Jan Preslar is the new general counsel at the Oklahoma Ethics Commission.

She replaced former General Counsel Geoffrey Long.

Preslar previously served as deputy attorney general and chief of the General Counsel Unit at the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office.

Photo of Jan Preslar from the Oklahoma Ethics Commission Site.

On March 10, Gov. Dennis Daugaard signed a series of bills aimed at replacing ethics and campaign finance laws after the repeal of Initiated Measure 22.

Among the bills signed into law, Senate Bill 131 prohibits elected officers and officials from lobbying in the two-year period after termination of service in the state government.

House Bill 1073 was approved to set a $100 annual cap on gifts from lobbyists to elected officials. House Bill 1073 also defines “gift” to exclude food, beverages, and entertainment.

The Governor also signed House Bill 1076, establishing a government accountability board.

The Governor is expected to approve other pending Initiated Measure 22 replacement bills. The pending bills currently on the Governor’s desk include Senate Bill 54 to revise campaign finance limits and disclosure requirements and Senate Bill 171 to establish a government accountability task force to study campaign finance.

On March 10, the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories adjourned for the remainder of the winter.

During the session, lawmakers considered various supplementary appropriations dealing with infrastructure and operations expenditures, debated cutbacks, and passed a budget for the territories with all but two MLAs voting for it.

Under the new budget, the Department of Public Works and Services will be consolidated with the Transportation department.

The Second Session of the 18th Assembly will reconvene on Thursday, May 25, 2017.

On March 9, the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued an analysis of federal contracting trends to Congress. The report, titled Contracting Data Analysis: Assessment of Government-wide Trends, identified overall trends in contract obligations of defense and civilian agencies from fiscal year 2011 to 2015 using data from the Federal Procurement Data System-Next Generation.

The report states defense obligations to purchase goods and services decreased by over 30 percent while civilian obligations remained steady, as did the percentage of total obligations reported for competitive contracts. During this period, fixed price contracts were used for an average of 63 percent of obligations.

The GAO did not make any new recommendations in the report, but did highlight previous recommendations made to defense and civilian agencies. The report asserts the agencies “generally concurred with these recommendations and have taken or planned actions to address them.”

The Florida House passed a bill today to create greater separation between lawmakers and lobbyists.

House Bill 7003 increases the time former public officials must wait before lobbying from two to six years.

The measure continues a trend set by the new House Speaker, Richard Corcoran, who began the session by implementing new rules to change lobbying practices and increase public confidence in the legislature.

The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Larry Metz, believes the new restriction will prevent legislators from favoring lobbyists in order to land high-paying jobs after leaving office.

After a 2016 federal court decision blocked Austin’s blackout period restricting candidate fundraising to only during the six months preceding an election, campaign finance regulation supporters in Austin’s Ethics Review Commission are pushing a new ordinance to limit the contribution period and withstand the same type of legal challenges.

As the city appeals the 2016 ruling, candidates can raise money year-round.

The proposed ordinance, created by Council Member Leslie Pool, allows candidates to raise money for a full year before an election and to continue fundraising for a for up to six months after the election to pay off campaign debts.

The drafted ordinance is under review until the Commission meets again in April and aiming for action by the City Council by June.

See what’s happening in government relations this week in our News You Can Use Video Digest. Enjoy!

The Utah Legislature adjourned its 2017 regular legislative session sine die on March 9, 2017.

Lawmakers worked just beyond their midnight deadline and passed a record 535 bills and resolutions during the 45-day session.

The passed bills include House Bill 52 creating a misdemeanor when a person conspires to make a contribution through one or more persons to avoid disclosure, House Bill 204 requiring the state to hold a presidential primary in every year a presidential election is held, and Senate Bill 275 repealing provisions requiring in certain circumstances a corporation to disclose donor identity and notify donors if the corporation uses the money to influence the outcome of an election.

In a statement to the Utah House of Representatives, Gov. Gary Herbert said it was the best legislative session he has ever seen by the state.

Steve Hamm, attorney and former director of the South Carolina Consumer Affairs Department is now the interim director of the State Ethics Commission.

He replaced Ami Franklin, who filled the role briefly following Herb Hayden’s retirement at the end of last year.

Hamm will continue to serve as interim director while the commission is restructured. It is expected he will also oversee an overhaul of the state’s ethics laws.

Franklin has returned to her post as assistant director.

Paterson Mayor Jose Torres will continue to serve in office despite recently being indicted on multiple corruption-related charges.

Indictments do not prevent him from serving, and city officials do not expect him to resign anytime soon.

An investigation revealed Torres asked city employees to work at a warehouse leased by his daughter and nephew; city employees were also found to have been performing various jobs around his home.

Torres denies the allegations, claiming the employees were doing work on their personal time. Torres has served as mayor of Paterson on and off since first elected in 2002.

The South Dakota House of Representatives passed an amended version of Senate Bill 54 restoring campaign finance limits to pre-Initiated Measure 22 levels.

Senate Bill 54 was originally introduced to establish tougher campaign finance restrictions to preserve the spirit of Initiated Measure 22 after lawmakers repealed the voter approved measure earlier this session.

Prior to passing the House with a vote of 55 to 12, the bill was amended many times before arriving at its current state. Senate Bill 54 now goes back to the Senate for approval of the amended version.

Photo of the South Dakota House Chamber by Jake DeGroot via Wikimedia Commons

Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed House Bill 1401 and Senate Bill 169 into law. Both bills provide exceptions to the definition of gift.

For example, House Bill 1401 excludes nonalcoholic beverages provided to attendees at a meeting of a civic, social, or cultural organization or group from the definition of gift, as well as food and nonalcoholic beverages provided to participants at a bona fide panel, seminar, or speaking engagement at which the audience is a civic, social, or cultural organization or group.

Senate Bill 169 provides the use of one or more rooms or facilities owned, operated, or otherwise utilized by a state agency or political subdivision of the state for the purpose of conducting a meeting of a specific governmental body is not a gift.

House Bill 1401 is effective immediately and Senate Bill 169 will become effective 90 days after the Legislature adjourns sine die, or June 9, 2017.

Denver City Council approved legislation on Monday amending the city gift rules. Council Bill No. 16-1202 establishes a $300 annual limit on meals, tickets, or free or reduced price admissions from persons or donors with a city interest.

Officers, officials, and employees may accept meals, tickets, or free admission to events regardless of the annual cap if the meals are provided to all attendees at a public meeting and consumed while the meeting is in progress.

The $300 limit also excludes meals provided to all members of any governmental, civic, or non-profit board if the officer, official, or employee is a member and if the meals are consumed in conjunction with any meeting of the board.

Finally, the limit excludes tickets or free admission offered by a charitable or other non-profit entity hosting the event and not by any third party.

The bill will be forwarded today to the mayor for approval and to the city clerk and recorder for attestation; it is effective tomorrow, March 8.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo called a special election for May 23, 2017.

The special election is needed to fill vacancies in both the 30^th Senate District and Assembly District 9.

Bill Perkins left the state senate after winning a New York City Council election and Assemblyman Joseph Saladino resigned after he was appointed Town Supervisor of Oyster Bay.