Elizabeth Bartz recently was one of the recipients of the Distinguished Sales and Marketing Award from Sales & Marketing Executives International (SMEI). Ms. Bartz was lauded not only for her tremendous achievements at State and Federal Communications, but also for her many efforts to support and promote the greater Akron community.

The event, which was held at The Tangier restaurant in Akron, honored Dr. Frank L. Douglas, President and CEO, Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron with the Executive of the Year Award.

Congratulations to Elizabeth and to all who were honored by SMEI!

Secretary of State Beth Chapman announced Janice McDonald, Director of Elections, will retire at the end of the month.

She has worked in the elections division for more than a decade.

Her replacement will be the current supervisor of voter registration, Ed Packard, who has been with the office for more than 15 years.

Lobbying

“Lobbyists fear shakedown if Supreme Court lifts campaign contributions cap” by Kevin Bogardus in The Hill.

Ohio: “Top of the List: Biggest lobbying spenders” by Evan Weese in Business First Columbus.

Campaign Finance

“Money in politics?” by The Associated Press in the News Tribune.

Montana: “Montana House backs increasing contributions to political candidates” by Charles S. Johnson in the Missoulian.

Ethics

“State spends $34,000 so far defending Gessler in ethics probe” by Patrick Malone in The Coloradoan.

Open Government

“Sunlight on States” by Pam Greenberg on NCSL’s The Thicket.

Nebraska: “Bill to provide reasonable access to public records advances” by JoAnne Young in the Lincoln Journal Star.

New Mexico: “Transparency bills make progress in Legislature” by Steve Terrell in the Santa Fe New Mexican.

South Dakota: “Legislature: Senate panel restores ‘crippled’ open-meetings bill” by David Montgomery in the Argus Leader.

The Compliance Dream Team is making their encore appearance at the PAC National Conference in Miami Beach, Florida! The extraordinary lineup is: Elizabeth Bartz of State and Federal Communications, Ken Gross from Skadden Arps, and Michael Toner from Wiley Rein. Their session will be held on Tuesday, March 5 at 3:15 p.m.

Bring your compliance concerns. This is your opportunity to unleash all those difficult questions regarding compliance issues.

The Public Affairs Council National PAC Conference will be held at the Eden Roc from March 4-7. Don’t miss what promises to be an exciting conference!

See you there!

The House of Representatives has passed ethics legislation to bar lobbyist gifts to individual lawmakers and enact new rules on lobbyist registration.

House Bill 142 passed 164-4 on Monday, February 26, 2013 and now goes to the Senate.

Critics hope the Senate provides a limit for the gift ban exceptions, which allow for unlimited gifts to groups of legislators such as committees and caucuses.

Ohio has increased its campaign contribution limits. Individuals, political action committees (PACs), and political contributing entities (PCEs) may now contribute up to $12,155.52 to any one statewide, senate, or house campaign committee during a primary or general election period, or to a PAC or PCE during a calendar year. An individual may contribute this same amount to the state candidate fund of a county political party in the individual’s county of residence. The previous limit was $11,543.70.

Additionally, the limit individuals, PACs, and PCEs may contribute per calendar year to any one state candidate fund of a state political party increased to $36,466.56 from $34,631.11, and to any one legislative campaign fund, $18,233.28, up from $17,315.55.

These limits are effective beginning February 25, 2013 until February 24, 2015.

Today the United States Supreme Court decided not to grant a review of the case of United States v. Danielczyk.

Danielczyk is a criminal case in which one of the defense arguments was the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 prohibiting direct corporate contributions to federal candidates was unconstitutional.

The U.S. District Court Judge presiding over the case had agreed with the defense and, based on Citizens United v. FEC, found corporations have an equal right to make political contributions under federal law as do human beings. The judge’s decision was reversed on appeal. The reversal on this issue of law now stands.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg vetoed a campaign finance bill aimed at decreasing campaign finance disclosure, even though City Council overwhelmingly passed the bill by a 47-1 margin in January. The bill would have allowed labor or other membership organizations, as well as corporations, to send communications to its members, executive and administrative personnel, and stockholders without having to disclose that information to the Campaign Finance Board.

Bloomberg was noncommittal at the time about whether he would veto the bill, even though he was adamantly opposed to its passage. However, now with his decision to veto it, the ball will bounce back into the City Council’s court.

The council has 30 days to override the veto, with a two-thirds majority required, or allow the bill to die. The council had enough votes to override the veto originally, but there has been no word on whether every council member will stick with his or her original vote.

