On November 15, the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) will consider proposed regulations to make biennial cost of living adjustments to campaign contribution and gift limits that will apply from January 1, 2019, through December 31, 2020.

The proposed regulations would change the gift limit from $470 to $500 and make increases to campaign contribution limits for candidates. Adjusted contribution limits for gubernatorial candidates would increase from $29,200 to $31,000 per person.

The FPPC is accepting written comments on the proposals until November 13, 2018.

Campaign Finance

National: “Dems Offer Resolution to Force Vote to Overturn IRS Guidance Limiting Donor Disclosure” by Naomi Jagoda for The Hill

Canada: “Vancouver Shows B.C. Is Still the Wild West of Election Advertising” by Frances Bula for The Globe and Mail

Montana: “State Auditor Rosendale Dropped Fines Against Top Campaign Donor” by John Adams (Montana Free Press) for Missoula Current

Ethics

National: “Justice Department Issues Indictment for 2013 Congressional Trip to Azerbaijan” by Katharine Tully-McManus for Roll Call

Missouri: “Clean Missouri Will Be on November Ballot After High Court Refuses to Hear Challenge” by Alison Kite for Kansas City Star

North Carolina: “NC House Speaker Tim Moore’s Legal Contract with Start-Up Raises Questions” by Dan Kane for Raleigh News and Observer

Oklahoma: “Oklahoma Supreme Court Rejects Ethics Commission Request for More Money” by Nolan Clay for The Oklahoman

Legislative Issues

Missouri: “Term Limits Have Been ‘a Disaster’ for Missouri, Say Many State Leaders” by Jason Hancock for Kansas City Star

The Maine Legislature adjourned without day on September 13, 2018.

The special session, called to finish business from the regular session regarding Medicaid expansion and minimum wage increases, began on June 19.

During the final day, Gov. Paul LePage threatened to call the Legislature into another special session if they did not pass a bill aimed at protecting elderly Mainers from foreclosure.

In turn, legislators passed a version of the bill on Thursday evening.

Campaign Finance

National: “Twitter Will Begin Labeling Political Ads About Issues Such as Immigration” by Tony Romm (Washington Post) for Chicago Tribune

Elections

National: “Ex-CIA Officer’s Full Personnel File Released in ‘Human Error,’ Postal Service Admits” by Laura Vozzella (Washington Post) for Chicago Tribune

Texas: “Beto O’Rourke Dreams of One Texas. Ted Cruz Sees Another Clearly.” by Matt Flegenheimer (New York Times) for WRAL

Ethics

Georgia: “Auditor: Ex-Atlanta mayor wasn’t authorized to give bonuses” by Associated Press for WSB

Pennsylvania: “Ex-Reading Mayor Vaughn Spencer Guilty on All Counts” by Peter Hall for Allentown Morning Call

Lobbying

National: “Washington Consultant for Ukraine Party Pleads Guilty to Violating Lobbyist Disclosure Law” by Spencer Hsu and Rosalind Helderman (Washington Post) for The News Times

California: “AT&T’s Top California Lobbyist Dodges Gift Ban and Ethics Requirements” by Donald Shaw for Sludge

Texas: “Amid Manafort Scandal, Texas Lawmakers Seek to Require Foreign Lobbying Disclosure” by Edgar Walters for Texas Tribune

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has stated he will call a special election to fill U.S. Rep. Louise Slaughter’s term.

Slaughter served as a U.S. Rep. for New York’s 25^th District for over three decades and passed away on March 16, 2018.

The special election will coincide with the general election on November 6, 2018.

Campaign Finance

National: “I.R.S. Will No Longer Force Kochs and Other Groups to Disclose Donors” by Jim Tankersley and Patricia Cohen (New York Times) for WRAL

Connecticut: “Connecticut Democrats Lose Their Gubernatorial Rainmaker” by Mark Pazniokas for Connecticut Mirror

Iowa: “Iowa Ethics Board Says Candidates Can’t Use Campaign Funds for Child Care” by Katarina Sostaric for Iowa Public Radio

North Carolina: “Top State Leaders Fined for Illegal Campaign Contributions from Drug Company” by Colin Campbell for Raleigh News and Observer

Wisconsin: “Questions Raised About Payment Made by Lawyer to Randy Bryce’s Ex-Girlfriend” by Mary Spicuzza for Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Ethics

