State and Federal Communications, Inc. will host a reception for David Greene, host of NPR’s Morning Edition, on June 18. The reception in honor of the nationally renowned journalist and commentator will take place at the State and Federal Communications offices located at 80 South Summit Street, Suite 100 from 1:00-3:00 p.m. Immediately prior to this event, Mr. Greene will address attendees of the Akron Roundtable Luncheon.

Since 2012, Mr. Greene has been host of NPR’s Morning Edition along with Steve Inskeep and Renee Mantagne. Prior to this role he was an invaluable NPR foreign correspondent based in Moscow covering the region from Ukraine and the Baltics, east to Siberia. During President George W. Bush’s second term he served as NPR’s White House correspondent, detailing White House visits across the globe.

Mr. Greene has proven himself to be an extraordinarily talented professional in his field, covering historic events such as the 2008 Presidential election, Hurricane Katrina, and the NATO bombing of Tripoli – just to name a few.  He has received the 2011 Daniel Schorr Journalism Prize from WBUR and Boston University for his coverage of the Arab Spring, and the White House Correspondents Association 2008 Merriman Smith award.

The New Mexico Legislature ended a one-day special session yesterday, June 8, 2015.

It took lawmakers just four hours to resolve issues with a $295 million public works funding bill.

The next regular session of the legislature is scheduled to convene in January, typically on the third Tuesday of the month.

Photo of the New Mexico State Capitol by Urban on Wikimedia Commons.

Just days after stating he would not step down before the November election, interim Akron Mayor Garry Moneypenny has announced his resignation.

Moneypenny admitted on Friday, June 5, to inappropriately touching a city employee before being sworn in. Upon reflection, he now believes he will not be able to operate effectively for the next seven months and it is not in the citizens’ best interests for him to stay on as interim mayor.

His resignation is effective at midnight on Wednesday, June 10, 2015.

Gov. Susana Martinez has called for a special session to begin today, June 8, 2015.

Lawmakers will reconvene to continue work on a public works package they were unsuccessful in passing during the regular legislative session.

Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez is hopeful the session will only last one day.

Gov. Susana Martinez and leaders of the House and Senate have agreed to a special session.

The session will focus on three pieces of legislation, including funding for state highways, senior centers, and higher education.

The governor will officially announce the special session soon, but the expected start date is June 8, 2015.

The first regular session of the 121st South Carolina General Assembly adjourned Thursday, June 4, without reaching an agreement on a budget for the state’s next fiscal year.

The legislature will return to Columbia for a three-day special session starting June 16.

It is also expected to return later in June for a second special session to deal with vetoes and to determine how to use more than $300 million in state surplus funds.

Just days after being sworn in to office, interim Akron Mayor Garry Moneypenny announced he will not be seeking election this fall after admitting to an inappropriate encounter with a city employee. In his last week as president of City Council, he crossed a professional boundary during a good-bye hug when the employee came to wish him well in his transition to mayor.

In a statement made Friday, June 5, Moneypenny apologized to the citizens of Akron and acknowledged the incident calls into question his character and trustworthiness.

Moneypenny became Akron’s 60th mayor on Sunday, May 31, in the wake of the resignation of long-term mayor Don Plusquellic.

On June 4, the Ontario, Canada Legislature adjourned the first session of the 41st Parliament.

The body is scheduled to reconvene its second session on September 14, 2015.

Photo of the Ontario Legislature by Antoien Cadotte on Wikimedia Commons.

On June 2, U.S. Sen. Michael Bennett introduced Senate Bill 1480, The Lobbying and Campaign Finance Reform Act.

According to Bennett’s press release, SB 1480 prohibits solicitations of campaign contributions from lobbyists when Congress is in session, eliminates lobbyist bundling of large contributions, and amends the lobbying registration process to require a lobbyist to register if he or she makes two or more lobbying contacts for a client over a two-year period regardless of whether the lobbyist spends more than 20 percent of his or her time serving the particular client.

