Campaign Finance

Kentucky: “Pfizer Gives $1 Million to Republican Party of Kentucky to Expand Its Headquarters” by Tom Loftus for Kentucky Lantern

Elections

National: “At Proud Boys Trial, U.S. Aims to Win Another Seditious Conspiracy Case” by Rachel Weiner (Washington Post) for MSN

Colorado: “‘Laughable’: Is it too easy to get on the Denver mayoral ballot?” by Joe Rubino for Denver Post

Ethics

National: “Justice Dept. Reviewing Classified Documents Found in Biden’s Post-VP Office” by Tyler Pager, Devlin Barrett, Jacqueline Alemany, and Perry Stein (Washington Post) for MSN

New York: “Trump Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg Sentenced to Five Months in Jail” by Shayna Jacobs (Washington Post) for MSN

North Dakota: “Bill Would Add 9,000 State Employees to North Dakota Ethics Panel’s Jurisdiction” by Jack Dura (Bismarck Tribune) for Jamestown Sun

Rhode Island: “As Judge Caprio Moves On, Questions About ‘Caught in Providence,’ and the Profits, Are Raised” by Katherine Gregg (Providence Journal) for Yahoo News

Legislative Issues

National: “House Narrowly Approves Rules Amid Concerns About McCarthy’s Concessions” by Catie Edmondson (New York Times) for Seattle Times

Campaign Finance

National: “Watchdog Group Asks FEC to Investigate Embattled New York Rep. George Santos’ Campaign Finances” by Fredreka Schouten (CNN) for MSN

Alaska: “Wasilla Lawmaker Advised Not to Solicit Campaign Funds for Oath Keepers Trial Costs” by Sean Maguire (Anchorage Daily News) for Yahoo News

Elections

Georgia: “Fani Willis, the Georgia Prosecutor Investigating Trump, Has Taken on Seemingly Untouchable Targets” by Tom Hamburger, Matthew Brown, and Ann Marimow (Washington Post) for MSN

Ethics

West Virginia: “W.Va. Journalist Let Go After Reporting on Abuse Allegations” by Leah Willingham (Associated Press) for Yahoo News

Legislative Issues

National: “How Kevin McCarthy Survived the GOP Revolt to Become House Speaker” by Isaac Arnsdorf, Mariana Sotomayor, Michael Scherer, and Josh Dawsey (Washington Post) for MSN

New York: “Lawmaker’s Victory May Cost Him Coveted Manhattan Apartment” by Luis Ferré-Sadurní (New York Times) for DNyuz

Lobbying

California: “Lobbyist’s $1,100 Payment to El Monte Councilmember for Breast Augmentation Lawful, FPPC Rules” by Jason Henry (Pasadena Star News) for San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Redistricting

South Carolina: “South Carolina US House District Ruled Racial Gerrymander” by James Pollard and Jeffrey Collins (Associated Press) for Yahoo News

A special election has been set for February 27, to fill the seat recently vacated by former Commissioner Ken Russell.

Commissioners had 10 days to appoint a replacement to serve out the remainder of Russell’s term but could not find a consensus candidate.

District 2 comprises portions of Coconut Grove, Brickell, Edgewater, Morningside and downtown.

Gov. Tom Wolf ordered a special session of the General Assembly to begin Monday, January 9.

Both chambers have been called back to Harrisburg to consider a proposed amendment to Pennsylvania’s constitution seeking to aid survivors of child sexual abuse.

Lawmakers have until January 27 to act on the amendment in order for it to make it onto the May primary ballot.

Campaign Finance

Florida: “DeSantis Inauguration Planned to Give Donors Special Treatment. They Got Long Lines, Few Seats” by Mary Ellen Klas and Lawrence Mower (Miami Herald) for MSN

Ohio: “Ex-Ohio Governor Candidate Joe Blystone Fined $105K, Can’t Run for Office for 5 Years” by Jessie Balmert (Cincinnati Enquirer) for Yahoo News

Ethics

National: “Official U.S. Capitol Tour Guides Told to Only Mention Jan. 6 If Asked” by Joe Heim (Washington Post) for Yahoo News

New Mexico: “Democratic Officials’ Homes, Offices Shot Up in New Mexico” by Susan Montoya Bryan and Morgan Lee for Associated Press News

Washington: “Sutherland to Pay $2.5K to Settle Ethics Violation Complaint” by Jerry Cornfield for Everett Herald

Lobbying

California: “San Jose Lobbyists Skirt Transparency” by Tran Nguyan for San Jose Spotlight

Massachusetts: “SJC Rules DiMasi’s Federal Corruption Convictions Do Not Disqualify Him, or Others, from Lobbying on Beacon Hill” by John Element (Boston Globe) for MSN

North Dakota: “As Lawmakers Return to Bismarck, Lobbyists Fill the Capitol” by Jeremy Turley (Forum News Service) for Grand Forks Herald

New York has expanded the ethics training requirements as part of the new Ethics Reform Act of 2022.

