Lobbying
Missouri: “Missouri Lawmakers Strike a Deal on Revolving-Door Lobbyist Ban” by Jason Hancock for Kansas City Star

Campaign Finance

New York: “Vote to Close ‘LLC Loophole’ Deadlocks, but Could Impact Lawsuit” by Chris Bragg for Albany Times Union

Virgina: “Virginia Lawmakers Banish Pricey Gifts – But Not Fundraisers” by Alan Suderman (Associated Press) for ABC News

Ethics

“Ethics Watchdog Urges Full Probe of Senate Hopeful Grayson” by Cristina Marcos for The Hill

Alabama: “Lawmaker Takes First Step in an Effort to Impeach Alabama’s Governor” by Campbell Robertson and Alan Blinder for New York Times

Connecticut: “Former Investment Director for Quasi-Public Agency Fined In Ethics Probe” by David Altimari for Hartford Courant

Massachusetts: “Prosecutors Investigate Fees Collected by Joyce on Randolph Projects” by Andrea Estes and Shelley Murphy for Boston Globe

Elections

“Trump Effect Hits Dem Convention” by Megan Wilson Megan Wilson for The Hill

Legislative Issues

Tennessee: “Bible Could Soon Be Tennessee’s Official Book” by Katie Rogers for New York Times

State and Federal Communications is excited to be a Bronze Sponsor of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting and Legislative Reception in Columbus, Ohio on April 5, 2016! The keynote speaker for the event is former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives John Boehner.

State and Federal Communications President and CEO Elizabeth Bartz and a team from the company are in attendance.

Lobbying

Georgia: “Friends in the Hall: How lobbyists use influence to help their clients” by Max Blau for Atlanta Magazine

Pennsylvania: “Lobbying for Philadelphia, and Well Paid for It” by Jonathan Tamari and Claudia Vargas for Philadelphia Inquirer

Campaign Finance

“Republicans on FEC Suggest They May Scrutinize Mystery Corporate Donors” by Matea Gold for Washington Post

Mississippi: “High Court Rejects Challenge to Miss. Campaign Finance Law” by The Associated Press for San Diego Union-Tribune

Montana: “Jury: Montana lawmaker coordinated with dark-money groups” by Matt Volz (Associated Press) for Winona Daily News

Ethics

“Could Republican Convention Delegates Be Bought? Legally, Maybe” by Tal Kopan and Gregory Krieg for CNN

Ohio: “Ohio Ethics Panel to Clarify Stance on Elected Officials Nonprofit Jobs” by Lucas Sullivan for Columbus Dispatch

Elections

“Early Missteps Seen as a Drag on Bernie Sanders’s Campaign” by Patrick Healy and Yamiche Alcindor for New York Times

Redistricting

“Supreme Court Rejects Conservative Challenge to ‘One Person, One Vote’” by Robert Barnes for Washington Post

State and Federal Communications held a Brown Bag Lunch Day on March 15 to raise money for the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank’s 2016 Harvest for Hunger campaign. Employees offered donations to the cause, shared their lunch time, and the company matched those donations. “We were thrilled to help this vital program. Let’s eliminate hunger in our community!” said President and CEO Elizabeth Bartz.

The Foodbank’s President and CEO Dan Flowers dropped by to visit the office and to say thanks.

Lobbying

California: “Lobbying Class Teaches Sacramento State Students ‘Rough and Tumble’ Politics” by Taryn Luna for Sacramento Bee

Missouri: “Lawmakers Bunking with Lobbyists Show More Cozy Connections in Capitol” by Kurt Erickson for St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Campaign Finance

Arizona: “Bill Overhauling Campaign Finance Laws Heads to Arizona Governor” by Howard Fischer (Capitol Media Services) for Arizona Daily Star

Indiana: “Exclusive: Special prosecutor investigating allegation against Monarch Beverage” by Tony Cook for Indianapolis Star

Ethics

Michigan: “Feds Charge 12 Detroit School Principals with Bribery” by Katrease Stafford and Tresa Baldas (Detroit Free Press) for USA Today

