Groups trying to influence lawmakers at the Kentucky General Assembly spent 11% more this year than they did two years ago—which was the last time the legislature met for a 30 day session.
This year, companies spent nearly $7 million in lobbying and advertising, up from $6.2 million in 2013.
According to the Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission, much of that increase came from a new requirement that lobbyists report spending on advertising.
The top spender for the entire session was Anheuser-Busch, which spent $380,000 on lobbying against a bill that sought to prevent out-of-state brewers from owning distributors in-state. That law ultimately passed.
Their opponents in the beer battle, a craft-beer lobby group called Kentuckians for Entrepreneurs and Growth, was also a top spender, dropping over $130,000 on lobbying and advertising.
