State and Federal Communications is pleased to announce the following individuals received their Professional Lobbying Certificate at the AGRP Annual Meeting.

Michael Beckett, Esq., George Ticoras, Esq., and John Cozine, Esq. received their certificates after completing the year-long Lobbying Certificate program. Since 2008, 11 staff from the company have completed the program, which is the only certificate program for the government relations professional that covers the wide range of activities that comprise modern government relations.

Through 14 courses over a year, participants have the opportunity to get the baseline knowledge of the numerous topics that need to be known by lobbyists and grassroots practitioners. Within those courses, five are required that cover Ethics of Advocacy, LDA & Compliance, PAC & Campaign Fundraising, Congressional Rules & Procedure and Communications & Media.

The Association of Government Relations Professionals (AGRP) is the national professional society dedicated exclusively to government relations, public policy and lobbying. AGRP’s mission is to enhance the development of the profession, competence, and high ethical standards for advocates in the public policy arena; and to collectively address the challenges affecting the First Amendment right to “petition the Government for redress of grievances.” For more information, visit http://grprofessionals.org.

The Pennsylvania Ethics Commission is increasing its enforcement efforts against those who fail to report lobbying expenditures. This year, 31 groups were cited for failing to file expense reports with fines totaling $90,300. In comparison, last year, only 15 citations were issued with fines reaching $44,000.

At the same time, the General Assembly is working on legislation to increase the penalty for noncompliance. House Bill 1348’s proposed increase is from $50 per day to a tiered system where the fine increases the later the report becomes. The bill passed the House unanimously in October and is awaiting action in the Senate.

The Ethics Review Commission has given its support to Council Member Leslie Pool’s proposed lobbying law changes. These changes include broadening the definition of lobbyist, increasing disclosure requirements, and removing a loophole allowing part-time lobbyists to avoid registering.

Pool’s proposal has been met with opposition from those involved in the design and building industries. They claim the ordinance is too broad and would require architects, engineers, and others involved in the building industries to register as lobbyists. Also, many of these professionals currently serve on city boards and commissions. If they are required to register, they will have to resign from those seats because city law prohibits registered lobbyists from serving on city boards and commissions. The group representing the developers feels such a move would result in the city being robbed of valuable expertise.

This opposition has resulted in Pool making some changes to the ordinance, but the group representing developers is still not satisfied.

So far, registered lobbyists have not opposed the new changes even though the proposal would increase their reporting requirements. If passed, the ordinance would require lobbyists to provide greater detail about who they are representing, how much money is being spent on a lobbying efforts, and how much they receive in payments from clients.

The ordinance will now be presented to the Audit and Finance Committee. From there is will proceed through City Council, with a possible final vote coming early next year.

Photo of the Austin, Texas skyline by Erik A. Ellison on Wikimedia Commons.

Lobbying

“Ethics Commission Recommends Controversial Lobbying Ordinance” by Jack Craver for Austin Monitor

Campaign Finance

“FEC: Notable conservatives tied to nonprofit scofflaw” by Cady Zuvich for Center for Public Integrity

Alaska: “Campaign Finance Commission Says Group Tied to Gov. Walker Aide Broke Law” by Nathaniel Herz for Alaska Dispatch

District of Columbia: “D.C. Mayor’s Allies Reluctantly Shut down Controversial PAC” by Aaron Davis for Washington Post

Utah: “Pricey Mayoral Race Prompts Salt Lake City Council to Consider Campaign Finance Reform” by Katie McKellar for Deseret News

Ethics

Georgia: “Ethics Group Gives Georgia a D- for Ethics, Openness” by Walter Jones (Morris News Service) for Southern Political Report

Maryland: “Annapolis Commission Member Removed after Failure to Sign Ethics Compliance Form” by Chase Cook for Capital Gazette

North Carolina: “North Carolina Gets Mixed Marks on Integrity Report” by Mark Binker for WRAL

Elections

“Obama Legacy in State Offices: A shrinking Democratic share” by Sheryl Gay Stolberg, Michael Shear, and Alan Blinder for New York Times

