March 14, 2012 •
Redistricting News Roundup
Here are articles from four states:
Florida: “Lawmakers ready to tackle redistricting during special session” by Bill Kaczor (Associated Press) in Florida Today.
Florida: “Legislators return for special session to redraw rejected Senate map” by Mary Ellen Klas The Miami Herald.
Florida: “Senate Re-Redistricting Plan Is Flawed, Says State Dem Chair” by Brandon Larrabee in Sunshine Slate.
Kansas: “Kansas lawmakers face votes on redistricting plans” by The Associated Press in the Wichita Eagle.
Minnesota: “Redistricting maps give DFL advantage in legislative races, but …” by Eric Black on MinnPost.com.
New York: “An Update on New York Redistricting” by Thomas Kaplan in The New York Times.
New York: “Silver bristles at Cuomo slap at NY Legislature” by The Associated Press in The Wall Street Journal.
New York: “New York: Redistricting End Is Nigh” by Joshua Miller in Roll Call.
November 15, 2011 •
Minnesota Campaign Finance Board Discusses Electronic Filing
Board’s December Meeting to Address Specific Procedures
MINNESOTA: The Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board released a memo concerning electronic filing of campaign finance reports. Electronic filing of campaign finance reports will be mandatory for most committees beginning with reports covering calendar year 2012. The electronic filing requirement does not apply to 2011 year-end reports.
Additionally, the waiver of electronic filing request process will be discussed at the Board’s December 2011 meeting.
October 4, 2011 •
Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board Releases Guidance on Ballot Initiatives
Guidelines Detail When Donor Disclosure Necessary
The Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board released a statement of guidance that details when groups are required to disclose donors who support or oppose a ballot initiative.
The guidelines suggest that a group that is involved in multiple activities including the support or opposition of ballot initiatives must determine how much of a contribution is directed to a ballot initiative influencing effort. Money specifically designated for ballot question expenditure purposes and money given in response to an express or implied solicitation to support a group’s campaign to promote or defeat a ballot question is considered a contribution for the purpose of promoting or defeating a ballot question which requires donor disclosure.
The Campaign Finance Board will consider adopting the guidelines at its next meeting.
July 20, 2011 •
Budget Bills Approved to Reopen Minnesota Government
Special Session Adjourns
The special legislative session called on Tuesday by Governor Mark Dayton adjourned at 3:43 a.m. Wednesday morning.
The Legislature passed 12 budget bills that were signed by Governor Dayton in order to reopen state government.
July 19, 2011 •
Minnesota Governor Calls Legislature to Special Session
Session to Address Budget Agreement
Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton has called a special legislative session to begin today at 3 p.m. for a vote on a budget agreement that would end the state’s government shutdown.
Governor Dayton stated that some state agencies could re-open as early as Wednesday if the budget agreement is finalized.
Photo of the Minnesota State Capitol dome by Mulad on Wikipedia.
July 11, 2011 •
News You Can Use Digest – July 11, 2011
Here are highlights from the latest edition of News You Can Use:
Federal:
IRS Drops Audits of Political Donors
New Breed of ‘Super PACs,’ Other Independent Groups Could Define 2012 Campaign
From the States and Municipalities:
Alabama
Alabama Democratic Conference Files Lawsuit to Stop New Alabama Law Banning Political Fund Transfers
Arizona
Arizona Conservatives Scramble after Campaign Finance Law’s Defeat
California
Marijuana Lobbyist’s Fundraiser for DA Raises Questions
Veil Drawn on Donors to Latino Caucus-Controlled California Nonprofit
Connecticut
Agent Who Arrested Politicians Now Seeks House Seat
Georgia
Illinois
Mayor Rahm Emanuel Proposing New Round of Ethics Reforms
Iowa
Judge Upholds New Iowa Campaign Disclosure Rules
Massachusetts
House Leader Apologizes for Holocaust Remarks
Michigan
Justices Stop Political Gifts Taken at Work
Minnesota
Campaign Board Rejects NOM’s Efforts to Shield Donors in Marriage Battle
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
Lt. Gov. Ard Paying $48,000 Fine
Washington
Ex-Prisons Chief Eldon Vail Says He Resigned Because of an Affair with Subordinate
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.
