The latest newsletter from the Legislative Branch Ethics Commission is out.

Let’s examine some highlights.

As of the end of the last reporting period, which includes the 2009 Regular Session but not the special session in June, health care interests spent $1,358,578 lobbying the General Assembly.

The total for health care lobbying includes amounts spent by a wide array of groups, including hospitals (about $289,000), pharmaceutical interests (about $186,000), mental health interests ($83,421), and provider groups such as the Kentucky Medical Association ($63,500) and chiropractors ($36,116), but does not include most insurance industry lobbying.

And….

Energy and utility groups spent $561,896. $96,170 by coal interests including $41,828 spent by Coal Operators & Associates, Inc. E.On US (owns LG&E & KU) spent nearly $27K.

Racing and gaming interests spent $418,783 lobbying in the first four months of 2009. Horse racing organizations spent $267,120. KEEP Spent $50K. Keeneland spent $45,539. Kentucky Downs spent $38K. $24K from International Game Technology. $18K from GTECH Corp. $20K from Columbia Sussex, the Crestview Hills company.

Education lobbying totaled $344,837.

Tobacco interests spent $342,462. $98,572 spent by Altria Client Services (Phillip Morris). Reynolds American spent $75,355. National Tobacco Co spent $30K.

Banking and financial services spent $334,339. $58,735 from the Kentucky Bankers Association. $33,094 from the Kentucky Deferred Deposit Association, a group that represents the payday loan sharking industry. AIG spent $20K.

Insurance industry groups spent $329,491. Wellpoint (Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield) spent $36,500. Assurant Solutions spent $33,748. Humana spent $30,458. American Insurance Association spent $29,099.

Business development groups spent over $300,000. Chambers of commerce spent $207,352. Kentucky Chamber spent $98,375. Greater Louisville, Inc. spent $50,080. Kentucky Retail Federation spent $51,931.

Total lobbying spending by employers in Kentucky in the first four months of 2009? $6,786,274, including $6,426,068 in lobbyist compensation and $281,936 for receptions, meals and events to which legislators were invited.

Total spending for 2008 was $15,678,211, including $14,738,149 in lobbyist compensation.

We’re about ready to puke.  With this kind of lobbying, uh, Kentucky has no hope.