The adjournment was the earliest date in 18 years.

The 107^th General Assembly will reconvene on Tuesday, January 10, 2012.

Photo of the Tennessee House Chamber by Ichabod on Wikipedia.

Jennifer Hensley, who has held the position of Commissioner of Political Practices since her nomination in January of 2011, was refused confirmation by the Senate.  The Senate Judiciary Committee held a brief confirmation hearing on Hensley’s nomination, but never voted on her nomination before adjournment of the legislative session.

Governor Schweitzer asked the top four Republican and Democratic legislative leaders to send him a list of nominees for the position by May 11.  The Governor may choose a nominee from the list or make an independent appointment to serve out the remainder of Hensley’s six-year term.

Bills legalizing direct corporate contributions and increasing contribution limits have moved one step closer to becoming law.

House Bill 1003 and concurrent Senate Bill 1915 have been approved by state and local government committees in both chambers of the Tennessee General Assembly.

The bills would allow direct corporate contributions to candidates and would increase contribution limits by nearly 40 percent.

Photo of the Tennessee State Capitol by Ichabod on Wikipedia.

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam has signed into law Senate Bill 1227, which revises the filing dates for lobbyist employer disclosure reports.

The bill requires that employer disclosure reports be filed within 45 days of June 30 and December 31.

The new law takes effect July 1, 2011, with the first employer disclosure report under the new law covering the time period from April 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011 having a filing deadline of February 14, 2012.

Photo of Governor Bill Haslam courtesy of the Tennessee Governor’s website.

The Cole County Circuit Court has stayed the court’s previous judgment holding the portion of Senate Bill 844 relating to campaign finance unconstitutional.

The stay does not apply to Missouri Revised Statutes section 130.031(13), covering who may contribute to a political action committee.

The stay order allows all provisions of law, including those enacted into law by Senate Bill 844 (except for section 130.031(13)), to remain in effect until a final resolution of the case on appeal.

Governor Martinez has signed Senate Bill 432 prohibiting state and local government employees who are involved in the contracting process from subsequently being employed by a contractor. The bill expands the existing Governmental Conduct Act to apply to state and local government employees involved in the procurement process.

Under the new law, state agencies are barred from entering into contracts with a business represented by a person who has been an employee of the state within one year if the value of the contract is in excess of $1,000 and the contract is a direct result of an official act by the former employee. The law becomes effective July 1, 2011.

The Secretary of State has approved a summary for a proposed ballot measure to limit campaign contributions to candidates in Missouri.

The proposal would prohibit candidates from accepting more than $5,000 per donor for each election.

The Secretary of State’s action clears the way for supporters to begin collecting the more than 91,000 signatures needed to put the question to voters in 2012.

Photo of Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan courtesy of the Secretary of State website.

Cole County Circuit Court Judge Daniel Green ruled that Senate Bill 844, which became effective August 28, 2010, is unconstitutional because it covers multiple subjects.   The Missouri constitution requires that bills contain only one subject.

The bill sharply restricted transfers between campaign committees, boosted the enforcement powers of the Missouri Ethics Commission, and created measures aimed at reducing situations in which candidates channeled money through several committees to obscure their source.   The court found that the procurement measures in the bill were the “original controlling purpose,” and thus should be upheld while all other measures relating to campaign finance are void.

The Missouri Attorney General’s office and the Missouri Ethics Commission are currently reviewing the decision to examine both enforcement procedures and further legal action.

Two bills were introduced before the Council of the District of Columbia as part of a series of measures to enhance transparency in the District government.

The first bill seeks to enact the Sunshine in Procurement Act of 2011 which requires the Council to post contract information, including the contract, solicitation, purchase orders, invoices, and change orders on its website. Additionally, sole-source and emergency procurement information would need to be posted, including the determination and findings supporting those procurements.

The second bill, referred to as the Open Government Act of 2011, expands the responsibilities of the newly created Open Government Office, improves the District’s Freedom of Information Act, requires agencies to prepare biennial transparency plans, and improves the transparency of the District’s budget information.

Photo of the John A. Wilson Building, home of the city government of Washington, D.C., by Awiseman on Wikipedia.

House Bill 89 has been signed into law by Governor Brian Schweitzer. The bill removes the requirement that political committees, organized to support a state district candidate or issue, file reports of contributions of $100 or more with the county election administrator.

These contribution reports will only be filed with the Commissioner of Political Practices.

The new law becomes effective October 1, 2011.

Secretary of State Ken Bennett has released contribution limits for the 2011-2012 election cycle.  Under the new limits individuals and noncertified political committees cannot contribute more than $872 to a statewide candidate, $430 to a non-statewide local candidate, and $424 to a non-statewide legislative candidate.

Certified committees or “Super PACs” are now limited to contributions of $4,352 to a statewide candidate, $2,170 to a non-statewide local candidate, and $1,736 to a non-statewide legislative candidate.   Individuals are now limited to contributions totaling $6,100 in a calendar year to political committees or candidates.

The Secretary of State biennially adjusts campaign contribution limits based upon the consumer price index.

A special election has been scheduled for May 3, 2011 to fill three seats left vacant in the Wisconsin State Assembly by legislators who accepted positions in the Walker Administration. In an executive order, Governor Walker ordered the special election for Assembly Districts 60, 83 and 94.

If primaries are necessary in any of the districts, they will be held on Tuesday, April 5, 2011, concurrent with the spring election.

Photo of the Wisconsin State Capitol by Jeff dean on Wikipedia.

U.S. District Court Judge D. Brock Hornby has held that Maine’s campaign finance reporting law is constitutional.  The law requiring groups that raise more than $5,000 to influence elections to register with the state and disclose donors who make contributions of $100 or more was challenged by the National Organization for Marriage on the basis that the law was vague and overly broad.

The Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices investigated the organizations activity, alleging that they had violated Maine campaign finance law by raising and spending more than $5,000 to help overturn the Maine law allowing same-sex marriage but not following the reporting requirements. A lawsuit continues in state court that challenges the state’s ability to investigate violations of the campaign finance law.

New York Assembly Bill 04933, which is currently before the Assembly Election Law Committee, seeks to impose disclosure requirements upon lobbyists who act as political consultants.

The bill defines political consultants as any person receiving compensation for providing professional services relating to advising clients on political activities, political advertising, campaign strategies, campaign publicity, or campaign management.

Political consultants would be required to disclose the identities, telephone numbers, and addresses of all clients.

New York Coat of Arms by One Salient Oversight on Wikipedia.