National Corporations That Lobby RI: Top 20
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Major out-of-state corporations are lining up to influence the Governor and General Assembly this year. Who are they and what are their agendas?
Using data available on the Secretary of State’s Web site, GoLocalProv identified the top 20 national—and a few international—corporations and other groups that have hired lobbyists and lobbying firms to look out for their interests this year. The top 20 are ranked by the total amount that they plan to spend in 2011.
They range from pharmaceutical giants like Amgen and telecommunications powerhouses like AT&T to lesser known organizations like Weaver’s Cove Energy, which is behind efforts to bring liquefied natural gas to Mount Hope Bay. The list is restricted to those companies headquartered outside of Rhode Island—while GTECH and CVS are certainly large corporations with a global reach, they have invested more in the state because they have chosen to make their corporate homes here. (However, this list does include companies that are headquartered outside of Rhode Island but have offices or factories here, like Amgen.)
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTAs with previous GoLocalProv reports on lobbying, this list comes with a big caveat: Because of inconsistencies in how lobbyists report what their clients pay them, nailing down the exact numbers requires some additional calculations. Some lobbyists report their monthly pay, some break it down by quarter, and others record just the total for the year. In order to make fair comparisons, GoLocalProv multiplied out the monthly, quarterly, and semi-annual rates for the full year for those who reported them.
THE TOP 20 CORPORATIONS
#1 National Popular Vote
Lobbying Expenses: $240,000
Lobbyists: the Bradford Group
Headquarters: Los Altos, CA
As the name suggests, National Popular Vote is a nonprofit advocacy organization that aims to do away with the electoral college and base the election of the President on the popular vote. This would take a constitutional amendment, which is why National Popular Vote needs Rhode Island lawmakers on board. It may seem like a long shot, but clearly National Popular Vote has enough financial support to push it to the top of our list.
#2 United Healthcare Services, Inc.
Lobbying Expenses: $237,499
Lobbyists: Lobbying team includes the Goldberg Law Offices and Roberts Carroll Feldstein & Peirce
Headquarters: Minneapolis, MN
As the single largest health carrier in the United States, United’s network includes 654,000 physicians and health care professionals, 80,000 dentists and 5,127 hospitals. An estimated 70 million Americans receive their health care through United.
Amount Spent on Lobbying: $216,000
Lobbying Expenses: Mayforth Group
Headquarters: Washington, DC
Another nonprofit with deep pockets, the Gill Action Fund advocates for equality opportunity regardless of sexual orientation or gender expression. The organization is best known for its advocacy for gay rights—which could prove crucial this year as Rhode Island considers a same-sex marriage law.
Lobbying Expenses: $204,000
Lobbyists: Advocacy Solutions
Headquarters: Fall River, MA
The organization behind the proposal for liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities in Mount Hope Bay and in Fall River. The plan, which has met with stiff opposition from prominent public officials, like former Attorney General Patrick Lynch, remains stalled. Weaver’s is owned by the better-known oil company Hess.
#5 Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America
Lobbying Expenses: $185,000
Lobbyists: Team includes Matthew Lopes, Jr. and Leonard Lopes of Pannone Lopes Devereaux & West, LLC
Headquarters: Washington, DC
An industry association which represents the nation’s top pharmaceutical research and biotech companies. PhRMA members invested an estimated $45.9 billion in research and development in 2009. Their relevance to Rhode Island public policy can only increase as national health care reform is implemented at the state level.
#6 Fidelity Investments
Lobbying Expenses: $162,000
Lobbyists: Government Strategies, Inc.
Headquarters: Boston, MA
Is among the largest mutual funds and financial services groups. Based in Boston, but has offices in Smithfield and Providence.
Lobbying Expenses: $160,000
Lobbyists: Serlin Haley LLP
Headquarters: Bentonville, AR
What could the world’s largest corporation have to worry about in the country’s tiniest state? True, any laws that the General Assembly passes that affect Wal-Mart might be only a pinprick, but here’s the rub, according to one Statehouse source: those laws could set precedents for other bigger states to follow.
