APPLE DEPLOYS LOBBYISTS TO FIGHT ANTI-LGBTQ BILLS: "Apple is quietly mobilizing its vast resources to lobby against anti-LGBTQ legislation proliferating across the country — an unusual push by one of the world's most valuable companies into a consequential political debate," our Emily Birnbaum writes. — "The company, whose CEO, Tim Cook, is the nation's most visible gay executive, has deployed its lobbyists to oppose legislation that limits protections for trans and gay people or their families in Iowa, Florida, Texas and at least six other states." — "Apple's communications, government affairs and legal offices have also opposed some of the bills, working with policymakers and advocacy groups to plot out strategies and filing court briefs in cases involving LGBTQ rights. And the company is leading part of the broader corporate pushback against the bills — Apple executives have encouraged other large companies to publicly oppose the legislation, arguing that it promotes discrimination and threatens to harm LGBTQ youth." — But "the advocacy poses political risks for Apple as Republicans begin to criticize the company's opposition to the bills. Some Republicans in Iowa have argued that Apple should not continue to receive state subsidies as it opposes legislation banning trans girls from participating in high school sports that match their gender identity," and is "notable considering that Apple has often shied away from the political spotlight." LATINA CONSULTANTS LINK UP: "Left-leaning Latina political consultants tired of being underrepresented in their field have formed a coalition to leverage their influence," Axios' Russell Contreras reports. — "Latinos are one of the nation's fastest-growing voting blocs, with around 30.6 million eligible voters in 2020. But congressional campaigns historically have looked to few Hispanic political consultants — and even fewer Latinas — as both parties scramble to reach these voters." — "Seven women, including Vanessa Millan of ConCultura and Alicia Sisneros of Sisneros Strategies, have formed the Latina Consultants Group. The group aims to help other progressive Latina political consultants navigate the world of campaigns." — "They told Axios the group will be based in Washington, D.C., Arizona and California and offer a variety of services including strategy and general consulting, communications, graphic design, video production, media buys and full-service direct mail. The move comes as the Democratic Party fears a drift of suburban and border-state Latino voters toward the Republican Party." FTC INTUIT COMPLAINT COMES DESPITE MILLIONS IN LOBBYING SPENDING: "The Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint Monday accusing Intuit, the company that owns TurboTax, of deceptively advertising their paid tax preparation services as free filing," OpenSecrets' Anna Massoglia reports — and it "follows years of escalating tension around tax prep companies' marketing practices and decades of lobbying against free government-sponsored tax filing services." — "Intuit and other tax prep companies spend tens of millions lobbying the federal government to try to protect their paid tax prep services and steer millions more into political contributions." The company "has spent years currying influence in Washington, D.C., pouring tens of millions of dollars into lobbying spending and corporate PAC giving. — "Intuit has spent more than $41 million on lobbying since 1998 with nearly $3.3 million in 2021 and about $3.4 million in 2020, OpenSecrets' lobbying data shows. The tax prep company has enlisted dozens of "revolving door" lobbyists who previously held government positions, including multiple former members of Congress. They include former Reps. Randy Forbes (R-Va.), Charles Boustany (R-La.) and Albert Wynn (D-Md.), as well as former Sen. Tim Hutchinson (R-Ark.)." HOW DISNEY FUMBLED ITS FIGHT AGAINST FLORIDA LGBTQ BILL:The Washington Post's Todd C. Frankel has a good look at how Disney, typically a political force in Florida, failed to get its way in the recent fight there over a bill that restricts teachers from talking about gender and sexuality in the classroom. — "Disney employs 38 lobbyists to press its interests inside Florida's state capitol complex in Tallahassee. With its Orlando theme park empire and roughly 80,000 workers, the company already wields considerable influence in a state closely tied to tourism. Disney's army of lobbyists are there just to make sure no one forgets." — "'Disney — they get everything they want,' said Anna Eskamani, a Democratic state representative from Orlando, who can rattle off a list of measures killed or pushed through with the company's weight, such as an exemption designed for Disney from a 2021 bill that restricted the ability of social media firms to ban political candidates. So Eskamani and many other lawmakers were surprised when Disney — and its lobbyists — kept quiet as a mouse when state lawmakers started debating" the bill, dubbed by critics as "Don't Say Gay." — "While Disney is now promising to work to undo the measure, a review of lobbying disclosures found no record of Disney activity on the bill in the House, where the legislation first emerged in January. (Similar records are not maintained in the Senate.) And Disney didn't publicly speak out against the bill until it was close to final passage. The ensuing pushback was a stunning blow for one of Florida's most powerful companies, which for years had proved skilled at navigating cultural war issues with behind-the-scene negotiations and deft signaling of its goals." SPOTTED at the D.C. launch party for former Rep. Will Hurd's new book, "American Reboot," according to a PI tipster: Reps. Fred Upton (R-Mich.), David Valadao (R-Calif.), Peter Meijer (R-Mich.), Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), August Pfluger (R-Texas), Stephanie Bice (R-Okla.) and Brian Babin (R-Texas), Tiffany Moore and Michael Petricone of the Consumer Technology Association, Rhod Shaw of the Alpine Group, Towner French of Cozen O'Connor, Jamie Boone of Toyota North America, Stoney Burke of AWS, Julie Conway of Shamrock Advisors and Andrew Howell of Monument Advocacy.
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