The Texas Ethics Commission adopted rule changes to conform with House Bill 3517 of 2015. The bill had removed the exemption for registration for an individual who is solely paid to communicate in a capacity other than as an employee of a vendor of a product or service to a member of the executive branch concerning state agency purchasing decisions involving a product, service, or service provider or negotiations regarding such decisions if the compensation for the communication is not totally or partially contingent on the outcome of any administrative action.

The Texas Ethics Commission Rules definition of independent contractor under T.E.C.R. §34.1(5) has been repealed. The Texas Ethics Commission Rules allowing for $75 registration for certain independent contractors under T.E.C.R. §34.46 has also been repealed. On May 3, the rule changes became effective.

California Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed Assembly Bill 1200.

The bill would have revised the definition of lobbyist to include third-party consultants who work to influence governmental procurement.

The governor’s veto message said the bill is not necessary and cited the existence of numerous laws already regulating state procurement.

The California Senate voted to reverse the ban on members raising money from lobbyist employers during budget negotiations.

The ban would have gone into effect upon the governor’s release of the revised budget, which is set for May 13. The reversal of this rule comes amid an election year where many members of the Senate are running for re-election.

The 98th General Assembly adjourned Friday, May 13.

Although ethics reform was a top priority this session, lawmakers fell short of passing bills creating political contribution limits or prohibiting lobbyist gifts. The Legislature did approve a 6-month waiting period for public officials seeking to become lobbyists as well as prohibit legislators from serving as paid political consultants.

Both houses stand adjourned until Wednesday, May 25. They will convene for a technical session and then adjourn sine die on May 30 pursuant to constitutional mandate.

Elections Division Administrator Michael Haas has been selected to serve as the Administrator of the new Wisconsin Elections Commission. His 4-year term begins on Thursday, June 30. Haas currently supervises and has a strong working relationship with the staff who will transfer from Government Accountability Board to the Elections Commission. His appointment is subject to Senate confirmation in 2017.

The State Board of Elections has proposed new pay-to-play disclosure rules and regulations.

The board seeks to align current rules with the recent legislative change requiring business entities to disclose contributions of certain subsidiaries, even if those subsidiaries do not have contracts with the state. In addition, the new regulations would increase the amount of time a vendor has to file the initial contribution disclosure form and would clarify internal disclosure obligations and processes for vendor employees and CEOs under current state law.

The proposed rules and regulations remain open for public comment through May 30, 2016.

The California Senate voted to reverse the ban on members raising money from lobbyist employers during budget negotiations.

The ban would have gone into effect upon the Governor’s release of the revised budget, which is set for May 13.

The reversal of this rule comes amid an election year where many members of the Senate are running for reelection.

On May 10, 2016, legislation was introduced in both the Rhode Island House and Senate calling for a voter-approved amendment to the state’s constitution granting more power to the Ethics Commission.

House Joint Resolution 8189, introduced by House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello, and Senate Joint Resolution 2953, introduced by Senate President M. Teresa Paiva Weed, grant the Ethics Commission power to prosecute ethics violations by lawmakers. Currently they are exempt from the Ethics Commission’s authority. The matching resolutions also prohibit the acceptance of complaints and initiation of investigations alleging a violation of the code of ethics by a candidate during the period beginning on the first day of declarations of candidacy for the office sought by the candidate and ending the day after the election for that office during the same year.

If approved by voters, the law would take effect on January 3, 2017.

The second regular session of the 70th Colorado General Assembly adjourned on Wednesday, May 11.

An expansion of state liquor laws and a bill allowing out-of-state investors to own marijuana shops were some of the measures approved just prior to adjournment.

The first regular session of the 71st General Assembly will convene on January 11, 2017.

Kevin Kennedy, director of the Government Accountability Board (GAB), will retire June 29, just before the agency is replaced by two new commissions.

Kennedy was the director of the state Elections Board prior to serving as director of the GAB, and has presided over state elections for the last 37 years.

GAB will be replaced by an ethics commission and an elections commission on June 30. While the new commissions will be partisan, the Republicans who backed the change argue it will be fair because each party will have equal representation.

California Gov. Jerry Brown will release his revised 2016-17 budget proposal on Friday, May 13, 2016.

The release of the revised budget triggers a ban on contributions to members of the Senate from the date the proposed revised budget is released until the date of enactment of a budget bill for the 2016-17 fiscal year.

The constitutional deadline for the Legislature to pass a budget bill is June 15th.

West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin announced a special legislative session set to begin Monday, May 16. The session is needed to enact the 2016-2017 budget.

The regular session adjourned March 15 without passing a budget bill. The state faces a potential government shutdown if a budget is not approved before July 1.

The Elections Committee approved a bill to reduce the corporate contribution limit from $5,000 to $1,000 per year and to close a loophole permitting political contributions from limited liability companies. Senate Bill 60, introduced by Sen. Daniel Squadron in 2015, passed the committee this week, while a parallel bill was being passed in the Assembly.

In response to recent political scandals across the state, those supporting the bill are calling for an up-or-down Senate vote by the end of the legislative session.

Pierce County Council recently passed an ordinance amending the county’s code of ethics to remove existing restrictions on lobbying. Prior to the passage of the ordinance, lobbyists were required to register and file activity reports.

The ordinance became effective March 28, 2016