JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Gone are the days when lobbyists lined state capitols seeking more money for favored programs. These days, many lobbyists are pleading to spare their clients from cuts.
Back-to-back years of plummeting revenues and gaping budget holes have caused lobbyists in state capitols to change their tactics.
The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities says budget shortfalls of $34 billion have arisen within the past few months in about four-fifths of the states. It estimates state budget gaps could top $350 million for this year and next year combined.
Dave Wenhold is president of the American League of Lobbyists. He says lobbying often becomes more intense when dollars are scarce, because groups compete just to maintain the funding they got in the past.
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