October 3, 2013 •
Oregon Legislature Adjourns Special Session
“Grand bargain” bills pass
The Legislature adjourned a special session on Wednesday, October 3, 2013, after passing a package of bills referred to as the “grand bargain.”
The diverse collection of bills passed included government pension reform, additional education and mental health funding, and a farming regulation that limits local regulation of genetically modified plants.
October 3, 2013 •
Thursday News Roundup
Here are some great articles for today’s government relations news summary:
Lobbying
“No shutdown for K Street as advocates blitz Capitol” by Kevin Bogardus in The Hill.
“Senate health aide joins top lobby firm” by Kevin Bogardus in The Hill.
“Numismatists Have Lobbyists Too” by Kent Cooper in Roll Call’s Political MoneyLine.
Kentucky: “Ethics Reporter: $4.18M spent in four months as lobbying spending continues upward trend” by the Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission in KYForward.com.
North Carolina: “Former Rep. and lobbyist Paul Pulley dies” in the News & Observer.
Campaign Finance
“State watchdogs band together to take on ‘dark money’” by Reid Wilson in The Washington Post.
“Zombie Federal Election Commission still wants your quarterly reports” by Al Kamen in The Washington Post.
Ethics
Florida: “Florida ethics commission investigating Rep. Jamie Grant’s business venture” by Michael Van Sickler in the Tampa Bay Times.
Iowa: “Iowa pol resigns amid ethics probe” by Katie Glueck in Politico.
New Jersey: “State agency: DiVincenzo misused, obscured campaign funds” by Matt Friedman in The Star-Ledger.
Tennessee: “Ethics watchdog files more Deal complaints” by The Associated Press in WRCB TV News.
State Legislatures
Colorado: “Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper will not call special legislative session on flooding issues” by The Associated Press on KMGH-TV News.
New Hampshire: “N.H. Panel Delays Vote On Medicaid” by Ben Leubsdorf in the Valley News.
Oregon: “Lawmakers celebrate end of special session on PERS, taxes, GMO (2013 special session)” by Yuxing Zheng in The Oregonian.
September 30, 2013 •
Monday News Roundup
Let’s start off the week with these lobbying, campaign finance, and ethics news articles:
Lobbying
California: “Ex-lobbyist joins councilman’s staff and questions follow” by David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times.
Kentucky: “Chandler moves into role as lobbyist in Ky.” by The Associated Press in WTVQ ABC News.
West Virginia: “Lobbyists spend $39k wining, dining WV officials” by The Associated Press in the Herald-Dispatch.
Campaign Finance
Arizona: “GOP: More campaign contributions should be allowed” by Howard Fischer in the Arizona Daily Sun.
New Hampshire: “How one state representative raised $1,600 for his campaign — in bitcoins” by Brian Fung in The Washington Post.
Ohio: “Common Cause Ohio questions state’s lobbying disclosures” by Marc Kovac in the Daily Jeffersonian.
Vermont: “Vt. Supreme Court says Democratic-leaning organization didn’t register as political group” by The Associated Press in The Republic.
Ethics
“Harvey Whittemore to be sentenced Monday for campaign finance scheme” by Jeff German in the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Arkansas: “Some lawmakers suggest including ethics reform in special session” by Rob Moritz in Arkansas News.
Florida: “Inspector General: West Palm Beach should not have repaid Mitchell in ethics probe” by Eliot Kleinberg in the Palm Beach Post.
North Carolina: “Former NC auditor says he will leave State Ethics Commission after questions over DHHS role” by The Associated Press in The Republic.
State Legislatures
Illinois: “In blow to Gov. Quinn, judge rules state lawmakers must be paid” by Dave McKinney, Jon Seidel And Mitch Dudek in the Chicago Sun Times.
Oregon: “Oregon legislators return for special session” by Reid Wilson in The Washington Post.
Oregon: “Anxiety high as special session looms” by Hannah Hoffman in the Statesman Journal.
