Every year, hundreds of millions of dollars are spent by lobbying firms to either pass or prevent passage of bills in Albany.
According to a preliminary report published by the New York state Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government (COELIG), spending on lobbying in the state reached an all-time high last year of at least $384.5 million, about a 2% increase from 2024.
Sanford Berland, COELIG’s executive director, told Capital Tonight the large amount of spending was a trend, not an anomaly, and that spending on lobbying has increased every year since 2019.
“Efforts to influence government through lobbying, which is a protected activity, so it’s perfectly legitimate, but the money that’s being poured into lobbying activity (is) increasing year after year in significant numbers,” Berland said. “And we’re seeing that the top lobbying firms by revenue are accounting for a larger and larger percentage of that spending.”
The major areas of spending in 2025 included the state budget, insurance, health care, gaming and recycling, according to Berland.
Recycling likely refers to the “Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act” (S1464/A1749), which failed to pass the state Assembly in 2025, but did pass the Senate and which will likely again this session (post budget) attract millions in lobbying both for and against.
