Lobbying

“Couple Wants to Make Lobbying Accessible and ‘Good’” by Alex Gangitano for Roll Call

Florida: “Lobbyist Give $2,000 to Miami Politician After He Appointed Him to Powerful Board” by Jerry Iannelli for Miami New Times

Illinois: “Emanuel Email Case Nets Five More Lobbying Violations” by Jared Rutecki for Better Government Association

Campaign Finance

“FEC Contacts with IRS Broke No Rules, Report Says” by Kenneth Doyle for Bloomberg BNA

Maine: “Three of Four Casino Campaign PACs Fail to Meet Finance Reports Deadline” by Steve Mistler for Maine Public Radio

Missouri: “Gov. Greitens’ Nonprofit Gives $250,000 in Dark Money to Right-to-Work PAC” by Jason Hancock and Neil Nakahodo for Kansas City Star

Missouri: “Lawmaker from Berkeley Fined $114,000 for Campaign Finance Violations” by Kurt Erickson for St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Tennessee: “Nashville Sen. Thelma Harper’s Campaign Report Showed More Money Spent Than in Account” by Dave Boucher for The Tennessean

Elections

“Trump Election Commission, Already Under Fire, Holds First Meeting” by Michael Wines for New York Times

Legislative Issues

“For Republican Party, Governing Is a Long-Term Problem” by Jeremy Peters for New York Times

Lobbying

Colorado: “What Does $80 Million Buy Oil and Gas Interests? Voter Profiles, Door Knocking and Influence at Local and Statewide Levels” by Christopher Osher for Denver Post

Florida: “Corey’s Ties to Others in FBI Probe Run Deep” by Jeffrey Schweers for Tallahassee Democrat

New York: “Airbnb Fights Back Against Lobby Groups, Demands Info on Their Funding Sources” by Kenneth Lovett for New York Daily News

Campaign Finance

“Officials Clash at FEC Over Confronting Russian Influence in 2018 Elections” by Lisa Hagen for The Hill

Ethics

“Outgoing Ethics Chief: U.S. Is ‘Close to a Laughingstock’” by Eric Lipton and Nicholas Fandos for New York Times

“Trump Campaign Is Sued Over Leaked Emails Linked to Russians” by Charlie Savage for New York Times

“State Department Spent More Than $15,000 for Rooms at New Trump Hotel in Vancouver” by Amy Brittain for Washington Post

“Break-In Reported at Office of GOP Senator Considered Swing Vote in Health-Care Bill” by Amy Wang and Ed O’Keefe for Washington Post

Legislative Issues

North Carolina: “Rev. Barber Remains Banned from Legislative Building; Some Protesters Can Return If Invited” by Anne Blythe for Raleigh News and Observer

Lobbying

California: “California Lawmakers Want Data on Lobbyists’ Race, Sexual Orientation” by Taryn Luna for Sacramento Bee

Pennsylvania: “House Approves Bill That Strengthens Lobbying Law” by Logan Hullinger for Altoona Mirror

Campaign Finance

New Jersey: “Last Birdsall Executive Pleads Guilty in Pay-to-Play Scheme” by Andrew Goudsward for Asbury Park Press

North Carolina: “Loophole Lets Lawmakers Take Campaign Cash with Legislation Still Pending” by Laura Leslie for WRAL

Elections

“Trump Jr. Was Told in Email of Russian Effort to Aid Campaign” by Matt Apuzzo, Jo Decker, Adam Goldman, and Maggie Haberman for New York Times

Ethics

“At Private Dinners, Pence Quietly Courts Big Donors and Corporate Executives” by Kenneth Vogel for New York Times

California: “OC Supervisors Seek More Power Over Ethics Commission, By Changing What Voters Approved” by Nick Gerda for Voice of OC

Iowa: “Trial Begins in Lawsuit Alleging Toxic ‘Boys’ Club’ at Iowa Statehouse” by Grant Rodgers for Des Moines Register

Legislative Issues

“Blue Cities Want to Make Their Own Rules. Red States Won’t Let Them.” by Emily Badger for New York Times

Texas: “Dallas Wants $8,000 Back from Philip Kingston for Missing Too Many Council Meetings” by Tristan Hallman for Dallas News

The Oregon Legislature adjourned July 7, three days before its July 10 constitutional deadline.

In the final days of the session, lawmakers passed a $5.3 billion package of taxes and fees to fund transportation upgrades and another bill to reduce state spending by $200 million over the next two years.

However, lawmakers failed to pass lobbying reforms introduced at the request of Gov. Kate Brown. Following a flurry of last-minute activity in the House to pass Senate Bill 43, a bill to modify Oregon’s lobbyist registration and reporting requirements, the Senate opted to let the bill die.

On June 30, the North Carolina General Assembly adjourned. The resolution to adjourn has lawmakers scheduled to reconvene in August and September.

The session scheduled for August 3, 2017 will primarily address any veto overrides; however, the adjournment resolution grants lawmakers the ability to use the session to take up measures that got stuck in House and Senate negotiations in the final weeks of the regular session.

The September 6, 2017, session will mostly focus on redistricting.

The adjournment resolution also set the regular session to reconvene on May 16, 2018.