“Time for GOP Panic? Establishment Worried Carson or Trump Might Win” by Philip Rucker and Robert Costa for Washington Post

Procurement

“D.C. Lawmakers Look at How to Fix the City’s Troubled Contracting Process” by Abigail Hauslohner for Washington Post

National:

Only Three States Score Higher Than D+ in State Integrity Investigation; 11 Flunk
Center for Public Integrity – Nicholas Kusnetz | Published: 11/9/2015

A new report found that in state after state, open records statutes are filled with exemptions, and part-time legislators and agency officials engage in conflicts-of-interest and close relationships with lobbyists while regulators struggle to enforce laws. The State Integrity Investigation measured hundreds of variables to compile transparency and accountability grades for all 50 states. The best grade in the nation, which went to Alaska, is just a “C.” Only two others earned better than a “D+”; 11 states received failing grades. Aside from a few exceptions, there has been little progress on these issues since the research was first carried out in 2012.

Federal:

Donald Trump Advertises Rising Value of Free Political Publicity
New York Times – Ashley Parker | Published: 11/9/2015

Thirty-second television commercials were once signs of a confident, well-financed candidacy for the White House. Now they are seen as a last resort of struggling campaigns that have not mastered the art of attracting the free media coverage that has lifted the political fortunes of insurgent campaigns. Donald Trump’s ability to command media attention and reach voters without depleting his campaign funds is just the latest example of the way his campaign has upended the conventional approach candidates have used to communicate with voters. In addition to having done countless interviews, Trump, who recently hosted “Saturday Night Live,” has been effective in using social media to attack his rivals, and many of his controversial quips on Twitter are rebroadcast by traditional news media outlets.

Even as House Speaker, Paul Ryan Sleeps in His Office
New York Times – Jennifer Steinhauer | Published: 11/10/2015

Like scores of other members of Congress, most of them Republican, Speaker Paul Ryan chooses to bed down in a cot in his office every night the House is in session. He chooses this over the speaker’s official palatial suite in the Capitol, which Ryan has pointed out stinks thanks to smoke from its prior inhabitant, John Boehner. For the lawmakers, the choice is fiscal, practical, and political. Many say they find Washington rental prices too high. Others say it allows them to work longer hours. Still others, like Ryan, say Washington is simply not their home. Some groups and other members have criticized the arrangement as essentially taxpayer-subsidized housing.

G.O.P. Fight Now a Battle over What Defines a Conservative
New York Times – Jonathan Martin | Published: 11/11/2015

For months, the Republican presidential race has been animated by the party’s anger about the state of the country and an equally undefined hope that a candidate would emerge who could usher in an era of renewal. But the most recent debate and its aftermath marked an abrupt transition from vague promises about making America “great again,” in Donald Trump’s phrase, to a new season of the campaign shaped more by the policy fissures that are dividing Republicans over what exactly to do about the nation’s problems. It exposed a contentious dispute over what it means to be a conservative and offered a preview of the contours of the battle for the Republican nomination.

From the States and Municipalities:

California – Conflict Concerns Won’t Keep Ethics Panel Out of Race
San Diego Union-Tribune – David Garrick | Published: 11/10/2015

The San Diego Ethics Commission will continue enforcing local campaign laws in the race to succeed City Attorney Jan Goldsmith, denying a candidate request that the commission recuse itself based on a potential conflict-of-interest. Rafael Castellanos asked for the recusal because one of his opponents in the race, Gil Cabrera, was a commission member from 2005 to 2010 and worked as special counsel for the commission in 2012 and 2013. The agency’s general counsel downplayed the potential conflict, noting only one of the commission’s seven members remains from when Cabrera served and only two members were there when he worked as a special counsel.

