THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, July 9, 1994 TAG: 9407090206
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium: 59 lines
The Walt Disney Co. spent more than any other group lobbying legislators during the 1994 General Assembly, which approved a $163 million subsidy package for the company's planned theme park.
Disney's $444,350 in lobbying costs was four times as much as was spent by the park's main opponent, the Piedmont Environmental Council. The environmental group spent $105,700 to rank second in the lobbying reports released Friday by the Secretary of the Commonwealth.
The spending by Disney is far higher than that of any other lobbying group at recent sessions. Comparisons are difficult to make, however, because this is the first time lobbyists have had to report year-round expenses. The reports covered May 1993 to May 1994.
In previous years, lobbyists reported what they spent to influence legislators from November through March. The assembly meets from January to early March.
The Secretary of the Commonwealth's office had no total for lobbyists' spending.
Most of Disney's money went to pay its big-name lobbyists, who included former Secretary of Education James W. Dyke Jr., former Secretary of Natural Resources John W. Daniel II and former U.S. Attorney Richard Cullen.
Gov. George F. Allen, who strongly supports the Disney park, defended the company's lobbying efforts.
``I see nothing wrong with allowing citizens to lobby their government,'' Allen said. ``The key thing is that it's disclosed. People can draw their own conclusions.''
Robert Dennis, president of the environmental council, said he was surprised the Disney figure was so low.
``We were getting estimates that they were spending, I don't know, well over a million,'' he said. Some of those costs may have been counted as public relations efforts rather than lobbying, Dennis said.
Disney spokeswoman Marie Garvey said Disney spent the money to inform legislators about the complex project planned for Prince William County.
``Our project was only announced six weeks prior to the General Assembly starting and we wanted to brief the members of the legislature fully and quickly,'' she said.
``This is not about money,'' she said. ``We felt it was very important, being new to Virginia, to meet personally with the legislature.''
Another big spender was the Virginia Education Association, which successfully lobbied for more teachers in poor elementary schools. The group spent $101,700.
Proponents of riverboat gambling also spent heavily in their failed bid for a referendum on the matter. Hollywood Casino Corp. spent nearly $74,000, Lady Luck Gaming Corp. spent $34,000, Station Casinos spent $62,000 and the Virginia Riverboat Council spent $26,000.
KEYWORDS: GENERAL ASSEMBLY LOBBYISTS DISNEY'S AMERICA by CNB