Arkansas State Senators introduced several ethics bills on February 4, 2019.

If passed, Senate Bill 260 prohibits direct contributions between PACs and Senate Bill 259 prevents a person elected or appointed to a constitutional office from forming more than one PAC.

Senate Bill 256 prohibits an elected state official from registering as a lobbyist in any jurisdiction while serving as an elected state official.

Senate Bill 249 increases the fines for violating ethics laws the Arkansas Ethics Commission may levy at violators from $2,000 to $3,500.

Additionally, the State Representatives introduced House Bill 1374.

House Bill 1374 prohibits a former Legislator from registering as a lobbyist or entering into employment as the director of an educational cooperative or area agency on aging for two years after the expiration of his or her term of office.

Campaign Finance

Illinois: “Aldermen Named in Secretly Recorded Chat Admit Sending Business to Reyes’ Firm” by Fran Spielman for Chicago Sun-Times

Mississippi: “Lt. Governor Candidate Hughes Sidesteps Campaign Finance Reform Law He Pushed for in 2017” by Luke Ramseth for Jackson Clarion-Ledger

Ethics

Arkansas: “State Lawmakers Roll Out Ethics Reform Package to Address Capitol Corruption” by Wesley Brown for talkbusiness.net

Louisiana: “Politics and the Suite Life for Saints Playoffs? Insiders Got Wish Granted by Gov. Edwards” by Tyler Bridges for New Orleans Advocate

Lobbying

Alabama: “Economic Developers Seek Extension, Expansion of Lobbying Exemption” by Brian Lyman for Montgomery Advertiser

California: “Sebastian Ridley-Thomas’ Work as a Lobbyist Sparks Criticism in California Capitol” by Melody Gutierrez for Los Angeles Times

Connecticut: “When the Governor’s Adviser Is Married to a Lobbyist” by Mark Pazniokas for Connecticut Mirror

New Mexico: “Bill Would Reveal the Cost of a Free Lunch for Lawmakers” by Dan McKay for Albuquerque Journal

Senate Bill 191 was signed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on February 4, 2019.

The bill requires the disclosure of the cumulative total of all individual expenditures of less than $100 made or incurred by the employer or lobbyist during the covered reporting period.

The expenditures must be separated into meals and beverages, other entertainment expenditures, and other expenditures.

The bill is effective July 1, 2019.

Beginning Monday, February 4, through five calendar days following sine die adjournment, several actions regarding campaign contributions by lobbyist principals are prohibited in Oklahoma.

A lobbyist or lobbyist principal must not make a campaign contribution to a member of the legislature or a candidate for state legislative office; promise to make a campaign contribution for a member of the legislature or candidate for state legislative office; or solicit a campaign contribution for a member of the legislature or candidate for state legislative office.

A member of the Legislature or a candidate for state legislative office must not intentionally solicit a campaign contribution from a lobbyist or lobbyist principal; or intentionally accept a campaign contribution from a lobbyist or lobbyist principal.

A contribution from a lobbyist or lobbyist principal to a member of the legislature or a candidate for legislative office that has not been deposited before February 4 must be returned to the contributor.

This statutory blackout period does not prevent a limited Political Action Committee (PAC) from making one or more contributions to a candidate committee up to the limits allowed under the ethics rules provided the PAC is not represented by a lobbyist.

Campaign Finance

Oregon: Oregon Lawmakers Face Dueling Plans for Campaign Finance Reform by Connor Radnovitch for Salem Statesman Journal

Ethics

California: L.A. Deputy Mayor Raised Money from Developers with Major Projects in Downtown, Records Show by David Zahniser and Emily Alpert Reyes for Los Angeles Times

Florida: Report Details Ethics Allegations Against Andrew Gillum by Dara Kam (Associated Press) for Orlando Sentinel

Maryland: Audit: Former MTA manager appears to have steered contracts to firm that employed relatives by Katherine Shaver for Washington Post

