Wisconsin legislators introduced bills Wednesday to double political contribution limits, amend campaign finance rules, and divide the state’s Government Accountability Board. Critics argue the agency split is a bad idea, as it turns over control from nonpartisan judges to partisan appointees.

The specific bill would create two new agencies, the Elections Commission and the Ethics Commission, to oversee laws on ethics, campaign finance, and lobbying. Legislators intend to amend the bill to ensure the six-member commissions are split evenly between Democrats and Republicans.

Both commissions would go into effect June 30, 2016.

Lobbyists and legislators may be violating new ethics laws according to the Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission. An advisory opinion recently published by the commission addresses the practice of lawmakers giving fundraising appeals to lobbyists who likely pass them on to their employers. These appeals typically include dollar amounts for attending the fundraiser.

Legislation passed last year prohibits lobbyists from directly soliciting contributions for legislators or legislative candidates. This practice, the opinion concludes, likely constitutes a direct solicitation of a contribution.

The commission is not conducting any investigations on this matter as there has not yet been a formal complaint.

County commissioners unanimously approved a motion by Chairwoman Sandy Murman to increase transparency for those who are paid to lobby the Commission. An Office of Professional Lobbyist Registration will be created within the county attorney’s office and the county attorney will draft amendments to the existing ordinance.

Currently, lobbyists must register prior to each meeting with an official, but many do not adhere to this requirement. The new ordinance will require notice of visits by lobbyists to be posted online and the registration office will be responsible for enforcement.

Chairwoman Murman stated she wants the ordinance to focus on paid lobbyists, excluding volunteers from the requirements.

The Pennsylvania House unanimously approved a bill to increase the penalty for violating the Lobbying Disclosure Act. The bill places the maximum penalty at $4,000, up from $2,000, and incrementally increases the penalty for negligent failure to register or report based on the number of days late.

In an attempt to increase transparency, the bill further requires all filings to be posted online within seven days. The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.

Photo of the Pennsylvania State Capitol by Michael180 on Wikimedia Commons.

The number of municipalities and regional governments our research associates track continues to grow. We now cover almost 300 municipalities and local governments. This is part of a continuous effort to better serve the needs of our clients.

In that effort, we have recently added an abridged jurisdiction to our website. This entry, condensed due to the limited number of relevant local laws, provides the core information our clients need for their government relations work.

The new jurisdiction is: Lynchburg, Virginia.

Seal of the City of Lynchburg courtesy of CityofLynchburg on Wikimedia Commons.

On September 17, 2015, a new lobbying law took effect in San Joaquin County, California. Ordinance 4468, passed by the Board of Supervisors in August, requires lobbyists, lobbying firms, and lobbyist’s employers to register when lobbying county officials. Registration with the clerk of the board is required 10 days after becoming engaged as a lobbyist. There is an initial registration fee of $75. The annual registration renewal fee is $50.

The new county ordinance defines lobbying activities as oral, written, or electronic communication made directly or indirectly to a county official, for the purpose of persuading or influencing official actions or decisions. An individual is required to register when he or she is employed, contracts, or otherwise receives compensation of $500 or more in any calendar month to communicate directly or through agents, employees, or subcontractors with any county official for the purpose of influencing official action. However, a substantial or regular portion of the activities for which the person receives such compensation must be for the purpose of influencing official action. Influencing official action includes promoting, supporting, influencing, modifying, opposing, or delaying actions of any county official, including soliciting county contracts or funds. Influence can include providing county officials with statistics, studies, or analyses.

Registration is not required by agents and employees of tax-exempt organizations, elected and appointed public officials and employees, news organizations, and advocates or attorneys in certain circumstances. Amendments to a registration form must be completed and filed by the lobbyist with the clerk of the board within ten days of any change.

Penalties for failing to register range from a written warning to daily fines staggered in the amounts of $25, $50, and $75, up to a maximum penalty of $500. Penalties also include disqualification from county contracts if any lobbyist, lobbying firm, employer, or other person or entity acting on behalf of the person or entity seeking the contract fails to comply with the county’s lobbying ordinance.

