March 18, 2013 •
Monday News Roundup
Let’s start off the week with these lobbying, campaign finance, and ethics news articles:
Lobbying
“Street Talk: K Street Hiring Chill Leaves Members Cold” by Kate Ackley in Roll Call.
“Former Rep. Rehberg joins K Street firm” by Kevin Bogardus in The Hill.
Georgia: “House lobbyist gift ‘ban’ has loopholes” by Chris Joyner in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Campaign Finance
“Russ Feingold on the Path to Campaign Finance Reform” by John Light on BillMoyers.com.
“Former Fla. Dem candidate pleads guilty to campaign finance fraud, claims he was ‘used’” by Megan R. Wilson in The Hill.
New York: “Eyes On Albany As State Considers Campaign Finance Changes” by The Associated Press in WHAM ABC News.
Ethics
“Lawmakers add relatives to campaign payrolls” by Fredreka Schouten and Christopher Schnaars in USA Today.
“Conflicts of interest run rampant in state legislatures” by Nicholas Kusnetz in The Center for Public Integrity.
“A year in prison, Rod Blagojevich in good spirits” by Mackenzie Weinger in Politico.
Florida: “Gaming committee chairman relies on flights from gaming lobbyist for travel to Tallahassee” by Mary Ellen Klas in the Miami Herald.
Minnesota: “Minn. Judges May be Required to Reveal Financial Ties” by Nick Winkler in KAAL TV ABC News.
Open Government
Missouri: “Push for exemptions adds to debate over Missouri’s open-records law” by Chris Blank in the Kansas City Star.
Vermont: “Vermont Senate advances open-records bill” by Nancy Resmen in the Burlington Free Press.
March 14, 2013 •
Thursday News Roundup
Here are some great articles for today’s government relations news summary:
Lobbying
“Howard Berman signs up for K Street job” by Tarini Parti in Politico.
“K Street Files: Under Attack, Gamers Add In-House Lobbyists” by Kate Ackley in Roll Call.
“K Street lobbyists leap to the planet’s defense after asteroid scare” by Kevin Bogardus in The Hill.
Campaign Finance
Utah: “Legislature to change law on who probes campaign violations” by Robert Gehrke in the Salt Lake Tribune.
Vermont: “Vermont Senate panel delays vote on campaign finance” by Dave Gram in the Burlington Free Press.
Ethics
“Florida Official Resigns in Wake of Gambling Probe” by Cameron McWhirter and Ana Campoy in the Wall Street Journal.
“Fla. charity probe to next focus on campaign money” by Mike Schneider and Gary Fineout in the Miami Herald.
Open Government
“Oversight panel pushes for transparency” by Eric Martinson in Politico.
Kansas: “Senate committee discusses changes to ‘open records’ law” by Stevi Wilson in the Lawrence Journal-World.
North Carolina: “How to bring more sunshine to the NC legislature” by John Frank in the News & Observer.
Procurement
Iowa: “Panel told of revised process for equipment procurement” by Jason Noble in the Des Moines Register.
Legislative Issues
Kentucky: “Ky. lawmakers approve 107 bills during first 28 days of legislative session” by Jack Brammer in the Herald-Leader.
Montana: “Montana lawmakers consider longer term limits” by The Associated Press in the Billings Gazette.
Redistricting
Wisconsin: “New court filing: Documents were deleted from GOP redistricting computers” by Patrick Marley in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
March 13, 2013 •
We are in Georgia for the SGAC Annual Meeting 2013!
“Changing Faces; Changing States”
Elizabeth Bartz, President and CEO of State and Federal Communications, and Compliance Associates Jim Warner and Steve Quinn are attending the State Government Affairs Council’s 2013 Annual Meeting in Savannah, Georgia. This year the conference has the theme “Changing Faces; Changing States” and runs from March 13-15.
According to the SGAC website: “SGAC’s 2013 Annual Meeting … is a conference for private-sector multistate government affairs professionals. The conference program focuses on providing new tools, techniques, and best practices to help build skills and stay on top of the latest trends.”
You can follow the meeting’s conversations on Twitter with the hashtag #SGACAnnualMtg13.
March 13, 2013 •
Wednesday Government Relations News
Here is our roundup of the latest articles on lobbying, campaign finance, and more!
Lobbying
Nevada: “Lawmakers spin through revolving door to lobbying” by Anjeanette Damon in the Las Vegas Sun.
Campaign Finance
Alaska: “Campaign finance resolution finds support” by The Associated Press in the Anchorage Daily News.
Arizona: “AZ House passes bill barring student association fee use for politics” by The Associated Press in the Arizona Capitol Times.
