Kentucky lobbyists spent $752,000 on TV and other forms of advertising to support and oppose bills in the recently completed 30-day session, the first year they had to disclose such spending according to the Legislative Ethics Commission. But the top two spenders had little to show for it.
Anheuser-Busch spent $330,000 on TV, print and digital ads opposing House Bill 168, which forced the company to sell its distributors in Owensboro and Louisville. Lawmakers approved the bill anyway.
Likewise, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network spent $104,173 on direct mail and digital ads supporting a statewide smoking ban. The bill passed the House for the first time but died in the Senate.