On May 27, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards issued a call for a second special session of the Louisiana Legislature. The special session will convene at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, June 6, and must adjourn by midnight on June 23.

The governor wants the Legislature to address the state’s budget shortfall for the fiscal year beginning on July 1. The Legislature is currently in session and is schedule to adjourn no later than June 6, the same day the special session is scheduled to begin.

Photo of the Louisiana State Capitol Building by Chrismiceli on Wikimedia Commons.

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.

The City of Rochester Ethical Practices Board has formally requested the City Council and Mayor Ardell Brede review the process for appointing community members to advisory commissions and boards.

The board requests review in the following five areas of the current process: announcing new positions to the public; conducting interviews for open positions; establishing a reasonable time between the mayor selecting a candidate and City Council’s review; putting a concerted effort into gender and ethnic adversity on boards and commissions; and developing a consistent and transparent appointment process.

The request includes recommended changes and comes in response to concerns over appointing former lobbyists to boards directing public funds or steering policy.

On May 25, U.S. District Judge Charles Lovell partially stayed his order from May 17 striking Montana’s contributions limits. On May 17, Lovell ruled the state’s current statutory campaign finance contribution limits were unconstitutionally low. The state determined the ruling reinstated the contribution limits in place before the statute was enacted.

However, the contribution limits allowed from political parties in the previously enacted law were lower than the amounts ruled unconstitutionally low. Because of this, the court issued its partial stay as to the amount political parties may contribute. All other contribution limits will remain from the reinstated law, adjusted for inflation. The partial stay will remain in effect pending the state’s appeal of the entire case to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

On May 25, the Reno City Council unanimously voted to defer the question of whether to pass a lobbying law for the city. Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve objected to the ordinance because it only applied to city council members and not to city staff employees, according to the Reno Gazette-Journal.

The “Registration and Regulation of Lobbyists” ordinance would require lobbyists to register with the city clerk, to inform the city of their clients, and to wear a lobbyist badge when in city hall. The ordinance also includes civil and criminal penalties.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has proposed eight bills to the state Legislature to close a controversial loophole in campaign finance law permitting limited liability companies (LLCs) to make donations up to $60,800 per statewide candidate, with an aggregate limit of $150,000.

Each bill offers different levels of control over LLC funding with one seeking to close the loophole for all candidates running for state office, another impacting only gubernatorial and state Legislature candidates, and four separate bills aiming to close the loophole for at least one state office.

All of the bills propose to bring the LLC contribution limit in line with state limits on corporate contributions to candidates and committees, which are currently set at $5,000 annually.

On May 24, the Rhode Island House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill changing the state’s lobbying law. House Bill 7388A creates a new system of lobbying regulation by creating one set of rules for lobbying both the executive and legislative branches of state government.

The bill also includes increases in fines, redefines lobbying, and allows the Secretary of State to have subpoena power to investigate violations. Other requirements in the bill include the reporting of lobbyists’ income and expenditures and the reporting of names of executive branch officials lobbied. A similar bill is scheduled for a vote in the Senate on May 26.

The San Diego Ethics Commission released a draft of proposed amendments to San Diego’s Election Campaign Control Ordinance.

The proposed changes would extend the one-year pre-election fundraising time period to January 1 of odd-numbered years and eliminate the third pre-election filing for primarily formed recipient committees.

Comments and suggestions regarding the draft amendments can be made at the next commission meeting on June 9, 2016 at 5:00 p.m. Written comments can also be sent via email to ethicscommission@sandiego.gov.

On May 25, the Reno City Council will consider requiring lobbyist to register with the city. At tomorrow’s council meeting, an ordinance is being introduced entitled “Registration and Regulation of Lobbyists.”

The ordinance would require lobbyists to register with the city clerk, to inform the city of their clients, and to wear a lobbyist badge when in city hall. The ordinance also includes civil and criminal penalties.

Earlier this year, the state Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) made a regulatory change requiring public relations professionals to document outreach to editorial boards and report their activity to the state as lobbying.

The regulation is now being contested by public relations firms who have joined in a federal suit challenging the reporting requirement under free speech provisions of the First Amendment. In response, the commission has budgeted $300,000 annually to a legal defense fund to support this measure.

Gov. Terry is the subject of a federal investigation surrounding contributions to his gubernatorial campaign. The Department of Justice is looking into donations received while McAuliffe was a board member of the Clinton Global Initiative, a charitable foundation set up by former President Bill Clinton.

Among many contributions of interest, the FBI is focusing on $120,000 from a Chinese businessman, Wang Wenliang. Contributions from foreign nationals are illegal, though Wang holds permanent U.S. resident status. Wang has been known for his contributions in the U.S., giving to Clinton’s foundation as well as to universities and political causes in other states.

On May 23, the Third Extraordinary Session of the 90th General Assembly adjourned sine die.

The primary focus of the special session was Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s $50 million highway funding plan. After three days, the plan was given final approval by the Legislature.

Last week, Gov. Terry McAuliffe signed Senate Bill 692, approving changes to the state’s ethics laws yet again.

Among the changes, lobbyists will only have to file one disclosure report each year, down from two, on July 1 for the preceding 12-month period. The bill also creates an exception in the definition of gifts for any item with a value of less than $20 and limits the definition of a procurement transaction, in terms of lobbying executive action, to contracts costing $5 million or more.

While most of the bill is effective January 1, 2017, an emergency clause applies to the definition change of procurement transaction, rendering it effective upon passage, and lobbyists will not be required to report until July 1, 2017.

The Legislature adjourned sine die at midnight after a long day on Sunday, May 23.

Prior to adjournment, $260 million of a $900 million budget surplus was allotted to tax credits and cuts for parents, farmers, businesses, and college students. Lawmakers also passed extra spending measures for broadband internet infrastructure development and a statewide voluntary preschool program. Despite several last minute efforts, the Legislature could not come to agreement on a bonding bill to fund construction and transportation projects prior to the end of the session.

A special session could be called soon to address the bonding bill.