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Top Lobby Clients by Industry
| Interest | No. of Contracts |
Value of Contracts
|
|
| Agriculture |
|
$4,204,934
|
|
| Communications & Electronics |
|
$21,328,708
|
|
| Construction |
|
$5,435,205
|
|
| Energy & Natural Resources |
|
$30,527,522
|
|
| FIRE |
|
$33,111,666
|
|
| Health |
|
$18,360,722
|
|
| Ideology |
|
$7,249,888
|
|
| Labor |
|
$4,634,924
|
|
| Lawyers & Lobbyists |
|
$9,119,912
|
|
| Local Government |
|
$14,834,754
|
|
| Misc. Business |
|
$17,579,716
|
|
| Transportation |
|
$11,064,835
|
|
Finance, Insurance and Real Estate (FIRE)
Industry:
Clients in the Finance, Insurance and
Real Estate (FIRE) Industry led the 1999 lobby by spending up to $33 million.
This sector ruled by stint of the large number of lobby contracts it took
out (1,675) rather than due to any particular mega-clients. The nation’s
largest pawn shop chain, Dallas-based Cash America International, Inc.,
was the top FIRE lobby client. Cash America spent up to $919,000, which
placed it 22nd in overall client spending. The powerful Texas Association
of Realtors ranked second in the FIRE Sector, spending up to $906,000.
Energy and Natural Resources Industry:
The Energy and Natural Resources Industry
followed FIRE, with up to $31 million in contracts. Electric utility Reliant
Energy (formerly Houston Industries), led this industry, spending up to
$1.8 million, which placed third in overall lobby expenditures. Four other
companies in this category followed close on Reliant’s heels: Texas Utilities
($1.4 million), DuPont ($1.2 million), Enron Corp. ($1.2 million) and Exxon
($1.1 million).
Communications and Electronics Industry:
Three of Texas’ top five overall lobby
clients hail from the No. 3-ranked Communications and Electronics Industry,
which spent up to $21 million. Texas’ leading lobby force, Southwestern
Bell spent up to $5.1 million on 127 lobby contracts. Bell spent almost
twice as much as Texas’ No. 2-ranked EDS Corp. ($2.6 million). Next came
Bell rival AT&T ($1.6 million), which was the fifth largest client
overall.
Health Industry and Miscellaneous Business:
The Health Industry and Miscellaneous
Businesses ranked 4th and 5th in lobbying expenditures, spending a maximum
of approximately $18 million each. Physicians Care HMO (PhyCor) led the
health industry, spending up to $1 million. The top Miscellaneous
Business interest—also spending up to $1 million—was DeVry Inc., which
owns one of the nation’s largest chains of technical training schools.
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