Pennsylvania: “Legislators taking leave and missing the vote” by Angela Couloumbis in the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Social Media
New York: “NYC Mayoral Race Shows ‘Shareable Graphics Are…The New Black’ in Digital Campaigning” by Miranda Neubauer in TechPresident.
September 26, 2013 •
Thursday News Roundup
Here are some great articles for today’s government relations news summary:
Lobbying
Kentucky: “Ben Chandler moves into role as lobbyist in Ky.” by The Associated Press in WYMT TV News.
New Mexico: “Ex-New Mexico official takes job despite ban on lobbying” by The Associated Press in the Santa Fe New Mexican.
Campaign Finance
“If You Thought Citizens United Was Bad, Wait for This Supreme Court Case” by Norm Ornstein in The Atlantic.
“GOP lawyer launches political donation refund group” by Michael Beckel in The Center for Public Integrity.
Arizona: “Donor fatigue: Higher contribution limits don’t translate into avalanche of cash” by Jeremy Duda and Luige del Puerto in Arizona Capitol Times.
Missouri: “Missouri campaign contributions have topped $6.7M this quarter” by Elizabeth Crisp in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Ohio: “Federal grand jury indictment charges North Canton businessman with funneling illegal campaign cash to candidates” by James F. McCarty in the Plain Dealer.
Ethics
Florida: “Florida Ethics Commission Asks For Power To Place Liens On Violators’ Property” by Jessica Palombo in WFSU News.
Ohio: “Ethics Commission finds possible conflicts of interest with JobsOhio employees” by Darrel Rowland in the Columbus Dispatch.
State Legislatures
South Dakota: “Legislature research leader resigns” by David Montgomery in the Argus Leader.
Social Media
“Twitter increases political contributions, but not from constituents, says paper” by Molly Bernhart Walker in FierceGovernmentIT.
September 20, 2013 •
Oregon Special Session to be Scheduled
Governor still seeking votes to pass legislative package
Gov. John Kitzhaber has announced he will call a one-day special legislative session on September 30, 2013. The special session bill package would raise tax revenues to provide $100 million for K-12 education and $40 million for higher education to prevent tuition increases in the 2013-15 biennium.
It is not yet clear whether the legislative caucuses have the votes to pass all the bills in the package.
Kitzhaber has indicated he will sign none of the bills unless all bills pass.
September 17, 2013 •
Tuesday Lobbying and Campaign Finance News Update
Keep up with the latest government relations news with these articles:
Lobbying
Maryland: “Fresh out of Md. Senate, Garagiola joins law firm with major Annapolis lobbying presence” by John Wagner in The Washington Post.
Wisconsin: “Spending on lobbying down in Wisconsin as unions continue to reel from Act 10” by Jack Craver in The Capital Times.
Campaign Finance
“$1 million campaign donations: Coming soon?” by Byron Tau in Politico.
“It’s Time To End Our Failed Affair With Campaign Finance Laws” op/ed by Paul Sherman in Forbes.
“PACs spent more at state level than on federal campaigns” by Reid Wilson in The Washington Post.
“FEC Disclosure Takes a Hit in Nonelection Years” by Tony Raymond in Politico’s Moneyline.
California: “Campaign finance bills fare poorly in California Legislature” by Chris Megerian and Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times.
North Carolina: “Dome: GOP candidates received most PAC money in 2011-12” by Lynn Bonner and Rob Christensen in the News & Observer.
Ethics
Louisiana: “Ex-La. lawmaker asks to remain free on bond” by The Associated Press in the Baton Rouge Advocate.
New York: “Oops. Ethics board leader forgot to renew his law license” by Martha Neil in the ABA Journal.
Washington: “Spokane mayor proposes city ethics ‘upgrade’” by Nicholas Deshais in The Spokesman-Review.
State Legislatures
Oregon: “Governor pushing special session” by Hannah Hoffman in the Statesman Journal.
Elections
Florida: “Fla. Elections Commission Wants Garnishment Power” by Ryan Benk on WFSU News.
