New Mexico State Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto revealed a draft of the Public Accountability Act (PAA) at a recent legislative meeting. If passed, the PAA would create a 12-member Public Accountability Board with the purpose of investigating and ruling on complaints against public officials, employees, candidates, lobbyists and government contractors.

Additionally, the PAA would give the board enforcement authority over civil violations and would impact local government. Republican state Rep. Jim Dines stated he will propose a constitutional amendment to create a nine-member ethics commission to oversee the Legislature, contractors, and lobbyists.

Both pieces of legislation are intended for the 2017 legislative session and bills may be pre-filed on December 15, 2016.

Lobbying

“Wave of Lobbyist Deregistrations in Trump Orbit After Announcement of New Policy” by Catherine Ho for The Washington Post

Campaign Finance

“Ackman’s Fund Asks SEC for Exemption After Campaign Donation” by Svea Herbst-Bayliss for Reuters

“Trump to Accept Inauguration Funds from Corporations and Big Donors” by Nicholas Fandos for The New York Times

Michigan: “Rizzo Expands Empire After Pumping Cash into Campaigns” by Robert Snell and Michael Gerstein for Detroit News

Minnesota: “Obscure Party Funds Become Minnesota Campaign Cash Magnets” by Brian Bakst for Minnesota Public Radio

Ethics

“Trump’s Twitter Addiction Could Reshape the Presidency” by Eli Stokols for Politico

“Trump Announces He Will Leave Business ‘in Total’ – Leaving Open How He Will Avoid Conflicts of Interest” by Drew Harwell for The Washington Post

Elections

“Anti-Trump Forces Launch Attack on Electoral College” by Kyle Cheney for Politico

North Carolina: “In North Carolina, No End in Sight to Governor’s Race” by Richard Fausset for The New York Times

Legislative Issues

“Nancy Pelosi Chosen Again as House Democratic Leader – But Tally Suggests Deep Division” by Paul Kane and Ed O’Keefe for The Washington Post

D.C. Council Member Kenyan McDuffie announced his plan to introduce emergency legislation to ban contributions to political action committees during non-election years.

There are currently other bills pending before the council that also seek to close this same campaign finance loophole, but they only had their first public hearings Nov. 16 and are unlikely to pass before the start of 2017.

McDuffie’s emergency bill would bypass many of the steps ordinarily required.

Both chambers of the Florida Legislature held organizational sessions yesterday, Nov. 22, 2016. Agenda items included selection of House and Senate leadership, administering the oath of office for new members and approving the rules governing the upcoming session.

Newly minted Speaker Richard Corcoran’s agenda to reduce the influence of lobbyists will take effect during the next session through the approved House Rules. Among the changes, lobbyists are now required to disclose the issues they are lobbying by filing an electronic notice of appearance; former members of the Legislature are prohibited from lobbying the House for six years; and no member of the House may accept private plane travel from a lobbyist or a corporation employing lobbyists.

The Senate also passed its rules but did not make such sweeping changes.

Since pre-filing began for the 2017 Arkansas legislative session, multiple measures have been introduced regarding lobbying, ethics and campaign finance.

If passed, measures introduced in the House would require reporting and disclosure of electioneering communications and covered transfers (House Bill 1005), prevent a member of the General Assembly from forming more than one political action committee (PAC) as either a registered agent or an officer (House Bill 1009), require the Secretary of State to make independent expenditures and PAC reports public (House Bill 1010), prohibit PAC-to-PAC transfers (House Bill 1011)  and ban direct contributions to candidates from PACs (House Bill 1012). Several measures introduced in the Senate mirror the House bills.

Additionally, bills introduced in the Senate would bar soliciting or accepting campaign contributions before the expiration of the immediately preceding general election (Senate Bill 2), prohibit elected officials from registering as a lobbyist while serving as an elected state official (Senate Bill 3) and ban constitutional officers, like the governor, from soliciting or accepting loans from lobbyists (Senate Bill 7).

Lobbying

“Trump’s New Lobbying Rules Could ‘Drain the Swamp.’ But They May Be Illegal and Are Porous.” by Catherine Ho for The Washington Post

Missouri: “Missouri Senate Moves to End Pizza-for-Play Bank Account” by Kurt Erickson for St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Campaign Finance

Texas: “Zimmerman Appeals Campaign Contribution Limits” by Jo Clifton for Austin Monitor

Ethics

“Ethics Rules Bar Bannon from Helping Breitbart” by Isaac Arnsdorf and Taylor Gee for Politico

Michigan: “Text Messages Help FBI Nab 3rd Macomb County Politician in Rizzo Probe” by Tresa Baldas and Christina Hall for Detroit Free Press

New Jersey: “Passaic Mayor Pleads Guilty to Accepting Bribes” by Richard Cowen and Todd South for Bergen Record

Legislative Issues

“Rep. Tim Ryan Launches Long-Shot Challenge to Pelosi as Democrats Struggle with Postelection Strategy” by Paul Kane for The Washington Post

