The Kentucky Capitol on Jan. 8, the second day of the 2025 legislative session. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Sarah Ladd)
FRANKFORT, Ky. – Health industry groups, business organizations and electric utilities helped drive spending on lobbying the Kentucky General Assembly to a record $27.2 million in 2024.
That total spent by nearly 900 corporations, associations and other groups to influence Kentucky lawmakers soared above the previous record of about $25.5 million spent to lobby the legislature in 2023.
The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce spent far more than any group to lobby state lawmakers last year — $461,429, according to data posted on the website of the Legislative Ethics Commission on Thursday.
The chamber, which represents more than 3,800 member businesses, has traditionally been the top lobby spender in Kentucky, although it fell to second place in 2023 behind a group that unsuccessfully pushed to block a ban on so-called “gray” gambling machines.
The chamber’s 14 registered lobbyists reported working on a broad range of more than 40 bills in 2024, including budget bills that helped keep Kentucky on path to continuing to lower the state income tax.
The chamber’s effort was complemented by Greater Louisville Inc., the chamber of commerce for the state’s largest metropolitan area, which ranked 11th in lobby spending at $157,632.
The Kentucky Hospital Association spent the second most for lobbying in 2024 at $298,177. Its efforts included successfully opposing bills that would have loosened certificate of need requirements on health care providers and made it easier for freestanding birth centers to open in Kentucky.
Health care organizations, including the Kentucky Hospital Association, drove up spending on lobbying. Of the 25 entities that spent the most last year to influence lawmakers, nine were from the health care sector.
But it was legislation affecting power plant retirements that was a major reason for the record amount of lobby spending. Senate Bill 349 created new hurdles for utilities that want to retire power plants fired by fossil fuels. It created a new commission — with significant fossil fuel industry representation — to review a utility’s plan to retire a power plant fired by fossil fuels before that plan could be presented to the state’s official utility regulator, the Kentucky Public Service Commission.
Investor-owned utilities opposed the bill. Member-owned cooperatives supported it.
The conflict resulted in much larger lobbying efforts by these groups in 2024.
Louisville Gas & Electric and Kentucky Utilities ranked third in lobby spending in 2024 at $235,168. Duke Energy ranked seventh at $172,689. The Kentucky Association of Electric Cooperatives was 12th at $146,443, and East Kentucky Power Cooperative ranked 17th at $127,936.
SB 349 passed the Kentucky Senate and House and was later vetoed by Gov. Andy Beshear who said it was the wrong approach to helping assure a reliable supply of electricity to Kentucky homes and businesses. But Republican supermajorities in the House and Senate easily overrode Beshear’s veto.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky ranked fifth in spending for the year. Its spending was driven partly by its opposition to House Bill 5, the legislature’s Safer Kentucky Act which lengthened court sentences and made street camping a crime. The Safer Kentucky Act passed.
Other bills and issues caused some groups which were not quite among the top 25 to spend big in 2024. The Frankfort Plant Board, which had never lobbied the General Assembly before, reported spending $101,032 in 2024 to successfully block a bill which in its initial form would have forced it to sell its telecommunications services. And the Jefferson County Public Schools, which found itself under siege by the Republican dominated legislature, reported spending $89,213 in 2024.
Top spenders
Here is a list of the 25 companies or groups that spent the most lobbying state lawmakers in 2024, according to the Legislative Ethics Commission website:
Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, Frankfort, business $461,429
Kentucky Hospital Association, Louisville, hospitals $298,177
LG&E and KU Energy, Louisville, utility $235,168
Altria Client Services, Richmond, Virginia, tobacco $192,282
ACLU of Kentucky, Louisville, non-profit $184,656
Kentucky Distillers Assn., Frankfort, distilled spirits $172,689
Duke Energy, Cincinnati, utility $172,613
Kentucky League of Cities, Lexington, city governments $171,608
Kentucky Primary Care Assn., Frankfort, health care $166,216
Kentucky Retail Federation, Frankfort, retaail stores $161,350
Greater Louisville Inc., Louisville, business $157,632
Kentucky Association of Electric Cooperatives, Louisville, utility $146,443
HCA Healthcare, Nashville, health care $146,400
Kentucky Medical Assn., Louisville, doctors $131,685
Humana, Louisville, health insurance $137,766
Churchill Downs, Louisville, gambling $129,027
East Kentucky Power Company, Winchester, utility $127,936
Pharmaceutical Care Management Assn., Washington, pharmaceuticals $126,693
LifePoint Health, Brentwood, Tennessee, hospital $120,438
Elevance Health, Louisville, health insurance $118,591
Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturing, Washington, pharmaceuticals $117,197
Kentucky Association of Counties, Frankfort, county governments $116,986
Kentucky Justice Assn., Frankfort, trial lawyers $113,610
RAI Services, Winston-Salem, tobcco $112,217
Amazon.com, Washington, internet company $105,819
Highest-paid lobbyists
Currently, 688 lobbyists are registered with the ethics commission. The top lobbyists are by far the highest-paid people who work in the Capitol. For context, consider that Gov. Andy Beshear’s salary is $179,443.
Here are the 25 people who were paid the most to lobby the General Assembly in 2024, according to the ethics commission website. Each of these lobbyists represents many different clients. Listed with each name is the lobbying firm the lobbyist works for, the number of clients represented by the lobbyist, and the total amount in fees paid to the lobbyist by all of those clients. Below each name are five of that lobbyist’s largest clients.