Virginia: Northam Meets with Senior Staff and Considers Options, Including Resignation by Gregory Schneider, Laura Vozzella, and Jenna Portnoy for Washington Post

Lobbying

Missouri: Barred from Lobbying for Six Months, Ex-Missouri Rep Returns Anyway to Sway Lawmakers by Hunter Woodall for Kansas City Star

North Dakota: Legislative Lobbyists Feel Their Purpose Is Misunderstood by Diane Newberry (North Dakota Newspaper Association) for Inforum.com

National:

All Red or All Blue, State Legislatures Run to Partisan Sides
MSN – Timothy Williams (New York Times) | Published: 1/28/2019

Republicans continue to hold majorities in most of the nation’s state capitals, as they have in recent years, but Democrats now control six new legislative chambers. Along the way, though, Minnesota became the only remaining state in the nation where control of a Legislature is divided. Even in an era of single-party dominance in state Legislatures, it is the first time in more than a century that only one state has split control of its legislative chambers and is one more indication of the depth of the nation’s divided political sensibilities.

Federal:

K Street Women Seek Closer Ties to Female Lawmakers
Roll Call – Kate Ackley | Published: 1/30/2019

A collection of female lobbyists and organizations is launching a new effort, called 131 & Counting, to welcome the unprecedented number of women now serving in the U.S. House and Senate, build connections with them, and encourage more women to run for office. Miranda Franco, a senior policy adviser with Holland & Knight who came up with the idea, envisions future events that might include panels and roundtables about women in business, the gender wage gap, and other policy matters. Though 131 & Counting is not a fundraising effort, it will connect the female lawmakers with a likely collection of potential campaign donors. Not only did a record number of women run for office last cycle but more women than ever before donated to congressional candidates.

Lawmakers Push Crackdown on Foreign Lobbyists
The Hill – Alex Gangitano | Published: 1/29/2019

Foreign lobbying has been in the national spotlight since special counsel Robert Mueller obtained guilty pleas under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) from two of Donald Trump’s campaign officials, Paul Manafort and Richard Gates, over their lobbying work in Ukraine. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle find FARA outdated, weak, and filled with loopholes. They have tried to change the law in the past, but those efforts have fallen short. U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley introduced the Disclosing Foreign Influence Act in 2017 and he said recently that he wants to try again to pass the bill, which will be reintroduced this Congress.

From the States and Municipalities:

Florida: Florida Secretary of State Michael Ertel Resigns After Halloween Blackface Photos Emerge
Tallahassee Democrat – Jeffrey Schweers | Published: 1/24/2019

Newly appointed Florida Secretary of State Michael Ertel resigned from office after photographs of him posing as a female Hurricane Katrina victim in blackface were obtained by The Tallahassee Democrat. The newspaper reported that the photos were taken in 2005, shortly after Ertel had become supervisor of elections in Seminole County, and depict him in blackface, wearing a New Orleans Saints bandanna around his head and a shirt with the words “Katrina Victim” written on it. Ertel would not comment on the record about the circumstances surrounding the photo.  “There’s nothing I can say,” Ertel said.

Illinois: FBI Secretly Recorded Mike Madigan at His Law Office Pitching Firm’s Services
Chicago Sun-Times – John Seidel, Tina Sfondeles, and Fran Spielman | Published: 1/29/2019

The FBI secretly recorded Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan trying to get business for his private law firm from a developer brought to him by Chicago Ald. Danny Solis, who was weighing the developer’s request to build a hotel in Chicago, according to a federal court affidavit. It makes clear for the first time that the federal investigation that has snared Ald. Edward Burke extends beyond City Hall and into the statehouse, examining politicians’ longstanding practice of merging personal and political business. It has been reported that Solis secretly recorded conversations he had with Burke, who recently was charged with attempted extortion.

