A ballot initiative in Montana advocating a state policy that corporations are not entitled to constitutional rights because they are not human beings has been qualified by the Secretary of State for the November ballot.

Initiative No. 166, the “Prohibition on Corporate Contributions and Expenditures in Montana Elections Act,” asks voters to choose whether to charge elected and appointed officials to prohibit corporate campaign contributions and expenditures, limit political spending in elections, and, in the case of Montana’s congressional delegation, propose a joint resolution offering an amendment to the United States Constitution establishing that corporations are not human beings entitled to constitutional rights.

Included in the text of the initiative are directives for elected and appointed officials when carrying out public policy. These directives include “that the people of Montana regard money as property, not speech, … there should be a level playing field in campaign spending that allows all individuals, regardless of wealth, to express their views to one another and their government,” and the rights under the United States Constitution are the rights of human beings, “not rights of corporations.”

Code for America is a favorite topic of mine. In what they are calling a new public service, the organization gathers great talent to write apps to solve problems in our cities and make government run better. Brilliant!

Well, at 3 p.m. this afternoon Code for America is holding a question and answer session. Don’t miss the chance to ask Code for America founder Jennifer Pahlka about how to get your city involved, or how existing apps are already helping people around the nation.

According to their announcement:

“Considering applying for 2013 fellowship? Wondering about an app built this year? Or maybe you want to know why she founded Code for America? Or which of her eight chickens is her favorite?”

Kudos to Code for America!

Through a finance explorer site featured by the Washington Post, the 2012 presidential campaign statistics display the development of the 10 candidates. This site includes tracking of campaign funds, contribution sizes of Super PACs and campaigns, and maps that indicate the amount of money each state provides the candidates.

Charts on this site compare raised money to spent money for each candidate during the campaign. The site allows the viewer to choose and compare the funds of two candidates at a time. Below the charts are graphs that indicate the amount of money raised and spent over a given time for the candidates.

Two color-coded interactive maps display contributions to campaigns and super PACs greater than $200. Simply by placing the cursor over a state, the amount of money contributed appears over the state on both maps, allowing for a clear comparison of two presidential candidates at a time. The site also includes a link to the names of the biggest donors to super PACs.

As the presidential candidates continue to progress, this site helps viewers keep track of the financial changes in the campaign. Have fun exploring this site and have a great weekend!

The Fair Political Practices Commission has approved a change to simplify lobbyist reporting requirements for “drop-in” events.

The amendment to regulation 18640 allows appetizers and beverages to be excluded from the gift valuation for an official who does not stay for any meal or entertainment. The value of the gift is now any specific item, other than food, presented to the official and guest accompanying the official, if the official notifies the lobbyist in writing that the official did not stay for any meal or entertainment.

The amendment provides consistency with regulation 18946.2(e), which was previously amended to exclude the value of appetizers and drinks from the value of a gift received by an official who briefly appears or drops by an invitation-only event. Prior to the amendment, the value of the gift received was limited to the actual value of the food and beverages consumed by the official and guest, along with the value of any specific item received at the event.

Image of the Seal of California courtesy of Zscout370 on Wikipedia.

Federal:

Campaign Donations by Text? Not So fast, Wireless Carriers Say

From the States and Municipalities:

Arkansas

Ethics Measure Falls Short of Signature Goal

California

Bill Would Hire Commission to Enforce County’s Campaign Finance Ordinance

California

Pass the Canapés: Now, lobbyists can serve appetizers, not report it

Colorado

Colorado Public Trustee Spending Raises Red Flags

Connecticut

Feds Indict Braddock, Claim Conspiracy Began Last Year

District of Columbia

Vast ‘Shadow Campaign’ Said to Have Aided Gray in 2010

Florida

Miramar Commissioners Approve $2,500 Stipend for Themselves

Illinois

Quinn Abolishes Legislative Scholarships

Illinois

Quinn Signs Super PAC Campaign Finance Law

New York

Cuomo Turns to Campaign Finance

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.

Following the work of New Jersey’s Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) has become easier through social media. According to a press release by Executive Director Jeff Brindle, the agency now has a presence on Facebook and Twitter. You’ll find updates about campaign finance, lobbying, and ethics news. This is probably the quickest way to keep up with meeting agendas and reporting dates.

