March 20, 2013 •
Wednesday Government Relations News
Here is our roundup of the latest articles on lobbying, ethics, and more!
Lobbying
Georgia: “Ga. Senate expected to unveil lobbying rules” by The Associated Press in WSAV TV.
Indiana: “Purdue moving to trim its federal lobbying costs” by The Associated Press in the Indianapolis Business Journal.
Ethics
Arizona: “Campaign-finance case against Horne recommended for dismissal” by Lindsey Collom and Craig Harris in the Arizona Republic.
Georgia: “Ethics reform at critical juncture” Chris Joyner and Kristina Torres in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
New Jersey: “N.J. Politics Roundup: House committee investigates Andrews over spending” by Brent Johnson in the Star-Ledger.
Rhode Island: “R.I. ethics panel mulls statute of limitations on complaint filings” by Karen Lee Ziner in the Providence Journal.
Elections
Ohio: “Ohio House panel OKs elections bill” by Michelle Everhart in the Columbus Dispatch.
Procurement
Iowa: “Iowa businesses would get preference on state contracts under bill approved by Iowa Senate” by William Petroski in the Des Moines Register.
From the State Legislatures
“State Legislative Leaders Gather in Washington” by Jon Kuhl in NCSL’s The Thicket.
Term Limits
Texas: “Senate votes to let voters decide on term limits for statewide officeholders” by Mike Ward in the Austin American-Statesman.
March 19, 2013 •
Tuesday Lobbying and Campaign Finance News
Keep up with the latest government relations news with these articles:
Lobbying
“K Street Files: FTI Consulting Snaps Up C2 Group” by Kate Ackley in Roll Call.
California: “California cities, counties find funds to hire Capitol lobbyists” by Anthony York in the Los Angeles Times.
Georgia: “Ga. senators to debate House plan to limit lobbyist spending; end-of-session drawing near” by The Associated Press in The Republic.
New York: “Artists Against Fracking May Not Be Registered As New York Lobbying Group, AP Reports” by Michael Gormley in the Huffington Post.
Campaign Finance
Connecticut: “The ‘Ernie Newton’ campaign finance ban moves forward” by Ken Dixon in the Connecticut Post.
Las Cruces, New Mexico: “Las Cruces council refines proposed campaign finance ordinance” by Steve Ramirez in the Las Cruces Sun-News.
Vermont: “Vermont Senate’s campaign finance bill: many find something to like” by Nancy Remsen in the Burlington Free Press.
Ethics
“Reps. Andrews, Young to be investigated by House Ethics panel” by Jordy Yager in The Hill.
Florida: “Coalition calls for ethics improvements” by Bill Cotterell in the Florida Current.
Kentucky: “Richie Farmer could be fined $210,000 over 42 ethics violations” by Tom Loftus in the Courier-Journal.
Rhode Island: “Common Cause web site counts days, hours since ethics vote quashed” by Katherine Gregg in the Providence Journal.
From the State Legislatures
“2012 Election Legislation: National Summary” on NCSL.org.
Social Media
New Mexico: “Social media plays a bigger role in leg session” by Julie Ann Grimm in the Santa Fe New Mexican.
March 18, 2013 •
Monday News Roundup
Let’s start off the week with these lobbying, campaign finance, and ethics news articles:
Lobbying
“Street Talk: K Street Hiring Chill Leaves Members Cold” by Kate Ackley in Roll Call.
“Former Rep. Rehberg joins K Street firm” by Kevin Bogardus in The Hill.
Georgia: “House lobbyist gift ‘ban’ has loopholes” by Chris Joyner in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Campaign Finance
“Russ Feingold on the Path to Campaign Finance Reform” by John Light on BillMoyers.com.
“Former Fla. Dem candidate pleads guilty to campaign finance fraud, claims he was ‘used’” by Megan R. Wilson in The Hill.
New York: “Eyes On Albany As State Considers Campaign Finance Changes” by The Associated Press in WHAM ABC News.
Ethics
“Lawmakers add relatives to campaign payrolls” by Fredreka Schouten and Christopher Schnaars in USA Today.