Senate Bill 43, a bill to modify Oregon’s lobbyist registration and reporting requirements, is set for its third reading in the House on July 6.

The bill clarifies certain public officials and persons who provide professional services to entities meeting specified criteria are not exempt from lobbyist registration and reporting requirements. Senate Bill 43 expands current lobbyist exemptions to additionally include elected public officials, certain representatives supervising an entity’s lobbying activities, and individuals who meet with legislative members in a personal capacity.

The measure expands the information a lobbyist must include on a registration statement. The registration must name each political committee the lobbyist advises or controls, each political committee for a candidate or elected official the lobbyist-controlled political committee made political campaign contributions to, and an acknowledgement the lobbyist has read and understands laws and administrative rules governing lobbyists.

Senate Bill 43 requires lobbyist reporting statements to include identification of each topic and each measure lobbied on and will require statements to be filed monthly during the legislative session. The bill also requires the Oregon Government Ethics Commission to conduct random audits of lobbyist reporting statements. The effective date for changes to lobbyist reporting statements is April 1, 2018.

The bill declares an emergency, meaning most provisions will become effective upon passage. Senate Bill 43 was introduced at the request of Gov. Kate Brown and she is expected to sign the legislation if passed by the July 10 constitutional adjournment date.

The New York Legislature’s two-day special session adjourned sine die on June 29, 2017.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo called the special session to enact legislation extending mayoral control over the city of New York’s school district. The legislation extends city control over the city district for two years.

Barring another special session, the Legislature is set to return in January 2018.

In an attempt to prevent doctors from overprescribing opioids, the Maine Legislature recently passed a bill prohibiting manufacturers or wholesalers, or an agent of either, from offering gifts to health care practitioners.

A “gift,” as it pertains to the Maine Pharmacy Act, will not include samples of prescription drugs to be given to patients for free, items with a total value of less than $50 over a calendar year, payments to sponsors of educational programs, honoraria and payments of expenses incurred at an educational conference or meeting, compensation for research, publications or educational materials, and salaries or other benefits paid to employees.

The bill will become effective 90 days from the end of session.

The 2017 legislative session adjourned shortly before midnight on June 21, 2017.

Lawmakers adjourned the session without a deal to extend New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s control over New York City Schools. The current agreement lapses on June 30, 2017.

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie stated there is no plan to return as the Assembly is comfortable with the bill they passed in May.

Heastie’s statement is available at http://assembly.state.ny.us/Press/20170622/.

Becky Campbell is here covering the state government and ethics news from around the country in this week’s video digest!

Becky is back with State Government and Ethics News You Can Use from around the country in this week’s video digest!

Sec. of State Maggie Toulouse is using her rulemaking authority over all persons, candidates, and committees covered by the Campaign Reporting Act by proposing a draft campaign finance rule.

Similar to Senate Bill 96, a bill vetoed by Gov. Susana Martinez after the 2017 regular session, the proposed rule requires groups spending more than $1,000 for political advertising to file a report detailing the expense and the name and address of each contributor of more than $200 in the previous 12 months earmarked or made in response to a solicitation. If passed, the rule will become effective October 3, 2017.

The notice and proposed rule are available at http://www.sos.state.nm.us/Elections_Data/notice-of-proposed-rulemaking.aspx.

Gov. Phil Scott signed Senate Bill 8 today, approving the creation of a state code of ethics and a state ethics commission.

The five-member commission will review cases of unethical behavior and, if necessary, send the case to the attorney general. The bill also prohibits former lawmakers and executive officers from lobbying for one year after leaving office and prohibits businesses from entering into certain contracts with state offices where they have made campaign contributions.

The new revolving door provision takes effect on July 1, 2017 and the contractor contribution restrictions take effect on December 16, 2018.

Ethics

“Jeff Sessions Testifies: Refuses to say whether he spoke to Trump about Comey’s handling of Russia investigation” by Sari Horwitz, Devlin Barrett, and Matt Zapotosky for Washington Post

“Religious Liberals Sat Out of Politics for 40 Years. Now They Want in the Game.” by Laurie Goodstein for New York Times

“COVFEFE Act Would Make Social Media a Presidential Record” by Joe Uchill for The Hill

Arizona: “Now Under Indictment, Gary Pierce Was Known for Unpopular Decisions as Utility Regulator” by Ryan Randazzo for Arizona Republic

Florida: “No Charges Filed in Mysterious Autism Charity Case” by Monique Madan for Miami Herald

Montana: “Anger Management but No Jail in Gianforte Body-Slam Saga” by Bobby Caina Calvan and Amy Beth Hanson (Associated Press) for KWWL

Oregon: “Oregon Bill Will Set Public Records Deadlines” by Hillary Borrud for Portland Oregonian

Elections

“Russian Cyber Hacks on U.S. Electoral System Far Wider Than Previously Known” by Michael Riley and Jordan Robertson for Bloomberg.com

Legislative Issues

“Senate Republicans Back Off Proposed Restrictions on Media” by Alexander Bolton for The Hill

South Carolina: “Lack of Guidance from South Carolina Lawmakers on Lieutenant Governor’s Role Clouds Start of 2018 Elections” by Maya Prabhu for Charleston Post and Courier