Former judge and mediator
The Palm Beach County Commission on Ethics selected attorney Steven Cullen to be their new executive director.
Mr. Cullen was previously a judge and mediator. He replaces former executive director Alan Johnson, who left the Commission on Ethics to join the state attorney’s office.
Mr. Cullen plans to boost the commission’s public outreach and ethics education efforts.
March 22, 2013 •
News You Can Use Digest – March 22, 2013
Here are highlights from the latest edition of News You Can Use:
National:
Conflicts of Interest Run Rampant in State Legislatures
Democratic Women Eye City Hall Gains
From the States and Municipalities:
Arizona – Supreme Court Hears Arguments over Whether States Can Ask for Proof of Citizenship to Register
California – Bell Trial Ends in Chaos
California – Judge Orders San Jose to Disclose Officials’ Messages on Private Devices
Florida – Gaming Committee Chairman Relies on Flights from Gaming Lobbyist for Travel to Tallahassee
Georgia – State Senate Offers $100 Lobbying Cap in Split Plan
Kansas – Kansas House Passes Bill on Union Pay Deductions
Kentucky – Richie Farmer Could Be Fined $210,000 over 42 Ethics Violations
Maryland – Campaign Finance Reform Passes House and Is Moving in Senate
Maryland – Former Anne Arundel County Executive John Leopold Gets Jail Time from Judge
New Mexico – Social Media Plays a Bigger Role in Legislative Session
New York – Artists Against Fracking May Not Be Registered As New York Lobbying Group
South Carolina – Former Governor Advances in South Carolina Race
South Carolina – Misuse of SC State Plane Alleged
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.
System to be offline for five days
The City Ethics Commission is upgrading the Lobbyist Electronic Filing System (LEFS) at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 27, through 5:00 p.m. on Monday, April 1, 2013.
Filers will not have access to LEFS and will not be able to file or amend registrations and quarterly reports during this time.
Lobbyists and authorized signers for firms must submit a paper CEC Form 59 by April 1 in order to use the new paperless system.
Photo of the Los Angeles City Hall by Brion Vibber on Wikipedia.
March 21, 2013 •
Thursday News Roundup
Here are some great articles for today’s government relations news summary:
Lobbying
“Lobbying Without a Trace” by Kate Ackley in Roll Call.
“Under Contract” in The Hill.
“K Street firms working US-EU trade talks from both sides of the Atlantic” by Kevin Bogardus in The Hill.
“Casino Jack’s New Game” by Mariah Blake in The Atlantic.
Florida: “House revises its ethics bill, allows for revolving door lobbying of exec branch” by Mary Ellen Klas in The Miami Herald.
Georgia: “Senate to present $100 lobbyist cap” by Ray Henry (Associated Press) in the Marietta Daily Journal.
Minnesota: “Minnesota lobbying reports show big spending by business groups” by Rachel E. Stassen-Berger in the Star Tribune.
Pennsylvania: “Lobbying frenzied as Pa. House vote nears on privatizing alcohol sales” by Angela Couloumbis in the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Toronto, Ontario: “Ban on after-hours lobbyist schmoozing gets a cold shoulder from Toronto city hall” by Paul Moloney and Robyn Doolittle in the Toronto Star.
Campaign Finance
“Campaign Finance: Raise Spending Limits, Increase Transparency” by Jonathan Rauch in The Atlantic.
Ethics
Georgia: “Delay on ethics bill” by Kristina Torres in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
New York: “NYS Senate GOP Looking To Cut Ethics Commission Funding” by Ken Lovette in the New York Daily News.
Legislative Issues
Rhode Island: “R.I. legislature begins live streaming floor sessions, hearings” by Katherine Gregg in the Providence Journal.
March 20, 2013 •
Wednesday Government Relations News
Here is our roundup of the latest articles on lobbying, ethics, and more!
Lobbying
Georgia: “Ga. Senate expected to unveil lobbying rules” by The Associated Press in WSAV TV.
Indiana: “Purdue moving to trim its federal lobbying costs” by The Associated Press in the Indianapolis Business Journal.
Ethics
Arizona: “Campaign-finance case against Horne recommended for dismissal” by Lindsey Collom and Craig Harris in the Arizona Republic.
Georgia: “Ethics reform at critical juncture” Chris Joyner and Kristina Torres in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
New Jersey: “N.J. Politics Roundup: House committee investigates Andrews over spending” by Brent Johnson in the Star-Ledger.
Rhode Island: “R.I. ethics panel mulls statute of limitations on complaint filings” by Karen Lee Ziner in the Providence Journal.
Elections
Ohio: “Ohio House panel OKs elections bill” by Michelle Everhart in the Columbus Dispatch.
Procurement
Iowa: “Iowa businesses would get preference on state contracts under bill approved by Iowa Senate” by William Petroski in the Des Moines Register.
From the State Legislatures
“State Legislative Leaders Gather in Washington” by Jon Kuhl in NCSL’s The Thicket.
Term Limits
Texas: “Senate votes to let voters decide on term limits for statewide officeholders” by Mike Ward in the Austin American-Statesman.
March 19, 2013 •
Tuesday Lobbying and Campaign Finance News
Keep up with the latest government relations news with these articles:
Lobbying
“K Street Files: FTI Consulting Snaps Up C2 Group” by Kate Ackley in Roll Call.
California: “California cities, counties find funds to hire Capitol lobbyists” by Anthony York in the Los Angeles Times.
Georgia: “Ga. senators to debate House plan to limit lobbyist spending; end-of-session drawing near” by The Associated Press in The Republic.
New York: “Artists Against Fracking May Not Be Registered As New York Lobbying Group, AP Reports” by Michael Gormley in the Huffington Post.
Campaign Finance
Connecticut: “The ‘Ernie Newton’ campaign finance ban moves forward” by Ken Dixon in the Connecticut Post.
Las Cruces, New Mexico: “Las Cruces council refines proposed campaign finance ordinance” by Steve Ramirez in the Las Cruces Sun-News.
Vermont: “Vermont Senate’s campaign finance bill: many find something to like” by Nancy Remsen in the Burlington Free Press.
Ethics
“Reps. Andrews, Young to be investigated by House Ethics panel” by Jordy Yager in The Hill.
Florida: “Coalition calls for ethics improvements” by Bill Cotterell in the Florida Current.
Kentucky: “Richie Farmer could be fined $210,000 over 42 ethics violations” by Tom Loftus in the Courier-Journal.
Rhode Island: “Common Cause web site counts days, hours since ethics vote quashed” by Katherine Gregg in the Providence Journal.
From the State Legislatures
“2012 Election Legislation: National Summary” on NCSL.org.
Social Media
New Mexico: “Social media plays a bigger role in leg session” by Julie Ann Grimm in the Santa Fe New Mexican.
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.
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.