“Conflicts of interest run rampant in state legislatures” by Nicholas Kusnetz in The Center for Public Integrity.
“A year in prison, Rod Blagojevich in good spirits” by Mackenzie Weinger in Politico.
Florida: “Gaming committee chairman relies on flights from gaming lobbyist for travel to Tallahassee” by Mary Ellen Klas in the Miami Herald.
Minnesota: “Minn. Judges May be Required to Reveal Financial Ties” by Nick Winkler in KAAL TV ABC News.
Open Government
Missouri: “Push for exemptions adds to debate over Missouri’s open-records law” by Chris Blank in the Kansas City Star.
Vermont: “Vermont Senate advances open-records bill” by Nancy Resmen in the Burlington Free Press.
March 15, 2013 •
News You Can Use Digest – March 15, 2013
Here are highlights from the latest edition of News You Can Use:
Federal:
Obama Meets with New Advocacy Group
From the States and Municipalities:
California – California Lawmakers Avoid Campaign Contribution Limits with Ballot Measure Account
Florida – Investigators: Florida gambling probe that led to resignation of lieutenant governor will grow
Iowa – Statehouse Coffee Budget Running at $1,400 Deficit
Kentucky – Dennis Horlander Paid More than Most in Kentucky Legislature
Michigan – Former Mayor of Detroit Guilty in Corruption Case
Missouri – St. Louis Police Sergeant Plans to Sue Department for Silencing His Pro-Pot Work
Oregon – Oregon Legislators Reap Big Post-Election Donations – Much of it ‘Makeup Money’
Pennsylvania – Ex-Senate Leader, 7 Others Charged in Turnpike Probe
Rhode Island – RI House Leadership Faulted over Ethics Vote
Tennessee – Black Keys Manager Ticket Offer Raises Questions
Washington – Blind Lawmaker Up to Task in Olympia
West Virginia – Gainer Queries Ethics Panel over Visa Ads
State and Federal Communications produces a weekly summary of national news, offering more than 80 articles per week focused on ethics, lobbying, and campaign finance.
News You Can Use is a news service provided at no charge only to clients of our online Executive Source Guides, or ALERTS™ consulting clients.
March 14, 2013 •
Thursday News Roundup
Here are some great articles for today’s government relations news summary:
Lobbying
“Howard Berman signs up for K Street job” by Tarini Parti in Politico.
“K Street Files: Under Attack, Gamers Add In-House Lobbyists” by Kate Ackley in Roll Call.
“K Street lobbyists leap to the planet’s defense after asteroid scare” by Kevin Bogardus in The Hill.
Campaign Finance
Utah: “Legislature to change law on who probes campaign violations” by Robert Gehrke in the Salt Lake Tribune.
Vermont: “Vermont Senate panel delays vote on campaign finance” by Dave Gram in the Burlington Free Press.
Ethics
“Florida Official Resigns in Wake of Gambling Probe” by Cameron McWhirter and Ana Campoy in the Wall Street Journal.
“Fla. charity probe to next focus on campaign money” by Mike Schneider and Gary Fineout in the Miami Herald.
Open Government
“Oversight panel pushes for transparency” by Eric Martinson in Politico.
Kansas: “Senate committee discusses changes to ‘open records’ law” by Stevi Wilson in the Lawrence Journal-World.
North Carolina: “How to bring more sunshine to the NC legislature” by John Frank in the News & Observer.
Procurement
Iowa: “Panel told of revised process for equipment procurement” by Jason Noble in the Des Moines Register.
Legislative Issues
Kentucky: “Ky. lawmakers approve 107 bills during first 28 days of legislative session” by Jack Brammer in the Herald-Leader.
Montana: “Montana lawmakers consider longer term limits” by The Associated Press in the Billings Gazette.
Redistricting
Wisconsin: “New court filing: Documents were deleted from GOP redistricting computers” by Patrick Marley in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
March 13, 2013 •
Wednesday Government Relations News
Here is our roundup of the latest articles on lobbying, campaign finance, and more!
Lobbying
Nevada: “Lawmakers spin through revolving door to lobbying” by Anjeanette Damon in the Las Vegas Sun.
