As billionaire conservative election donors, the Koch Brothers state spending could have a major impact
Political Lobbying articles on Democracy Chronicles
Political lobbying is a legal practice of petitioning the government enshrined in the Constitution but has been supersized in the modern era by well-financed lobbies having outsized impact on government decision making. Efforts to highlight and correct the oversized impact that the powerful few have over government will be highlighted in this section. Also see our sections on American democracy and Money Politics.
California Money Politics Reform Gets Big Backing
Billionaire backing the recent California money politics initiative against Citizens United is good news
Tobacco Lobby Battling Ballot Initiatives in Several States
Citizens of several states are voting on tax increases in ballot initiatives the tobacco lobby wants to kill
Where Are Silicon Valley Political Donations Going?
In year of big money spending, Silicon Valley political donations are mostly giving Democrat in support of immigration
NJ Minimum Wage Battle Drew Big Special Interest Spending
Ongoing debate over raising NJ minimum wage to $15/hour is focus of political lobbying on unusual scale
New Jersey Lobbying Watchdog Missing in Action
Vacancies at the Election Law Enforcement Commission’s board hamper New Jersey lobbying watchdog
NJ Special Interest Political Action Committees Pick Up Spending
Flood of money from NJ special interest groups is altering the political landscape ahead of vote
Bloomberg Gun Lobbying Push Targets Maine
Outside spending in Maine is major part of Michael Bloomberg gun lobbying efforts this election season
Is It Time We Started Taxing Churches?
It is time we asked ourselves, “What would Jesus do?” Instead of asking a quarter of the population, who are not religious, to continue to subsidize religion isn’t it time we started taxing religious institutions in America?
National Gun Lobby is the Target at This New York Festival
Gun control advocates are gathering in NYC to plan next steps to defeat the national gun lobby