November 6, 2013 •
Wednesday Government Relations News
Lobbying “Lobbing World” in The Hill. “Bottom Line” in The Hill. “TechAmerica Lobbyists Jump Ship for Rival Outfit” by Brian Heaton in Government Technology. Campaign Finance “Secret Persuasion: How Big Campaign Donors Stay Anonymous” by Peter Overby, Viveca Novak, and […]
Lobbying
“Lobbing World” in The Hill.
“Bottom Line” in The Hill.
“TechAmerica Lobbyists Jump Ship for Rival Outfit” by Brian Heaton in Government Technology.
Campaign Finance
“Secret Persuasion: How Big Campaign Donors Stay Anonymous” by Peter Overby, Viveca Novak, and Robert Maguire on NPR.
“From Social Welfare Groups, A River Of Political Influence” by Peter Overby, Viveca Novak, and Robert Maguire on NPR.
“‘Unobtainium’ and the blurry lines of campaign finance law” by Matea Gold in The Washington Post.
“The Dirty Business Of Tax-Exempt Campaign Money Laundries” by Howard Gleckman in Forbes.
Arizona: “State Supreme Court asked to restore increased campaign contributions” by Howard Fischer in the Arizona Daily Star.
Louisiana: “Database: Search Louisiana campaign finance contributions” by Dmitriy Pritykin, in The Times-Picayune.
Louisiana: “Louisiana’s top 400 campaign donors get around legal limits to magnify political influence” by Manuel Torres in The Times-Picayune.
Massachusetts: “Attorney General Martha Coakley’s campaign funds in disarray” by Frank Phillips in The Telegraph.
Minnesota: “Campaign Finance Questions Still Unanswered” by The Associated Press in KAAL TV News.
Ethics
“Twitter IPO Makes House Ethics Nervous” by Matt Fuller in Roll Call.
Tech and Social Media
“What NASA Can Teach the Rest of Government About Using Social Media” by Mark Micheli in Government Executive.
November 5, 2013 •
See Us in Person!
Here is our November – December calendar. State and Federal Communications will be attending these coming events. If you plan to attend as well, be sure to say hello! November 12-13, 2013 D.C. Lift-off Forum, Washington, D.C. November 21, 2013 […]
Here is our November – December calendar. State and Federal Communications will be attending these coming events. If you plan to attend as well, be sure to say hello!
November 12-13, 2013 D.C. Lift-off Forum, Washington, D.C.
November 21, 2013 American League of Lobbyists Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C.
November 23 – November 26, 2013 SGAC Leaders Policy Conference, Turnberry, Miami Beach, Florida
December 3, 2013 Weatherhead 100, Cleveland, Ohio
December 4, 2013 Ohio Holiday Party, Washington, D.C.
December 4, 2013 NCSL Foundation Dinner, Washington, D.C.
December 4-7, 2013 NCSL Fall Forum, Washington, D.C.
December 8-11, 2013 Council on Government Ethics Laws Annual Conference, Quebec City, Quebec
November 5, 2013 •
After Nine Months – It’s a New Website
On Friday, November 1st, State and Federal Communications’ newly developed website was launched. It is important to know all of the compliance information previously included is still there. What’s new are the following: Personalized homepage; New bookmarking capabilities; Easier access […]
On Friday, November 1st, State and Federal Communications’ newly developed website was launched. It is important to know all of the compliance information previously included is still there. What’s new are the following:
- Personalized homepage;
- New bookmarking capabilities;
- Easier access to News You Can Use and LobbyComply.com Blog;
- Daily updates; and
- Viewable from any mobile device.
That last bullet is very important to me and I am sure it is to you, too. I am a walking IT department with my laptop, iPad, iPhone, Microsoft phone, and even my iPod. Truly over connected at times, but I know I will always have access to www.stateandfed.com for important updates in the states, municipalities, federal, and Canadian governments.
State and Federal Communications is hosting a launch forum on November 12th and November 13th at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. If you are interested in learning more about our site from the folks who have put it all together, please give Elliott Postlewait a call at 330-761-9960 or e-mail him at epostlewait@stateandfed.com and set up a time for the program. We welcome you and your staff to our program.
