Alia Beard Rau

The Republic | azcentral.com

Gov. Doug Ducey in his State of the State took Arizona lawmakers to task for the number of bills they pushed last year.

"All too often, success in this building is measured by how many bills we pass and new laws we add to the books," Ducey said. "As Barry Goldwater wrote in ‘Conscience of a Conservative,’ 'my aim is not to pass laws, it’s to repeal them.' "

But the dark side — ahem, the lobbyist influence — is strong at the Capitol, particularly during an election year.

Lawmakers can't accept campaign contributions from lobbyists during the legislative session, but the days leading up to the session are a fundraising free-for-all. A week into the session, lawmakers have introduced more than 530 bills. If prior sessions are any indication, the number will reach more than 1,000 before the session is done.

While the common folks are left to offer their thoughts on legislation during crowded committee hearings, lobbyists this week freely wandered in and out of lawmakers' offices on the restricted upper floors of the House and Senate.

Who are these people? A look at the Legislature

Rep. Mark Cardenas, D-Phoenix, posted on Facebook: "A lobbyist asked me to co-sponsor a possibly controversial bill with the reasoning, 'It's OK, your leadership supports this.' I looked and saw none of their signatures so decided to ask about it. His response? 'Aw man.' Then walked away."

Among those spotted in the halls this week were key lobbyists for the influential gun industry, the Goldwater Institute and the Center for Arizona Policy. These groups tend to quietly introduce their often controversial key legislation later in the session. Stay tuned.