Lobbying

Florida: “Toll Board Lobbyist Accused of Foiling County’s Push for Transit Funds” by Douglas Hanks for Miami Herald

Florida: “Ballot Questions Fail in Miami Beach” by Joey Flechas for Miami Herald

New Jersey: “GWB Scandal Puts a Light on the Benefits of Lobbying” by John Reitmeyer for The Bergen Record

Campaign Finance

Missouri: “Missouri Donors Say Effort to Limit Money in Politics Failed” by Summer Ballentine and David A. Lieb (Associated Press) for Southeast Missourian

Tennessee: “Legal Loophole Allows Donors to Obscure State Campaign Contributions” by Joel Ebert for The Tennessean

Ethics

Illinois: “Google and Facebook Take Aim at Fake News Sites” by Nick Wingfield, Mike Isaac, and Katie Benner for The New York Times

“Red Light Cameras Figure Given 2 1/2 Years in Prison for Massive Bribe Scheme” by David Kidwell for Chicago Tribune

Elections

“Bernie’s Empire Strikes Back” by Daniel Strauss for Politico

“Trump Draws Sharp Rebuke, Concerns Over Newly Appointed Chief White House Strategist Stephen Bannon” by Jose A. DelReal for The Washington Post

Legislative Issues

“Republicans Unanimously Pick Ryan to Continue as Speaker, but Differences Remain” by Mike DeBonis for The Washington Post

New York: “No Pay Raises for State Legislators, Commission Says” by Rick Karlin for Albany Times Union

Texas State House District 118 Rep. Dawnna Dukes announced she will resign January 10, 2017, citing health issues stemming from a 2013 car accident.

Dukes is running for a 12th term and will remain on the November ballot. If she is successful in the general election, the seat will remain vacant until a special election is called next year. Her Republican opponent is calling for an immediate resignation to eliminate the possibility of the district’s residents remaining unrepresented for months.

The resignation comes amidst allegations and an investigation regarding her alleged use of state resources for non-governmental purposes. The current allegations are the most recent in a string of ethics and campaign finance controversies throughout her 22-year career.

Photo of Rep. Dawnna Dukes courtesy of the Texas House of Representatives website.

A special election will be held on November 8, 2016, to fill the state’s 90th House District seat. Rep. Mary Fritz, who held the seat for three decades, died in July.

The winner of the special election will finish Fritz’s term, and the winner of the general election, held the same day, will serve the next term beginning in January.

Photo of Rep. Mary Fritz courtesy of the Connecticut House Democrats website.

State Sen. Rick Gudex took his own life on October 12, 2016. Gudex was elected to represent District 18 in 2012 and served in 2015 as the president pro tempore before announcing he would not run for re-election in 2016. Gudex was a former mayor of Mayville and also a member of the Fond du Lac Common Council.

Gov. Scott Walker does not plan to call a special election to fill Gudex’s seat as the Nov. 8 election is less than a month away, leaving the seat vacant until January when the new term begins.

The special session adjourned sine die on October 6, 2016.

Lawmakers approved a budget fix, and the controversial death penalty bill failed to pass the Senate.

Per New Mexico law, the fundraising ban concludes at the time of adjournment.

Nassau County Legislator Judith Jacobs passed away on September 13, 2016.

Jacobs, the presiding officer of the county Legislature, was serving her 11^th term as the District 16 representative.

With more than one year left in her term, Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano has set a special election to fill the Jacob’s seat on November 8, 2016.

State Sen. Joe Seng lost his battle with brain cancer on September 16, 2016.

Seng was elected to represent District 45 for the fourth time in 2014.

As Seng’s seat was not up for election this year, a special election will need to be called to fill his remaining term.

Lobbying

“Chaka Fattah’s K Street Friends Stand by Him” by Sean McMinn for Roll Call

“Nonprofit Seeks to Crowdfund Lobbying” by Megan Wilson for The Hill

Campaign Finance

“Whom to Vote for? Employees Tend to Follow Their Leader” by Andrew Ross Sorkin for New York Times

“New Records Shed Light on Donald Trump’s $25,000 Gift to Florida Official” by Kevin Sack and Steve Eder for New York Times

Florida: “Appeals Court Declines to Put Campaign-Finance Rules on Ballot” by Douglas Hanks for Miami Herald

Ethics

“White House Women Want to Be in The Room Where It Happens” by Juliet Eilperin for Washington Post

Connecticut: “Wade to Recuse Herself from Anthem-Cigna Review” by Mark Pazniokas for Connecticut Mirror

Elections

“Sowing Doubt Is Seen as Prime Danger in Hacking Voting System” by David Sanger and Charlie Savage for New York Times

“Clinton Campaign Releases Doctor’s Letter Describing ‘Mild’ Pneumonia” by Abby Phillip and Anne Gearan for Washington Post

Virginia: “Va. Supreme Court Finds McAuliffe Not in Contempt on Felon Voting Actions” by Laura Vozzella for Washington Post

Legislative Issues

“Why the U.S. Economy Lags: It’s the politics, stupid” by Paul Davidson for USA Today