For the past two decades, lobbyists have spent over $6 million influencing Michigan lawmakers. The Detroit Free Press turned to Ford School's Joe Schwarz and Richard Hall for insights on the lobbying process within the legislature and its impacts on organizations and lawmakers alike.
Schwarz, who served in the Michigan State Senate from 1987-2002, and then in Congress from 2005-2007, shared, "If you don’t want to be lobbied; if you don’t want lobbyists working against something that you’re supporting, you probably don’t belong in the Legislature."
Hall commented on the disparities of the lobbying system stating, "It's win-win for the legislators and the lobbyists... but there are losers... The loser here is the person who's not in the room... And those are organizations that don't have the resources to spend to gain access.”
You can read the full article here.
