Session Artists:

May 20, 2009

Ten New Lawmaker Retreads
Merge Into the 2009 Lobby

T he longer the legislative session lasts the more revolving-door lobbyists venture into the sunlight. Perhaps of necessity, Houston Chronicle veteran Clay Robison was the first to scour this session’s lobby for 2008 lawmakers. In late January, two months before he left that paper’s shrinking news team, Robison fingered three new revolvers.1 This head count doubled to half a dozen when Christy Hoppe followed up for the Dallas Morning News in mid-February.2 Now Lobby Watch claims ten scalps. These ten new revolvers collectively are reporting 68 contracts worth up to $3.9 million—or an average of  $389,000 apiece.

Ubiquitous AT&T put five of the new revolvers on call. This session AT&T’s lobbyists fathered two failed House budget amendments, the Morning News reported.3 One would have killed a study of discriminatory redlining practices in television. The other would have forced the state to pay the cost of rerouting communication lines for road projects. The sponsor of the second amendment revealed why AT&T pays revolving-door lobbyists like former Rep. Pat Haggerty a premium. Explaining his sponsorship of the misguided amendment, Rep. Jim Pitts said, “I was just trying to help Pat out.”

Recent Lawmakers Spotted in the Lobby

 
New Revolver
Max. Value
of Contracts
Min. Value
of Contracts
No. of
Contracts
Party,
Hometown
 Michael Krusee
$850,000
$410,000
16
  R- Round Rock
 Fred Hill
$800,000
$440,000
13
  R- Richardson
 Kyle L. Janek
$625,000
$335,000
7
  R- Houston
 Patrick B. Haggerty
$425,000
$210,000
8
  R- El Paso
 Corbin Van Arsdale
$300,000
$225,000
2
  R- Tomball
 Dianne W. Delisi
$275,000
$135,000
5
  R- Temple
 Kevin E. Bailey
$225,000
$110,000
3
  D- Houston
 ‘Robby’ L. Cook III
$225,000
$100,000
7
  D- Eagle Lake
 Tony Goolsby
$100,000
$50,000
2
  R- Dallas
 James R. Murphy
$65,000
$10,000
5
  R- Houston
TOTALS:
$3,890,000
$2,025,000
68
 

 

Two other clients each hired two new revolvers.  The Texas Charter School Association enrolled Kyle Janek and Dianne Delisi. Tobacco giant Reynolds American hooked Pat Haggerty and Robby Cook. Boasting 40 lobbyists, including seven former lawmakers, the tobacco industry stubbed out a couple tobacco-control measures, including a statewide ban on smoking in public.4

Round Rock Republican Mike Krusee leads the new class of revolvers. He reported that 15 clients are paying him up to $850,000 this year. Krusee’s top clients are AT&T, satellite TV provider DISH Network, Disability Services of the Southwest and insurance giant United Health Care. Krusee who promoted toll roads as chair of the House Transportation Committee, has steered clear of highway clients thus far.

Mike Krusee’s Contracts

Max. Value
of Contracts
  
 Client
$100,000
  AT&T Corp.
$100,000
  Disability Services of the Southwest
$100,000
  DISH Network
$100,000
  United Health Care
$50,000
  Deputy Sheriff's Assn. of Bexar Co.
$50,000
  HCC Insurance Holdings, Inc.
$50,000
  Reagan National Advertising
$50,000
  TX High School Coaches Assn.
$50,000
  TX Restaurant Assn.
$50,000
  Worldwide Interactive Network, Inc.
$25,000
  Corporate Travel Partners, Inc.
$25,000
  TX Assn. of Life & Health Insurers
$25,000
  TX Assn. of Massage School Owners
$25,000
  TX Assn. of Real Estate Inspectors
$25,000
  TX Pest Control Assn.
$25,000
  Winfree Academy
$850,000
 TOTAL

 

Former Richardson Republican Rep. Fred Hill is billing 13 clients up to $800,000 this year. This former head of the House’s Local Government Ways & Means Committee mostly represents local government clients.5 Hill also represents Arlington’s Chamber of Commerce and the Dallas Citizens Council.

