On June 8, Gov. Janet Mills signed Legislative Document 670 to increase lobbyist registration fees and Legislative Document 1377 amending campaign finance definitions.

Legislative Document 670 raises registration fees for lobbyists from $200 to $250 and lobbyist associates from $100 to $125.

Additionally, Legislative Document 670 allows employers to apply for a fee waiver and the commission may waive the fees in whole or in part if the commission determines an economic hardship to the applicant.

The registration fee increases were proposed by the ethics commission to cover operation costs for the lobbyist regulatory program and to improve its e-filing and public access system.

Legislative Document 1377 amends the definition of independent expenditure and allows a person or committee to request a commission determination that an expenditure is not an independent expenditure within seven days of disseminating the communication.

The bills go into effect 90 days after the end of the Legislature’s first special session.

The West Virginia held a one-day special session on June 7.

Though the session was brief, the Legislature managed to pass seven bills.

Six of these bills concerned reallocation of unused federal relief funds to road maintenance work and the departments of Health and Human Resources and Education, while the final bill concerned property exemptions for bankruptcy proceedings.

The 2021 session of the 107th Nebraska Legislature has adjourned sine die June 10.

Gov. Pete Ricketts addressed lawmakers, who overrode three of his vetoes.

Ricketts praised senators for approving nearly $1.7 billion in property tax relief over the next two years.

The governor said the legislature’s quick and decisive action also empowered state agencies to respond effectively to the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic.

The Legislature is scheduled to convene in early fall for a special legislative session to complete the 2021 redistricting process.

The 2022 legislature is scheduled to convene January 5.

The Louisiana Legislature will adjourn sine die no later than 6 p.m. June 10 in accordance with state law.

Gov. John Bel Edwards will hold a media briefing about the 2021 legislative session 30 minutes after adjournment sine die.

During the session, a bill eliminating certain aggregate campaign contribution limitations passed.

Senate Bill 4 removes the limitation on combined contributions for both the primary and general elections that may be accepted by any candidate and his principal and subsidiary campaign committees from a political committee.

Present law provides the total amount of combined contributions for both the primary and general elections that may be accepted by a candidate and his principal and subsidiary campaign committees from political committees must not exceed $80,000 for major office candidates, $60,000 for district office candidates, and $20,000 for other office candidates in aggregate.

Senate Bill 4 was sent to the governor on June 1 and has an effective date of August 1.

The Colorado General Assembly adjourned sine die for the 2021 session shortly before 8 p.m. on June 8 after debating a controversial climate bill on the House floor.

During the session, a bill was passed relating to local government election codes. Senate Bill 21-160 clarifies that, when computing time for any designated period of days for a local government election, the first day from which the period of days runs is excluded and the last day from which the period of days is included.

The bill also provides a process for dividing a special district into separate director districts and for members to be elected from each director district at large or by the electors within each director district.

The bill takes effect following the expiration of the 90-day period after final adjournment of the General Assembly.

The Pennsylvania Speaker of the House announced a special election for House District 113 on November 2, the same day as the general election.

The district seat became vacant former Rep. Marty Flynn won a special election to join the state Senate.

The winner of the special election will serve the remainder of Flynn’s term until the end of 2022.

The Connecticut General Assembly adjourned sine die on June 9.

During the session, lawmakers passed House Bill 6574 relating to revisions of the state ethics code.

The bill exempts gifts from an individual’s or spouse’s grandparents from the law prohibiting gifts from restricted donors; clarifies the gift disclosure requirement by a person doing business with a department or agency; and requires executive branch regulatory agencies to annually file a list of positions subject to revolving door provisions.

If signed by the governor, House Bill 6574 becomes effective October 1.

This affects lobbying reporting.

The monthly employer activity report required any month the General Assembly is in regular session is due July 10.

Campaign Finance

Canada: “Judge Rules Against Ontario Third Party Campaign Finance Rules Declaring It Unconstitutional” by Holly McKenzie-Sutter (Canadian Press) for Global News

Elections

New York: “She’s Running for New York City Council. But Newspapers Won’t Publish Her Photo.” by Hannah Dreyfus for Politico

Ethics

National: “Justice Dept. Continues Appeal on Behalf of Trump in Defamation Case Brought by Sexual Assault Accuser” by Shayna Jacobs (Washington Post) for MSN

National: “Trump’s Election Fraud Claims Propelled Them to the Capitol on Jan. 6. His Ongoing Comments Are Keeping Them in Jail.” by Rachel Weiner and Spencer Hsu (Washington Post) for MSN

National: “Abbe Lowell Is the Go-To Lawyer for Embattled Politicians. Now He Faces a Controversy of His Own.” by Dan Friedman for Mother Jones

Connecticut: “Jon Lender: The wife of the lone GOP senator who voted for Connecticut’s recreational marijuana has a job at medical cannabis grower Curaleaf” by Jon Lender (Hartford Courant) for MSN

Illinois: “Former Chicago Alderman Aiding Corruption Probe Made Audio and Video Recordings of Then-Speaker Michael Madigan on Multiple Topics, Sources Say” by Jason Meisner and Ray Long (Chicago Tribune) for MSN

Louisiana: “Advocates Decry ‘Double Standard’ in Louisiana’s Legislature, Citing Groundwater Ethics Bill” by Blake Paterson for New Orleans Advocate

Maryland: “Baltimore Spending Board Approves New Travel Expense Rules for Elected Officials” by Phil Davis for Baltimore Sun

Ohio: “Ohio Public Corruption Cases Could Be Tried in Defendants’ Home Counties, Under GOP Proposal” by Jeremy Pelzer (Cleveland Plain Dealer) for MSN

On June 8, an Ontario, Canada Superior Court judge struck down a section of the province’s Election Finances Act that mandated a 12-month pre-election period restricting third party advertising.