Arkansas: “Ark. panel rejects campaign finance proposals” by The Associated Press in KATV ABC News.
Georgia: “Lesser ethics bill gets committee approval” by Kristina Torres in the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Hawaii: “State lawmakers debate campaign finance reforms” by Anita Hofschneider (Associated Press) in the Star Advertiser.
Michigan: “House Dems back ethics, campaign finance reform package” by Chad Livengood in the Detroit News.
North Carolina: “Dome: Campaign finance reports lag” by John Frank and Rob Christensen in the News & Observer.
Utah: “Utah Senate votes to close disclosure loophole” by Lee Davidson in the Salt Lake Tribune.
Vermont: “Vt. Senate panel works on campaign finance bill” by The Associated Press in the San Francisco Chronicle.
Ethics
Florida: “Locals owe state Ethics Commission thousands” by Tom McLaughlin in the Northwest Florida Daily News.
Open Government
“Arizona gets ‘C’ grade for legislative openness” by The Associated Press in the Arizona Capitol Times.
New Mexico: “Legislators fast-track bill that protects their email” by Julie Ann Grimm in the Santa Fe New Mexican.
South Dakota: “Daugaard signs three bills on open government” by The Associated Press in the Argus Leader.
Texas: “Texas gets high marks regarding transparency in legislative matters but still needs more sunshine” in the Austin American-Statesman.
West Virginia: “Legislation may make memos, internal letters public” by Zack Harold in the Charleston Daily Mail.
Wyoming: “Legislature average on transparency” by Trevor Brown in the Wyoming Tribune Eagle.
March 12, 2013 •
Tuesday Lobbying and Campaign Finance News
Keep up with the latest government relations news with these articles:
Lobbying
“Scott Brown joins law and lobby firm” by Kevin Bogardus in The Hill.
“Bottom Line” in The Hill.
“Former US Rep. Jerry Costello opens lobbying firm” in the Pantagraph.
Florida: “Senator backing lobbyist restrictions is lobbyist himself” by Aaron Deslatte in the Orlando Sentinel.
Campaign Finance
“What it costs to win a Congressional election” by Jon Terbush in The Week.
Florida: “Senate’s campaign finance compromise creates mega PACs” by Mary Ellen Klas in the Miami Herald.
Nevada: “Bill seeks tighter Nevada campaign reporting laws” by The Associated Press in the Las Vegas Sun.
Wisconsin: “Campaign spending in Wisconsin more than triples” by Jason Stein in the Journal Sentinel.
Ethics
“FEC: Larry Craig Misused Campaign Funds for Personal Legal Expenses” by Mike Scarcella in The Blog of Legal Times.
Utah: “Executive branch ethics bill advances in Utah” by Lee Davidson in the Salt Lake Tribune.
Open Government
Thank you, Eric Brown and the Political Activity Law blog for reminding us that this week is Sunshine Week!
Legislative Issues
“Report: Members of Congress Happy With Their Jobs” by Emma Dumain in Roll Call.
Alaska: “Alaska Legislature Celebrates its Centennial, Creates Commission to Recognize First Territorial Legislature” by Morgan Cullen in NCSL’s The Thicket.
March 11, 2013 •
Monday News Roundup
Let’s start off the week with these lobbying, campaign finance, and ethics news articles:
Lobbying
“Critics hold the line on pro-Obama lobbying group: ‘Shut it down’” by Kevin Bogardus in The Hill.
“K Street Files: Cassidy Lands Recurring Role in ‘House of Cards’” by Kate Ackley in Roll Call.
Connecticut: “Ritter’s Lobbying Raises Questions” by Jon Lender in the Hartford Courant.
Delaware: “Groups advise citizens on lobbying lawmakers” in the News Journal.
Florida: “Ethics bill passed without lobbying exemption for sitting legislators” by Tom McLaughlin in the Northwest Florida Daily News.
New Jersey: “Expenses for lobbying in Trenton drop to lowest level in 5 years” by Michael Linhorst and Anthony Campisi in the Bergen Record.
Toronto, Canada: “Lobbying boom in Toronto may be fueled by hot topics — and a less predictable council” by Robyn Doolittle in the Toronto Star.
Utah: “Bill to curb lobbyist contracts paid by governmental entities stalls in committee” by Marjorie Cortex in the Deseret News.
Washington: “Inside The World Of Business Lobbying In Olympia” by Austin Jenkins in Oregon Public Broadcasting.
Campaign Finance
“Senate bill pushes online campaign-finance filings” by Malia Rulon in USA Today.
“Ethics Panel: Members Can’t Use Campaign Accounts to Soften Sequester Cuts” in Roll Call.
