March 19, 2013 •
Nevada Bill Creates Code of Ethics for Lobbyists
Assembly Bill 0314
Yesterday a bill was introduced into the Nevada Assembly establishing for lobbyists both a mandatory code of ethics and voluntary rules of conduct. The code of ethics addresses inaccurate information given to members of the Legislature and conflicts of interests with clients.
In addition, the code of ethics in Assembly Bill 0314 specifically addresses lobbyist contracts, including requiring compensated lobbyists to enter into a written contract with clients spelling out the amount of compensation, and requiring the contract to include provisions concerning whether and how, if applicable, expenses of the lobbyist will be reimbursed.
The bill creates a “Rules of Conduct” statement to be given to a lobbyist upon registration. The lobbyist may voluntarily sign the statement if he or she wishes. Additionally, the legislation requires the Director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau to provide training on the Nevada Ethics in Lobbying Act before each regular and special session of the Nevada Legislature.
AB 0314 would also require the suspension of a lobbyist’s registration for certain violations and sets forth the periods for which a lobbyist’s registration must be suspended.
March 18, 2013 •
Government Tech and Social Media Update
We’re keeping up with the latest developments in government technology and social media.
“Government to regulate Twitter ads” in the Washington Business Journal.
“How to Use Social Media in Government: A Response to Cory Booker” by Joseph Marks in Nextgov.
“Almost 70 Localities Join New York State Open Data Platform” by Miranda Neubauer in TechPresident.
“Like a Dagger to Bloggers’ Hearts, Google Just Killed Google Reader” by Mark Lennihan in Nextgov.
“New GovLoop Report: Unlocking the Power of Government Analytics” by Pat Fiorenza on GovLoop.
“The Tech Arms Race Is On: Democratic National Committee Is Also Hiring” by Sarah Lai Stirland in TechPresident.
“Hadley Dynak: Why I Code for America” by Hadley Dynak on Code for America Blog.
March 18, 2013 •
Monday News Roundup
Let’s start off the week with these lobbying, campaign finance, and ethics news articles:
Lobbying
“Street Talk: K Street Hiring Chill Leaves Members Cold” by Kate Ackley in Roll Call.
“Former Rep. Rehberg joins K Street firm” by Kevin Bogardus in The Hill.
Georgia: “House lobbyist gift ‘ban’ has loopholes” by Chris Joyner in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Campaign Finance
“Russ Feingold on the Path to Campaign Finance Reform” by John Light on BillMoyers.com.
“Former Fla. Dem candidate pleads guilty to campaign finance fraud, claims he was ‘used’” by Megan R. Wilson in The Hill.
New York: “Eyes On Albany As State Considers Campaign Finance Changes” by The Associated Press in WHAM ABC News.
Ethics
“Lawmakers add relatives to campaign payrolls” by Fredreka Schouten and Christopher Schnaars in USA Today.
“Conflicts of interest run rampant in state legislatures” by Nicholas Kusnetz in The Center for Public Integrity.
“A year in prison, Rod Blagojevich in good spirits” by Mackenzie Weinger in Politico.
Florida: “Gaming committee chairman relies on flights from gaming lobbyist for travel to Tallahassee” by Mary Ellen Klas in the Miami Herald.
Minnesota: “Minn. Judges May be Required to Reveal Financial Ties” by Nick Winkler in KAAL TV ABC News.
Open Government
Missouri: “Push for exemptions adds to debate over Missouri’s open-records law” by Chris Blank in the Kansas City Star.
Vermont: “Vermont Senate advances open-records bill” by Nancy Resmen in the Burlington Free Press.
March 15, 2013 •
Utah Legislature Adjourns
March 14, 2013
The Utah Legislature adjourned its 2013 session sine die on March 14, 2013.
Governor Gary Herbert has until April 3 to veto or sign legislation. The Governor does not possess a pocket veto.
The normal effective date for bills passed this year is May 14.
Photo of Utah’s Capitol by Scott Catron on Wikipedia.
March 15, 2013 •
News You Can Use Digest – March 15, 2013
Here are highlights from the latest edition of News You Can Use:
Federal:
Obama Meets with New Advocacy Group
From the States and Municipalities:
California – California Lawmakers Avoid Campaign Contribution Limits with Ballot Measure Account
Florida – Investigators: Florida gambling probe that led to resignation of lieutenant governor will grow
Iowa – Statehouse Coffee Budget Running at $1,400 Deficit
Kentucky – Dennis Horlander Paid More than Most in Kentucky Legislature
Michigan – Former Mayor of Detroit Guilty in Corruption Case
Missouri – St. Louis Police Sergeant Plans to Sue Department for Silencing His Pro-Pot Work
Oregon – Oregon Legislators Reap Big Post-Election Donations – Much of it ‘Makeup Money’
Pennsylvania – Ex-Senate Leader, 7 Others Charged in Turnpike Probe
Rhode Island – RI House Leadership Faulted over Ethics Vote
Tennessee – Black Keys Manager Ticket Offer Raises Questions
Washington – Blind Lawmaker Up to Task in Olympia
West Virginia – Gainer Queries Ethics Panel over Visa Ads
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.
