Baltimore City Council is in the process of approving an ethics bill to align with state law.

City Council Bill 22-0275 expands the prohibition on city employees soliciting gifts to any donor.

Currently, the ban applies to controlled donors such as a lobbyist or person seeking to do business.

The bill also adds associations representing counties or municipal corporations to the list of donors whose gifts may not be accepted, absent an exception.

The bill was presented for third reading on August 26.

Electronic Video Notarization (EVN) will continue to be a valid form of notarization in North Carolina.

EVN was a policy put in place during Covid-19 to allow for safer notarization of documents by allowing notaries to witness signatures over video calls.

This order expired on June 30 but extended to July 1, 2025, by House Bill 556.

The bill was vetoed by the governor before being overridden by legislative vote.

State Democrats filed suit against Gov. Kemp in federal court over a 2021 state law allowing candidates to accept unlimited contributions through leadership committees.

Legislative candidate committees are limited to accepting $3,300 per election and may not fundraise during the legislative session.

However, leadership committees are allowed to receive unlimited funds on behalf of candidates and may do so while the Legislature is in session.

Democrats argue the fact that losing party nominees must shut down their leadership committee while the winner’s committee may continue collecting funds unconstitutionally favors incumbents.

Democrats seek a preliminary injunction against leadership committee fundraising and spending until the case is concluded.

Electronic Video Notarization (EVN) will no longer be a valid form of notarization in North Carolina.

EVN was a policy put in place during Covid-19 to allow for safer notarization of documents by allowing notaries to witness signatures over video calls. This order has expired on June 30.

The order could have been extended to July 1, 2025, by House Bill 556, but the bill was vetoed by the governor.

Unless the veto is overridden, EVN is not a legal way to notarize documents and documents will need to be notarized in person going forward, but the use of e-notaries and document signing programs will still be valid.

The civil penalty for violating revolving door restrictions has increased.

Senate Bill 7014 doubled the maximum fine to $20,000 for former officials who violate the state’s six-year ban on lobbying on matters of policy and procurement.

The bill also makes changes to ethics investigation procedures and to public disclosures allowing public officials who are lawyers to claim clients as a source of income without divulging their names.

A special election has been called for August 6 to replace At-Large Councilmember Mel Franklin, who resigned in June.

Thirteen candidates have announced their registration to run.

This primary will include both Democrat and Republican candidates and the winners of the primary will be added to the general election ballot on November 5.

The winner will serve the remaining two years in Franklin’s term.

House Bill 237 passed by a legislative override after being vetoed by Gov. Cooper.

The bill changes registration and reporting requirements for federal PACs contributing in state elections.

Federal PACs may now file a copy of the FEC Statement of Organization within 10 days of making a permissible contribution.

Federal PACs now report by filing with the State Board a copy of the FEC report for any federal filing period during which the federal PAC makes a contribution within 10 calendar days of the federal filing.

Submitting these reports can be done either through mail or email.

Previously, federal PACs were required to register and report using state forms and on state reporting schedules.

The West Virginia Legislature has convened the anticipated special session for the month of May.

The session started on the 19^th and has already resulted in agreement on several critical pieces of the state budget legislation.

Provided funding will include $5 million to the Department of Health and Human Services; a new agriculture lab on the WVSU campus; and state paving projects.

The session is being held during the interim committee meeting dates when all lawmakers are together to help ease the burden on taxpayers.

The session is predicted to last until the May 24 when the interim committees are finished meeting.

The Alabama Legislature adjourned earlier than expected this year on May 9.

Lawmakers declined to pass a bill to rewrite large portions of the Alabama Ethics Act.

House Bill 227 would have relaxed gift restrictions; weakened powers of the Alabama Ethics Commission; and given oversight of the commission to the Legislature.

Passed bills included those relating to school vouchers and limiting absentee voting assistance.

The Mississippi Legislature adjourned sine die on Saturday, May 4.

Notable bills passed during this session include House Bill 1664, which included agents and owners of utility companies in the definition of covered person for the purposes of political contribution and gift restrictions.

Lawmakers also succeeded in passing a $7.9 billion budget.

Notable bills that did not pass included a bill to require lobbyists to disclose whether any client is a foreign principal of a foreign adversary and a bill requiring disclosure if the lobbyist had a material financial interest in a business that may benefit from an issue or bill.

The Tennessee Legislature adjourned sine die on April 25.

Notable passed legislation included a bill to allow armed teachers in classrooms; a bill establishing new penalties for PACs; and a bill providing a $1.9 billion tax cut and refund for businesses.

The tax cut created contention as it was formed to remedy a tax that purportedly violated the constitution’s commerce clause.

Virginia lawmakers reconvened for a one-day session to debate Gov. Youngkin’s various vetoes and amendments to legislation.

The vetoed bills included a bill concerning the right to contraception, the skill games regulations bill, and a tax decrease.

Lawmakers agreed to set aside the version of the budget passed in March and plan to meet for a vote on a new compromised version in a special session beginning May 13.

The new budget needs to be approved before June 30 to avoid a government shutdown.

Maryland’s 90-day legislative session ended on April 8.

The top items on the agenda that passed were the state budget; an economic relief act for the workers and businesses that relied on the Port of Baltimore; and several bills regarding public safety, affordability, economic competitiveness, and public service.

The state’s budget is notable as the governor signed an executive order extending the legislative session 10 days in order to give legislators time to finish it.

However, lawmakers did not need the extra time and managed to adjourn the day the session was previously planned to end.

The Georgia Legislature passed a bill to require registration and disclosure for agents of foreign principals.

Senate Bill 368 defines foreign principal broadly to include a foreign government, political party, and a partnership, association, corporation, organization, or other combination of persons organized under the laws of or having its principal place of business in a foreign country.

The registration requires extensive disclosure including the registrant’s nationality, nature of business, compensation, expenditures, and details regarding activity performed on behalf of the foreign principal. The registration must be updated every six months.

U.S. subsidiaries of foreign principals are not explicitly exempt from additional disclosures.

Agents of foreign principals must also disclose their identity to government agencies and the General Assembly each time they appear on behalf of a foreign principal.

The bill also prohibits foreign nationals from making campaign contributions to a candidate, campaign committee, independent committee, or political action committee.

Senate Bill 368 has not yet been signed by the governor.

If signed, the bill becomes effective July 1.