The Oklahoma Ethics Commission recently approved a proposed rule amendment regarding due dates for lobbyist registration and reporting.

The intent is to make registration and reporting more convenient by providing more time between the end of the registration or reporting period and the due date for filing. Registration renewals would be required by January 15, and lobbying reports would be due on or before the 15^th in any month a report is required.

The amendment is still pending. If lawmakers do not disapprove the rule, the changes will go into effect when the Legislature adjourns in May.

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin is considering calling a special legislative session for lawmakers to address the issue of teacher pay raises.

Budget cuts during the fiscal year were deeper than necessary, resulting in $140 million of unused and unallocated funds. She claims if legislators do not agree to a special session, the money would be distributed equally among all agencies.

While most lawmakers believe teachers deserve a pay increase, they are less than enthusiastic about a special session. Many feel the money should go back into the agencies suffering the most from the original budget cuts.

The Oklahoma Ethics Commission will conduct a third public hearing on Advisory Opinion AOR-16-01 at its regularly scheduled meeting on August 12, 2016.

Questions to be considered pertain to a candidate committee’s use of funds in making expenditures to political party committees. Three draft opinions are now available for review.

The commission will accept written and oral comments about the draft opinions; written comments may be hand-delivered, mailed, or emailed to the commission.

The second regular session of the 55th Oklahoma Legislature adjourned sine die on Friday, May 27.

Prior to adjournment, lawmakers addressed the growing budget deficit and passed a budget, but failed to pass health care reform legislation or approve an increase on cigarette tax.

House Democrats say they would have supported the cigarette tax if Republicans had supported health care expansion.

Oklahoma lobbyist registration renewals are due by December 31, 2015. However, the renewal software is not yet available. Lobbyists will not be able to renew registrations until the software is ready. All registered lobbyists and liaisons will receive an email with instructions when the renewal feature is available.

At the time of renewal, each lobbyist will pay a $100 annual registration fee as well as a $100 fee for each lobbyist principal registered for 2016. If the principal is registered with the secretary of state, the Guardian System will identify when a principal has been registered multiple times to ensure only one $100 principal fee is charged regardless of the number of lobbyists who register the principal.

When a lobbyist principal is not registered with the Oklahoma Secretary of State, the system will initially charge a $100 fee for each principal regardless of whether the principal has previously been registered.

The ability to pay online at the time of registration will be provided for convenience. A lobbyist can choose to pay in person at the Ethics Commission office or by mailing in the fee.

State Sen. Rick Brinkley resigned from the Senate just before pleading guilty to federal felony charges on August 20, 2015.

The charges stem from an investigation into misappropriated funds from the Better Business Bureau of Tulsa. A lawsuit filed by the BBB alleges Brinkley used fake corporations to steal more than $1.8 million from the agency.

Brinkley had been the president and CEO of the BBB until 2011 when he became its chief operating officer; he was fired in April of 2015.

A special primary election to fill the Senate District 34 seat will be held on November 12, 2015. If a special general election is needed, it will be held on January 12, 2016.

Following a lawsuit by the Oklahoma Democratic Party, the Oklahoma Ethics Commission has voted to suspend its rules prohibiting fundraising and distribution of election materials on state-owned property. The Commission will suspend enforcement of Rules 2.6 and 2.7 until they are amended to ensure their constitutionality.

The Oklahoma Democratic Party’s lawsuit argued the new rules improperly infringed on free speech.

Ethics Commission Executive Director Lee Slater hopes the move will render the lawsuit moot.

The state Democratic Party has filed suit in federal court against the state Ethics Commission over rules the agency adopted last year.

The Democratic Party argues the new rules, which prohibit fundraising and election material distribution on state-owned property, improperly restrain free speech and, therefore, violate the Constitution.

The party is asking the court to invalidate the rules.

Gov. Mary Fallin has called a special election to fill the seat of state Sen. Rick Brinkley.

A primary election for the District 34 seat will be held on November 10, 2015 and a general election on January 12, 2016.

Sen. Brinkley announced his resignation, effective at the end of the year, amid allegations of embezzling more than $1 million.

The Oklahoma Ethics Commission is reconsidering a disclosure requirement for non-compensated state officers. The purpose of the rule in question is to reveal potential conflicts of interest between public duties and private economic interests of state officers and employees.

Proponents for change argue the disclosure requirements are overly burdensome and duplicative and have diminished the number of people willing to perform public service.

The commission heard public comments on Friday, June 12, and will consider revoking the rule, modifying it, or keeping it in its current form.

The First Regular Session of the 55th Oklahoma Legislature adjourned sine die on May 22, 2015, one week ahead of its scheduled deadline.

The Second Session will convene on February 1, 2016.

Photo of the Oklahoma State Capitol by Caleb Long on Wikimedia Commons.

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin ordered special elections to fill vacancies in Districts 73 and 85 of the Oklahoma House of Representatives. District 85 is vacant due to the death of the Honorable David Dank; District 73 was left vacant after the Honorable Kevin Matthews won the special Democrat primary election for District 11 of the Oklahoma State Senate.

A special primary election will be held for both seats on July 14, and the special general election will follow on September 8, 2015. If a special primary is not necessary, the special general election will be held on July 14.

At its April meeting, the Oklahoma Ethics Commission increased the maximum individual contribution limit for the 2016 election cycle to $2,700.

The increase is the first mandatory increase approved by the commission since its new rules were adopted in 2014; the individual contribution limits will be adjusted automatically in conjunction with the consumer price index.

The new limit is currently in effect and will apply to all 2015 special elections.

The Oklahoma Ethics Commission’s newly promulgated Revised Constitutional Ethics Rules, effective at staggered intervals, significantly amend lobbying and campaign finance laws. Lobbyist registration provisions were effective December 1. Rules outlining lobbyist reporting due dates are effective February 1, 2015. All other revised rules were effective January 1, 2015. Except as may otherwise be provided, all current rules under Title 74, Chapter 62-Appendix, of the Oklahoma Statutes were repealed on January 1, 2015. O.S. §257:23-1-2, as it pertains to lobbyist reporting requirements, will remain effective until January 31, 2015.

Lobbyists were required to register online in December for calendar year 2015. There are now separate registration requirements dependent upon whether a lobbyist is a legislative lobbyist, executive lobbyist, or legislative liaison. Legislative lobbyists and legislative liaisons will be required to file monthly reports from February to July; executive lobbyists will file quarterly reports.

The revised rules also place new limits on lobbyist expenditures. Each lobbyist will be permitted to spend up to $500 per calendar year for meals for the governor, a legislator, or their staff. Moreover, lobbyists may spend up to $200 per year on certain gifts other than meals, provided the total for all meals and gifts does not exceed $500. New provisions also allow lobbyist principals to provide food and beverage for professional conferences, seminars, and similar events held outside the geographical boundaries of the state, subject to certain restrictions.

Changes to campaign finance laws include a new registration threshold for political action committees (PACs), new campaign contribution limits, specific reporting for out-of-state and federal PACs, and amendments to some reporting requirements. A PAC will be required to register within 10 days of receiving contributions or making expenditures in excess of $1,000. Certain contribution limits will increase and family contribution limits will no longer exist. Limited PACs registered for less than a year or that have fewer than 25 contributors will be permitted to contribute only half the amount of other limited PACs.

This article provides a summary of the major changes to the Revised Constitutional Ethics Rules. It is not exhaustive and additional changes have been made. A final annotated version of the rules is accessible on the new Ethics Commission website at http://www.ok.gov/ethics/.