There are 3,245 registered lobbyists, 120 legislators
As a legislative geek, I compared the number of lobbyists to legislators in a number of jurisdiction, including California. First, I looked at the federal and international levels. Then, I turned to states that had readily accessible information and compared them to California.
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The following are the results:
European Union
720 legislators
12,425 registered lobbyists in 2022
Roughly 17:1 ratio of lobbyist to legislator
US Congress
535 legislators
13,037 registered lobbyists in 2024
Roughly 24:1 ratio of lobbyist to legislator
New York
213 legislators
6,113 registered lobbyists in 2024
Roughly 29:1 ratio of lobbyist to legislator
Massachusetts
200 legislators
1,500 registered lobbyists in 2024
Roughly 8:1 ratio of lobbyist to legislator
Texas
181 legislators
2,000 registered lobbyists in 2024
Roughly 11:1 ratio of lobbyist to legislator
Oregon
90 legislators
1,100 registered lobbyists in 2024
Roughly 12:1 ratio of lobbyist to legislator
Michigan
148 legislators
1,500 registered lobbyists in 2024
Roughly 10:1 ratio of lobbyist to legislator
Wisconsin
132 legislators
750 registered lobbyists in 2024
Roughly 6:1 ratio of lobbyist to legislator
Did someone mention bribe?