Lobbying Expenditures Disclosure

2018 – Motorola Solutions Inc

WHEREAS, we believe in full disclosure of Motorola Solutions’ (MSI) direct and indirect lobbying activities and expenditures to assess whether MSI’s lobbying is consistent with its expressed goals and in the best interests of stockholders.

RESOLVED, stockholders of MSI request preparation of a report, updated annually, disclosing:

1. Company policy and procedures governing lobbying, both direct and indirect, and grassroots lobbying communications.

2. Payments by MSI used for (a) direct or indirect lobbying or (b) grassroots lobbying communications, in each case including amount of payment and recipient.

3. MSI’s membership in and payments to any tax-exempt organization that writes and endorses model legislation.

4. Description of management’s and Board’s decision-making process and oversight for making payments described in sections 2 and 3 above.

For purposes of this proposal, a “grassroots lobbying communication” is communication directed to the general public that (a) refers to specific legislation or regulation, (b) reflects a view on the legislation or regulation and (c) encourages the recipient of the communication to take action with respect to legislation or regulation. “Indirect lobbying” is lobbying engaged in by a trade association or other organization of which MSI is a member.

Both “direct and indirect lobbying” and “grassroots lobbying communications” include efforts at local, state and federal levels.

The report shall be presented to the Audit Committee or other relevant oversight committees and posted on MSI’s website. 

Supporting Statement:             As stockholders, we encourage transparency and accountability in use of corporate funds to influence legislation and regulation. MSI spent over $16 million from 2010 - 2016 on federal lobbying. These figures do not include lobbying expenditures to influence legislation in states, where MSI also lobbies but disclosure is uneven or absent.  For example, MSI had 141 lobbyists in 27 states in 2016 (http://www.followthemoney.org/), and MSI’s lobbying in Florida has attracted media attention (“Mayday! Mayday! Communications Giants in Fight over Miami’s Emergency Radio Networks,” Miami Herald, April 20, 2017). MSI’s lobbying over public safety broadband has also drawn scrutiny (“Millions in Federal Emergency Communications Funding Lost, Diverted,” McClatchy, July 14, 2014).

MSI belongs to the Chamber of Commerce, which has spent over $1.3 billion on lobbying since 1998, and the National Association of Manufacturers, which spent $25.44 million on lobbying in 2015 and 2016.  MSI is also a member of the Business Roundtable, which is lobbying against the right of shareholders to file resolutions. MSI does not comprehensively disclose its trade association memberships, nor payments and amounts used for lobbying on its website. Further, MSI does not disclose memberships in tax-exempt organizations that write and endorse model legislation, such as the American Legislative Exchange Council.

We question if MSI’s membership in the Chamber presents reputational risks and values incongruity on the issue of climate change. For example, MSI has committed to science-based targets in alignment with the Paris Agreement on climate change, yet the Chamber has sued to block the EPA Clean Power Plan to address climate change.