TALLAHASSEE -- In the midst of a $6 billion state budget deficit and widespread private-sector layoffs, one Florida industry looks recession-proof: lobbying state lawmakers.

The Capitol lobbying corps earned up to $45 million from January through March to influence the Legislature. That's essentially the same amount that all 2,000 state lobbyists made in the same period in 2008, when Florida wasn't in a financial emergency.

But lobbyists didn't earn all that money despite the dire financial times -- they say they earned it because of the terrible economy.