California – Follow the Money: Shining a light on political nonprofits
Capitol Weekly – John Howard | Published: 11/11/2015

California’s Political Reform Act has been largely untouchable for more than 40 years, but now it may get a rewrite. The catalyst for change comes from a tangled trail of some $15 million in so-called dark money that flowed via nonprofits into the state’s 2012 elections final stages. Ultimately, the spending resulted in a $1 million fine. The proposed changes would create, for the first time, a constitutional right to regulate political money and force disclosure. It would require the disclosure of the source of donations of $10,000 or more to nonprofits, when the money is used for political purposes, make explicit who is paying for political ads, and it double the “revolving door” waiting period to two years. The proposal outlaws lobbyists’ gifts to elected officials, and cuts the maximum value of a gift from a member of the public, now $460 annually, to $200 a year.

California – Lobbyist Meetings Missing from San Jose Council Calendars
San Jose Mercury News – Ramona Giwargis | Published: 11/8/2015

Elected officials in San Jose are falling short when it comes to disclosing meetings with lobbyists. A review found the mayor and every city council member had contacts with lobbyists this year that were not disclosed on the officials’ public calendar. Local law requires lobbyists to file quarterly reports on their contacts with elected officials. The San Jose Mercury News said lobbyists reported 105 more such contacts this year than city officials did. Council members defended themselves by saying the undisclosed contacts were human error, they did not realize they were chatting with a lobbyist, or the contacts were unexpected run-ins or email communications the policy does not require them to report. Watchdogs say the discrepancy undermines the goals of transparency and deceives the public.

Florida – Hialeah Mayor Tries to Pay County’s $4K Ethics Fine in Pennies
Miami Herald – Brenda Medina | Published: 11/6/2015

Hialeah Mayor Carlos Hernandez finally decided pay the $4,000 fine the Miami-Dade County ethics commission imposed earlier this year on his business dealings. Hernandez sent the commission a truck stacked with 28 buckets filled with pennies to cover the fine. But his payment was not accepted. Apparently, the commission accepts only checks. “I paid it with American money, of the United States, and I have the right to do that,” said Hernandez.

New Hampshire – G.O.P. Candidates, Lagging, Rely on New Hampshire to Get Close
New York Times – Jonathan Martin | Published: 11/8/2015

Some Republican candidates are staking their presidential bids on an idea that seems increasingly quaint: that campaigning one on one in this small state can set you on the path to becoming president. It is a notion that is facing a rigorous test this election cycle, as the large Republican field, social media, and televised debates that attract massive audiences have reshaped the race like never before. The outcome in New Hampshire will echo beyond this election and reveal much about how the country chooses presidents, and whether the tradition of direct voting in the first-in-the-nation primary matters anymore. Its possible diminishment is already unsettling residents, who view their role of scrutinizing and winnowing the field of candidates as a solemn duty.

New York – Legislation Introduced to Tighten New York City Campaign Finance Rules
New York Daily News – Erin Durkin | Published: 11/9/2015

A package of bills to tighten New York City’s campaign finance rules was introduced in the city council. One bill would ban candidates from getting matching funds for donations raised by fundraisers who do business with the city. The legislation would also ban all candidates, including those who are not taking matching funds, from accepting contribution from political committees that are not registered with the city. Another bill would restrict contributions from businesses with numerous limited liability companies.

Pennsylvania – Pennsylvania Ethics Officials Crack Down on Lobbyists
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review – Kari Andren | Published: 11/11/2015

The Pennsylvania Ethics Commission is ramping up enforcement against groups that fail to file mandated quarterly expense reports, and the state House has approved a bill to up the ante for non-compliance by lobbyists and the groups they represent by dramatically increasing penalties for not abiding by disclosure rules. Thirty-one groups were cited for failing to file expense reports this year; fines and penalties total about $90,300. In 2014, the commission issued just 15 citations. The House bill would hike the maximum penalty imposed from $50 per day to a tiered system of $50 for the first 10 days, $100 for each of the next 10 days, and $200 for each late day after 20 days.

