The State of New York’s annual budget, enacted in May, totals $254 billion. The Governor proposes, the Legislature amends and approves, and the Governor signs or vetoes. In between all of those steps sits a multi-million dollars industry, lobbying.
The state Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government (COELIG) in June issued their annual report on state and local lobbying activities for the year 2024. The report states that “[t]otal lobbying spending in 2024 once again eclipsed all previous records at more than $382.1 million, representing a 5.97% increase over the $360.6 million reported in 2023. 1199SEIU Labor Management Initiatives, Inc. Healthcare Education Project once again was the year’s top spender. The healthcare advocacy group reported $11.48 million in lobbying compensation and expenses in 2024…”
In the past year there were 6,299 registered lobbyists in the state, a slight increase over 2023. The lobbyists represented 5,168 clients, which is an increase nearly nine percent over the previous year.
Dozens of Western New York businesses, organizations, and governments have employed lobbyists or conducted their own lobbying activities. Politics and Other Stuff has reported on their lobbying activities for the past ten years.
Total Western New York lobbying expenditures in 2024 were $4.6 million, an increase of about one million dollars over 2023.
Once again expenditures from identifiable Western New York businesses, organizations, and governments paid to Masiello Martucci Hughes exceeded O’Donnell & Associates – by just under $80,000.
The lobbying activities reported here are only for identifiable Western New York clients. All of the firms listed below also have additional clients beyond Western New York. Some do government relations work for clients that is not reportable under state lobbying legislation and regulations.
The following is a summary of 2024 lobbying activities of identifiable Western New York businesses, organizations, and governments, and the amounts spent for 2024 lobbying, sorted by the lobbying firms that have done the work for them:
Masiello Martucci Hughes
- Artpark & Company — $42,000
- Catholic Charities of Buffalo — $10,000
- Center for Elder Law & Justice, Inc. — $24,000
- City of Buffalo — $60,000
- County of Niagara — $60,000
- Delta-Sonic Carwash Systems, Inc. — $6,000
- D’Youville University — $90,000
- Erie County — $42,000
- Erie County Medical Center — $48,000
- Erie County Water Authority — $48,000
- GAR Associates LLC — $30,000
- Jericho Road Ministries, Inc. — $12,000
- John W. Danforth Company — $42,000
- Kaleida Health — $108,000
- Maid of the Mist Corporation — $60,000
- NFADA Inc. — $16,500
- Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority — $86,400
- OLV Human Services — $36,000
- Parkview Health Services — $9,000
- Phillips Lytle LLP — $48,000
- PVS Chemical Solutions Inc. — $60,000
- Read to Succeed Buffalo Inc. — $42,000
- Rich Baseball Operations — $ 8,000
- Rosina Food Products Inc. — $36,000
- Shea’s Performing Arts Center — $30,000
- Sinatra & Company — $18,000
- The ARC Erie County — $40,000
- The Salvation Army — $10,000
- Town of Amherst — $60,000
- West Falls Center for the Arts — $9,000
- Western New York Library Resources Council — $36,000
- Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corporation — $10,000
- William Schutt & Associates P.C. — $6,000
O’Donnell & Associates LLC
- Albright-Knox Art Gallery — $30,000
- Buffalo Niagara Partnership — $11,000
- Buffalo Zoo — $54,000
- Delaware North Companies Inc. — $162,000
- Horizon Health Services Inc. — $60,000
- Jamestown Canna Company LLC — $90,000
- M&T Bank Corporation — $22,500
- New Era Cap LLC — $60,000
- Niagara Falls Bridge Commission — $90,000
- Niagara Falls Redevelopment — $60,000
- Niagara Metals LLC — $15,000
- Niagara University — $30,000
- Ralph C. Wilson Foundation — $66,000
- Rochester Genesee Transportation Authority — $95,484
- Rupp Pfalzgraf LLC — $15,000
- Siemens Industry — $60,000
- Town of Cheektowaga — $6,000
- Town of Tonawanda — $36,000
- University at Buffalo — $92,400
- Westminster Community Charter School — $60,000
Upstate Strategic Advisors LLC
- American Iron and Metal — $36,000
- BestSelf Behavioral Health Inc. — $34,500
- Buffalo Pro Soccer — $20,000
- Evergreen Health — $26,500
- Jamestown Community College — $10,000
- Niagara Falls Water Board — $27,000
- Richardson Center Corporation — $30,000
- Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corporation — $21,000
E3 Communications
- Kleinhans Music Hall Management Inc. — $21,250
- Montante Companies Inc. — $58,000
- National Fuel Gas Company — $60,000
- NOCO LLC — $36,000
- Trocaire College — $24,000
Hinman Straub
- Highmark of Western & Northeastern New York — $96,000
- Seneca Nation — $145,000
Lippes Mathias
- Bassett Healthcare Network — $84,000
- Correctional Officers & PBA — $80,004
Greenberg Traurig
- Roswell Park Cancer Institute — $88,000
Statewide Public Affairs
- National Fuel Gas — $48,000
Park Strategies
- WNY Energy LLC — $36,000
Harter Secrest Emory
- Buffalo & Pittsburgh RR — $16,278
- South Buffalo RR — $16,278
Brown & Weintraub
- Buffalo Computer Graphics — $6,000
Independent lobbying activities
- Highmark of Western & Northeastern New York — $29,479
- Independent Health — $60,000
- National Fuel Gas — $127,972
- National Grid — $8,690
- St. Bonaventure University — $1,500
- University at Buffalo — $960,000
- Western New York Women’s Foundation — $1,710
Totaling the local lobbying expenditures
Here is a summary by lobbying firms and the aggregated total for independent lobbying activities:
- Masiello Martucci Hughes — $1,194,900
- O’Donnell & Associates – $1,115,384
- Upstate Strategic Advisors — $205,000
- E3 Communications – $199,250
- Hinman Straub – $241,000
- Lippes Mathias – $164,004
- Greenberg Traurig – $88,000
- Statewide Public Affairs — $48,000
- Park Strategies — $36,000
- Harter Secrest Emory — $32,556
- Brown & Weintraub — $6,000
- Independent activities — $1,189,351
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