The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners adopted campaign finance disclosure regulations aimed at changing how money influences politics.

Beginning December 7, 2019, all county candidates will be required to disclose funding sources on campaign communications funded with more than $300.

The disclosure requirements also apply to individuals and entities such as political organizations, corporations, and nonprofits that fund communications in support of or opposition to county candidates.

The Virginia State Crime Commission cancelled their planned November 12 meeting regarding gun control.

The meeting was scheduled to discuss eight bills proposed by Gov. Ralph Northam during the July special session.

Republican Majority Leader Todd Gilbert also stated the November 18 reconvened special session will become pro forma and lawmakers will not have to report to the General Assembly.

With the Democrats controlling the Legislature, lawmakers are expected to reintroduce the gun control issue in the upcoming January session.

Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers created more election controversy, stating the legislature could decide the hotly contested governor’s race.

The comments came shortly after Gov. Matt Bevin refused to concede to Attorney General Andy Beshear, who led by roughly 5,100 votes when all of the votes were counted.

There is less than one-half of 1% separating the two candidates.

Gov. Bevin formally requested an official recanvass of the election results.

Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes announced she will forward the recanvassing request to the State Board of Elections.

The county board of elections will convene on November 14 at 9:00 a.m. to conduct the recanvass.

Sen. Jeff Stone resigned from Senate District 28 on November 1 to accept an appointment as the U.S. Department of Labor’s western regional director.

Gov. Gavin Newsom must call a special election within 14 days of the vacancy to fill the seat.

It is likely Gov. Newsom will schedule the special election to coincide with the March 3 primary election.

The Alaska Division of Elections declined to certify a petition to recall Gov. Mike Dunleavy from office, citing a legal opinion by the state attorney general.

The Alaska Attorney General Kevin Clarkson issued the opinion finding the petitioners gathered enough signatures, paid the appropriate fees and did the technical work correctly.

However, the four allegations against the governor fail to meet any of the listed grounds for recall that include neglect of duty, incompetence, and lack of fitness.

Over 49,000 signatures were gathered in little over a month because of discontent with the governor’s decision to veto more than $400 million from the state operating budget.

The petitioners intend to file an appeal in the Anchorage Superior Court.

If the recall petition is upheld in court, backers need to collect 71,252 verified signatures to trigger a special election.

On December 19, the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) will consider proposed amendments to the materiality standard in both Regulations 18702.4 and 18702.5.

The proposed amendment to Regulation 18702.4 would set the appropriate materiality standards for economic interests in sources of gifts.

Standards would be such that a financial effect on a nonprofit source of income would be considered material if the source is a nonprofit organization that will be financially affected under the materiality standards applied to a nonprofit source of income interest.

The FPPC would also repeal the existing Regulation 18702.5 and adopt new language.

New language would update the materiality standard applicable to a personal financial effect for improved clarity and guidance.

Language would make that standard an objective, bright-line standard, met when a decision would have a personal financial effect worth $500 or more rather than when the official or the official’s immediate family member will receive a measurable financial benefit or loss from the decision.

The FPPC is accepting written comments on the proposals until December 17, 2019.

In a historic ruling, the nonprofit group Equal Citizens obtained a judicial ruling that, for the first time since Citizens United, could restore limits on donations to independent groups and Super PACs.

Anchorage Superior Court Judge William F. Morse ordered the state to impose limits on donations to political groups in Alaska.

Morse said that the Alaska Public Offices Commission (APOC), which handles election enforcement, should reinstate enforcement of the annual per person $500 contribution limit to independent expenditure groups.

In Alaska, independent expenditure groups function like Super PACs. Groups can advocate and raise money for a candidate while remaining unaffiliated with the candidate.

Attorneys for the Alaska Department of Law, appearing on behalf of APOC, appealed the case to the Alaska Supreme Court.

The hope for Equal Citizens is the case makes its way to the U.S. Supreme Court to clarify aspects of Citizens United and how limits are enforced on contributions made to political groups.

A San Francisco ballot measure intended to increase the restrictions on political contributions for campaign ads won easily on Tuesday.

Proposition F, the Sunlight on Dark Money measure, passed by 76% of the votes.

The proposition only needed a simple majority to pass.

The measure’s passage means greater disclosure of who is behind campaign advertisements paid for by PACs.

The top three largest donors of the committee paying for the advertisement must now disclose the name and amount contributed to the committee.

Proposition F will take effect 10 days after the election results are certified.

The Alaska Senate Republicans voted to confirm Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s choice to fill a vacant seat in the chamber.

Rep. Josh Revak was appointed to the South Anchorage state Senate seat vacated by the passing of Chris Birch.

The appointment created a vacancy in the South Anchorage state House of Representatives seat.

District 25 Republicans are expected to create a list of nominees for Gov. Dunleavy to make a selection to fill the vacancy.

Former Rep. Luis Arroyo resigned from House District 3 on November 1 after facing a federal bribery charge.

Prosecutors said Arroyo allegedly paid a bribe to a state senator in exchange for support of a gambling bill which would have benefited one of Arroyo’s clients.

The state constitution requires the seat to be filled by appointment within 30 days of the vacancy.

Gov. Mike DeWine signed Senate Bill 26 into law on November 6, repealing a state budget amendment that would have caused many Ohio attorneys to pay higher income taxes beginning in 2020.

Under Senate Bill 26, attorneys who derive their income from entities such as LLCs and LLPs qualify to pay no tax on the first $250,000 of income and will pay a flat 3 percent tax rate on income above that threshold.

Senate Bill 26 also allows educators to claim an income tax deduction for out-of-pocket classroom expenses.

Democrats won a majority of seats in both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly on November 5.

Democrats gained six seats in the House of Delegates and two in the Senate.

This will be the first majority for Democrats in over 25 years.

With Gov. Ralph Northam serving as governor, Virginia Democrats form a state government trifecta.

On Election Day, voters approved Ballot Question 3, Ethics and Governance.

The proposal amends the city charter by extending the post-employment appearance ban for elected officials and senior appointed officials.

Additionally, the proposal limits political activity and donations by members of the Conflicts of Interest Board (COIB).

City elected officials and senior appointed officials will be prohibited from appearing before the agency or branch of government they served in after leaving service for two years. The current rule is one year.

The amendment would also prohibit members of the COIB from participating in campaigns for local elected office.

Furthermore, the amendment reduces the maximum amount members can contribute in each election cycle.

The post-employment ban would become effective January 1, 2022.

On Monday, October 28, a state court blocked the use of current congressional districts in North Carolina for the 2020 elections.

The ruling could lead to the drawing of new districts that would make several Republican-held districts far more competitive.

A panel of three Superior Court judges issued a preliminary injunction preventing elections under the district lines, starting with the March 3 primary.

The judges ruled that voters had a strong likelihood of winning a lawsuit that argued Republicans unlawfully manipulated district lines for partisan gain.

The judges gave no date by which a new map must be drawn.

However, the judges suggested lawmakers could redraw them on their own quickly to ensure congressional primaries be held as scheduled.

The State Board of Elections has said lines needed to be finalized by Dec. 15.