Lobbyists spend most of their time trying to stop legislation that harms them rather than pushing for legislation that helps them, said Clemson s Woodard. How successful they are often depends on how much money their clients donate to lawmakers election campaigns. State law forbids lobbyists from giving anything of value to lawmakers, including campaign contributions. But groups that hire lobbyists donate millions to campaigns. What gives lobbyists power is when they have principals who give money to the lawmakers, Crangle said.
Lobbyists can be the lone source for information that lawmakers use to make their decisions.
We depend on them, said Rep. Kenny Bingham, a freshman Republican from Lexington County. One check on lobbyists power, he said, comes from the information they provide. If they lie to us or give us false information, they will lose any credibility they have, he said. Their clients will know about it, and they will be out of a job. Crangle said a lobbyist can sneak something by a lawmaker once, but next time there will be trouble.