Somewhat off topic for this blog, but Influence today published a story I wrote, The Hub of Lobbying, which describes how Massachusetts—13th among the states in population—ranks third in spending on lobbyists, behind California and New York. Total lobbying-related spending in Massachusetts in 2002 was almost $54 million. Of that, $34.6 million went to the salaries and fees of lobbyists, and nearly a third of that went to just 10 firms — seven of which are run by lawyers or affiliated with law firms.