Today, the Ohio House of Representatives adjourned sine die, having concluded it regular floor session on December 17. The Senate had previously adjourned sine die on December 18. Among the bills passed by both chambers of the Legislature is a redistricting plan to be voted on by Ohioans in November of 2015.

Photo of the Ohio Statehouse by Urban on Wikimedia Commons.

On Monday, December 15, Akron City Council voted 8-4 to raise campaign contribution limits for mayoral and council candidates. All limits will increase by $100.

Candidates for mayor and at-large council will be permitted to accept $750 per election and ward council candidates will be permitted to accept $500 per election. The city charter requires council to review the contribution limits every two years.

The new limits come just in time for next year’s election as all council seats as well as the mayoral seat will be on the ballot.

On Monday, the Akron City Council rules committee voted to wait to make changes to the city’s campaign contribution limits.

Council President Gary Moneypenny’s proposal would have increased the limits for mayoral and council candidates by $100.

Former Councilman Warner Mendenhall, who promoted a petition for the original contribution limits in 1998, protested the proposed changes during the afternoon committee meeting.

The Akron City Council is considering legislation to increase campaign finance limits for mayoral and council candidates. Limits for mayor and at-large council candidates would increase to $750 and the limit for ward council candidates would increase to $500.

The council is waiting to take action on the legislation until after public hearings have been held. Hearings will take place at the Rules Committee meeting and at the regular council meeting later today.

The 10 ward council seats, the three at-large council seats, and the mayoral seat will all be on the 2015 election ballot.

Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald proposed an amendment at Tuesday’s County Council meeting seeking to clarify the county’s code in light of an independent county board ruling. The Debarment Review Board, a panel largely made up of FitzGerald appointees, effectively shortened the county contracting ban for a former contractor convicted of corruption.

The board ruled William Neiheiser’s ban should have begun the day he was convicted of bribery in July 2011 and run through July 2016. County Inspector General Nailah Byrd imposed the ban from June 2014 to June 2019.

FitzGerald’s proposed amendment stipulates contracting bans are to begin the day they are publicly handed down by the county inspector general enforcing the policy.

In a 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court stayed a lower court order requiring the state to begin early voting on September 30, 2014.

The stay eliminates the period known as the “Golden Week,” when voters were able to register and vote on the same day.

The stay will remain in effect until the state formally appeals the lower court’s order and the Court acts upon that appeal.

The Ohio Joint Legislative Ethics Committee recently issued an advisory opinion clarifying certain gift reporting requirements for members, candidates, and employees of the General Assembly. The opinion also applies to reports filed by any legislative agent providing a gift to a reportable person.

Advisory Opinion 2014-003 speaks to the value of a complimentary ticket to a charitable fundraiser where the source of the ticket is a third party. When provided by a third party, a complimentary ticket to a non-political fundraiser is a gift, the value of which is the portion of the ticket price that is not tax-deductible.

Furthermore, such portion accrues toward any applicable gift limit. Conversely, a ticket to a charitable fundraiser where the source is the entity holding the event is not considered a gift.

Ohio Reps. Nick Celebrezze and Ronald Gerberry announced plans last week to introduce legislation creating a campaign contribution blackout for the attorney general’s office. New legislation would prohibit contributions to the attorney general and to any party-endorsed candidates for the office while the office is reviewing bids on contract work.

Celebrezze believes a blackout period will help eliminate the appearance of impropriety. Attorney General Mike DeWine, however, claims enforcement of the blackout periods makes the process inherently more political. Moreover, he said contributions have not influenced his decision to award contract work.

On Wednesday, April 9, the Ohio House of Representatives passed a large piece of Gov. Kasich’s mid-biennium budget proposal. Prior to passage, House Republicans added numerous amendments to House Bill 483; it is now more than 800 pages long.

One amendment voids administrative rule 111-3-05 and changes state campaign finance law by lifting the disclosure requirement for corporations and labor organizations making independent expenditures. It also allows foreign-owned corporations and corporations with state contracts to spend money promoting or opposing state candidates.

Former Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner issued the rule in 2011 and fears its repeal will make it easier for national political interests to operate state-based Super PACs.

The bill passed the House by a primarily partisan vote of 57-33 and will now be sent to the Senate for consideration.

Photo of the Ohio State Capitol by Alexander Smith on Wikimedia Commons.

State school board member Bryan Williams resigned after allegedly violating provisions of the state ethics laws by lobbying the government for private interests. The law prohibits an elected member of a state board or commission from receiving compensation for services he or she performs personally on a matter before any state agency.

When first appointed to fill a vacant seat, an exemption in state law allowed Williams to simultaneously serve in a public position while advocating as a lobbyist. Upon his election in 2012, however, the exemption no longer applied. The Ohio Ethics Commission has not confirmed any investigation or future legal actions.

The Ohio Ethics Commission issued a new rule clarifying when another party may pay or reimburse a public official or employee for travel expenses. A public official or employee may accept a thing of value if it “is not of such a character as to manifest a substantial and improper influence on the traveler with respect to that person’s duties.”

A two-prong test has been put in place for determining whether travel expenses or reimbursements are of such character.

The rule overturns portions of two previously issued Ohio Ethics Commission Advisory Opinions. It also requires public officials or employees to disclose the source and amount of all travel expenses and reimbursements.

Rep. Hagan introduced HB 339 last week. HB 339 would enact section 105.43 of the Revised Code and require the capitol square review and advisory board to issue identification badges to all lobbyists seeking entrance to capitol square. Each badge would show a lobbyist’s name, a photograph of the lobbyist, clearly state the term “lobbyist” on the face of the badge, and list the lobbyist’s employer or employers.

The bill also requires each lobbyist to carry a card stating the name of the person or persons whose interest the lobbyist actually represents; said card must be shown to any member of the general assembly requesting to see it.

A bill introduced October 10 by Rep. Robert Hagan proposes to amend sections 101.72, 101.73, and 101.75 of the Revised Code. H.B. 295 would require a legislative agent to report to the Joint Legislative Ethics Committee compensation paid to the agent by the agent’s employer. This would be an additional requirement, as the current sections of code require the reporting of expenditures only.

The bill was co-sponsored by Reps. Pillich and Foley.

Photo of the Ohio Statehouse by Wikimedia Creative Commons.

Steve Friday of the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board announced Lobbyist IDs are not yet ready for pickup. Those who received an erroneous email indicating anything to the contrary should disregard it.

The board is waiting on supplies before the remainder of the ID cards can be processed. An email notification will be sent out when the IDs are ready.