South Carolina legislators sent two ethics bills to Gov. Nikki Haley yesterday.

One bill requires officeholders to report private sources of income. The other requires the State Ethics Commission to independently investigate complaints against lawmakers.

House and Senate ethics committees currently oversee campaign finance filings and handle complaints against their colleagues while the State Ethics Commission oversees all other public officials.

Chuck Totto, executive director of the Honolulu Ethics Commission, resigned effective immediately.

Totto acknowledged some commissioners do not trust him to make important decisions. He blamed his resignation, in part, on his longstanding adversarial relationship with the administration of Mayor Kirk Caldwell.

Through a spokesperson, Caldwell thanked Totto for his service to the city. Caldwell will face off against Totto’s attorney, former Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle, in this year’s mayoral race.

Totto has not decided what he will do next, but confirmed he will not seek the vacant position leading the State Ethics Commission.

Campaign Finance

“House Votes to Protect ‘Dark Money’ Political Donors” by David Morgan for Reuters

Arizona: “FBI Questions Former Utility Regulator, APS, Corporation Commission” by Ryan Randazzo for Arizona Republic

Connecticut: “Agency Approves Settlement That Would End Probe of Democrats’ Spending On Malloy Re-Election” by Jon Lender for Hartford Courant

Ethics

New Jersey: “Emails Appear to Show Christie Was Told About Political Activities of His Office” by Matt Friedman and Ryan Hutchins for Politico

Rhode Island: “No Moratorium as Ethics Bill Advances in R.I.” by Jennifer Bogdan for Providence Journal

Elections

“A New Phase for Trump’s Media War” by Niall Stanage for The Hill

“Two Years Ago, Eric Cantor Lost His House Seat. Was It Just in The Nick of Time?” by Roxanne Roberts for Washington Post

District of Columbia: “Vincent Gray Wins D.C. Council Seat, Makes Political Comeback” by Aaron Davis and Fenit Nirappil for Washington Post

Ohio: “ACLU Sues Cleveland Over Republican National Convention Protest Rules” by Andrew Tobias for Cleveland Plain Dealer

Tony Didion is a senior at Kent State University majoring in public relations and minoring in marketing. He will graduate in August of this year after his internship at State and Federal Communications. His hobbies include golf, canoeing, hiking, and anything outdoors.

When Tony went to Florence, Italy, to study abroad, he realized that the people there are full of joy and enjoy the little things in life. He found that enjoying life should come first and values positivity and living in the moment.

After he graduates, he wants to work in a public relations agency and eventually move to Florence. This fall he’s going to Maui, Hawaii, for a few weeks to visit with a friend. Later, he will be going to San Francisco for a week to attend his cousin’s wedding.

He likes to drink his coffee black and firmly believes that everything happens for a reason.

On June 13, Rhode Island Gov. Gina Marie Raimondo signed two bills into law changing the state’s lobbying laws. Senate Bill 2361 and House Bill 7388 both repeal the current lobbying laws in Title 22 and Title 42 in the state’s statutes and enact the Rhode Island Lobbying Reform Act.

Among the changes in the bills are the simplification of lobbyists’ reporting requirements, an increase in penalties for failing to comply with lobbying requirements, and the allowance for more investigative and administrative authority for enforcing the lobbying laws, including administrative subpoena power.

The effective date for the two bills is January 1, 2017.

On June 14, the West Virginia Legislature adjourned sine die after passing a budget bill.

This is the second budget proposal of the special session to be sent to Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin’s desk.

The governor is expected to approve the bill, which is needed to avert a government shutdown that would result if a budget is not enacted before July 1.

Earlier this month, the Federal Election Commission dismissed complaints against two North Dakota Republican leaders regarding foreign campaign contributions received from a Canadian businessman.

The Federal Election Campaign Act bars foreign nationals from making financial donations in connection with federal, state or local elections.

The politicians claim they accepted the contributions based on incorrect advice received from the North Dakota Secretary of State’s Office. The FEC ultimately dismissed the complaints because the contributions were refunded within the 30-day time period allowed by commission regulations.

