The Association of Missouri Electrical Cooperatives filed suit Wednesday morning in federal district court challenging changes to campaign finance laws that became effective December 8.

Voters approved the changes via a constitutional amendment on the November ballot. Among other things, the amendment establishes contribution limits for individuals and entities supporting statewide and judicial candidates, as well as prohibits certain corporate and labor union contributions.

The Association of Missouri Electrical Cooperatives unsuccessfully attempted to block the statewide referendum prior the November election; an appeals court stopped its lawsuit because it would not consider campaign restrictions not yet in effect. The new suit alleges the campaign finance changes violate free speech rights as they unfairly limit some businesses and associations from participating in political campaigns.

Missouri Rep. Kip Kendrick wants to see his seven-point ethics reform proposal introduced in the House.

The proposal bans gifts from lobbyists, amends the state’s revolving door policy for legislators seeking to become lobbyists, imposes term limits for statewide officeholders, prohibits the giving or solicitation of political contributions during a legislative session, prohibits someone no longer seeking office from maintaining a candidate committee, restricts the use of campaign funds, and broadens the Missouri Ethics Commission’s enforcement authority.

Each part of the proposal will be pre-filed as a separate bill. He is working to find seven House Democrats to pre-file the bills.

Missouri voters approved Constitutional Amendment 2 with nearly 70 percent of voter support. The ballot measure is effective December 8, 2016.

The amendment establishes the Missouri Campaign Contribution Reform Initiative, reinstating campaign contribution limits for individuals or entities contributing to political parties, political committees, or committees to elect candidates for state or judicial office. The initiative also prohibits individuals and entities from intentionally concealing the source of such contributions, and bans direct corporation and labor union contributions to candidates.

State contribution limits, originally approved by voters in 1994, were repealed by the General Assembly in 2008. Constitutional Amendment 2 limits contributions to statewide candidates to $2,600 per election. Contributions to political parties are capped at $25,000 in the aggregate per election at the state, county, municipal, district, ward, and township levels combined.

St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay recently signed Board Bill No. 53CSAA, establishing contribution limits for municipal candidates.

Effective November 25, 2016, no person, entity, or committee may contribute more than $10,000 to any local candidate during the general election period. The bill also establishes an ethics commission to investigate alleged campaign finance violations.

Any person violating campaign finance law will be subject to a fine of at least $100 but not more than $500 per violation, a term of imprisonment for 90 days per violation, or both.

Photo of Mayor Francis Slay by Astuishin on Wikimedia Commons.

The Missouri Ethics Commission has fined a citizen activist for failing to register as a legislative lobbyist.

Registration is required for legislative lobbying if an individual attempts to influence official action and is designated to act as a lobbyist by any person, business entity, or other entity. Ronald Calzone was never paid to communicate with legislators and has never been formally designated to lobby on behalf of any person or entity. The commission believes Calzone, who frequently shares his opinions with state legislators, has self-designated himself as a legislative lobbyist within the meaning of state law.

Calzone filed suit last week in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri claiming the commission is violating his first amendment rights absent a legitimate state interest. He also claims the word “designate” is unconstitutionally vague, facially and as-applied in his case.

The Board of Aldermen passed two bills on October 7 to establish campaign contribution limits and clarify gift reporting.

Board Bill 53 limits campaign contributions in city elections to $10,000 per election cycle. Violations could result in 90 days of jail and a $500 fine. If signed by Mayor Francis Slay, the bill would be effective April 6, 2017, just after the spring mayoral election.

Board Bill 126 requires elected officials to report gifts and travel expenses valued at $375 or more when given by interested persons. Violating the reporting requirement would result in docked pay. Currently, the code requires reporting of gifts exceeding $250, but it is not clear whether public officials are reporting gifts as required.

Photo of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis by Daniel Schwen in Wikimedia Commons.

St. Louis aldermen advanced Board Bill 53 out of committee on Tuesday, September 20.

The bill would limit contributions to municipal candidates to $10,000 per city election cycle. Such a limit is nearly four times the proposed state candidate contribution limit currently slated for the November ballot.

A final vote on the municipal measure is expected as early as October. The board bill, if passed, would take effect April 6, 2017.

