State and Federal Communications, Inc. is excited to attend and be a sponsor of the Ohio State Bar Association 2014 Annual Convention in Columbus, Ohio from April 30 to May 2. If you are planning to attend, please stop by booth #23 and say hello!

National:

General Dynamics to No Longer Contribute to Political Organizations

Washington Business Journal – Jill Aitoro | Published: 4/22/2014

General Dynamics announced it will no longer make contributions to political organizations or nonprofit groups that in turn give to campaigns. The decision comes in response to a shareholder proposal that requests that the company’s board of directors authorize an annual report disclosing lobbying policy and procedures, and membership in and payments to tax-exempt organizations that write and endorse model legislation.

Political Attack Ads, Often Negative, Try Instead to Accentuate the Positive

New York Times – Ashley Parker | Published: 4/17/2014

Some of the best-known super PACs and outside political groups are making an effort to cast the candidates they support in an appealing way instead of solely attacking opponents. Already this year, 16 percent of Americans for Prosperity’s spots have been positive; in 2012, the group did not run a single one. The shift is the product of several factors, such as the renewed hope that positive commercials can break through the advertising clutter and the increasing prevalence of stock footage made public by campaigns that makes producing positive ads easier.

Federal:

Following Sebelius Phone Call, Foundation Donated $13M to Obamacare Outreach Group, Report Says

Washington Post – Jason Millman | Published: 4/21/2014

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius last year approached five organizations seeking money or technical help for Enroll America, a nonprofit working to increase participation in the federal health law, according to a review by the Government Accountability Office. Republicans had criticized Sebelius for making a funding request to outside groups, while the Obama administration defended the action, contending Congress refused to provide enough funding for Affordable Care Act outreach.

Justice Stevens Suggests Solution for ‘Giant Step in the Wrong Direction’

New York Times – Adam Liptak | Published: 4/21/2014

Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens said the court had made a disastrous wrong turn in its recent string of campaign finance rulings. In an interview with The New York Times, Stevens talked about what he called a telling flaw in the opening sentence of the ruling in McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission, and filled in some new details about the behind-the-scenes maneuvering that led to the Citizens United decision.

From the States and Municipalities:

California – Ethics Panel Wants More Public Funding Available to Candidates

Los Angeles Times – Soumya Karlamangla | Published: 4/17/2014

The Los Angeles Ethics Commission recommended the city’s public campaign finance program increase the matching funds available to candidates. The commission also announced it would no longer enforce aggregate contribution limits on individuals giving to city and school board candidates as a result of a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling. City caps on what donors can give to individual candidates will remain in effect. Those range from $700 to $1,300 per election, depending on the office.

Connecticut – DGA Challenges Connecticut’s Campaign Finance Restrictions

Connecticut Mirror – Mark Pazniokas | Published: 4/23/2014

The Democratic Governors’ Association sued the state of Connecticut, saying its laws on political spending are unconstitutionally broad and limit the ability of political groups to buy independent ads backing candidates. The lawsuit said the state unfairly treats independent money spent on ads and other political messages by the national group as contributions to particular candidates, and thus subject to campaign finance limits.

Missouri – Missouri Lawmakers Take Trips to Israel, California, New Orleans – On the Lobbyists’ Dime

St. Louis Post-Dispatch – Kevin McDermott | Published: 4/21/2014

Industry and special interest groups spent more than $200,000 in the last three years on trips for Missouri lawmakers, according to The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Records show the travel-related spending in many cases included airline tickets, hotel rooms, meals, and convention fees. While lobbyist spending is legal in Missouri, critics say the practice can create conflicts-of-interest when legislators vote on important issues. Defenders of lobbyist spending say paying for trips that provide lawmakers with valuable information is not the same as plying legislators with perks.

