Lobbyist does not include: (i) a person acting solely on his or her own behalf; (ii) a person working for the same client as a licensed lobbyist if the person has no personal contact involving lobbying a public servant or legislator on behalf of the lobbyist`s client; or (iii) a person who receives payments in a calendar year from one or more persons totalling less than $2,150 (adjusted for inflation starting in 2004). Mont. Code Ann. § 5-7-102 & 5-7-112. “Lobbyist” means a person who is employed by a client or who uses or receives from a client economic consideration other than the reimbursement of actual expenses and whose duties include lobbying on behalf of the client. If a person`s duties on behalf of a client are not limited to lobbying, the person is a lobbyist only if they make lobbying communications on at least 5 days during a reporting period. Wis. Stat. Ann. § 13.62. S.C. Code Ann. § 2-17-10.
Conn. Gen. Stat. Ann. § 1-91. “Lobbyist” does not include: an employee of a lobbyist; a person who does not receive any compensation for lobbying other than reimbursement of travel related to lobbying in the State and reimbursement of other expenses incurred by the person for printing, postage and food and accommodation related to lobbying activities paid by the person. I, the Reverend Stat. tit. 3, § 312-A. In addition to the legal framework that protects lobbying, lobbying continues to be supported as an integral part of participatory democracy. For our government to succeed and protect the rights of its citizens, citizens must participate; Lobbying is a way for our citizens to do this.
Lobbyists represent the interests of citizens who do not have the opportunity or access to represent them personally before the government. Through lobbying, their interests are always heard. Economist Thomas Sowell notes that governments do not work without lobbying: “Reforms through democratic legislation require either `public consensus or a powerful minority lobby.` While lobbying as a whole serves as a control and protection of the balance of the legislative process, individual lobbyists are not necessarily equal.