National:

Poll Shows Americans Favor an Overhaul of Campaign Financing
New York Times – Nicholas Confessore and Megan Thee-Brenan | Published: 6/2/2015

A new poll showed both Democrats and Republicans favor an overhaul of campaign finance laws, including limiting the amount of money that can be spent by super PACs and forcing more public disclosure on organizations now permitted to intervene in elections without disclosing the names of their donors. A majority also reject the argument that political money is a form of speech protected by the First Amendment. More than four in five Americans say money plays too great a role in campaigns, while two-thirds say the wealthy have more of a chance to influence the elections process than the average citizen.

The Murky (and Apparently Widespread) Use of License Plates as Political Favors
Washington Post – Amber Phillips | Published: 6/2/2015

In several states, low-number license plates – the less numerals, the better – are a way to show off someone’s political connections. That is because you cannot just walk into a Departments of Motor Vehicles and request one; you have to know someone to give you the plate. Then-New Hampshire Gov. John Sununu credits his distribution of the desirable license plates with helping George H.W. Bush win the state in a competitive 1988 Republican primary.

Federal:

Dennis Hastert’s Lobbying Firm Reeling after Indictment
Politico – Tarini Parti and Anna Palmer | Published: 6/4/2015

Former U.S. House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert resigned his job as co-leader of Dickstein Shapiro’s public policy and political law practice in the wake of his indictment for lying to federal investigators about structured cash withdrawals to an individual “in order to compensate for and conceal his prior misconduct.” Dickstein Shapiro is already scrambling to rebuild amid a client exodus, tumbling lobbying revenue, and high-profile departures. Some expressed doubts about the firm’s ability to right the ship. “It is going to make clients scratch their heads how does this kind of stuff, particularly at a law firm, go unnoticed and unchecked,” said a managing partner at a Washington law firm. “They’ve already lost a significant number of partners, and now they have a failing management structure allowing allegedly criminal activity under its nose ….”

Payments by Hastert Linked to Report of Sexual Abuse
New York Times – Michael Shear and Michael Schmidt | Published: 5/28/2015

Former U.S. House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert was paying a man to not say publicly that Hastert had sexually abused him, according to sources briefed on the evidence uncovered in an FBI investigation into the payments. Federal prosecutors indicted Hastert on allegations he made cash withdrawals designed to hide those payments and for lying to federal authorities about the purpose of the withdrawals. The man, who was not identified in court papers, told the FBI he had been molested by Hastert when Hastert was a high school teacher and wrestling coach.

From the States and Municipalities:

Alaska – Juneau APOC Office Skeletal after Cuts
Peninsula Chronicle – Katie Moritz (Morris News Service) | Published: 6/1/2015

The Juneau office of the Alaska Public Offices Commission (APOC), which is responsible for holding the state’s approximately 135 lobbyists financially accountable, took a crippling budget hit from lawmakers when it was dealt a cut that eliminated both existing full-time positions. When the new fiscal year begins, the current part-time assistant will become the one full-time employee in the office. Leslie Ridle, deputy commissioner of the Department of Administration, said she does not think one staff member in Juneau and seven staff statewide is enough to handle APOC’s workload or uphold its mission.

California – Law Students Propose Bill to Close Lucrative Capitol Lobbying Loophole
Los Angeles Times – Melanie Mason | Published: 6/2/2015

Three law students have sponsored a bill that would designate as lobbying the act of communicating with government officials in hopes of influencing how they spend taxpayers’ money on goods and services, and require lobbyists to publicly disclose that activity. Assembly Bill 1200 would cast sunlight into an opaque and lucrative corner of  lobbying. The students did research, drafted bill language, and shopped for a legislator to carry their proposal.California Assemblyperson Richard Gordon became its official author. “When the students came to me and said, ‘do you realize there is this loophole that allows folks to lobby relative to contracting?’ I said you’ve got to be kidding me,” Gordon said.

