...the solar energy industry? No.
Wind farmers? Good guess, but no.
Big Oil? Close, but not quite.
How about Hollywood? Not even close.
Give up? Very well, then. The top lobbying group in Sacramento is...
The California Teachers Association.
According to California Watch (via ABC News):
The California Teachers Association has reported spending more than $6.2 million through the first three quarters of this year nearly double any other spender on the list.
The Western States Petroleum Association, which represents regional oil and gas interests, is second on the list, followed by the California State Council of Service Employees, the Los Angeles-area city of Vernon and the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan. Each spent at least $2.5 million.No surprise here, really. The state's largest teacher union has spent more than $210 million on politics over the past decade.
The CTA had a mix of victories and defeats this past legislative session. A few major items on the union's wishlist, including tighter state regulations on charter schools and a bill to water down California's landmark parent empowerment law, failed to reach Jerry Brown's desk or were vetoed by the governor. But the union scored a huge victory with AB 114, which prevents local school districts from laying off teachers as part of mid-year budget cuts. The CTA needs those members' dues if it intends to keep up that lobbying office and fund its preferred candidates in 2012.
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