Texas – Ethics Commission Recommends Controversial Lobbying Ordinance
Austin Monitor – Jack Craver | Published: 11/12/2015

The Ethics Review Commission recommend to the Austin City Council a resolution aimed at overhauling city lobbying rules.  A revised draft crafted by a commission working group incorporated some of the concerns expressed by developers. Stuart Sampley, president of the Austin chapter of the American Institute of Architects, said the ordinance unfairly targeted development, design, and architectural professionals and misrepresented their day-to-day interactions with city officials as lobbying. The recommendations from the working group urged city staff to explore a number of potential negative effects of stricter lobbying requirements. Backers of the reform hope the measure will be on the agenda for council at its last meeting of the year on December 17.

Washington – Seattle’s Experiment with Campaign Funding
The Atlantic – Russell Berman | Published: 11/9/2015

Starting in 2017, Seattle residents will be able to contribute to local candidates without spending a dime of their own money. Instead, the government will send each registered voter four $25 vouchers that they can give to candidates of their choice. Candidates can opt out, but those who participate will have to abide by strict limits on spending and on receiving private donations. “The promise of vouchers is turning every single voter in the city into a donor,” said Alan Durning, the executive director of the Sightline Institute, a think tank and advocacy group that pushed for the new program. Critics have said the measure’s design will benefit incumbents and entrenched political organizations who do not need any extra boost.

Wisconsin – Senate GOP Votes to Overhaul Campaign Finance, Revamp Board
Albany Times Union – Todd Richmond (Associated Press) | Published: 11/7/2015

The Wisconsin Senate approved, with changes, a pair of bills altering the state’s campaign finance and election oversight rules. They will now return to the Assembly, which must approve the changes before sending the bills to Gov. Scott Walker. Republicans backing the proposals say they are necessary to bring the state’s statutes in line with court rulings and to protect First Amendment rights to free speech. Democrats argue the bills, along with one limiting the scope of crimes that can be investigated in so-called John Doe probes, would open the door for corruption and expand the influence of money in politics.

State and Federal Communications produces a weekly summary of national news, offering more than 60 articles per week focused on ethics, lobbying, and campaign finance.

On December 1, 2015, new revisions to Canada’s Lobbyists’ Code of Conduct will take effect.  The updates to the Code of Conduct, which has not been updated since 1997, are designed to clarify the rules and restrictions on lobbying in the country.

New rules will prohibit a lobbyist from lobbying a public official if the lobbyist has campaigned for or has business interests with the public official.  New regulations addressing gifts will hold a lobbyist responsible for giving a gift the public official is not allowed to accept.

Lobbying

California: “Lobbyist Meetings Missing from San Jose Council Calendars” by Ramona Giwargis for San Jose Mercury News

Campaign Finance

Indiana: “Legislative War Chests: Purse or puppet strings?” by Marc Chase for Northwest Indiana Times

New York: “Backed by Nail Salon Owners, a New York Legislator Now Fights Reforms” by Sarah Maslin Nir for New York Times

Ethics

“Only Three States Score Higher Than D+ in State Integrity Investigation; 11 Flunk” by Nicholas Kusnetz for Center for Public Integrity

Arizona: “Survey: Arizona gets a ‘D’ for public access” by Joe Ferguson for Arizona Daily Star

New Jersey: “Advocacy Group’s Ranking of N.J. on Access, Integrity Falls Sharply” by Dustin Racioppi for Bergen Record

Ohio: “Ohio Graded D+ in Report on Integrity” by Jim Siegel for Columbus Dispatch

Wisconsin: “Senate GOP Votes to Overhaul Campaign Finance, Revamp Board” by Todd Richmond (Associated Press) for Albany Times Union

Wyoming: “Wyoming Second to Last in Transparency” by Laura Hancock for Billings Gazette

Elections

“Donald Trump Advertises Rising Value of Free Political Publicity” by Ashley Parker for New York Times

Lobbying

Texas: “Appeals Court Backs Ethics Commission over Activist” by Aman Batheja for Texas Tribune

Campaign Finance

“Fla. man who landed gyrocopter at Capitol to plead guilty to lesser charge” by Spencer Hsu for Washington Post

Florida: “Hialeah Mayor Tries to Pay County’s $4K Ethics Fine in Pennies” by Brenda Medina for Miami Herald

