Advisory Opinion 22-01
Date
10/24/2022
Number
2022 - No. 1
Requester
Bernard Dean, Chief Clerk of the House and Sarah Bannister, Secretary of the Senate
Topic
Interviewing Staff about Collective Bargaining
Issue/Question
Would legislative staff responses to survey questions about collective bargaining by legislative employees constitute lobbying? Could other actions by legislative staff be considered lobbying?
Summary
It is not considered lobbying for staff to respond to an anonymous survey about their views on collective bargaining because their responses are not designed to influence the passage or defeat of legislation. Other actions taken by staff in an attempt to influence the passage or defeat of legislation would be considered lobbying.