A bill introduced October 10 by Rep. Robert Hagan proposes to amend sections 101.72, 101.73, and 101.75 of the Revised Code. H.B. 295 would require a legislative agent to report to the Joint Legislative Ethics Committee compensation paid to the agent by the agent’s employer. This would be an additional requirement, as the current sections of code require the reporting of expenditures only.

The bill was co-sponsored by Reps. Pillich and Foley.

Photo of the Ohio Statehouse by Wikimedia Creative Commons.

On Friday, October 11, Utah Gov. Gary R. Herbert issued a proclamation convening a special session for the Legislature on October 16.

During this session the Legislature is expected authorize the appropriation of the use of state funds to open and operate national parks, national monuments, and national recreation areas; to offset obligations caused by delays in federal funding to the Child Nutrition Program; and to cover the benefits of certain unpaid furloughed federal employees. The Senate will also consider appointments made by the governor.

Herbert stated in his press release, “Issues related to the federal shutdown necessitate immediate action by our State Legislature. We can no longer wait.”

On Wednesday, October 9, a three-judge federal appeals panel heard a challenge to Hawaii’s campaign finance law, paying specific attention to the ban on political contributions by state and county contractors and the spending threshold for triggering disclosure requirements.

Although no rulings have been made, the judges did appear skeptical regarding the constitutionality of the contribution ban on contractors passed by the Legislature in 2005.

Steve Friday of the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board announced Lobbyist IDs are not yet ready for pickup. Those who received an erroneous email indicating anything to the contrary should disregard it.

The board is waiting on supplies before the remainder of the ID cards can be processed. An email notification will be sent out when the IDs are ready.

A special runoff election for Alabama House District 74 will be held on November 19, 2013.

This election will determine the outcome of the race for this House seat because the two candidates remaining, Dimitri Polizos and Charlotte Meadows, are both Republicans.

There are no candidates from opposing parties contesting these two candidates, so there is no need for a special general election.

Rep. Warwick Sabin has suggested nearly a dozen changes to the state’s ethics and campaign finance laws potentially to be considered during a special session the governor may call to address teacher insurance costs. Sabin proposed the bills in an email to House and Senate members on Wednesday, October 10.

The changes would empower the Ethics Commission to initiate investigations, lower the minimum reporting amount for campaign expenditures from $100 to $50, and require the secretary of state to develop a searchable website for campaign finance records. The bills could only be considered in a special session if Gov. Mike Beebe included them in a proclamation.

Photo of the Arkansas State Capitol courtesy of jglazer75 in Wikimedia Commons.

A special election has been called for Iowa’s 13th Senatorial District, formerly held by Senator Kent Sorenson.

The election will be held on November 19, 2013.

Gov. Jerry Brown has signed three bills sponsored by the state’s Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) designed to promote government transparency:

• Assembly Bill 409 creates an electronic filing system for public officials who file annual statements of economic interest (Form 700), allowing greater public accessibility to the statements;
• Assembly Bill 552 gives the FPPC greater authority to collect fines from individuals and entities who violate laws regarding campaign finance, lobbying, and conflicts of interest; and
• Assembly Bill 1090 allows the FPPC to give written or telephone advice to public officials about conflicts of interest in government contracts.

Assembly Bill 409 takes effect immediately. Assembly Bill 552 and Assembly Bill 1090 are effective January 1, 2014.

Beginning on October 21, Christina Estes-Werther will be the new Arizona state election director, replacing Amy B. Chan.

Estes-Werther currently serves as Governor Brewer’s deputy general counsel. According to Secretary of State Ken Bennett’s press release, Chan will be stepping down to devote more time to her family.

Chan was appointed election director by Bennett in March 2009.

On October 2, Arizona Attorney General Thomas C. Horne joined with Secretary of State Ken Bennett by concluding the law under newly enacted House Bill 2593 requires separate candidate committees for the primary and general elections and contribution limits still apply to committee-to-committee transfers. The attorney general amended an opinion in which it had previously stated, “The best practice might be to set up two separate candidate committees (for the primary and general elections), but the statutes do not necessarily require it.”

The secretary of state has advised that transfers between committees for election in the same year are subject to the contribution limit of $2000.

U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock ruled a portion of Mississippi’s campaign finance law unconstitutional as applied to a group of five Oxford, Mississippi residents backing a ballot initiative. The group desired to pool funds to purchase posters and advertising supporting a 2011 initiative, but determined doing so would trigger political committee registration under state law.

The group filed suit, alleging Mississippi’s $200 threshold unduly burdened their First Amendment rights. Judge Aycock agreed, finding the $200 threshold was “simply too low” for the “significant and onerous burdens on persons attempting to join together to raise or expend in excess” of the threshold.

Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood indicated he may appeal the ruling, while Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, whose office enforces the state’s campaign finance laws, did not immediately issue comment on the case.

The Legislature adjourned a special session on Wednesday, October 3, 2013, after passing a package of bills referred to as the “grand bargain.”

The diverse collection of bills passed included government pension reform, additional education and mental health funding, and a farming regulation that limits local regulation of genetically modified plants.

Gov. Jerry Brown has declared a special election for Assembly District 54. The primary will be held on December 3, 2013.

If no candidate receives a majority of the votes, a special general election will be held on February 4, 2014. The vacancy occurred following the resignation by Assembly Member Holly Mitchell.

Assembly District 54 is wholly contained in Los Angeles County.

A special election for the Massachusetts Ninth Norfolk Representative District has been called to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of state Rep. Daniel B. Winslow.

The office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin announced the special primary election will be held on December 10, 2013. The special general election will follow on January 7, 2014.

Winslow resigned from the Senate to work as vice president and general counsel at Rimini Street, a third-party provider of enterprise software support services.