“Redistricting takes some of the ‘swing’ out of House fights” by Susan Davis in USA Today.

Alaska: “It may be too late for another legislative redistricting plan” by Becky Bohrer in the Anchorage Daily News.

Arizona: “State Supreme Court reaffirms that governor shouldn’t have fired redistricting chair” by Howard Fischer in the East Valley Tribune.

Kansas: “Kobach warns of redistricting crisis” by John Hanna (Associated Press) in the Lawrence Journal-World.

Mississippi: “Mississippi lawmakers tackle redistricting” by Phil West in The Commercial Appeal.

Pennsylvania: “Pennsylvania’s new map pits incumbent Democrats in primary” by Sean Lengell in The Washington Times.

Vermont: “Vermont Senate endorses redistricting plans” by Nancy Remsen in the Burlington Free Press.

Wyoming: “State: Redistricting plaintiffs have no standing to file suit” by Trevor Brown in the Wyoming Tribune Eagle.

“This Week in Tech: House boots up ‘cyber week’” by Brendan Sasso and Andrew Feinberg in The Hill.

NCSL is hosting its “Social Media Policies for State Legislatures” webinar on April 27.

Nextgov gives us a sneak preview of their forthcoming new website!

Here is a link to The New York Times Election 2012 App for iPhone and Android. Their site gives this description:

“News, opinion, polls and live election night results. From The Times and other top sources around the Web. It’s the best campaign coverage anywhere, all in one app.”

District of Columbia: “Hackers Shut Down District of Columbia Government Website” by Nikita Stewart in The Washington Post.

Iowa: “Iowa lawmakers go on camera to deliver updates” by James Q. Lynch in the Quad-City Times.

“Big lobbying spending dips” by Dave Levinthal in Politico.

“U.S. Chamber of Commerce Continues to Spend Heavily on Lobbying, Filings Show” by Kate Ackley in Roll Call.

“K Streeters Adjusting to Loss of Earmarks” by Kate Ackley in Roll Call.

“Fears of lame-duck session in Congress could boost K Street’s bottom line” by Kevin Bogardus and Rachel Leven in The Hill.

California: “How to wire a state capital” by Charles Mahtesian in Politico.

California: “AT&T wields enormous power in Sacramento” by Shane Goldmacher and Anthony York in The Los Angeles Times.

Minnesota: “Not all laws come from high-powered lobbying campaigns” by John Reinan in the MinnPost.

Federal: “How to Beat Citizens United” by E.J. Dionne, Jr. in The Washington Post.

Arkansas: “Arkansas attorney general certifies ballot wording for item on lobbying, campaign finance” by The Associated Press in The Republic.

California: “State political watchdog chair wants bloggers to reveal payments” by Brian Joseph in the Orange County Register.

California: “California ethics czar urges disclosure of payments to Web pundits” by Patrick McGreevey in the Los Angeles Times.

California: “California looks to crack down on political bloggers paid by campaigns” by Jim Sanders in The Sacramento Bee.

Virginia: “New Electronic Campaign Filing Lauded in Virginia” by The Associated Press in Governing.

“Rules of the Game: Dissecting Super PAC Consulting” by Eliza Newlin Carney in Roll Call.

“One Donor Gave One-Third of Pro-Republican Group’s Funds” by Heidi Przybyla and Jonathan D. Salant in Bloomberg.

“What happens to funds in defunct super PACs?” by Jeremy Roebuck in the Boston Herald.

“Secretive ‘Grassroots’ political group — vehicle for the very rich” by Joel Connelly in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

“Big donors diversify Super PAC donations” by Alexander Cohen and Alina Selyukh in Reuters.

“Billionaires fall in line” by Kenneth P. Vogel in Politico.

Campaign Finance

“Rep. Ted Deutch Holds Summit on Overturning Citizens United” via a press release on Rep. Ted Deutsch’s website. The meeting is set for tomorrow.

Alabama: “Campaign finance, PAC-to-PAC transfer law needs teeth, grand jury says” by Brian Lyman in the Montgomery Advertiser.

“Fundraising Numbers Tip Scales of Power” by Joshua Miller in Roll Call.

ALEC

“Midwest Democracy | Study accuses ALEC of ‘secretive influence’ in Missouri Capitol” by Jason Hancock in The Kansas City Star.

Government Ethics

“Figure at center of D.C. campaign finance probe resigns from health-care company” by Mike DeBonis in The Washington Post.

“U.S. congressman under fire for campaign expenses turns to high-powered law firm” by Matt Friedman in the Star-Ledger.

Elizabeth Bartz, President and CEO of State and Federal Communications, was a presenter at the National Summit on Strategic Communications in Washington, D.C. yesterday.

The session was “Lobbying and Advocacy: Winning Strategies for Changing Times.” According to the conference agenda, the discussion consisted of the following:

“Thousands of political players, representing various causes, lobby on issues through diverse and fluid factions. Some research suggests that these factions often cancel each other out and prevent disruptive swings in public policy. Yet, this is no reason for organizations to step away from political involvement. As agencies and governments struggle with growing needs for services and large budget cuts, companies will be expected to play an even greater role in addressing society’s problems and advocating for solutions.”

