Lobbying
Missouri: “Missouri Lawmakers Strike a Deal on Revolving-Door Lobbyist Ban” by Jason Hancock for Kansas City Star

Campaign Finance

New York: “Vote to Close ‘LLC Loophole’ Deadlocks, but Could Impact Lawsuit” by Chris Bragg for Albany Times Union

Virgina: “Virginia Lawmakers Banish Pricey Gifts – But Not Fundraisers” by Alan Suderman (Associated Press) for ABC News

Ethics

“Ethics Watchdog Urges Full Probe of Senate Hopeful Grayson” by Cristina Marcos for The Hill

Alabama: “Lawmaker Takes First Step in an Effort to Impeach Alabama’s Governor” by Campbell Robertson and Alan Blinder for New York Times

Connecticut: “Former Investment Director for Quasi-Public Agency Fined In Ethics Probe” by David Altimari for Hartford Courant

Massachusetts: “Prosecutors Investigate Fees Collected by Joyce on Randolph Projects” by Andrea Estes and Shelley Murphy for Boston Globe

Elections

“Trump Effect Hits Dem Convention” by Megan Wilson Megan Wilson for The Hill

Legislative Issues

Tennessee: “Bible Could Soon Be Tennessee’s Official Book” by Katie Rogers for New York Times

The Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to a Mississippi campaign finance law requiring individuals or groups to report expenditures of $200 or more to support or oppose a ballot measure.

Five residents of Mississippi sued the state in 2011, claiming the reporting requirement was too burdensome and infringed on their rights of free speech and association.

A federal judge agreed, stating such requirements overly burdened smaller groups, but was overturned on appeal.

Kaua`i County lobbyists will soon be required to register with the county clerk within five days of engaging in lobbying. The mayor signed a new lobbying ordinance on March 30, after council unanimously adopted the measure the week before. The ordinance defines a lobbyist as one who is compensated for more than five hours in any month to communicate with a state or county officer or employee with the purpose of influencing any legislative or administrative action.

Spending more than $750 on lobbying during any reporting period will require registration even if the five-hour threshold is not met. Lobbyists, lobbyist employers, and individuals spending $750 or more on lobbying must file an annual statement of expenditures on or before January 31, covering the previous calendar year.

A violation of the lobbying ordinance may result in an administrative fine for each violation, as well as suspension or revocation of lobbyist registration. The lobbying ordinance is effective July 28, 2016.

Gov. Terry McAuliffe will soon set a special election to fill the District 1 seat of the state senate. Sen. John Miller, who passed away Monday, leaves the seat open less than a year into a four-year term.

Given the state’s rules on when special elections can be held, the November 8 general election is the date the governor will most likely choose. District 1, a historically Democratic-leaning district, encompasses several areas including Newport News, Hampton, and Suffolk.

Sen. Miller won the seat last year by more than 5,700 votes.

The Portland City Council will consider adopting new ethics reform measures to broaden the revolving door prohibition to two years, and increase the penalties associated with repeated ethics violations. The proposal would also close a loophole in registration requirements, requiring lobbying entities that spend more than $1,000 a quarter on lobbying activities to register.

A separate ordinance requiring political consultants working with Portland politicians to meet certain reporting and registration requirements will also be considered.

The new ordinances will be introduced at the council meeting on April 13, 2016.

Campaign Finance

Wisconsin: “Ted Cruz Leans on Allied Super PAC as GOP Nomination Fight Rolls On” by Matea Gold and Sean Sullivan for Washington Post

Ethics

“The ‘Panama Papers’: Here’s What We Know” by Liam Stack for New York Times

Alabama: “Were the Gov. Robert Bentley Sex Scandal Tapes Legally Obtained?” by Keith Faulk for AL.com

Hawaii: “Why Was Ethics Director Suspended? Report Offers Few Details” by Nick Grube for Honolulu Civil Beat

New York: “Local Politics Take an Uncivil Turn, Roiling a Suburb of New York” by Lisa Foderaro for New York Times

South Carolina: “Attorney General’s Deputy Secretly Tried to Discredit Special Prosecutor” by John Monk for The State

Elections

“Control of State Courts Becomes Top Political Battleground” by Christina Cassidy (Associated Press) for Las Vegas Sun

Arizona: “U.S. Seeks Answers to Delays at Phoenix-Area Polls on Primary Day” by Fernanda Santos for New York Times

Wisconsin: “Bernie Sanders Wins Wisconsin Democratic Primary, Adding to Momentum” by Amy Chozick for New York Times

Wisconsin:“Wisconsin Goes to Cruz, Raising Chance of Fight at Convention” by Jonathan Martin and Matt Flegenheimer for New York Times

State and Federal Communications is excited to be a Bronze Sponsor of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting and Legislative Reception in Columbus, Ohio on April 5, 2016! The keynote speaker for the event is former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives John Boehner.

State and Federal Communications President and CEO Elizabeth Bartz and a team from the company are in attendance.