Missouri: “Missouri Lawmakers Pass Limits on Paid Political Consulting” by Adam Aton and Summer Ballentine (Associated Press) for Kansas City Star

Texas: “Indictment Aside, Crystal City Mayor is Running Again” by Jim Malewitz for Texas Tribune

Vermont: “Trimmed Down Ethics Commission Plan Gets Committee’s OK” by Mark Johnson for VTDigger.org

Elections

Ohio: “Surprising Source of GOP Petition” by Arden Farhi for CBS News

Lobbying

Minnesota: “Governments Spend Millions Lobbying Government” by J. Patrick Coolican for Minneapolis Star Tribune

Missouri: “State Law Murky on Who Qualifies as a Local Lobbyist” by Caitlin Campbell for Columbia Tribune

Campaign Finance

“Marco Rubio’s Secret (Money) Legacy” by Shane Goldmacher for Politico

“House Wants Campaign Finance Study” by Geoff Pender for Jackson Clarion-Ledger

Ethics

“Ethics Advocates Decry Opaque Budget Negotiations” by Casey Seiler for Albany Times Union

Florida: “Opa-locka’s ‘Shadow’ Force Moves Millions in City Contracts” by Jay Weaver, Michael Sallah, and Katie Lepri for Miami Herald

Ohio: “City Hall Scandals Prompt Ginther to Propose New Ethics Rules” by Lucas Sullivan for Columbus Dispatch

South Carolina: “Solicitor David Pascoe Says He Won’t Step Down from Corruption Probe Unless Court-Ordered to Do So” by Cynthia Roldan and Glenn Smith for Charleston Post & Courier

Elections

“How Clinton’s Email Scandal Took Root” by Robert O’Harrow, Jr. for Washington Post

“Campaign Manager for Donald Trump Is Charged With Battery” by Maggie Haberman and for New York Times

Legislative Issues

Maryland: “Maryland Lawmakers Want Gender Pay Gap Closed. They Should Look at Their Own Payroll.” by Fenit Nirappil for Washington Post

Lobbying

“Union ‘Persuader’ Rule to Offer Rare Look inside DC Consulting” by Megan Wilson for The Hill

“FOI Agency, In Role Reversal, Opposes Disclosure of Connected Lobbyist’s Emails” by Jon Lender for Hartford Courant

Texas: “Travis County to Create Its First Code of Ethics” by Sean Collins Walsh for Austin American-Statesman

Campaign Finance

California: “Valley Councilwoman’s Aides Sought $5 and $10 Donations That Are Focus of U.S. Inquiry” by David Zahniser for Los Angeles Times

Ethics

Alabama: “Governor’s Political Adviser Discloses Pay from Nonprofit” by Kim Chandler (Associated Press) for Montgomery Advertiser

Florida: “Gov. Rick Scott Signs Anti-Corruption Bill” by Matt Reed and James Call for Tallahassee Democrat

Kentucky: “Beshear Aide Charged in Kickback Scheme” by Joseph Gerth, Andrew Wolfson, and Tom Loftus for Louisville Courier-Journal

Missouri: “Despite Fast Start, Legislative Progress on Ethics Reform Slows” by Ellen Cagle for Fulton Sun

Montana”Montana Lawmakers Rarely Refrain from Voting on Personal Interests” by James DeHaven for Helena Independent Record

Elections

“Uninformed Voters Are a Problem. This May Be a Solution.” by Mike Maciag for Governing

“How the G.O.P. Elite Lost Its Voters to Donald Trump” by Nicholas Co
nfessore for New York Times

Campaign Finance

“Even as Political Spending Explodes, Disclosure Remains Hazy” by Mary Spicuzza (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) and Jeremy White (Sacramento Bee) for CTNewsJunkie.com

Arizona: “House Panel OKs Significant Changes to Campaign Finance Laws” by Howard Fischer (Capitol Media Services) for Arizona Daily Star

Hawaii: “Honolulu Ethics Director on Leave after Internal Investigation” by Anita Hofschneider for Honolulu Civil Beat

