Growing up in a musical family taught me to appreciate the impact music has in every aspect of my life. My father, a music instructor, would explain to me the importance of “Taps,” a specific military bugle call, and the honor one should take when performing Taps. Ironically, the simplicity and slow speed of Taps is what makes it one of the most difficult and challenging pieces to play. Every note, every breath, and every pause must be articulated perfectly and with feeling.

If you have heard Taps performed, you will agree that it is the only piece of music, aside from the National Anthem, able to render universal emotion and connection from all Americans. The melody is both eloquent and lingering and never fails to bring a tear to one’s eye. But more importantly, it is the symbolism of the music that I value most when observing Memorial Day.

When Taps is played, it is a time for reflection, honor, and peace. A person may think, feel, or appreciate this moment of recognition in any way he/she sees fit. That is what I love the most about Memorial Day, as well. Memorial Day is not a day where universal tradition calls for universal action. Every American is able to show respect and commemoration for the honorable fallen in a unique way. Some visit the graves of relatives or friends who have died protecting our country. Some worship and participate in religious ceremony, blessing those who have made a difference serving our country. Some simply choose a moment of silence in their busy day to pause and reflect on not only of the lives of our soldiers, but also on their own life.

Regardless of how you celebrate Memorial Day this weekend, remember save a small bit of time to think about this holiday and how it has affected you. And, if by chance you hear Taps performed—whether at a cemetery, church, or government ceremony—listen to the music and the emotions behind the composition. It may be the most meaningful Memorial Day you’ve had in a long time.

Take a look at our new video explaining the news service:

Federal
Colbert at the FEC? Really

National
Fox Parent Company to Disclose Political Giving

From the States:

Arizona
Fiesta Bowl Seeks Repayment for Political Contributions

Illinois
Emanuel Jumps into Work, Signs Six Executive Orders

Maryland
Johnson, Ex-County Executive in Prince George’s, Pleads Guilty to Taking Bribes

Minnesota
Court Lets Minnesota Corporate Disclosure Law Stand

Tennessee
Four Named to State Ethics Commission

Virginia
Virginia Ethics Rules Questioned in Wake of Federal Case

Wisconsin
Officials Dismiss Ethics Complaints Over Anti-Union Bill

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.

Jim Sedor is editor of News You Can Use.

John Cozine, Research Manager for State and Federal Communications, shared a fun fact with me today. He told me he went to Junior High and High School with Reince Priebus, the Chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC).

It is true; I saw the yearbook picture as proof. But I wouldn’t want anyone to put my Junior High picture on the internet, so I decided to opt for kindness and go with a more current photo.

Reince Priebus was elected Chairman of the RNC on January 14, 2011. You can find his blog here on the RNC website.

Photo of Reince Priebus courtesy of Wispolitics.com on Wikipedia.

It was an honor being a participant and exhibitor at the annual Ohio State Bar Association (OSBA) convention this year in Columbus, Ohio.  The convention was held at the Hyatt Regency on May 4 – May 6, 2011. This has been State and Federal Communications’ second year participating in the convention and we are looking forward to attend many, many more.

Congratulations to the OSBA team, who beautifully planned and orchestrated the three-day event.

Why does State and Federal Communications look forward to and enjoy the OSBA convention so much?

• We are always hiring to facilitate assistance across research and compliance departments in our expanding company. Since attorneys make up 50 percent of our staff, OSBA is a great place to recruit attorneys from different fields and levels of expertise.
• We love to “switch it up” when typically attending more “government relations/affairs” type conventions. We support our attorneys in continuing their education with CLE certifications. Also, it is refreshing to attend conventions where the subject matter is different, whether it be our neighboring booths in the exhibit hall or the topics of the CLE seminars.
• Attorneys have a unique perspective about consulting, campaign finance, and lobbying work – one of the many reasons we recruit at OSBA. The member attorneys are direct with their questions and sincerely try to learn about our company. Likewise, it is nice to hear their thoughts about recent news and issues regarding our line of work. We appreciate OSBA members’ professionalism and look forward to staying in touch.

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We would love to see you! Come visit us at booth #5 in the exhibit hall, right next to the voter registration. Or, chat with some of us in the OSBA conference classes Wednesday evening, Thursday, and Friday morning.

Here is a link to the event.

