August 15, 2013 •
Thursday News Roundup
Here are some great articles for today’s government relations news summary:
Campaign finance
“Uneven Political Contributions by Publicly Traded Companies” by Kent Cooper in Roll Call.
“Complaint Filed Over Campaign Directing $1M Donation to Super PAC” by Kent Cooper in Roll Call.
“Campaign finance watchdogs file complaint against Santorum” by Alexandra Jaffe in The Hill.
From the State Legislatures
From NCSL: “Former President Jimmy Carter Captivates State Legislators” in NCSL’s The Thicket.
“State legislators promise voting rights push” by Bill Barrow (Associated Press) in the Athens Banner-Herald.
Florida: “Fla. legislators vote down special session” by The Associated Press in the Miami Herald.
Government Tech and Social Media
“Twitter Can’t Yet Predict Elections” by Stuart Rothenberg in Roll Call.
and for the contrary view…
“A New Study Says Twitter Can Predict US Elections” by Robinson Meyer in The Atlantic.
Redistricting
Florida: “Former legislative leaders Pruitt, McKay and Thompson weigh into redistricting fight” by Aaron Deslatte in the Orlando Sentinel.
August 14, 2013 •
Oklahoma Governor Calls Legislature Back to Capitol on September 3
Session to address invalided litigation reform law
Governor Mary Fallin issued an executive order calling for legislators to return to the capitol for a special session to begin September 3, 2013.
The order specifies the special session will deal only with the issue of how lawsuits are filed, which became a problem after the Oklahoma Supreme Court invalidated a law on that topic.
August 14, 2013 •
Wednesday Government Relations News
Here is our roundup of the latest articles on lobbying, campaign finance, ethics, and more!
Lobbying
“Lobby shop hires former Obama campaign staffer” by Kevin Bogardus in The Hill.
Massachusetts: “Fmr Sen. Brian Lees to join lobbying firm of former rival” by Andy Metzger on WWLP News.
Campaign Finance
“EMILY’S List Raises Almost $10 Million For Women Candidates” by Kent Cooper in Roll Call.
Missouri: “Significant campaign donor challenges proposed Mo. ballot measure seeking to cap contributions” by The Associated Press in the Daily Journal.
Virginia: “Pro-Cuccinelli PAC gets $500,000 donation from New York hedge fund executive” by Ben Pershing in The Washington Post.
Ethics
Illinois: “Jesse Jackson Jr. to be sentenced in D.C.” by The Associated Press on ABC7 News.
New York: “Ethics panel survey launched” by Rick Karlin in the Albany Times Union.
New York: “Cuomo real estate donors among Moreland subpoena targets” by Jimmy Vielkind in the Albany Times Union.
Texas: “Biggest Ethics Reforms Died on Governor’s Desk” by Ross Ramsey and Todd Wiseman in the Texas Tribune.
Utah: “House looks to hire investigators for Swallow probe” by Robert Gehrke in The Salt Lake Tribune.
Virginia: “Governor has returned ‘tangible’ gifts, legal team says” by Olympia Meola in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Elections
“E-Voting: It May Be a While” by Ed Smith in NCSL’s The Thicket.
Procurement
“Small Businesses Scrambling More for Federal Contracts” by Charles S. Clark in Government Executive.
Redistricting
Alabama: “Testimony concludes in lawsuit challenging legislative districts” by The Associated Press in The Birmingham News.
Alaska: “State Dem party sues over redistricting map” by The Associated Press in the Anchorage Daily News.
From the State Legislatures
Minnesota: “Dayton: No limits, no special session” by Baird Helgeson in the Star Tribune.
August 13, 2013 •
Tuesday Campaign Finance and Ethics News Update
Keep up with the latest government relations news with these articles:
Campaign Finance
“Sandra Day O’Connor Tells NCSL Legislative Summit Money Poses Biggest Risk to Fair Courts” by Mary Winter on NCSL’s The Thicket.
Connecticut: “Donovan campaign aide asks for probation” by Michael P. Mayko in the Connecticut Post.
Delaware: “AG Biden won’t investigate donation of improper campaign contributions” by Jonathan Starkey in The News Journal.
District of Columbia: “Ex-Campaign Aide to D.C. Mayor Gray to Plead Guilty” by The Associated Press on WNEW CBS News.
District of Columbia: “Thies: Are Shadow Campaigns Stealing D.C. Elections?” by Churck Thies on NBC4 Washington News.
New York: “100 years ago, a NY governor was impeached” by Joseph Spector in the Star-Gazette.
Ethics
“FEC signs off on Progress Kentucky closing” by Byron Tau on Politico.
From the State Legislatures
“The coming war over voting rights” by Tal Kopan in Politico.
Oklahoma: “Governor orders special legislative session” in Tulsa World.
Procurement
“A New App Takes Government Contracting Mobile” by Joseph Marks in NextGov.
Redistricting
Arizona: “2020 Redistricting? The Arizona GOP Is ON IT” by Abby Livingston in Roll Call.
August 12, 2013 •
Monday News Roundup
Let’s start off the week with these lobbying, campaign finance, and ethics news articles:
Lobbying
“Many ex-governors work as lobbyists, consultants” by Fredreka Schouten in USA Today.
