New York’s Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government (COELIG) released its 2023 report and it shows that Albany is being flooded with more money than ever. Spending ballooned almost 9% to $360.6 million surpassing last year’s already record high.
Lobbyists pushing for more health care spending and real estate interests spent the most money trying to influence legislators.
Average New Yorkers might donate $25 or $100 to their favorite local candidate or spend $50 for a beef-n-beer, while on the other side of the political money street lobbyists are spending millions upon millions of dollars for what their clients want. Many point to the voice of the average voter being heavily diluted by all of the money in the system.
“With lobbying spending continuing to surge post-pandemic, it is crucial that New Yorkers know who is seeking to influence state government and on which matters,” COELIG Executive Director Sanford N. Berland said.
Lobbyists spend money lobbying for and against everything from soup to nuts. COELIG reports that 89% of that $360.6 million goes towards lobbyists' salaries. Being a lobbyist is a lucrative career choice, so it’s no surprise that so many former lawmakers and staffers move into the field. There are 6,224 registered lobbyists in New York.
John Kaehny, Executive Director of Reinvent Albany, a government watchdog group, said, “The definition of ‘lobbyist’ is very broad and includes anyone who gets paid to try to influence state government, whether they are trying to get funding for homeless children or reducing air pollution or getting giant corporate subsidies for Hollywood producers.”
Lobbyists flooded the airwaves, online, and the mailbox with ads spending $24.4 million in 2023.
“Lobbying works,” Kaehny said. “As New York's ginormous state government spends, taxes, and regulates more, it becomes more worthwhile for interest groups to spend more on lobbying.”
NYPIRG Executive Director Blair Horner shared on LinkedIn, "This incredible spending reflects the power of money in policymaking. Obviously, powerful groups would not spend the money if they thought it didn’t work. The public should closely monitor interest groups’ spending and not get bamboozled by the high-priced media campaigns too often designed to block initiatives that benefit the public."
There is a special interest group for almost anything you can imagine.
AF Post said on X, “Google and Meta are leading a $1 million campaign to kill New York's child protection bills, having already spent $823,235 lobbying lawmakers. Former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s outfit ‘American Opportunity’ has spent heavily supporting Gov. Hochul’s agenda.
More than 158.9 million lobbying records are available on the Open NY platform and you can see who is spending money to influence legislation. The groups spending the most money to influence your government are:
- 1199SEIU, a statewide labor union - $8.1 million.
- American Opportunity - $4.7 million, a Bloomberg-funded outfit.
- The Greater New York Hospital Association - $4.7 million.
- Genting New York, a gambling interest - $2.8 million.
- StudentsFirst New York Advocacy supports Charter schools - $2.6 million.
- Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund- -$2.5 million.
- Siebert Williams Shank & Co. - $1.6 million to lobby on financial services, affordable housing projects, and economic development.
- The New York State Trial Lawyers Association - $1.4 million.
- AARP - $1.4 million to advocate for older New Yorkers.
- The Public Employees Federation - $1.3 million.