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In 1888 James Bryce wrote, in The American Commonwealth, “All legislative bodies which control important pecuniary interests are as sure to have a lobby as an army to have camp followers." The number of persons and organizations with legislative interests has exploded since Bryce’s day and the number of the their agents?the lobbyists?even more.
Lobbyists
The lobbyists we encounter in the House of Delegates swarm the halls of the General Assembly building in Richmond, speak up when asked in the hearing rooms and continually advocate for their various clients. They are professionals. They offer us information and attempt to persuade us to the advantage of their clients.
Lobbyists are part of the legislative process and their clients?from the League of Women Voters, the Sheriff's Association to the farmers and manufacturers of Virginia?have a constitutional right to have their views and interests represented before the General Assembly.
We all listen to the lobbyist’s views on the hundreds of bills, which pass through each house of the General Assembly during the annual legislative session. We do so, however, with a pleasantly skeptical attitude, for we know that their commitment to an issue is according to whom is paying them.
This is my third legislative session as your delegate. As I look back, I realize that there have been very few times a Richmond
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