In a few days, we are leaving for Chicago to attend our 13th National Conference of State Legislatures. This is no small feat for State and Federal Communications anymore—we are taking seven (7) staff people and our exhibit booth, which I refer to as my “retirement condo.”

Our schedule for the week is color coded for exhibit times, NCSL meetings we attend, State Government Affairs Council (SGAC) events, Washington Area State Relations Group (WASRG) events, Women’s Legislative network events, and other social events held throughout the week.

In addition, State and Federal Communications is a sponsor to both Ohio Night and Virginia Night—but we are definitely more involved with Ohio Night. Our friends from Whirlpool are providing the Penthouse level from the World of Whirlpool for our function. We are definitely excited that so many folks from the state legislature are attending this year’s NCSL Legislative Summit.

The best thing about NCSL is you will find us if you have any questions or concerns about taking legislators out to dinner or a baseball game (Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday – White Sox vs. the Royals Thursday through Sunday – Cubs vs. the Reds ). You can find us in Booth 923 in the Exhibit Hall on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Stop on by to say hello.

The sad part of this year’s program is Bill Pound’s wife, Margie, passed away on July 25th after a long illness. Our hearts and prayers are with Bill and his children at this time. May Margie’s Memory Be Eternal.

Thank you.

President Barack Obama is coming to speak on August 1, 2012 at the John S. Knight Center in downtown Akron. Here is a picture of our excited interns, who were waiting in line to get tickets at the center.

2012 is an exciting year for national politics. State and Federal Communications, Inc. is your trusted resource for comprehensive lobbying and campaign finance guidelines to assist your organization with navigating the national party conventions. Here is our User’s Guide to National Party Conventions.

The Republican National Convention is being held in Tampa, Florida at the Tampa Bay Times Forum from August 27th to August 30th. The Democratic National Convention opens at the Time Warner Cable Arena on September 3rd and closes on September 6th with President Obama accepting the nomination of his party at the Bank of America Stadium.

These conventions will be a gathering place for delegates and other party members from across the country and thus will represent an excellent opportunity for your organization to interface with a wide range of public officials.

Knowledge of the applicable federal, state, and local rules governing your interactions with both convention delegates and other public officials in attendance will ensure your organization has the tools available to say, “I Comply.”

What is important as you read the document is knowing the official names of the convention and host committees:

1. Republican Convention Committee —

Committee on Arrangements for the 2012 Republican National Convention;

2. Democratic Convention Committee —

The 2012 Democratic National Convention Committee, Inc.;

3. Republican Host Committee —

2012 Tampa Host Committee; and

4. Democratic Host Committee —

Charlotte in 2012 Host Committee.

In closing, we hope this resource serves you well during the upcoming convention season. The Research Department of State and Federal Communications, under Manager John Cozine, made sure we looked at all avenues of giving.

We wish you all the best this summer before the conventions.

Thank you.

Elizabeth Bartz

President and CEO of State and Federal Communications

Between NCSL, CSG, NGA, and ALEC there is little time between July 11^th and August 8^th to jump in a pool. And, let me add the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese is holding its Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress July 1^st through July 5^th. Yes, only the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese would think it is okay to have a conference during American Independence Day in Phoenix, Arizona. But, that is where yours truly will be for the holiday.

This year I have written a lot about how professional development and networking are really connected. Attending these conferences is a phenomenal way to run into people you might not see regularly and the associations have events incorporating networking opportunities.

My favorite conference this year will be CSG MLC in Cleveland, Ohio! This conference is including events at Blossom Music Center (the VA Wolf Trap of Ohio), at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and even the Pro-Football Hall of Fame in Canton. You will see the best of the best Ohio has to offer and we are only a few blocks away from Dan Gilbert’s Horseshoe Casino.

If CSG MLC isn’t in your plans, check out O H I O Night at NCSL in Chicago. Thanks to our friends at Whirlpool, this event will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Wednesday August 8^th, at the Reid Murdoch Building on 325 North LaSalle—Penthouse Level. We will be happy to send you sponsor information to join us.

Until next month, remember you bring value to your organization because of the people you know in the government affairs community. See you on the circuit!

Planning on attending NCSL in Chicago and want to be involved with Ohio Night? Be sure to save the date!

For more information, contact Elizabeth Bartz of State and Federal Communications, Inc. at
330-761-9960.

We are the leading authority and exclusive information source on legislation and regulations surrounding campaign finance and political contributions; state, federal, and municipal lobbying; and procurement lobbying.

Contact us to learn how conveniently our services will allow you to say “I Comply” for your compliance activities.

Be sure to visit stateandfed.com and if you have any questions, you can contact us at 330-761-9960, or info@stateandfed.com.

There still might be a few of you out there who remember before BCRA and HLOGA, when we only needed to submit a quarter of a page card as our federal lobbying report. Those were the days, my friend!

These days you need to clear your schedule so you can:

1. Compile and track activity in accordance with your organization’s needs;
2. Conduct extensive outreach and follow up to capture applicable expenses/costs;
3. Obtain salaries of all employees engaged in lobbying activities—whether registered or not;
4. Respond to questions about reporting requirements;
5. Provide definitions for determining applicability;
6. Institute tracking mechanisms for Issues and Agency contacts;
7. Coordinate with outside consultants to ensure accurate reporting;
8. Coordinate LD-203 filing process;
9. Prepare documentation in case of an audit; and
10. File the report.

