In that state, too, advocates lobbied fiercely for their collective and individual interests.

While an industry committee was designing the rating system last year, many educators, psychologists and advocates for children lobbied for labels specifying sexual content, violence or foul language.

Some advocates for older Americans, including the Senior Citizens League, with 1.2 million members, are lobbying for repeal.

For six months, religious groups and human-rights advocates have been lobbying for legislation to bar American interference in the Nicaraguan vote.

A civic advocate, Mrs. Slaner lobbied tirelessly for New York State to end the requirement that residents must register each year to vote.

Some of the 10 governors have come under pressure from advocates for the disabled, hospitals and other health care providers lobbying against any caps on federal Medicaid spending.

She, and other advocates, lobbied the State of Hawai'i to change the way drug offenses are handled in the courts.

Instead, she said, advocates for the immigrants lobbied hard against them and racist labels started to stick.

But an extraordinary coalition of doctors, hospitals, insurers, business groups and children's advocates lobbied for it.

In anticipation of the votes, advocates for environmental groups had also been lobbying heavily.