Lobbyists, contractual clients, and beneficial clients will now be required to take the new Ethics for Lobbyists and Clients online course available January 18.

For purposes of training compliance by organizations, the chief administrative officer is responsible for taking the training on behalf of the organization.

Those registered before the course launch will have until March 18 to complete training.

In order to avoid duplicate training, co-lobbyists and sub-lobbyists listed on a 2023-2024 Statement of Registration will not be required to take the training until they submit their own registration.

Oregon’s Elections Director, Deborah Scroggins, announced her resignation to be effective January 20 after being hired just 18 months ago.

Scroggins noted in her resignation letter that mis- and disinformation made the work of administering elections extremely challenging.

Secretary of State Shemia Fagan is responsible for filling the position.

Molly Woon will be interim elections director until a permanent replacement can be found.

Sometime before July 2, 2023, a by-election will be announced for the seat in the House of Commons representing Calgary Heritage in the province of Alberta.

On January 3, the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada, Stéphane Perrault, received official notice from the Speaker of the House of Commons that the seat for Calgary Heritage (Alberta) became vacant following the resignation of Bob Benzen. Benzen officially resigned from his seat in the House of Commons on December 31, 2022, in order to return to private life, according to CTV news.

Under the law, the by-election date must be announced between January 14 and July 2, 2023, and will signal the start of the by-election period. According to Elections Canada, the earliest date the by-election can be held is February 20, 2023.

The contribution limit for candidates and political committees in North Carolina has increased as mandated by state law.

The previous limit was capped at $5,600.

The new limit is now $6,400 and took effect on January 1 of the new year.

Campaign contribution limits have increased in the province of Ontario, Canada for 2023.

In a calendar year, a person individually may contribute $3,350 to each party, to each constituency association and nominations contestants of a party, and to each leadership contestant of a party.

Additionally, in a campaign period, a person may contribute $3,350 to each candidate of a party, and to each independent non-party candidate.

The total contribution made with respect to a single fundraising event by a contributor may not exceed $3,350 multiplied by the indexation factor.

The previous contribution limits from 2022 were $3,350.

Campaign contribution limits increased in British Columbia for 2023 to $1,401.40 for contributions to registered political parties, including their candidates, nomination contestants and registered constituency associations.

Additionally, individuals can also contribute up to $1,401.40 to independent candidates and leadership contestants, if a leadership contest is called in 2023. The previous limits from 2022 were $1,309.09.

Also increased to $400 is the limit of a fee paid to attend a leadership convention or other convention of a political party without counting toward the $1,401.40 contribution limit.

These contribution amounts are adjusted at the start of each calendar year.

Elections Canada has published the federal contribution limits for the 2023 calendar year.

In 2023, individuals may contribute up to $1,700 to independent candidates, leadership candidates, registered parties, and to, in total, all of the registered associations, nomination contestants and candidates of each registered party.

The limits also apply to any unpaid balance of loans made during a contribution period and the amount of any loan guarantees made during a contribution period. The limits increase annually by $25 on January 1.

The Federal Election Commission has announced its civil monetary penalty amounts, adjusted for inflation, for 2023.

The potential fines for civil violations of federal campaign finance laws have increased to range from $7,028 to $82,188, from the previous range of $6,523 to $76,280.

The amounts are calculated through a statutory formula applying the most recent “cost-of-living adjustment multiplier,” issued by the Office of Management and Budget, to the current amounts. The amended civil monetary penalties took effect as of December 29, 2022, the publication date in the Federal Register.

For 2023, the minimum wage required to be paid by US Federal Contractors under Executive Order 14026 increases to $16.20 an hour.

Beginning January 30, 2022, all federal agencies were required to incorporate a $15 minimum wage in new contract solicitations pursuant to an executive order signed by President Joseph R. Biden on April 27, 2021.

The order requires federal contractors to pay a minimum wage for employees working on or in connection with a federal government contract.

Tipped employees performing work on or in connection with contracts covered by Executive Order 14026 must be paid a minimum cash wage of $13.75 per hour.

Contractors and subcontractors must certify they meet this condition requiring the minimum wage. This certification is a condition of payment to the contractors from the government. The order does not apply to grants; contracts, contract-like instruments, or certain specific type of agreements with Indian Tribes.

For 2023, tipped workers received 85% of the wage rate in effect for non-tipped employees, rounded to the nearest multiple of $0.05. Beginning January 1, 2024, and for each subsequent year, tipped workers must receive 100% of the wage received by non-tipped workers, eliminating the difference between the type of workers. Adjustments must be considered by employers of tipped workers who do not receive a sufficient additional amount on account of tips to equal to the minimum wage of non-tipped workers.

If a state or municipality has a higher minimum wage, the Executive Order does not excuse noncompliance with the laws requiring the higher wage.