New York – Judge Strikes Down NY Limits on Donations to ‘Super PACs’

Reuters – Joseph Ax | Published: 4/24/2014

U.S. District Court Judge Paul Crotty struck down New York’s limits on donations to independent PACs as unconstitutional. The judge said the statutes could not survive First Amendment scrutiny in light of recent landmark U.S. Supreme Court decisions that have lessened restrictions on political donors. Under Crotty’s ruling, super PACs can now raise unlimited funds, though committees that coordinate with parties or candidates are still subject to limits.

North Carolina – Feds Eye Ex-Mayor Cannon’s Campaign in Charlotte Corruption Probe

Charlotte Observer – Fred Clasen-Kelly and Ames Alexander | Published: 4/12/2014

As the FBI builds its public corruption case against former Charlotte Mayor Patrick Cannon, investigators are taking a close look at campaign finance records he filed with the Mecklenburg County elections board. But a Charlotte Observer review of Cannon’s campaign records since 1999 found reports with misleading, inaccurate, and missing information that makes it difficult to tell where he got much of his money.

Ohio – Lobbyists Could Spend More on Ohio Lawmakers under Proposed Legislation Billed as Ethics Reform

Cleveland Plain Dealer – Jeremy Pelzer (Northeast Ohio Media Group) | Published: 4/23/2014

New legislation, if enacted, would make the most significant changes to Ohio’s ethics rules in two decades. Lobbyists would get to spend twice as much on lawmakers and disclose fewer expenses under the proposed bill. The measure, which Republican sponsors say they intend to introduce in May, also includes increased transparency and accountability measures, such as requiring random audits of public officials’ financial disclosure forms and posting all such forms online.

Pennsylvania – Pa. Legislative Sting’s First Suspects Were Caught, Not Targeted, Supporters of the Aborted Probe Say

Harrisburg Patriot-News – Charles Thomspon | Published: 4/16/2014

A legislative sting operation quashed by Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane was much broader than originally described, and the undercover informant who recorded many conversations reached out to a racially diverse group of Democratic and Republican state lawmakers, lobbyists, and city officials, according to sources. Kane has argued that one reason she decided not to pursue the investigation was that there was an appearance of racially-based targeting of potential suspects.

Tennessee – Candidate is Treasurer of PAC Raising Money for Him

The Tennessean – Michael Cass | Published: 4/20/2014

Donors invited to a recent fundraiser for state House candidate Troy Brewer were told they could avoid disclosure on campaign finance reports by writing their checks to Leaders of Tennessee, a PAC Brewer serves as treasurer. Giving to a specific candidate through a PAC to mask the source of the funds is illegal, subject to a fine of up to $10,000. “You can’t use an intermediary to get around disclosure,” said Drew Rawlins, executive director of the state Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance.

State and Federal Communications produces a weekly summary of national news, offering more than 80 articles per week focused on ethics, lobbying, and campaign finance.

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County commissioners are pushing for a rewrite of the county ethics code only four years after the strict code was adopted. Commissioners complain Broward’s ethics code is too strict, setting up officials for violations and penalties for something as small as accepting a bottle of water at an event. Commissioners discussed limiting gifts to $10 and excluding nonalcoholic beverages from the ban.

The April 22 meeting was the first step towards rewriting the code, and potential changes could be enacted by the County Commission later this year, though some changes may require voter approval.

The United Way of Summit County held their 2014 Annual Meeting at the John S. Knight Center in Akron, Ohio on Wednesday, April 23. After a very successful 2013 campaign, for the sixth year, State and Federal Communications, Inc. received the “Highest per Employee Corporate Giving Award” in the category of a company with 49 or fewer employees.

State and Federal Communications, Inc. was also awarded with a Campaign Excellence Award for percentage of employee participation.

Thank you United Way of Summit County. This year marks the 13^th year of participation for State and Federal Communications, Inc. We are honored to be a part of the incredible work you do. We are also proud of the continued dedication of the State and Federal Communication’s staff. Your participation is truly unmatched and highlights the core values of our company.

Gov. Jerry Brown has appointed Judge Jodi Remke as the new chair of the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC).

Remke is currently the presiding judge of the State Bar Court, which is responsible for the discipline of attorneys.

The appointment fills a vacancy created by Ann Ravel’s appointment to the Federal Election Commission.

