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Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin wants a special legislative session to address a budget shortfall caused by a recent Oklahoma Supreme Court Ruling. The Court struck down a cigarette fee resulting in $215 million in lost revenue.

If the budget is not reappropriated, the ruling will force four state agencies to restructure their budgets due to loss of funds. Money cannot be transferred to the affected agencies without a legislative directive.

Though a special session is likely inevitable, legislative leadership has suggested the governor wait to call a session because there are other revenue-related court cases still pending.

On August 20, new pay-to-play regulations of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) take effect. FINRA Rule 2030 restricts contributions made to an official of a government entity being provided investment advisory services or being engaged to provide investment advisory services by certain parties.

The rule applies to broker-dealers, placement agents, and covered associates acting on behalf of certain regulated investment advisors or soliciting a government entity to invest in certain pooled investment vehicles.

The restrictions also prohibit soliciting a political action committee to make contributions or doing anything indirectly that, if done directly, would result in a violation of the rules. Another rule effective on the same date is FINRA Rule 4580, which mandates certain record-keeping requirements concerning related contributions.

Don’t miss the weekly recap from Becky Campbell on government, elections and ethics news you can use in this weeks video digest!

On August 17, the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) voted to reverse a longstanding rule that limited how much money politicians and their committees can give to a candidate-controlled recall committee.

The 2002 FPPC opinion that was reversed by today’s vote limited politician contributions to candidate-controlled recall committees to $4,400.

The rule change now allows politicians to give unlimited amounts of money to help fight the recall of Democratic Senator Josh Newman.

Chair Jodi Remke was the only dissenting commissioner in the 3-1 final vote.

Lobbying

Alabama: “Alabama Ethics Commission Punts on Lobbyist Opinion” by Brian Lyman for Montgomery Advertiser

Maine: “State Employees Union Could Drop ‘Fair Share’ Fees in Exchange For 6 Percent Raise” by Mal Leary for Maine Public Radio

Campaign Finance

Montana: “Former State Legislator Jailed After Refusing to Pay Fine in Political Corruption Case” by Tom Lutey for Billings Gazette

Oregon: “Oregon Judge to Decide If Political Spending Limits Are Legal” by Gordon Friedman for Portland Oregonian

Ethics

“Revocation of Grants to Help Fight Hate Under New Scrutiny After Charlottesville” by Ron Nixon and Eileen Sullivan for New York Times

California: “Hundreds of Dollars in ‘Gifts’ from Contractors to Supervisor Nelson Raise Legal Questions” by Nick Gerda for Voice of OC

Pennsylvania: “State Rep. Marc Gergely Pleads Guilty to Corruption Charges” by Kate Giammarise and Liz Navratil for Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Elections

“In Ukraine, a Malware Expert Who Could Blow the Whistle on Russian Hacking” by Andrew Kramer and Andrew Higgins for New York Times

“Roy Moore and Luther Strange Head for G.O.P. Runoff in Alabama Senate Race” by Jonathan Martin and Alan Blinder for New York Times

Redistricting

Texas: “Federal Court Invalidates Part of Texas Congressional Map” by Alexa Ura and Jim Malewitz for Texas Tribune

On August 15, the Anaheim City Council adopted an ethics and lobbying ordinance.

The ordinance imposes a two-year revolving door restriction and requires lobbyist registration and quarterly reporting. The ordinance will go into effect 30 days after passage on September 14.

City Council is also expected to consider additional amendments to broaden the new ordinance in 90 days.

The Texas Legislature ended its special legislative session abruptly Tuesday night without a resolution on Gov. Greg Abbott’s top priority of property tax reform.

The House adjourned earlier in the day leaving the Senate to accept their version of the property tax reform bill or not pass one. The Senate did not accept the House version and the session ended without fanfare.

Some Senators are calling for Gov. Abbott to call a second special session solely for the issue.

About half of the session’s 20-item agenda was accomplished, including the passage of several sunset bills.

Appointed U.S. Senator Luther Strange and former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore will be going head-to-head on September 26 because neither candidate received more than 50 percent of the vote in the first round of the Republican primary election.

President Trump and establishment Republicans have lined up behind Strange, but Moore has wide appeal among religious conservatives across the Yellowhammer State.

The winner of the runoff election will face Democrat Doug Jones, a former U.S. Attorney who coasted to victory in the first round, on December 12.

Campaign Finance

California: “John Chiang Helped Award Millions in Tax Breaks to His Developer Donors” by Christopher Cadelago for Sacramento Bee

Ethics

“Trump Defends Initial Remarks on Charlottesville; Again Blames ‘Both Sides’” by Michael Shear and Maggie Haberman for New York Times

“After Charlottesville, Trump Retweets – Then Deletes – Image of Train Running Over CNN Reporter” by David Nakamura and Aaron Davis for Washington Post

“New on This Fall’s Law School Syllabus: Trump” by Adam Liptak for New York Times

“Tech Firm Is Fighting a Federal Order for Data on Visitors to an Anti-Trump Website” by Ellen Nakashima for Washington Post

“FBI Agents Went Undercover in Florida’s Capital for the ‘Biggest Investigation in Years’” by Sean Rossman for USA Today

Oregon: “Campaign to Taint Courtroom Foe Costs Saxton Post at OHA” by Jeff Manning for Portland Oregonian

Elections

“Trump Campaign Emails Show Aide’s Repeated Efforts to Set Up Russia Meetings” by Tom Hamburger, Carol Leonnig, and Rosalind Helderman for Washington Post

Redistricting

North Carolina: “Redistricting Criteria Call for Partisan Maps, No Consideration of Race” by Travis Fain and Laura Leslie for WRAL

On August 11, Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall called a special election to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) Jennifer Campeau.

MLA Campeau resigned in June from the Legislative Assembly to work for Rio Tinto, a mining company in British Columbia.

The riding of Saskatoon Fairview will be held on September 7.

In a video posted on YouTube, Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall announced he is retiring from politics.

Wall will be leaving his office once the conservative Saskatchewan party, which controls the Legislative Assembly, selects a new leader.

In the video, posted on August 10 and entitled “Thank you, Saskatchewan,” Wall said, “Saskatchewan needs renewal: a fresh perspective in leadership.”

View the video below:

A former Nevada Republican Assemblyman filed a recall petition with the Nevada Secretary of State this month seeking to recall Democratic Senator Joyce Woodhouse and replace her with her Republican opponent from the 2016 election.

Under Nevada law, petitioners are not required to give a reason for submitting a recall petition. Although no reason was cited in the filed petition, a registered voter said a signature-gatherer seeking support for the petition stated it stemmed from Sen. Joyce’s support of a sanctuary city bill during the 2016 legislative session.

The petition needs signatures from 25 percent of the voters who cast a ballot in the Senate District 5 election in 2016 to have a special election.

Becky Campbell is here to help you sort through all the state government ethics news from a busy week in this week’s video digest.