Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker certified the changes to Senate Bill 539, an ethics omnibus bill passed with an amendatory veto in September.

Public Act 102-0664 is effective January 1, 2022, and requires state registration under the Lobbyist Registration Act by persons lobbying local officials in counties, townships and municipalities, preempting and superseding all existing laws and ordinances that are inconsistent with the Act, except in municipalities with a population over 500,000.

The bill also requires registration by persons lobbying other specified state officials, and requires any consultant hired by a lobbyist or lobbying entity to register if they communicate with an official, and all consultant expenditures to be reported on the lobbying entity reports.

The bill also further restricts fundraising anywhere in the state during sessions of the General Assembly.

The bill also creates a revolving door restriction for the General Assembly and officers of the executive branch prohibiting any activities that require registration for six months after leaving office.

The bill also adds anyone who participated personally and substantially in the award or fiscal administration of state contracts to the revolving door prohibitions for procurement officers and employees, prohibiting them from accepting employment within a period of one year immediately after termination of office or state employment.

The Maine State Legislature adjourned sine die July 19 after passing a bill to approve spending federal COVID-19 relief funds.

Legislation passed during the special session, including measures related to lobbyist registration fees; changes in the use of PAC funds; and expanded regulations related to PAC reporting, registration, and exemptions will be effective October 18.

On June 14, the Minnesota Legislature returned to the capitol for a special session.

In this session, lawmakers will be finalizing a two-year, $52 billion budget before the start of the next fiscal period July 1.

If the legislature fails to pass a budget before July 1, there will be a government shutdown.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox has called for state legislators to meet in a special session May 19 to discuss issues including accepting and appropriating funds from the American Rescue Plan.

The Legislature will also discuss prohibiting face mask requirements in K-12 schools, amending provisions related to the sale of electronic cigarettes, and extending the state of emergency for drought conditions.

However, lawmakers will not discuss critical race theory and Second Amendment sanctuary legislation during the special session.

Cox said Second Amendment sanctuary legislation should wait for a future general session.

The length of the special session has not been announced. This does not affect lobbying dates.

Individuals, political committees, lobbyists, or their principals may not make a campaign contribution to the governor, the governor’s personal campaign committee, or a PAC controlled by the governor when the Legislature is convened in a special session.

Campaign Finance

New Jersey: “Why Donations to NJ Political Campaigns from Public Contractors Nosedived in 10-Year Span” by Terrence McDonald (Bergen Record) for MSN

Pennsylvania: “Court Rules in Favor of City in Darlene Harris Campaign Finance Suit” by Mick Stinelli for Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Ethics

National: “Justice Dept. Will Not Pursue Charges Against Sen. Richard Burr Over Stock Sales at Outset of Pandemic” by Matt Zapotosky and Felicia Sonmez (Washington Post) for MSN

National: “Trump Revokes Administration Ethics Rules on His Way Out the Door” by Tamara Keith for National Public Radio

National: “Democrats Seek Momentum for Voting, Political Money Overhaul” by Kate Ackley (Roll Call) for MSN

Ohio: “Cleveland State Lets Cuyahoga County’s Former HR Chief Apply for Job 10 Months Late, Then Hires Him While on Probation for Corruption-Related Charges” by Courtney Astolfi (Cleveland Plain Dealer) for MSN

West Virginia: “With Death of Judge, Governor Will Now Appoint Judge in Line to Hear Residency Case Against Him” by Joe Severino for Charleston Gazette-Mail

Lobbying

North Dakota: “Bipartisan Bill Proposes Taxpayers Pay for Lawmakers’ Meals” by James MacPherson (Associated Press) for New Haven Register

Wisconsin: “New Health Official Isn’t Saying Whether She Will Avoid Conflicts with Former Lobbying Clients” by Patrick Marley (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) for MSN

Campaign Finance

National: “Trump Raises More Than $150 Million Appealing to False Election Claims” by Josh Dawsey and Michelle Yee He Lee (Washington Post) for MSN

New Jersey: “Christie’s 2013 Campaign Hasn’t Paid Off $1M in Debt to 2 Firms” by Matt Friedman for Politico

Elections

National: “20 Days of Fantasy and Failure: Inside Trump’s quest to overturn the election” by Philip Rucker, Ashley Parker, Josh Dawsey, and Amy Gardner (Washington Post) for MSN

Ethics

National: “Trump Era Court Battles Weaken Congressional Power” by Todd Ruger for Roll Call

California: “San Francisco Public Utilities Commission GM Harlan Kelly Charged with Fraud as Part of Corruption Scheme” by Staff for KPIX

California: “Raymond Chan, Former L.A. Deputy Mayor, Charged in Federal City Hall Corruption Case” by David Zahniser and Joel Rubin for Los Angeles Times

Hawaii: “Ex-Hawaii Prosecutor, Police Chief Get Prison for Corruption” by Jennifer Sinco Kelleher (Associated Press) for Yahoo News

Ohio: “Watchdog Group Aims to Turn Lights Back on with Open Records” by Farnoush Amiri (Associated Press) for The Record-Herald

Pennsylvania: “Ex-State Lawmaker Found Guilty in Bribery Case Loses Appeal of Her Convictions, Probation Sentence” by Matt Miller for PennLive.com

Gov. Brad Little stated Wednesday he will call the part-time Legislature back into a special session during the week of August 24 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The special session could include how to conduct the November general election amid the pandemic.

