$750 Thousand Spent By Lobbyists On Receptions And Other Events For Lawmakers In 2022

Image Credit: Tennessee Chamber of Commerce / Twitter

The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –

According to the Tennessee Ethics Commission website, various groups – as a whole – spent around $750 thousand on a multitude of events last year for lawmakers.

Tuesday evening, at the end of the first day of this year’s legislative session, similar events were once again scheduled for lawmakers to attend if they so chose.

Last year, a private reception held at the Tennessee State Museum cost the organizers approximately $65 thousand. Paid for by the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry, along with some of the state’s largest corporations, like Amazon and FedEx, the event allowed lobbyists to rub shoulders with legislators and the Governor. Some of these companies have received large tax breaks thanks to the state’s General Assembly.

On the evening of February 22nd, 2022, the Tennessee Chamber hosted another smaller reception costing over $28 thousand at the Doubletree Downtown Hilton Hotel.

The Tennessee Chamber hosted an opening legislative reception this year also where the Governor Bill Lee, and leaders of the state House and Senate were in attendance.

The top ranking event in terms of expense was the Men of Valor Breakfast held April 5th, 2022, at Music City Center which cost sponsors over $122 thousand. Nonprofit prison ministry Men of Valor sponsored the breakfast, a fundraising event, along with prison reform group Right on Crime, for-profit private-prison operator CoreCivic, HCA Healthcare and others.

Coming in second was a December 8th event sponsored by Tennessee SCORE (State Collaborative on Reforming Education) at a cost of $44,061. Third was the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association’s event at the Doubletree which cost $44,031.

Other events that cost more than $15 thousand:

• A reception held at the Municipal Auditorium in Nashville sponsored by Mayor Cooper and the Middle Tennessee Mayors’ Caucus

• Two hours of hor d’oeuvres and cocktails at the Doubletree sponsored by the American Resort Development Association

• A reception held at the Musician’s Hall of Fame sponsored by those in the construction industry

• Another reception at the Doubletree sponsored by Home Builders Association of Tennessee

• Appetizers and cocktails at the Downtown Sheraton sponsored by the Tennessee Forestry Association

• Hot Chicken at the Musician’s Hall of Fame sponsored by several health related organizations

• An evening reception at the Hermitage Hotel sponsored by the Tennessee Gas Association

• Dinner at Puckett’s Grocery & Restaurant in Nashville sponsored by the Tennessee Cable & Broadband Association

• Another reception at the Hermitage Hotel sponsored by Tennessee hospitals

• A fish fry put on by the Tennessee Professional Fire Fighters

• A reception at the Hermitage Hotel sponsored by Memphis organizations

• Another reception at the Hermitage Hotel sponsored by Tennessee Insurance companies

• “Tennessee on Tap” sponsored by the chambers of commerce for Nashville, Chattanooga, Greater Memphis and Knoxville

Spending at least $10 thousand were Bristol Motor Speedway, American Resort Development Association, Tennessee County Services Association, Tennessee Pharmacists Association, Tennessee Mortgage Bankers Association, Tennessee Grocers & Convenience Store Association in conjunction with the Beverage Association of Tennessee, and Tennessee Installment Lenders Association along with Tennessee Consumer Finance Association.

In an interview with Chattanooga Times Free Press, Dick Williams with Common Cause Tennessee, a nonpartisan citizens’ lobby organization working to encourage the public’s participation in the legislative process, said, “One of our basic primary concerns is the role that money, large money, has on the legislature, on legislation.”

Common Cause Tennessee aims for the interests of the public to be favored over special interests. Williams said that the group has been able to limit some of the influence coming from small groups or organizations so that there isn’t a huge amount of financial influence on legislators. “Whatever they call it, just information or meet and greet or whatever, it has an influence,” he said.

About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.