Alaska’s fourth special session adjourned on November 21 after reaching the 30-day limit set by the state’s constitution.

Since November 10, lawmakers were in a technical session after the Senate attempted to adjourn the special session after passing a criminal justice reform bill. In Alaska one body cannot adjourn without the other.

No committee hearings are held in a technical session, and no formal legislative business is done.

The Oklahoma Legislature adjourned an eight-week special session on Friday, November 17, after the Senate gave final approval on legislation to balance the state’s budget.

Just hours after the session ended, Gov. Mary Fallin line-item vetoed most of the budget bill’s provisions citing a failure to address the requests she made in calling the session and the lack of a long-term solution to re-occurring budget deficits. Provisions temporarily preserving funding for crucial health and human services were retained as the state continues to seek a solution.

The vetoed bill would have used cash reserves and made deep cuts to funding across all state agencies to close the $215 million hole in the state budget.

Gov. Fallin said she intends to call a second special session of the Legislature to come up with long-term funding solutions.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson has scheduled a special election on May 22, 2018, to fill the state Senate District 29 seat vacated by Eddie Joe Williams.

The primary will be February 13 and a primary runoff, if necessary, on March 13.

Williams vacated the seat to become a representative to the Southern States Energy Board.

From all of us at State and Federal Communications, we hope you and your family has a great Thanksgiving. Our offices will be closed on Thanksgiving day and the following Friday as we give thanks.

Speaking of, we’re very thankful for all of you this holiday and look forward to many more years of providing you the unparalleled political compliance information you’ve come to expect! Happy Thanksgiving!

Gov. Bruce Rauner signed a bill passed by lawmakers during the fall veto session aimed at curbing sexual harassment within state government.

Senate Bill 402 expressly prohibits sexual harassment by lobbyists, provides for a $5,000 fine for violations, and requires lobbyists to take an annual sexual harassment training course. The training course must be completed within 30 days of registration or renewal, beginning January 1, 2018.

Additionally, each person and entity required to register must have a written sexual harassment policy by January 1, 2018.

Gov. Rauner criticized the bill as rushed and needing more work, but conceded it was a step in the right direction.

The bill takes effect immediately.

Utah lawmakers rejected a proposal Wednesday to require lobbyists to undergo annual anti-harassment training as a requirement to be a licensed lobbyist. Utah currently requires lawmakers and staff to undergo training about harassment, but no such requirement exists for lobbyists who visit the Capitol and meet with lawmakers and staff.

The proposal comes after sexual harassment allegations have increased across the country and can still be considered during the next legislative session. Some legislators worry about the burden it would put on lobbyists and those who regulate them.

The proposal allows the lieutenant governor’s office to issue fines and suspend lobbyist licenses for up to five years if a lobbyist is found to have harassed.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson has scheduled a special election on May 22, 2018, to fill the state House District 83 seat vacated by David L. Branscum.

The primary will be February 13 and a primary runoff, if necessary, on March 13.

Branscum vacated the seat to become the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development director in Arkansas.

Let Becky take you through a busy week in government and ethics news in this week’s video digest!

National:

Despite Recent Wins for Democrats, Gerrymanders Dim Hopes for 2018
New York Times – Alexander Burns, Michael Wines, and Trip Gabriel | Published: 11/12/2017

For all the Democrats’ optimism, the elections in Virginia vividly reflected why the reality might be a good deal harsher. While Democrats won the governorship by nearly nine percentage points and won a similar margin in total votes in legislative races, it appears likely, unless recounts reverse seats, that they will fall just short of taking control of the state’s heavily gerrymandered House. And around the country, gerrymandering, refined to a high art, and increasingly restrictive voting laws have left many experts wary of assuming the intensity of Democratic voters will translate into equally robust electoral gains.

