A special election has been scheduled for the vacant District 5 seat to be held on November 8.

The District 5 seat became vacant when Councilor Corey O’Connor was appointed the new Allegheny County Controller by the Pennsylvania Senate.

The winner of the special election will serve the remainder of the term set to expire at the end of 2023.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit has ruled against Montana, holding the state’s laws regarding political committees are unconstitutionally vague.

The court took umbrage with the state’s rule which governs whether political spending needs to be reported.

In Montana, any group of two or more people who spend $250 or more in an election cycle to support or oppose political candidates must register and report as a political committee.

Volunteer activities do not count towards the $250 threshold, but the court held Montana’s administrative scheme did not give plaintiffs fair notice that their activities fell outside the definition of volunteer services.

The decision opens the pathway to challenge the state’s definition of a political committee.

Missouri Gov. Parson signed Senate Substitute for House Bill 2400 permitting certain limited liability companies (LLCs) to make campaign contributions to political committees.

To qualify, the LLC must elect not to be classified as a corporation under federal law; be in existence for at least one year prior to making contributions; and must submit a form to the Missouri Ethics Commission indicating the LLC is a legitimate business and not created for the sole purpose of making campaign contributions.

The bill also bars public agencies from requiring nonprofits to share the identities of donors, volunteers or supporters.

The bill is effective August 28, 2022.

The Washington Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) has raised the threshold for reporting last-minute contributions from $1,000 to $1,500.

Contributions of or exceeding $1,500 that occur within seven days of a primary election and 21 days before a general election must be reported separately by both the contributors and the campaigns who receive them.

Once the threshold is reached, contributors must file with the PDC a last-minute contribution report within 24 hours of reaching the threshold, while recipients have 48 hours to report the contribution.

The New York General Assembly adjourned its extraordinary session on July 1.

Lawmakers passed new gun safety legislation and approved a proposal to guarantee abortion rights at the state level, taking the first step in a multi-year process to amend the state’s constitution.

This does not affect lobbyist reporting.

Gov. Parson signed House Bill 1878 overhauling Missouri’s election rules and eliminating the state’s presidential primaries in favor of a caucus system.

The new law requires voters to present a photo ID when casting a regular or absentee ballot and replaces the presidential primary held in March with a series of caucuses.

House Bill 1878 is effective August 28, in time for the November general election but not until after the August 2 primary election.

Akron City Council Vice President Jeff Fusco introduced an ordinance to increase contribution limits for city candidates.

The ordinance increases contribution limits for individuals giving to mayor and at-large council candidates from $750 to $1,000 per election and increases individual limits for ward council candidates from $500 to $750 per election.

The ordinance allows city candidates to accept campaign contributions or loans of up to $2,500 from any political party or PAC.

If passed, the ordinance would be effective immediately.

Public hearings on the ordinance have been scheduled for July 11 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

The 151^st session of the Delaware General Assembly adjourned sine die on Thursday, June 30.

Though bills related to campaign finance law were introduced, none were passed.

Before adjourning, lawmakers passed a package of six gun safety laws and a new $5 billion state budget.

This does not affect lobbyist reporting dates.

The 55^th Arizona Legislature adjourned its second regular session sine die on June 25.

During the session, Gov. Doug Ducey signed legislation in March to ensure only U.S. citizens vote in Arizona’s elections, further protecting the state’s voters and strengthening election integrity.

In May, the governor continued to strengthen election laws, signing a bill to update Arizona’s automatic election recount margin threshold to one-half of one percent for specified election contests.

This does not affect lobbying reporting dates.

Santa Ana city council unanimously passed the first reading of a new lobbyist registration ordinance, outlining who must register, when reports are required, and the penalties for failing to follow the rules laid out in the ordinance.

The ordinance defines a lobbyist as any individual, business entity or organization, including a non-profit organization, that receives or becomes entitled to receive five hundred dollars or more in consideration in a month to lobby.

Once an individual becomes a lobbyist, they are required to register with the city clerk within 15 days.

If the ordinance follows the typical path to become law, the bill will need to be voted on two more times before it officially passes.

The cap for how much Louisiana’s lobbyists can spend to wine and dine public officials is edging higher July 1.

With the start of the new state budget year, the limit lobbyists can spend on food and drink for state lawmakers, other elected officials and public employees is increasing from $65 to $70 per person, per occasion.

The Louisiana Board of Ethics, which oversees the lobbying spending restrictions, made the adjustment to take effect with the latest state fiscal year.

The lobbying cap enacted more than a decade ago started with a $50 limit.

But the 2008 law allows annual adjustments tied to increases in the federal Consumer Price Index for food and beverages.

Gov. Hochul will reconvene the New York General Assembly for a special session on June 30 to address the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision invalidating a portion of the state’s concealed carry law.

It is not yet clear when the special session will end.

This does not affect lobbyist reporting

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb signed a proclamation calling a special session of the General Assembly beginning July 6 to take action on his plan to distribute $1 billion in tax relief to Hoosiers due to inflation.

The special session also would open the door for lawmakers to pass legislation addressing other issues.

Special sessions may last up to 30 session days, but no more than 40 calendar days after they begin.

The ban on contributions during session does not apply to special sessions in Indiana.

The St. Louis city election board announced that a special primary election for Aldermanic President is scheduled for September 13.

The notice was issued following a legal opinion from City Counselor Sheena Hamilton because of legal ambiguity in the city charter and ordinances on how to proceed, noting a special primary election is required to enable anyone who wants to run for the position to do so as a “nonpartisan” candidate.

On September 13, voters will be able to vote for as many candidates as they want for Aldermanic President, with the two candidates receiving the most votes advancing to the November 8 Special General Municipal Election.

Whoever wins in November would serve until what would have been the end of Lewis Reed’s term, next April.

A separate election will be held then for the office’s next four-year term, preceded by a March primary.