May 27, 2025 •
Missouri Special Session Scheduled to Begin June 2

Gov. Mike Kehoe called a special session of the Legislature beginning June 2 to consider St. Louis disaster relief; a proposal for the state to help fund new stadiums for the Chiefs and Royals to keep the teams in Missouri; […]
Gov. Mike Kehoe called a special session of the Legislature beginning June 2 to consider St. Louis disaster relief; a proposal for the state to help fund new stadiums for the Chiefs and Royals to keep the teams in Missouri; and other spending items for major capital improvement projects. Under the Missouri Constitution, lawmakers have 60 days to complete work on items in a special session.
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On July 1, the Oklahoma Ethics Commission is scheduled to officially launch a modernized, custom-built filing and disclosure system. The system, called Guardian 2.0, will serve as the online platform for all required disclosures by lobbyists and liaisons, candidate committees, […]
On July 1, the Oklahoma Ethics Commission is scheduled to officially launch a modernized, custom-built filing and disclosure system. The system, called Guardian 2.0, will serve as the online platform for all required disclosures by lobbyists and liaisons, candidate committees, political party committees, PACs, special function committees, and certain state officers and employees.
The commission announced all existing data and filings will be securely migrated to the new system. Current users will be prompted to create new login credentials upon their first login with the new system.
The commission also plans to introduce additional tools and user experience enhancements beginning in late 2025 and into early 2026.
On June 27, at 5:00 p.m. CDT, the current disclosure system will be shut down. After that time, no filings or updates can be made in the old/legacy system.
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May 23, 2025 •
Missouri Legislature Adjourns Sine Die

The first regular session of the 103rd General Assembly adjourned on May 15. Lawmakers passed a total of 67 bills this year, 16 of which were budget bills. Last year’s total was 46. Among the bills awaiting the governor’s signature […]
The first regular session of the 103rd General Assembly adjourned on May 15. Lawmakers passed a total of 67 bills this year, 16 of which were budget bills. Last year’s total was 46. Among the bills awaiting the governor’s signature is Senate Bill 152, banning foreign spending on ballot issue campaigns. The bill also prohibits committees from knowingly receiving, soliciting, or accepting contributions or expenditures from a prohibited source, defined as contributions from or expenditures by a foreign national made with the intent to use such funds to influence an election on a ballot measure. The bill also requires committees to file a certificate declaring no preliminary activity was funded, directly or indirectly, by a prohibited source.
May 23, 2025 •
Minnesota Legislature Adjourns Sine Die

The 94th session of the Minnesota Legislature adjourned sine die on May 19. Lawmakers adjourned on the constitutionally prescribed final day with the budget incomplete. With the next fiscal biennium beginning on July 1, the Legislature must approve all budget […]
The 94th session of the Minnesota Legislature adjourned sine die on May 19. Lawmakers adjourned on the constitutionally prescribed final day with the budget incomplete. With the next fiscal biennium beginning on July 1, the Legislature must approve all budget bills and have them signed by the governor before midnight on June 30 to keep state government open for business. Gov. Walz announced he will call a special session when lawmakers have reached a consensus, but warned pushing the session beyond June 1 would mean state employees have to begin preparing for a possible government shutdown. The House ended its session by choosing not to suspend rules to consider Senate File 856, which would create the Office of the Inspector General.
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Representatives from the Michigan Department of State (MDOS), Tyler Technologies, and the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget (DTMB) testified at a joint committee hearing regarding issues with the Michigan Transparency Network (MiTN) platform. MiTN is the state’s new […]
Representatives from the Michigan Department of State (MDOS), Tyler Technologies, and the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget (DTMB) testified at a joint committee hearing regarding issues with the Michigan Transparency Network (MiTN) platform. MiTN is the state’s new consolidated online reporting system for personal financial disclosure, campaign finance, lobbying, and legal defense fund information. The hearing was called after lawmakers had trouble filing their financial disclosure reports and approved a one-month extension for their deadline. MDOS and Tyler Technologies are now working to implement substantial improvements by the filing deadline for candidate committees on July 25. As part of the department’s continuing commitment to transparency, MDOS has launched a new webpage to track existing technical issues, recent fixes, and FAQs for each MiTN module at https://www.michigan.gov/sos/elections/disclosure/mitn-information.
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May 21, 2025 •
Alaska Legislature Adjourns Sine Die

The 34th session of the Legislature adjourned sine die on May 20. Lawmakers ended the session without completing work on campaign finance and election bills. House Bill 16 limits contributions from individuals to $2,000 in donations per candidate in each […]
The 34th session of the Legislature adjourned sine die on May 20. Lawmakers ended the session without completing work on campaign finance and election bills. House Bill 16 limits contributions from individuals to $2,000 in donations per candidate in each two-year election cycle, while the Senate Bill 64 makes various changes to absentee voting. Both bills are expected to rollover to next year’s legislative session. This does affect lobbying reporting. The final monthly legislative lobbyist report is due June 30.
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May 19, 2025 •
Kansas State Representative Resigns From Position

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State Rep. Patrick Penn recently turned in his resignation. The notice did not explain why he would exit the Legislature six months after winning reelection to a two-year term. Penn, a Republican, represents House District 85, which covers parts of […]
State Rep. Patrick Penn recently turned in his resignation. The notice did not explain why he would exit the Legislature six months after winning reelection to a two-year term. Penn, a Republican, represents House District 85, which covers parts of Wichita, Bel Aire, Benton, and various other townships. A precinct election has been scheduled and will be held on May 28.
May 19, 2025 •
Hawaii Governor Signs Various Bills Pertaining to Lobbying

