The Kentucky Legislature adjourned sine die April 14.

Lawmakers passed House Bill 97 establishing a new filing deadline for elections of city officers.

Before it was amended, the bill would have moved the date for filing a supplemental annual report from December 1 to December 31.

The Florida Constitution Revision Commission voted to place a six-year revolving door restriction directly on the November general election ballot.

Proposal 6007 would also ban state and local officials from lobbying the Legislature, executive branch, and the federal government while in office.  If approved by 60 percent of voters, the lobbying ban will take effect December 31, 2022.

The proposal would also prohibit public officials from abusing their position to obtain a disproportionate benefit.

The Commission on Ethics will be responsible for defining the term disproportionate benefit, prescribing the requisite intent for finding a violation, and enforcing the prohibition against the abuse of a public position.

The new ethics rule will take effect December 31, 2020, if passed by 60 percent of voters.

Gov. Jeff Colyer has signed Senate Bill 394 expanding the definition of lobbying to include executive and judicial branch procurement lobbying.

Effective July 1, lobbying will include the promoting or opposing in any manner an action or nonaction by any executive or judicial agency on any administrative matter.

The transparency bill requires lobbyist registration for attempting to influence members of the executive or judicial branch regarding any covered action, including contracts and agreements.

The bill also increases the value of a meal an executive branch member may receive from $25 to $40.

The New York City Council passed several bills designed to provide greater protections against workplace sexual harassment.

One measure requires annual training for all private employers with 15 or more employees.

Additionally, the City Council passed legislation establishing a Charter Revision Commission to draft a new or revised City Charter. The last Charter Revision Commission submitted changes to voters in November 1988.

The voter-approved amendments strengthened campaign finance and conflict of interest laws.

Mayor Bill de Blasio has 30 days to sign, veto the bills, or take no action.

It’s the fastest 2 minutes in lobbying, elections, ethics and legislative sessions news in this weeks video digest!

The Tennessee Supreme Court issued an order Tuesday requiring the Davidson County Election Commission to expedite a special election for Nashville mayor.

The office was left vacant following Mayor Megan Barry’s resignation on March 6. Barry pled guilty to felony theft of property exceeding $10,000 for misappropriating city funds over the course of two years; she used the money to bankroll an affair with the head of her security detail.

A special election will be held May 24 with a potential runoff election scheduled for June 28.

A special election for Metro Council District 1 will also be held May 24. The seat was left vacant after former councilman Nick Leonardo was appointed General Sessions judge in January.

National:

AP Finds Legislatures Lack Public Records on Harassment
Arizona Daily Star – David Lieb (Associated Press) | Published: 4/11/2018

In the past 15 months, dozens of state lawmakers have been forced from office, removed from their leadership roles, reprimanded. or publicly accused of sexual misconduct in a mounting backlash against misbehavior by those in power. Yet the majority of state legislative chambers across the country have no publicly available records of any sexual misconduct claims over the past 10 years. They say no complaints were made, no tally was kept, or they do not legally have to disclose it. Some lawmakers and experts on sexual wrongdoing in the workplace say that suggests legislators are not taking the problem seriously.

Facebook Fallout Deals Blow to Mercers’ Political Clout
MSN – Nicholas Confessore and David Gelles (New York Times) | Published: 4/10/2018

The revelation that Cambridge Analytica improperly acquired the private Facebook data of millions of users has set off government inquiries, plunging Facebook into crisis. But it has also battered the nascent political network overseen by wealthy conservative donor Rebekah Mercer and financed by her father, Robert Mercer. Cambridge Analytica was co-founded by Robert Mercer. An advocacy group backing President Trump and controlled by Rebekah Mercer has gone silent following strategic disputes between her and other top donors. And no American candidate or super PAC has reported payments to Cambridge Analytica since the 2016 campaign.

Facebook’s New Rules Aim to Thwart the Kind of Ads Bought by Russian Trolls During the Election
Washington Post – Tony Romm | Published: 4/6/2018

Facebook announced a series of moves meant to improve the transparency of political ads and pages on its social media service. Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg said in a post that the company has started requiring advertisers to verify their identity and location before they can run political ads. That verification is meant to prevent foreign interference in U.S. elections. Facebook will also soon start verifying the identify and location of people who run large Facebook pages. Officials say Russian agents used pages to pose as Americans on different sides of the political spectrum in an attempt to spread misinformation before the election.

Federal:

Investigators Focus on Another Trump Ally: The National Enquirer
WRAL – Jim Rutenberg, Emily Steel, and Mike McIntire (New York Times) | Published: 4/11/2018

President Trump has deep connections with the country’s largest tabloid publisher, American Media Inc (AMI), which publishes The National Enquirer. The company’s chairperson, David Pecker, is a close friend of the president’s. Since the early stages of his campaign, Trump, his lawyer Michael Cohen, and Pecker have strategized about protecting him and lashing out at his political enemies. Now AMI has been drawn into an investigation of Cohen’s activities, including efforts to head off potentially damaging stories about Trump during his run for the White House. The inquiry presents thorny questions about AMI’s First Amendment protections, and whether its record in supporting Trump somehow opens the door to scrutiny usually reserved for political organizations.