Kentucky: A Onetime Rising Democratic Star Faces Questions About Voter Privacy
ProPublica – Daniel Desrochers (Lexington Herald-Leader) and Jessica Huseman | Published: 1/28/2019

In an appearance on MSNBC in July 2017, Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes expressed her opposition to giving voter data to President Trump’s voter fraud commission, which had requested it from election officials in all 50 states. The privacy risks were simply too high, she said. But beginning months before she made that statement, Grimes’ own staff had been looking up hundreds of voters in the very same registration system. An investigation shows the searches were extensive and targeted prominent state politicians, including gubernatorial candidate Rocky Adkins, who could have been Grimes’ opponent in the Democratic primary.

Missouri: St. Louis County’s Campaign Contribution Limit Is in Effect. Probably. Maybe. Who Knows.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch – Jeremy Kohler | Published: 1/24/2019

St. Louis County voters in November overwhelmingly passed a charter amendment that limits campaign contributions to $2,600 per individual per election. But on December 2, Prosecuting Attorney-elect Wesley Bell accepted a contribution for $3,500; the next day he accepted one for $10,000. It remains unclear whether Bell’s campaign ran afoul of the amendment. The Missouri Constitution says county charter amendments become a part of the charter “at the time and under the conditions fixed in the amendment.” The county’s charter amendment did not have an effective date, and no one in the county government can say when, or even if, it did take effect.

New Mexico: Lobbyist Loophole Fix Heads to Gov. as Lobbyists Spend Nearly $90K
New Mexixo In Depth – Marjorie Childress | Published: 1/30/2019

New Mexico lawmakers gave final approval to a bill that would close a loophole that allowed lobbyists to buy politicians meals and drinks of up to $100 without reporting it to state regulators. Senate Bill 191 fixes a mistake made by legislators in 2016 when they inadvertently got rid of a. If Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signs Senate Bill 191, which she has indicated she will, all expenditures will have to be reported in the future, including the total of individual expenses under $100. Current law requires lobbyists to report expenses above $100 individually.

Oklahoma: Groups on Right, Left Oppose Proposed Grassroots Lobbying Rules
Oklahoma Watch – Paul Monies | Published: 1/24/2019

The Oklahoma Ethics Commission had been considering disclosure requirements for advocates who buy ads supporting or opposing legislation. But commissioners let the proposed indirect lobbying rule die without a vote after an outcry against it. Most of those against the proposal called it an infringement on free speech. Leaders of nonprofits involved in politics complained the disclosure requirements would drive away donors who want to remain anonymous. More than 3,200 people signed a petition against the proposal.

Oregon: Oregon Supreme Court Could Beat Gov. Brown to Campaign Finance Change
Oregon Public Broadcasting – Dirk Vanderhart | Published: 1/24/2019

Gov. Kate Brown says changes to Oregon’s campaign finance system are a priority in this year’s legislative session, but it is possible some of those changes will occur before she gets her chance. In a rare move, the Oregon Supreme Court agreed to fast-track a case that proponents hope will let the state limit campaign contributions. The move means the matter will skip over the Oregon Court of Appeals, where cases can languish for years and will be heard by the justices later this year. At issue is a set of campaign finance changes enacted by Multnomah County voters three years ago. The new rules placed a $500 ceiling on the checks that individual donors or PACs could give to candidates for county office, and they required disclosures of top donors for political advertisements, among other provisions.

Pennsylvania: Feds Indict Powerful Philly Union Boss, City Councilman, Others
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette – Maryclaire Dale (Associated Press) | Published: 1/30/2019

A powerful union boss with a tight grip on construction jobs in the Philadelphia region and outsized influence in city and state politics has been indicted in alleged schemes to embezzle more than $600,000 and have a councilperson on the union payroll do his bidding at City Hall. Johnny “Doc” Dougherty has steered tens of millions of dollars to political candidates in Pennsylvania during his tenure running the electricians union. According to the 116-count indictment, Dougherty pressed Comcast to steer $2 million worth of electrical work to a friend as the company negotiated the renewal of the city’s 15-year cable lease and had city Councilperson Bobby Henon investigate a towing company that seized Dougherty’s car., among other charges.

