County Council has voted to enact public financing for county elections beginning with the 2015-2018 election cycle. Bill 16-14 will establish a public election fund, regulate participating candidates, and authorize the Maryland State Board of Elections to enforce the provisions.

To qualify, candidates for county executive or council must demonstrate viability by raising a specific number of small individual contributions between $5 and $150. Candidates for county executive need at least 500 contributions totaling $40,000. At-large council candidates must collect 250 donations worth $20,000.

Maryland lawmakers included a public funding option for counties as part of a 2013 campaign finance reform bill. Montgomery is the first county to pass such a public campaign financing measure.

The State Ethics Commission has issued a reminder of changes to the Public Ethics Law taking effect on October 1, 2014. Several of the changes will affect the lobbyist registration process.

Signed paper registrations will no longer be required since the requirement to submit an employer authorization with signature has been replaced by a lobbyist certification with electronic signature. The commission also is working to implement an electronic payment option to allow a completely online registration process.

The Maryland Capitol Police will accept an email confirmation of the online registration for purposes of issuing the lobbyist state identification badge.  Paper registration will continue to be available, but will require the lobbyist to sign forms under oath before a notary and to submit the $100 registration fee by paper check.

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County Executive Ken Ulman gave to charity the $34,000 in campaign contributions he received from insurance executive Jeffrey B. Cohen, who was indicted last month on federal fraud charges. Cohen has been accused of misrepresenting the amount of cash his company had available to provide liability insurance to thousands of bars, restaurants, and strip clubs.

Although current Maryland election law requires political contributions to be used only for campaigns, the state Board of Elections issued a waiver. Ulman, who is Democrat Anthony Brown’s running mate for governor, donated Cohen’s contributions to the Maryland Crime Victims Network and the United Way of Central Maryland.

A bill restricting the political activities of lobbyists registered with the county is set for public hearing on June 2, 2014. Bill No. 39-14 would prohibit registered lobbyists from soliciting campaign contributions, serving on a fundraising committee, acting as a treasurer for a candidate, establishing a political committee, or forwarding tickets to fundraising events.

The bill would also comply with a 2010 state law requiring local ethics laws to be at least as strong as state standards.

Proposed amendments to the bill include delaying the effective date till after the general election and allowing former lobbyists to participate in campaigns without any lapse in time after termination.

The Board of Commissioners will consider adopting a new county ethics ordinance requiring additional disclosures from county candidates, elected officials, and certain county employees. In 2010, the Maryland General Assembly passed legislation mandating local governments to adopt ethics laws at least as stringent as the state’s laws.

The Maryland State Ethics Commission approved the county’s proposed ordinance during its Feb. 27 meeting.

County Attorney Tim Burke will review the ordinance with commissioners in mid-May. It is then the responsibility of the commissioners to submit the ordinance for public review and to vote on whether to adopt it.

The State Board of Elections has issued a guidance memo following the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission. The board will no longer enforce a $10,000 aggregate limit on donors’ contributions to state candidates during a four-year election cycle.

The memo states personal contributions are unlimited, but still must not exceed $4,000 to any one candidate. The McCutcheon decision held such aggregate limits violate constitutional protections of free speech. Political action committees in Maryland had no previous aggregate limit and remain limited to $6,000 per candidate.

The guidance is effective immediately.

The General Assembly adjourned late Monday, April 7, 2014, after approving bills to decriminalize marijuana and raise the state minimum wage.

Legislators also approved two lobbying bills addressing ethics training requirements and lobbyist certifications of authorization to lobby.

The new lobbying requirements in Senate Bill 92 and Senate Bill 90 will be effective October 1, 2014, unless Gov. Martin O’Malley vetoes the measures by May 27, 2014.

Lawmakers are considering a bill to block one of the firms seeking to bid on a multibillion-dollar light rail project from winning its bid unless it agrees to pay reparations to Holocaust victims. Delegate Kirill Reznik co-sponsored House Bill 1326 to block Paris-based Keolis from winning a contract worth $6 billion for the state’s Purple Line project.

Keolis is a subsidiary of the government-owned French railway Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Français (SNCF), which has admitted transporting about 76,000 Holocaust victims to concentration camps in Nazi-occupied France.

The bill would expand a 2011 law requiring companies to disclose involvement in transporting victims during the Holocaust.

The Ethics Commission has issued an informal memorandum regarding a new training certification requirement for lobbyist registration.

Beginning September 19, 2013, Part C of the registration form will require the lobbyist to certify he or she has completed the required training in the last two-year period or will complete the training prior to being a regulated lobbyist for two years.

The next live training is scheduled for October 21, 2013. Lobbyists can verify their training status and complete the training online by accessing their account at https://lobby.ethics.state.md.us.

City Council has passed the Public Ethics and Financial Disclosure Ordinance (O-41-12), as required by a 2011 state law. The ordinance does not change lobbyist registration or reporting dates, but does add definitions, gift restrictions, and penalties for violations.

Lobbying will now include grassroots activities, but reporting obligations remain focused on expenditures for the benefit of officials and employees. Tickets to sporting events will no longer be permitted and the Annapolis Ethics Commission may impose a fine of $5,000 for each violation.

The legislation was pre-approved by the State Ethics Commission in late October, 2012, allowing the ordinance to take effect January 1, 2014.

The General Assembly passed a campaign finance reform bill before adjourning on Monday, April 8, 2013.

House Bill 1499 increases contribution limits to any one campaign committee from $4,000 to $6,000 and from $10,000 to $24,000 for total contributions to all campaign committees within a four-year election cycle. The bill also curbs giving through multiple corporate entities for the purpose of evading contribution limits, increases reporting requirements, and gives the State Board of Elections new enforcement powers.

Unless vetoed by Governor O’Malley, the new limits will be effective for the election cycle beginning January 1, 2015.

Photo of the Maryland State House by Thisisbossi on Wikipedia.

The Senate has passed a campaign finance reform bill, including a provision allowing public financing of local campaigns. House Bill 1499 raises campaign contribution limits, for the first time in two decades, from $10,000 to $24,000 within a four-year election cycle. The bill also curbs giving through multiple corporate entities for the purpose of evading contribution limits, increases reporting requirements, and gives the State Board of Elections new enforcement powers.

An amendment to remove a public financing option for counties was rejected by a 25-16 vote.

The Senate passed House Bill 1499 and cross-filed Senate Bill 1039 on Wednesday, April 3, 2013 by a 45-2 vote. The bill now must be reconciled with a different version passed by the House.

The Ethics Commission is now accepting online lobbyist registrations for 2013.

Lobbyists can register by creating an account and following the detailed instructions here.

Additional information and paper registrations are still available on the commission’s website.

Mayor Joshua J. Cohen has introduced legislation to revise the city’s ethics code, based upon recommendations prepared by the City Ethics Commission. Ordinance 41-12 will grant the commission additional power to impose penalties for ethics violations and will prohibit city officials from accepting tickets to sporting events.

The proposed legislation was reviewed and approved by the State Ethics Commission in late October. Annapolis is required by a 2011 state law to revise certain provisions of its ethics code.