Fred Hill’s Contracts

Max. Value
of Contracts
 
 Client
$200,000
  TX Assn. of Counties
$100,000
  City of Richardson
$100,000
  Conference of Urban Counties
$50,000
  City of Allen
$50,000
  City of Coppell
$50,000
  City of Dallas
$50,000
  City of Denton
$50,000
  City of Farmers Branch
$50,000
  Town of Addison
$25,000
  Arlington Chamber of Commerce
$25,000
  Dallas Area Rapid Transit
$25,000
  Dallas Citizens Council
$25,000
  Town of Flower Mound
$800,000
 TOTAL

 

The only new Senate revolver thus far is Houston anesthesiologist Kyle Janek, whose medical specialty should find a ready market in the lobby. Seven clients are paying Dr. Janek up to $625,000 to try to selectively revive or anesthetize legislation. Janek represents two anesthesiology clients and two other medical interests. One is the physician-owned Texas Medical Liability Trust—the state’s leading provider of medical-malpractice insurance. The other is a foundation that supports Galveston’s John Sealy Hospital.

Kyle Janek’s Contracts

Max. Value
of Contracts
 
 Client
$150,000
  Greater Houston Anesthesiology
$100,000
  Excelsior College
$100,000
  Sealy and Smith Foundation
$100,000
  TX Medical Liability Trust
$100,000
  TX Charter Schools Assn.
$50,000
  Eisai, Inc.
$25,000
  TX Society of Anesthesiologists
$625,000
 TOTAL

 

Eight clients are paying former El Paso Rep. Pat Haggerty up to $425,000. After Haggerty openly opposed then-Speaker Tom Craddick in 2007, Craddick helped a challenger defeat Haggerty in last year’s GOP primary. Haggery’s top client is Fort Worth-based Bingo Interest Group. He also represents tobacco and liquor interests, power giant CenterPoint, the HillCo lobby firm and a highway contractor.

Pat Haggerty’s Contracts

Max. Value
of Contracts
 Client
$100,000
  Bingo Interest Group
$50,000
  AT&T Corp.
$50,000
  CenterPoint Energy
$50,000
  HillCo Partners, LLC
$50,000
  Licensed Beverage Distributors
$50,000
  Pate Transportation Partners
$50,000
  Reynolds American, Inc.
$25,000
  Media Choice
$425,000
 TOTAL

 

After a challenger took out Tomball Rep. Corbin Van Arsdale in the Republican primary last year, the lame-duck lawmaker quit the House in October for a higher paying job.6 Van Arsdale reports that the building branch of the Associated General Contractors is paying him up to $250,000 this year to be its vice president and general counsel. Van Arsdale moonlights for AT&T.

Corbin Van Arsdale’s Contracts

Max. Value
of Contracts
 
 Client
$250,000
  Associated General Contractors
$50,000
  AT&T Corp.
$300,000
 TOTAL

 

Republican Rep. Dianne Delisi resigned midterm in July 2008, several months before she registered to lobby for Texas Teachers of Tomorrow, a private teacher-certification provider. Delisi’s top client is the charter school association. The former chair of the House Public Health Committee also represents Grace Holdings, which owns hospitals and clinics.

Delisi works for Delisi Communications, the consulting firm founded by her son, Ted Delisi. Ted Delisi’s wife, Deirdre, was Governor Rick Perry’s chief of staff before Perry tapped her to chair the embattled Texas Transportation Commission.

