LegiStorm

State legislators are often part time and poorly paid. This year, more are turning to Congress to supplement their incomes.

The addition of Maryland Rep. Jazz Lewis (D) to U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer's staff means that 10 current state legislators are now working for members of Congress. A year ago, only six current state legislators were on congressional payrolls. All six of those have remained with their respective congressional offices.

While most of those concurrently serving as congressional staff and state legislators start first in the state house before tacking on a congressional job, others take a different approach. Indiana Sen. Justin Busch (R) had worked as U.S. Sen. Todd Young's (R-Ind.) district director for a year and a half before his election to the state Senate last November.

A California-focused lobbying firm has added a Democratic congressional aide to its ranks.

Jonathan Jackson is now a senior government-relations associate at Townsend Public Affairs, where he'll focus on federal work for California clients. California cities and municipalities make up the bulk of the firm's federal lobbying clients.

Jackson comes from the office of Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas), where he was an LA. He's also worked for Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.) and the House Transportation Committee and served as a Department of Transportation senior analyst.

After 26 years with the House, Rep. Kay Granger's (R-Texas) chief of staff has headed to Raytheon.

Spencer Freebairn joined the defense contractor as director of government relations earlier this month. Raytheon disclosed more than $4.4 million in federal lobbying last year, mainly through its in-house team.

Before joining Granger's office in 2017, Freebairn worked for Rep. Roger Williams (R-Texas), retired Reps. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) and Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.), and the Appropriations Committee, where Granger is now ranking member.

Burning Man has officially entered the lobbying fray.

Burning Man Project, the nonprofit behind Burning Man, chose law firm Holland & Knight for its lobbying debut, according to a recent disclosure. In April, the group announced that the annual desert arts event faced an "existential threat" from the Bureau of Land Management over issues with its environmental impact.

The five-person lobbying team is focused on permitting issues and includes Kathryn Lehman, formerly chief of staff to the House Republican Conference; Paul Bock, previously chief to retired Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) and the Senate Special Committee on Aging; and Scott Mason, who led congressional-relations efforts on Donald Trump's 2016 campaign and during the subsequent transition. The law firm's lobbying disclosure comes just two weeks after RollCall reported that Burning Man was seeking a government-affairs coordinator.

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers's (R-Wash.) newest hire comes from a K Street powerhouse.

Kristin Flukey was most recently a legislative assistant at Mehlman Castagnetti Rosen & Thomas. She did not register as a lobbyist during her three years at the government-affairs firm.

Flukey joins McMorris Rodgers as a legislative assistant handling tax, finance, health and other legislative issues.