Ohio Lawmakers have introduced identical House and Senate bills to increase transparency in corporate campaign contributions.

House Bill 0739 and Senate Bill 0349, named the Ohio Anti-Corruption Act, require 501(c)(4)s and limited liability companies to disclose contributions and expenditures made to influence elections.

The bills eliminate the category of continuing association and expand the definition of “political contributing entity” to include partnerships and unincorporated business organizations or associations.

The bills also require political contributing entities to disclose the name of each officer, director, principal shareholder, partner, owner, or member of the corporation or unincorporated business.

In an effort to strengthen restrictions against foreign interests influencing Ohio elections, the bills also expand the definition of “foreign national.”

The definition will now include a corporation that is owned twenty percent or more by persons or entities from outside of the United States and a corporation that is owned five percent or more by any one person or entity from outside of the United States.

The 32nd Special Legislative Session adjourned shortly after midnight and the final bills have gone to Gov. Steve Sisolak for his signature.

Lawmakers wrapped up the state’s latest special session with a deeply divisive amendment.

This amendment cuts schools and hospitals out of a bill to protect business owners from coronavirus related employee lawsuits.

Other issues were also addressed such as police reform, voting rights, more flexibility with Nevada’s unemployment benefits, alternative dispute resolution for rental evictions and a dire budget shortfall as a result of the pandemic.

Legislators appropriated $410,000 from the general fund to pay for the six day session.

Campaign Finance

National: “FEC Says Convicted Utah Businessman Made Illegal Campaign Contributions to Mike Lee, Harry Reid” by Dennis Romboy for KSL

California: “Campaign Contribution Limit Set for Fresno County Races at $30K” by David Taub for gvwire.com

Michigan: “Ex-Chamber Attorney Challenges Mystery Funding of Campaign to Limit Whitmer’s Power” by Craig Mauger for Detroit News

Ohio: “Secretary of State Frank LaRose Backing Bipartisan Legislative Push Cracking Down on ‘Dark Money’ in Ohio Following Corruption Scandal” by Andrew Tobias for Cleveland Plain Dealer

Elections

National: “Kobach and Clay Go Down: Takeaways from a big primary night” by Steven Shepard for Politico

National: “Republicans Consider South Lawn of the White House for Donald Trump’s Convention Speech” by Michael Scherer and Josh Dawsey for Washington Post

Nevada: “Trump Campaign Sues Nevada Over Mail-In Election Bill” by Rory Appelton for Las Vegas Review-Journal

Ethics

National: “Facebook’s Fact Checkers Have Ruled Claims in Trump Ads Are False – But No One Is Telling Facebook’s Users” by Craig Timberg and Andrew Ba Tran for Washington Post

National: “Demeaned, Overlooked, Fighting Back: What it’s like to be a woman in Congress” by Kathryn Lyons for Roll Call

Illinois: “ComEd Pleads Not Guilty in Federal Bribery Case; Prosecution to Be Deferred for Three Years” by Megan Crispeau and Jason Meisner for Chicago Tribune

Lobbying

Oregon: “How a Public Institute in Oregon Became a De Facto Lobbying Arm of the Timber Industry” by Rob Davis (Portland Oregonian) and Tony Schick (OPB) for ProPublica

Gov. Brad Little stated Wednesday he will call the part-time Legislature back into a special session during the week of August 24 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The special session could include how to conduct the November general election amid the pandemic.

Also a topic of discussion is legislation creating a liability shield for protection against lawsuits during declared emergencies such as the pandemic.

How a special session would work during the pandemic and how much it would cost is unclear.

Lawmakers would have to be in the Statehouse in Boise for their votes to count.