New York: “Ex-New York Senator and Son Convicted of Extortion, Bribery” by Tom Hayes for Associated Press

West Virginia: “Employee Lists Concerns About Justices” by Lacie Pierson for Huntington Herald-Dispatch

Lobbying

Canada: “Lobbying Commissioner Rejects Complaints Against Firearms Panel Member” by Jim Bronskill (Canadian Press) for Times Colonist

Virginia: “Watchdog Group Says McGuireWoods Utilized Weak Va. Law by Hiring Former Speaker” by Patrick Wilson for Richmond Times-Dispatch

Campaign Finance

National: “Oaktree Fined $100,000 by SEC Over Conflicted Political Giving” by Jesse Westbrook for Bloomberg.com

California: “More Campaign Money Could Flow to California Legislative Leaders Under New Bill” by Taryn Luna for Sacramento Bee

Maryland: “Baltimore City Council Passes Public Financing Charter Amendment” by Talia Richman for Baltimore Sun

Missouri: “VP Pence’s Top Aide, Tied to Greitens, Targeted in New Missouri Ethics Complaint” by Jack Suntrup and Kurt Erickson for St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Rhode Island: “R.I. Gubernatorial Hopeful Trillo ‘Confused’ by Election Board’s Guidance on Ads” by Katherine Gregg for Providence Journal

Ethics

National: “Why Was a Citizenship Question Put on the Census? ‘Bad Faith,’ a Judge Suggests” by Michael Wines (New York Times) for MSN

Alabama: “Two Years After Sentencing, Hubbard Appeal Still Pending in State Court” by Brian Lyman for Montgomery Advertiser

Kentucky: “Bevin Administration Relents. Kentucky Capitol Opened to Poor People’s Campaign.” by Jack Brammer for Lexington Herald-Leader

Oklahoma: “Rule Change Conceals Statewide Candidates’ Personal Finances” by Trevor Brown for Oklahoma Watch

Lobbying

National: “Ex-Lawmakers See Tough Job Market with Trade Groups” by Megan Wilson for The Hill

Virginia: “Dominion Claims Lobbying Costs Soared to Fight ‘Fake News’” by Alan Sunderman (Associated Press) for The News-Leader

Campaign Finance

National: “Libertarians Can Continue Contribution Limits Challenge” by Kayla Goggin for Courthouse News Service

National: “Russia Investigators Likely Got Access to NRA’s Tax Filings, Secret Donors” by Greg Gordon and Peter Stone for McClatchy DC

National: “Federal Officials Struggle to Drag Political Ad Rules into the Internet Age” by Ashley Balcerzak for Center for Public Integrity

Kansas: “Kansas Candidate’s Father Spends $100,000 in Effort to Get Son Elected to Congress” by Bryan Lowry for Kansas City Star

Elections

National: “Is This the Year Women Break the Rules and Win?” by Kate Zernike for New York Times

Florida: “Where Does She Live? A Miami Lawmaker’s Bizarre Attempt to Reside in Her District” by Sarah Blaskey and David Smiley for Miami Herald

Illinois: “‘I Snookered Them’: Illinois Nazi candidate creates GOP dumpster fire” by Natasha Korecki for Politico

Ethics

New York: “Upcoming SCOTUS Case Could Complicate NY Effort to Close Double Jeopardy ‘Loophole’” by Colby Hamilton and Dan Clark for New York Law Journal

The North Carolina Legislature adjourned on June 29, 2018.

The Republican-controlled General Assembly spent most of the session passing budget adjustments and overrode eight of Gov. Roy Cooper’s 10 vetoes.

Senate Bill 655 was passed and signed by Gov. Cooper last week. The bill changes the date primary elections are held from May to March and is effective January 1, 2019.

The Legislature is sending a voter photo identification mandate to be decided by voters in November.

Lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene on November 27, 2018.