New York: “Backed by Single, Untraceable Out-of-State Donor, Reform Party Scores Win” by Chris Bragg for Albany Times Union

Ethics

“Annual Sexual-Harassment Training Required in Missouri House” by Associated Press for New York Times

Alabama: “Ethics Commission Letter Raises State Employee Concerns” by Brian Lyman for Montgomery Advertiser

Florida: “Marco Rubio Spent Lavishly on a GOP Credit Card, but Some Transactions Are Still Secret” by Alex Leary for Tampa Bay Times

Elections

“Off-Year Elections Reveal a 2016 Map with Sharper Borders” by David Weigel for Washington Post

National:

Neuropolitics, Where Campaigns Try to Read Your Mind
New York Times – Kevin Randall | Published: 11/2/2015

All over the world, political campaigns are seeking voter data and insights that will propel them to victory. Now, that includes the contentious field known as neuromarketing – or in this case, neuropolitics. Technologies like facial coding, biofeedback, and brain imaging have long been used by companies in the hope of pushing the boundaries of marketing and product development. But their use by political parties and governments is a growing phenomenon. The practice has come under attack, but the skepticism has not dissuaded political parties in many parts of the world. The campaigns of presidents and prime ministers on at least three continents have hired science consultants to scan voters’ brains, bodies, and faces, all with the aim of heightening their emotional resonance with the electorate.

New Generation of Trade Group CEOs Take More Aggressive – and at Times Unorthodox – Approach to Lobbying
Washington Post – Catherine Ho | Published: 11/4/2015

A new generation of trade group leaders are deploying a wide range of unorthodox lobbying tactics, a shift reflecting the new normal of the advocacy business. Some of the new CEOs are as much as two or three decades younger than their predecessors and came to power at the same time gridlock and chaos reigned in Congress. Rather than only forging relationships with federal lawmakers, they are turning to state-level lobbying and media campaigns to shape public opinion. These younger leaders are pushing to remake the image of some trade groups as a cushy track to retirement for former elected officials.

Federal:

Bush, Clinton Benefit from Lobbying Gray Area
Politico – Isaac Arnsdorf | Published: 11/3/2015

Campaigns are required to file reports detailing registered lobbyists who round up donations, but that number is only a small slice of the fundraisers who work in some capacity in Washington’s influence industry. A quarter of those who bundled $100,000 or more for Hillary Clinton work at lobbying firms or public affairs agencies, lobby at the state level, or otherwise make their living from influencing the government, even though they are not themselves registered to lobby Congress. For Jeb Bush, 58 of the 342 people who raised at least $17,600 are advocates and operatives linked to the influence industry, although they are not reported as federal lobbyists. The reliance on these power brokers shows how much both candidates are drawing on family and party networks forged over decades in politics to bankroll their presidential bids. It also illustrates the weaknesses in the rules meant to subject lobbyists to more public scrutiny.

Paul Ryan Lands at Center of a Rivalry for the Soul of the G.O.P.
New York Times – Carl Hulse | Published: 11/2/2015

The rise of the tea party-influenced conservatives who toppled John Boehner as House speaker has driven a wedge between the party’s right flank and the corporate interests and business advocates who were the embodiment of the Republican Party in years past. Now the term Chamber of Commerce Republican has been turned into a pejorative by hard-right conservative activists who rail against “crony capitalism.” It is an extraordinary political development, one that the new speaker, Paul Ryan, will have to navigate as he takes control of the House. And those on the hard right and in the corner offices are watching closely to see which way he leans.

Twitter <3 Enhanced Political #Disclosure
Center for Public Integrity – Dave Levinthal | Published: 11/4/2015

Twitter’s nascent PAC, which is poised to make its first-ever federal campaign contributions, plans to disclose them within 48 hours. “Timely disclosure is something we could do. We figured, ‘Why not?'” said Colin Crowell, Twitter’s head of global public policy. Twitter will also publicly disclose its trade association memberships and membership costs, as well as any financial associations it has with nonprofit organizations, which are not required to reveal their donors.

