F.C. Cincinnati soccer team vying for KY state funds. Who else is lobbying the legislature?
Hundreds of companies and organizations lobbied the Kentucky legislature in January, spending about $2.8 million to influence its work.
A Herald-Leader review of public Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission. records shows one lobbying spender is an Ohio major league sports team. The Major League Soccer club F.C. Cincinnati appears to be seeking taxpayers’ help for a project, being one of about 40 groups to have spent at least $10,000 lobbying the General Assembly this year.
The club appears to be looking for public support for a sports development in Northern Kentucky. It has lobbied on the two primary House budget bills – House Bill 6 and House Bill 1 – as well as “issues related to public funding and support regarding professional sports development.” It spent $10,500 doing so in January.
F.C. Cincinnati did not respond to a request for comment on why it is lobbying the legislature.
However, according to the Cincinnati Business Courier, a feasibility study was recently conducted by a company and a Northern Kentucky tourism group showing that the region “has the growing population, established infrastructure, geographic location and market demand to support at least one new amateur sports facility, possibly an outdoor field complex.”
The scope of the company extends beyond just soccer. It’s currently leading a $300 million redevelopment district project including apartments, retail, a hotel and more in downtown Cincinnati near its new soccer stadium.
F.C. Cincinnati began lobbying the legislature late last year, spending $7,000 in the final four months of the interim period. Its lobbying partner is Babbage Cofounder, the firm of former Kentucky state auditor and secretary of state.
Who else got off to a strong start lobbying the state legislature early this year?
Top lobbying spenders for January
A usual mainstay among the top lobbying spenders in the state, the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce was active to start the year. The pro-business organization spent nearly $52,000.
The chamber has focused this session on continuing to lobby legislators to reduce the personal income tax rate – it was recently cut from 4.5% to 4%.
Whether the “triggers” set out in the GOP-led legislature’s formula to reduce the personal income tax to zero are met is somewhat dependent on how the commonwealth budgets, and this year is a budget session. The two primary budget bills, House Bill 1 and House Bill 6, have passed the House and will undergo much more scrutiny as the legislature continues to move forward.
The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce also has gotten involved in pushing a bill to set up regulations for self-driving cars, House Bill 7 from Rep. Josh Bray, R-Mount Vernon.
The organization supports various bills and efforts to expand child care in the state, as affordable child care is often cited as a barrier to entering the workforce for many families, particularly women.
The fifth-highest spender in the month of January was the Louisville area’s local chamber of commerce, Greater Louisville, Inc. The group, known as GLI, spent $27,800 compensating its lobbyists in January.
It focused on many of the same bills as its statewide counterpart, though GLI – which has pushed back on socially conservative legislation in the past – is lobbying against anti-diversity, equity and inclusion bills House Bill 9 and House Bill 93.
Coming in second on the list is East Kentucky Power Cooperative, a not-for-profit utility that covers a huge swath of the central and eastern part of the state. The company did not release the specific bills or issues it has lobbied on this month, though utility-related legislation has been passed virtually every session in recent years.
Last year’s Senate Bill 4 (making it harder to retire coal-fired power plants, against the wishes of many utility companies) is a prime example. It spent more than $30,000 on lobbying in January.
The American Civil Liberties Union came in third in overall spending in January, logging more than $29,000. The group has pushed back on anti-diversity, equity and inclusion bills as well as House Bill 5, the “Safer Kentucky Act,” which would increase penalties for various criminal offenses.
Relatedly, the Kentucky Justice Association, a group of trial attorneys, spent nearly $23,000 on lobbying in January. The group lobbied on various bills that could be related to litigation, including obvious ones like House Bill 5, but also bills on self-driving cars, consumer data privacy and property insurance.
Coming in fourth in overall lobbying spending was the group Save the Children, which is pushing for more investment in child care. The group is a branch of a national organization of the same name backing increased spending on early childhood development, including care and schooling.
In January, the organization lobbied for a Democrat-sponsored bill increasing reimbursements for school meals as well as on general budget matters. A majority of the group’s spending was fueled by advertisements.
Locally owned and operated utility Frankfort Plant Board was fifth in overall lobbying spending in January, also funneling much of its lobbying total (close to $28,000) towards ads.
The utility has pushed back strongly against efforts to privatize parts of its operation, an idea backed by Sen. Gex Williams, R-Verona, who represents the area. Williams filed a bill on this front earlier this week.
Other companies and organizations that have spent $15,000 or more lobbying the legislature in January include:
Kentucky Hospital Association, $24,791.
Kentucky Retail Federation, $22,095.
Kentucky League of Cities, $21,585.
Louisville Gas & Electric/Kentucky Utilities, $20,843.
Kentucky Primary Care Association, $19,972.
Altria Client Services, $19,597.
Elevance (Anthem), $19,000.
Kentucky Medical Association, $18,828.
Kentucky Association of Electric Co-ops, $18,075.
Kentucky Education Association, $17,632.
Duke Energy, $16,010.
Kentucky Bankers Association, $15,234.
