Paul Atkinson/KJZZ

Arizona Capitol building Phoenix.

The term lobbyist has become pejorative and brings to mind shady deal making and unfairness. Last week, Gov. Doug Ducey issued an executive order eliminating the ability of state agencies to spend public money on contract lobbyists. Ducey said he’s hoping to curb what he considers the influence of special interests.

"Depending on how much teeth are in the actual prohibition, this could be a political stunt, this could be meaningful," said Thomas Holyoke is the author of The Ethical Lobbyist. "Even a lot of meaningful bars against hiring lobbyists tend to have exploitable loopholes."