California: “California lawmakers avoid campaign contribution limits with ballot measure accounts” by Torey Van Oot in the Sacramento Bee.
District of Columbia: “D.C. campaign finance office hires full-time investigator” by Tim Craig in the Washington Post.
Florida: “House Speaker: $10,000 contribution limit isn’t happening” by Aaron Deslatte in the Orlando Sentinel.
Michigan: “More transparency sought in elections” by Alanna Durkin (Associated Press) in the Lansing State Journal.
Mississippi: “Miss. cities handle law regarding campaign finance inconsistently” by Laura Tillman (Associated Press) in the Clarion-Ledger.
New York: “Cuomo to discuss campaign finance reform in telephone town hall” by Michelle Breidenbach in the Post-Standard.
Oregon: “Oregon legislators reap big post-election donations — much of it ‘makeup money’” by Jeff Mapes in the Oregonian.
Ethics
Palm Beach County, Florida: “Nine finalists remain for Ethics Commission chief’s job” by Jennifer Sorentrue in the Palm Beach Post.
Open Government
“Open Data Has Been a Boon for City Governments” by Eric Jaffe in Nextgov.
New York City, New York: “The Big Apple Enhances Financial Transparency” by Hilton Collins in Government Technology.
Texas: “Open meetings law faces another test” by Erik Schelzig (Associated Press) in the Tennessean.
March 7, 2013 •
Thursday News Roundup
Here are some great articles for today’s government relations news summary:
Lobbying
“K St. ready for cybersercurity cash grab” by Kevin Bogardus in The Hill.
“Under Contract” in The Hill.
Illinois: “Lobbying push at Capitol as gun issue looms” by Rafael Guerrero in the Chicago Tribune.
Pennsylvania: “Gov. Tom Corbett may be open to a gift ban, spokeswoman suggests” by Jan Murphy in the Patriot-News.
Texas: “Watchdogs: Ethics Loopholes Obscure Lobby Perks” by Jay Root in the Texas Tribune.
Campaign Finance
Colorado: “David Sirota Moderates Discussion On Campaign Finance Reform, Democracy In Colorado” by Matt Ferner in the Huffington Post.
Ethics
California: “STATE LEGISLATURE: Area lawmakers given gifts, trips in 2012” by Jim Miller in the Press-Enterprise.
Florida: “Florida House bridles at Senate’s proposed ethics reforms” by Dara Kam in the Palm Beach Post.
Florida: “Matt Reed: Something to cheer, for a change, as Legislature opens” by Matt Reed in Florida Today.
Hawaii: “Hawaii Legislators Exempt Themselves from State Ethics Code” by Barbara Polk in the Hawaii Reporter.
March 6, 2013 •
Wednesday Government Relations News
Keep up with the latest articles on lobbying, campaign finance, and more!
Lobbying
“K Street Files: Both Sides Rev Up for Wage War” by Elizabeth Newlin Carney in Roll Call.
“K Street’s gravy train runs dry as Georgian leaders move past election” by Kevin Bogardus and Julian Pecquet in The Hill.
“Former Sen. Jon Kyl joins lobby shop at Covington” by Catherine Ho in the Washington Post.
New York: “Best-paid lobbyists, spenders unveiled” by Chris Bragg in Crain’s New York.
Pennsylvania: “Pa.’s Corbett and wife disclose gifts from lobbyists and businesses” by The Associated Press in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Pennsylvania: “Corbett’s acceptance of gifts give rise to calls for laws on gift bans” by Jan Murphy in the Patriot-News.
Campaign Finance
“Study shows Super PACs made mockery of campaign law” by Taylor Lincoln in The Hill.
Arizona: “Arizona senate approves contribution limits to recall campaigns” by Howard Fischer in the East Valley Tribune.
Kentucky: “Ky. House passes bill to publicly finance state SC races” by Jessica M. Karmasek in Legal Newsline.
Ethics
Florida: “Florida lawmakers vote for ethics and early voting changes” by Mary Ellen Klas in the Tampa Bay Times.
Legislative Issues
Missouri: “Mo. House endorses change to term limits” by The Associated Press in the News Tribune.
South Dakota: “SD Senate approves boost in expenses for lawmakers” in the Rapid City Journal.
Open Government
“Sen. Del Marsh says GOP committee members did not violate Open Meetings Act” by Mike Cason in the Birmingham News.
Redistricting
Kentucky: “House redistricting plan would create new Lexington district” by Jack Brammer and Beth Musgrave in the Lexington Herald-Leader.
