Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Georgia Campaign Finance Commission’s physical office is closed.

The commission is no longer accepting paper registrations or payment of registration fees via mail.

All completed lobbyist new registrations and supplemental registrations must be submitted by email.

Lobbyists will then need to log into their e-file account to process the online payment for those new registrations and/or supplemental registration.

Lobbyist ID photos will be taken and badges issued once the physical office reopens.

The Georgia General Assembly convened special session called by Gov. Brian Kemp on Monday, March 16 to adopt his declaration of a public health emergency.

After passing a joint resolution concurring with Gov. Kemp’s declaration, the General Assembly adjourned the special session, sine die.

Therefore, the regular session remains suspended indefinitely.

The Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission is expected to issue guidance as to whether this will affect lobbyist dates reporting.

Due to concerns over COVID-19, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has postponed the March 24 presidential primary election to May 19.

The rescheduling moves the presidential primary to the same day as the state’s general primary.

On Thursday March 12, Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan and Speaker of the House David Ralston announced the General Assembly will suspend the 2020 legislative session indefinitely.

The assembly suspended following the 29^th legislative day on Friday, March 13.

The suspension is out of an abundance of caution and in the interest of health and safety of members, staff and the public given the prevalence of the coronavirus.

The session will resume at a future date to be determined.

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms issued an executive order calling for the city to create an Office of Inspector General.

The office would create the new position of Inspector General and an independent board with the authority to conduct administrative appeals and ethics investigations.

The board would appoint the Inspector General, who would serve a fixed term and could only be removed with cause.

The office would also gain the ability to appoint and remove the city auditor and city ethics officer, two existing positions.

Current City Auditor Amanda Noble criticized the new proposal, saying it would not serve the public interest.

Bottoms is facing two separate ethics investigations, one from the State Ethics Commission and another from the City Council.

The Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, announced a special election for February 4 for Senate District 13.

The seat is vacant after Sen. Greg Kirk died in December after a battle with cancer.

A runoff election is scheduled for March 3 if no candidate receives a majority of the vote during the special election.

The Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger announced a special election for January 28 for House District 171.

The seat is vacant after Rep. Jay Powell unexpectedly died in November while attending a Republican leadership retreat.

A runoff election is scheduled for February 25 if no candidate receives a majority of the vote during the special election.

The winner of the election will serve the remaining year of Powell’s term.

State Rep. Ed Rynders announced his resignation from House District 152.

Rynders suffered a heart attack over the summer and cited his ongoing health issues for his resignation.

Gov. Brian Kemp announced a special election on November 5 to fill the vacant seat.

The winner of the special election will complete the remaining year of Rynders’ term.

Gov. Brian Kemp announced a special election to fill the vacancy in House District 71 on September 3.

The seat was vacated by the resignation of Rep. David Stover on June 25.

Rep. Stover was facing an ethics complaint regarding his residency and resigned to spend more time with his wife in the United Kingdom.

The winner of the special election will complete Stover’s term until 2020.

More ethics and campaign finance changes happening at the state level. Check out which states are making moves in today’s NYCU Video Digest!

Last week, the Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission voted to raise contribution limits.

For statewide elected offices the contribution limits raised from $6,600 to $7,000 for primary and general elections.

Primary and general runoff elections limits were raised from $3,900 to $4,100 for statewide elected offices.

Contribution limits for all other offices were also raised from $2,600 to $2,800 for primary and general elections and from $1,400 to $1,500 for primary and general runoff elections.

The previous contribution limits had not changed since 2016.

The Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission will introduce Mr. David Emadi as the next executive secretary on April 11.

Mr. Emadi previously served as the chief assistant district attorney in Douglas County.

Former executive secretary, Stefan Ritter, resigned in February amid allegations of misconduct and intentionally obstructing investigations.

The Georgia General Assembly adjourned sine die on April 2. Lawmakers passed Senate Bill 213, relating to campaign contributions and disclosure reports.

The bill amended reporting dates for a nonelection year to June 30 and December 31 for elected state officials, county officials, members of a local board of education, and elected municipal officers.

Senate Bill 213 also moved the March election year report to April 30.

Under the bill, any person required to register and report campaign contributions must file a December 31 campaign contribution disclosure report regardless of whether the candidate they are supporting has a report due.

If signed by the governor, the bill becomes effective July 1.

The statutory requirement to file semimonthly reports when the Legislature is in session will end with the report due April 15.

Monthly activity reporting for state level lobbyists will resume on May 5.

A special election was announced on April 9 for House District 28.

This will be the third election for the seat as both elections held last year were deemed inconclusive.

The special election was ordered by Senior Superior Court Judge David Sweat after ruling four votes in the December 4 special primary were illegal.