Social media is constantly changing the way people communicate and receive information in today’s society. Through an organization of public relations professionals, the managing editor of Fox 8 spoke at a local event about news coverage in the Akron area.

The Public Relations Society of America hosted a luncheon at the Martin University Center to discuss the launching of a new Fox 8 bureau on the Akron University campus. Managing editor Toni Garbo addressed the audience about local news coverage involving social media and new technology.

Social Media Coordinator Joe May of State and Federal Communications, along with the company interns, attended the event to better understand the importance of accurate news coverage and communication. Garbo addressed topics including the significance of informative press release headlines and the value of objectivity in the field of journalism, especially now that Fox 8 is inaugurating a bureau on the university campus.

Garbo allowed the audience to ask questions during her presentation, and the interns had a chance to hear different perspectives and learn how Fox 8 will provide new opportunities for communications students at the University of Akron.

By attending local events, the interns at State and Federal Communications are learning the importance of social networking and becoming involved with issues in the Akron community.

Hollywood’s new lobbyist ordinance takes effect August 1, 2012. Lobbyist registrations now expire yearly, and will be effective from August 1 to July 31 of the following year. All current lobbyist registrations will expire July 31, 2012, and a new registration statement must be filed.

There will also be an annual registration fee of $50 for each principal or client identified on the registration statement, except for those principals or clients that do not compensate the lobbyist for lobbying. Lobbyists who do not receive compensation are now required to register.

The city clerk will also offer electronic filing of lobbyist registrations beginning August 1.

Attorney General William Sorrell has issued a statement that his office will not enforce the $2,000 contribution limit on PACs that only make independent expenditures. The statement comes after a request for clarification from Secretary of State Jim Condos regarding the federal court decision in Vermont Right to Life Committee (VRLC) v. Sorrell.

While the opinion in VRLC v. Sorrell upheld the contribution limit as applied to VRLC’s independent expenditure committee, the ruling was based on the lack of safeguards to ensure that unlimited contributions to VRLC’s independent expenditure committee did not flow into VRLC’s candidate contribution funds.

Attorney General Sorrell stressed that if investigation reveals a PAC’s activities are not conducted entirely independently of candidates, as in VRLC v. Sorrell, it will continue to be subject to the contribution limits.

Photo of Attorney General William Sorrell by Overton2002 on Wikipedia.

On Wednesday, NBC News and the Wall Street Journal released a poll conducted July 18-22, of registered voters nationwide. In a choice between President Obama and Gov. Mitt Romney, respondents favored the President 49% to 43%. Additionally, if the election were held today, swing state voters favor the president 49% to 41%.

The poll shows negative campaigning has affected both candidates as each has seen a rise in the number of respondents who view them negatively. According to the Washington Post, 75-90% of all ads aired across the country in the month of June were negative in nature. The poll is facing a bit of scrutiny; however, including from NBC’s Chuck Todd, that it may be skewed as 46% of participants self-identified as democrats while only 35% self-identified as republicans.

Additionally, the Commission on Presidential Debates announced details on Wednesday for the three 2012 Presidential debates as well as one Vice Presidential debate. The first and final Presidential debates will focus on domestic policy hosted by a single moderator, while the second debate will be a town hall meeting with undecided voters questioning the candidates. Moderators will be announced in August. More details can be found at the COPD website.

Other notes from the trail:

• ABC News has compiled a couple of charts showing how both Presidential campaigns are spending money. The figures include things like rent, credit card fees and payroll.

• The battle for the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts could potentially become the most expensive in history for a senate seat. Scott Brown (R) and Elizabeth Warren (D) have raised a combined $46 million dollars through the end of June, not including money spent on advertising by outside groups. The record currently belongs to the 2000 New York race between now Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Former Rep. Rick Lazio. Clinton and Lazio spent a combined $70 million in that contest. Recent polls show Warren has a 2 point edge over Brown.

• Congressman Jim Renacci (R) has returned $100,000 in campaign donations amid allegations that the funds were improperly funneled through Canton area businessman Benjamin Suarez. Renacci’s campaign had initially planned to keep the money until a federal investigation was completed, but have preemptively reimbursed individual donors. Renacci and Rep. Betty Sutton (D) are competing in Ohio’s newly drawn 16th district.

• The four congressional campaign committees reported similar fundraising numbers in June. The National Republican Campaign Committee narrowly outraised the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee $10.7 million to $10.5 million, while the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee raised $8 million to the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee’s $4.4 million.

Lobbying

“Top congressional staffer to lead new Internet lobbying group” by Brendan Sasso in The Hill.

Campaign Finance

California: “Divided Richmond council approves major campaign finance reforms” by Robert Rogers in the Mercury News.

Rhode Island: “Speaker Fox Cops to Campaign Finance Violation; Writes Check to Cover 2007 Fundraiser” by Dan McGowan in GoLocalProv.

“The rise of the Mom and Pop super PAC” by Charles Mathesian in Politico.

“Senate Democrats Push Constitutional Amendment to Reverse Citizens United” by Seth Cline in U.S. News and World Report.

“Citizens United Constitutional Amendment Floated By Senate Democrats” by Paul Blumenthal in the Huffington Post.

Ethics

“Murky Standards for Ethics Cases” by Amanda Becker in Roll Call.

Georgia: “House ethics chairman: 49 candidates tout ethics, flout campaign laws” by Jim Galloway in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Hawaii:  “Ethics Commission fining 22 legislative candidates for not filing financial disclosures” by The Associated Press in the Honolulu Star Advertiser.

Social Media

“DC Political Firms Launch Embarrassingly Silly Social Media Tool” by Micah L. Sifry in TechPresident.