Campaign Finance

Michigan: “Michigan Senator Sponsors Bills to Help Pawn Shops, Which Support His Campaigns” by Paul Egan for Detroit Free Press

Minnesota: “New Appointments Relieve Minnesota Campaign Finance Board Hamstrung by Vacancies” by Torey Van Oot for Minneapolis Star Tribune

Missouri: “Parson PAC Fined for Reporting Lapses Connected to Super Bowl, D.C. Trips” by Jack Suntrup for St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Ohio: “Coal Giant Murray Energy Is $100K Dark Money Donor ‘Company B’ in Federal Probe” by Jackie Borchardt (Cincinnati Enquirer) and Randy Ludlow (Columbus Dispatch) for MSN

Elections

National: “‘If Not Now, When?’: Black women seize political spotlight” by Claire Galofaro and Kat Stafford for Associated Press News

National: “As Trump Leans into Attacks on Mail Voting, GOP Officials Confront Signs of Republican Turnout Crisis” by Amy Gardner and Josh Dawsey for Washington Post

Ethics

National: “How the Trump Campaign Came to Court QAnon, the Online Conspiracy Movement Identified by the FBI as a Violent Threat” by Isaac Stanley-Becker (Washington Post) for Philadelphia Inquirer

National: “House Committee Subpoenas 4 Top Pompeo Aides” by Kyle Cheney for Politico

New York: “N.Y. Prosecutor: Trump financial probe not limited to ‘hush money’” by Josh Gerstein for Politico

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has called for the General Assembly to return on August 10 for a special session.

The special session will address COVID-related liability protection for persons and entities, electronic delivery of health services, and peaceful demonstration legislation aimed at protecting individuals and public and private property.

Per legislative rules, the special session will last at least 3 days, but could last longer.

Campaign Finance

Ohio: “Meet ‘Representative 3,’ Who Benefited from Larry Householder’s Cover Campaign” by Randy Ludlow (Columbus Dispatch) for MSN

Elections

National: “Trump’s Campaign in Crisis as Aides Attempt August Reset Before Time Runs Out” by Toluse Olorunnipa, Josh Dawsey, and Annie Linskey (Washington Post) for MSN

Louisiana: “Louisiana Board of Ethics Objects to Brian Pope Candidacy, Claims He Owes $5K in Fees” by Ashley White (Lafayette Daily Advertiser) for MSN

Ethics

National: “Rep. Sanford Bishop Allegedly Misused More Than $90,000 in Campaign and Official Funds” by John Bresnahan for Politico

National: “Vaccine Project Contract Raises Transparency Questions” by Dan Diamond for Politico

Alabama: “Alabama Politician Resigns as a Southern Baptist Pastor After KKK Leader’s Birthday Celebration” by Sarah Pulliam Bailey for Washington Post

Rhode Island: “Ethics Commission Unlikely to Appeal Overturned $200 Violation Against Supreme Court Justice” by Eli Sherman for WPRI

Tennessee: “Tennessee State Senator Charged with Stealing Federal Funds” by Adrian Sainz for Associated Press News

Lobbying

National: “Biden Faces Pressure from Left Over Influence Industry Ties” by Kenneth Vogel and Glenn Thrush (New York Times) for MSN

State legislators passed a bill Sunday adding Nevada to a growing list of states mailing all active voters ballots ahead of the November election amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The bill now heads to Gov. Steve Sisolak.

If he signs it as expected, Nevada will join seven states planning to automatically send voters mail ballots.

These states include California and Vermont, which moved earlier this summer to adopt automatic mail ballot policies.

Gov. Kate Brown announced she will convene a second special session of the Oregon Legislature starting Monday, August 10.

The main objective of the session will be to address the state’s devastating budget shortfall arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The governor’s decision to call lawmakers into session could be a concession the state is unlikely to receive any budget assistance from Congress, a possibility Brown and public employee union leaders cited earlier in the summer as a reason to delay the second special session.

In her proclamation calling the special session, the governor also noted her support for urgent legislation building on matters considered in the first special session, including additional police accountability reforms.

The Massachusetts General Court passed Senate Bill 2873 declaring a state of emergency within the Legislature and extending the legislative session past the traditional last day of July 31.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the General Court extended the session to respond to and mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, to protect the health, security, safety, and economic well-being and convenience of the people of the Commonwealth.

The bill suspends Joint Rule 12A and allows the second annual session of the 191st General Court to continue until the end of the calendar year.