Hawaii: “Passing The Buck: When Hawaii politicians give to each other” by Nathan Eagle for Honolulu Civil Beat

Washington: “Voters Could Get $150 to Give to Candidates under Proposed Initiative” by Jim Brunner for Seattle Times

Ethics

“Supreme Court Nomination Drives Groups from Left and Right to Fight” by Eric Lipton for New York Times

California: “‘Dark Money’ Measure Pulled by California Campaign Reform Backers” by Taryn Luna for Sacramento Bee

California: “How a State Senator – Whose Family is in the Taxi Business – Put the Brakes on Two Uber Bills” by Liam Dillon for Los Angeles Times

Florida: “FBI Agents Blow Lid Off Opa-locka City Hall Corruption Probe” by Jay Weaver, Michael Sallah, and Katie Lepri for Miami Herald

West Virginia:”Lawmakers Killed Ethics Bills on Session’s Last Day” by Eric Eyre for Charleston Gazette

Elections

“Hillary Clinton Wins 4 Races, Rebounding From Michigan Loss” by Patrick Healy and Amy Chozick for New York Times

“Donald Trump Takes 3 States; John Kasich Wins Ohio” by Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns for New York Times

“Rubio’s Demise Marks the Last Gasp of the Republican Reboot” by Robert Costa and Philip Rucker for Washington Post

Legislative Issues

“Capitol Benches That Provided Comfort to Lobbyists Have Been Ordered Removed” by Nathaniel Herz for Alaska Dispatch News

Lobbying

New York: “As Lobbying Money Rises, deBlasio’s Agency Disclosure Pledge Goes Unfufilled” by Laura Nahmias for Capital New York

Campaign Finance

Arizona: “‘Dark Money’ Rules Eased in AZ Senate Campaign Finance Bill” by Howard Fischer (Capitol Media Services) for Arizona Daily Star

Montana: “Montana Campaign Contribution Limit Challenge Coming to a Head” by Matt Volz (Associated Press for The Missoulian

Oregon: “Lawmakers Leave Salem without Taking up Campaign Finance Reform” by Taylor Anderson for Bend Bulletin

Ethics

Colorado: “Audit: Colorado’s ethics commission rarely helps those filing complaints” by Joey Bunch for Denver Post

Florida: “Facing Ethics Probe, Judge Lakin Decides to Retire” by Dale White for Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Minnesota: “House Speaker Daudt Sued by Debt Collectors, Was Tardy on Taxes” by Brian Bakst for MPR News

Pennsylvania: “Former LCB Chairman Who Took Gifts Drops Out of Ethics Panel” by Kari Andren for Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Elections

“Donald Trump, the Winning Wild Card” by Thomas Edsall for New York Times

“Democrats Increase Their State House Majority in Special Elections” by Jack Brammerf and John Cheves for Lexington Herald-Leader

Lobbying

New Mexico: “Transparency Legislation Isn’t Quite as Transparent as Billed” by Sandra Fish for New Mexico In Depth

New York: “PR Firms File Suit over ‘Hopelessly Vague’ JCOPE Lobbying Definition” by Bill Mahoney for Capital New York

Campaign Finance

“The FEC Just Made It Easier for Super PAC Donors to Hide Their Identities” by Matea Gold for Washington Post

“Ben Carson’s Small-Dollar Donors Could Keep Yielding Big Money” by Carrie Levine for Center for Public Integrity

Connecticut: “A Legislative Mystery: Who changed a watchdog’s bill?” by Mark Pazniokas for CT Mirror

Mississippi: “No State Officials Enforce Campaign Finance Laws” by Mollie Bryant, Geoff Pender, and Katie Royals for Jackson Clarion-Ledger

Ethics

California: “Golfing, Tequila and Spa Treatments: These are the gifts given to California lawmakers in 2015” by Patrick McGreevy and Liam Dillon for Los Angeles Times

Wisconsin: “Politics Apparent in Appointments to New Ethics, Elections Panels” by Patrick Marley for Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Elections