Colorado – High-Powered Attorneys, Lobbyists Give Big to Denver Candidates
Denver Post – Jon Murray | Published: 5/31/2015

A Denver Post analysis of $4.1 million given to candidates in the run-up to Denver’s municipal elections found at least $290,000 came from attorneys and lobbyists. Another $159,000 was donated by individuals involved in development or real estate. That industry is booming in Denver but has been at the center of one of the election’s biggest issues – the pace of development. Unions, city contractors, and business associations also contributed heavily to candidates. Watchdogs say such hefty direct donations from big interests point to a need for tighter contribution limits in Denver, or some kind of public financing that might amplify the impact of contributions from small donors.

Connecticut – Senate Democrats Reject Campaign Finance Overhaul
Hartford Courant – Jenny Wilson | Published: 6/2/2015

The Connecticut Senate rejected a House-approved bill that would have imposed limits on how much state parties can spend to support a publicly funded campaign. The legislation also would have reduced the maximum contribution that individuals could give to state parties to $5,000. The measure was a direct response to the state Democratic Party spending over $1 million last year to support the campaigns of Sen. Ted Kennedy, Jr. and Gov. Dannel Malloy, who were both participating in the Citizen’s Election Program.

Hawaii – Antiquated Law Spares Lobbyists in Honolulu Ethics Scandal
Honolulu Civil Beat – Nick Grube | Published: 6/1/2015

Nestor Garcia, a former Honolulu City Council member, agreed to pay an $8,100 fine after the Ethics Commission found evidence he illegally accepted free meals and golf from lobbyists. The commission said Garcia failed to disclose a conflict-of-interest on a number of bills and resolutions that affected the lobbyists’ interests. But amid the growing scandal, lobbyists have come out relatively unscathed. There has been little scrutiny of their actions, and it is doubtful there will be any punitive action taken against them. Honolulu Ethics Commission Executive Director Chuck Totto would like to update the ethics code on lobbyist gift-giving, but does not have the staff to the handle that extra workload.

New York – How Lobbying in Albany Works
New Yorker – Chris Smith | Published: 5/28/2015

With the recent indictments of the leaders of the New York Assembly and Senate, lobbyists could have even more influence in shaping public policy. But lobbyists usually try to stay under the radar, so their day-to-day activities are often unclear. In an interview, a prominent lobbyist in Albany gave an inside view of his profession.

Pennsylvania – City Council Gives Initial Thumbs Up to New Rules on Independent PACs
KYW – Mike Dunn | Published: 5/29/2015

A Philadelphia City Council committee approved a bill authored by the city’s Board of Ethics that would impose new reporting requirements on independent PACs and non-profits that spend money in support of a candidate. The legislation would affect any person, political committee, or non-profit that spends more than $5,000 within 50 days of an election. They would face four reporting deadlines within the 50 day pre-election period, and they would have to list all funding received and expenditures made, not just the spending that triggered the filing.

Pennsylvania – Two More Dems Plead Guilty in Sting Case
Philadelphia Inquirer – Angela Couloumbis and Craig McCoy | Published: 6/1/2015

A state lawmaker and an ex-representative, both Philadelphia Democrats, pleaded guilty to criminal charges stemming from a bribery scandal. Rep. Ron Waters pleaded guilty to nine conflict-of-interest counts. He resigned his seat and will serve 23 months on probation. Former Rep. Harold James pleaded guilty to a single count of conflict-of-interest and received 12 months of probation. The cases were built on secret recordings by an informant posing as a lobbyist, who offered cash or gifts in exchange for promises of official favors. The investigation had been a secret until it was reported that Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane had decided against pursuing it. Kane inherited the case from her predecessors and she attacked it as too fatally flawed to win convictions.

