Many of them are new, bright-eyed and eager to get down to making laws when the first gavels fall on Tuesday. We have a citizen legislature that meets for 60 days a year to pass bills and a budget that will keep the state running. They are spending much more than 60 days in Tallahassee these days. In February, they were in the Capitol almost every week. It won't take long before they realize that the real power is out there on the fourth floor between the ornate House and Senate chambers, where lobbyists gather.
Lobbyists work in teams.
You have your basic Republican lobbyist and your basic Democrat lobbyist. They are often former legislators who depend on friendships with lawmakers. Now the big lobbying firms that were once dominated by Democrats have taken on token Republicans to help bridge the philosophical gap. And some of the most powerful companies are Republican strongholds these days. In addition, many of the companies have added women and minority lobbyists so they can be politically correct in times of need.