David Ralston, Georgia’s House Speaker.
Ga., State Sen. Jeff Mullis, R-ChickamaugaBy the numbers
2011 lobbyist spending (includes staff and spouse)SenateJeff Mullis, R-Chickamauga: $11,841.15*Charlie Bethel, R-Dalton: $912.76HouseJohn Meadows, R-Calhoun: $4,111.87Tom Weldon, R-Ringgold: $1,631.75Tom Dickson, R-Cohutta: $690.76*Rick Jasperse, R-Jasper: $575.42Roger Williams, R-Dalton: $548.56Jay Neal, R-LaFayette: $543.26*Barbara Reece, D-Menlo: $170.03Martin Scott, R-Rossville: $78.80Total: $21,104.36Includes full share of meal for multiple legislatorsSource: Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission
Falcons tickets, $130 dinners, packing supplies and trips to the circus were all expenses lobbyists used to get to know Northwest Georgia legislators during this year’s legislative session.
In all, lobbyists reported spending more than $21,000 on the area’s 10 lawmakers and more than $1.1 million on officials across the state.
Much of the money was concentrated on leadership, based on reports published by the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission.
House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, received more than any lawmaker in the Legislature. Lobbyists gave him more than $27,000 through mid-June, including a $14,000 trip to Germany. Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers, R-Woodstock, took in $7,100.