New Jersey: “N.J. can continue to use electronic voting machines, court rules” by The Associated Press in the Star-Ledger.
Pennsylvania: “Special election date set for the 78th state House district seat” by Jan Murphy in the Patriot-News.
September 13, 2013 •
California Legislature Adjourns
Final week produced hundreds of passed bills
Lawmakers adjourned for the year just after midnight on Friday, September 13, 2013.
Hundreds of bills were passed in the last week of the session including a minimum wage increase, changes to the California Environmental Quality Act, and a bill permitting undocumented immigrants to apply for driver’s licenses.
Photo of the California State Capitol Building by Sascha Brück on Wikipedia.
September 11, 2013 •
Missouri Veto Session Begins
Governor declines to call special session
The Legislature convenes its annual veto session on Wednesday, September 11, 2013. Among the vetoed bills eligible for an override vote are House Bill 110 and Senate Bill 29.
House Bill 110 requires a special election to fill the lieutenant governor’s office if there is an early vacancy due to resignation, death, or impeachment. Senate Bill 29 requires certain public labor unions to obtain annual consent from members before withholding dues and fees from their paychecks for political contributions or expenditures.
Gov. Jay Nixon has declined to call a special session to allow lawmakers to craft a new version of a vetoed income-tax bill. Override votes require a two-thirds vote in each chamber.
Photo of the Missouri State Capitol by RebelAt on Wikipedia.
September 11, 2013 •
Wednesday Government Relations News
Here is our roundup of the latest articles on lobbying, campaign finance, ethics, and more!
Lobbying
“Lawmakers allege lobbyist intervention during hearing” by Julian Hattem in The Hill.
Tennessee: “Ethics Commission stalemates on whether to penalize Tom Ingram” by Tom Humphrey in the Knoxville News Sentinel.
Campaign Finance
A press release from the National Press Club: “Campaign Finance Experts Potter and Wertheimer to Discuss New Supreme Court Case Focusing on Donation Limits to Candidates” in the Rock Hill Herald.
Ethics
Delaware: “Developer pleads guilty to illegal contributions” by Randall Chase (Associated Press) in the Connecticut Post.
Virginia: “Cuccinelli donates $18,000 value of Star chief’s gifts” by Laura Vozzella in The Washington Post.
Wisconsin: “Lawmakers approve first audit of Wisconsin’s Government Accountability Board” by The Associated Press in the Star Tribune.
State Legislatures
Minnesota: “Special sessions: How often and how long?” by Rachel E. Stassen-Berger in the Star Tribune.
Redistricting
“Time to tackle 2020” by Markos Moulitsas in The Hill.
Texas: “Court: Texas can use exiting election maps in 2014” by The Associated Press in the Las Vegas Sun.
Wisconsin: “Bipartisan group pushing for redistricting reform” by The Associated Press in WAOW News.
September 10, 2013 •
Tuesday Lobbying and Campaign Finance News Update
Keep up with the latest government relations news with these articles:
Lobbying
“Lobbyist league says mission will remain the same” by Byron Tau in Politico.
California: “FPPC fines Kinney, Areias and Hickox for covert lobbying” by Laurel Rosenhall in the Sacramento Bee.
Massachusetts: “Top ten lobby shops each netted more than $600K in first half of 2013” by Andy Metzger in the Patriot Ledger.
Campaign Finance
West Virginia: “State: Mingo County PAC didn’t violate law” by The Associated Press in the Charleston Gazette.
Ethics
Arkansas: “Arkansas Ethics Commission says in letter it’s investigating lt. gov. over campaign reports” by Andrew DeMillo (Associated Press) in The Republic.
Minnesota: “Minn. campaign regulators elect new chairwoman” by The Associated Press in WQOW News.
New York: “NY effort to reveal pols’ law clients has backing” by The Associated Press in The Wall Street Journal.
Pennslvania: “State House panel considers strengthening the state ethics law” by Jan Murphy in the Patriot-News.
Pennsylvania: “State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe calls for investigation into whether Attorney General Kathleen Kane violated the state ethics law” by Jan Murphy in the Patriot-News.