South Dakota: Lobbyist Can Return House Floor After Judge Issues Restraining Order
Rapid City Journal – Chris Huber | Published: 1/27/2019

The lobbyist who was banned from the South Dakota House floor can once again conduct business there after a federal judge granted her a temporary restraining order. Yvonne Taylor, executive director of the South Dakota Municipal League, alleged in a lawsuit that Speaker Steve Haugaard barred her from the House floor after she wrote a magazine column saying the number of “wackies” in the Legislature was increasing.  U.S. District Court Judge Roberto Lange said both sides are working toward a settlement, but he granted to the temporary order to “avert immediate or irreparable injury” to Taylor while those discussions occur.

Texas: Dallas Lawyer’s Young Children Are Listed as Big Donors for 3 City Council Members
Dallas News – Corbett Smith | Published: 1/30/2019

Four young children are among Dallas’s biggest political donors. Over the past two years, the children of James Stanton, a former judge in Dallas County, donated a total of $11,000 to three city council members. Those contributions appear to skirt the city’s campaign finance rules, which set a $1,000 individual limit per election cycle for city council races. Charles Sartain, an attorney who specializes in election law, said Stanton’s donations are similar to when a boss distributes money he or she wants doled out for political contributions.

Texas: In the Texas House, They’re Seen as Lobbyists. In the Senate, They Sit at the Press Table.
Texas Tribune – Emma Platoff | Published: 1/28/2019

Empower Texans has worked to replace moderate Republicans with hardline conservatives. The organization and its PAC – which blur the lines between newsroom, lobbying firm, and PAC – have aimed to upend the political scene, with primary challenges and by-the-minute scorecards of lawmakers’ votes. This year, two employees of the Empower Texans’ reporting arm, Texas Scorecard, sit for the first time at the press table on the Senate floor. Aside from lawmakers, staff, and special guests, only journalists are allowed on the floor of the chamber. The media credentials are an opportunity for a group that tries to influence the process. And Empower Texans’ influence is notable. Last election cycle, the group’s PAC spent millions of dollars, a hefty amount going to the Senate and to its leader, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.

Utah: Who Funds Utah Legislators’ Campaigns? Special Interests Provide 82% of Money, While Voters in Lawmakers’ Own Districts Gave Only 6%.
Salt Lake Tribune – Lee Davidson | Published: 1/27/2019

Incoming Utah legislators collected only six percent of their campaign donations during the 2018 election year from voters who live in their districts. The lion’s share of contributions, 82 percent, came from special-interest groups or out-of-state donors, according to an analysis by The Salt Lake Tribune. As the Legislature convenes, the statistics again raise questions about how much influence wealthy donors and organized interests wield compared with run-of-the-mill Utah voters. Chase Thomas, executive director of the Alliance for a Better Utah, says he doubts big-donor groups buy any votes, but their money may improve their access to lawmakers to make their case for or against legislation.

Senate Bill 191 is on its way to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s desk.

If signed, the bill will require the disclosure of the cumulative total of all individual expenditures of less than $100 made or incurred by the employer or lobbyist during the covered reporting period.

The expenditures must be separated into meals and beverages, other entertainment expenditures, and other expenditures.

Grisham has indicated she intends to sign the bill. Once signed, the bill will be effective July 1, 2019.

