Sarah Kovit is a Compliance Associate at State and Federal Communications who is a fluent Spanish speaker and who has experience working with Puerto Rican officials and tracking newly enacted legislation. She is here to assist you with your Puerto Rican compliance needs.

According to Kovit: “Navigating the lobbying, political contribution, and procurement lobbying laws in Puerto Rico can be tricky. English copies of newly enacted legislation are rarely available and English language assistance with your questions is not always available. In the last year alone, Puerto Rico has passed a new election code, updated the PAC reporting structure, and created a pay to play law which affects organizations conducting business in Puerto Rico.”

You can contact Sarah Kovit at skovit@stateandfed.com.

National:

$55 Million for Conservative Campaigns – but Where Did It Come From?

Most Americans Think Campaign Money Aids Rich

Federal:

Acquittal, Mistrial in Edwards Case

Chamber Says It Will Evade Disclosure Ruling by Tweaking Ads

K Street Not Thrilled with Tampa

From the States and Municipalities:

Alabama

Alabama Legislature: Teachers can receive gifts of $25 or less

California

Senators Vote to Give up Free Tickets to Games, Concerts

Delaware

Lobbying Reform Bill Met with Debate

Florida

Florida Candidate Legally Changes Name to Web Address

Georgia

Senate Leader Balfour Piles Up Freebies

Illinois

Quinn Gets Bill to Relax Some Campaign Contribution Limits

Massachusetts

Wary of Fan Anger, Athletes Largely Avoid Political Fray

Ohio

Campaign Donor Limits Scrutinized

West Virginia

Political Groups Test Campaign Laws Ahead of High-Profile W.Va. General Election Races

State and Federal Communications produces a weekly summary of national news, offering more than 80 articles per week focused on ethics, lobbying, and campaign finance.

News You Can Use is a news service provided at no charge only to clients of our online Executive Source Guides, or ALERTS™ consulting clients.

Ontario Integrity Commissioner Lynn Morrison has called for changes to the province’s Lobbyists Registration Act.

Commissioner Morrison, who is also the Lobbyist Registrar, recommends eliminating the “significant part of duties” threshold for registration of lobbyists. Currently, lobbyists must register only if they spend 20 percent or more of their time on lobbying activities. Ms. Morrison recommends all paid lobbyists register regardless of the time spent lobbying.

She also recommends the Lobbyists Registrar have the power to issue administrative monetary penalties and to introduce and require new categories of information reporting for lobbyists. Additionally, the commissioner recommends the different distinctions between the two types of in-house lobbyists be eliminated.

In an Office of the Integrity Commissioner press release, Commissioner Morrison said, “The registration system has worked well since it was introduced in 1999, but times have changed. The roles of lobbyists and public officials have evolved, making it even more important that a registry provide clear, accessible information on who is lobbying whom, and about what.”

Photo of the Toronto skyline by John Vetterli on Wikipedia.

Campaign Finance

“GOP groups plan record $1 billion blitz” by Mike Allen and Jim Vandehei in Politico.

“Mark Kirk hit with FEC complaint by ex-wife” by John Bresnahan in Politico.

Lobbying

“DELAWARE: Lobbying reform bill met with debate” by Chris Barrish in Delmarvanow.com.

“Campaign finance board to investigate ALEC” by Catherine Richert on Minnesota Public Radio News.

Campaign Finance

“Texas leads country in Super PAC giving — by a wide margin” by Emily Wilkins in the Houston Chronicle.

“17 funniest super PAC names” by Politico staff.

Louisiana: “Campaign donations for Gov. Jindal, others under scrutiny” by The Associated Press in the Daily Comet.

“Can State Laws Cohabit With Citizens United?” by Lincoln Caplan in the New York Times.

Lobbying

“K Street not thrilled with Tampa” by Anna Palmer in Politico.

Ethics

“Top N.H. pol quits; lied about work” by Mackenzie Weinger in Politico.

Nevada Assemblyman Pat Hickey has called for campaign finance, lobbying, and ethic reforms.

Assemblyman Hickey’s recommendations include expanding the reporting of lobbyists’ expenditures to include those made when the legislature is not in session, limiting political contributions to PACs, and creating a ‘cooling off’ period before an ex-legislator may become a lobbyist.

As reported in the Las Vegas Sun, the Assemblyman is also suggesting there be ‘real time’ reporting of political contributions.

Assemblyman Hickey made these recommendations at a news conference and has not yet requested a draft bill for these proposed changes. The Nevada Legislature currently is not in session and not scheduled to meet again until 2013.

More information from the Las Vegas Sun can be found here and here.

Photo of Assemblyman Pat Hickey courtesy of the Nevada Legislature Website.

Campaign Finance

“How Citizens United Is Affecting Campaigns” by Stuart Rothenberg in Roll Call.

Massachusetts: “Mass. towns push against Citizens United” by The Associated Press in the Boston Globe.

Nevada: “Assembly GOP leader calls for campaign transparency” by Ed Vogel in the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Nevada: “Attempt to amend campaign finance not a new concept, but will it work this time?” by David McGrath Schwartz in the Las Vegas Sun.

Lobbying

“White House visitor logs provide window into lobbying industry” by T.W. Farnam in The Washington Post.

“To get a voice in Tallahassee, local governments spend millions on lobbyists” by Tia Mitchell in The Miami Herald.

“NY, 21 states join campaign finance fight” by Matt Gouras (Associated Press) in Newsday.

“Rules of the Game: Advocacy Groups Face New Ad Rules” by Eliza Newlin Carney in Roll Call.

