Lobbying in New Jersey 2007: ELEC Report

According to the NJ Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC), reporting of New Jersey lobbying activity dramatically increased in 2006 as a result of new laws expanding coverage to include communications to influence “governmental processes” and “grassroots” communications to the public. In its report, “Lobbying in New Jersey 2007,” released this August, ELEC found that lobbyists and governmental affairs agents reported their total expenditures increased from $28,922,559 in 2005 (when only communications to legislative or Executive Branch officials on legislation and rulemaking was covered) to $55,321,166 in 2006, a 91% increase. That increase is the largest since ELEC began recording lobbying expenditure figures in 1982. Also, registration of persons employed by businesses and other organizations to engage in lobbying jumped from 613 in 2005 to 935 in 2006. As of January 1, 2006, the law was expanded to include communications intended to influence Executive Branch agency decisions and communications to the public intended to influence legislation or rule making.