The Arizona Legislature adjourned its session sine die at 1:46 a.m. Thursday, April 24.

Gov. Jan Brewer has 10 days to sign or veto legislation transmitted to her or the legislation becomes law automatically.

Lobbying

“Lobbing World” in The Hill.

“Cellphone industry picks new lobby chief” by Megan R. Wilson in The Hill.

“Ronald Reagan ‘First Flack’ lobbyist Bob Gray dies” in the Washington Business Journal.

Campaign Finance

“FEC Considers Allowing Bitcoin Donations to Political Campaigns” by Dustin Volz and Alex Brown in National Journal.

“George Will: Colbert ‘Incorrigibly Wrong’ on Campaign Finance, But ‘Very Bright’” by Josh Feldman on Mediaite.

California: “Senate committee approves bills to clean up political fundraising” by Laurel Rosenhall in The Sacramento Bee.

Virginia: “Elections board moves campaign finance deadline from 5 p.m. to 11:59 p.m.” by Markus Schmidt in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Ethics

“Ethics Office: Unnamed House Member Under Investigation” by Matt Fuller in Roll Call.

New Jersey: “N.J. ethics panel to investigate top Christie appointee to Port Authority” by Pil Gregory in Newsworks.

New Jersey: “Legal fees surpass Christie’s available campaign cash” by Maddie Hanna in The Inquirer.

Government Tech and Social Media

“Buying Facebook Ads Could be a Bad Call for Agencies” by Joseph Marks in NextGov.

Oregon: “State ethics panel wants to redefine who’s a journalist in Oregon” by Harry Esteve in The Oregonian.

Ohio lawmakers plan to introduce legislation next month making significant changes to state ethics rules for the first time in decades. The bill would double the amount lobbyists can spend on gifts to lawmakers but require lobbyists and public officials to report when a lobbyist spends more than $100 per year on an official for meals, entertainment, transportation, or other gifts.

State Sen. Larry Obhof, a Republican co-sponsor of the bill, maintains a higher reporting threshold is necessary to keep lobbyists honest, as many lobbyists seek to find ways to avoid the lower threshold.

Other notable legislative provisions raise the lobbyist registration fee from $25 to $35, strengthen whistle-blower protection guidelines, allow lawmakers to remedy reporting errors, require random audits of financial disclosure statements, and make changes to procedures for ethics investigations. Bill sponsors argue the bill is intended to increase transparency and accountability.

Photo of the Ohio State Capitol courtesy of Alexander Smith on Wikimedia Commons.

State senators are receiving a refresher in ethics and bills to require tougher ethics rules are advancing following a series of legal cases involving Democratic lawmakers.

Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg canceled committee hearings Wednesday, April 23 and ordered senators and their top aides to devote the day to ethics training.

The ethics proposals approved by a committee include a ban on fundraising during the end of legislative sessions, a reduction in the value of gifts officials may accept, and a prohibition on such items as spa treatments and golf games.

Photo of the California Senate chamber courtesy of David Monniaux on Wikimedia Commons.

Lobbying

“K Street bounces back” by Megan R. Wilson and Peter Schroeder in The Hill.

Campaign Finance

“Justice Stevens Suggests Solution for ‘Giant Step in the Wrong Direction’” by Adam Liptak in The New York Times.

“The Bullet Democracy Dodged” by Ciara Torres-Spelliscy in the Brennan Center for Justice blog.

“Candidate-specific PACs emerge as a way to propel friends to office” by Julie Bykowicz (Bloomberg News) in the Chicago Tribune.

Alaska: “Local firms threatened with big fines for failing to report campaign contributions” by Nathaniel Herz in the Anchorage Daily News.

Michigan: “Who’s paying for all those political ads? Outside groups outspending top Michigan candidates” by Jonathan Oosting in Michigan Live.

North Carolina: “Mecklenburg County to tighten campaign finance audits” by Ames Alexander in The Charlotte Observer.