Campaign Finance

New York: “Ex-AG Used Campaign Cash for Legal Bills” by Michael Sisak (Associated Press) for Albany Times Union

Ethics

National: “Democrats’ Money-in-Politics Reform Package Draws Praise – and Strong Objections” by Raymond Arke for Center for Responsive Politics

National: “Steven Mnuchin Draws Claims of Conflict of Interest in Decision on Russian Oligarch” by Kenneth Vogel (New York Times) for MSN

Illinois: “Ald. Daniel Solis, Who Wore Wire for FBI, Paid Himself Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars from Campaign Fund” by Hal Dardick, Jason Meisner, and David Heinzman for Chicago Tribune

Indiana: “Lawmaker Who Employs Minors at Ski Resort Shelves Plan to Scrap Child Labor Laws” by Kaitlin Lange for Indianapolis Star

Pennsylvania: “Indictment of ‘Johnny Doc’, Councilman Bobby Henon Heaps Scrutiny on Philly’s Soda Tax” by Chris Brennan and Andrew Seidman for Philadelphia Inquirer

Lobbying

National: “K Street Women Seek Closer Ties to Female Lawmakers” by Kate Ackley for Roll Call

National: “Dem Bill Would Block Former Intel Chiefs from Lobbying for Foreign Governments” by Olivia Beavers for The Hill

Maryland: “Lobbyists Vent Frustrations About Assembly Website” by Diane Rey for MarylandReporter.com

Montana: “Bill to Create Lobbyist Code of Conduct, Require Anti-Harassment Training Opposed by Lobbyists” by Holly Michels for Helena Independent Record

Campaign Finance

New Mexico: “Campaign Finance Overhaul Clears Hurdle” by Dan McKay for Albuquerque Journal

Elections

Kentucky: “A Onetime Rising Democratic Star Faces Questions About Voter Privacy” by Daniel Desrochers (Lexington Herald-Leader) and Jessica Huseman for ProPublica

Ethics

Arizona: “GOP Maneuver Halts Effort to Oust Arizona Rep. David Stringer” by Howard Fischer (Capitol News Services) for Arizona Daily Star

Illinois: “FBI Secretly Recorded Mike Madigan at His Law Office Pitching Firm’s Services” by John Seidel, Tina Sfondeles, and Fran Spielman for Chicago Sun-Times

Legislative Issues

National: “All Red or All Blue, State Legislatures Run to Partisan Sides” by Timothy Williams (New York Times) for MSN

Lobbying

National: “Lawmakers Push Crackdown on Foreign Lobbyists” by Alex Gangitano for The Hill

Michigan: “Bill Targets Lawmakers’ Lobbyist Switchover” by Jonathan Oosting for Detroit News

Texas: “In the Texas House, They’re Seen as Lobbyists. In the Senate, They Sit at the Press Table.” by Emma Platoff for Texas Tribune

Campaign Finance

Europe: “Nick Clegg Uses Debut as Facebook Lobbyist to Win Over EU” by Natalia Drozdiak for Bloomberg

Maryland: “Bill Would Loosen Md. Campaign Donations” by Rachel Chason (Washington Post) for Laredo Morning Times

Utah: “Who Funds Utah Legislators’ Campaigns? Special Interests Provide 82% of Money, While Voters in Lawmakers’ Own Districts Gave Only 6%.” by Lee Davidson for Salt Lake Tribune

Ethics

Indiana: “Indiana Lawmaker Who Employs Hundreds of Minors Pushes to Scrap State Child Labor Laws” by Kaitlin Lange for Indianapolis Star

Maine: “Maine Bills Target Money in Politics, Lobbyist Influence” by Marina Villeneuve (Associated Press) for Fosters Daily Democrat

Lobbying

Oklahoma: “Groups on Right, Left Oppose Proposed Grassroots Lobbying Rules” by Paul Monies for Oklahoma Watch

South Dakota: “Lobbyist Can Return House Floor After Judge Issues Restraining Order” by Chris Huber for Rapid City Journal

Washington: “Ousted Lawmaker Registers as Lobbyist” by Rachel LaCorte (Associated Press) for Peninsula Daily News

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed three executive orders, changing former Gov. Bill Haslam’s policies on gifts to state employees, ethics disclosures for interactions with the General Assembly, and government hiring, among others.

Lee added to Haslam’s policy on gifts by including “beverage” and “refreshment” on the list of banned gifts that can be accepted by a state employee from those intending to conduct business with the state agency where the employee works.

