September 24, 2012 •
Connecticut Judge Orders Runoff Election for 5th Assembly District
Primary candidates tied after second recount
A judge has set October 2, 2012 as the date for a runoff election for a state House primary race.
Two recounts were conducted in the democratic primary for the 5th assembly district between Brandon McGee and Leo Canty.
The second recount resulted in a tie between the two candidates.
September 24, 2012 •
Monday News Roundup
Start the week off right with these government relations news articles:
Campaign Finance
“Phone Company PAC Funds Campaigns Against Republicans With Customer Overpayments” by Janie Lorber in The Hill.
“Super PAC Influence Falls Short Of Aims” by Neil King, Jr. in The Wall Street Journal.
California: “Measure attacks corporate campaign funds” by Heather Knight in the San Francisco Chronicle.
Iowa: “Iowa sees $29.6 million TV ad inundation” by Jennifer Jacobs in the Austin Post-Bulletin.
Washington: “State watchdog says Owen violated campaign laws” by The Associated Press in The Seattle Times.
Lobbying
Alabama: “Probation sought for ex-lobbyist Jennifer Pouncy in bingo bribery trial” by Kim Chandler in the Birmingham News.
Canada: “Feds respond to Lobbying Act review, but don’t scrap controversial 20 per cent rule” by Bea Vongdouangchanh in The Hill Times.
North Carolina: “Ethics guidance on legislative staffers and lobbyists” by Mark Binker in WRAL.com.
North Carolina: “Tillis: Second staffer had relationship with lobbyist” by Mark Binker and Laura Leslie in WRAL.com.
Pennsylvania: “Lobbying.ph updated: which tech orgs spent the most lobbying in Philly so far this year?” by Juliana Reyes in Technically Philly.
Ethics
Michigan: “Kwame Kilpatrick prosecutor: Bernard Kilpatrick acted to ‘cash in’ on son’s mayoral power” by Gus Burns in the Detroit News.
Political Campaigns
“Obama Campaign Adopts ‘Wet Signature’ to Entice New Voters” in Government Technology.
“Campaign expense list: Beer, limos, Chick-fil-A” by Tarini Parti in Politico.
Open Government and Gov 2.0
“One year later We the People petitioners have mixed reviews” by Joseph Marks in Nextgov.
“Open government partnership marks first anniversary” by Kedar Pavgi in Nextgov.
Canada: “Alberta gets a ‘D’ in freedom of information audit” by Darcy Henton in the Edmonton Journal.
September 21, 2012 •
One Last News Roundup for the Week
Have a wonderful weekend!
Campaign Finance
Federal: “FEC launches two new campaign finance disclosure tracking tools” by David Phillips in the Examiner.
“Political Fundraising Post-Citizens United” on PBS Newshour.
District of Columbia: “Wells joins call for D.C. campaign reforms” by Tom Howell, Jr. in the Washington Times.
Florida: “N Miami Bch ex-mayor charged in campaign case” by The Associated Press in the San Francisco Chronicle.
Maryland: “Franchot calls for real-time campaign finance reporting” by Holly Nunn in the Gaithersburg Gazette.
Ethics
“Maxine Waters Expected to Be Cleared of Conflict of Interest Charges” by Emma Dumain and Amanda Becker in Roll Call.
“Venue change nixed; Kilpatrick corruption trial gets under way” by Tresa Baldas and Jim Schaefer in the Detroit Free Press.
September 21, 2012 •
San Diego City Council to Consider Increasing Contribution Limits
For the 2014 election cycle
The city council’s rules committee has tentatively approved amendments to the city’s campaign finance laws that would increase the contribution limits for citywide offices from $500 to $1,000.
Limits for elections within districts would remain at $500.
If the entire city council approves the amendments, the new contribution limits would be in effect for the 2014 election cycle.
Seal of San Diego courtesy of Zscout370 on Wikipedia.
September 21, 2012 •
News You Can Use Digest – September 21, 2012
Here are highlights from the latest edition of News You Can Use:
National:
Bain Capital Gives Millions to Democrats
Federal:
Appeals Court Overturns Political Donor Disclosure Ruling
Behind The Big-Ticket Political Fundraisers
From the States and Municipalities:
California
State Ethics Czar to Scale Back Proposed Disclosure Rules on Blogs
Connecticut
Ethics Agency Destroys Public Records of State Officials’ Financial Interests
Georgia
Ethics Commission: State has defanged its watchdog
Kansas
Kansas Ethics Panel Fines Candidates for Posts about Fundraisers on Facebook during Session
Maryland
More Than Half of City Officials, Employees Fill out Ethics Forms Wrong
Michigan
Detroit’s Former Mayor Faces Corruption Trial
Minnesota
Lobbyist Fined Who Donated to Davids’ Campaign
Montana
Federal Appeals Strikes Ban on Partisan Endorsements in Montana Judicial Elections
Oklahoma
Executive Director of Oklahoma State Ethics Commission Retires after 25 Years on Job
Pennsylvania
Pa. High Court Wants Review of Voter ID Access
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.
