New Year’s resolution: Don’t end up on the lobbying “naughty list”

Lobbying reports are quickly coming due. January 31, 2018, is the deadline for the September through December 2017 time period. These lobbying activity and expenditure reports, filed with the Office of the Legislative Inspector General (OLIG), transparently provide the general public with information in regards to who is lobbying on what legislation or agency decision, as well as the cost of any meals, beverages or gifts (of more than $25) given to or received by legislators. Reports are filed to document legislative, executive and retirement system activities, and are required three times per year.

Failure to file, or inaccuracies, can result in placement on the delinquent employer or delinquent agent lists. Most of the time, this action is inadvertent, and the OLIG will work with the filer to rectify the situation. However knowingly filing a false report is a first degree misdemeanor.

The OLIG website provides additional guidance on filing, as well as what constitutes reportable activity, gifts or expenditures.