Topics/Subjects/Title

iLobby No Unfree Labor

iLobby is;

lobbying. verb

gerund or present participle: lobbying

1. seek to influence (a politician or public official) on an issue.

synonyms:

seek to influence, try to persuade, bring pressure to bear on, importune, persuade, influence, sway;

petition, solicit, appeal to, call on, urge, press, pressure, pressurize, push

"readers are urged to lobby their local representatives on the issue"

campaign, crusade, press, push, drum up support, speak, clamor, ask, call, drive;

promote, advocate, recommend, speak/plead/argue in favor of, champion, urge, insist on, demand

"a group lobbying for no unfree labor"

States Define Lobbying and Lobbyist

If an individual qualifies as a "lobbyist" or an activity counts as "lobbying" based on the definitions of these terms, a whole host of laws may come into effect. Registration, disclosures, gift restrictions, and prohibitions - all of these and more depend on the definitions of lobbying and lobbyist.

States generally define lobbying as an attempt to influence government action through either written or oral communication. However, each state may have unique elements for what constitutes lobbying, exceptions to the definitions, and exceptions to those exceptions.

Lobbyists are not simply individuals who engage in lobbying. As an example of one common exception, a legislator attempting to gather support for a bill through the normal course of legislative operations would not be considered a lobbyist. A constituent making a call to a policymaker regarding a matter of personal concern would similarly be exempt.

The definition of a lobbyist typically revolves around lobbying on behalf of another for compensation. Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Michigan, Texas, Wyoming, and New York stipulate compensation thresholds so that an individual is required to register only after receiving a certain amount of compensation.

The following table provides definitions of lobbying, lobbyist, and other related terms from the respective states' statutes.

This table is intended to provide general information and does not necessarily address all aspects of this topic. Because the facts of each situation may vary, this information may need to be supplemented by consulting legal advisors. All content is up to date through 5/7/2019.

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