VOGEL INTRODUCES BAN TO LOBBYIST FUNDED COMMITTEE DINNERS

Del. Joe Vogel, a Democrat from Montgomery County who joined the General Assembly in 2023, is taking aim at the longtime legislative perk with a bill that would bar lobbyists, corporations and special interest groups from taking lawmakers out on the town.

During the Maryland General Assembly’s 90-day legislative session this year,energy companies like Baltimore Gas and Electric, Constellation, Washington Gas and PEPCO combined to spend more than $49,000 wining-and-dining the very lawmakers who were publicly promising to intervene with rising electricity bills in the state.

The often lavish meals, which are part of a long-standing practice known as committee dinners that dates back more than 30 years, took place at upscale Annapolis eateries like Ruth’s Chris Steak House and Lewnes’ Steakhouse, a fine dining restaurant where a steak costs between $57 and $160. The events provided energy industry lobbyists the chance to talk policy with legislators over a four-star dinner and wine.