#8 Noresco, LLC
Lobbying Expenses: $144,000
Lobbyists: The F/S Capitol Consulting team of Carolyn Murray and Thomas Papa
Headquarters: Westborough, MA
An energy service company that claims it has helped its customers save more than 31 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity and 71 trillion Btus of fuel.
#9 Enterprise Holdings
Lobbying Expenses: $127,500
Lobbyists: Pannone Lopes Devereaux & West, LLC
Headquarters: Clayton, MO
The company that owns Enterprise Rent-a-Car as well as National and Alamo. With annual revenues of $12.6 billion, more than 68,000 employees, and more than one million cars and trucks, Enterprise Holdings certainly has a lot of weight to throw around.
Lobbying Expenses: $120,000
Lobbyists: Advocacy Solutions
Headquarters: Cheshire, CT
Alexion is a global company with a specific focus: research and development of drugs to fight severe, life-threatening and “ultra-rare” diseases. Alexion advocates for public policies that ensure patients with rare diseases have access to the “innovative therapies.”
#11 Amgen
Lobbying Expenses: $120,000
Lobbyists: Pannone Lopes Devereaux & West, LLC
Headquarters: Thousand Oaks, CA
This company develops therapies that help millions around the world fight cancer, kidney diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, bone disease, and other serious illnesses. Though based in California, Amgen maintains a 50,000-square foot factory in East Greenwich that makes Enbrel, which is to treat some autoimmune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Lobbying Expenses: $120,000
Lobbyists: F/S Capitol Consulting, LLC
Headquarters: Boynton Beach, FL
Peachtree services help people with structured settlements or annuities access their money faster. The company has a stake in any legislation dealing with insurance, according to filings with the Secretary of State.
Lobbying Expenses: $105,000
Lobbyists: Advocacy Solutions
Headquarters: New York City, NY
In Rhode Island, Verizon has hired lobbyists to deal with any telecommunications legislation as well as tax laws that affect its business.
Lobbying Expenses: $98,400
Lobbyists: Brown Rudnick LLP
Headquarters: Dallas, TX
In 2010, AT&T supported a bill that would allow it to charge customers for 911 services on pre-paid cell phones and opposed a bill that extended the period of gift cards for up to two years.
#15 Reynolds American Inc.
Lobbying Expenses: $84,000
Lobbyists: F/S Capitol Consulting, LLC
Headquarters: Winston-Salem, NC
The casual reader might gloss over “RAI Services Company”—as it’s listed on the Secretary of State’s database—but this is Reynolds American, Inc., the country’s second-largest tobacco company.
Lobbying Expenses: $80,000
Lobbyists: F/S Capitol Consulting, LLC
Headquarters: Washington, DC
You may not have heard of this alliance, but the dozen manufacturers who comprise it are among the most recognizable names in the industry—the BMW Group, Chrysler Group LLC, Ford Motor Company, General Motors Company, Jaguar Land Rover, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz USA, Mitsubishi Motors, Porsche, Toyota, Volkswagen Group of America and Volvo Cars North America.
Lobbying Expenses: $80,000
Lobbyists: Mayforth Group
Headquarters: Issy-les-Moulineaux, France
This French food company has made inroads in Rhode Island—partnering with more than a dozen school districts. It even has its own Rhode Island-specific Web site to promote its products and services.
Lobbying Expenses: $77,000
Lobbyists: F/S Capitol Consulting, LLC
Headquarters: Washington, DC
The national trade association for cigar manufacturers, importers, and distributors. In 2010, the association fought proposed changes to how cigars are taxes.
Lobbying Expenses: $72,000
Lobbyists: Mayforth Group
Headquarters: King of Prussia, PA
This is the company behind the luxurious Carnegie Tower (pictured here) in Portsmouth.
Lobbying Expenses: $60,000
Lobbyists: Advocacy Solutions
Headquarters: Washington, DC
The trade association for companies that provide financial services to individual consumers and small businesses.
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