Photo of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis by Daniel Schwen in Wikimedia Commons.

With the Missouri Supreme Court denying an appeal of two lower court rulings, a constitutional amendment reinstating campaign contribution limits will appear on the November ballot. State contribution limits, originally approved by voters in 1994, were repealed by the General Assembly in 2008.

If passed, the 2016 ballot measure would ban direct corporate and labor union contributions and limit individual and committee contributions to statewide candidates to $2,600 per election. Contributions to political parties would be capped at $25,000 per election.

The Missouri General Assembly held its annual veto session on Wednesday, September 14. Lawmakers were successful in overriding some of Gov. Jay Nixon’s vetoes, including the vetoes of two highly controversial bills.

One bill abolishes a state law requiring permits, training, and background checks for those seeking to carry concealed weapons. The other requires voters to show a photo identification before casting a ballot. The voter ID law will take effect in 2017 only if voters pass a state constitutional amendment in support of it.

Photo of the Missouri State Capitol by Nickbigd on Wikimedia Commons.

A judge has ordered a special election for House District 78 after a candidate lost the Democratic primary by roughly 90 votes. Although Bruce Franks won the in-person vote, his opponent’s margin of victory came solely from absentee ballots. Franks filed suit alleging people who cast absentee ballots did not qualify to apply for them.

Circuit court judge Rex Burlison ordered a special election be held September 16 because the board of elections violated state law by failing to require all absentee votes be in the proper absentee ballot envelopes.

Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway issued a report Monday revealing a potentially illegal checking account used by legislators to collect contributions from lobbying firms.

The account is purportedly used by the Senate to fund late-night meals during the legislative session. According to Galloway’s report, actively soliciting contributions from lobbyists is a conflict of interest.

Since the audit, Senate officials have vowed to find other ways to purchase meals as necessary.

Photo of State Auditor Nicole Galloway by Nicole Galloway for Missouri on Wikimedia Commons.

Missouri Sen. Bob Dixon wants Gov. Jay Nixon to call a special session to close a loophole in the state’s drunk driving law and to ask the Legislature to support a pilot program for the Missouri Public Defender System.

If the drunk driving loophole is not addressed, thousands of drunk drivers could be released on a technicality or given a lesser charge because of a mistake in the law regarding how breathalyzer equipment is calibrated.

Dixon is asking for the special session to occur next to the Legislature’s veto session. The veto session begins September 14.

Gov. Nixon has not yet commented on whether he will call a special session.

Photo of the Missouri State Capitol by Nickbigd on Wikimedia Commons.

A candidate who lost the Democratic primary for a Missouri House seat is challenging the primary election results.

Bruce Franks lost the primary in the 78th District to Penny Hubbard by roughly 90 votes. Franks won the in-person vote, and Hubbard’s margin of victory came solely from absentee ballots.

Franks filed suit last week alleging some people who cast absentee ballots did not qualify to apply for them. On Monday, a judge issued a stay in the case and deemed the lawsuit premature because the secretary of state has not yet certified the official election results.

This is potentially problematic for Franks, as state law requires all primary election challenges to wrap up by the end of August. If a special election is ordered, it must occur within 30 days of an order being issued. Furthermore, candidates may not be placed on a general election ballot less than six weeks prior to the election. Even if his challenge is successful, Bruce Franks would need to be certified the primary winner by September 27 to be placed on the general ballot.

Missouri gubernatorial candidate Chris Koster has thrown his support behind a November ballot initiative aimed at reinstating campaign contributions limits.

While he served in the state Senate, Koster voted twice to remove the limits and has since opposed multiple attempts to reinstate them. He claims his change of heart is a result of a shift in the way Missouri campaigns are funded.

A decade ago, there were few, if any, large contributions; he believed removing limits would improve transparency. Now, however, it is not uncommon to see seven-figure contributions funneling through committees, with no mechanism to effectively identify the original contributors.

The proposed ballot measure would ban direct corporate and labor union contributions and limit individual and committee contributions to statewide candidates to $2,600 per election. Contributions to political parties would be capped at $25,000 per election.

The measure was certified for the November ballot, but still must overcome a legal challenge.