Chevron: $3 million
The San Ramon-based oil giant continues to top the list of advocacy spenders, reporting more than $3 million spent between January and the end of March. The last time Chevron wasn’t in the top three spenders was in 2011. It has reported lobbying expenses totaling more than $77.6 million since 2005.
The company lobbied the Legislature on several items, including the budget, hydrogen programs, and carbon sequestration. But that isn’t the only institution that Chevron wanted to influence. It also reported advocating before the state Energy Commission, the Public Utilities Commission, the Air Resources Board, the Natural Resources Agency and the Departments of Tax and Fee Administration and Fish and Wildlife.
The fossil fuel behemoth took a public position on just one bill so far this year: a proposal from Assemblymember Laura Friedman, a Democrat from Burbank, that would make oil well operators liable for civil penalties for health impacts on people who live in the area. Chevron opposed the bill, which is still pending after approval from two committees in the Assembly.
Western States Petroleum Association: $2.5 million
The oil industry trade group is Chevron’s perennial partner on the leaderboard. The association is the single-largest spender on state advocacy since 2005, reporting nearly $120 million in total expenses. To put that in some context, the SEIU state council, a labor organization and the next highest-spending group, reported $80 million over the same time period.
The fossil fuel lobby testified against two bills in hearings: SB 559, which died in January and would have directed state regulators to phase out offshore drilling in state waters, and AB 1866, which would require companies to develop plans to eliminate all idle oil wells. The bill is still pending in the Assembly.
The group advocated on more than 25 other bills since January.
California Chamber of Commerce: $1.2 million
The Chamber of Commerce spent a little less than $1.2 million to advocate on more than 100 pieces of legislation in the first quarter of 2024, as well as lobbying Cal/OSHA, the Public Utilities Commission, the relatively new Privacy Protection Agency and the Water Resources Control Board. The business trade group testified against a pending bill that would prevent people under 18 from buying diet or weight loss supplements over the counter, against a failed bill that would have imposed a tax on residents with more than $1 million in assets, and in support of a still-pending bill that makes permanent a family leave mediation program for small employers.
The Chamber is the sixth-largest lobbyist employer since 2005, spending more than $61 million over that time period.
Pacific Gas & Electric: $1.15 million
PG&E spent nearly $1.15 million advocating for issues, such as undergrounding power lines and the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant. It also lobbied on 85 bills, including AB 2666, which would require utilities to annually report to the Public Utilities Commission the amount spent on infrastructure after each approved rate hike, such as the one approved two weeks ago. Despite PG&E’s opposition to the bill, it passed the Assembly Committee on Utilities and Energy last month.
The investor-owned utility, which is regulated by the state, has spent nearly $40 million since 2005 to push its point of view in California.
Howard Jarvis: $1.05 million
The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association reported spending about $1 million in the first three months of the year. That represents an increase in advocacy by the anti-tax organization from last quarter when it spent just less than $157,000 between October and December last year. However, the spending aligns with the first quarter of 2023, when the association reported $1.15 million in advocacy receipts. The group lobbied on 12 bills this session, including against one from Democratic Assemblymember Alex Lee of Milpitas to raise taxes on assets worth more than $1 million. The bill died in January.
Since 2005, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Association has invested $34.5 million in pushing its point of view to government officials.
California Hospital Association: $1 million
The group representing hospitals and health care systems reported spending a little more than $1 million to advocate on 61 pieces of legislation, including a bill by Democratic Assemblymember Ash Kalra from San Jose to create a single-payer health care system in California. The hospital association opposes the bill, which died last week.
Since 2005, the industry group has invested more than $58 million in lobbying the state government.
AT&T: $865,000
AT&T reported advocating before the Public Utilities Commission and on two similar bills in the Legislature, one in the Assembly and one in the Senate. Both would require state agencies to only procure internet from providers offering affordable home internet service. Though the company reported lobbying on both bills, it didn’t take a public position on either.
The telecom company went on the record about a handful of education-related bills. It took public positions in support of five bills last year, four of which have to do with education-related topics, such as credentialing teachers in computer science and media literacy curriculums for students.
AT&T has reported spending more than $63 million to lobby the state government since 2005.
Contra Costa County: $773,000
The East Bay Area county spent 65% of the total it spent last year in just the first quarter of this year and reported advocating on seven bills. It supported a bill about hosting public meetings online and another about in-home supportive health service certifications through an association called Urban Counties.
