After learning that other states require bill numbers, Mollis told the Phoenix he would urge lobbyists to voluntarily report bill numbers this year. He also promised to further research the issue and perhaps introduce legislation in 2010 to mandate the change. "On the surface, I see no reason why we wouldn't introduce that legislation and I see no reason why anyone would oppose it," he comments.
Some lobby groups also fail to file reports on time or omit their expenditures. Lobby groups receive regular reminders to file monthly reports, says Mollis's communications director Chris Barnett, but are not warned or disciplined until 30 days after the session officially ends. Following recent practice, the Rhode Island General Assembly ended the 2008 session on the first day of the 2009 session. Violators were then sent two warning letters. Under this procedure, the National Reverse Lending Association was legally allowed to first report that it spent $51,282 lobbying on a bill to establish guidelines and requirements for selling reverse mortgages on February 25, more than eight months after the bill was signed into law.
Those who fail to comply with the law after receiving two letters, says Barnett, will be scheduled for an administrative hearing in March. As of March 2, 28 lobbyists and their clients were still delinquent, Barnett reports. Fines up to $2000 per violation can be levied under state law, he adds, but no one has been fined since Mollis took office in January 2007.
Below is a summary of the expenditures and activities of the major industry lobbies.
INSURANCE: $779,079
The insurance industry spends more than any other to influence the Rhode Island General Assembly. The biggest spender is the state's largest workers-compensation insurer, Beacon Mutual Insurance Company ($115,700), followed by the two largest health-insurance companies, UnitedHealth Group ($106,012) and Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island ($72,096). The other big spenders in the insurance industry were Variable Annuity Life Insurance Company ($54,166), Property Casualty Insurers Association of America ($53, 960), Coventry First ($50,000), and Delta Dental of Rhode Island ($48,000).
Although the major insurance groups hired some of Rhode Island's best-known lobbyists, none listed the bills they worked on. Instead they reported lobbying on the general topics like "insurance," "workers compensation," "health care," and "consumer affairs." Former Lieutenant Governor Richard Licht led Beacon's lobbying, while former House whip Christopher Boyle and Blue Cross director of government relations Shawn Donohue walked the halls for the state's largest health insurer. United was represented by its vice-president, government affairs, Jason Martesian, former Senate minority leader Robert Goldberg, and attorney Kelly Sheridan.
In general, insurers oppose additional regulation and measures that will increase their costs, while they support avenues to increase their business. Some issues are high-profile, like United's successful effort last year to outlaw municipalities from naming an insurance company in union contracts. (Many contracts stated Blue Cross must provide the health insurance, cutting United out of the market.) Blue Cross took no position on the bill, but it was among 268 that the insurer tracked, according to chief communications officer Chris Medici, including legislation requiring hospitals to report pressure ulcers and hospital-based infections to the state health department. Meanwhile, among Nationwide Insurance's legislative priorities were a string of six bills sponsored by Representative Timothy Williamson (D-West Warwick) targeting auto-body shop owners, including proposals that the Department of Business Regulation be allowed to pull a shop's license if it failed to notify an insurer 72 hours before dismantling a car or if it offered to rebate a customer's deductible to attract business. None passed.