Also a topic of discussion is legislation creating a liability shield for protection against lawsuits during declared emergencies such as the pandemic.

How a special session would work during the pandemic and how much it would cost is unclear.

Lawmakers would have to be in the Statehouse in Boise for their votes to count.

Campaign Finance

National: “Buttigieg and Super PAC Improperly Coordinated on Nevada Ads, Watchdog Group Says” by Michelle Ye Hee Lee (Washington Post) for Greenwich Time

Kentucky: “Prosecutors Contend Lexington Executive Lied About Campaign Donations as Trial Opens” by Beth Musgrave for Lexington Herald-Leader

Elections

National: “Trump Campaign Hires Alum of Controversial Data Company” by Alex Isenstadt for Politico

North Carolina: “Another Court Blocks NC Voter ID Law, Citing ‘Racially Discriminatory Intent’” by Will Doran for Raleigh News and Observer

Tennessee: “Proposal Would Overhaul Blocked Tennessee Voter Signup Law” by Kimberlee Kruesi for AP News

Ethics

National: “Bloomberg Would Sell Business Interests If Elected President” by Kathleen Ronayne for AP News

Lobbying

National: “President Pardons Ex-GSA, OMB Official” by Tom Shoop for Government Executive

Michigan: “Ballot Language Approved for Proposal to ‘Change the Culture’ of Lobbying in Michigan” by Malachi Barrett for MLive.com

Campaign Finance

Montana: “Campaign Contribution Limits Go Up in Montana” by Holly Michels for The Missoulian

Washington: “Food-Makers Fight Record Fine in Washington GMO Case” by Don Jenkins for Capital Press

Elections

National: “DNC Raises Threshold to Make November Debate Stage” by Zach Montellaro for Politico

Ethics

National: “Pelosi Announces Impeachment Inquiry, Says Trump’s Courting of Foreign Political Help Is a ‘Betrayal of National Security’” by Rachael Bade, Mike DeBonis, and Karoun Demirjian (Washington Post) for MSN

Florida: “Shiver’s Checkered Past Includes Role as FBI Informant in Opa-locka Corruption Case” by Jay Weaver for Miami Herald

Michigan: “Ex-Detroit Official Sent to Prison in Demolition Scandal” by Robert Snell for Detroit News

Nebraska: “Prosecutors Drop 1 Charge Against UNL Researcher Accused of Defacing Republicans’ Signs, Office Door” by Rick Ruggles for Omaha World-Herald

Virginia: “Virginia Senator Says She Never OK’d Ad Vowing to ‘Shoot Down’ Anti-Gun” by Laura Vozzella (Washington Post) for Connecticut Post

Lobbying

Arkansas: “Lobbyist Fined $50 Over Late Reports” by Staff for Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

The first regular session of the 121st Indiana General Assembly adjourned sine die on Wednesday, April 24.

The legislative session lasted 112 days, with adjournment coming five days before the statutory April 29 deadline.

During the last day of the session, legislators approved more than three dozen bills including a two-year state budget.

Additionally, the legislature passed a gaming bill that legalizes sports wagering.

The second regular session of the 121st General Assembly is scheduled to convene on January 2, 2020.

An organization day scheduled for November 9, 2019.

A special election will take place on November 5 to fill vacancies in House Districts 99 and 158.

Rep. Jean Evans resigned from District 99 to become executive director of the Missouri Republican Party.

Rep. Scott Fitzpatrick left District 158 to serve as state treasurer.

On Tuesday, the Tallahassee Independent Ethics Board proposed changes to expand the city’s ethics code.

The proposal expands the Board’s jurisdiction to procurement employees and individuals required to file state financial disclosures.

Additionally, the proposal increases the fines faced by lobbyists to $1,000 for the first intentional violation, and prohibits covered individuals from accepting or soliciting all gifts regardless of value from vendors and lobbyists.

The draft ordinance will head to the city commission for final approval later this spring.

Former Attorney General Terry Goddard launched an effort to prohibit the use of dark money in political campaigns.

The proposed constitutional amendment, called The Voters Right to Know Act, seeks to require anyone spending at least $5,000 to influence the outcome of an Arizona election to disclose the original source of the money.

The disclosure requirement would apply to both state and local elections in Arizona.

In order for the proposal to appear on the ballot in the 2020 general election, the campaign committee behind the citizen initiative will need close to half a million signatures.

Last year, the same campaign committee missed qualification for the ballot by just over 2,000 signatures.

The amendment would require the Citizens Clean Elections Commission to enforce the new campaign finance disclosure rules and exempt the commission’s anti-dark money rules from oversight by the Governor’s Regulatory Review Council.

The proposal coincides with current Attorney General Mark Brnovich investigating whether Tempe’s ordinance banning dark money violates a law passed last year banning cities from enacting their own dark money disclosure regulations.

Gov. Ned Lamont announced a special election for May 7, to fill a state representative vacancy in House District 130.

The seat became vacant following the passing of State Rep. Ezequiel Santiago on March 15.

The winner of the special election will serve the remainder of Santiago’s term through 2020.