Lee’s Executive Order 2 expands the scope of employees required to file ethical disclosures by adding senior members and all employees who regularly interact with the General Assembly.

Lee’s Executive Order 3 requires human resources and labor officials to train executive branch managers on nondiscrimination employment practices within 120 days and with “reasonable frequency” afterward.

Under Executive Order 4, Lee’s anti-discrimination policy in government hiring practices changes “gender” to “sex” and adds pregnancy, veteran’s status, and any other “category protected and/or federal civil rights laws”.

The executive orders were issued on January 24.

Campaign Finance

Missouri: “St. Louis County’s Campaign Contribution Limit Is in Effect. Probably. Maybe. Who Knows.” by Jeremy Kohler for St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Oregon: “Oregon Supreme Court Could Beat Gov. Brown to Campaign Finance Change” by Dirk Vanderhart for Oregon Public Broadcasting

Elections

National: “Longtime Trump Adviser Roger Stone Indicted by Special Counsel in Russia Investigation” by Devlin Barrett, Rosalind Helderman, John Wagner, and Manuel Roig-Franzia (Washington Post) for Seattle Times

Ethics

California: “State Controller Betty Yee Disputes Claim That City of Industry Audit Was ‘Politically Motivated’” by Melody Gutierrez and Adam Elmahrek for Los Angeles Times

Florida: “Florida Secretary of State Michael Ertel Resigns After Halloween Blackface Photos Emerge” by Jeffrey Schweers for Tallahassee Democrat

Florida: “Andrew Gillum’s Ethics Case Continues after Florida Commission Finds Cause” by Elizabeth Koh for Tampa Bay Times

Indiana: “Indiana Lawmakers Must Now Aide by Sexual Harassment Policy. Expert Calls It ‘Very 1980s.’” by Kaitlin Lange for Indianapolis Star

Tennessee: “Lee Signs 3 Executive Orders on Ethics, Transparency” by Kimberlee Kruesi and Jonathan Mattise for apnews.com

We know there is a lot of news happening today, but here are four lobbying, campaign finance and pay-to-play stories from this week you don’t want to miss!

Lawmakers Eye Changes to Ballot Measures – Passed and Future
Governing – Alan Greenblatt | Published: 1/16/2019

Ballot measures have become a popular way to enact new policies, from minimum wage hikes and legalized marijuana to ethics reforms. But voter-approved measures are meeting more pushback. Republican lawmakers in several states are fighting ballot measures on two fronts: as was the case following the 2016 election, they are trying to overturn provisions of some laws that voters just passed in November. They are also seeking legislative changes that would make it harder to pass in the future.

Federal:

BuzzFeed’s Stumble Is Highest-Profile Misstep at a Time When Press Is Under Greatest Scrutiny
Danbury News-Times – Paul Farhi (Washington Post) | Published: 1/19/2019

Reporters at the Guardian, CNN, McClatchy News, and other outlets have published disputed, suspect, or uncorroborated stories about President Trump and the investigation swirling around him since special counsel Robert Mueller began his probe. Each instance has elicited cries of “fake news” from the president and his supporters, stoking the claim that the mainstream media is biased and irresponsible. But these disputed stories have tended to be about distinct events or actions; they were effectively clues rather than conclusions about Trump’s potential criminality. BuzzFeed News’ apparently mistaken story about Michael Cohen and Trump was of a different nature and magnitude.

GOP Reaches Landmark Agreement to Juice Small-Dollar Fundraising
Politico – Alex Isenstadt | Published: 1/21/2019

President Trump’s political team and top Republican officials have reached an agreement to reshape the party’s fundraising apparatus and close the financial gap that devastated them in the midterms. With the deal, Republicans hope to create a rival to ActBlue, the Democratic online fundraising behemoth that plowed over $700 million in small-dollar donations into Democratic coffers in the 2018 campaign. Republicans agreed to create a new platform dubbed Patriot Pass, which will be used to cultivate and process online donations.