News You Can Use is a news service provided at no charge only to clients of our online Executive Source Guides, or ALERTS™ consulting clients.
March 14, 2013 •
Thursday News Roundup
Here are some great articles for today’s government relations news summary:
Lobbying
“Howard Berman signs up for K Street job” by Tarini Parti in Politico.
“K Street Files: Under Attack, Gamers Add In-House Lobbyists” by Kate Ackley in Roll Call.
“K Street lobbyists leap to the planet’s defense after asteroid scare” by Kevin Bogardus in The Hill.
Campaign Finance
Utah: “Legislature to change law on who probes campaign violations” by Robert Gehrke in the Salt Lake Tribune.
Vermont: “Vermont Senate panel delays vote on campaign finance” by Dave Gram in the Burlington Free Press.
Ethics
“Florida Official Resigns in Wake of Gambling Probe” by Cameron McWhirter and Ana Campoy in the Wall Street Journal.
“Fla. charity probe to next focus on campaign money” by Mike Schneider and Gary Fineout in the Miami Herald.
Open Government
“Oversight panel pushes for transparency” by Eric Martinson in Politico.
Kansas: “Senate committee discusses changes to ‘open records’ law” by Stevi Wilson in the Lawrence Journal-World.
North Carolina: “How to bring more sunshine to the NC legislature” by John Frank in the News & Observer.
Procurement
Iowa: “Panel told of revised process for equipment procurement” by Jason Noble in the Des Moines Register.
Legislative Issues
Kentucky: “Ky. lawmakers approve 107 bills during first 28 days of legislative session” by Jack Brammer in the Herald-Leader.
Montana: “Montana lawmakers consider longer term limits” by The Associated Press in the Billings Gazette.
Redistricting
Wisconsin: “New court filing: Documents were deleted from GOP redistricting computers” by Patrick Marley in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
March 13, 2013 •
New York City Council Overrides Veto
Law loosening disclosure requirements to take effect immediately
The New York City Council has overridden Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s veto of a campaign finance bill loosening the disclosure requirements. The law, which will go into effect immediately, was fiercely opposed by both Bloomberg and New York City Campaign Finance Board Director Amy Loprest, but the City Council has nearly unanimously supported it from the outset.
The law will allow labor or other membership organizations, as well as corporations, to send campaign communications to its members, executive and administrative personnel, and stockholders without having to disclose that information to the Campaign Finance Board. According to Loprest, $35,000 in outside spending on mass mailers was spent in the two special elections since the city adopted its stringent rules.
In a statement Loprest said, “Disclosure helps voters understand who is speaking and trying to influence the outcome of their election. Just as important, disclosure helps voters hold candidates accountable for their supporters during an election and for the policies they pursue. New Yorkers want and deserve access to complete information about the interests supporting candidates for city office. The legislation approved by the Council today will hide some of that information from public view.”
Councilwoman Gale Brewer disagreed with this notion, saying “Member-to-member communications are not intended to influence the public. So, the public’s interest in source disclosure is significantly reduced.”
With city elections upcoming in November, both sides will see how these new rules actually affect the elections and spending.
Photo of the New York City Hall by Howrealisreal on Wikipedia.
March 13, 2013 •
We are in Georgia for the SGAC Annual Meeting 2013!
“Changing Faces; Changing States”
Elizabeth Bartz, President and CEO of State and Federal Communications, and Compliance Associates Jim Warner and Steve Quinn are attending the State Government Affairs Council’s 2013 Annual Meeting in Savannah, Georgia. This year the conference has the theme “Changing Faces; Changing States” and runs from March 13-15.
According to the SGAC website: “SGAC’s 2013 Annual Meeting … is a conference for private-sector multistate government affairs professionals. The conference program focuses on providing new tools, techniques, and best practices to help build skills and stay on top of the latest trends.”
You can follow the meeting’s conversations on Twitter with the hashtag #SGACAnnualMtg13.
March 13, 2013 •
Sen. Bernie Sanders Introduces Constitutional Amendment to Overturn Citizens United
Democracy is for People Amendment
A bill introduced on March 12, 2013 by U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders proposes an amendment to the U.S. Constitution overturning the Supreme Court decision of Citizens United v. FEC.
The amendment is divided into four sections. The first section declares because the right to vote belongs only to “natural persons as citizens of the United States”, political contributions and expenditures may only be made by “natural persons”.