Ontario Superior Court Justice Edward M. Morgan’s decision, Working Families Ontario v. Ontario, explicitly holds that the period will no longer be in effect. The restricted pre-election spending period of 12 months had a $600,000 limit on third-party political advertisement expenditures.

Judge Morgan found the law was unconstitutional and a violation of the “freedom of expression” for the parties suing the province.

As noted by the judge in his decision, the next election in Ontario is scheduled to take place on June 2, 2022, already within the 12-month restricted period for political advertisements under the section being stricken. Judge Morgan wrote, “It would be unfair to the Applicants (and to other potential third-party political advertisers) for statutory provisions that have been declared unconstitutional to remain in operation during this time.” He found the burden of addressing the issue should remain on the legislature to craft an appropriate and constitutional provision.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill to allow PACs to give state Senate candidates $25,400 over a four-year election period.

Senate Bill 1120 requires the PAC limits for Senate candidates to reset every two years in the same manner as they do for House candidates.

This will double the previous PAC limit of $12,700 because Senate candidates may receive the entire $25,400 at one time.

The bill is effective immediately.

Campaign Finance

National: “Democrats’ Improbable New F.E.C. Strategy: More deadlock than ever” by Shane Goldmacher for New York Times

Florida: “As Artiles Criminal Case Unfolds, Sham NPA Candidate Agrees to Ethics Violations, Fine” by Samantha Gross (Miami Herald) for MSN

Ethics

National: “GOP Governors Are Cutting Unemployment Aid. Some Have Ties to Businesses That May Benefit.” by Yeganeh Torbati (Washington Post) for MSN

Michigan: “Gabe Leland Gets 2.5 Years of Probation on Misconduct in Office Charge” by Sarah Rahal for Detroit News

New Mexico: “Citizen Lawmakers Find Work in New Cannabis Industry” by Andy Lyman for New Mexico Political Report

North Dakota: “Above Board or ‘Pay to Play’? Firm That Guides North Dakota’s $19.4B Portfolio Comes Under Fire” by Patrick Springer for Grand Forks Herald

Legislative Issues

National: “Democrats Grapple with Way Forward on Biden Agenda After Manchin Throws Up Roadblocks” by Mike DeBonis and Sean Sullivan (Washington Post) for MSN

Oregon: “Oregon Lawmaker Faces Expulsion in Assault on State Capitol” by Andrew Selsky for Associated Press News

Lobbying

Illinois: “Chicago’s Ethics Ordinance Infinitely Stronger Than State Version, Top Ethics Officials Say” by Fran Spielman for Chicago Sun-Times

The South Carolina General Assembly is set to reconvene for up to two days on June 8 to discuss appropriations bills including how to spend remaining COVID-19 relief funds as well as funds received from a Savannah River Site settlement.

This is the first of three times the General Assembly is scheduled to reconvene pursuant to the adjournment resolution adopted back in May.

The remaining scheduled dates to reconvene are June 21 and June 29.

Campaign Finance

National: “After Hitting Pause, PACs Begin to Press Play Again” by Kate Ackley (Roll Call) for MSN

Wyoming: “Inside the Campaign-Finance ‘End Run’ That Earned GOP an FEC Fine” by Nick Reynolds for WyoFile.com

Elections

National: “Lack of Data on Diverse Electorate Tests Pollsters, Politicians” by Michael Macagnone (Roll Call) for MSN

Pennsylvania: “How the National Push by Trump Allies to Audit 2020 Ballots Started Quietly in Pennsylvania” by Rosalind Helderman (Washington Post) for MSN

Ethics

National: “Justice Dept. Vows to End Court Orders Seeking Journalists’ Data in Leak Probes” by Josh Gerstein for Politico

California: “Judge and Attorney in Pivotal Newsom Recall Lawsuit Were Former Law Partners” by Phil Willon (Los Angeles Times) for MSN

North Carolina: “Raleigh Mayor Sits Out Development Hearings to Avoid Conflict of Interest” by Anna Johnson (Raleigh News and Observer) for Yahoo News

Legislative Issues

Connecticut: “‘There Are Certain People That Drink Heavily.’ CT Lawmakers Talk About Alcohol Use in Session” by Ken Dixon (Connecticut Post) for MSN

Lobbying

Illinois: “Exelon Lobbyist Leads an Effort to Win a Big Payday for Illinois Lawmakers” by Dave McKinney for WBEZ

Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon and statehouse leaders announced there will not be a special session this July.

The July special session was to be called for deliberation on how to best allocate the federal relief money given by the American Rescue Plan, but lawmakers decided the discussion would be better served if it was delayed until the 2022 legislative session.