Dianne Delisi’s Contracts

Max. Value
of Contracts
 
 Client
$100,000
  TX Charter Schools Assn.
$50,000
  AT&T Corp.
$50,000
  Grace Holdings LLP
$50,000
  TX Teachers of Tomorrow LLC
$25,000
  Intel Corp.
$275,000
 TOTAL

 

Then-Republican Speaker Tom Craddick rewarded Houston Democratic Rep. Kevin Bailey’s loyalty with a chair overseeing the House Urban Affairs Committee. For this same loyalty, voters in the 2008 Democratic primary gave Bailey the boot. This history may limit Bailey’s lobby marketability to Democratic members and to moderate Republicans. His top clients are the Service Employees International Union and Medical Multi-Media Advertising (MMA). The Bailey-run MMA provides marketing and management support to healthcare companies. In 2004 and 2006 MMA contributed a total of $2,500 in corporate funds to the Texas Democratic Party.

Kevin Bailey’s Contracts

Max. Value
of Contracts
 
 Client
$100,000
 Medical Multi-Media Advertising
$100,000
 Service Employees International Union
$25,000
 East Aldine Management District
$225,000
 TOTAL

 

The top clients of Eagle Lake Democrat Robby Cook are Joe Camel and the heirs of Victoria’s Dennis O’Connor, a 19th century banker and cattle baron. Cook also represents three water conservation districts, an electric co-op and the Texas Association of Builders.

Robby Cook’s Contracts

Max. Value
of Contracts
 
 Client
$50,000
  Dennis M. O'Connor Heirs
$50,000
  Reynolds American, Inc.
$25,000
  Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative
$25,000
  Evergreen Underground Water Conser. Dist.
$25,000
  Mesa Underground Water Conservation Dist.
$25,000
  Rusk Co. Groundwater Conservation Dist.
$25,000
  TX Association of Builders
$225,000
 TOTAL

 

Dallas Republican Tony Goolsby chaired the House Administration Committee before a Democratic challenger ousted him last November. Goolsby lobbies for AT&T and an Arlington-based pension company.

Tony Goolsby’s Contracts

Max. Value
of Contracts
 Client
$50,000
  1st American Pension Services
$50,000
  AT&T Corp.
$100,000
 TOTAL

 

In his first and last legislative term Houston Republican Jim Murphy vice chaired the House Urban Affairs Committee before a Democratic challenger defeated him in November. Murphy was president of Westchase District, a Houston business district when he ran for the legislature. He now is the general manager of the same municipal management district.  His largest client, Hawes Hill Calderon, consults on special municipal tax zones.

Jim Murphy’s Contracts

Max. Value
of Contracts
 Client
$25,000
  Hawes Hill Calderon, LLP
$10,000
  INCAP Financial Group, Ltd.
$10,000
  West Dallas Investments, LP
$10,000
  Billingsley Development Corp.
$10,000
  Westchase District
$65,000
 TOTAL

 

As these ten former lawmakers moved into the lobby, another revolving-door lobbyist moved back into the legislature. Corpus Christi Republican Todd Hunter defeated Democratic Rep. Juan Garcia in November and chairs the House Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence Committee. Hunter previously served in the House as a Democrat from 1989 to 1997. Hunter last registered as a lobbyist in 2007.

Todd Hunter’s 2007 Contracts

Max. Value
of Contracts
 
 Client
$150,000
  TX Windstorm Insurance Assn.
$25,000
  Koch Industries, Inc.
$25,000
  TX Assn. of Counties
$25,000
  TX Travel Industry Assn.
$225,000
 TOTAL

 

1 “Just a Few Lawmakers Make Switch To Lobbying,” Houston Chronicle, January 25, 2009.
2 “Easy Jump From Lawmaker To Lobbyist,” Dallas Morning News, February 18, 2009.
3 “Time Is Ripe for the Lobbies,” Dallas Morning News, April 28, 2009.
4 “Tobacco Firms’ 40 Lobbyists Put Popular Legislature Proposals At Risk,” Dallas Morning News, May 11, 2009. 5 “From Legislator To Lobbyist,” Dallas Morning News editorial, March 17, 2009.
6 “New Job For Van Arsdale,” Houston Chronicle,” December 21, 2008.