Pure Madnesson

Alderwoman Brenda Konkel spent her recent trip to Mexico working on a new ordinance requiring registration of all lobbying activities in the City of Madison. Last year, Konkel lost her battle to tighten up lobbyist registration requirements, leaving the city with an ordinance requiring nearly no one to register.

Konkel says the current ordinance is not working, so it's time to try again. Her current proposal would require registration of anyone entering a lobby or waiting room anywhere within city limits. She explains, "Some Madisonians spend an inordinate amount of time sitting in lobbies of doctors' offices, restaurants, etc. The public has a right to know who is lobbying where, and how much time they spend doing it. That time is valuable and should be reported."

During the last two months, Konkel has been listing on her blog all of her own experience with lobbying. Now she wants others to do the same. In December alone, Konkel listed 116 of her own contacts with business lobbies. In addition to registering with the city clerk if one spends time in a lobby, lobbyists would also be required to record all time spent there and submit these reports to the city quarterly. An additional form requires that the time be converted to dollars if the total value is over $500 per quarter.

Alderman Paul Skidmore, a strong proponent of the current lobbying ordinance, claims that Konkel's latest proposal is "unnecessary." Delora Newton, speaking on behalf of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce, is also unhappy with the proposal. Newton says the Chamber of Commerce's members would "prefer their lobbying activities remain unknown" and find the new ordinance proposal oppressive.

But Konkel disagrees, "Only when we pass a strong lobbying registration ordinance will citizens really know who is wasting our valuable time on lobbying."