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Opinion
Pay to lobby lawmakers,
and the source of money
February 18, 2004
Changes are in the works in the Statehouse. At least, many have been proposed. One is directed at a long-time practice that many taxpayers wonder about.
That is an effort underway in Columbia to end the practice of state agencies spending public money to hire professionals to lobby the state Legislature. Object: more money and favorable treatment. Changes or not, though, there always seems to be a way for some to get around such efforts. The State Supreme Court is an example.
Chief Justice Jean Toal says she has paid a lobbyist group $30,000 to help push through legislation this year that would increase revenue for the entire judicial branch.
The money is probably needed for courts all over South Carolina. Be that as it may, Justice Toal says she paid the lobbyists with bar exam money, as if that was not public money.
That’s wrong. The Supreme Court is a public agency. Once it accepts money from any source it automatically becomes public money. It’s amazing, though, how often that is conveniently overlooked ….. by a lot of people in and out of office.
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