Federal:

Judge Declares Mistrial in Menendez Prosecution
Washington Post – Alan Maimon and Devlin Barrett | Published: 11/16/2017

The bribery trial of U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez ended in a mistrial when the jury said it was hopelessly deadlocked on all charges against him and Salomon Melgen, a wealthy physician. Menendez is accused of using his political influence to help Melgen in exchange for luxury vacations, flights on a private jet, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions to organizations that supported the senator. Prosecutors said Menendez pressured government officials on Melgen’s behalf over an $8.9 million Medicare billing dispute and helped obtain U.S. visas for the doctor’s girlfriends. The defense argued the gifts were not bribes but tokens of friendship between two men who were “like brothers.”

Kochs Key Among Small Group Quietly Funding Legal Assault on Campaign Finance Regulation
Center for Public Integrity – Lateshia Beachum | Published: 11/15/2017

The Center for Public Integrity investigated an array of organizations that have participated in legal challenges dating back 40 years that have resulted in a campaign finance system allowing unlimited sums to be pumped into modern elections. It is a system that both Republicans and Democrats now fully rely upon. Throughout that history, groups backed by David and Charles Koch have stood out as reliable, stalwart opponents of regulation of money in politics. While far from the only players in the legal battle, the Kochs are certainly among the most recognizable – and significant.

Mueller Puts Spotlight on Foreign Lobbying
The Hill – Megan Wilson | Published: 11/15/2017

Foreign advocacy work in Washington, D.C. is common, lucrative, and occasionally controversial, but has rarely received the front-page scrutiny it is attracting now. That is mostly because of Paul Manafort and Richard Gates, two high-level figures from the Trump campaign who have been indicted as part of Robert Mueller’s investigation. The charges against the two men, including allegations of money laundering, stem from work they did years ago to benefit a pro-Russia political party in Ukraine. The lobbying work was not disclosed to the Department of Justice as is required under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, according to the indictment. Manafort retroactively registered that work this year.

Russia Scandal Befalls Two Brothers: John and Tony Podesta
New York Times – Kenneth Vogel | Published: 11/10/2017

Kimberly Fritts resigned as chief executive of the Podesta Group as she begins work on launching a new firm, which will be called Cogent Strategies. The move is creating new uncertainty for the Podesta Group following the departure of its founder, Tony Podesta, who stepped away after he and the firm were pulled into special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

The Brave New World of Political Conspiracy-Theory Illustrations
Washington Post – Philip Bump | Published: 11/15/2017

Rep. Louie Gohmert produced a convoluted flowchart at a hearing of the House Judiciary Committee to convince Attorney General Jeff Sessions that the Justice Department ought to appoint a special prosecutor to probe the so-called Uranium One scandal. Sean Hannity also used the chart to explain interactions between President Obama’s administration, the Russians, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. There is a reason both Hannity and Gohmert seized on these flowcharts to make their points. Americans have come to understand patterns of boxes and connecting arrows and lines as iconography meaning “conspiracy theory.” What Hannity and Gohmert are doing, in short, is implying a conspiracy by using the visual language associated with conspiracy theories.

From the States and Municipalities:

Florida: Hillsborough Will Go After Citizens Watchdogs Over Hagan Ethics Complaint
WTSP – Noah Pransky | Published: 11/15/2017

The Hillsborough County Commission voted to seek financial reimbursement from four activists who filed a failed ethics complaint against Commissioners Ken Hagan and Sandy Murman. Hagan filed a petition for fees and costs for his attorney following the Florida Commission on Ethics’ announcement it found do probable cause that Hagan, Murman, and Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn violated the state’s ethics code in their involvement with the Go Hillsborough transportation plan. The Florida First Amendment Foundation called the request “deeply troubling” for the “chilling” effect it could have on more citizen watchdogs coming forward with concerns about government officials breaking the law.

Louisiana: Louisiana Politics: State ethics revisions seem likely; committee created
StMaryNow.com – Jeremy Alford | Published: 11/15/2017

Members of an advisory committee reviewing Louisiana’s ethics laws sound optimistic, some even confident, that significant policy changes will be recommended to the Legislature, maybe even in time for the regular session that begins March 12. There was an organizational meeting in September and a more structured gathering in October, when committee members discussed travel provisions and the different reporting tiers for financial disclosure statements. Some members are interested in taking a deeper look into the monthly reporting requirements for lobbyists, arguing that quarterly filings should be sufficient. Others are more curious about fees and how the state ethics board is allowed to determine or negotiate fine and penalty payments.