State and Federal Communications, Inc. The same expertise, a new web experience!
Thank you,
Elizabeth Z. Bartz
President and CEO
@elizabethbartz
November 5, 2013 •
Tuesday Lobbying and Campaign Finance News Update
Lobbying “Lobby firm brings on Obama aide” by Kevin Bogardus in The Hill. California: “FPPC fines ex-lawmaker Mike Roos for improper contributions” by Laurel Rosenhall in The Sacramento Bee. Florida: “Tallahassee lobbyists won’t be audited until 2015” by Aaron Deslatte […]
Lobbying
“Lobby firm brings on Obama aide” by Kevin Bogardus in The Hill.
California: “FPPC fines ex-lawmaker Mike Roos for improper contributions” by Laurel Rosenhall in The Sacramento Bee.
Florida: “Tallahassee lobbyists won’t be audited until 2015” by Aaron Deslatte in the Orlando Sentinel.
Campaign Finance
California: “Assemblyman Alejo to return $21,092 in excess campaign contributions” by Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times.
Ethics
“Hacking Attempts on Federal Election Commisison Website” by Kent Cooper in Roll Call’s Political MoneyLine.
California: “Ex-Senate leader Dean Florez faces fines for misusing campaign funds” by Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times.
Florida: “Suspend ethics commission, state audit committee tells Palm Beach County” by Jennifer Sorentrue in the Palm Beach Post.
Massachusetts: “Massachusetts: State Ethics Commission conflict plan could have ‘huge effect on towns’” by Andy Metzger in The Republican.
Elections
“Roll Call’s 10 Most Vulnerable House Members Revealed” by Shira T. Center and Emily Cahn and Abby Livingston in Roll Call.
Alabama: “Alabama Special Election Is Proxy Battle for National GOP” by Emily Cahn in Roll Call.
Mississippi: “3 special elections for House seats Tuesday” by The Associated Press in the Sun Herald.
South Carolina: “Dozens of cities are holding elections in SC” by The Associated Press in GoUpstate.com.
Redistricting
Alaska: “Redistricting board withdraws request for delay” by The Associated Press in the Anchorage Daily News.
November 4, 2013 •
Monday News Roundup
Lobbying “Cooley-Dow Lohnes merger leaves lobbyists out” by Catherine Ho in The Washington Post. “Hotel trade group shakes up lobby team” by Kevin Bogardus in The Hill. Alabama: “Bill aims to discourage lawmakers from departing for lobbying positions” by Brian […]
Lobbying
“Cooley-Dow Lohnes merger leaves lobbyists out” by Catherine Ho in The Washington Post.
“Hotel trade group shakes up lobby team” by Kevin Bogardus in The Hill.
Alabama: “Bill aims to discourage lawmakers from departing for lobbying positions” by Brian Lyman in the Montgomery Advertiser.
Florida: “As lawmakers consider audits, documents show how lawmakers-turned-lobbyists help tip the scales for large lobbying firms” by Matt Dixon in The Florida Time-Union.
Texas: “Candidates to lead Texas accept meals, gifts, more from lobbyists” by Christy Hoppe in The Dallas Morning News.
Campaign Finance
California: “Disgorgement Fight Could Shape Dark Money’s Future in CA” by Ben Adler in Capital Public Radio.
California: “California probe of campaign donations sheds light on ‘dark money’” by Chris Megerian and Anthony York in the Los Angeles Times.
Washington: “Washington elections draw big out-of-state donations” by Brian M. Rosenthal in The Spokesman-Review.
Ethics
California: “Gifts and elected officials” by Bennett Kessler in Sierra Wave.
New York: “JCOPE leader ballot splits commission 9-5” by James M. Odato in the Times Union.
South Carolina: “State House for Sale: Big businesses pay off in jobs, political contributions” by Jeff Wilkinson in The State.
Elections
“Federal Election Commission Lists 2014 Election Dates” by Kent Cooper in Roll Call’s Political MoneyLine.
Iowa: “Koch Group Has Ambitions in Small Races” by John Eligon in The New York Times.
New York: “N.Y. to run voter hotline on Election Day” by The Associated Press in the Times Union.