The panel featured Elizabeth Bartz and Story Partners Chairperson Gloria Story Dittus, and was moderated by Tim Flaherty, Principal at Booz Allen Hamilton.

Campaign Finance

Federal: “Md. lawmakers take on political spending spree” by John Fritze in the Baltimore Sun.

Vermont: “Vermont lawmakers work to unravel Citizens United ruling” by Nicole Gaudiano in the Burlington Free Press.

Missouri: “St. Louis attorney pleads guilty in campaign donation scheme” by Virginia Young in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Lobbying

“Courting the White House: Don’t call it lobbying” by Anna Palmer and Abby Phillip in Politico.

“White House Opens Door to Big Donors, and Lobbyists Slip In” by Mike Mcintire and Michael Luo in The New York Times.

“Is dialoguing lobbying?” by Donovan Slack in Politico.

California:  “The lobbyists’ bumbles and foibles” by Ray LeBov in Capitol Weekly.

Florida: “In wake of ‘Taj Mahal’ scandal, Florida Supreme Court approves new lobbying rules for judges” by Lucy Morgan in the Tampa Bay Times.

Florida: “Florida Supreme Court to judges: No lobbying” by Lucy Morgan in The Miami Herald.

Georgia: “Georgia ethics commission goes easy on late campaign reports after change in process” by Walter C. Jones in The Florida Times-Union.

Idaho: “Retiring ID Rep. lands at lobbying, marketing firm” by The Associated Press in the Idaho Statesman.

Kansas:  “Corporations drop memberships in ALEC, which has strong ties to Kansas Legislature” by Scott Rohtschild in the Lawrence Journal-World.

Maryland: “Campaign Finance Transparency Measures Pass General Assembly” by Megan Poinski in Southern Maryland Online.

Massachusetts: “House may pull PR, CEOs, communications specialists into lobbying definition” by Colleen Quinn in the Boston Herald.

Georgia: “Gov. Deal still has 3 pending ethics complaints” by the Morris News Service in the Augusta Chronicle.

Missouri: “Former Missouri governor, St. Louis attorney indicted in campaign contributions case” by Robert Patrick in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

South Carolina: “Ethics Commission to hear 7 allegations against Haley” by Gina Smith in The State.

North Carolina: “John Edwards gambles on NC jury to avoid prison” by Michael Beisecker (Associated Press) in the Seattle Post Intelligencer.

North Carolina: “Edwards campaign repays taxpayers $2.1 million” by Michael Beisecker (Associated Press) in Bloomberg Businessweek.

South Carolina: “State Ethics Commission probing SC Gov Haley campaign finances, sets July hearing” by Meg Kinnard (Associated Press) in The Republic.

Texas: “Texas Ethics Commission report disappoints some good government activists” by Mark Lisheron on TexasWatchdog.org.

Following a board meeting, American League of Lobbyists President Howard Marlowe announced the group has approved rules that would require more people to register as lobbyists, as well as other transparency measures.

For full news coverage, be sure to read: “Lobbyists OK Lobbying Reform Proposals”by Andrew Joseph in the National Journal.

According to the National Journal: “The reforms, more than a year in the making, include lowering the registration thresholds, mandating that lobbyists who work for state and local governments or religious organizations register, and shifting enforcement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office to the Justice Department.

The plan would require a person who spends 10 percent of their time lobbying to register as a lobbyist, down from the current 20 percent threshold. And it lowers the number of paid lobbying contacts a lobbyist can have per quarter before registering from two to one. The proposal also shortens the registration window from 45 days to 20 days and would require all lobbyists to undergo ethics training and attend a refresher course every five years.  The proposal preserves exemptions for citizen lobbyists.”

Here is the American League of Lobbyists press release.

Also read: “American League of Lobbyists suggests new rules” by Abby Phillip in Politico.

“American League of Lobbyists Announces Tougher Lobbying Rules” by Andrew Ramonas in The Blog of Legal Times.

Elizabeth Bartz, President and CEO of State and Federal Communications, appears in the April 2012 issue of Akron Life magazine. The publication is featuring a special supplement honoring the American Heart Association’s ninth Go Red for Women campaign.

What is Go Red for Women, you ask?

According to their site, “Cardiovascular disease claimed the lives of nearly 500,000 American women each year, yet women were not paying attention. In fact, many even dismissed it as an ‘older man’s disease.’ To dispel the myths and raise awareness of heart disease as the number one killer of women, the American Heart Association created Go Red For Women – a passionate, emotional, social initiative designed to empower women to take charge of their heart health.”

Elizabeth Bartz is one of the Circle of Red Members – women who are leaders in their community, each offering resources, time, and influence to find a cure for heart disease. She is quoted, “I go red for my mom, my sisters, my daughter, my aunts, my cousins, and all of my friends.”

For those of you in Northeast Ohio, find a copy of Akron Life magazine. The Go Red for Women feature will inspire you!