobbyists: the Chief Clerk of the Iowa House and a private citizen lobbying with an advocacy group for just one day.

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Post Date: February 8, 2008