November 1, 2013 •
Florida’s New Contribution Limits Take Effect Today
The new contribution limits passed earlier this year take effect today. The contribution limit for individuals, corporations, PACs, and other groups increased from $500 to $3,000 for statewide candidates, and from $500 to $1,000 for legislative candidates. The legislation also […]
The new contribution limits passed earlier this year take effect today. The contribution limit for individuals, corporations, PACs, and other groups increased from $500 to $3,000 for statewide candidates, and from $500 to $1,000 for legislative candidates.
The legislation also eliminated the contribution limits for contributions to political committees.
October 23, 2013 •
Ask the Experts – Lobbyists, Legislators, and Gift Laws
Here is your chance to “Ask the Experts” at State and Federal Communications, Inc.
Q. I am a registered lobbyist with a personal relationship with a state legislator. I would like to give her a gift for a special occasion. Is this permissible?
A. As a registered lobbyist, you should always be aware of the restrictions placed on you for providing things of value to a state official. A number of jurisdictions have strict “no gift” laws in place. Wisconsin prohibits a lobbyist from providing things of pecuniary value to a legislator with very limited exceptions.
A gift can be permissible based on the personal relationship between the lobbyist and the legislator. Texas and Florida allow gifts between a registered lobbyist and a legislator if they are related to a certain degree. Please note that jurisdictions can examine the circumstances of the gift such as the extent of the relationship between the lobbyist and the legislator. The lack of a history of gift giving between the parties or evidence of a personal relationship may render the gift impermissible. The federal “friendship” exception also does not apply to state and local jurisdictions.
A registered lobbyist may be allowed to give a gift based on the special occasion or reasoning behind it. In Massachusetts, a lobbyist may give a legislator gifts on certain occasions of religious or personal significance. Connecticut allows gifts for certain major life events. Be sure to confirm if any occasions are excluded. Massachusetts does not consider a birthday to be an occasion of personal significance!
A gift may not be prohibited even if you are a registered lobbyist. Confirm whether an intended gift is permissible with your state’s ethics office.
You can directly submit questions for this feature, and we will select those most appropriate and answer them here. Send your questions to: marketing@stateandfed.com.
(We are always available to answer questions from clients that are specific to your needs, and we encourage you to continue to call or e-mail us with questions about your particular company or organization. As always, we will confidentially and directly provide answers or information you need.) Our replies to your questions are not legal advice. Instead, these replies represent our analysis of laws, rules, and regulations.
October 9, 2013 •
Special Election Called for Iowa’s 13th Senatorial District
Election scheduled for Nov. 19
A special election has been called for Iowa’s 13th Senatorial District, formerly held by Senator Kent Sorenson.
The election will be held on November 19, 2013.
October 2, 2013 •
See Us in Person!
Take a look at our October and November calendar. Say hello at future events where State and Federal Communications will be attending and/or speaking regarding compliance issues.
October 16 WASRG Summit–Keynote Sponsor, Washington, DC
October 16-18 Public Affairs Council Fall Board Meeting, Paradise Valley, Arizona
November 4 American League of Lobbyists State Lobbying Session, Washington, D.C.
November 21 American League of Lobbyists Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C.
November 23-November 26 SGAC Leaders’ Policy Conference Turnberry, Miami Beach, Florida
Senate Bill 246
Effective today, Nevada Senate Bill 246 revises the definition of “committee for political action” to include new threshold levels.
Entities in Nevada whose primary purpose is to affect outcomes of elections are now defined as those with more than $1,500 in contributions or expenditures in a calendar year. Entities whose primary purpose is not to affect outcomes of elections have a $5,000 calendar year threshold. Committees must register with the Nevada secretary of state no later than seven days after qualifying under the revised definition.
The changes in the bill were modeled on similar statutes previously enacted by the state of Maine.
September 20, 2013 •
New Municipalities Update – September 20, 2013
In a continuing effort to better serve the needs of its clients, State and Federal Communications, Inc. is expanding coverage of laws and regulations in more municipalities.
