The Ontario, Canada, Legislature’s Standing Committee on Regulations and Private Bills is considering changes to the province’s Lobbying Act. Bill 115, Lobbyists Registration Amendment Act, 2013, introduced last month, makes several amendments to the Lobbyists Registration Act, 1998. These changes include requiring consultant lobbyists to register within five business days of beginning to lobbying, requiring lobbyists to file monthly reports when lobbying high-level public officeholders, and requiring consultant lobbyists to report political contributions if the Election Finance Act applies.

This bill also provides a new definition of grassroots communication and amends the definition of in-house lobbyist. Additional requirements and changes regarding penalties, revolving-door restrictions, and protections are also a part of Bill 115.

According to a bulletin by Fasken Martineu, LLP, the Progressive Conservatives are critical of the bill and the Liberal Government “would prefer to introduce its own lobbying law reforms.”

Lobbying

“K Street group strikes ‘lobbyist’ from name” by Megan R. Wilson in The Hill.

“Lobbyists’ lobby approves a new name — one that doesn’t mention lobbying” by Holly Yeager in The Washington Post.

“Bottom Line” in The Hill.

Campaign Finance

“New FEC Guide for Political Party Committees Released” by Kent Cooper in Roll Call.

“Leadership PACs Take in $18 Million, Contribute $11.7 Million in 2013” by Kent Cooper in Roll Call.

California: “Lawmakers’ higher office fundraising, spending draws scrutiny” by Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee.

California: “Campaign funds arrive from all corners” by Lee Ann O’Neal in the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Michigan: “Sen. Arlan Meekhof talks campaign finance at chamber breakfast” by Andrea Goodell in the Holland Sentinel.

Minnesota: “Campaign finance database errors prompt legislative hearing” by Rachel E. Stassen-Berger in the Star-Tribune.

Nevada: “Judge imposes $110,000 fine over PAC’s pro-Sandoval ads” by Cy Ryan in The Las Vegas Sun.

Ohio: “Columbus voters likely to see campaign-finance issue on ballot” by Lucas Sullivan in the Columbus Dispatch.

Ethics

Colorado: “Ethics commission proceeds with complaint against Gov. Hickenlooper” by Lynn Bartels in The Denver Post.

Redistricting

“Judge: Alaska redistricting plan passes muster” by The Associated Press in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

The topic of a living wage in Washington, D.C. has been revived in the City Council.

A new proposal would increase the DC minimum wage to $11.50 per hour by 2016, making the wage one of the highest in the country.

The Council could vote on the measure as early as December.

Lobbying

“Earmark Ban Hits Lobbyists’ Influence on Spending Bills” by Kate Ackley in Roll Call.

“Capital gains: Spending on contracts and lobbying propels a wave of new wealth in D .C.” by Greg Jaffe and Jim Tankersley in The Washington Post.

“D.C. awash in contracts, lobbying wealth” by Greg Jaffe and Jim Tankersley in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Canada: “Don Cayo: A lobbyist’s job combines analysis and action” by Don Cayo in the Vancouver Sun.

Colorado: “Boulder to hire full-time state lobbyist” by Erica Meltzer in the Daily Camera.

Missouri: “Area lawmakers – except for one – take few lobbyists’ gifts” by Jonathan Shorman in the News-Leader.

Campaign Finance

“The Influencers 50: Enforcers” in Campaigns & Elections.

“‘Citizens United’ Ruling Helped Unions Win State Elections” by Alan Suderman in The Center for Public Integrity.

Massachusetts: “House calls for penalties on local campaign-finance violations” by Bob Katzen in the Lowell Sun.

Michigan: “Mich. Republicans split over disclosing ad funders” by The Associated Press in the Grand Haven Tribune.

Minnesota: “An accuracy challenge in election spending” by the Editorial Board of the Star Tribune.

Ethics

Hawaii: “What’s Going on Between Ethics Commission and Caldwell Administration?” by Nick Grube in the Honolulu Civil Beat.

South Carolina: “Government watchdog group insists Haley repays taxpayers for NC trip” by Seanna Adcox (Associated Press) in GoUpstate.

West Virginia: “W.Va. commission to hold ethics training session in Moorefield” by The Associated Press in The Republic.

Elections

“Parties focus on special election for Senate seat” by Catherine Lucey in the Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier.

Procurement

“5 New Approaches to Government Procurement” by Colin Wood in Government Technology.

Tech and Social Media

“How to Make Your Government Agency Cool Via Social Media” by Rachelle Chong in TechWire.

Gov. Nathan Deal has issued writs of election to fill vacancies in House Districts 2 and 22.

The special elections will be held on January 7, 2014, without party primaries.

Runoff elections, if needed, will be held on Tuesday, February 4, 2014.

Trenton’s recently established ethics board passed the city’s first code of ethics last week. The long-awaited code outlines behavioral guidelines for elected officials, city employees, and representatives serving on city boards. Included are provisions regarding conflicts of interest, receipt of gifts, and financial disclosure.

Additionally, the code permits the ethics board to investigate possible ethics violations.

The code will go to the state Department of Community Affairs before it is enacted and added to the code book.

