Record spending in Albany by lobbyists

ALBANY -- Special interests spent a record amount of money in 2011 trying to influence New York lawmakers -- with the biggest spender a key ally of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo - according to a new report issued Tuesday.

Lobbyists spent $220 million last year, beating the previous year's record of $213 million, according to the state's Joint Commission on Public Ethics. That included $30 million spent on advertising, also a record.

The biggest spender was the Committee to Save New York, a business-backed group that has supported Cuomo on state budget cuts, a new property-tax cap, a tax-code overhaul and pension changes. The New York City-based group spent $11.9 million. That far surpassed the No. 2 special interest, SEIU/GNYHA, a coalition of health care workers and hospitals that spent $6.8 million.

Analysts have said ads by the pro-Cuomo group helped blunt criticism by unions regarding school and health-care cuts in 2011.

Education groups took the next two spots. New York State United Teachers spent $6 million. Education Reform Now, a group that wants to increase charter schools and ease restrictions on firing teachers, spent $3.8 million.

Wal-Mart was fifth, spending $2.8 million.

New Yorkers United for Marriage, an umbrella organization for advocates of legalizing same-sex marriage, was sixth, with $1.9 million.