County And Municipal Organizations Would Have To Follow Lobbying Rules Under Proposed Bill

The staff of the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) and the Maryland Municipal League (MML), which represent local governments at the State House, would have to file as registered lobbyists and follow lobbying laws under a bill being considered in the House of Delegates.

Del. Tom Hucker, a Montgomery County Democrat, sponsored the legislation to close what he considers a lobbying loophole for MACo and MML, which both oppose the bill.

“They’re among the most powerful interest groups in Annapolis, and that’s exactly why it would serve the public interest and strengthen public confidence in our ethics law and the General Assembly itself if they played by the same set of rules as any other lobbyist in Annapolis,” Hucker told the House Environmental Matters Committee at a hearing on Tuesday.
More