Texas – Overhaul of Scandal-Torn State-Contracting System Wins Final Approval
Fort Worth Star-Telegram – Dave Montgomery | Published: 6/1/2015

Texas lawmakers approved a bill aimed at increasing transparency and accountability in state contracts. The legislation prohibits conflicts-of-interest between agency heads and vendors, strengthens top-level supervision in the awarding of contracts, and increases scrutiny of vendor performance in carrying out the contracts. Agencies would also be required to post on their websites any noncompetitively bid contract along with the statutory justification for why it was awarded. The bill would require an agency board to approve any contract over $1 million.

Vermont – Condos Pitches Ethics Commission in Wake of Impropriety Allegations
VTDigger.org – Anne Galloway | Published: 6/3/2015

Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos is calling for the establishment of a state ethics commission. The Center for Public Integrity in 2012 gave Vermont an overall grade of “D+” for its ethics laws. It was “in large part because we do not have an authoritative ethics commission or the required financial disclosures existing in nearly every other state,” Condos wrote in his proposal. He said his office has no authority to investigate or enforce against such problems, and the people complaining often ended up feeling frustrated and increasingly cynical.

State and Federal Communications produces a weekly summary of national news, offering more than 60 articles per week focused on ethics, lobbying, and campaign finance.

The General Assembly adjourned sine die on June 3, 2015, shortly before its midnight deadline.

Both chambers voted to return for a special session, however, to finish work on bills related to the budget.

A date for the special session has not yet been set.

State and Federal Communications is very active in our community. I serve on the Board of the Akron Roundtable, a community lunch program who has a mission of “Bringing the World to Akron.” Today, a special program was held featuring Michael Morell, former interim CIA Director, who happens to be from Northeast Ohio. I have asked Team Intern to submit a paragraph about the program.

1. Costa Janos—Sophomore at The Ohio State University—Michael Morell is a local hero to all of us living in Akron, Ohio. He went to Cuyahoga Falls High School and also attended the University of Akron where he graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Economics. From what he remembers serving as the director of the CIA on September 11, 2001, was very intense as he was briefing President Bush. According to Morell, his list of challengers to the United States are 1) China; 2) Russia; and 3) Middle East. His list of threats to the US are made up of Al–Qaeda and ISIS. The reason he wrote the book was to share with us the amount of time and sacrifice the CIA puts in to help keep our country secure.
2. Sophia Avouris—Freshman at Kent State University–Mr. Morell answered a lot of the questions I had in regards to what exactly was being changed by the Freedom Act and its implications in the surveillance field.  I learned while phone records are available to the government, they are kept by the phone companies and a court order is required for the government to access them.  I was also not aware Al–Qaeda was still considered the biggest threat, as I was under the impression they had lost a lot of their power and their spheres of influence were being taken up by other organizations.  In addition, Morell’s opinion that Snowden was motivated by hubris to be very interesting, and an opinion I have not heard widely discussed in his more recent broadcasts.
3. Nikolas Frazier—Junior at Kent State University—Michael Morell, former CIA Deputy Director, spoke at today’s Akron Roundtable luncheon about his book, The Great War of Our Time. Not only focusing on his book, Morell spoke candidly about his time in the CIA and more specifically, speaking about working as President George W. Bush’s daily briefer and his memory of September 11, 2001. His talk went quickly but all the while was very interesting. I would have liked more time of him especially on his views on North Korea and Iran. Morell also talked about Edward Snowden and attributed his leaking of classified documents as “the greatest loss of secrets in the history of the country.” I look forward to reading the rest of his book.
4. Elizabeth Scozzaro—Junior at Baldwin Wallace—I enjoyed Michael Morell’s words on current events happening in the world. He was a part of the commission that proposed to President Obama to leave monitoring phone calls to the phone companies only. The government can only get phone call data if they have an important reason to ask a phone company for it. Morell also talked about how the TSA recently failed to detect weapons in a passenger screening. He let the audience know the TSA has taken this very seriously and will make improvements. Another current piece of information he shared was mentioning the importance of critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and interpersonal skills required from younger people who wish to join the CIA in the future.
5. David Jones—Sophomore at Stark State– Michael Morell former C.I.A Deputy Director was the speaker today. The speaker format was question and answer with Brouse McDowell Partner David Hunter interviewing. When Morell was asked what he considered the biggest threat to national security was he replied, “Al–Qaeda”. Which really surprised me considering the media attention on ISIS. He spoke on how the biggest issue concerning ISIS was instability in the Middle East, but the bigger threat to national security was Al–Qaeda because of its resources and connections. He also hauntingly said if Al–Qaeda were to bring down a plane in the US tomorrow it would not surprise him. He spoke at great length on many topics from cyber security to Snowden, and I will be eagerly listening to it again on June 11^th when it airs on WKSU (wksu.org).
6. David Trujillo—Sophomore at the University of Akron—Michael Morell is an informative and magnetic personality. I have absolutely nothing but the utmost respect and admiration for the service he has offered to our country. National Security is a hot button topic with myself and many other service people and to listen to Morell’s take on the state of our national security as well as myriad security threats and challenges are both fascinating and at the same time motivating to get involved in the process of protecting the Homeland. He speaks sternly about serious issues but it is not without his own sense of humor. I have enjoyed reading his book so far and would like to extend my gratitude for allowing me to attend this event today.