State Legislatures
Hawaii: “Hawaiian governor calls for special session to legalize gay marriage” by Tim Gaynor in Reuters.
Minnesota: “Minnesota legislators OK disaster relief; tax talks delayed” by Jim Ragsdale and Rachel E. Stassen-Berger in the Star Tribune.
Oregon: “Education groups to Kitzhaber: Special session would help stabilize Oregon school funding” by Hannah Hoffman in the Statesman Journal.
September 10, 2013 •
OK Adjourns Special Session
Lawsuit Reform
On September 9, 2013, the Oklahoma Legislature adjourned its special session sine die.
Gov. Mary Fallin had called the special session to address the issue of how lawsuits are filed, which became a problem after the Oklahoma Supreme Court invalidated a law on that topic. The special session, which began on September 3, produced 23 bills related to lawsuit reform.
In her press release, Fallin stated, “These measures will help to keep jobs in Oklahoma and further our reputation as a business friendly state.”
September 9, 2013 •
Monday News Roundup
Let’s start off the week with these lobbying, campaign finance, and ethics news articles:
Lobbying
“‘Big bucks’ lobbying hurts American political system” by Jim Nowlan in the News-Gazette.
“Lobbying the Media Pivotal to Legislative Issues” by Dara Kam in Sunshine State News.
“The State of Lobbying in a Gridlocked Congress” on Bloomberg TV.
New York: “Bill de Blasio fails to go public about all meetings with lobbyists” by Mara Gay in the New York Daily News.
Campaign Finance
“Legislators in at least 23 states are trying to do something about dark money” by Niraj Chokshi in the Washington Post.
“Unions dramatically increase super PAC donations” by Michael Beckel on NBC News.
“Many overhyped super PACs are super in name only” by Tarini Parti in Politico.
“In Senate bid, Markey benefited by contributions and spending by PACs, outside interest groups” by Steve LeBlanc (Associated Press) in The Republic.
Arkansas: “Arkansas Is Next Battleground For Citizens United Constitutional Amendment” by Paul Blumenthal in the Huffington Post.
Colorado: “Colorado Recall Drives Reveal Influence Of ‘Dark Money’ On Local Politics” by Frederick Reese in Mint Press News.
Ethics
Arkansas: “Lt. Governor Mark Darr could face state ethics violations” by Elicia Dover in KATV News.
Massachusetts: “Former ethics officials seeking change that would assist Wolf” by Matt Murphy in the Hanover Mariner.
Missouri: “Missouri House speaker’s side business raises ethical issues” by Jason Hancock in The Kansas City Star.
Washington: “Ethics refs say free college football for lawmakers is legal” by Jordan Schrader in The Olympian.
Legislative News
“What (Not) to Expect from Congress This Session” by Peter Harkness in Governing.
“From Barbeques to Pink Running Shoes: States’ Special Sessions” by Pamela M. Prah in Stateline.
California: “Lawmakers to weigh about 400 bills in session’s last week” by Patrick McGreevy and Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times.
Minnesota: “Minnesota lawmakers return to St. Paul today” by Rachel E. Stassen-Berger in the Star Tribune.
Missouri: “Guns, taxes on the agenda as Missouri lawmakers return to Capitol” by Elizabeth Crisp in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Government Tech and Social Media
“Common Cause teams with techies to help voters” by The Associated Press in the Albany Times Union.
August 26, 2013 •
Kentucky Special Session Adjourns
Redistricting plan passed
The Kentucky Legislature adjourned its special session on Friday, August 23, 2013, after passing a new redistricting plan.
Governor Beshear quickly signed the bill after its passage.
August 23, 2013 •
N.C. Governor Calls Special Session
Session to address vetoed bills
Governor Pat McCrory has issued a proclamation calling for a special session to convene at noon on September 3, 2013.
However, if a majority of legislators write declaring they do not want to meet, no session will occur.
The purpose of the session is to consider overriding the governor’s vetoes.
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