Ethics

New Jersey: “Christie campaign has spent more than $300K on bridge scandal legal fees” by Matt Friedman in The Star-Ledger.

Government Tech and Social Media

“Social Advocacy & Politics: Riding the Wave, or Social Media Transforms the Newsroom” by Alan Rosenblatt in Social Media Today.

A British Columbia Supreme Court judge has ruled the province’s law requiring registration for political advertising is constitutional, even if no money on advertising has been spent.

The Election Act requires individuals and organizations wanting to sponsor election advertising to register with the province’s chief electoral officer. According to The Globe and Mail, Judge Bruce Cohen wrote, “The salutary effects of the impugned measure outweigh the deleterious effects [by increasing] the transparency, openness and accountability of B.C.’s electoral process and promotes an informed electorate.” The B.C. Freedom of Information and Privacy Association had argued the law discourages participation from individuals and groups without the means or ability to register.

The Board of Commissioners will consider adopting a new county ethics ordinance requiring additional disclosures from county candidates, elected officials, and certain county employees. In 2010, the Maryland General Assembly passed legislation mandating local governments to adopt ethics laws at least as stringent as the state’s laws.

The Maryland State Ethics Commission approved the county’s proposed ordinance during its Feb. 27 meeting.

County Attorney Tim Burke will review the ordinance with commissioners in mid-May. It is then the responsibility of the commissioners to submit the ordinance for public review and to vote on whether to adopt it.

In light of the United States Supreme Court ruling in McCutcheon v. FEC, the Los Angeles Ethics Commission announced it would no longer enforce the aggregate limits on contributions to city and school board candidates.

Limits on contributions to individual candidates remain in place.

Photo of the Los Angeles skyline by Nserrano on Wikimedia Commons.

Lobbying

“Chamber of Commerce Spends $19 Million on Lobbying in Q1” by Kent Cooper in Roll Call.

Arizona: “The Top 5 Phoenix-area lobbying firms for 2014” by Dale Brown in the Phoenix Business Journal.

Missouri: “Missouri lawmakers take trips to Israel, California, New Orleans — on the lobbyists’ dime” by Kevin McDermott in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Missouri: “Lobbyists spent $200,000 on trips for Missouri lawmakers” by The Associated Press in The Kansas City Star.

Campaign Finance

“Krauthammer: Campaign finance conundrum is unsolvable” opinion piece by Charles Krauthammer in Newsday.

California: “California lawmakers face divisive bills, special session” by Fenit Nirappil (Associated Press) in The Sun.

California: “Ethics panel wants more public funding available to candidates” by Soumya Karlamangla in the Los Angeles Times.

California: “Donnelly faces state campaign-finance investigation” by Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times.

Michigan: “Big dollar Michigan congressional races” by Charles Crumm in the Daily Tribune.

Minnesota: “Campaign finance lawsuits in Minnesota and other states take aim at contribution limits” by David Henry in MinnPost.

New Mexico: “Campaign finance reports misplaced in state database” by Sterling Fluharty in the Albuquerque Journal.

New York: “Legislators to tackle host of issues after spring break” by Joseph Spector in The Journal News.

West Virginia: “Statehouse Beat: Online campaign finance reporting system still facing problems” by Phil Kabler in Charleston Gazette.

Ethics

California: “In political scandal, good government advocates see opening for ethics, campaign finance changes” by David Siders in The Fresno Bee.

California: “Leland Yee case: Disgraced California state senator’s legislative efforts fueled cash for campaigns” by Aaron Kinney and Jessica Calefati in the San Jose Mercury News.

Indiana: “Indiana Lawmaker’s Ethics Hearing Scheduled for This Week” by The Associated Press and Rick Howlett in WFPL News.

Kansas: “Investigator wants tougher legislative ethics laws” by John O’Connor in The Wichita Eagle.

Kentucky: “Lawmaker Calls For Ethics Committee Reform If Special Session is Called” by Jonathan Meador in WKU News.

Pennsylvania: “Ethical questions in trips revealed in corruption sting” by Mark Fazlollah in The Philadelphia Inquirer.