“Twitter joins Washington’s influence economy, forms PAC” by Cecilia Kang in The Washington Post.
“Twitter seeks clout with Washington lobbyist” by Megan R. Wilson in The Hill.
Florida: “Lobbyists settle case with Miami-Dade ethics commission” by Brittny C. Valdes in the Miami Herald.
Indiana: “Revolving door: Indiana official considered as lobbyist” by Tom LoBianco (Associated Press) in the Journal and Courier.
Indiana: “More making jump to lobbying without cooling-off period” by The Associated Press in the Indianapolis Business Journal.
Pennsylvania: “Lobbyists fight state fee increase” by Kate Giammarise in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Wisconsin: “Money & Politics: Unions sapped, other lobbying strong” by Bill Leuders in the Herald Times Reporter.
Campaign Finance
“Citizens United ‘Dark Money’ Could Be Revealed By States, NYC Public Advocate Report Finds” by Michael McAuliff in the Huffington Post.
“Alabama GOP donor challenges limits” by Mary Orndorff Troyan in USA Today.
Delaware: “Delaware developer faces campaign finance charges” by The Associated Press in the San Francisco Chronicle.
Michigan: “Campaign funds don’t all add up for state Treasurer Andy Dillon” by Paul Egan in the Detroit Free Press.
Ohio: “Cleveland Heights vs. Citizens United in November” by M.L. Schultze on WKSU News.
Virginia: “GOP’s Jackson omits in-kind flight donation from title lender from campaign finance reports” by The Associated Press in The Washington Post.
Ethics
Texas: “Texas Ethics Commission lowers record $100K fine against top criminal court judge to $25K” by The Associated Press in The Daily Journal.
Virginia: “Conflicts emerge as hurdles for Cuccinelli’s run” by Jim Nolan Richmond Times-Dispatch.
From the State Legislatures
California: “California Legislature faces raft of bills on volatile issues” by Melanie Mason and Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times.
Ohio: “Lawmakers weigh voting-related bills” by Jim Provance in the Toledo Blade.
Pennsylvania: “Another bill to cut Pennsylvania’s General Assembly being offered” by Brad Bumsted in the Tribune-Review.
Redistricting
“Attorneys deny claims in Alaska redistricting challenge” by The Associated Press in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.
Government Tech and Social Media
“White House Unveils CIO Council 2.0” by Joseph Marks in NextGov.
“How Lawmakers Spent Their Summer Vacation” by Roll Call on Pinterest.
New York: “New York City Looks to Technology to Grow Voter Turnout” by Miranda Neubauer in TechPresident.
August 12, 2013 •
Minnesota Appears Poised to Announce Special Session
Governor Dayton finally agrees to open up possible agenda to tax issues
Gov. Mark Dayton has been talking about a special session for about two weeks and it seems like that thought is now close to becoming a reality. Going against what he has been saying for those two weeks, Governor Dayton said he was open to expanding the agenda of the special session. Until Thursday, Dayton has been maintaining the special session be limited to providing relief to those areas of the state hit hard by severe storms in June.
Republicans have been asking for a repeal of the warehouse tax and both parties have wanted to fix a tax on repairs to farming equipment. On Thursday, Dayton called the farm equipment tax “the biggest mistake” of this past year’s session and it needed to be addressed in a special session. He still has no plans to address the warehouse tax, which will not go into effect until April 2014.
Dayton has maintained the Legislature can deal with the issue when it comes back to St. Paul in February. The date for the special session has been tentatively set for September 9. However, Dayton wants assurances from the Republicans the session will be limited to one day.
Even though Democrats control both houses of the Legislature, they need Republican support to suspend rules and limit the session to just one day. Without that support, the session could last a few days and could feature debate on any topic.
August 8, 2013 •
Thursday News Roundup
Here are some great articles for today’s government relations news summary:
Lobbying
“K Street shop on lookout for new senior Democratic lobbyist” by Kevin Bogardus in The Hill.
Illinois: “More Illinois public bodies hiring lobbyists” by The Associated Press in the Quincy Journal.
Massachusetts: “Galvin faulted on rules for lobbyists” by Michael Levinson in The Boston Globe.
Campaign Finance
Massachusetts: “Election Commission seminar set for Aug. 12” in South Coast Today.
Ohio: “Cleveland Heights campaign finance measure part of trend, group says” by Ray Jablonski in The Plain Dealer.
Virginia: “Candidates Make Honor Roll for Campaign-Filing Transparency” in the Sun Gazette.
Ethics
Florida: “Miami Lakes and Sweetwater mayors ‘stung’ by FBI for taking alleged kickbacks” by Jay Weaver, Christina Veiga and Joey Flechas in the Miami Herald.
Massachusetts: “Dan Wolf still running for governor despite ethics ruling” by Frank Phillips in The Boston Globe.
New York: “State Ethics Panel Opens an Inquiry Into a Sexual Harassment Cover-Up” by Danny Hakim in The New York Times.
New York: “Subpoenas Sent to City’s Big Landlords” by Eliot Brown and Erica Orden in The Wall Street Journal.
