Montana schools spent millions lobbying

Montana’s public universities paid lobbyists more than $4.3 million over the past decade in efforts to win millions more in federal aid, a practice they and other universities defend as necessary but which, critics charge, is contrary to their core mission.

The University of Montana spent the most — more than $1.9 million — on Washington-based lobbying since 2000, according to public lobbying disclosure documents filed with the U.S. Senate. Montana State University-Bozeman and MSU-Billings spent more than $1.7 million and $640,000, respectively, on lobbyists during that period.

By TRISTAN HALLMAN • Tribune Washington Bureau

Full Story: http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20100718/NEWS01/7180317/1002/rss

The universities’ lobbying firms directly communicate with members of Congress, alert the universities and their faculty to the availability of competitive academic grants, work through federal regulations and maintain relations with federal agencies.