When is lobbying not lobbying?
Patrick Condon of the Associated Press just moved a story that is likely to cause a ruckus.
The two groups pushing hardest for a
constitutional ban on gay marriage in Minnesota have not filed
lobbyist disclosure reports, despite their work at the forefront of
a debate that's dominated the Capitol much of the last three years.
Instead, Minnesota for Marriage and Minnesota Citizens in
Defense of Marriage have designated themselves as political
committees working on a ballot question. The distinction means they
face less stringent reporting requirements for salaries,
advertising and PR campaigns, among other things, than do
registered lobbyists.
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