Following the November 13, 2013 meeting, the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission issued an order to deny lobbyist renewal for the calendar year of 2014 for each lobbyist with outstanding registration, supplemental registration, identification card, and/or badge fees.

The commission will also deny lobbyist renewal for each lobbyist with unpaid fines or unfiled disclosure reports.

The 2014 fees for the lobbyist identification badge ($20) and supplemental registration ($10) will remain unchanged from 2013 amounts.

Lawmakers ended the 2013 regular session early Friday morning, November 15, 2013, after approving an anti-abortion license plate, increased coverage for mental health services, and changes to voting hours and voter ID laws.

The first special session concerning property tax relief concluded earlier this week, but Gov. Scott Walker plans to call a second special session sometime in December to delay the transfer of Medicaid cases from BadgerCare to health exchanges.

Legislators return for the 2014 regular session January 14, 2014.

Photo of the Wisconsin State Capitol by Dori on Wikimedia Commons.

A special election is expected to be announced soon for House District 11. Rep. Onzlee Ware just won reelection to his sixth term in the seat, but plans to resign to care for his ill mother.

The election could come before the start of the legislative session, but 45 days must elapse between the governor’s announcement of the election and the election date. No announcement of an election date has yet been made.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has proposed increasing the frequency of reporting campaign finance data and imposing a reporting requirement before spending for certain campaign contributions. Abbott, a candidate for governor, announced his intentions for these and other ethics reforms while campaigning, according to KHOU.com.

One proposal requires that no funds received above $5,000 within the last 30 days before an election be expended by a campaign or PAC until those funds have been reported to the Texas Ethics Commission and posted on the campaign or PAC website.

Other recommendations include requiring quarterly campaign finance reporting as opposed to semi-annually reporting and requiring public officials to disclose any state or local public contracts or paid relationships held by the official or his or her spouse.

National:

Initiative Spending Booms Past $1 Billion as Corporations Sponsor Their Own Proposals

Washington Post – Reid Wilson | Published: 11/7/2013

The initiative process, originally aimed at giving citizens the chance to break industry’s hold on state Legislatures, is increasingly becoming the domain of corporations and wealthy individuals who advance new laws for their own advantage, bypassing reluctant lawmakers and spending millions of dollars along the way. More than $1 billion has been spent in the past 18 months on ballot initiatives in just 11 states.

Federal:

FEC Poised to Allow Bitcoin Campaign Donations

Politico – Byron Tau | Published: 11/7/2013

A draft proposal from the FEC would allow campaigns to accept, but not spend, the digital currency Bitcoin. According to the proposal, the currency will count as an in-kind contribution to a campaign, like a stock or bond. The agency will not consider them currency.

Pro-Democratic Super PACs Outspend Conservatives

USA Today – Fredreka Schouten | Published: 11/12/2013

Liberal super PACs have spent $10.8 million on federal races this year, twice as much as conservative super PACs. Much of the money has flowed to a handful of elections to fill congressional vacancies. Liberal money also makes up 70 percent of the election-related federal spending by so-called dark money groups – politically active non-profits that do not have to disclose the sources of their money.

From the States and Municipalities:

California – FBI Capitol Sting Shines Light on Latino Caucus

Sacramento Bee – Laurel Rosenhall | Published: 11/10/2013

The details of the most recent leadership fight at the California Legislature’s Latino Caucus caught the attention of FBI agents investigating one caucus member, state Sen. Ron Calderon, for allegedly taking bribes. The emerging case has exposed caucus decisions to public view just as the group’s influence is peaking. The 25 members constitute more than a fifth of the Legislature, control hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign funds, and wield influence that affects millions of Californians.

Florida – Sweetwater Mayor, Lobbyist Plead Guilty

Miami Herald – Jay Weaver | Published: 11/13/2013

Suspended Sweetwater Mayor Manuel Maroño and lobbyist Jorge Forte pleaded guilty to charges of conspiring to commit honest services fraud. Two others facing similar charges resulting from the same FBI sting operation are former Miami Lakes Mayor Michael Pizzi and lobbyist Richard Candia. The two corruption cases were remarkable even by South Florida’s standards as the crackdown snared two mayors and two lobbyists on the same day.

Georgia – Ga. Governor Suspends Indicted Lawmaker Accused of Illegally Claiming Expense Pay

Columbus Republic – Kate Brumback (Associated Press) | Published: 11/13/2013

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal suspended state Sen. Don Balfour from office. A review committee recommended the action after a grand jury indicted Balfour on felony charges of illegally claiming legislative expense pay and double-billing the state and his private employer for some expenses. He previously agreed to pay a $5,000 fine issued by the Senate Ethics Committee for accepting pay for in-state work and travel on days when he was elsewhere.

Illinois – Rahm Emanuel to Propose Ordinance Forcing Contractors to Report Corruption

Chicago Sun Times – Fran Spielman | Published: 11/12/2013

Mayor Rahm Emanuel proposed a measure that would require city contractors to immediately report knowledge of corruption to Chicago’s inspector general or risk losing their contract. Emanuel’s office said the measure, if approved, would be incorporated into all future city contracts.