Michigan: Trash Giant Rizzo Pleads Guilty to Bribery
Detroit News – Robert Snell | Published: 11/9/2017

A year after getting indicted in a wide-sweeping corruption probe that toppled his family trash-hauling empire, Chuck Rizzo Jr. pleaded guilty to bribery and wire fraud, admitting he lined the pockets of public officials to win lucrative contracts. Between 2012 and 2016, Rizzo was chief executive of Rizzo Environmental Services and the company was looking to maintain or extend municipal contracts in Macomb and Clinton townships, along with other municipalities. Rizzo admitted he provided money to former Clinton Township Trustee Dean Reynolds and former Macomb Township Trustee Clifford Freitas in exchange for their support for his company’s attempts at securing lucrative garbage contracts in their communities. Reynolds and Freitas are both also facing federal charges.

Missouri: How’s a Former Missouri Lawmaker Spending Campaign Cash? Golf, Booze, Cigars and More
Kansas City Star – Jason Hancock | Published: 11/10/2017

Former Missouri House Speaker Tim Jones transferred more than $650,000 from his campaign committee to a PAC called Leadership for America. Since it was formed last year, the committee has donated $22,000 to various Republican candidates in Missouri and given roughly $38,000 to a handful of charities. But it has also spent about $5,000 in recent months at golf resorts in Missouri, Arizona, Colorado, and Tennessee, as well as several thousand more on meals, cigars, alcohol, event tickets, travel, and renovations to Jones’ St. Louis County office. Watchdogs worry that Jones has found a way to use campaign funds to bolster his lifestyle, despite prohibitions on using the money for personal business.

New Mexico: Compliance with ABQ Lobbying Rules Falls Way Short
NMPolitics.net – Marjorie Childress (New Mexico In Depth) | Published: 11/13/2017

A review by New Mexico In Depth found a lack of compliance among registered lobbyists in Albuquerque. The reporting failure is due in part, to lack of education aimed at lobbyists about the rules. It is also due to how the ordinance’s enforcement provision is interpreted. According to the city attorney’s office, a written, notarized complaint is the only way to trigger an inquiry, although one transparency champion reads the ordinance as giving the city attorney’s office flexibility to pursue investigations even when there is no written complaint. The result is less public information than the law requires involving lobbyists whose employers have had an interest in influencing proposals before city officials this year.

New York: Museum of Political Corruption Bestows Nellie Bly Award
Albany Times Union – Amy Biancolli | Published: 11/14/2017

When Bruce Roter informed Susanne Craig that she won the Museum of Political Corruption’s inaugural Nellie Bly Award, he traveled to the offices of The New York Times to hand over the prize: a check for $1,250. It was the exact amount paid by the muckraking Bly when she bought off the state Legislature in 1888, successfully defeating a piece of legislation. “He presented me with a check in a brown envelope and passed it under the table,” recalled Craig. She is the reporter who discovered pages from Donald Trump’s tax returns in her newsroom mailbox in October 2016.

North Carolina: Nonprofit Provides TV Studio for Lt. Gov. Forest’s Office
WRAL – Travis Fain | Published: 11/12/2017

A little-known group set up by the lieutenant governor’s office and headed by a major campaign donor has provided Lt. Gov. Dan Forest with enough television equipment to build an in-office studio. Forest’s arrangement with the North Carolina Promotion and Development Fund (NCPDF) appears to be unique in state government. NCPDF is a 501(c)(4). These groups are perhaps best known as political advertising vehicles for anonymous donors. Attorneys who specialize in this section of the tax code said the way Forest’s office uses the NCPDF seems to be allowed under state and federal law, without disclosing donors, provided the group does not fund campaign activities.