March 5, 2013 •
Tuesday Lobbying and Campaign Finance News
Keep up with the latest government relations news with these articles:
Lobbying
“Lobbyists predict rebound in 2013” by Kevin Bogardus and Ben Goad in The Hill.
Minnesota: “Minnesota lobbyists spent $65.2M in 2011, report says” by Bill Salisbury in the Pioneer Press.
Campaign Finance
California: “New Campaign Finance Tracker Helps You Follow the Money in L.A. Elections” on Community Television of Southern California.
Texas: “Bill Would Double Campaign Finance Disclosures” by Ryan Murphy in the Texas Tribune.
Ethics
“Ethics commission agrees to seek outside investigator in Gessler case” by Tim Hoover in the Denver Post.
Florida: “Will lawmakers pass campaign reform or just face-lift?” by Aaron Deslatte in the Orlando Sentinel.
Florida: “Ethics legislation could be passed on opening day” by The Associated Press in the Miami Herald.
Social Media
“Are hashtags a political #wasteoftime?” by Steve Friess in Politico.
March 4, 2013 •
State and Federal Communications Attends National PAC Conference
March 4-7 in Miami Beach
Elizabeth Bartz, president and CEO of State and Federal Communications, and four of the company staff are attending the Public Affairs Council’s 37th Annual National PAC Conference in Miami Beach, Florida. We are excited about the conference, which runs from March 4-7 and boasts the theme: “Rethink. Reinvent. Reinvigorate.”
You can follow the conversations on Twitter with the hashtag #PAC13 and the handle @PACouncil.
State and Federal Communications is proud to be the sponsor for the Wi-Fi access for this conference.
Maybe we’ll see you there!
March 4, 2013 •
Monday News Roundup
Let’s start off the week with these lobbying, campaign finance, and ethics news articles:
Lobbying
“Home Sweet K Street” by Kate Ackley in Roll Call.
Campaign Finance
“Political campaign finance reform advocates to hold ‘K Street 5K’ in DC, Apr 13” by Karen Ruben in The Examiner.
Arizona: “Arizona House legislation would allow for campaign finance changes” by Howard Fischer in the East Valley Tribune.
Georgia: “Florida’s ethics reforms offer glimpse of Georgia’s future” by Chris Joyner in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
New York: “NYC public advocate: State, local governments must lead efforts to regulate dark money” by Michael Beckel in the Center for Public Integrity.
Vermont: “New twist on campaign finance debate” by Peter Hirschfeld in the Times Argus.
West Virginia: “Senate President supports public campaign finance bill” on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
Ethics
“Suit Over How Larry Craig Paid Legal Bills Heads To Court” by Jessica Robinson in Boise State Public Radio.
Florida: “Bill would strengthen Florida Commission on Ethics enforcement” by Jeff Marcu in First Coast News.
Tennessee: “Rep. Curry Todd lived rent-free in lobbyist’s home” by Nate Rau in The Tennessean.
Utah: “Senate panel advances bill for executive branch ethics commission” by Dennis Romboy in the Deseret News.
March 1, 2013 •
Anniversary Wishes from the Public Affairs Council!
Doug Pinkham, president of the Public Affairs Council, extends his congratulations to State and Federal Communications on its 20th Anniversary!
February 28, 2013 •
Thursday News Roundup
Here are a few articles for today’s government relations news summary:
Lobbying
“GOP’s Gomez pushing term limits, lobbying ban” by The Associated Press in the Boston Globe.
“Barry Jackson’s next move” by Anna Palmer in Politico.
“K Street Files: Hey, Is That Jack Abramoff Dressed as a $100 Bill?” by Kate Ackley in Roll Call.
Campaign Finance
Hawaii: “Bill to Boost Disclosure of Campaign Spending Advances” by Nathan Eagle in the Honolulu Civil Beat.
Kansas: “House closer to passing campaign reform bill” by Tim Carpenter in the Topeka Capital-Journal.
Maine: “LePage budget would gut clean election fund for 2014 campaign” by Christopher Cousins in the Bangor Daily News.
Nevada: “Bill would force ex-candidates to dispose of unspent campaign funds” by Sean Whaley in the Las Vegas Review Journal.
February 28, 2013 •
A New LinkedIn Group Just for Compliance!
State and Federal Communications starts Government Relations Compliance Group
There are a number of terrific LinkedIn groups devoted to government relations professionals and to the industry in general. What we found was that there was no group specifically for the discussion of compliance.
We are excited to announce that we are meeting that need by forming the Government Relations Compliance group.
Government relations professionals can discover what colleagues are saying about complying with government rules and regulations for lobbying, grassroots lobbying, political contributions, and procurement.
Join the conversation!
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.
