Lobbying by State Universities

The blog, "Left of Centre," has some details about lobbying by PA's state universities, following up an article in the Daily Collegian.

Of interest to those following lobbying expenditures, and specifically taxpayer funding lobbying, are details on how Penn State lumps its university and medical center together in lobbying reports, on discrepancies on federal lobbying expenditures in the article, and in noting the difference between total gifts and hospitality given to legislators ("some of whom attended home football games") and itemized gifts and hospitality. Gifts and hospitality only have to be itemized when they exceed $250 and $750, respectively, to a single legislator.

It is also intersting that this self-described 'progressive' blogger "fully agrees" with Matt Brouillette's quote in the article:

We think that it is, in general, not a good practice for taxpayer-funded entities to spend taxpayer money to lobby for more taxpayer money.