September 20, 2012 •
A Surfeit of Government Relations News!
Here are today’s articles on Lobbying, Campaign Finance, Elections, Ethics, and more:
Lobbying
“Tim Pawlenty to head bank lobbying organization” by Dave Clarke and MJ Lee in Politco.
Florida: “A First For Fla. Lobbyist Conference: A Governor’s Top Aide Gives Input” by Sascha Cordner in WFSU.org.
Kansas: “Lobbyist spending up nearly 9 percent” by The Associated Press in the Topeka Capital-Journal.
Ethics
Kansas: “Kansas ethics panel fines candidates for posts about fundraisers on Facebook during session” by John Hanna (Associated Press) in The Republic.
Maine: “LePage and House Democratic leader Emily Cain announce plans to improve state ethics” by Naomi Schalit and John Christie in the Bangor Daily News.
Massachusetts: “Ethics board to inform agencies of nepotism law” by Erin Smith in the Boston Herald.
Oklahoma:“Executive director of Oklahoma state Ethics Commission retires after 25 years on job” by Megan Rolland in The Oklahoman.
Utah: “Legislature hires ethics commission director” by Lee Davidson in the Salt Lake Tribune.
West Virginia: “W.Va. court candidate advocates email disclosures” by Lawrence Messina in the Charleston Gazette.
Campaign Finance
“Money in Politics Never Looked So Pretty” by Miranda Neubauer in TechPresident.
“Campaign finance report cards due” by Dave Levinthal in Politico.
California: “New poll: Hope fades for measure barring political contributions; tax measures are touch-and-go” by Josh Richman in the Contra Costa Times.
Oregon: “Oregon Secretary of State candidates trade tough words over campaign spending limits” by Michelle Cole in The Oregonian.
Vermont: “Dems criticize GOP PAC official for denying, then acknowledging dinner meeting with Brock” by Sam Hemingway in the Burlington Free Press.
Government and Technology
“GovGirl Covers Best of the Web Awards” by Jessica Mulholland in Government Technology.
“Congress launches Congress.gov in beta, doesn’t open the data” by Alex Howard in O’Reilly Radar.
“New search engine offers better access to Congress” by Brett Zongker in The Associated Press.
Elections
“Online Voter Registration Launches in California” by McClatchy Newspapers in Governing.
“Supreme Court rejects LULAC suit seeking to postpone Texas elections” by Greg Stohr in the Star-Telegram.
September 19, 2012 •
Keep Us Strong
Our campaign to encourage voting in 2012!
It’s your voice, your country, your community – and change doesn’t just happen, it’s ignited by a single vote. So stop making excuses and start making changes.
Pledge today to VOTE on Nov. 6, 2012 and help “Keep US Strong.”
According to the latest U.S. Census Report, an average of only about 40 percent of the U.S. population votes during a non-presidential election year – while just over 60 percent vote during a presidential election.
Those statistics are too low for President and CEO Elizabeth Bartz of State and Federal Communications Inc., based out of Akron, Ohio.
So in recognition of Election Day 2012 and the need to get more voters to the polls, Bartz and her company are sponsoring a campaign to encourage voting. The campaign aims to not only encourage people to vote, but also to encourage voters to think about the impact their voice and efforts have on their community and their country.
September 19, 2012 •
Wednesday News Roundup
Don’t miss these important Lobbying, campaign finance, and election news articles:
Lobbying
“Street Talk: From K Street to School Corridors” by Kate Ackley in Roll Call.
“K Street abuzz over who will get the $1.8 million Roundtable job” by Kevin Bogardus in The Hill.
“Report: gambling interests spend heavy in Albany” by The Associated Press in the Wall Street Journal.
“Facebook, Google, Amazon join forces in D.C. lobby” by Cecilia Kang in the Washington Post.
“Twitter hires GOP congressional staffer” by Brendan Sasso in The Hill.
Campaign Finance
“Romney campaign took out $20-million loan, still owes $11 million” by Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times.
“FPPC Delays Vote on Paid Political Blogger Regulations” by Ben Adler in Capital Public Radio.
Electoral Maps
“2012 Swing States Map” in Politico 2012 Live.
“The Electoral Map: Building a Path to Victory” in the New York Times.
State Legislatures
“Too Much Information: Enemy # 1 for New Member Orientation” by Bruce Feustel in NCSL’s The Thicket.
Social Media
“Gov Website Evolution: Changes in 2013” by Sarah Rich Government Technology.
“The time of the ‘social media’ candidate is nigh” by Jen Doll on TechPresident.