Law Firm Tied to Manafort Reaches $4.6 Million Settlement
apnews.com – Chad Day and Eric Tucker | Published: 1/17/2019

A prominent law firm that helped former Trump campaign chairperson Paul Manafort lobby on behalf of pro-Russian politicians in Ukraine agreed to pay more than $4.6 million and publicly acknowledge it failed to report its work for a foreign government. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom admitted that in 2012 it acted as an agent of Ukraine by participating in a public relations campaign for a report it authored for that country’s government. The firm will register retroactively as a foreign agent. The Justice Department, which is charged with enforcing the Foreign Agents Registration Act, had largely turned a blind eye until Robert Mueller began charging Trump’s associates, including Manafort, who had built a lucrative business advising Russia-aligned politicians and wealthy business executives in Ukraine.

From the States and Municipalities:

California: Former California Lawmaker Registers as a Lobbyist After #MeToo Investigation
Sacramento Bee – Sophia Bollag | Published: 1/22/2019

A month after the California Assembly said he had likely violated its sexual misconduct policy, former Assemblyperson Sebastian Ridley-Thomas moved to return to the Capitol by registering as a lobbyist. The state’s online lobbying database shows he registered as a lobbyist with his firm Millennial Advisors, drawing criticism from anti-sexual harassment activists at the Capitol. Ridley-Thomas quit the Legislature in December 2017, citing health problems. Records released by the Assembly show at least two people accused him of harassment before he resigned. “We have made progress on #metoo issues in #caleg but a solution that does not include lobbyists is incomplete,” tweeted Adama Iwu, one of the lobbyists who started the We Said Enough movement.

California: With FBI Probe Looming, L.A. City Council Members Revive Plan to Limit Developer Donations
Los Angeles Times – Emily Alpert Reyes and David Zahniser | Published: 1/15/2019

Two years ago, Los Angeles City Council members called for a ban on political donations from real estate developers seeking city approval for their projects. That plan languished at City Hall and was tabled by the Ethics Commission before it officially expired. Now, with FBI agents conducting a corruption investigation into City Hall, council members have revived the idea. Under the proposal, real estate developers would be barred from giving to city candidates and officeholders once they have turned in an application that requires city approval or other action, provided the request involves building or adding more than 4,000 square feet of floor area for residential projects or 15,000 square feet for commercial projects.

Connecticut: $97 Million of Influence: Lobbyists are fixtures at the Capitol, pushing their message amid rules on gifts, perks, receptions
Hartford Courant – Josh Kovner | Published: 1/23/2019

Every January at the Connecticut Capitol, the lobbying effort revs up to a fever pitch and does not stop until the final roll call. This session, the race to gain an edge promises to be even more frenetic, propelled by highly charged issues like gun control and taxes. With a new governor and 40 new lawmakers, lobbyists will be scrambling just to make connections. While there are substantial restrictions on gifts from lobbyists to lawmakers, there is a sizable exception. A lobbyist can, from his or her personal account, give a legislator up to $1,000 for each of several “life events” per year, such as a wedding or birth. Each session, staffers in the Office of State Ethics school freshman legislators on the restrictions and reporting requirements.

District of Columbia: D.C. ‘Pay-to-Play’ Ban Closer to Becoming Law after Mayor Declines Veto
Washington Post – Peter Jamison | Published: 1/18/2019

Sweeping changes to campaign finance regulations in the District of Columbia are on track to become law after Mayor Muriel Bowser opted not to veto legislation passed by the city council. Among other provisions, the measure would ban campaign contributions from companies and their top executives if they hold or are seeking government contracts worth at least $250,000; give new authority and independence to the city’s Office of Campaign Finance; and require increased disclosure from independent expenditure committees.

