NJ lobbyists spending at lowest level ever

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Lobbyists are being hurt by the economy and by politicians’ growing sensitivity to ridicule by the public for taking gifts from them.

A new report by the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission shows lobbyists’ spending on gifts dropped to just over $9,700 — the lowest since the commission started keeping records in 1982.

By comparison, lobbyists spent more than $163,000 on gifts in 1992. Benefits now mostly consist of meals, instead of lavish travel perks that were once commonly passed out to lawmakers.

According to the report, there are also fewer lobbyists and fewer clients.

The average number of lobbyists fell last year by 4 percent to 1,001. The number of clients sank by 5 percent — the second year there has been a drop.