Campaign Finance
Alaska: “Campaign finance resolution finds support” by The Associated Press in the Anchorage Daily News.
Arizona: “AZ House passes bill barring student association fee use for politics” by The Associated Press in the Arizona Capitol Times.
Arkansas: “Ark. panel rejects campaign finance proposals” by The Associated Press in KATV ABC News.
Georgia: “Lesser ethics bill gets committee approval” by Kristina Torres in the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Hawaii: “State lawmakers debate campaign finance reforms” by Anita Hofschneider (Associated Press) in the Star Advertiser.
Michigan: “House Dems back ethics, campaign finance reform package” by Chad Livengood in the Detroit News.
North Carolina: “Dome: Campaign finance reports lag” by John Frank and Rob Christensen in the News & Observer.
Utah: “Utah Senate votes to close disclosure loophole” by Lee Davidson in the Salt Lake Tribune.
Vermont: “Vt. Senate panel works on campaign finance bill” by The Associated Press in the San Francisco Chronicle.
Ethics
Florida: “Locals owe state Ethics Commission thousands” by Tom McLaughlin in the Northwest Florida Daily News.
Open Government
“Arizona gets ‘C’ grade for legislative openness” by The Associated Press in the Arizona Capitol Times.
New Mexico: “Legislators fast-track bill that protects their email” by Julie Ann Grimm in the Santa Fe New Mexican.
South Dakota: “Daugaard signs three bills on open government” by The Associated Press in the Argus Leader.
Texas: “Texas gets high marks regarding transparency in legislative matters but still needs more sunshine” in the Austin American-Statesman.
West Virginia: “Legislation may make memos, internal letters public” by Zack Harold in the Charleston Daily Mail.
Wyoming: “Legislature average on transparency” by Trevor Brown in the Wyoming Tribune Eagle.
March 12, 2013 •
Tuesday Lobbying and Campaign Finance News
Keep up with the latest government relations news with these articles:
Lobbying
“Scott Brown joins law and lobby firm” by Kevin Bogardus in The Hill.
“Bottom Line” in The Hill.
“Former US Rep. Jerry Costello opens lobbying firm” in the Pantagraph.
Florida: “Senator backing lobbyist restrictions is lobbyist himself” by Aaron Deslatte in the Orlando Sentinel.
Campaign Finance
“What it costs to win a Congressional election” by Jon Terbush in The Week.
Florida: “Senate’s campaign finance compromise creates mega PACs” by Mary Ellen Klas in the Miami Herald.
Nevada: “Bill seeks tighter Nevada campaign reporting laws” by The Associated Press in the Las Vegas Sun.
Wisconsin: “Campaign spending in Wisconsin more than triples” by Jason Stein in the Journal Sentinel.
Ethics
“FEC: Larry Craig Misused Campaign Funds for Personal Legal Expenses” by Mike Scarcella in The Blog of Legal Times.
Utah: “Executive branch ethics bill advances in Utah” by Lee Davidson in the Salt Lake Tribune.
Open Government
Thank you, Eric Brown and the Political Activity Law blog for reminding us that this week is Sunshine Week!
Legislative Issues
“Report: Members of Congress Happy With Their Jobs” by Emma Dumain in Roll Call.
Alaska: “Alaska Legislature Celebrates its Centennial, Creates Commission to Recognize First Territorial Legislature” by Morgan Cullen in NCSL’s The Thicket.
March 8, 2013 •
News You Can Use Digest – March 8, 2013
Here are highlights from the latest edition of News You Can Use:
Federal:
Are Hashtags a Political #Wasteoftime?