“Michael Bloomberg Says He Won’t Run for President” by Maggie Haberman and Alexander Burns for New York Times

“Ted Cruz Keeps Up Pressure on Donald Trump; Bernie Sanders Takes 2 on ‘Super Saturday’” by Jonathan Martin for New York Times

North Carolina: “Trump Cracks Down on Protesters” by Ben Schreckinger for Politico

Legislative Issues

Indianapolis: “State to Locals: You can’t do that. Or that.” by Brian Eason for Indianapolis Star

Lobbying

California: “Santa Monica Rewrites Lobbying Rules” by Gary Walker for Argonaut Online

New Jersey: “Pensions, Other Big Issues Spurred $70M in Spending to Sway N.J. Leaders” by Samantha Marcus and Susan Livio (NJ Advance Media) for Newark Star-Ledger

Campaign Finance

Arkansas “Former State Legislator Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Fraud” by John Lyon for Arkansas News

Massachusetts: “Mass. Campaign Finance Regulators’ Office Gets Hip to Memes” by Steve Annear for Boston Globe

Virginia: “State Lawmakers Can’t Raise Campaign Money While in Session, but There’s a Loophole” by Patrick Wilson for The Virginian-Pilot

Ethics

California: “L.A. County D.A.’s Corruption Case against Three Irwindale Officials Is Dismissed” by Marisa Gerber for Los Angeles Times

Connecticut: “Connecticut Election, Information and Ethics Watchdog Agencies Fear Results of Deep Cuts” by Mary O’Leary for New Haven Register

Kentucky: “Legislation Allowing the Executive Branch Ethics Commission to Set Lobbying Registration Fees by Regulation Heads to House Floor” by Kevin Wheatley for cn/2

Procurement

“Lobbyists Plan for Battle over Contractor Fair Pay Rule” by Ben Penn for Bloomberg BNA

Lobbying

“Lobbyists Could Make a Comeback after Obama” by Megan Wilson for The Hill

Michigan: “Michigan Lobbyist Spending Hits Record High in 2015 with Loopholes Galore” by Josh Hakala for Michigan Public Radio

Campaign Finance

Colorado: “Court: Colorado GOP’s creation of super PAC was legal” by James Anderson (Associated Press) for The Coloradoan

Pennsylvania: “Pennsylvania Lawmaker Charged in Illegal Gambling Probe” by Marc Levy (Associated Press) for Minneapolis Star Tribune

Ethics

“Meet the ‘Nones,’ the Democratic Party’s Biggest Faith Constituency” by Michelle Boorstein for Washington Post

Arizona: “Ex-Phoenix VA Hospital Exec Failed to Disclose Yearly Gifts” by   for Arizona Daily Star; Associated Press

California: “Ethics Reforms Proposed for San Diego Council” by David Garrick for San Diego Union-Tribune

New Mexico: “Former Sen. Phil Griego Charged with Nine Crimes” by Deborah Baker for Albuquerque Journal

Elections

“Chris Christie Goes Viral” by Michael Catalini (Associated Press) for U.S. News & World Report

“Ben Carson Tells Supporters He Sees No ‘Path Forward’ for Presidential Campaign” by Robert Costa and Ben Terris for Washington Post

State and Federal Communications is proud to be one of the sponsors of The Ohio Society of Washington D.C.’s 2016 Ohio Birthday Celebration!

The grand event will take place tonight in the Montpelier Room of the James Madison Building at the Library of Congress.

Elizabeth Bartz, the company’s President and CEO, will be in attendance.

Enjoy these fun photos from recent events:

In February, Elizabeth celebrated the seventh anniversary of Ken Kelewae, I.T. Assistant and the seventh anniversary of Sarah Gray, Compliance Assistant Coordinator.  We also celebrated the 18th anniversary of our Executive Director, Renold Koozer. They are all assets to the State and Federal Communications team.

Elizabeth Z. Bartz introduced Akron’s Mayor Dan Horrigan at the Akron Roundtable Luncheon on January 28, 2016.

February 5, Wear Red Day, was well represented at State and Federal Communications, Inc.