From Capitol Hill
“House Chamber Closed for Renovations” by Hannah Hess in Roll Call.
From the State Legislatures
Connecticut: “How a bill becomes a law in Connecticut can be a circuitous journey” by Hugh McQuaid in the New Haven Register.
Kansas: “Committee to make ‘Hard 50’ recommendations for special session” by John Hanna in the Topeka Capital-Journal.
Redistricting
“Redistricting trial set to begin” by Brian Lyman in the Montgomery Advertiser.
August 6, 2013 •
Texas Third Special Session Adjourned
Sine Die
Yesterday, the Texas Legislature adjourned its third special session sine die.
Governor Rick Perry had called the special session to consider legislation relating to the funding of transportation infrastructure projects. According to KVIA.com, the Legislature passed a constitutional amendment boosting transportation spending with money coming from oil and gas revenues diverted away from the state’s Rainy Day Fund. The amendment will be voted on next year by the state’s voters.
August 1, 2013 •
Thursday News Roundup
Here are some great articles for today’s government relations news summary:
Lobbying
“Industries Cut Lobbying Expenditures – Again” by Russ Choma in Open Secrets Blog.
California: “Cupid’s work gets complicated as California lawmaker dates lobbyist” by Laurel Rosenhall in the Sacramento Bee.
Wisconsin: “Wisconsin lobbyists spend $15.6M in first half of 2013” by M.D. Kittle in the Wisconsin Reporter.
Campaign Finance
Alabama: “Alabama’s cap on corporate political donations ends today under changes to campaign finance law” by Mike Cason in Birmingham News.
Ethics
Florida: “Sarasota lawyer to lead Ethics Commission” by Lloyd Dunkelberger in the Herald-Tribune.
New Jersey: “Ex-Justice Wallace to head N.J. ethics panel” by Maddie Hanna in the Philadelphia Inquirer.
New York: “Speaker Silver appoints judge to NY ethics board; replaces veteran who resigned” by The Associated Press in The Republic.
From the State Legislatures
Kansas: “State Dems want voting law change in special session” by The Associated Press in the Topeka Capital-Journal.
New York: “Cuomo to decide on more than 100 bills” by Jessica Bakeman in the Democrat and Chronicle.
Government Tech and Social Media
“App Sends Traffic Complaints Straight to Congress” by Ryan Holeywell in Government Technology.
May 28, 2013 •
Texas Legislature Adjourns and Special Session Called
May 27
The Texas Legislature adjourned sine die yesterday on May 27.
However, the Legislature was immediately called into special session by Governor Rick Perry. The special session began in the evening, but cannot last longer than 30 days.
The initial call for the special session will focus on approving redistricting maps drawn for the 2012 election by federal judges, according to KRISTV.com. Other items are expected to be added to the special session’s agenda.
Photo of the Texas State Capitol by Kumar Appaiah on Wikipedia.
May 28, 2013 •
Oklahoma Legislature Adjourns
May 24
The Oklahoma Legislature adjourned sine die one week early on May 24. Adjourning a week early saved $140,000 in expenses for the Legislature, according to The Times Record News.
Governor Mary Fallin, who has pocket veto power, has until June 8 to sign or veto any bills presented to her.
May 24, 2013 •
South Dakota Governor to Call Special Session
Late June date expected
Governor Dennis Daugaard is preparing to call a special session of the Legislature. The Governor gave notice to state lawmakers of his plans citing developments with the construction of a new State Veterans Home in Hot Springs. Lawmakers approved funding for the project during the regular session, but the lowest bid is more than $10 million more than the appropriated amount.
The special session is expected to be called for late June and last no longer than a day.
Photo of Gov. Dennis Daugaard by Otis 1000 on Wikipedia.
May 21, 2013 •
Alabama Legislature Adjourns
Passes major campaign finance changes on final day
The Alabama Legislature adjourned just before midnight on Monday, May 20, 2013, but not before passing major changes to the state’s Fair Campaign Practices Act.
The most significant change is the elimination of limits on corporate contributions to candidates and political action committees. Under the new law, corporations will be permitted to contribute in the same manner as individuals, who are not subject to any contribution limits, with the exception of retaining the state’s pay-to-play prohibition on contributions to the Public Service Commission by utilities the commission regulates. The bill also makes 527 organizations subject to the ban on PAC-to-PAC transfers and adds enforcement and penalty provisions.
The Secretary of State’s Office will release information regarding the effective date of these provisions since the law must first receive Department of Justice preclearance before it becomes enforceable.
May 17, 2013 •
Arkansas Adjourns Sine Die
No challenge to veto of election bills
The Legislature adjourned sine die on May 17, 2013, without an attempt to override Governor Mike Beebe’s vetoes on three election bills.
Senate Bill 719 would have transferred power of election oversight to the Secretary of State from the Board of Election Commissioners. Senate Bill 720 would have created mandatory referrals of ethics complaints from the board to the Ethics Commission when the compliant was without basis in law or fact. Senate Bill 721 would have removed all of the board’s current commissioners and established a new appointment process.
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.
