A new law in Arizona raising the limits of political contributions to candidates took effect today. Individuals and noncertified political committees will now be able to give $2,000 to candidates running for legislative and statewide offices who do not participate in the state’s Citizens Clean Elections Act campaign financing system. Contributions made to candidates running for local office may be made in amounts up to $2,500. Contribution limits by committees certified by the secretary of state have also been increased.

Additionally, the new law removes aggregate contribution limitations for individuals and some political committees.

Meanwhile, a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the new law, which was brought by the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission and others from the state, is pending in Maricopa County Superior Court.

On September 9, 2013, the Oklahoma Legislature adjourned its special session sine die.

Gov. Mary Fallin had called the special session to address the issue of how lawsuits are filed, which became a problem after the Oklahoma Supreme Court invalidated a law on that topic. The special session, which began on September 3, produced 23 bills related to lawsuit reform.

In her press release, Fallin stated, “These measures will help to keep jobs in Oklahoma and further our reputation as a business friendly state.”

Yesterday, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie vetoed Assembly Bill 4237, which would have merged the dates of this year’s general and special elections.

Because New Jersey’s statewide elections in November are scheduled only 20 days after the October special election, critics have argued the expense of the two elections is too costly for the state and will diminish voter turnout for both elections. The vetoed bill changed the date of the 2013 general election from November 5 to October 16 and directed the secretary of state to provide appropriate notice to state, county, local officials, and the general public as to the change of date.

Another bill vetoed yesterday, Assembly Bill 4249, would have allowed early in-person voting at designated polling places during the special general election scheduled for October 16, 2013. Under the vetoed bill, votes would have been considered in-person early voting for both the vacant U.S. Senator seat and for all offices and public questions to be voted on at the general election on November 5, 2013.

On November 16, 2013, a special primary election will be held for the Louisiana state House District 87 seat. State Rep. Girod Jackson III resigned in August due to allegations of federal tax fraud.

If no candidate receives a majority of the votes in the special primary election, a special runoff election will be held on December 14, 2013.

Beginning in March of 2014, contractors with the federal government will have additional requirements of disclosure concerning the hiring and employment of veterans and people with disabilities.

One regulation change sets up a hiring goal of people with disabilities for federal contractors and subcontractors. The goal is that seven percent of each job group in their workforce be staffed with qualified individuals with disabilities, according to the U.S. Labor Department press release released August 27, 2013.

The Labor Department identifies the seven percent goal as an “aspirational utilization goal” and states “the goal is not a quota”. The rule also specifies actions vendors must take in the areas of recruitment, training, record keeping, and policy dissemination. The U.S. Labor Department identifies these rules as being similar to those currently required to promote workplace equality for women and minorities.

Additionally, regulations concerning the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act have been amended to include hiring benchmarks, data collection, and allowing access to a contractor’s documentation related to compliance by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs.

The rules become effective 180 days after their publication in the Federal Register.

A special election will be held November 5, 2013, for the Texas State House of Representatives District No. 50 seat.

State Rep. Mark Strama announced his resignation on June 26, 2013, in order to work for Google Fiber. The winner of the election will serve out the unexpired term of Strama, who was last elected to the seat on May 29, 2012.

On August 21, 2013, the British Columbia Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development announced the province will be making changes to the rules regarding local government elections starting in 2014. The rules apply to candidates, elector organizations, and third party advertisers in elections held for municipalities, regional districts, parks boards, the Islands Trust, and boards of education.

According to the press release, this new set of laws include requiring disclosure and registration by third-party advertisers, requiring sponsorship information be displayed on all election advertising, requiring all campaign finance disclosure statements to be filed 90 days after the election, and banning anonymous contributions. Additional changes will allow Elections BC to play a greater role in the enforcement of campaign finance rules in local elections.

The changes are based upon the recommendations of the joint Provincial and Union of BC Municipalities Local Government Elections Task Force.

In September a white paper outlining the government’s intention will be released. Public comment on the white paper will be open until October 23. Once consolidated, the rules for the November 2014 local elections will be introduced as a new campaign finance act in the spring of 2014.

Consultation with key stakeholders will begin in November to consider further legislative changes for the 2017 elections.

Coralee Oakes, Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development, states in the press release, “These changes are about enhancing transparency and accountability.”

On August 19, 2013, the U.S. Office of Government Ethics (OGE) issued a Legal Advisory to Designated Agency Ethics Officials stating it “now interprets the terms ‘marriage’ and ‘spouse’ to include a same-sex marriage and a same-sex spouse where those terms appear in federal ethics provisions, regardless of the employee’s state of residency.”

The OGE will also interpret the term “relative” to include same-sex spouses.

The directive was created as a result of United States v. Windsor, a U.S. Supreme Court decision made earlier this summer striking down section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act as unconstitutional. The OGE consulted with the U.S. Department of Justice before making the Legal Advisory, which took effect on the date of the directive, August 19, 2013.

On August 8, 2013, the Texas Ethics Commission adopted a new rule concerning political and legislative advertising related to redistricting and amended its definition of political advertising.

The new commission rule allows candidates campaigning in districts altered by redistricting to use the term re-elect “only if the candidate is the elected incumbent of an office that represented any part of the new or renumbered district prior to the redistricting”.

The definition of political advertising was amended to contrast an individual communication made by email versus “mass e-mails involving an expenditure of funds beyond the basic cost of hardware messaging software and bandwidth”. Currently the rule’s language in the definition of political advertising reads only that it “does not include communication made by email”.

The changes take effect on September 1, 2013.

A special election for the Massachusetts Second Hampden and Hampshire Senate District has been called to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of state Senator Michael R. Knapik.

The office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin announced the special primary election will be held on October 8, 2013. The special general election will follow on November 5.

Knapik resigned from the Senate to work as executive director of University Admissions at Westfield State University.

A special election for the Louisiana 5th U.S. Congressional District has been called to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of Rep. Rodney Alexander.

The special election will be held on October 19, 2013. If necessary, a runoff election will be held on November 16, 2013.

Alexander’s resignation, effective September 26, will allow him to become Louisiana secretary of veterans affairs.

Yesterday, the Texas Legislature adjourned its third special session sine die.

Governor Rick Perry had called the special session to consider legislation relating to the funding of transportation infrastructure projects. According to KVIA.com, the Legislature passed a constitutional amendment boosting transportation spending with money coming from oil and gas revenues diverted away from the state’s Rainy Day Fund. The amendment will be voted on next year by the state’s voters.

A special election for the Massachusetts 16th Worcester Representative District has been called to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of Representative John P. Fresolo.

The office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin announced the special primary election will be held on August 13. The special general election will follow on September 10.

Fresolo resigned from the House of Representatives on May 22 after a House ethics investigation. The nature of the investigation has not been made public, according to the Boston Globe.

The Texas Legislature adjourned sine die yesterday on May 27.

However, the Legislature was immediately called into special session by Governor Rick Perry. The special session began in the evening, but cannot last longer than 30 days.

The initial call for the special session will focus on approving redistricting maps drawn for the 2012 election by federal judges, according to KRISTV.com. Other items are expected to be added to the special session’s agenda.

Photo of the Texas State Capitol by Kumar Appaiah on Wikipedia.