On September 30, North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory signed legislation moving next year’s presidential primary and general primary for state elected offices to a single date in March. House Bill 373 sets the single primary date to March 15, 2016. The bill contains other provisions include adjusting the filing dates for campaign finance reporting and permitting the leader of each political party caucus of the House of Representatives and the Senate to establish a separate affiliated party committee to support the election of candidates of that leader’s political party. According to the governor’s press release, he signed the bill after getting an agreement from the legislature to make revisions to the bill regarding campaign finance law, including prohibiting contributions from lobbyists or political action committees while the legislature is in session.

“There were specific concerns I had with the original version of the bill, and the General Assembly agreed to make revisions to address those concerns,” said McCrory in his press release.

Photo of Gov. Pat McCrory by Hal Goodtree on Wikimedia Commons.

On September 30, the North Carolina General Assembly adjourned its legislative session. Both chambers finished their legislative work shortly after 4 a.m. The Legislature is scheduled to next convene on April 25, 2016.

Photo of the North Carolina State Capitol by Jayron32 on Wikimedia Commons.

Alaska Gov. Bill Walker called for a third special legislative session to convene on October 24, 2015.

The Legislature will meet in Juneau to consider an act to monetize certain natural gas reserves via a gas reserves tax, as well as an act to make supplemental, capital, and operating appropriations from the constitutional budget reserve fund.

Prosecutors charged Attorney General Kathleen Kane with an additional perjury charge for lying to a grand jury about an oath of secrecy she took in 2013. Kane was charged in August with conspiracy and official oppression perjury for leaking secret grand jury materials to a Philadelphia newspaper in order to embarrass a political enemy.

Last month, the state’s Supreme Court ordered the temporary suspension of Kane’s law license, possibly leading to efforts to remove her from office. Kane denies any wrongdoing and stated she will not resign.

Councilman Dan Gilman introduced a bill to rewrite the city’s campaign finance ordinance. The bill would bring the city’s contribution limits in line with the federal limits, prohibit the transfer of funds from one PAC to another above the stated limit, and make contribution stacking, where a candidate accepts a contribution for a special election and primary election during the same election cycle, illegal.

The bill also eliminates the “millionaire” exception in current law, whereby contribution limits do not apply if a candidate spends more than $50,000 per election cycle on his or her own campaign.

Gilman is also proposing a newly formed ethics board to replace the current one and a new website to compile information on the activities of government entities.

Photo of the Pittsburgh City-County Building by Leepaxton at Wikimedia Commons.

State Sen. John Schickel filed a federal lawsuit against the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance and the Legislative Ethics Board aimed at eliminating the state’s campaign contribution limits. The suit claims the $1,000 limit to individual candidates and the ban on corporate contributions are violations of free speech.

The suit also asks the court to strike down ethics rules prohibiting lobbyists from making contributions, prohibiting employers of lobbyists from making contributions while the Legislature is in session, and banning gifts from lobbyists to legislators.

Kentucky House candidate David Watson and Pendleton County judge candidate Ken Moellman Jr. have joined the suit. The state agencies have until October 6 to respond.

On September 28, state Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie announced Jane Feldman will be the executive director of the newly created Office of Ethics and Compliance.

A bipartisan Assembly committee recommended Feldman after conducting a nationwide search. Heastie said Feldman stood out from other applicants due to her years of experience, specifically her service as the first executive director of the Colorado Independent Ethics Commission.

In her new role in the Office of Ethics and Compliance, Feldman will be responsible for ethics training for Assembly members and staff, ensuring members are aware of the services available to them through the office, answering questions regarding ethics and disclosures, and working with the majority and minority conferences’ ethics counsel to determine legislative ethics areas to review.

Feldman, who began her career in the New York County District Attorney’s Office, said in a statement she was “excited to return to her home state to help the Assembly accomplish its ethics and policy goals.”

Photo of the New York State Capitol by UpstateNYer on Wikimedia Commons.

On September 24, the North Carolina Legislature passed a bill changing next year’s presidential and state primary election dates. House Bill 373, submitted to Gov. Pat McCrory today, moves the primary dates up from May 3 to March 15, 2016. The legislation also makes other changes to election law, including adjusting the filing dates for campaign finance reporting, allowing, if required, a second primary date to be held on May 24, 2016 for the presidential primary and May 3 for the state primary, and permitting the leader of each political party caucus of the House of Representatives and the Senate to establish a separate affiliated party committee to support the election of candidates of that leader’s political party.

Photo of the North Carolina Legislature by Yassie on Wikimedia Commons.