From the States and Municipalities:

Arizona – Elections Panel Moves to Uncover Political ‘Dark Money’
Arizona Daily Star – Howard Fischer (Capitol News Services) | Published: 10/31/2015

The Citizens Clean Elections Commission adopted a rule that spells out what will be considered to be a “political committee.” That designation is crucial because only political committees are required to report both contributions and expenditures. The new guideline says the reporting requirement applies when any organization spends at least half of its overall communications expenses on Arizona political races. Tom Collins, the commission’s executive director, said the rule is a direct result of heavy spending last election by groups that refused to disclose the source of their cash.

California – Tighter Rules for Lobbying Win S.F. Voter Approval
San Francisco Chronicle – Kevin Fagan | Published: 11/3/2015

Proposition C, which was approved by San Francisco voters on November 3, will require individuals or groups to register as lobbyists if they spend more than $2,500 in a month to encourage others to lobby city officials directly. The issue was placed on the ballot by a unanimous vote of the city Ethics Commission to try to rein in “Astroturf” lobbying, which refers to third-party influence efforts that try to disguise the real group or person behind a fake grassroots message. Many of the city’s grassroots and nonprofit organizations supported the idea behind Proposition C but said it would unfairly force them to abide by the same rules as more-moneyed traditional lobbyists. Proponents maintained that all lobbyists, big and small, should be equally accountable.

Connecticut – Joseph Ganim, Disgraced Ex-Mayor of Bridgeport, Conn., Wins Back Job
New York Times – Kristin Hussey | Published: 11/3/2015

An ex-convict who spent seven years in federal prison for corruption reclaimed the Bridgeport mayor’s office, completing a stunning comeback bid that tapped nostalgia for brighter days in Connecticut’s largest city. Joe Ganim, who was released from prison five years ago, declared victory in a race involving seven opponents. Ganim was mayor from 1991 to 2003, resigning after he was convicted of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars from people and companies doing business with the city. Eddie Moro, a security employee in the public school system, said he has no problem with Ganim’s criminal record. “He didn’t kill nobody,” said Moro.

Maine – Maine Backs Post-Citizens United Campaign Finance Initiative
Huffington Post – Paul Blumenthal | Published: 11/3/2015

Maine voters approved a proposal to expand the state’s public campaign financing system. It will increase public funding for candidates to as much as $3 million while allowing them to collect additional five-dollar qualifying donations. The initiative will also require organizations behind political advertisements to disclose the top three donors funding the ads and increase penalties for candidates who violate the state’s campaign finance laws.

Maryland – D.C. Law Student Takes Case against Md. Gerrymandering to Supreme Court
Washington Post – Robert Barnes | Published: 11/1/2015

Steve Shapiro worked on an assignment for a class at American University’s Washington College of Law, where he is a first-semester student. He pored over his brief due at the U.S. Supreme Court, where his battle against Maryland’s often-criticized gerrymandered congressional districts will be heard in a case that bears his name. It was his decades-long fight with Maryland’s political leadership over redistricting that, in part, fueled his decision to leave his job as a career federal employee and enroll full time in law school. Before he ever took his first law class, he served as his own lawyer, filing the original complaint in what is now called Shapiro v. McManus and a subsequent appeal after losing the first round.

New York – In Two Corruption Cases, the Culture of Albany Will Go on Trial
New York Times – William Rashbaum and Susanne Craig | Published: 11/1/2015

The former leaders of New York’s two legislative chambers face simultaneous public corruption trials this month in a federal courthouse. Former New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, long one of the state’s most powerful lawmakers, goes on trial first on charges he used his office to collect millions of dollars in kickbacks and bribes. Dean Skelos, a former Senate majority leader, faces his own criminal trial on November 16. He is charged with taking official actions on behalf of several companies in exchange for payments to his son. The trials are the highest-profile cases in a string of corruption scandals. More than 30 state lawmakers have either been indicted or forced from office in recent years.