The Chicago City Council voted unanimously to pass Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s ethics ordinance. The ordinance, which is the first overhaul of the city’s ethics code in 25 years, institutes the recommendations made by an ethics board Emanuel appointed to study the city’s ethical issues.

The newly passed ordinance will increase the gift prohibition for city officials and employees. Officials and employees will now only be able to accept gifts that are less than $50 in value. It also limits the ability of lobbyists and contractors to make political contributions. It also includes a reverse revolving door provision, which limits a city official or employee’s participation in matters involving former employers.

The ordinance will go into effect on November 1, 2012.

Photo of Chicago’s City Hall and Daley Plaza by JeremyA in Wikipedia.

Governor Bob McDonnell has set September 4, 2012 as the date of a special election to fill the seats for Senate District 5 and House District 45. The District 5 seat was previously held by the late Senator Yvonne Miller, who passed away July 3, 2012. The District 45 seat is currently held by Delegate David Englin, who announced his resignation effective August 31, 2012.

Governor McDonnell stated in his press release that the timing of the special election will allow the new senator and delegate adequate time to prepare for the 2013 legislative session, as well as allow time to hold a subsequent special election if needed.

We are very excited to go to the National Conference of State Legislatures Legislative Summit in Chicago. The motto of the conference this year is “Build Strong States,” and six members of our staff will be attending. If you are planning to be there, please stop by booth 923 and say hello!

We sent our booth ahead to Chicago and had a little fun making a little video about it. Take a look!

Governor Jerry Brown signed into law a bill allowing the state Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) to enforce new campaign finance rules in the county. This is the first time the FPPC has been authorized by statute to contract with a county to enforce its campaign contribution limits.

County Supervisor Janice Rutherford originally proposed contracting with the FPPC to enforce a proposed county campaign law in lieu of creating a county ethics commission. Now with statutory permission in place, the county may proceed to craft a campaign finance law and negotiate contractual terms with the FPPC. Rutherford plans to bring her previous proposal to limit campaign contributions to $3,900 back before the board on August 21, 2012 for consideration.

Seal of San Bernardino County by Jetijones on Wikipedia.

The New Orleans City Council has voted to call a special election on November 6 in order to fill the recently vacated District E council member’s position. District E council member Jon Johnson had resigned after pleading guilty in federal court to embezzling FEMA funds to finance his 2007 campaign for state senate. In the interim, the vacant seat will be filled by the city council in an upcoming meeting.

The council’s statement on the special election can be read here.

Campaign Finance

“Apps to Identify Who Backs Political Ads” in Government Technology.

“Romney-Obama Lawyers Raking in Millions” by Jonathan D. Salant in Bloomberg News.

Massachusetts: “Mass. groups take aim at Citizens United” in the Patriot Ledger.

Montana: “Group seeks to take measure saying corporations aren’t people off ballot” by Charles S. Johnson in the Billings Gazette.

Campaign Ads

“Ad-Rating Project Will Assess Campaign TV Spots by Asking Voters” by Gregory Giroux on Bloomberg News.

“Voters Say They Are Wary of Ads Made Just for Them” by Tanzina Vega in The New York Times.

“Obama, Romney Attack Ads Top Charts” by Tim Hanrahan in The Wall Street Journal.

“Obama puts $46.7M into ads, outspends what he raised in June” by Fredreka Schouten and Christopher Schnaars in USA Today.

“Report: Super PACs make up 80 percent of Romney ad spending” by Chris Moody in ABC News.

“Florida PAC Lets Internet Users Create Own Voiceovers For Romney Campaign Ad” by Sarah Lai Stirland in TechPresident.

Ethics

Arizona: “Legislator files ethics complaint against another” by The Associated Press in the Arizona Daily Sun.

Georgia: “Governor admits to ethics missteps, but major cases dismissed” by Aaron Gould Sheinin in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“K Street Files: Bundlers Give to Both Parties” by Kate Ackley in Roll Call.

“You don’t know Jack: Abramoff’s multimedia return” by Patrick Gavin in Politico.

The Hill’s “Bottom Line”.

“Caught on K Street candid camera?” by Dave Levinthal & Anna Palmer in Politico Influence.

Here is the Sunlight Foundation’s 180 ° project link.

“Lobbyists are paid $52.6 million over first half of 2012” in the Boston Globe.

Florida:  “Florida Lobbyists Find Reasons to Spread Cash Around; Washington Lobbyists, Not so Much” by Nancy Smith in the Sunshine State News.

Pennsylvania: “SEPTA says it didn’t think it had to report lobbyist spending” by Mark Fazlollah in the Philadelphia Inquirer‎.

Governor Jerry Brown has approved Assembly Bill 2452, which changes the criteria local government agencies must meet in order to require campaign and lobbying reports to be filed electronically. The bill was chaptered in the Political Reform Act as section 84615.

A local government agency requiring campaign committees and lobbyists to file electronically must provide a secure, standardized, and free filing system. In addition, if a local ordinance requires a statement or report to be filed electronically, local officials can no longer require an additional copy to be filed in paper format.

The law becomes effective January 1, 2013.

In the midst of our employee walking challenge, State and Federal Communications has a new friendly rival.

Beginning July 23, the Public Affairs Council and State and Federal Communications will work up a sweat, taking part in a one week challenge called “Ready, Set, Walk” to promote wellness and stir up healthy competition.

Wearing pedometers to track their daily steps, 24 employees from each organization will aim to motivate their co-workers and accumulate the most steps by July 29. Both teams are giving their best effort to walk for the win.

Best of luck to all participants, and let the walking begin!