Maryland’s 90-day legislative session ended on April 8.

The top items on the agenda that passed were the state budget; an economic relief act for the workers and businesses that relied on the Port of Baltimore; and several bills regarding public safety, affordability, economic competitiveness, and public service.

The state’s budget is notable as the governor signed an executive order extending the legislative session 10 days in order to give legislators time to finish it.

However, lawmakers did not need the extra time and managed to adjourn the day the session was previously planned to end.

The 99th session of the Legislature adjourned sine die on March 26.

Lawmakers convened for Veto Day but adjourned after only a few minutes because for the first time in nearly 70 years, there were no gubernatorial vetoes to consider.

Gov. Kristi Noem signed a total of 233 bills into law this legislative session while not vetoing a single one.

A bill to prohibit the use of a deepfake in a campaign ad if it does not include a disclosure passed the Senate but died in the House.

Wisconsin’s 8th Congressional District Rep. Mike Gallagher announced his resignation effective April 19.

The resignation does not trigger a special election under the statute because the effective date occurs after the second Tuesday in April.

All of the state’s eight U.S. House districts are up for election on November 5, with the primary election scheduled for August 13.

Republicans will hold a 217-213 majority in the U.S. House after Gallagher leaves the chamber.

State Rep. John Rogers resigned from his House District 52 seat on March 13 after pleading guilty to federal conspiracy and obstruction of justice charges related to a grant program.

A special primary election for House District 52 will be held on June 18 and a runoff on July 16, if necessary.

The general election is set for October 1.

A voter-backed measure, known as Ballot Measure 2, was recently upheld when the Ninth Circuit affirmed a federal judge’s denial of a preliminary injunction blocking it.

The measure requires immediate disclosure of contributions aggregating to more than $2,000 per year.

The decision stems from a previous injunction that was filed back in 2022, by political donors against enforcement of the measure, claiming the initiative’s burdensome disclosure rules would lead to retaliation against them for their political activity.

Chief Judge Mary H. Murguia held the district correctly concluded the plaintiffs argument of first amendment issues was likely to fail and affirmed the lower courts decision.

The legislative session came to an end late in the evening on March 8 after days of debate over the budget.

A unified budget bill was passed and provides funding for nursing homes, preschool for developmentally disabled children, and home services for senior centers.

The second regular session of the 123rd General Assembly adjourned sine die on March 8, earlier than scheduled.

The Legislature was focused on education, passing several education related bills.

Gov. Eric Holcomb has seven days to sign legislation once it lands on his desk.

If he does not sign a bill, it becomes law.

If he vetoes a piece of legislation, the Legislature can override the veto with a majority vote in both houses.

The legislature adjourned sine die on March 7.

Lawmakers passed a campaign finance reform bill which creates state campaign contribution limits and authorizes local governments to establish lower limits for local elections.

House Bill 4024 also requires the disclosure of certain information on political advertising and requires specific persons to report the original sources of funds used to pay candidate campaign independent expenditures.

The contribution limits will become operative on January 1, 2027 and the enhanced campaign contribution and independent expenditure reporting requirements will become operative on January 1, 2028.

If signed by the governor, the bill is effective June 6.

Senate joint resolution 1114 has passed both chambers and now making its way to Gov. DeSantis.

The resolution calls for a referendum on whether the public wants to end the Public Campaign Finance Act of 1986, which uses a portion of taxpayer money to help fund political campaigns.

The act provided roughly $13 million to candidates and is credited with allowing less wealthy candidates to run.

The Legislature quietly adjourned sine die on March 7 after passing a procurement and campaign finance bill.

House Bill 1471 modifies the state procurement procedures and revises definitions concerning competitive, sole source, convenience, and emergency goods and services contracts.

Senate Bill 5857 reorganizes the campaign disclosure and contributions statutes through technical amendments involving campaign disclosure and contributions at the state and local levels.

These bills will now be sent to the governor for his signature.

A bill to be introduced by Representative Matt Simpson would transfer oversight of public officials from the Ethics Commission to district attorneys and the attorney general.

The bill also allows for unlimited gifts from friends; allows officials to solicit gifts from subordinates; and greatly broadens the definition of family member.

The bill gives the Legislature control of the Ethics Commission, potentially impairing the commission’s ability to act impartially.

Following sentencing of former House Speaker Mike Madigan’s chief of staff, Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced a series of ethics reforms to strengthen enforcement and require more transparency and disclosure regarding the financial dealings of lobbyists.

House Bill 4591 requires lobbyists to report compensation received from clients and gives the secretary of state more authority to investigate violations of the Lobbyist Registration Act.

The bill also would allow the secretary of state to investigate anyone who is lobbying but has not registered as a lobbyist.

The office could revoke, suspend, or bar a person from lobbying for up to one year if failing to file reports or pay a fine.

Lobbyists will be required to keep records for three years, up from two, or face possible revocation of their license.

Q: My employer makes corporate contributions in California. We have not yet exceeded $10,000 in calendar year 2024. The primary election is in March, along with the general election in the fall. If we decide to make contributions, when do we have a late contribution report due?

A: The California “Late Contribution Report” [Form 497], sometimes referred to as the “24-hour report” is due during the 90-day period preceding any election if all of the following criteria are met:

• The contribution is $1,000 or more, or multiple contributions aggregating $1,000 or more, to a single candidate, ballot measure committee, or political party. This includes non-monetary and in-kind contributions;
• The corporation making the contribution must have already qualified as a major donor or the contribution made during the 90-day period before the election puts it over the $10,000 threshold and it becomes a major donor; and
• The recipient candidate or ballot committee must appear on the ballot at the election for which the 90-day period applies.

Contributions to political parties made during the 90-day period are also included. Contributions to PACs are not.
We are currently in the 90-day period for the March 5 primary election. The 90-day period for the November 5 general election begins August 7. Currently, no special elections are scheduled, but if one is, this triggers a new 90-day period. Check with the Fair Political Practices Commission for the exact dates of the 90-day period.

The filing requirements for Form 497 are:

• The report is due within 24 hours of making the contribution. The contribution is made on the date it is mailed, hand-delivered, or otherwise transmitted to the candidate, ballot measure committee, or political party.
• The report must be filed electronically with the California Secretary of State, Political Reform Division. No paper report is required.
• If a report is due on a Saturday, Sunday, or official state holiday, the 24-hour deadline is extended to the next business day. However, the Form 497 must be filed within 24 hours on a Saturday, Sunday, or an official state holiday when the report is due the weekend immediately prior to an election. For example, if a donor makes a contribution on the Saturday before the election, the Form 497 is due on Sunday.

As a reminder, the late contribution must still be reported on the next major donor report that is due. In 2024, major donor reports are due July 31 for the period covering January 1 to June 30; and January 31, 2025, for the period covering July 1 to December 31.

For more information, be sure to check out the “Registration and Reports Required” section of the U.S. Political Contributions Compliance Laws online publication for California. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

State business and labor groups have been working on legislation to limit campaign contributions in state races.

Oregon is one of just five states with no limits on political contributions.

These negotiations come as a proposal, known as Initiative Petition 9, has a chance of qualifying for the November ballot.

The petition would impose additional campaign finance disclosures and strict contribution limits for individuals, political parties, and interest groups.