Illinois: Contractor Challenges Illinois Campaign Finance Law
Courthouse News – Lorraine Bailey | Published: 1/18/2019

An Illinois law prohibiting government contractors from making campaign contributions is being challenged as unconstitutional after a public housing management firm lost a contract because its founder donated to Democratic gubernatorial candidates. The Habitat Company is a Chicago-based real estate firm that has managed a building called Lake Shore Plaza. Ellen Daley, Illinois’ chief procurement officer for general services, notified the company that its founder’s campaign contributions violated state law and required voiding a 2019 management contract for Lake Shore Plaza. Habitat sued to challenge Daley’s decision and the law banning government contractors or affiliated persons from making any contribution to a political committee of the officeholder responsible for awarding their contracts.

Michigan: Outgoing State Officials Turn to Lobbying Under Lax Michigan Rules
Detroit News – Jonathan Oosting | Published: 1/23/2019

At least seven former state officials and lawmakers in Michigan have registered as lobbyists or joined lobbying firms since leaving office at the end of 2018. The recent moves highlight that Michigan is among a minority of states that do not ban recent legislators, department heads, or executive branch officials from immediately taking paid jobs to lobby former colleagues. Restrictions in other states and Congress are designed to reduce ethical conflicts. Those include the potential for interest groups to promise future jobs to officials in exchange for preferential treatment while they are still in office. Michigan prohibits lawmakers from resigning to take lobbyist jobs during the term they had been elected to, but its lack of broader restrictions.

New York: Gov. Cuomo Signs Major Voting Reforms
Legislative Gazette – James Gormley | Published: 1/24/2019

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation that implements major changes to the state’s election and campaign finance laws. The new laws enact early voting in New York, synchronize state and federal elections, and allow 16- and 17-year-olds to pre-register to vote. One bill will close the so-called LLC loophole by limiting political spending by a limited liability company to a total of $5,000 annually, which is the same limit as corporations. It will also require the disclosure of direct and indirect membership interests in the LLC making a contribution, and for the donation to be attributed to that individual.

South Carolina: After Ethics Snafu, SC Lawmakers Move to Change How They Accept Gifts from Public
The State – Avery Wilks | Published: 1/23/2019

The South Carolina House moved to change its rules on accepting gifts from special interests and the public, two weeks after a donation of nearly 200 books to state lawmakers caused confusion about whether the gifts needed to be recorded on ethics filings. The new rule would prohibit anyone from dropping off gifts of any value in the House chamber. It also would require someone to get a lawmaker’s written signature before leaving any gift worth more than $25. The giver must also document with the state Ethics Commission any gift worth more than $25.

South Dakota: Lobbyist Files Suit Against South Dakota House Speaker
Sioux Falls Argus Leader – Jonathan Ellis | Published: 1/22/2019

Lobbyist Yvonne Taylor, executive director of the South Dakota Municipal League, filed suit against House Speaker Steve Haugaard after she says she was banned from the House floor for writing a critical column. According to her lawsuit, Haugaard took issue with a May column she wrote for the Municipal League’s membership magazine. Haugaard complained the column, which was published before the June primary election, made the Legislature look like “a bunch of buffoons.” Taylor complained that the number of “wackies” in the Legislature were increasing. The “wackies” oppose government and any taxation, even when groups that would pay added taxes or fees wanted them, Taylor said in the column.

Wisconsin: Judge: GOP can’t block liberal group’s Twitter comments
Charlotte Observer – Todd Richmond (Associated Press) | Published: 1/18/2019

Top Republicans in the Wisconsin Legislature violated the First Amendment when they blocked a liberal advocacy group from seeing their Twitter feeds, a federal judge ruled. U.S. District Court Judge William Conley’s decision marks One Wisconsin Now’s second legal victory in as many days over Assembly Speaker Robin Vos. Another federal judge struck down early-voting restrictions Vos and his fellow Republicans passed in a contentious lame-duck session in December. One Wisconsin Now and other groups had challenged those provisions days after former Gov. Scott Walker signed them into law.