Pro-Obama Group Reverses Stance on Corporate Cash
From the States and Municipalities:
California – LA Mayor’s Race Heads to Runoff between Democratic Rivals Who Share Much Common Ground
California – Oakland City Council Approves Campaign Sunlight Ordinance
Colorado – Federal Judge Dismisses Challenge to Colorado Campaign Finance Law
Florida – Florida Legislators Work to Regain Voter Trust
Massachusetts – Cahill to Pay $100,000 to Settle Case
New Mexico – House Approves Bill for State Ethics Commission
Tennessee – Rep. Curry Todd Lived Rent-Free in Lobbyist’s Home
Texas – Watchdogs: Ethics loopholes obscure lobby perks
Vermont – New Twist on Campaign Finance Debate
Wyoming – Wyoming Legislative Leaders Decry Lobbying Tactics
State and Federal Communications produces a weekly summary of national news, offering more than 80 articles per week focused on ethics, lobbying, and campaign finance.
News You Can Use is a news service provided at no charge only to clients of our online Executive Source Guides, or ALERTS™ consulting clients.
March 7, 2013 •
Thursday News Roundup
Here are some great articles for today’s government relations news summary:
Lobbying
“K St. ready for cybersercurity cash grab” by Kevin Bogardus in The Hill.
“Under Contract” in The Hill.
Illinois: “Lobbying push at Capitol as gun issue looms” by Rafael Guerrero in the Chicago Tribune.
Pennsylvania: “Gov. Tom Corbett may be open to a gift ban, spokeswoman suggests” by Jan Murphy in the Patriot-News.
Texas: “Watchdogs: Ethics Loopholes Obscure Lobby Perks” by Jay Root in the Texas Tribune.
Campaign Finance
Colorado: “David Sirota Moderates Discussion On Campaign Finance Reform, Democracy In Colorado” by Matt Ferner in the Huffington Post.
Ethics
California: “STATE LEGISLATURE: Area lawmakers given gifts, trips in 2012” by Jim Miller in the Press-Enterprise.
Florida: “Florida House bridles at Senate’s proposed ethics reforms” by Dara Kam in the Palm Beach Post.
Florida: “Matt Reed: Something to cheer, for a change, as Legislature opens” by Matt Reed in Florida Today.
Hawaii: “Hawaii Legislators Exempt Themselves from State Ethics Code” by Barbara Polk in the Hawaii Reporter.
March 6, 2013 •
Florida Senate Passes Ethics Package
Bills were priorities of Senate President
On the first day of the 2013 legislative session the Florida Senate unanimously passed ethics reform bills.
The bills add revolving door provisions, increase the responsibilities of the ethics commission, and require financial disclosure reports to be posted online.
The reform package now moves to the House, where somewhat different versions of the legislation are already under consideration.
March 6, 2013 •
Wednesday Government Relations News
Keep up with the latest articles on lobbying, campaign finance, and more!
Lobbying
“K Street Files: Both Sides Rev Up for Wage War” by Elizabeth Newlin Carney in Roll Call.
“K Street’s gravy train runs dry as Georgian leaders move past election” by Kevin Bogardus and Julian Pecquet in The Hill.
“Former Sen. Jon Kyl joins lobby shop at Covington” by Catherine Ho in the Washington Post.
New York: “Best-paid lobbyists, spenders unveiled” by Chris Bragg in Crain’s New York.
Pennsylvania: “Pa.’s Corbett and wife disclose gifts from lobbyists and businesses” by The Associated Press in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Pennsylvania: “Corbett’s acceptance of gifts give rise to calls for laws on gift bans” by Jan Murphy in the Patriot-News.
Campaign Finance
“Study shows Super PACs made mockery of campaign law” by Taylor Lincoln in The Hill.
Arizona: “Arizona senate approves contribution limits to recall campaigns” by Howard Fischer in the East Valley Tribune.
Kentucky: “Ky. House passes bill to publicly finance state SC races” by Jessica M. Karmasek in Legal Newsline.
Ethics
Florida: “Florida lawmakers vote for ethics and early voting changes” by Mary Ellen Klas in the Tampa Bay Times.
Legislative Issues
Missouri: “Mo. House endorses change to term limits” by The Associated Press in the News Tribune.
South Dakota: “SD Senate approves boost in expenses for lawmakers” in the Rapid City Journal.
Open Government
“Sen. Del Marsh says GOP committee members did not violate Open Meetings Act” by Mike Cason in the Birmingham News.
Redistricting
Kentucky: “House redistricting plan would create new Lexington district” by Jack Brammer and Beth Musgrave in the Lexington Herald-Leader.