Texas: Texas Sheriff Is on the Hunt for Driver with Profane Anti-Trump Window Sticker
Washington Post – Marwa Eltagouri and J. Freedom du Lac | Published: 11/16/2017

A sheriff in Texas is looking for a truck bearing a profanity-laced anti-Trump sticker and said authorities are considering charging its owner with disorderly conduct, a threat that raised alarm among free speech advocates. Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls posted a photograph of the truck on Facebook after, he said, he received several complaints about the display from unhappy people in the Houston-area county. The Houston Chronicle said the truck’s owners have no plans to remove the custom graphic, which they ordered after Trump’s election.

Wisconsin: Scott Walker’s Campaign Treasurer’s Firm Gets Capitol Contract After Being the Only Bidder
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel – Patrick Marley | Published: 11/9/2017

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s administration helped give a contract worth at least $35,000 to a firm affiliated with Walker’s campaign treasurer. The administration in June sought proposals as it looked for a company that could raise $75,000 or more for improvements to the Capitol and a gala to celebrate its 100th anniversary, giving the contract to Solutions KCB. The company’s registered agent is Kate Lind, the governor’s campaign treasurer. Department of Administration spokesperson Steve Michels said the administration helped with the procurement process, but the ultimate decisions were made by the Wisconsin Historical Foundation and the commission organizing the anniversary celebration.

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 Montana Legislature adjourned a special session on the state’s budget shortfall in the early hours on Thursday morning.

Multiple bills were passed to close the $227 million gap including a bill requiring furloughs of state employees, changing the state liquor license lottery to an auction, and a bill to eliminate $13 million in block grants for school districts statewide. Tax increases proposed by Gov. Steve Bullock did not pass.

Legislators have said the passed budget solutions are far from perfect but avoid deeper cuts to crucial state agencies.

On November 17, the 2017 Nunavut Leadership Forum will meet to select the speaker, premier, and members of the Executive Council. The selection will be made by secret ballot by all 22 Nunavut Legislative Assembly Members (MLAs), who were all recently elected this fall.

A vote for the speaker will be the first order of business, according to a press release by the Legislative Assembly’s Caucus. The Speaker-Elect will preside over the remainder of the proceedings, beginning with the election of the premier. Nominated candidates will be permitted to deliver formal speeches and MLAs who are not candidates will be permitted to ask questions.

The forum will be held in the Chamber of the Legislative Assembly, will be open to the public to observe from the Visitors’ Gallery, and will be televised live across the territory on local community cable stations and direct-to-home satellite services. The caucus has decided the Executive Council, also called the Cabinet, will consist of eight members (the premier and seven ministers).

The Legislative Assembly’s Caucus announced the date and format for the forum on November 14. The swearing-in ceremony for MLAs and the confirmations of the appointments will take place on November 21, the first sitting day of the 5th Legislative Assembly.

Gov. Rick Scott announced a special election will be held for House District 114. The special primary is schedule for February 20, 2018 and the special general for May 1, 2018.

Rep. Daisy Baez of Coral Gables resigned the seat as part of a plea deal with prosecutors. She pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor perjury charge after signing a change-of-address voter form stating she lived in District 114, when in fact she still lived in District 112.

Baez is additionally barred from running for office for a one-year probation period.

The Alaska Senate adjourned the fourth special session on November 10.

However, on November 13 the House majority coalition announced plans to hold technical sessions until the special session ends November 21.

A technical session will force the Senate to hold similar sessions because one body cannot adjourn without the other.

Lawmakers passed a criminal justice reform bill despite warnings from the Alaska Department of Law and ACLU that the measures are unconstitutional.

Lawmakers passed a series of bills during the fall veto session this week aimed at curbing sexual harassment within state government.

Among them, Senate Bill 402 expressly prohibits sexual harassment by lobbyists, provides for a $5,000 fine for violations, and requires lobbyists to take an annual sexual harassment training course. The Secretary of State’s inspector general is also granted additional authority to investigate reports of sexual harassment.

The measure unanimously passed both houses and now awaits the governor’s signature.

Former federal prosecutor Julie Porter has been appointed as temporary inspector general after reports surfaced of harassment claims going unnoticed for more than a year while the post was vacant.