New York – Mayor de Blasio’s Hired Guns: Private consultants help shape City Hall
New York Times – Thomas Kaplan | Published: 11/4/2015

Several consultants helped guide Bill de Blasio campaign for New York City mayor in 2013, and they have remained at his side as a kind of privately funded brain trust, offering strategic advice and helping to shape the message that comes from City Hall. Their involvement also poses conflict-of-interest concerns; some of their firms have clients that do business with the city. Most of the money for the consultants has come from a nonprofit organization, the Campaign for One New York, that was created by political professionals from his mayoral campaign as a vehicle to push de Blasio’s initiatives, and whose donors have included real estate developers and unions.

North Carolina – McCrory Brokered Meeting on Contract for Friend and Campaign Donor
Raleigh News & Observer – Joseph Neff, Craig Jarvis, and Ames Alexander | Published: 10/30/2015

Last fall, North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory personally intervened on behalf of a friend and major political donor who wanted to renew $3 million in private prison contracts over the objections of McCrory’s top prison officials. Graeme Keith Sr., a developer and retired banker, has pursued private maintenance contracts in state prisons since 1999. Keith’s contracts at two prisons were set to expire December 31, 2014; a third would have ended four months later. The governor convened an October 2014 meeting where, according to a Department of Public Safety memorandum, Keith told prison officials and McCrory that “he had been working on this project ‘private prison maintenance’ for over ten years and during that time had given a lot of money to candidates running for public office and it was now time for him to get something in return.”

Texas – Opponents of Houston Rights Measure Focused on Bathrooms, and Won
New York Times – Manny Fernandez and Alan Blinder | Published: 11/4/2015

More than a year ago, when Houston Mayor Annise Parker and her supporters first proposed an ordinance outlawing discrimination based on factors such as race, religion, and sexual orientation and steered it through the city council, they expected it to be welcomed in a diverse city that had become, with Parker’s election in 2009, the nation’s first big city to elect an openly gay or lesbian mayor. Instead, voters rejected the ordinance overwhelmingly. Opponents zeroed in on the measure’s gender-identity protections and focused the debate on a narrow issue whose very relevance was disputed by rivals: bathrooms, and access to them. What was clear was that a months-long effort by social conservatives to repeal the ordinance and reframe the issue had paid off, through tactics likely to be used again in similar battles around the country.

Washington – ‘Democracy Vouchers’ Win in Seattle; First in Country
Seattle Times – Bob Young | Published: 11/3/2015

Seattle voters passed a ballot measure that was seen as a national model for campaign finance reform. Under Initiative 122, every city resident would receive four “democracy vouchers” each representing $25 of public funds. The vouchers could be given to any local candidate of their choice, as long as that candidate opted in to the program. The measure also prohibits candidates from receiving contributions from any person or company with at least $250,000 in city contracts or $5,000 in lobbying expenses. It also will bar elected officials and their top aides from lobbying the city for three years after leaving their government jobs.

State and Federal Communications produces a weekly summary of national news, offering more than 60 articles per week focused on ethics, lobbying, and campaign finance.

Beginning November 1, the Virginia Conflict of Interest and Ethics Advisory Council assumed responsibility for all lobbyist registrations and disclosures. Created in the spring by the passage of House Bill 2070, the Council is required to review all disclosure forms filed by lobbyists, as well as state officers, employees, and legislators.

Paper and electronic versions of lobbyist registration and reporting are available through the Council’s website, however, electronic reporting will become mandatory beginning with the December 15, 2016 report.

House Bill 2070 followed an unsuccessful attempt to create the Council in 2014. In the previous instance, a battle over the state budget between the General Assembly and the governor resulted in the Council not receiving funding.

