Among the most lobbied bills this legislative session were two state budgets, two Covid-related health care and benefits bills, and one bill protecting abortion access, according to an analysis from the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC).
The 2020-21 state budget was the most lobbied bill, with the 2021-22 budget coming in second. According to ELEC Executive Director Jeff Brindle, budgets frequently top the list of most lobbied bills thanks to their size and scope.
“All budgets contain thousands of other programs as well that affect the lives of virtually every New Jersey resident,” Brindle said. “It is therefore not a surprise that budgets usually draw the most intense lobbying.”
The third-most lobbied bill was one intended to codify abortion access in state law; it has yet to be passed by either house of the legislature.
Rounding out the top five were two Covid-related bills: one which revises insurance coverage to include telemedicine, and another concerning employment benefits for essential workers who contract Covid.
“While there is no exact way to gauge the impact of the virus outbreak on lobbying, reports filed with ELEC suggest the pandemic has been a major focus during the latest legislative session,” Brindle said.
In total, 16,415 official lobbying contacts were reported to ELEC during the session.
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