Patrick M. Jennings, Commonwealth Alliances, 79 clients, $975,237
Clients include: AT&T, The Jockey Club, Ky Hospital Assn., Liberty Initiative Fund, United Parcel Service
John T. McCarthy III, McCarthy Strategic Solutions, 108 clients, $795,552
Clients include: Churchill Downs, Altria Client Services, National Mentor Holdings, Netsmart, Ky Optometric Assn.
Stephen S. Huffman, HCM Government Relations, 27 clients, $773,800
Clients include: The Red Mile, Revolutionary Racing, Keeneland, IGT, American Municipal Power
Robert A. Babbage, Babbage Co-Founder, 42 clients, $731,940
Clients include: Angel’s Envy, Cash Express, PrizePicks, Tyler Kentucky, Underdog Fantasy
Sean Cutter, MMLK Government Solutions, 62 clients, $711,173
Clients include: CoreCivic, Humana, RAI Services, Google LLC, Merck Sharp & Dohme
Jason Bentley, MMLK Government Solutions, 58 clients, $653,890
Clients include: RAI Services Company, Ky Distillers Assn., Ascend Elements, Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, LG&E and KU Energy
Ronald Pryor, Capitol Solutions, 9 clients, $646,186
Clients include: LifePoint Health, HCA Healthcare, Ky Hospital Assn., Murray State University, Tyson Foods
Kelley Abell, The Rotunda Group, 26 clients, $630,374
Clients include: McKesson, Motion Picture Assn., Dish Network, BrightSpring Health, Ky Assn. of Adult Day Centers
Katherine W. Hall, Commonwealth Alliances, 79 clients, $624,593
Ky Assn of Health Care Facilities, Republic Services, Scholastic Inc., Gainwell Technologies, Ky Veterinary Medical Assn.
Chris Nolan, MMLK Government Solutions, 62 clients, $623,053
Kentucky Distillers‘ Assn., Nucor Corp., GoodRX, Humana, Tri-Arrows Aluminum, National Assn. of Vision Care Plans
James Higdon, MMLK Government Solutions, 62 clients, $615,255
RAI Services, Unite US, Centegix, Humana, Autonomous Vehicle Industry Assn.
Laura E. Owens, JYB3 Group, 35 clients, $502,000
Clients include: Powerhouse Gaming, Baptist Health, Cumberland River Behavioral Health, Cooper Surgical, Uber Technologies
Amy Wickliffe, McCarthy Strategic Solutions, 95 clients, $501,358
Clients include: Pfizer, Ky Realtors, Churchill Downs, Al J. Schneider Company, Ky Dental Assn.
Jason P. Underwood, Capitol Strategies, 6 clients, $500,600
Client include: Enervenue, United Healthcare Services Inc., Heaven Hill Distilleries, American Wagering, Airbnb
Mike Biagi, The Rotunda Group, 21 clients, $461,541
Clients include: Kentucky Downs, Appalachian Regional Healthcare, Kentucky Credit Union League, Chewy Inc., McKesson
Stephanie L. Stumbo, Commonwealth Advocate, 10 clients, $400,800
Clients include: NextEra Energy, Kentucky Petroleum Marketers, Pikeville Medical Center, Grover Gaming, Kentucky Guild of Brewers.
Trey Grayson, FBT, 26 clients, $384,358
Clients include: Kentucky County Clerks’ Assn., Risepoint LLC, Kentucky Retail Federation, Secure Elections Project, Wellpath
John P. Cooper, Capital Link, 22 clients, $383,687
Clients include: Toyota Motor North America, Kentucky Bankers Assn., Kentucky Medical Assn., Amazon.com Services, Bank of America
Marc Wilson, Top Shelf Lobby, 36 clients, $364,632
Clients include: Sports Betting Alliance, Community Choice Financial, Cincinnati Bell, Mountain Comprehensive Care, Kentucky Beer Wholesalers Assn.
Steve Robertson, FBT, 26 clients, $345,178
Clients include: Lancaster Colony Corp., Waterford.org, Pharmaceutical Research and Manuf. Of America, City of Ashland, Yes Every Kid Inc.
Rebecca Hartsough, Babbage Co-founder, 37 clients, $318,500
Clients include: FC Cincinnati, Kentucky Health Departments Assn., Novo Nordisk, Grant Ready Kentucky, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport
Timothy R. Corrigan, The Rotunda Group, 22 clients, $304,372
Clients include: Dow Chemical, American Assn. for Marriage & Family Therapy, Suntory Global Spirits, Waterfront Botanical Garden, Outfront Media
Collin Johnson, Commonwealth Alliances, 81 clients, $301,680
Clients include: Kentucky Hospital Assn., Western Kentucky University, Kentucky Association of Counties, American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, AT&T
Richie Sanders, Capital Link, 15 clients, $294,000
Clients include: Houchens Industries, Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce, Friends of LifeWorks, Allen County-Scottsville Industrial Development Authority, Turning Point Brands
Julia Crigler, Commonwealth Alliances, 73 clients, $292,767
Clients include: Kentucky Cable Telecommunications Assn., Coinbase Inc., Accelerate Learning Inc., Cicero Action, Clean Slate Initiative
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