In New York, the real estate lobby tried to convince Gov. Andrew Cuomo that people could be left homeless if the industry is forced to shut down.
Retailers in Illinois pressed to get businesses that service swimming pools and hot tubs added to the list of businesses considered too essential to be closed.
And the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America provided talking points to its members to push states and localities to let the greens stay open. The game of golf has “tremendous benefits to offer during times of crisis,” the trade group argued on its website.
As states and cities have forced what they consider “nonessential businesses” to close to slow the spread of coronavirus, lobbyists for industries from retail to reefer have been hustling to make the case that they’re too important to be shut down — a designation that could mean millions for companies and the employees who keep them running.