“Feds probe donations to Ohio candidates” by Josh Lederman in The Hill.

“City lobbyists ready for action in Raleigh” by Patrick Gannon in the Star News.

Republican voters will answer whether they want to limit how much lobbyists spend on state lawmakers. State Senator Josh McKoon said party officials have agreed to include the non-binding advisory question on the July 31st primary ballot.

Senator McKoon filed legislation earlier this year that would have set a $100 cap on lobbyist gifts to lawmakers and set a limit of $750 for travel, meals, and accommodations for conferences and speaking engagements for legislators. While the bill did not have much support among lawmakers, the ballot question is a chance to survey voter opinion of the issue.

National:

ALEC Memo Instructed Members to ‘Navigate Away’ from Tough Questions

Protesters Disrupt WellPoint Annual Meeting

Federal:

Court Ruling May Force Advocacy Groups to Disclose Secret Donors

Ex-Lawmakers on K Street Avoid ‘Scarlet L,’ Shy Away from Registering as Lobbyists

Gay Political Donors Move from Margins to Mainstream

From the States and Municipalities:

Arizona

State Legislator Arrested in FBI Sting

Kentucky

City Paid Louisville Metro Councilwoman’s Grandson While Jailed

Missouri

Rush Limbaugh Inducted into Hall of Famous Missourians

Missouri

Spence Criticized for Handing Out Sports Tickets to Lawmakers

Montana

Judge Strikes Down More Election Laws

New York

Business Lobby Supporting Cuomo Files Late Data

New York

Study: Matching funds up donor diversity in NYC

Tennessee

Tennessee Legislative Event Costs Totaled

Wisconsin

Armageddon in Wisconsin

State and Federal Communications produces a weekly summary of national news, offering more than 80 articles per week focused on ethics, lobbying, and campaign finance.

News You Can Use is a news service provided at no charge only to clients of our online Executive Source Guides, or ALERTS™ consulting clients.

Delaware is now a signature away from adding to its lobbyist reporting requirements. On Thursday, the House passed Senate Bill 185, leaving the bill only a governor’s signature away from becoming a law.

The bill requires lobbyists to report to the Public Integrity Commission the identity of each bill, resolution, or regulation they have lobbied for or against. These reports would be due within five days after the first direct communication a lobbyist makes. The Public Integrity Commission will make the reports available online so that the public will be able to see who is lobbying on each measure going through the legislature.

If the governor signs the bill, which he is expected to do, the law would become effective in 2013.

Photo of Legislative Hall in Dover courtesy of Joshua Daniel Franklin on Wikipedia.

Campaign Finance

New Mexico: “King Appeals Ruling on PAC Donations” by James Monteleone in the Albuquerque Journal.

Lobbying

“Ex-lawmakers on K Street avoid ‘Scarlet L,’ shy away from registering as lobbyists” by Kevin Bogardus and Rachel Leven in The Hill.

“Common Cause complaint: ALEC skirting lobbying laws” by Beth Hawkins in MinnPost.com.

“Sports Lobby Is a Multi-Million-Dollar Enterprise” by Laurie Bennett in First Street.

Phildaelphia, PA: “Blackwell, others fined for campaign violations” by Catherine Lucey in the Philadelphia Daily News.

Washington: “Washington State Public Disclosure Commission adds lobbying data to online database” in the Maple Valley Reporter.

Ethics

Arizona: “State legislator Arredondo indicted in FBI sting” by JJ Hensley, Mary Jo Pitzl, and Craig Harris in The Arizona Republic.

Missouri: “Spence criticized for handing out sports tickets to lawmakers” by Jake Wagman in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Pennsylvania: “Pennsylvania governor, lawmakers report gifts, travel” by John L. Micek in The Morning Call.

From the State Legislatures

Alabama: “Bentley calls special session to address redistricting” by Sebastian Kitchen in the Montgomery Advertiser.

California: “California’s Prop. 28 would let legislative leaders serve longer stints” by Jim Sanders in the Sacramento Bee.

Campaign Finance

“Ads highlight cozy campaign-super PAC relationship” by Beth Fouhy in The Associated Press.

“Sen. McCain huddles with Dems on campaign finance reform” by Alexander Bolton in The Hill.

“Edwards’ campaign finance chairman paid mistress” by Michael Biesecker in Bloomberg Businessweek.

“Judges refuse to block disclosure ruling” by The Associated Press in Bloomberg Businessweek.

“Election decision may force disclosure of secret donors” by Matea Gold in the Los Angeles Times.

Lobbying

“Lobbying firms get big paydays in Tallahassee” by Jim Saunders in The Miami Herald.

“Law firm’s collapse leaves lobbying clients up for grabs” by Kevin Bogardus in The Hill.

Ethics

“Ethics Panel Opens Inquiry Into No. 2 Leader in State Senate” by Danny Hakim in The New York Times.

“‘Stunt’ alleged in ethics pursuit” by Casey Seiler in the Albany Times Union.

The new lobbyist registration ordinance in Palm Beach County took effect April 2, 2012. The expenditure report due date is now November 1 of each year, and continues to cover the period from October 1 – September 30.

Electronic registration is now available in addition to paper registration. Registrations now must also include the phone number of the lobbyist and principal, their signatures where both may be made electronically, and the county or municipalities to be lobbied.

The ordinance specifically excludes from expenditure reporting the salaries of the lobbyist and principal, office overhead expenses, and personal expenses for lodging, meals, and travel.

All registrations on file and in effect with the county prior to the ordinance’s effective date remain in full force and effect.