March 5, 2013 •
Tuesday Lobbying and Campaign Finance News
Keep up with the latest government relations news with these articles:
Lobbying
“Lobbyists predict rebound in 2013” by Kevin Bogardus and Ben Goad in The Hill.
Minnesota: “Minnesota lobbyists spent $65.2M in 2011, report says” by Bill Salisbury in the Pioneer Press.
Campaign Finance
California: “New Campaign Finance Tracker Helps You Follow the Money in L.A. Elections” on Community Television of Southern California.
Texas: “Bill Would Double Campaign Finance Disclosures” by Ryan Murphy in the Texas Tribune.
Ethics
“Ethics commission agrees to seek outside investigator in Gessler case” by Tim Hoover in the Denver Post.
Florida: “Will lawmakers pass campaign reform or just face-lift?” by Aaron Deslatte in the Orlando Sentinel.
Florida: “Ethics legislation could be passed on opening day” by The Associated Press in the Miami Herald.
Social Media
“Are hashtags a political #wasteoftime?” by Steve Friess in Politico.
March 4, 2013 •
Monday News Roundup
Let’s start off the week with these lobbying, campaign finance, and ethics news articles:
Lobbying
“Home Sweet K Street” by Kate Ackley in Roll Call.
Campaign Finance
“Political campaign finance reform advocates to hold ‘K Street 5K’ in DC, Apr 13” by Karen Ruben in The Examiner.
Arizona: “Arizona House legislation would allow for campaign finance changes” by Howard Fischer in the East Valley Tribune.
Georgia: “Florida’s ethics reforms offer glimpse of Georgia’s future” by Chris Joyner in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
New York: “NYC public advocate: State, local governments must lead efforts to regulate dark money” by Michael Beckel in the Center for Public Integrity.
Vermont: “New twist on campaign finance debate” by Peter Hirschfeld in the Times Argus.
West Virginia: “Senate President supports public campaign finance bill” on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
Ethics
“Suit Over How Larry Craig Paid Legal Bills Heads To Court” by Jessica Robinson in Boise State Public Radio.
Florida: “Bill would strengthen Florida Commission on Ethics enforcement” by Jeff Marcu in First Coast News.
Tennessee: “Rep. Curry Todd lived rent-free in lobbyist’s home” by Nate Rau in The Tennessean.
Utah: “Senate panel advances bill for executive branch ethics commission” by Dennis Romboy in the Deseret News.
March 1, 2013 •
News You Can Use Digest – March 1, 2013
Here are highlights from the latest edition of News You Can Use:
Federal:
Conservative Justices Voice Skepticism on Voting Law
Lobbyists Fear Shakedown If Supreme Court Lifts Campaign Contributions Cap
From the States and Municipalities:
California – California Campaign Finance Reporting Ripe for Abuse
Florida – In David Rivera Investigation, Suspected Ringer Charged in Federal Court in $81,486Scheme
Florida – Universal Rolls out Red Carpet for GOP Lawmakers, Lobbyists, State-Party Donors
Georgia – Lobbyist Spending Down 1 Month after New Georgia Rule
Georgia – State House Backs Banning Some Lobbyist Spending
Illinois – Michael Bloomberg’s Super PAC Declares Victory in Illinois Special Election
New York – NY Comptroller Drops Suit as Qualcomm Agrees to Disclose More about Political Spending
Ohio – Ohio Campaign Contribution Limits Continue to Rise
West Virginia – Gainer, State Agency Officials Appear in Online Visa ‘P-card’ Marketing Campaign; State Ethics Act Limits Such Endorsements
State and Federal Communications produces a weekly summary of national news, offering more than 80 articles per week focused on ethics, lobbying, and campaign finance.
News You Can Use is a news service provided at no charge only to clients of our online Executive Source Guides, or ALERTS™ consulting clients.
State and Federal Communications, Inc. provides research and consulting services for government relations professionals on lobbying laws, procurement lobbying laws, political contribution laws in the United States and Canada. Learn more by visiting stateandfed.com.