State and Federal Communications, Inc. is pleased to announce the addition of two more municipalities to its website. Naperville, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago with a population of 143,684, has been added to the Lobbying Laws, Political Contributions, and Procurement Lobbying publications. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada’s capital, becomes the second municipality in the Canadian Compliance publication.
Our clients will find comprehensive, timely, and accurate information that includes: complete calendars of reporting deadlines; critical statutory citations; extensive directories of contact information; summaries of the law; detailed reference charts on goods and services contributions; highlights of every statute; copies of all required forms; and much more.
The number of municipalities and regional governments our research associates track continues to grow. We now cover more than 230 municipalities and local governments. This is part of a continuous effort to better serve the needs of our clients.
September 12, 2013 •
See Us in Person!
Take a look at our September calendar. Say hello at future events where State and Federal Communications will be attending and/or speaking regarding compliance issues.
September 17, 2013 National Press Club – Guest Speaker, Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin, Washington, D.C.
September 18, 2013 Ohio Birthday Party, Washington, D.C.
September 18, 2013 PAC Making a Name for Yourself: Branding Advocacy Campaigns, Washington, D.C.
September 19, 2013 Advanced Learning Institute Social Media for Government and NonProfit Communications, Washington, D.C.
September 19-22, 2013 CSG National Conference, Kansas City, Missouri
September 25-27, 2013 PAC State and Local Government Relations Seminar, Washington, D.C.
September 30 – October 1, 2013 PLI Corporate Political Activities Conference, Washington, D.C.
September 12, 2013 •
Ask the Experts – Lobbyist on the Move
Here is your chance to “Ask the Experts” at State and Federal Communications, Inc.
Q. I am a registered lobbyist in five jurisdictions and just moved into a new house. Is there anything I need to do to stay in compliance?
A. It is easy to be overwhelmed by all of the tasks associated with a move. However, it is important to notify the jurisdictions in which you are registered of your new address as soon as possible as this affects both your lobbyist registration and reports.
For example, in Florida, a lobbyist must amend his or her registration within 15 days of a change. Additionally, registration renewal must occur on forms distributed by the state directly to the address listed on the lobbyist registration on file. Without amending the registration to include a current address, the lobbyist will not receive the registration renewal materials.
In some states, a lobbyist can face penalties for failure to amend a registration upon a change of address. In Arizona, a registrant must notify the secretary of state within five business days after any change to the information in the registration statement. If the state determines a violation has occurred, and the lobbyist fails to comply with the request to amend the registration, a hearing will occur and the state may issue a fine of up to $1,000.
To avoid facing penalties, know the registrations provisions of your jurisdictions. In most cases, the jurisdiction will require you to provide an updated address. Whether this process requires a phone call or amendment to your existing registration will vary. When in doubt, contact the overseeing agency to clarify the requirements.
You can directly submit questions for this feature, and we will select those most appropriate and answer them here. Send your questions to: marketing@stateandfed.com.
(We are always available to answer questions from clients that are specific to your needs, and we encourage you to continue to call or e-mail us with questions about your particular company or organization. As always, we will confidentially and directly provide answers or information you need.) Our replies to your questions are not legal advice. Instead, these replies represent our analysis of laws, rules, and regulations.
September 11, 2013 •
New Municipalities Update – September 11, 2013
In a continuing effort to better serve the needs of its clients, State and Federal Communications, Inc. is expanding coverage of laws and regulations in more municipalities.
The number of municipalities and regional governments our research associates track continues to grow. We now cover more than 230 municipalities and local governments. This is part of a continuous effort to better serve the needs of our clients.
We recently added seven municipalities for which our clients will find comprehensive, timely, and accurate information that includes: complete calendars of reporting deadlines; critical statutory citations; extensive directories of contact information; summaries of each state law; detailed reference charts on goods and services contributions; highlights of every statute; copies of all required forms; and much more.
The new municipalities are:
Surrey, BC
Lancaster, CA
Miami-Dade County Public Schools, FL
Pinellas County, FL
DuPage County, IL
Hilliard, OH
York County, PA
Sioux Falls, SD
State and Federal Communications, Inc. provides research and consulting services for government relations professionals on lobbying laws, procurement lobbying laws, political contribution laws in the United States and Canada. Learn more by visiting stateandfed.com.