From the States and Municipalities:

Alabama – Ivey Signs Ethics Exemption for Developers into Law
AP News – Kim Chandler | Published: 4/6/2018

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed into law a bill that will exempt economic developers from the state ethics law. Economic developers would not be considered lobbyists and would not register with the state and disclose their employers and activity as lobbyists do, under the legislation. Supporters said developers do not currently register, but the law needed to be clarified because of recent questions over whether they should. Critics had argued that anyone seeking deals with the state should not be exempted, and such exemptions could be exploited.

Arizona – Ducey Signs Bill Overriding Local Laws on Certain Campaign-Finance Disclosures
Arizona Daily Star – Howard Fischer (Capitol Media Services) | Published: 4/5/2018

Arizona cities are losing their right to demand that nonprofit groups seeking to sway local elections divulge who is financing the effort. Gov. Doug Ducey signed legislation that pre-empts local ordinances requiring these groups to register as PACs. The measure, which takes effect this summer, also makes any effort to identify contributions off limits. It is not known whether Tempe will challenge the new law as an unconstitutional infringement on local powers. Tempe residents voted earlier this year to mandate disclosure of spending on local races.

Georgia – Man Gets Prison for Obstruction in Atlanta Bribery Probe
Washington Times – Kate Brumback (Associated Press) | Published: 4/9/2018

An Atlanta man who threw a concrete block through a city contractor’s window to discourage him from talking to federal investigators was sentenced to prison for obstructing their bribery probe. Shandarrick Barnes had pleaded guilty to obstructing justice. He is the fourth person to receive a prison sentence after entering a guilty plea in the ongoing federal investigation into a “pay-to-play” scheme for city contracts. U.S. Attorney Kurt Erskine said Barnes used “mob-like tactics” to try to keep construction contractor Elvin Mitchell Jr. from cooperating with investigators.

Hawaii – What’s Up with All the Gut-And-Replace Trickery at The Legislature This Year?
Honolulu Civil Beat – Nathan Eagle | Published: 4/5/2018

Watchdog groups have called on the Hawaii Legislature for years to end “misleading practices which keep the public in the dark,” as their 2013 petition to the House and Senate put it. There is the “gut-and-replace” tactic, which involves removing the entire contents of a bill and inserting the contents of another in its place without any notice. And there are the so-called Frankenstein bills that keep the original contents of one bill and add the contents of another that had died earlier in the session. A common practice this session combines both tactics while giving a couple of days’ notice.

Kansas – Kansas AG Wants Court to Bar Out-of-State Residents from Running for Governor
Kansas City Star – Hunter Woodall | Published: 4/10/2018

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt filed a lawsuit to put the brakes on out-of-state gubernatorial candidates after 10 people living outside the state’s borders took initial steps to run. State law makes no express statement about candidates’ age or residency. News coverage about the lack of requirements has led to a slew of teenagers and non-Kansans forming campaign committees for a gubernatorial run. A man tried, and failed, to get his dog on the ballot.

Missouri – Woman: Sexual encounter with Greitens was not consensual. Lawmakers find her credible
Kansas City Star – Lindsay Wise (McClatchy) and Jason Hancock | Published: 4/11/2018

The crisis confronting Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens deepened with the release of a legislative report that outlines in detail new allegations about the governor’s behavior toward a woman who was his hair dresser. While Greitens has described the extramarital relations as “consensual,” the woman said it included unwanted and potentially coerced sexual acts that she felt afraid to say no to and physical violence, in addition to the threat of blackmail. The governor is facing a felony charge that he invaded the woman’s privacy by taking a nude photograh of her without her consent. The report raised the specter of impeachment for Greitens and prompted another round of calls for him to step down.

New Mexico – Biggest Donors Get Around Contribution Limits
New Mexico Political Report – Marjorie Childress (New Mexico In Depth) | Published: 4/9/2018

Even though New Mexico passed campaign contribution limits in 2009 after several high-profile elected officials went to jail for corruption, people still have the potential to contribute more than the limits by giving through companies they own, or combining with family members to give. A debate over contribution limits since then has often included arguments that limits just push money into political committees or “dark money” groups that spend money independently, making it more difficult for the public to know who is paying for political ads and other activities designed to influence elections. But good government advocates disagree.

New York – JCOPE Reaches Settlement with Top Lobbyist Over de Blasio Donation
Albany Times Union – Chris Bragg | Published: 4/9/2018

Lobbyist James Capalino agreed to pay $40,000 to settle an investigation by the Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE). The commission has been investigating Capalino’s fundraising for New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s now-defunct nonprofit Campaign for One New York. The probe relied on JCOPE’s re-interpretation of the state gift ban law. The law disallows public officials from accepting “valuable gifts” from people with business before state government if such a gift appears intended to influence the official. JCOPE in 2014 said donations to an official’s nonprofit are covered under the law.