Photo of Mayor Michael Bloomberg by Rubenstein on Wikipedia.

Campaign Finance

“Justices reject campaign finance appeal over corporate contributions” by Bill Mears on CNN.

California: “California campaign-finance reporting ripe for abuse” by Steve Harmon in the San Jose Mercury News.

New York: “Tax loopholes cited in push for NY campaign reform” by The Associated Press in the Albany Times Union.

Lobbying

“Rules of the Game: Sequester Spells Bitter K Street Failure” by Eliza Newlin Carney in Roll Call.

Michigan: “Lobby spending increases in Michigan” by The Associated Press in Upper Michigan Source.

Rhode Island: “Former R.I. House speaker joins Twin River lobbying team” by Katherine Gregg in the Providence Journal.

Ethics

Georgia: “Week Ahead: Ga. lawmakers take up ethics, juvenile justice” by Walter C. Jones in the Augusta Chronicle.

Washington: “State Senate Democrats’ campaign chief accused of financial misconduct” by The Associated Press in the News Tribune.

The General Assembly adjourned sine die on February 23, 2013.

A reconvened session is scheduled to begin April 3, 2013.

Campaign Finance

“Watchdogs call for new campaign regulator to replace ‘woefully inept’ FEC” by Megan R. Wilson in The Hill.

“Campaign Finance Poll Finds Most Support Donation Limits” by Emily Swanson in the Huffington Post.

Arizona: “2 Arizona bills target campaign finances” by Mary Jo Pitzl in the Arizona Republic.

Montana: “Campaign finance reforms bills pass Montana House vote” by Marnee Banks in KBZK News.

New York: “Conference to tackle lobbying and campaign finance” by Ilene Fleischmann in the UB Reporter.

Lobbying

Alaska: “Alaska: Who’s lobbying Alaska’s lawmakers? And for how much?” by Laurel Andrews in the Alaska Dispatch.

Florida: “Lobbying a lucrative cap for a legislator’s career” by Aaron Deslatte in the Orlando Sentinel.

Georgia: “Lobbying Restrictions Vote Scheduled” by The Associated Press in Georgia Public Broadcasting.

Ethics

Utah: “Ethics bill emerges in wake of probes of Utah Lt. Gov Bell, Swallow” by Robert Gehrke in the Salt Lake Tribune.

State lawmakers introduced a bill aimed at keeping former legislators out of the lobbying ranks following the end of their terms. Senate Bill 33 would prohibit legislators from lobbying for two years following the end of their public service.

Representative Dana Wachs, a co-sponsor of the bill, said, “If we don’t start doing something about these issues, I think our republic is somewhat in danger. We’re supposed to represent people, not corporations.”

The state does not currently have a prohibition against lobbying after public service, but it does prevent state public officials from appearing, on behalf of someone else for compensation, before a governmental entity under the former official’s responsibility for one year following employment.

Photo of the Wisconsin Capitol Building by Dori on Wikipedia.

Two ethics reform bills will likely be voted on by the full House on Monday, February 25, 2013. House Bill 142, sponsored by Speaker David Ralston, would ban lobbyist spending on individual lawmakers, return regulatory powers to the state ethics commission, and require activists representing an organization to register as lobbyists.

House Bill 143, also sponsored by Ralston, would require lawmakers to file a report early in the legislative session detailing campaign contributions and expenditures during the five-day period before the Legislature convenes.

Photo of the Georgia State Capitol by Autiger on Wikipedia.

Federal:

Jesse Jackson Jr. Pleads Guilty: ‘I lived off my campaign’

Justices Take Case on Overall Limit to Political Donations

From the States and Municipalities:

Arizona – Arizona Senators Look to Revamp Lobbying Gift Ban

California – Prosecution of California Lobbyists on the Rise, FPPC Reports

Kansas – Lobbyists Vouch for Bill to Increase Spending Limits

Kentucky – Kentucky Bill Would Prohibit Lobbying during Legislative Session

Nebraska – Senators Want to Stop Lobbyist Contributions during Session

New York – Review Shows NY Pension Fund Fixed Ethics

North Carolina – Lawmakers’ Economic Interests Not Easily Tracked

Pennsylvania – Pa. Justice Convicted of Corruption

Virginia – Justices Consider Va. Limits on Access to Public Records

West Virginia – Ethics Commission Taps New Director

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.