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Capitol View®
Catharine Richert

The top 10 spenders on lobbying state government in 2013

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$65,125,023.00

That's how much money lobbyists spent last year to influence legislation being debated at the Minnesota Capitol.

While that may seem like an eye-popping figure, it's not out of step with how much interest groups have spent in previous sessions.

You can see the entire list here.

Coming in first place was the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, which spent $2.1 million last year. They were followed by the Minnesota Business Partnership, which spent $1.48 million.

Among other things, both groups objected to a handful of business-to-businesses taxes the DFL-controlled legislature passed last session. Both groups are working this year to undo those taxes.

Coming in fourth was Minnesotans United, a group that supports same-sex marriage. They spent $1.14 million on lobbying, which paid off when the Legislature legalized it last year.

While they didn't make the top 10 spenders, AFSCME Council 5 spent $490,000 last year -- more than three times the amount in 2011. With the DFL newly in control of the Legislature, the union was weighing-in on an array of issues, including the unionization of daycare providers and a minimum wage increase.

Here are the top 10 biggest spenders from last year:

  1. Minnesota Chamber of Commerce: $2,100,000

  2. Minnesota Business Partnership: $1,480,000

  3. Education Minnesota: $1,220,000

  4. Minnesotans United: $1,140,000

  5. Altria Client Services, Inc. and its Affiliates: $1,060,000

  6. Coalition of Minnesota Businesses: $900,000

  7. Coalition of Greater MN Cities: $840,000

  8. Minnesota Radiation Oncology Physicians: $700,000

  9. Xcel Energy Services: $662,025

  10. League of Minnesota Cities: $628,945