What??? You are not doing this? You are guesstimating! Tell me that is not the case.

If you are in DC you have probably seen me with Rebecca South, Federal Compliance Associate. She has created an amazing program to help the top Fortune 500 companies insure timely and accurate compliance for the LD-2 and LD-203 reports. If we can help alleviate your quarterly headaches, please feel free to contact her at rsouth@stateandfed.com.

Until next month, remember the LD-2 isn’t the only report due in April. According to our Key Dates chart, there are 112 lobbying/employer reports due in this country’s states, counties, and cities.

As I am sitting here in my office, movers are taking computers, desks, phones, credenzas, and printers upstairs at 80 South Summit. It’s an expansion and not a move for State and Federal Communications.

A year ago I thought this would be moving week out of the building, but we were able to take over available space after a Cleveland law firm downsized its Akron office.  That’s good for a lot of reasons including letterhead and business cards stay the same.

State and Federal Communications will soon celebrate its 19^th anniversary in Akron, Ohio. We started on Akron-Peninsula Road in a 900 square foot office. In 1996, we moved to Merriman Road where I thought the 3,500 square foot office would be home for a long, long time. We grew out of it and in 2002 we moved to Downtown Akron in the Courtyard Square building and now have 15,000 square feet of space. According to building developers, that amount of space can hold 50 staff people. We are almost there with 30 people on staff.

This expansion is allowing State and Federal Communications to increase our staff to help all of our clients. The changes in lobbying, political contributions, ethics, and procurement lobbying are changing all of the time in the states, cities, counties, and federal governments. Keeping up with it requires people devoted to research and understanding how they affect you—our clients.

You might not see changes, but I want you to know we are always making sure we are providing you with the resources you need for your government affairs work.

Until next month, stay off the eBay Political Collectibles site…I have wall space to cover!

Appearing one time only at the Public Affair Council National PAC Conference is the Compliance Dream Team! I am extremely excited and honored to pair up with The Extra Honorable Ken Gross, The Mighty Honorable Michael Toner, and New Kid on The Block Amol Naik from Google to hear your confessions and questions.

This session will present a series of complicated and pertinent compliance questions to the panel for our expert response. There will also be an opportunity to submit anonymous compliance missteps for us to hear and provide corrective action.

This is bigger than Broadway…Larger than Hollywood. And, it will only happen on Tuesday, February 28^th at Portofino Bay, Orlando, Florida. Join us at the Public Affairs Council National PAC Conference.

Looking forward to seeing you out and about!

Elizabeth Bartz

President and CEO, State and Federal Communications, Inc.

This quick desk reference combines information from our online resources and lists the information by state:

– The Executive Source Guide on Lobbying Laws™;
– The Executive Source Guide on Political Contributions™; and
– The Executive Source Guide on Procurement Lobbying™.

This guidebook is filled with valuable information. However, we also caution it has two limitations:

The online resources, which you receive either through your subscription or as part of your lobbying compliance service, are comprehensive. This guidebook summarizes information in the online resources, and is meant only as a quick-reference guide.

While this guidebook is accurate and timely when we print it, please understand our online resources are updated continually. We provide this guidebook to you as a convenience, but your ultimate source of information should always be the online resource(s) to which you subscribe.

We consider this guidebook another value-added benefit of your partnership with State and Federal Communications. You also receive, via e-mail, monthly updates of important compliance legislation on the federal and state levels; News You Can Use™, our weekly summary of current news and events regarding compliance; and the Compliance Now newsletter with even more information.

Please call us at (330)761-9960 or email marketing@stateandfed.com if you would like to learn more about State and Federal Communications’ compliance services. Be sure to contact us if you are already a client and need to have your subscription username or password forwarded.

We are privileged to have you as clients, and are pleased to be your trusted adviser for government affairs compliance.

We are ready with the State and Federal Communications, Inc. Resolutions for 2012 and I think you are going to like them…Think 30, 50, 100. Sort of like Herman Cain’s 9 9 9, but not really.

Resolution #1 is to include 30% additional information onto our website. I am challenging the research department to make sure we are including all of the necessary information you need for your 2012 government affairs work.

Resolution #2 is to make it 50% easier for client use. That means we need to make sure we have additional subcategories so you can easily find the information you need.

Resolution #3 is to make it 100% accurate.  We know we are your #1 resource for lobbying, political contributions, procurement lobbying, and Canadian compliance and we have to be accurate so the information you forward to your colleagues and supervisors is absolutely correct.

For these resolutions…you can count on us to keep them!

Happy New Year.

Elizabeth Z. Bartz
President and CEO

As everyone prepares to celebrate the New Year, I would like to take this opportunity to offer a note of thanks. State and Federal Communications has had an exciting year and we look forward to a bright 2012.

We wish you a beautiful New Year.

Elizabeth Bartz
President and CEO of State and Federal Communications, Inc.

First, get past the fact both conferences are in Florida. The Council keeps us busy enough that we rarely get more than a few hours to mill around.

Second, what you need to know is the Council makes sure it has the top-of-the-line speakers for the programs and the sessions are mixed in with people in the field who are doing great things in both grassroots advocacy and PAC recruitment.

Finally, and most important, you will find State and Federal Communications involved with the conferences. We have been involved with the advisory board for each conference, sending a number of staff, and we are included in the Market Resource Program.

You can obtain more information about these conferences at www.pac.org.

Until next month, continue to plan for your professional development. There is nothing like developing the important skills for your organization.