The second section affirmatively grants Congress and the States power to regulate campaign finance laws. Sen. Sanders’ fact sheet explaining the amendment states, “This [second] section overturns the Buckley v. Valeo (1976) ‘money is speech’ decision allowing individuals – including individuals who are candidates – to spend unlimited sums of money independent of candidates.”
The remaining two sections explicitly state the amendment does not limit the freedom of the press and that Congress and the States will have the power to enforce the amendment through their legislative powers. Sen. Sanders’ press release can be found here. U.S. Representative Ted Deutch has filed this same amendment, House Joint Resolution 34, in the House.
March 13, 2013 •
Wednesday Government Relations News
Here is our roundup of the latest articles on lobbying, campaign finance, and more!
Lobbying
Nevada: “Lawmakers spin through revolving door to lobbying” by Anjeanette Damon in the Las Vegas Sun.
Campaign Finance
Alaska: “Campaign finance resolution finds support” by The Associated Press in the Anchorage Daily News.
Arizona: “AZ House passes bill barring student association fee use for politics” by The Associated Press in the Arizona Capitol Times.
Arkansas: “Ark. panel rejects campaign finance proposals” by The Associated Press in KATV ABC News.
Georgia: “Lesser ethics bill gets committee approval” by Kristina Torres in the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Hawaii: “State lawmakers debate campaign finance reforms” by Anita Hofschneider (Associated Press) in the Star Advertiser.
Michigan: “House Dems back ethics, campaign finance reform package” by Chad Livengood in the Detroit News.
North Carolina: “Dome: Campaign finance reports lag” by John Frank and Rob Christensen in the News & Observer.
Utah: “Utah Senate votes to close disclosure loophole” by Lee Davidson in the Salt Lake Tribune.
Vermont: “Vt. Senate panel works on campaign finance bill” by The Associated Press in the San Francisco Chronicle.
Ethics
Florida: “Locals owe state Ethics Commission thousands” by Tom McLaughlin in the Northwest Florida Daily News.
Open Government
“Arizona gets ‘C’ grade for legislative openness” by The Associated Press in the Arizona Capitol Times.
New Mexico: “Legislators fast-track bill that protects their email” by Julie Ann Grimm in the Santa Fe New Mexican.
South Dakota: “Daugaard signs three bills on open government” by The Associated Press in the Argus Leader.
Texas: “Texas gets high marks regarding transparency in legislative matters but still needs more sunshine” in the Austin American-Statesman.
West Virginia: “Legislation may make memos, internal letters public” by Zack Harold in the Charleston Daily Mail.
Wyoming: “Legislature average on transparency” by Trevor Brown in the Wyoming Tribune Eagle.
March 12, 2013 •
Pennsylvania Bill Proposes Gift Limit on Lobbyists
Governor’s office supports government reforms
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has introduced a bill with ramifications on the way lobbyists do business in the commonwealth. Currently, lobbyists may give gifts to anyone, provided there is no understanding the recipient will take an official action as a result of the gift. House Bill 855, however, would do away with this practice and limit the ability of lobbyists to give gifts.
The bill, introduced by representatives from both sides of the aisle, would prohibit public officers and candidates from receiving gifts from lobbyists and principals exceeding $50 in a calendar year. The bill would also limit the hospitality received by public officers and candidates from lobbyists and principals to $500 in a calendar year.
Gifts to public officials has become a hot topic in the commonwealth after reports surfaced saying Governor Tom Corbett has accepted gifts in the past.
When asked whether the governor would support a gift ban, spokeswoman Kelli Roberts said, “Governor Corbett has a tremendous record of transparency and enacting state government reforms, therefore, of course, he would be open to discussing any measures that help to further those goals.”
Bills of this nature usually have a tough time gaining legislative approval, but with the current climate in the commonwealth, House Bill 855 may have a better chance to survive than most.
Seal of the State of Pennsylvania art by Henrik on Wikipedia.
March 12, 2013 •
Tuesday Lobbying and Campaign Finance News
Keep up with the latest government relations news with these articles:
Lobbying
“Scott Brown joins law and lobby firm” by Kevin Bogardus in The Hill.
“Bottom Line” in The Hill.
“Former US Rep. Jerry Costello opens lobbying firm” in the Pantagraph.
Florida: “Senator backing lobbyist restrictions is lobbyist himself” by Aaron Deslatte in the Orlando Sentinel.
Campaign Finance
“What it costs to win a Congressional election” by Jon Terbush in The Week.
Florida: “Senate’s campaign finance compromise creates mega PACs” by Mary Ellen Klas in the Miami Herald.
Nevada: “Bill seeks tighter Nevada campaign reporting laws” by The Associated Press in the Las Vegas Sun.
Wisconsin: “Campaign spending in Wisconsin more than triples” by Jason Stein in the Journal Sentinel.
Ethics
“FEC: Larry Craig Misused Campaign Funds for Personal Legal Expenses” by Mike Scarcella in The Blog of Legal Times.