Ohio – Amid FBI Investigation, Ohio House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger Resigns
Cincinnati Enquirer – Chrissie Thompson and Jessie Balmert | Published: 4/10/2018

Facing an FBI investigation into his spending and overseas travel, Ohio House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger said he will resign from office on May 1. Rosenberger has been criticized for his lavish lifestyle, which includes traveling around the world and staying in a luxury Columbus condominium owned by a wealthy Republican campaign donor. In August, Rosenberger took a four-day trip to London with GOP leaders from other states for an event paid for by the GOPAC Education Fund’s Institute for Leadership Development. Steve Dimon, a registered lobbyist for title lender LoanMax, also was on the trip. Title and payday lenders have been lobbying against proposed legislation in Ohio that would place restrictions on their industry. Dimon declined to say whether the two discussed any legislation or if he has been questioned by the FBI.

South Dakota – South Dakota a ‘Standout’ in Limiting Voters’ Ability to Bring Issues to the Ballot
Sioux Falls Argus Leader – Dana Ferguson | Published: 4/6/2018

South Dakota voters in 2016 passed a sweeping ethics reform initiative, which state legislators then struck down. A year after Initiated Measure 22’s demise, lawmakers passed a dozen bills tightening the reins on the initiative and referendum process. The onslaught of bills puts South Dakota in a league of its own in terms of restricting direct democracy. Now, advocates are scrambling to undo the laws that do the most damage before they are left fighting under the new constraints imposed on the process.

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 Colorado Secretary of State will host a rulemaking hearing on April 16 regarding proposed changes to lobbyist regulations. A copy of the revised draft is available online at the Secretary of State’s website.

Proposed changes include, but are not limited to, amending and adding lobbying definitions, clarification of professional lobbyist and lobbyist firm registration and disclosure requirements, and recodification to ensure uniform and proper administration and implementation of state law.

Written comments regarding the proposed draft may be submitted any time before and during the hearing.

U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold resigned his seat in congress last week following a string of ethics investigations stemming from a 2014 sexual harassment allegation.

Farenthold, under fire for using $84,000 of taxpayer money to settle a sexual harassment claim, announced his retirement in December, but said he planned to serve out the remainder of his term ending in January of 2019.

Gov. Greg Abbott is tasked with calling a special election to fill the seat for the remainder of the year. Gov. Abbott can schedule the special election on the state’s next uniform election date on November 6, or can order an emergency election on any other Tuesday or Saturday.

On April 11, a bill was introduced in the Alberta Legislative Assembly to amend the providence’s lobbying laws. Bill 11, Lobbyists Amendment Act, 2018, lowers the threshold required for lobbyist registration from 100 hours per year spent lobbying to 50 hours. The proposed amendments also ban contingency lobbying but allow a consultant lobbyist who has entered into a contingency agreement before the law takes effect to received contingency payments until either the agreement expires or 24 months after the bill takes effect, whichever is earlier.

The legislation would also prohibit a consultant lobbyist or organizational lobbyist, during lobbying activities, to give any gift to a public office holder, being or intended to be lobbied, that would place the public office holder in a conflict of interest under the office holder’s own ethics rules.

Authority for additional administrative financial penalties for contraventions of the lobbying laws are included in the bill. The amount of an administrative penalty is determined by the registrar, who considers factors such as the severity of the contravention, the degree of willfulness or negligence in the contravention, any history of non-compliance, and whether the person who received the notice of administrative penalty has received an economic benefit because of the contravention.

Additionally, the bill creates new definitions for “public office holder” and “former public officer holder.”

The bill is being sponsored by MLA Christina Gray, who represents the provincial election district for Edmonton-Mill Woods.

Ohio House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger is resigning from office, effective May 1, amid a looming FBI investigation.

Investigators are looking into his lavish lifestyle, including worldwide travel and his use of a donor’s luxury condominium.

Upon his resignation, Speaker Pro Tempore Kirk Schuring will assume Rosenberger’s responsibilities until the House elects a new speaker.

The Maryland General Assembly adjourned sine die at midnight on April 9, 2018. Lawmakers passed legislation involving sexual harassment.

House Bill 1342, bans lobbyists from sexually harassing a member, employee, intern, or page of the General Assembly, an employee of the Department of Legal Services, an official or employee of the Maryland Executive Branch, or an individual regulated lobbyist.

Additionally, a lobbyist may report a violation of antiharassment policy and procedures by a member of the General Assembly to the State Ethics Commission.

If Gov. Hogan signs the bill into law, it will be effective immediately, however, the section involving lobbyists will not be effective until July 1, 2019.

Gov. Kay Ivey signed House Bill 317 into law on April 6, 2018.

House Bill 317, exempts economic development professionals from registering as a lobbyist.

Under the bill, the economic development professional lobbyist registration exemption does not apply if a person seeks incentives or funds through legislative action outside of incentives already available.

The provision has a sunset of one year as the Legislature is expected to revise the Alabama Ethics Code during the next legislative session.

The Kansas Legislature adjourned its legislative session on Sunday, April 8, 2018.

During the late hours of the session, lawmakers approved an increase in spending for education in response to a court order.

The bill has been publicly supported by Gov. Jeff Colyer. The Legislature will reconvene on April 26.