Gov. Green signed multiple bills related to lobbying. House Bill 413 clarifies lobbyist contributions are prohibited in periods during which both chambers are in session. House Bill 412 establishes certain presumptions regarding lobbying on behalf of private clients; makes contracts […]
Gov. Green signed multiple bills related to lobbying. House Bill 413 clarifies lobbyist contributions are prohibited in periods during which both chambers are in session. House Bill 412 establishes certain presumptions regarding lobbying on behalf of private clients; makes contracts voidable when entered into in violation of the state lobbying law under certain conditions; and expands the definition of lobbying to include certain communications with government officials regarding procurement decisions. Senate Bill 289 establishes uniform provisions for the assessment of administrative penalties under the State Ethics Code and Lobbyist Law. House Bill 413 and Senate Bill 289 are effective immediately. House Bill 412 will take effect January 1, 2027.

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The governor signed Senate Bill 199, which will remove the requirement for legislative lobbyists to submit semi-monthly reports while the General Assembly is in session. Instead, lobbyists will be required to submit a single report due on the fifth of […]
The governor signed Senate Bill 199, which will remove the requirement for legislative lobbyists to submit semi-monthly reports while the General Assembly is in session. Instead, lobbyists will be required to submit a single report due on the fifth of each month. This requirement matches the reporting requirements for lobbyists who seek to influence local governments, state agencies, and the State Transportation Board. This bill will come into effect on January 1, 2026. Until then all lobbyists are still required to submit reports on the current schedule. Additionally, Senate Bill 199 modifies the PAC reporting due dates to January 31, April 30, July 31, and October 20 of each year until the bank account has been zeroed out and the PAC has been terminated.
May 16, 2025 •
Alabama Legislature Adjourns Sine Die

The Alabama Legislature adjourned sine die May 14 amid a lengthy filibuster. Lawmakers were unable to pass a number of bills due to friction across the aisle. One of the few bills to make it to the governor and singed […]
The Alabama Legislature adjourned sine die May 14 amid a lengthy filibuster. Lawmakers were unable to pass a number of bills due to friction across the aisle. One of the few bills to make it to the governor and singed was a bill changing the date of the presidential primary from the fourth Tuesday in May to the second Tuesday in May.
May 16, 2025 •
Iowa Legislature Adjourns Sine Die

The overtime session of the General Assembly adjourned sine die on May 15 after lawmakers worked overnight to wrap up and head home nearly two weeks after their scheduled end date. The delay was due to some senators refusing to […]
The overtime session of the General Assembly adjourned sine die on May 15 after lawmakers worked overnight to wrap up and head home nearly two weeks after their scheduled end date. The delay was due to some senators refusing to vote on any budget bill until a bill was passed to restrict the use of eminent domain for carbon capture pipelines. Gov. Reynolds has 30 days to sign or veto the bills.
May 14, 2025 •
Montana Governor Signs Lobbyist Threshold Bill

Gov. Greg Gianforte recently signed a bill revising various lobbying thresholds. House Bill 804 codifies the lobbyist payment threshold at $3,000 and provides for adjustment of the threshold in each even-numbered year. The inflation factor will be determined by dividing […]
Gov. Greg Gianforte recently signed a bill revising various lobbying thresholds. House Bill 804 codifies the lobbyist payment threshold at $3,000 and provides for adjustment of the threshold in each even-numbered year. The inflation factor will be determined by dividing the consumer price index for June of even-numbered years by the consumer price index for June of the prior year, with changes becoming effective January 1 of the following odd year. The principal reporting threshold will also decrease from $5,000 to $3,000 during any calendar year, with monthly reports being triggered upon spending $3,000 or more during the prior calendar month. House Bill 804 becomes effective October 1.
May 14, 2025 •
Minnesota Campaign Finance Board Offers Compliance Training for Political Committees and Funds

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The Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board will be conducting a compliance training for party units and political committees and funds on Thursday, June 5, at 1:00 p.m. The training will be conducted remotely using Webex. The training will provide […]
The Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board will be conducting a compliance training for party units and political committees and funds on Thursday, June 5, at 1:00 p.m. The training will be conducted remotely using Webex. The training will provide an overview of campaign finance laws and rules applicable to party units and political committees and funds in Minnesota. The training will last approximately two hours. You may register for the training on the Board’s website at https://cfb.mn.gov/filer-resources/self-help/education-and-tools/live-training/. The training will be recorded, and video of the training will be added to the Board’s website within a week after the training. Additional training resources, including information on how to use Campaign Finance Reporter Online (CFRO), is available on the Board’s website at https://cfb.mn.gov/filer-resources/self-help/education-and-tools/online-videos/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery.
May 12, 2025 •
South Carolina Adjourns Sine Die

The South Carolina Legislature adjourned sine die on May 8. This was the first year of the two-year legislative session and only 81 bills were sent to the governor. Any bills still alive will be carried over to the 2026 […]
The South Carolina Legislature adjourned sine die on May 8. This was the first year of the two-year legislative session and only 81 bills were sent to the governor. Any bills still alive will be carried over to the 2026 session. Carried over bills include a lobbying bill requiring additional reporting and a bill that would increase the campaign contribution limits for non-statewide offices from $1,000 to $3,500.
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