Utah: “Executive branch ethics bill advances in Utah” by Lee Davidson in the Salt Lake Tribune.
Open Government
Thank you, Eric Brown and the Political Activity Law blog for reminding us that this week is Sunshine Week!
Legislative Issues
“Report: Members of Congress Happy With Their Jobs” by Emma Dumain in Roll Call.
Alaska: “Alaska Legislature Celebrates its Centennial, Creates Commission to Recognize First Territorial Legislature” by Morgan Cullen in NCSL’s The Thicket.
March 11, 2013 •
Florida Senate Bill Would Relax Lobbyist Expenditure Prohibition
New exceptions could begin July 1
A bill to allow lobbyist expenditures on legislators is pending before the Florida Senate. Currently, almost all expenditures by lobbyists and principals on members and employees of the legislature are prohibited.
Senate Bill 1634 provides exceptions to the ban on lobbyist expenditures, permitting:
- Individual servings of nonalcoholic beverages provided by a lobbyist or a principal as a courtesy to the attendees of a meeting;
- A single meal not solicited by the member or employee of the legislature, served as part of a scheduled meeting of an established membership organization that is also a principal, and attended by the member or employee as a featured speaker, moderator, or participant of a panel discussion; and
- Food and beverages provided as part of a widely attended event hosted by a membership organization or governmental body that is also a principal if the cost per attendee does not exceed $25.
Widely attended event is defined as one reasonably expected to be attended by at least 25 persons other than members or employees of the legislature, open to persons from throughout a given industry or profession, or to a wide range of persons interested in a given issue presented at the event.
The bill requires the houses of the legislature to establish a rule regarding registration and approval of events at which such expenditures may be made.
The new exceptions would take effect on July 1, 2013, and would expire June 30, 2015.
March 11, 2013 •
Monday News Roundup
Let’s start off the week with these lobbying, campaign finance, and ethics news articles:
Lobbying
“Critics hold the line on pro-Obama lobbying group: ‘Shut it down’” by Kevin Bogardus in The Hill.
“K Street Files: Cassidy Lands Recurring Role in ‘House of Cards’” by Kate Ackley in Roll Call.
Connecticut: “Ritter’s Lobbying Raises Questions” by Jon Lender in the Hartford Courant.
Delaware: “Groups advise citizens on lobbying lawmakers” in the News Journal.
Florida: “Ethics bill passed without lobbying exemption for sitting legislators” by Tom McLaughlin in the Northwest Florida Daily News.
New Jersey: “Expenses for lobbying in Trenton drop to lowest level in 5 years” by Michael Linhorst and Anthony Campisi in the Bergen Record.
Toronto, Canada: “Lobbying boom in Toronto may be fueled by hot topics — and a less predictable council” by Robyn Doolittle in the Toronto Star.
Utah: “Bill to curb lobbyist contracts paid by governmental entities stalls in committee” by Marjorie Cortex in the Deseret News.
Washington: “Inside The World Of Business Lobbying In Olympia” by Austin Jenkins in Oregon Public Broadcasting.
Campaign Finance
“Senate bill pushes online campaign-finance filings” by Malia Rulon in USA Today.
“Ethics Panel: Members Can’t Use Campaign Accounts to Soften Sequester Cuts” in Roll Call.
California: “California lawmakers avoid campaign contribution limits with ballot measure accounts” by Torey Van Oot in the Sacramento Bee.
District of Columbia: “D.C. campaign finance office hires full-time investigator” by Tim Craig in the Washington Post.
Florida: “House Speaker: $10,000 contribution limit isn’t happening” by Aaron Deslatte in the Orlando Sentinel.
Michigan: “More transparency sought in elections” by Alanna Durkin (Associated Press) in the Lansing State Journal.
Mississippi: “Miss. cities handle law regarding campaign finance inconsistently” by Laura Tillman (Associated Press) in the Clarion-Ledger.
New York: “Cuomo to discuss campaign finance reform in telephone town hall” by Michelle Breidenbach in the Post-Standard.
Oregon: “Oregon legislators reap big post-election donations — much of it ‘makeup money’” by Jeff Mapes in the Oregonian.
Ethics
Palm Beach County, Florida: “Nine finalists remain for Ethics Commission chief’s job” by Jennifer Sorentrue in the Palm Beach Post.
Open Government
“Open Data Has Been a Boon for City Governments” by Eric Jaffe in Nextgov.
New York City, New York: “The Big Apple Enhances Financial Transparency” by Hilton Collins in Government Technology.
Texas: “Open meetings law faces another test” by Erik Schelzig (Associated Press) in the Tennessean.
State and Federal Communications, Inc. provides research and consulting services for government relations professionals on lobbying laws, procurement lobbying laws, political contribution laws in the United States and Canada. Learn more by visiting stateandfed.com.