TALLAHASSEE -- Florida's lobbying corps spent more than $3 million to influence the Legislature this year -- an average of $19,102 for each of the state's 160 legislators.

The amount spent each year fluctuates, depending on the hot issues of the session, but has apparently decreased during the past three years. In 2004, lobbyists and their clients shelled out $3.5 million. In 2003 it was $7.9 million.

Some question whether all the expenditures are being reported -- or whether the lobbying corps is turning to other avenues, such as campaign contributions and payments to legislators' pet charitable causes, to grease the lawmaking wheels.

For instance, a coalition of gaming interests hired more than 40 lobbyists during the spring legislative session to promote slot machine legislation for Broward County, but reported spending less than $25,000 to push their cause.

"I don't really believe them," said Ben Wilcox, director of Common Cause of Florida, a government watchdog. "The gifts and entertaining is being underreported, but there is no way to cross-check. And since they're able to report in such broad categories, they're able to hide a lot of stuff."

Ron Book, who spent $6,000 to lobby on behalf of the West Flagler Kennel Club, said the totals might look low because lobbyists often split the costs of an event or meal between clients.

"When you go to dinner with a legislator and talk four or five issues, you split expenses," he said.

This year's reports were filed by 551 lobbyists, out of 2,049 registered lobbyists, who spent money between Jan. 1 and June 30. The total expenditure was $3,056,386.

Filed three months after the legislative session adjourned, the reports show a wide range of spending, from $5 spent on behalf of the Children's Services Council of Palm Beach County, to $104,420 for the Florida Association of Realtors, to $706,746 by Allstate Floridian Insurance Company. But there is no way to determine the beneficiary of all the attention, since lobbyists do not have to declare whom they are trying to influence or what legislation they are pushing when they spend money. They also do not have to disclose their fees.

Senate President Tom Lee tried to make the system more transparent, requiring lobbyists to report how much they're paid to push a bill and which legislators they wine and dine in their effort to win votes. When the House refused to consider it this spring, loud cheers erupted from the rotunda between the two chambers where lobbyists hang out. The Center for Public Integrity has given Florida consistently low marks for its scrutiny of lobbyists, and Lee said he plans to push again for reporting reform -- and audits of lobbyist reports -- during the 2006 legislative session, which begins in March.

"Some of these guys spend more in one day than they report in a quarter," said Lee, R-Brandon. "I think they're not telling the truth ... because there is no auditing system. Some people are straight up and others don't want to show how prolific they are at entertaining legislators."

While he doesn't think the spending is necessarily lavish, Lee said the public still has a right to know who is developing a relationship with individual legislators, in what environment and at what cost.

"To conceal that from public view is to raise the appearance of impropriety and suggest we have something to hide," Lee said.

Not all money, however, goes to wining and dining and taking legislators to sporting events or concerts.

In the case of the $706,000 reported by George Grewe, regional counsel for Allstate Floridian, most of it went into an advertising campaign to influence legislators on changing the Hurricane Catastrophe Fund in the wake of the devastating 2004 hurricane season.

"We bought newspaper, radio and television ads, maintained a Web site and did a large mailing, too," he said.

Book said the Legislature and public would be better served by imposing a licensing requirement on lobbyists, forcing them to abide by the law.

"They need to crack down on the people who lie, cheat and misrepresent. Set disciplinary rules and guidelines," he said.

Kelly Link: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/sfl-flobby23aug23,0,2931177,print.story?coll=sfla-news-florida