Lobbying

Georgia: “Friends in the Hall: How lobbyists use influence to help their clients” by Max Blau for Atlanta Magazine

Pennsylvania: “Lobbying for Philadelphia, and Well Paid for It” by Jonathan Tamari and Claudia Vargas for Philadelphia Inquirer

Campaign Finance

“Republicans on FEC Suggest They May Scrutinize Mystery Corporate Donors” by Matea Gold for Washington Post

Mississippi: “High Court Rejects Challenge to Miss. Campaign Finance Law” by The Associated Press for San Diego Union-Tribune

Montana: “Jury: Montana lawmaker coordinated with dark-money groups” by Matt Volz (Associated Press) for Winona Daily News

Ethics

“Could Republican Convention Delegates Be Bought? Legally, Maybe” by Tal Kopan and Gregory Krieg for CNN

Ohio: “Ohio Ethics Panel to Clarify Stance on Elected Officials Nonprofit Jobs” by Lucas Sullivan for Columbus Dispatch

Elections

“Early Missteps Seen as a Drag on Bernie Sanders’s Campaign” by Patrick Healy and Yamiche Alcindor for New York Times

Redistricting

“Supreme Court Rejects Conservative Challenge to ‘One Person, One Vote’” by Robert Barnes for Washington Post

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously decided a state or locality may draw its legislative districts based on the total population of all people rather than based on only the population of registered voters.

In Evenwel v. Abbott, appellants argued apportionments based on total population for drawing Texas Senate legislative districts diluted their votes in relation to voters in other state Senate districts. They argued such dilution was a violation of the one-person, one-vote principle of the Equal Protection Clause.

While the Court found the apportionment was constitutionally drawn, the decision, written by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg for six of the Justices, explicitly stated it does not address whether “states may draw districts to equalize voter-eligible population rather than total population.” Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito each issued separate concurring opinions. The Court decision is available here.

The Kentucky Registry of Election Finance (KREF) cannot enforce the state’s constitutional prohibition on corporate contributions, according to a federal judge. U.S. District Judge Gregory F. Van Tatenhove concluded the rule to be a violation of the Equal Protection Clause because it prohibits corporate contributions while allowing other organizations, such as labor unions, to make contributions.

The case, Protect My Check, Inc. v. Dilger, grew out of right-to-work legislation. Labor unions who opposed the bill were allowed to make political contributions while a non-profit corporation, in favor of the measure, were not. The judge, however, rejected a First Amendment, free speech argument for allowing political contributions.

KREF stated it is still reviewing the opinion and is weighing its options.

On March 31, a bill overhauling campaign finance passed by the Arizona Legislature was signed into law by Gov. Doug Ducey. Among the changes to the state’s law, Senate Bill 1516 allows groups registered with the IRS as “social welfare” organizations to withhold disclosing donor information, removes spending caps on expenditures for political fundraisers, and allows for candidate to candidate transfers of campaign funds.

“When it comes to free speech and participation in the democratic process, our laws should reflect the goal of making it easier for more citizens to engage. That’s what this reform package does,” the Albuquerque Journal reports Ducey as saying. The law becomes effective January 1, 2017.

State and Federal Communications held a Brown Bag Lunch Day on March 15 to raise money for the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank’s 2016 Harvest for Hunger campaign. Employees offered donations to the cause, shared their lunch time, and the company matched those donations. “We were thrilled to help this vital program. Let’s eliminate hunger in our community!” said President and CEO Elizabeth Bartz.

The Foodbank’s President and CEO Dan Flowers dropped by to visit the office and to say thanks.

Lobbying

“Annual GAO Report on Federal Lobbying Compliance Shows Mixed Enforcement Bag: Fewer audits, more and larger enforcement penalties” by Andrew Garrahan for National Law Review

California: “Documentaries Like ‘Blackfish’ Influence California’s Capitol” by Alexei Koseff for Sacramento Bee

California: “Lawmakers Act to Shine Light on California Coastal Commission, Other Key State Boards” by Patrick McGreevy for Los Angeles Times

Campaign Finance

Arizona: “AZ Governor Signs Bill Easing Dark Money Rules” by Ryan Van Velzer (Associated Press) for Albuquerque Journal

Kentucky: “Judge Tosses Kentucky’s Ban on Corporate Campaign Donations” by The Associated Press for Lexington Herald-Leader

Mississippi: “Senate Passes Campaign Finance Reform” by Geoff Pender (Jackson Clarion-Ledger) for Hattiesburg American

Ethics

Alabama: “Rebekah Caldwell Mason, and How Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley ‘Lost His Mind’ ‘” by Amber Phillips for Washington Post

California: “San Diego May Revamp Ticket Perk” by David Garrick for San Diego Union-Tribune

Elections

“The American Idea in 140 Characters” by Vann Newkirk for The Atlantic

“Targets of Trump’s Attacks Fight Back in D.C.” by Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman for Politico

“Who Are the Angriest Republicans?” by Thomas Edsall for New York Times

Legislative Issues

“Abortion, Guns and Gay Rights Offer Risks, Rewards for State Republicans” by Richard Fausset for New York Times

Missouri: “Political Insider Accused of Harassing Missouri Capitol Interns Can Return, with Conditions” by Alex Stuckey for St. Louis Post-Dispatch

A special election for House District 162, held on March 29, 2016, is headed for a runoff after no candidate received more than 50 percent of the vote. Voters will return to the polls on April 26, 2016 to choose between Rev. Carl Gilliard and Alicia Blakely.

The winner will become the office’s incumbent for the May 24 primary. Josey Sheppard, Jr., who came in third, plans to run against Gilliard and Blakely in the May primary to determine who will hold the seat for the 2017-2018 term, as all three are running as Democrats.