The Los Angeles City Council is repealing a law requiring companies seeking city contracts to disclose any ties to the National Rifle Association (NRA).

This comes weeks after a federal judge blocked the city from enforcing the ordinance.

Council members unanimously voted 12-0 without discussion to repeal the ordinance.

The law required companies vying for city contracts to disclose contracts or sponsorship’s between them or their subsidiaries and the NRA.

In December, U.S. District Judge Stephen Wilson issued a preliminary injunction preventing the law from being enforced.

John Cullerton, a Democrat from the North Side, resigned from Senate District 6 after more than four decades in office. Cullerton served as the 38th president of the state Senate.

Sen. Don Harmon, a Democrat from Oak Park, was elected unanimously to replace Cullerton as Senate president.

Democratic ward and township committeemen within the 6th District have 30 days after Cullerton’s resignation to name a replacement.

Because Cullerton did not file paperwork for his retirement with the Secretary of the Senate, there will not be a primary for the seat in March.

Local Democratic and Republican party leaders in Cullerton’s district will select who will be on the November ballot to finish out Cullerton’s term ending January 2023.

A bill has been introduced in the Senate setting new limits on political contributions.

Senate Bill 566 would reduce current limits on contributions to candidates from $2,800 to $1,000 per election.

Additionally, contributions to a PAC related to a particular election reduce from $5,000 to $1,000.

The bill would also reduce contributions limits to state party executive committees from $10,000 to $1,000 per calendar year.

The Bureau of Elections posted the Lobby Registration Act 2020 Reporting Thresholds.

Thresholds change every year in January to reflect the change in the consumer price index for Detroit.

The registration threshold for a lobbyist agent or a lobbyist’s expenditure on one public official during a 12-month period has increased from $625 to $650.

The threshold for a lobbyist compensating a lobbyist agent or other employee increased from $2,500 to $2,525 for any 12-month period.

The financial transaction threshold between a registered lobbyist or lobbyist agent and a public official increased from $1,250 to $1,275.

Food and beverage expenditures for a public official increased from $62 in any month and $375 in any year to $63 and $400 respectively.

The general gift threshold also increased from $62 to $63.

Travel and lodging reimbursements, employee reimbursements, exempt expenditures, late filing fees remain the same as last year.

The Office of the City Clerk updated their lobbyist forms and combined the Lobbyist Registration, Amendment, and Notice of Termination forms into one new form called the Lobbyist Form.

The registration fee of $100 is due with submission of the new Lobbyist Form.

Also updated were the Lobbying Guide and the Lobbyist Quarterly Report of Activity Form.

The Idaho House of Representatives voted unanimously to expel Rep. John Green, a day after a Texas federal jury convicted him of a felony.

Rep. Green refused to resign from Seat B of House District 2 following a guilty verdict.

The Idaho Attorney General’s Office sent House Speaker Scott Bedke a letter stating based on a review of the Idaho Constitution and state law, under the felony conviction, Green has lost his qualifications for office.

It was also noted in the letter the House is the judge of the qualifications of its own members.

Expelling a House member requires a two-thirds vote of the 70-member body.

With no debate, comment, or discussion the House voted 65-0 to expel Green.

It is the first time a lawmaker has been expelled from the Idaho Legislature.

Gov. Brad Little nominated Tim Kastning to serve as acting state representative during Green’s temporary absence for the trial.

The District 2 Republican Party now has 15 days to present three possible candidates to forward to the governor to choose a replacement.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has set April 28 as the date for a special election for the 27th U.S. Congressional District, meaning the election will coincide with the state’s presidential primary election.

The New York Republican Party sued to have the election scheduled for an earlier date, but lost in the state Supreme Court.

The seat was vacated when Congressman Chris Collins, a Buffalo Republican, resigned after pleading guilty to insider trading.

State party leaders will pick the nominees for the special election.

Akasha Lawrence-Spence was selected by the Multnomah County Commissioners in Oregon to fill the unexpired term of Rep. Jennifer Williamson.

Rep. Williamson resigned from the House District 36 seat in late December to run for secretary of state.

The unexpired term ends in January 2021.

Lawrence-Spence will serve through the remainder of the upcoming 2020 legislative session.

Candidates will vie for the District 36 seat in this year’s primary election.

In an effort to increase transparency, Sen. Jeff Steinborn is sponsoring a bill that would require post-session lobbying reports.

Under Senate Bill 53, lobbyists or their employers would have to file an expenditure report within 14 days after each legislative session listing the legislation they supported or opposed.

The 2020 session of the 54^th Legislature is scheduled to begin on January 21 and adjourn on February 20.

If Steinborn’s bill passes, it will become effective on May 20.

Utah Agriculture and Food Commissioner Kerry Gibson has resigned from Gov. Gary Herbert’s cabinet to run for Utah’s 1st Congressional District.

Kelly Pehrson was named the interim manager of the department.

Heading into the November 3 election is incumbent Rob Bishop, who has served since 2003.

After eight years, Kansas Rep. Brandon Whipple resigned from his House District 96 seat on January 13 to become mayor of Wichita, Kansas.

Whipple defeated incumbent Jeff Longwell to become Wichita’s mayor on November 5, 2019.

The Sedgwick County Democratic Party has nominated Stephanie Yeager to succeed Whipple.

Gov. Laura Kelly must appoint a successor and has not yet approved Yeager’s nomination.

The Chicago Board of Ethics issued a press release and three binding advisory opinions.

These opinions clarify what does and does not constitute lobbying activity by nonprofit organizations.

The opinions include a total of 44 scenarios or hypothetical situations addressing concerns raised by the nonprofit community in response to recently passed amendments to lobbying laws.

Effective April 20, Ethics Ordinance 2019-5305 imposes new registration and reporting requirements on certain nonprofit interactions with the city.

City Council President Brandon Scott introduced a proposed ordinance in an attempt to close a loophole regarding gifts to elected officials from lobbyists and persons doing business with the city.

Council Bill 20-0483 will prohibit elected officials and their staff from accepting gifts from not only anyone they know to be a lobbyist, but also anyone they reasonably should know to be a lobbyist.

Like current gift restrictions, this prohibition will also extend to those doing business with the city, engaging in regulated activity, or having a financial interest in the performance of an elected official’s duties.

Gov. Henry McMaster released a budget proposal with a provision to expand state lobbying laws to cover local lobbying of county, city, and town councils.

The proposal would also double the current lobbyist registration fee from $100 to $200.

The fee increase would allow the State Ethics Commission to strengthen its investigative and enforcement activities.