August 26, 2011 •
New Municipalities Update
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.
We now provide information on lobbying, political contributions, and procurement lobbying for:
Sterling Heights, Michigan
Lafayette, Louisiana
August 24, 2011 •
Caudell to Replace Belinfante at Georgia Ethics Commission
Governor Makes Appointment
Governor Nathan Deal has appointed B. Chan Caudell to replace Josh Belinfante as a member of the State Ethics Commission.
Caudell is an attorney and former commissioner of Habersham County, Georgia. He also serves on the board of directors for North Georgia Technical College and is vice chair of Common Cause Georgia as well as the State Bar of Georgia advisory committee that reviews legislation.
Belinfante resigned last week, stating he was looking into running for state senate.
August 23, 2011 •
Vice-Chair Resigns from Georgia Ethics Commission
Considering Run for State Senate
Josh Belinfante, Vice Chairman of the State Ethics Commission, has announced he is resigning his position in order to consider a run for state senate. While he has yet to commit to running for the position, Belinfante has indicated an interest in the seat for senate district 6 following the release of the proposed maps for redistricting.
Belinfante’s resignation comes on the heels of the recent announcement by Chairman Patrick Millsaps that he will be stepping down from his position due to what he has determined to be his illegal appointment by Governor Nathan Deal.
The State Ethics Commission is also currently engaged in the process of finding a person to fill the role of Executive Secretary for the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission following the departure of Stacey Kalberman.
Kalberman’s departure and the termination of the Deputy Executive Secretary position, once held by Sherilyn Streicker, were the result of cost-cutting maneuvers implemented by members of the Commission this past June.
August 19, 2011 •
We Cover New Jurisdictions
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.
We now provide information on lobbying, political contributions, and procurement lobbying for:
Chandler, Arizona
Fort Collins, Colorado
New Haven, Connecticut
Stamford, Connecticut
Chesapeake, Virginia
August 19, 2011 •
Boulder Rolling Forward With Ballot Measure Against Corporate Personhood
Ballot Measure to Call for U.S. Constitutional Amendment in Wake of Citizens United Decision
Voters in Boulder, Colorado will have the opportunity to vote whether they support corporate personhood on the November 1, 2011 ballot.
By a 6 – 3 decision, the Boulder City Council approved placing a resolution on the ballot calling for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution declaring only human beings, not corporations, are entitled to constitutional rights and money is not speech, and therefore regulating political contributions and spending is not equivalent to limiting political speech.
The ballot measure is in response to the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court Citizens United decision, where the ability of the government to limit corporate and labor union independent expenditures was ruled unconstitutional.
“I think it’s a real threat to our government,” said councilman Ken Williams, “and whatever we can do to change that, I think we should.”
If approved by voters, Boulder would join a growing list of localities that have passed similar resolutions.
Photo of the Flatirons by Aza Toth on Wikipedia.
August 16, 2011 •
Executive Secretary Position Down to Two
Finalists Named in Search for Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission Position
The Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission has announced two finalists for the position of Executive Secretary.
Holly A. LaBerge, one of the finalists, is a former Budget Analyst for the House Budget Office and presently the Director of Government Relations for the Georgia Public Defender Standards Council.
The other finalist is Jerry R. Presley, who has previously been a candidate for public office in the state of Georgia, a registered lobbyist, and the city clerk of Baldwin, Georgia. He is currently the president and owner of Public Policy Consultants of Georgia, L.L.C. No timeline has been set for selecting the new Executive Secretary.
August 15, 2011 •
Two New Jurisdictions Added
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.
We now provide information on lobbying, political contributions, and procurement lobbying for:
Hampton, Virginia
Hollywood, Florida
July 29, 2011 •
Here Is Another Jurisdiction Update
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.
We now provide information on lobbying, political contributions, and procurement lobbying for:
Elizabeth, New Jersey
Eugene, Oregon
Lakewood, Colorado
Clarifies Campaign Finance Reporting
The office of the Secretary of State has released an amended version of the Rules Concerning Campaign and Political Finance, 8 CCR 1505-6.
Rule 5.13 now requires reports of contributions and expenditures to be filed on a monthly basis leading up to the state’s primary election in June and continuing until reports are required to be filed on a biweekly basis beginning in September.
The rule was necessitated by the enactment of Senate Bill 11-189, which changed the date of the state’s primary from August to June. Thus, the requirement to begin filing biweekly reports in July prior to the now vacated primary election date in August was rendered infeasible.
July 27, 2011 •
Georgia to Convene Special Session
Redistricting the Focus
The Georgia General Assembly is scheduled to convene in special session on Monday, August 15, 2011.
The primary topic of discussion is to be redistricting.
Photo of the Georgia State Capitol dome by Connor.carey on Wikipedia.
July 26, 2011 •
Virginia Set to Reconvene Special Session
Judicial Vacancies to be Discussed
The Virginia General Assembly is scheduled to reconvene the recessed special session on Friday, July 29, 2011.
The session is scheduled to take up the issue of judicial vacancies in the state.
Photo of the Virginia State Capitol by Amadeust on Wikipedia.
July 19, 2011 •
Lobbying Law Facing Scrutiny in Boynton Beach, Florida
Boynton Beach to Consider Options in Lobbying Law Enforcement
The city attorney for Boynton Beach, Jim Cherof, has proposed ceasing enforcement of the city’s lobbying ordinance and turning over enforcement to the Palm Beach County Commission on Ethics. The lobbying ordinance, in effect since 2007, has come under fire recently due to a perceived vagueness in the law.
This past May, the city levied the first fines ever under the ordinance and has also taken steps to open an investigation against former city commissioner David Katz, all concerning failure to register as a lobbyist. Each fine is being appealed and Katz maintains he was never required to register under the law because he was performing consulting work and not lobbying.
July 15, 2011 •
Lobbyists to be Audited by Office of State Ethics
Ten Lobbyists to be Audited in Connecticut
Thomas H. Dooley, Chairman of the Citizen’s Ethics Advisory Board, will be selecting at random 10 lobbyists to be audited by the Office of State Ethics during an audit selection ceremony on Thursday, July 21, 2011.
The ceremony will be a part of the Board’s regularly scheduled meeting, scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m.
Lobbyists to be audited will be selected from a pool of all registered client lobbyists.
During audits of these selected client lobbyists, the Office of State Ethics will audit all associated communicator lobbyists.
A list of those selected to be audited will be made available on the website of the Office of State Ethics following the ceremony.
July 13, 2011 •
North Carolina General Assembly Enters Into Special Session
Redistricting the Prime Focus of Special Session in North Carolina
NORTH CAROLINA: The North Carolina General Assembly has convened in special session today, July 13, 2011.
Issues concerning redistricting are the primary focus of the session, while gubernatorial vetoes are also expected to be considered.
A monthly lobbyist and principal report will be due on August 12, 2011.
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.
