LobbyComply Blog

The Mississippi Legislature adjourned after passing the state budget but may reconvene on April 15 unless it is declared unnecessary by the leaders of the House and Senate. Many procurement and political contribution bills died in committee this session. These include a bill that would raise competitive bidding thresholds to $15,000, a change in primary election dates, and prohibition on contributions from foreign nationals. Bills that have passed include raises to teachers’ salaries, changing the structure of public employee’s retirement systems, and natural disaster relief.

Do you know if your activities are defined as lobbying? We do. Take a walkthrough demo of our guidebooks today.

The campaign contribution limits for city elections have been adjusted. The amount that may be contributed to mayoral candidates increased from $3,980 to $4,200 per election cycle. The amount for City Council candidates increased from $850 to $900 per election cycle.

Stay up to date with all state and federal lobbying law. Sign up for our online guidebooks and never miss a compliance law change.

The 2026 legislature adjourned sine die on March 6. Lawmakers passed a campaign finance reform bill to modify the timeline of certain campaign finance regulations passed during the previous 2024 legislative session. House Bill 4018 makes certain technical fixes to definitions within the previous 2024 bill. It also pushes back the implementation date for a contribution tracking system from 2028 to 2032. The contribution limits remain unchanged and are set to go into effect next year. State officials have recognized the law still needs extensive work and have also passed Senate Bill 1502, which directs the secretary of state to prefile proposed legislation next year setting forth recommendations for changes to the campaign finance limitation presently being implemented. Both bills have been sent to Gov. Tina Kotek. If signed, House Bill 4018 is effective immediately and Senate Bill 1502 becomes effective June 5.

Are you able to track all legislative sessions in the states you do business? Our online guidebooks make it easy. Request a demo today!

Gov. Mark Gordon recently signed an executive order banning campaign contributions in state buildings used for activities of the Executive Branch. The ban applies to state facilities and commercial buildings operating under state leases. It does not apply to areas controlled by the Legislature, including the Legislative Services Office, committee rooms, and the Senate and House floor. The order applies to contributions and donations made in person by “cash, check, or any other means.” Online campaign contributions and donations would also be banned when the solicitation, delivery, or acceptance of online contributions and donations originates within a facility owned or leased by the state. Executive Order 2026-01 is effective immediately.

Do you know if your activities are defined as lobbying? We do. Take a walkthrough demo of our guidebooks today.

The City of Austin, Texas increased campaign contribution limits for candidates for mayor and city council from $450 to $500 per contributor per election. The aggregate contribution limit to candidates from donors outside of Austin increased to $48,000 per election, and $32,000 per runoff election.

Invite them out for coffee or a steak? Make sure you know the gift restrictions of your state or municipality. Request a demo of our online guidebooks today.

Secretary of State Michael Howe announced a major upgrade to North Dakota’s Campaign Finance System and launched a new Statement of Interests System on January 1. The upgraded Campaign Finance Reporting System will provide a user-friendly interface for reporting campaign finance donations and expenditures for political candidates and committees. Interested parties are invited to attend a demonstration and Q&A session related to using the public search capabilities from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, January 26. A link to join the virtual demonstration will be available at https://www.sos.nd.gov/elections by January 16.

Campaign contribution limits increased in British Columbia for 2026 to $1,513.29 for contributions to registered political parties, including their candidates, nomination contestants and registered constituency associations. Additionally, individuals can also contribute up to $1,513.29 to independent candidates and leadership contestants, if a leadership contest is called in 2025. The previous limits from 2025 were $1,484.38 and $1,450.82 in 2024. Also increased to $430 is the limit of a fee paid to attend a leadership convention or other convention of a political party without counting toward the $1,513.29 contribution limit. These contribution amounts are adjusted at the start of each calendar year.

Campaign contribution limits increased for municipalities in British Columbia for 2026 to $1,429.70 for local elections candidate or elector organization per campaign. For a local by-election held in 2026, unendorsed candidates may contribute an additional $1,429.70 to their own campaign, and a group of endorsed candidates may contribute an additional $1,429.70 in total to the campaign of the elector organization.

Never miss a lobbying compliance deadline. Sign up for our online guidebooks today!

On October 27,  Attorney General Doug Downey announced comprehensive proposals to change Ontario’s dates of elections, increase its political contribution limits, eliminate pre-writ spending limits for third parties, and alter other provincial campaign finance laws.

The reforms, announced in a news release by the government of Ontario, would eliminate “American-style fixed election dates” in favor of provincial elections taking place on a date determined by the lieutenant governor on the advice of the premier, but within the five-year maximum limit mandated by the province’s constitution.

Beginning in 2026, individuals’ contribution limits to a political party would be raised from $3,400 to $5,000. Future increases would be indexed to the rate of inflation.

In addition to eliminating third party and political party pre-writ spending limits, the government proposes establishing new financial penalties for those not in compliance with the Election Finances Act.