Lobbying

“New Generation of Trade Group CEOs Take More Aggressive – and at Times Unorthodox – Approach to Lobbying” by Catherine Ho for Washington Post

California: “Tighter Rules for Lobbying Win S.F. Voter Approval” by Kevin Fagan for San Francisco Chronicle

Rhode Island: “38 Studios: House panel chairwoman wants investigation of deal maker Michael Corso” by Katherine Gregg for Providence Journal

Campaign Finance

Florida: “Dade Medical College Owner Turns Himself In” by Michael Vasquez for Miami Herald

“Maine Backs Post-Citizens United Campaign Finance Initiative” by Paul Blumenthal for Huffington Post

South Dakota: “Council Nixes PAC Contribution Limit” by Joe Sneve for Sioux Falls Argus Leader

Washington: “‘Democracy Vouchers’ Win in Seattle; First in Country” by Bob Young for Seattle Times

Ethics

“Mayor de Blasio’s Hired Guns: Private consultants help shape City Hall” by Thomas Kaplan for New York Times

Elections

“Joseph Ganim, Disgraced Ex-Mayor of Bridgeport, Conn., Wins Back Job” by Kristin Hussey for New York Times

“Matt Bevin, Republican, Wins Governor’s Race in Kentucky” by Sheryl Gay Stolberg and Alan Blinder for New York Times

“Michigan Lawmakers Ousted Over Affair Lose Bid to Regain House Seats” by Associated Press for New York Times

Redistricting

Ohio: “Voters Approve Issue to Reform Ohio’s Redistricting Process” by Jim Siegel for Columbus Dispatch

Proposition C, a measure requiring registration fees and monthly reports from expenditure lobbyists, was approved by voters in San Francisco. The measure creates a new category of lobbyists, termed expenditure lobbyists, defined as organizations who employ lobbyists to influence city officials.

The measure imposes a registration threshold of $2,500 or more in a calendar month spent soliciting, requesting, or urging other persons to communicate directly with a city official. Expenditure lobbyists must pay a $500 fee to register with the city.

The measure takes effect February 1, 2016.

Lobbying

“Bush, Clinton Benefit from Lobbying Gray Area” by Isaac Arnsdorf for Politico

Campaign Finance

“Small Donors Are Clicking More with Democrats than Republicans” by Eric Lichtblau and Nick Corasaniti for New York Times

Ethics

New York: “Report: JCOPE should be smaller, more transparent” by Casey Seiler for Albany Times Union

“How Andrew Cuomo’s Flashy Bid to Clean up Albany Backfired” by Chris Smith for New York Magazine

Elections

“Neuropolitics, Where Campaigns Try to Read Your Mind” by Kevin Randall for New York Times

“Steve Deace and the Power of Conservative Media” by Jackie Calmes for New York Times Magazine

“How the Rising Death Rate among Middle-Aged Whites Helps Explain Our Political Reality” by Janell Ross for Washington Post

California: “Measure Slashing Drug Prices May Go to California Voters Next Fall” by Tracy Seipel for San Jose Mercury News

Legislative Issues

“Paul Ryan Lands at Center of a Rivalry for the Soul of the G.O.P.” by Carl Hulse for New York Times

Campaign Finance

“Larry Lessig Ends Presidential Campaign, Citing Unfair Debate Rules” by David Weigel for Washington Post

Arizona: “Elections Panel Moves to Uncover Political ‘Dark Money’” by Howard Fischer (Capitol News Services) for Arizona Daily Star

New Jersey: “Analysis: Outside money may flood 2017 election” by Dustin Racioppi for Bergen Record

New Mexico: “Flurry of Campaign Finance Cases after Duran Indictment Renews Call for Ethics Commission” by Justin Horwath for Santa Fe New Mexican

Oregon: “Activists Angle for Oregon Campaign Finance Measures” by Taylor Anderson for Bend Bulletin

Ethics

New York: “In Two Corruption Cases, the Culture of Albany Will Go on Trial” by William Rashbaum and Susanne Craig for New York Times

North Carolina: “McCrory Brokered Meeting on Contract for Friend and Campaign Donor” by Joseph Neff, Craig Jarvis, and Ames Alexander for Raleigh News & Observer

Elections

“How Donald Trump Leverages America’s Fault Lines” by Lynn Vavreck for New York Times

Redistricting

Maryland: “D.C. Law Student Takes Case against Md. Gerrymandering to Supreme Court” by Robert Barnes for Washington Post