Campaign Finance

National: Supreme Court Defeat for Unions Upends a Liberal Money Base  by Noam Scheiber (New York Times) for Seattle Times

Arizona: Clean Elections Commission to Sue, Says Arizona Lawmakers Are Misleading Voters by Howard Fischer (Capitol Media Services) for Arizona Daily Star

Indiana: New Pay-to-Play Ban Approved by Rosa Salter Rodriguez for Fort Wayne Journal Gazette

Ethics

National: Emails Reveal Close Rapport Between Top EPA Officials, Those They Regulate by Juliet Eilperin (Washington Post) for Chicago Tribune

Arkansas: Arkansas Senators in New Panel on Ethics Get to Work by Michael Wickline for Arkansas Online

Missouri: Engineer Profits from City Projects and Sits on Panel to Vet Them. Is That a Problem? by Bill Turque for Kansas City Star

Ohio: Firm Hired to Investigate Lawmaker Also Donated to Him by Julie Carr Smyth (Associated Press) for Seattle Times

Lobbying

Virginia: Lobbying Firm to Va. Lawmakers: If you refuse Apco money, you won’t get any from us by Patrick Wilson for Richmond Times Dispatch

Campaign Finance

Maryland: “Candidate’s Relationship with Talk Radio Station Raises Questions About Campaign Finance” by Libby Solomon for Baltimore Sun

Elections

Kansas: “Judge Slams Kobach for Flouting Court Rules” by Josh Gerstein for Politico

Ethics

National: “Financial Reporting, Conflict of Interest Rules for Federal Employees Apply to Virtual Money, Ethics Office Says” by Eric Yoder (Washington Post) for San Francisco Chronicle

Canada: “Morneau Cleared by Ethics Commissioner” by Rachel Aiello for CTV News

Arkansas: “Former Arkansas Sen. Jake Files Sentenced to 18 Months in Jail” by Staff for Arkansas Business

Kentucky: “Lobbyist Convicted of Kentucky Deputy Attorney General Bribe” by Adam Beam (Associated Press) for Sacramento Bee

North Dakota: “ND Anti-Corruption Petition Gathers Enough Signatures” by Barry Amundson for Grand Forks Herald

Lobbying

National: “Women Speak of Pervasive Harassment in DC Lobbying Culture” by Megan Wilson for The Hill

Massachusetts: “Boston City Council to Take Up Lobbying Rules – Two Years After Walsh Made His Proposal” by Milton Valencia for Boston Globe

The Minnesota Legislature adjourned sine die on May 20, 2018.

The Legislature passed bills relating to misrepresenting service animals, prohibiting local governments from disarming police officers, and funding for the state’s vehicle license and registration system.

Tensions between the Republican-controlled House and Democrat Gov. Mark Dayton were apparent during the final day of the session as Republicans sent a series of bills to Dayton similar to previously vetoed bills.

Dayton has reiterated he will not call a special session for any unfinished business.

Campaign Finance

National: “‘Scam PACs’ Rake in Millions Under Guise of Charity” by Maggie Severns and Scott Bland for Politico

Elections

California: “An Urgent Debate for California Republicans: How to get back in the game” by Adam Nagourney for New York Times

Ethics

National: “Trump Is Said to Have Known of Payment to Stormy Daniels Months Before He Denied It” by Michael Shear, Maggie Haberman, Jim Rutenberg, and Matt Apuzzo (New York Times) for MSN

National: “Influential GOP Donors and Lobbyists Played Key Roles in Scott Pruitt’s Foreign Travel” by Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis (Washington Post) for Chicago Tribune

Delaware: “Wilmington Ethics Commission Keeps Opinions Confidential” by Christina Jedra for Wilmington News Journal

Missouri: “Missouri Lawmakers Agree to Call Special Session to Consider Greitens’ Impeachment” by Allison Kirte, Jason Hancock, and Bryan Lowry for Kansas City Star

Washington D.C.: “Ethics Officials Examine D.C. Lawmaker’s Business Ties to Digital Sign Company” by Peter Jamison and Fenit Nirappil for Washington Post

Lobbying

Oklahoma: “Oklahoma Legislators Reject Ethical Rules Restricting When They Can Become Lobbyists” by Nolan Clay for The Oklahoman

The Maine Legislature adjourned sine die on May 2, 2018. The session adjourned 14 days after statutory adjournment, or April 18, leaving key bills on the floor.

House Speaker Sara Gideon attempted to extend the session by four days, but House Republicans voted against the Joint Order.

The Legislature failed to pass bills involving public school funding, wage hikes for direct-care workers, and a bill aligning Maine’s tax code to new federal law.

Some lawmakers are hoping for a special session to address these issues.