Illinois – Rauner’s $500,000 Donation to Lift Fundraising Limits in Gov. Race

Chicago Sun Times – Natasha Korecki and Dave McKinney | Published: 11/13/2013

Illinois gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner is adding $500,000 of his own money to his campaign, an amount that will trigger a provision allowing his opponents to raise unlimited amounts of cash. Under the law, candidates can only accept contributions of up to $5,300 from individuals and $52,600 from PACs. But those caps are lifted if any statewide candidate or member of the candidate’s immediate family donates or loans more than $250,000 to his or her campaign during the 12 months prior to an election.

Louisiana – Louisiana Ethics Board’s Focus on Small Offenses Lets Larger Violations Go Unnoticed, Observers Say

New Orleans Times Picayune – Lee Zurik (WVUE) and Manuel Torres | Published: 11/12/2013

Critics say the Louisiana Board of Ethics spends too much of its time going after candidates who file late, essentially ignoring more serious violations. Board of Ethics Administrator Kathleen Allen said her agency does not have enough personnel or a legal mandate to regularly audit even a small percentage of the thousands of campaign finance reports filed every year.

Massachusetts – Campaign Bill Would Order Fast Disclosure of Donors

Boston Globe – Michael Levenson | Published: 11/12/2013

Outside political committees pumped nearly $4 million into the Boston mayoral election this year, most of it to help elect Martin Walsh. But current law does not require those groups to reveal their donors until January. Secretary of State William Galvin and several lawmakers are preparing legislation that would require outside groups to disclose their donors in real time.

Minnesota – Minnesota Campaign Finance Regulators’ Database Isn’t Adding Up

Minneapolis Star Tribune – Glenn Howatt and Rachel Stassen-Berger | Published: 11/9/2013

An analysis by the Minneapolis Star Tribune shows online data from the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board are rife with mistakes, leading to errors that total as much as $20 million over the past decade. The flaws are enough to hamper any comprehensive attempt to examine the flow of political money in the state, at a time when that spending has soared to record heights.

New York – NY Democratic Committee’s Pro-Cuomo Ads Questioned as Skirting Lobbying Law, Public Disclosure

Columbus Republic; Associated Press –   | Published: 11/14/2013

Watchdogs contend television ads by the state Democratic Committee that urge residents to contact lawmakers in support of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s ethics and jobs legislation violate New York’s lobbying law. The law requires those seeking to influence legislators be registered as lobbyists so they are publicly identified and disclose their funding and spending. Political parties and committees have long believed they were exempt.

Pennsylvania – Lobbyist Penalty Reforms Pass Pa. House

WHTM – Myles Snyder | Published: 11/13/2013

The Pennsylvania House unanimously approved a bill that would increase penalties for lobbyists who break the law. House Bill 744, which now moves to the Senate, would raise the maximum fine the state Ethics Commission can impose from $2,000 to $10,000, and it would up the current five-year ban on lobbying to 10 years, among other provisions.

Vermont – Democratic PAC Must Pay $30,000 Penalty

Burlington Free Press – Nancy Remsen | Published: 11/13/2013

Green Mountain Future, a PAC created by the Democratic Governors Association, will pay the state of Vermont a $20,000 civil penalty for not including its address on its website or television ads against Republican gubernatorial candidate Brian Dubie during the 2010 campaign. The group also must pay $10,000 for not registering as a PAC or filing campaign finance reports.

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Gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner recently put $500,000 of his own money into his campaign, effectively lifting contribution limits for all candidates in the race. Under state law, candidates may accept no more than $5,300 from individuals and $52,600 from PACs. However, those caps do not apply if any statewide candidate or member of the candidate’s immediate family contributes or loans more than $250,000 to his or her campaign during the 12 months leading up to an election.

Rauner previously donated $249,000 to his campaign, thereby avoiding the threshold. By waiting until now to lift the cap he successfully undermined the ability of his competitors to bring in big-money donors. Rauner’s latest actions allow all three Republican candidates, as well as the Democratic candidate, to accept contributions of any size.

On November 12, the Legislature adjourned its second special session sine die. The legislative body convened in October to address marriage equality.

Effective December 2, the Hawaii Marriage Equality Act of 2013 recognizes marriages between individuals of the same sex, and extends to same-sex couples all rights, benefits, protections, and responsibilities of marriage.

The Hawaii State Ethics Commission issued four Informal Advisory Opinions pertaining to a state official’s receipt of complimentary event tickets. A state agency may have a legitimate state interest in giving an agency board member a ticket to an agency event. In that scenario the tickets are not considered “gifts” under Hawaii gift law. Rather, they are “state assets” and distribution must be evaluated in accordance with the fair treatment law under the State Ethics Code.

Agency board officials may accept two complimentary tickets per agency event – one for the official and the other for the official’s spouse or significant other. An official’s use of complimentary tickets for additional personal guests constitutes unfair compensation and is, therefore, prohibited. Moreover, transferring complimentary tickets to family members to attend events in the official’s place is also a likely violation of the fair treatment law.