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Record-setting spending by lobbyists in NJ, 2020
Of all the endeavors that have been decimated in New Jersey by the coronavirus pandemic, one notable exception is lobbying. In fact, lobbyists in the Garden State spent a record-busting $105 million in 2020, an increase of almost 3.4% over their 2019 outlay. According to Jeff Brindle, Executive Director of the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission, the very pandemic itself or at least “state efforts to confront the COVID-19 outbreak” was key to driving lobbying expenditures to the new record as lawmakers enacted scores of bills to address the crisis.
Another issue that soaked up lobbying attention and investment last year was marijuana, with most of the money coming from advocates of legalizing the drug for adult recreational use in New Jersey. “Obviously, their investment paid off,” Brindle said, “since the state has enacted two medical marijuana laws, a decriminalization bill and a broader legalization bi