May 24, 2011 •
Minnesota Legislature Adjourns
A special session will be necessary.
The regular session of the Minnesota Legislature adjourned the evening of May 23, 2011.
A special session will be necessary to avoid a state government shutdown at the end of June, as no budget compromise was reached during the regular session.
The Governor has until June 6, 2011 to act on bills passed by the Legislature.
Photo of the Minnesota State Capitol dome by Mulad on Wikipedia.
Court of Appeals Affirms Lower Court Decision
The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed a decision of the District Court which upheld a new Minnesota law that revealed political donations from several corporations. The law was enacted in May of 2010 after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United freed businesses to spend corporate money on elections, overturning restrictions on corporate political spending in about half the states, including Minnesota. Minnesota lawmakers responded by enacting disclosure requirements to publicize corporate campaign spending.
In affirming the decision, the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed with claims that Minnesota’s disclosure requirements effectively prohibit corporate independent expenditures and impose burdensome regulations that inhibit free speech. The Court continued that Minnesota’s regulations are similar to laws upheld by the Supreme Court and the regulations on corporate independent expenditures are less burdensome than federal regulations on PACs.
November 17, 2010 •
Gubernatorial Recount Spurs Campaign Finance Staff Opinion
Minnesota Campaign Finance Board Finds Recount Fund Exempt From Registration and Reporting Requirements.
The Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board provided guidance on questions relating to funding of recount efforts, in light of the gubernatorial recount scheduled to begin November 29th.
The board concluded that contributions to a recount fund made by a candidate’s principal campaign committee, a party unit, or a political committee do not require registration and reporting in accordance with Minnesota law. The board clarified that this opinion does not allow a recount fund to accept contributions from lobbyists or lobbyist principals without further seeking an Advisory Opinion from the Board concerning the application of Minnesota’s gift law.
Map of Minnesota from the National Atlas of the United States on Wikipedia.
November 9, 2010 •
Minnesota Board Releases Advisory Opinion
Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board Issues Advisory Opinion to Clarify Lobbyist Registration Requirement
The Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board issued Advisory Opinion 413 clarifying the state’s lobbyist registration requirements. The Board sought to answer whether a lobbyist is required to register multiple times when employed by an entity which consists of a parent company and a number of affiliates, including subsidiaries and joint ventures controlled by or under common ownership and control of the parent company.
Several of the affiliates have legislative and administrative interests in Minnesota, and lobbying is conducted on their behalf. The Board concluded that a lobbyist must register on behalf of each association whose interests they promote, regardless of the mechanism used to retain or direct the efforts of the lobbyists. The opinion continued that a lobbyist who represents an association such as a trade or business association is not required to register separately for each member of the association.
Photo of the Minnesota State Capitol by Mulad on Wikipedia.
September 22, 2010 •
Minnesota Disclosure Law Upheld
Minnesota Law Requiring Disclosure of Corporate Political Spending Upheld by U.S. District Court
U.S. District Judge Donovan Frank denied a temporary injunction in a lawsuit brought by supporters of Minnesota Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer, upholding a new Minnesota law that revealed political donations from several corporations. The law was enacted in May after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United earlier this year freed businesses to spend corporate money on elections, overturning restrictions on corporate political spending in about half the states, including Minnesota.
Minnesota lawmakers responded by enacting disclosure requirements so that corporate campaign spending would be public. In his decision, Judge Frank explained the public has an interest in knowing who speaks and who pays for campaign messages and advertisements as elections approach.
Photo of Tom Emmer from the Minnesota House of Representatives Web site.
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