September 19, 2012 •
Play Ball!
Our 2012 Summer Outing with the Tribe
The State and Federal Communications, Inc. 2012 Summer Outing was at Progressive Field August 26th watching the Cleveland Indians vs New York Yankees baseball game. We enjoyed the Legends Suite filled with food and seating – indoors and out – for all of our staff and their family.
It was exciting and surprising to see so many children. We had 5 under 1.5 years old!
The game was exciting on a beautifully sunny day, but our Tribe lost by three runs.
The staff and their family truly enjoyed this outing and is already planning for the next!
Enjoy this little video slideshow created by intern Zack Koozer:
September 18, 2012 •
Canada’s Lobbying Act To Cover More Officials
Additional lobbying penalties still being considered
The federal government has announced plans to extend the reach of the Lobbying Act to senior public servants with spending decision responsibilities. Currently, more than 1,000 people are covered as designated public office holders under the act, which governs interactions between registered lobbyists and politicians, their staffs, and senior bureaucrats. The proposal could more than double the number covered.
The government continues to consider adding small monetary penalties for minor infractions, as well as a removing the exemption for in-house lobbyists whose lobbying activities constitute less than 20 percent of their duties.
September 18, 2012 •
Palm Beach County School Board Developing Lobbyist Registration Policy
Effective date to be determined
The Palm Beach County School Board is in the process of developing a lobbyist registration policy.
Registration will likely be separate from the county’s lobbyist registration.
There is not yet a firm date by which the policy will be implemented, as the details are still being worked out by the school board.
September 18, 2012 •
Back to the FEC
Electioneering
A federal appellate court has reversed a district court’s electioneering reporting decision, sending the issue back to the FEC.
The significance of today’s decision, pending further possible rule changes or court decisions, is that political contributors giving to an organization making an electioneering communication will not have to be disclosed to the FEC unless the donor specifically earmarks his or her contributions to fund electioneering communications.
This was the rule from 2007 until this spring when a district court ruled that all contributors giving over $1,000, regardless of whether they gave for the specific purpose of electioneering communications, had to be disclosed to the FEC.
In the initial lawsuit, Van Hollen v. FEC, the plaintiff, U.S. Representative Van Hollen, claimed the FEC regulation 11 C.F.R. §104.20(c)(9), which requires disclosure only of those making contributions over $1,000 to an entity for the purpose of furthering electioneering communications, contradicts the statute requiring disclosure of all donors making contributions over $1,000.
In the spring, a U.S. district court agreed and declared 11 C.F.R. §104.20(c)(9) invalid and vacated the regulation. The court reinstated the FEC’s prior regulation, which was promulgated on December 17, 2002 and was in effect until December 25, 2007. The FEC had formally reiterated the district court’s requirement on July 27, 2012, retroactively applying the disclosure of donors to March 30, 2012.
Today, in Center for Individual Freedom v. Van Hollen, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit reversed Van Hollen v. FEC, vacated the district court’s prior judgment, and remanded the case to the district court. Presently, under the jurisdiction of the district court, the FEC must pursue rulemaking to address the issues brought by the lawsuit or defend 11 C.F.R. §104.20(c)(9) in court against the parties bringing the action.
This is a signature issue for Representative Van Hollen who will probably continue to vigorously litigate this issue.
The FEC has not publicly declared its next course of action.
September 18, 2012 •
Tuesday Government Relations News
Here are the latest campaign finance, lobbying, procurement, redistricting, and elections news:
Campaign Finance
“Ethics czar angers bloggers with proposal to shine light on campaign pay” by Patrick McGreevey in the Los Angeles Times.
“Contributions to PACs in Vt. may be known soon” by Dave Gram (Associated Press) in the Bennington Banner.
Lobbying
Minnesota: “Lobbyist fined who donated to Davids’ campaign” by Heather J. Carlson in the Post-Bulletin.
Redistricting
Arkansas: “Judges uphold Senate district redistricting” by John Lyon in the Arkansas News.
Elections
Kansas: “Ex-lawmaker named elections official” by The Associated Press in the Lawrence Journal World.
Procurement
“Contractor suspensions and debarments on the rise, says White House” by Charles Clark in Government Executive.
September 17, 2012 •
Bergen County, NJ Freeholders Pay-to-Play Changes
Reporting Changes
The Bergen County, New Jersey Board of Chosen Freeholders will consider revising its pay-to-play ordinances on Wednesday, September 19.
Bergen County has only had its local pay-to-play ordinance since December. According to NorthJersey.com, proposed changes “would strip the requirement that contractors report their contributions to candidates on the municipal, state, and federal level, leaving only county campaigns on the mandatory reporting form.”
While the proposal was introduced on September 12 and is scheduled for an October 3 consideration, the Freeholder’s agenda lists the ordinance introduction for Wednesday.
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.