Lobbying

New York: “Complaint Charges Unregistered Lobbying for Daily Fantasy Sports” by Chris Bragg for Albany Times Union

Ethics

“Common Cause Taps Former Connecticut Director as National President” by Staff for Hartford Courant

“Lawmakers Charge Park Service Chief Oversees Culture of Sexual Harassment” by Lisa Rein for Washington Post

California: “Former State Sen. Ron Calderon’s Guilty Plea in Corruption Case Marks Blow to Political Dynasty” by Joel Rubin and Patrick McGreevy for Los Angeles Times

“Opa-locka Finance Advisor Once Targeted in County Ethics Probe” by Michael Sallah and Jay Weaver for Miami Herald

New Mexico: “Judge Rules AG Can Have Ethics Records in Griego Case” by Dan Boyd for Albuquerque Journal

New York: “How Joseph Percoco, Cuomo’s Problem-Solver, Became a Problem” by Jesse McKinley and Vivian Yee for New York Times

Elections

“Trump Revokes Post Press Credentials, Calling the Paper ‘Dishonest’ and ‘Phony’” by Paul Farhi for Washington Post

“Russian Government Hackers Penetrated DNC, Stole Opposition Research on Trump” by Ellen Nakashima for Washington Post

Clémence Besnard is a French exchange student who has been attending the University of Akron since January 2015. She is working on her master of science in international marketing at the ESC Rennes School of Business. Some of her hobbies include painting, other artistic pursuits, and swimming.

When she arrived in the United States, it was a difficult adjustment because it was the first time she had left her family for a long period of time and gone somewhere unfamiliar. She had to adapt to the American culture and to balance work and school. This opportunity to study abroad has proven itself to be a positive experience and it has made her more independent and confident in her ability to adjust. In her opinion, positivity, motivation, determination, open-mindedness, and trustworthiness are paramount to having a beneficial professional experience abroad.

In addition to her education, she would like go on a humanitarian mission to raise funds and provide education for all people, particularly those who are discriminated against. After she receives her master’s degree, she wants to find a job that would allow her to travel abroad.

Before she leaves America, Clémence wants to travel to various cities such as Pittsburgh, Chicago, Washington, DC, and to explore the West Coast.

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” -Mahatma Gandhi

California’s Senate Bill 254 became law without the governor’s signature on June 9, 2016.

The measure will place a ballot question on the November 8, 2016 ballot asking voters whether California’s elected officials should use all of their constitutional authority, including proposing and ratifying one or more amendments to the United States Constitution, to overturn the Citizens United decision of the U.S. Supreme Court.

A previous version of this bill was approved by lawmakers in 2014, but was blocked by legal challenges until January 2016 when the Supreme Court of California upheld the Legislature’s power to use advisory ballot measures.

Lobbying

“Brussels Lobbying Not Transparent Enough, Admit Lobbyists” by Chris Harris for euronews

Campaign Finance

New Jersey: “Another Birdsall Executive Sentenced to Jail” by Dan Radel for Asbury Park Press

Ethics

Alabama: “Michael Hubbard, Alabama House Speaker, Is Convicted on 12 Felony Ethics Charges” by Alan Blinder for New York Times

Nevada: “Nevada Bill Kept Legislators from Being Investigated” by Bethany Barnes for Las Vegas Review-Journal

Ohio: “Corrupt Cleveland VA Head William Montague Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison” by Eric Heisig for Cleveland Plain Dealer

Elections

“Why Political Parties Never Die” by Seth Masket for Politico

“To Understand Clinton’s Moment, Consider That It Came 32 Years After Ferraro’s” by Alison Mitchell for New York Times

“Trump and Clinton and Their Very Different Responses to the Orlando Shootings” by Juliet Eilperin, Robert Costa, and Anne Gearan for Washington Post

State and Federal Communications is excited to be a sponsor of the 2016 National Grassroots Conference next week.

We  believe in the great value of this gathering! Elizabeth Bartz, president and CEO of the company, will be bringing a team to Alexandria, VA to participate in the program. We never miss it.

You can follow the conversations from the conference on Twitter @PACouncil #2016GRC.

Brittany Anderson is a public relations major with a minor in marketing at Kent State University. She plans on graduating in December 2016.

Brittany has been through many obstacles that have defined her life and epitomize the person she is today. In 2011, when her mother passed away unexpectedly from surgery complications, finding motivation to finish high school was very difficult. She pushed through despite her lack of motivation and maintained the drive to continue and stay grounded for her family.

When she graduates, Brittany wants to work as an executive director of media relations who specializes in crisis communications. If she takes a different route in the public relations field, she would love to work as a commercialization manager in the food industry where she would develop project plans, design, and product performance. Brittany also wants to further her professional network and eventually move out of the state with her sister. She considers herself creative, driven, and motivated. She values positivity, loyalty, and patience. She strives to be fearless without being reckless.

This summer, she is taking classes at Kent State University and interning here at State and Federal Communications.

She enjoys a fast-paced environment that allows her to exhibit her skills under pressure and enjoys to blog about eyebrows in her spare time.

“Know your worth.” -Brittany Anderson

On June 10, House Speaker Mike Hubbard was found guilty on 12 counts of public corruption.

The charges were premised on Hubbard’s solicitation of several consulting contracts while he was in office. Hubbard’s conviction will automatically remove him from both the Legislature and the speaker’s office.

Hubbard faces up to 20 years in prison for each count at his sentencing hearing on July 8, 2016.