Campaign Finance

Hawaii: “Alleged Oahu Crime Boss’ Nightclub Was a Popular Place for Political Fundraisers” by Nick Grube for Honolulu Star Advertiser

Elections

Idaho: “Supreme Court Halts Idaho Online Signatures for Initiative” by Keith Ridler (Associated Press) for Jacksonville Journal Courier

Ethics

National: “DHS Compiled ‘Intelligence Reports’ on Journalists Who Published Leaked Documents” by Shane Harris (Washington Post) for MSN

National: “Full Appeals Court Agrees to Wade into Michael Flynn Case” by Eric Tucker for Associated Press News

National: “Misuse of Taxpayer Funds Leads Ethics Committee to Reprimand and Fine Rep. Schweikert” by Chris Marquette for Roll Call

Canada: “Trudeau Defends Work on Contract Now Engulfing His Government” by Andy Blatchford for Politico

California: “Charges Added to LA City Councilman in Corruption Probe” by Nathan Solis for Courthouse News Service

Maryland: “Judge Sentences Former Baltimore Del. Cheryl Glenn to 2 Years, Says She ‘Sold Her Office to Pay the Bills’” by Jessica Anderson for Baltimore Sun

Lobbying

Florida: “Florida Commission on Ethics Lifts NRA Lobbyist Marion Hammer Off the Hook” by Dan Christensen for Florida Bulldog

House Speaker Larry Householder was arrested in connection with a $60 million federal racketeering case related to House Bill 6, Ohio’s new nuclear bailout law.

FBI Agents assisted by the Perry County Sheriff’s Department made the arrest Tuesday morning at Householder’s farm in Glenford.

FBI Special Agent in Charge Chris Hoffman and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio David DeVillers are expected to hold a press conference on the federal racketeering case Tuesday at 2:30 pm.

Householder, a farmer and businessman, has led the GOP-controlled Ohio House since January 2019.

He was previously House Speaker from 2001 to 2004.

However, he left due to term limits and returned to the House in 2017.

Campaign Finance

National: “Lobbyists Bundle Donations to Senate Democrats, Trump Victory” by Kate Ackley for Roll Call

National: “Ethics Committee Clears Rep. Trahan in Campaign Finance Case” by Steve LeBlanc for AP News

North Dakota: “ND GOP Fined $8,000 for Campaign Finance Violation” by Barry Amundson for Grand Forks Herald

Texas: “Oil-and-Gas Money Flows to Railroad Commission Nominee Who Pledged to Recuse Himself” by Asher Price for Austin American Statesman

Ethics

National: “Dan Sullivan, Marco Rubio Pay Tribute to John Lewis Using the Photo of a Different Black Congressman” by Colby Itkowitz (Washington Post) for Anchorage Daily News

Legislative Issues

National: “House Lawmakers Agree That Secure Remote Voting Is Possible, but Implementation Still Divides” by Katherine Tully-McManus for Roll Call

Lobbying

Canada: “WE Organization Under Scrutiny for Not Registering as Lobbyist Before Pitching Proposals to Trudeau Liberals” by Christopher Nardi for National Post

Maryland: “Political Operative Used Maryland’s DC Lobbyist in Seeking $12.5M Coronavirus Supplies Contract That Went Sour” by Pamela Wood for Baltimore Sun

Rhode Island: “Political Scene: State House lobbyists’ game has changed, but it’s still lucrative” by Patrick Anderson for Providence Journal

Lawmakers reconvened at the Capitol July 20 to complete the second session of the 106th Nebraska Legislature.

Speaker Jim Scheer of Norfolk suspended the session in March due to public health concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

Senators returned to a changed physical environment. Changes included limitations on staff access to the legislative chamber and plexiglass barriers between members. Additionally, there was no public access to the balconies.

Among the major proposals remaining on the agenda are a property tax measure, a new business tax incentive program and passage of the state budget.

The 2020 session is scheduled to adjourn on August 13.

The revised session dates affect lobbyist reporting. Special monthly reports must be filed by lobbyists and principals if they receive or spend more than $5,000 for lobbying during any calendar month in which the Legislature is in session.

Special monthly reports are due within 15 days after the end of such calendar month.

Additionally, the lobbyist statement of activity report will be due 45 days after adjournment sine die of the session on September 27.