The amendments to the law would also provide new investigative powers to the Chief Electoral Officer to request information from third parties to ensure they are in compliance with political advertising rules. The proposed changes to the law also include requiring third parties to provide proof of registration status to broadcasters and publishers before placing political advertisements during an election period. 

Want to keep up with lobbying, procurement, and corporate contribution compliance internationally? We have you covered. Learn more here.

Question: Every six months we survey our officers and directors asking whether they have made personal political contributions. Is this sufficient for purposes of pay-to-play reporting?

Answer: Unfortunately, an after-the-fact survey is insufficient in protecting your company from running afoul of pay-to-play laws.
Surveys provide information about personal contributions after the contribution has already been made. When you sit down to complete a pay-to-play report and you consult the survey responses, the damage has already been done if the contribution was made in violation of the pay-to-play law. Furthermore, the time for corrective measures (seeking reimbursement of the contribution) has more than likely passed.
Developing an internal program whereby employees (and in some instances their immediate family members) must seek pre-approval before making a personal political contribution is the gold standard. It is the best practice to ensure compliance with the varied pay-to-play laws.
The most compelling reasons to implement a pre-clearance program are to avoid debarment, fines, and negative publicity. Moreover, having a contract rescinded because of a pay-to-play violation can result in the loss of millions of dollars in revenue.
The success of any program is directly proportional to the education provided to employees. Educating them on the need for a pre-clearance strategy results in increased participation, which in turn results in decreased risk to the company.
At its core, a thorough program must let employees know the company is not prying into their personal spending habits and requiring permission is not an attempt to invade their privacy. The message must be conveyed that the company has legitimate business reasons for requiring pre-approval. Such reasons include: maintaining the company’s ability to effectively conduct business with states and municipalities; ensuring the conduct of the company’s employees does not jeopardize the company’s reputation; and shielding the company’s employees and their family members from personal liability.
There is no one-size-fits-all compliance program, but if a pre-clearance strategy is not used, a violation of a jurisdiction’s pay-to-play law is more likely to occur.

For more information, be sure to check out the “Pay-to-Play” section for each state and local jurisdiction in the U.S. Procurement Lobbying Compliance Laws online publication. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions. – https://stateandfed.com/contact-us/

The campaign contribution limits for city elections have been adjusted. The amount that may be contributed to mayoral candidates has increased from $3,720 to $3,980 per election cycle. The amount for City Council candidates increased from $790 to $850 per election cycle. Political action committees are no longer required to file local campaign finance reports with the city clerk pursuant to an ordinance passed by council earlier this year. State campaign finance reporting requirements are still applicable.

Monitor your registration thresholds by state, by referring to our easy to navigate online guidebooks. Request a web tour to learn more.

 A divided panel of the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a new per curiam opinion in the OPAWL v. Yost case about the constitutionality of 2024 Special Session House Bill 1, which prohibited foreign contributions to ballot measure committees. In June 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio granted a preliminary injunction against enforcement of the prohibition finding the law was likely unconstitutional because federal law allows permanent residents to make contributions. Then on October 8, 2024, a divided three-judge panel granted the state’s motion to stay the district court’s preliminary injunction, with one judge dissenting. On September 16, a divided three-judge panel affirmed the October 8 ruling reversing the district court’s order granting the injunction and remanding the case to the District Court for further proceedings consistent with the new opinion and with that of the majority in the October 8, 2024, ruling.

Do you know if your activities are defined as lobbying? We do. Take a walkthrough demo of our guidebooks today.

The Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics proposed rule amendments to align with statutory changes regarding contributions by lobbyists and to make uniform citations. The proposal clarifies rules relating to the ban on lobbyist contributions during legislative sessions and adds a definition for covered officials. The commission will accept written comments on the proposal until October 6 and will hold a public hearing for comments during the commission’s meeting on September 24.

A proposed ordinance would limit contributions by individuals to City Council candidates and committees to $2,600 during any election cycle. Currently, contributions are unlimited. The proposed ordinance, introduced at the August 25 City Council meeting, also requires all political committees to file a statement of organization with the clerk of the city no later than 10 days. Political committee is defined in the ordinance to include a group of persons making over $200 in contributions to candidates. If passed the ordinance will be effective immediately.

Invite them out for coffee or a steak? Make sure you know the gift restrictions of your state or municipality. Request a demo of our online guidebooks today.

The Ethics Commission announced the new campaign finance website will be launched this month. The current website will be taken down on August 15 and no further data will be able to be input into the old system. The conversion is expected to be completed by Monday, August 19. Brief video tutorials on how to use the new system will be on the website at launch. The Ethics Commission is offering in person and online trainings ahead of the next campaign finance reporting date of January 15, 2026.

Invite them out for coffee or a steak? Make sure you know the gift restrictions of your state or municipality. Request a demo of our online guidebooks today.