Special interests, AKA “lobbyist employers” as the California Secretary of State calls them, paid lobbying firms more than $91 million to lobby state government in the third quarter of 2025, according to a Capitol Weekly analysis of lobbying firm reports.

As Capitol Weekly always notes in quarterly lobbying reports, that number doesn’t include all of the money spent on lobbying during the third quarter of the 2025-26 legislative cycle, as lobbying firm disclosure reports don’t include wages and expenses for in-house lobbyists.

Brian Joseph

Capitol Weekly

The $91 million represents a 1% increase from the amount spent in the second quarter, after accounting for disclosure amendments. According to updated figures, special interests spent more than $90 million on lobbying firms during the

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