Recently DiversityBusiness.com held its 11th Annual National Multicultural Business Conference at the Gaylord National outside of Washington, DC.  Their conference proclamation was “American business has arrived at the next step in its evolution – the era of global diversity.”

Diversity has included the following: 1] businesses owned by people of color; 2] by women; and 3] by the disabled.  But, in 2011 this organization wants you to know that it includes innovative ideas, varied products, greater quality, greater efficiency, and lower costs.  Additionally, it includes a multicultural platform in markets, products, services, and experience.

State and Federal Communications, Inc. and Elizabeth Z. Bartz, President and CEO has been chosen to receive a DiversityBusiness.com award for its success in business in Ohio.

The conference host presenting the awards was Joan Lunden.  Her keynote speech titled “10 ways to Reinvent Yourself” is featured in our May 2011 Compliance Now newsletter.

April 3-5, 2011 – NASPO, Boston, Massachusetts

April 14-16, 2011 – NCSL Spring Forum, Washington, D.C.

April 20, 2011 – DiversityBusiness.com Award, Washington, D.C.

May 5-6, 2011 – Ohio State Bar Association Annual Convention, Booth 5, Columbus, Ohio

May 5-7, 2011 – NCSL Spring Executive Committee Meeting, Boston, Massachusetts

Elizabeth Bartz, President and CEO of State and Federal Communications, and staff members attended Akron’s State of the City Address, which was presented by Mayor Don Plusquellic. The luncheon was held at the Tangier.

Mayor Plusquellic discussed the challenges Akron faces in the difficult economy amid state and federal budget cuts to local causes. He also praised the hard work of City of Akron employees, as well as the dedicated work of the police, the firefighters, and the school teachers.

Plusquellic spoke of balancing the city’s budget, of exciting economic opportunities with the development of Akron’s biomedical corridor, and of manufacturing initiatives such as $1 million in seed money from Medical Mutual to help establish small businesses.

You can read the full text of the address here.

Here are a few scenes from the Public Affairs National PAC Conference 2011 in Florida.  We have here the Monday reception and the Tuesday breakfast.

State and Federal Communications will be attending the Public Affairs Council National PAC Conference in Miami Beach, Florida from February 21-24.

Just as it always is with the Public Affairs Council conferences, the agenda looks rewarding. We are excited to be going – to see old friends and to meet new ones.

If you are planning to be there too, please come and say hello! If you’re not planning on attending the conference, fear not – you can follow the conversations on Twitter: @PACouncil #PAC11 and keep up on Facebook. These are definitely worth “following and friending”.

Maybe we’ll see you there!

U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown spoke at the Akron Roundtable January Luncheon. State and Federal Communications had the honor of sponsoring the event and we were excited to be in attendance as well!

Senator Brown’s presentation topic was: “Made in Ohio: Why the U.S. Needs a National Manufacturing Strategy”. A great proponent of American manufacturing, Brown spoke about the need for students to be encouraged to study hard in math and engineering. He believes young students would be inspired by having tours of manufacturing plants to find out how things are made.

Brown recognized the economic challenges facing Ohio and the nation. But he pointed out that out of all the states, Ohio is ranked third in the nation in manufacturing and has a long tradition of hard work and innovation. He believes we have every reason to be optimistic about regaining a strong manufacturing future.

We are thankful for the Akron Roundtable for their 35 years of bringing a world of ideas to our town. A big thanks as well goes to Elizabeth Bartz for giving us the opportunity to meet Senator Brown and to hear his presentation.

Photo by Nicolette Koozer.

All of the legislatures, even those that do not meet every year, are in session in 2011.  Thus, it is important to know the registration obligations for your lobbyists in all of the jurisdictions in which they will be active.  The most important pieces of information you need to know are whether they will need to register and when the registration will need to be filed.  Many jurisdictions have a threshold, based on expenditures, salary, or time spent lobbying, that needs to be crossed before registration is required.  Depending on your situation, you may not need to register if your lobbying activities will be minimal.  Many other jurisdictions, however, have no threshold and will require registration before or within a certain amount of time of your lobbyist engaging in lobbying.

This brings up an important point:  it is crucial that you understand what activities comprise lobbying in the jurisdiction.  A lobbyist may meet the definition of “lobbyist” before contact is even made with an official.  And do not forget that once registered, you will have ongoing reporting requirements.  Illinois and Georgia, in particular, will have more frequent reporting than in past years. (more…)