I think it is important to hear what our young professionals think about issues affecting us. I travel to DC a lot and am always concerned about these issues.

Thank you for taking the time to read about the Akron Roundtable program. Stay tuned, on June 18^th, we will have NPR Morning Edition Host David Greene in Akron.

Elizabeth Z. Bartz

@elizabethbartz

Photo of Michael Morell by Nikolas Frazier.

Q. The Canadian branch of our company would like to set up some meetings with the federal government.  Does Canada have lobbying laws too?

A. Canada does have lobbying laws at the federal, provincial, and even municipal levels of government.

For the federal government, in-house lobbyists must register when the collective time devoted to lobbying activities by all of its employees reaches or exceeds 20 percent of the duties of a single equivalent-paid employee of the corporation or organization during a calendar month. Lobbying is communicating with public officeholders on behalf of another person or entity.

If the above threshold is reached, the senior most paid person of the company is required to file a registration and become the registrant. This registration will contain a list of all the names of the employees whose job duties include lobbying in some fashion.

Once registered, the registrant is required to file monthly returns. A return is the Canadian form of a report. The returns are due on the 15th day of the month. On this return, the registrant simply reports any communications that were had with public officeholders and the date and content of those meetings. The monthly return does not need to be filed if: (1) no communications with public officeholders took place that month; (2) no information on the registration needs to be amended; and (3) the undertaking has not been performed or terminated.

It isn’t just lobbying the federal government that you have to worry about, either. Almost all of the provinces have a separate lobbying law, and the major cities throughout the country are starting to pass lobbying laws as well. If you have specific questions related to your company’s activities in Canada, we will be more than happy to help you.

You can directly submit questions for this feature, and we will select those most appropriate and answer them here. Send your questions to: marketing@stateandfed.com.

(We are always available to answer questions from clients that are specific to your needs, and we encourage you to continue to call or e-mail us with questions about your particular company or organization. As always, we will confidentially and directly provide answers or information you need.) Our replies to your questions are not legal advice. Instead, these replies represent our analysis of laws, rules, and regulations.

The 99th Illinois General Assembly adjourned its spring session on May 31, 2015. Pursuant to House Joint Resolution 85 and upon the call of the Speaker and Senate President, both chambers will remain in continuous session after failing to reach a conclusion on a balanced budget by Sunday’s scheduled adjournment deadline.

The House stands adjourned until Thursday, June 4; the Senate stands adjourned until Tuesday, June 9. Legislators must work quickly to agree on a balanced budget before the new fiscal year begins on July 1.