The Tennessee Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance introduced new contribution limits for 2011-2012 to reflect increases in the Consumer Price Index.

The new limits include a biennial aggregate limit of $113,700 on contributions to State and Local candidates and PACs. Individuals may contribute no more than $44,800 to State and Local candidates and no more than $68,900 to all PACs (including parties) during the two year cycle.

Lobbyist gift limits have increased to $55 per event and lobbyist employers are limited to gifts with a cumulative value of $110 during a calendar year.

The bill creates a new electronic filing system funded by both an initial fee charged to registered lobbyists and lobbyist employers in 2011 and an annual fee collected thereafter.

The bill states that the increased fees are required for data development costs and the purchase and maintenance of computer hardware and software associated with the new system.

Photo of the Washington State Capitol by Bluedisk on Wikipedia.

City Council has confirmed the appointments of Herbert Berman, Margaret Morton, Lesley Horton, and Jamila Ponton Bragg to the New York City Lobbying Commission.  Berman, a lobbyist and former Council Finance Committee Chair, was selected to be the Lobbying Commission Chair.

Formation of the Lobbying Commission had stalled for three years as suitable candidates were sought.  The Lobbying Commission is an advisory body charged with making recommendations to improve New York City’s 2006 lobbying laws.

Photo of the New York City Hall by Momos on Wikipedia.

Senate Bill 37, introduced by Senator Daniel Squadron, proposes to curtail political contributions by lobbyists.   The bill limits lobbyist political contributions to $250 per candidate, per election and contributions may only be made between the first of July and the end of the year.

The bill further bars lobbyists from soliciting or transmitting a contribution or a request for a contribution from any person, including a political committee, for the benefit of a public official or party committee.

Photo of New York State Capitol courtesy of UpstateNYer on Wikipedia.

Senate Bill 75, introduced to the Legislature on the first day of session, seeks to reinstate the state’s campaign contribution limits.  The bill limits contributions to $2,000 for statewide office, $1,000 for state senators, $500 for state representatives, $325 for any other office if the population is under 100,000, $850 if it is between 100,000 and 250,000, and $1,275 if the population is more than 250,000.

The bill also alters the state’s revolving door provision by preventing legislators from becoming lobbyists for two years after leaving office.

Photo of the Missouri State Capitol by Visitjeffersoncity on Wikipedia.

The Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices has issued a memo outlining the agencies priorities for 2011.  The commission seeks to investigate possible violations of legislative ethics on its own, even if no formal complaint is filed.

The commission also wishes to enact regulations that restrict legislative candidates from using Clean Election money to buy computers, cell phones, and other electronic equipment and increase the fine for failing to include a disclaimer on campaign communications from a maximum of $200 to a maximum of $5,000.

The Great Seal of Maine courtesy of Wikipedia.

Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer announced Friday he has chosen Jennifer Hensley to serve as the state’s top ethics official.  Hensley will replace the current Commissioner of Political Practices Dennis Unsworth, whose six-year term expires at the end of the year.

A bipartisan group of four legislative leaders submitted the names of four candidates to the governor, including Hensley who has worked on several political and initiative campaigns and is the wife of state Senator Steve Gallus.   Hensley must be confirmed by the senate before beginning a six-year term.

The New York State Commission on Public Integrity has released an advisory opinion making it easier for state employees targeted by layoffs to gain new employment.  The commission announced that the 30-day recusal period set forth in Advisory Opinion No. 06-01 has been suspended as it applies to state officers or employees who have been targeted for layoffs or state employees who may opt for relocation or layoff because their position will be eliminated.

State employees who pursue potential post-government employment opportunities must still recuse themselves from any matters pertaining to that private entity for the duration that the employee remains employed by the state agency, if targeted for layoff.

Flag of New York image courtesy of Wikipedia.

Michael Cherkasky resigned as chairman of the New York Commission on Public Integrity sighting personal conflicts of interest.  Cherkasky explained in his resignation letter that the recent acquisition of Altegrity Inc., where he is chief executive officer, could create future conflicts of interest with him functioning as commission chair.

Cherkasky also identified several concerns he has for the future of the commission including the lack of resources allocated to the commission, the lack of enforcement over the legislative branch, and issues with the commission having too many members and being overly partisan. Cherkasky’s resignation is effective January 1, 2011.

Legends Bank is seeking to block enforcement of Missouri’s new ethics law, found in Senate Bill 844, which took effect August 28.  Legends Bank and its president filed suit Monday in Cole County Circuit Court citing language that limits the bank’s right to make political donations.  Senate Bill 844 sought to limit politicians’ ability to conceal the source of money by moving it through several political action committees.

Legends Bank claims that in determining which individuals and entities can donate to political action committees, lawmakers appear to have limited the ability of state-chartered banks to donate.   Republican Senate president pro-tem Charlie Shields, who sponsored Senate Bill 844, stated to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch the goal of the bill was never to stop banks or corporations from making political donations and that the disputed language should be fairly easy to fix.

Photo of the Missouri Capitol by RebelAt of English Wikipedia.

The United States Supreme Court will again review Arizona’s attempt to level the playing field for political candidates, agreeing to determine the constitutionality of Arizona’s law to distribute campaign subsidies to publicly funded candidates who face big-spending opponents.

In June, the Supreme Court blocked a portion of Arizona’s Clean Elections program, which authorized the state to provide “matching funds” to those candidates who face opponents spending large amounts of their own money or outside groups that target them.  The court combined two cases, Arizona Free Enterprise, et al v. Bennett and McComish v. Bennett, and will hear arguments in the spring of 2011.

Picture of the U.S. Supreme Court by UpstateNYer on Wikipedia.

Western Tradition Partnership and the Montana Citizens for Right to Work have filed suit challenging several Montana campaign finance laws that impose “onerous and constitutional burdens upon (those) engaged in political speech.”  The suit seeks to exempt the two groups from campaign finance laws and further investigation by the state, but also claims the Office of Political Practices’ entire investigative process is unconstitutional.

Montana Political Practices Commissioner Dennis Unsworth ruled October 21 that Western Tradition Partnership is a political committee and had violated state law by failing to report campaign-related spending or its donors.  The groups maintained in their complaint that they engage in “issue advocacy” communication and are not subject to Montana’s political committee laws, and that the laws themselves are unconstitutionally vague.

The Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board provided guidance on questions relating to funding of recount efforts, in light of the gubernatorial recount scheduled to begin November 29^th.

The board concluded that contributions to a recount fund made by a candidate’s principal campaign committee, a party unit, or a political committee do not require registration and reporting in accordance with Minnesota law.  The board clarified that this opinion does not allow a recount fund to accept contributions from lobbyists or lobbyist principals without further seeking an Advisory Opinion from the Board concerning the application of Minnesota’s gift law.

Map of Minnesota from the National Atlas of the United States on Wikipedia.

The Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board issued Advisory Opinion 413 clarifying the state’s lobbyist registration requirements.  The Board sought to answer whether a lobbyist is required to register multiple times when employed by an entity which consists of a parent company and a number of affiliates, including subsidiaries and joint ventures controlled by or under common ownership and control of the parent company.

Several of the affiliates have legislative and administrative interests in Minnesota, and lobbying is conducted on their behalf.  The Board concluded that a lobbyist must register on behalf of each association whose interests they promote, regardless of the mechanism used to retain or direct the efforts of the lobbyists.   The opinion continued that a lobbyist who represents an association such as a trade or business association is not required to register separately for each member of the association.

Photo of the Minnesota State Capitol by Mulad on Wikipedia.