ELEC has been maintaining a channel on YouTube since 2008 and now has  21 videos giving brief overviews of issues like lobbying, pay-to-play, and reporting.

A hat tip goes to John Schoonejongen, whose article, “You can now follow ELEC on Facebook, Twitter” in the Asbury Park Press, brought this news to our attention.

The Alaska Legislative Ethics Committee has issued an advisory opinion allowing incumbent legislators to sign pre-election pledges during re-election campaigns.

So long as the pledge is in exchange only for an endorsement or a promise of an endorsement it does not violate the Legislative Ethics Act. However, the committee also determined the signing of pre-election pledges in a quid pro quo exchange for a campaign contribution or a promise of a campaign contribution would violate the act.

Special interest groups often request candidates to take positions on certain topics by signing a pledge.

Lobbying

“Disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who spent years in prison, gets radio show for Clear Channel” by The Associated Press in The Washington Post.

Campaign Finance

“Senate Dems offer new version of DISCLOSE Act to fight Citizens United ruling” by Pete Kasperowicz in The Hill.

“Democrats push for campaign finance disclosure, again” by Tomer Ovadia in Politico.

“FEC Gridlock No Help to Obama Campaign” by Justin Worland in Roll Call.

Connecticut: “Feds indict Braddock, claim conspiracy began last year” by Mark Pazniokas in the CT Mirror.

District of Columbia: “Mayor Vincent C. Gray knew of campaign finance violations in January, sources say” by Mike DeBonis and Nikita Stewart in The Washington Post.

Montana:  “Mont. ballot initiative advocates ban on corporate money in elections” by Jessica M. Karmasek in LegalNewsline.

It will be two more years before Vermont’s campaign finance reports are available in a searchable database, according to the secretary of state’s office.

Currently, Vermont offers scanned copies of campaign finance reports online, but there is no easy way to search for donor names or contribution totals, and handwriting on the forms may be difficult to read. The secretary of state hoped that such a database would be available for the 2014 elections, but is unable to give a precise timetable or detailed costs.

Common Cause Vermont recently compiled its own searchable database for the 2010 state elections.

The Louisiana Legislature has decided not to convene a session to consider overturning Governor Bobby Jindal’s vetoes.

The veto session, which is automatically set upon a governor vetoing a bill, was scheduled for July 14. A majority of Senate members voted in writing against holding the session. A majority is required from either the House or Senate to cancel a session.

The Legislature had adjourned sine die on June 4.

Both President Obama and Gov. Romney’s campaigns have released fundraising numbers in anticipation of the July 20th deadline. For the second month in a row, Gov. Romney and the GOP outraised President Obama and DNC, bringing in $106.1 million to the President’s $71 million. The Romney campaign was helped by a $4.6 million spike in fundraising during the 24 hours following the Supreme Court’s decision on the Affordable Care Act.

President Obama’s campaign has been using the June numbers to encourage supporters to donate, sending out an urgent email claiming, “We’re getting outraised — a first for a sitting president, if this continues.” The Romney campaign reports $160 million cash on hand at the end of June. President Obama’s campaign has not yet released cash on hand numbers, but had roughly $147 million at the end of May.

Additionally, weekly claims for unemployment benefits were released Thursday, which saw a drop of 26,000 claims from the previous week’s total of 376,000 to 350,000.

Other notes from the week in politics:

• Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL) is being treated at an undisclosed facility for a mood disorder. Jackson has come under fire from fellow democrats for failing to fully disclose the circumstances surrounding his recent medical leave of absence from the U.S. House of Representatives. Jackson’s office announced June 25, that he had been on leave since June 10 to be treated for exhaustion and calls for further disclosure have come from senior congressional democrats including Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (IL) and most recently, House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (MD).

• Senator Scott Brown (R-MA) raised roughly $5 million in the second quarter, falling short of the $8.6 million raised by Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren. Brown and Warren are in a tight race for the seat formerly held by Senator Edward Kennedy. Brown reports $15.5 million cash on hand which gives him a $2 million lead over Warren who reported $13.5 million cash on hand. Recent polling shows Brown and Warren in a statistical tie at 46% each.

• Michigan Lieutenant Governor Brian Calley (R) has called for a special election to fill the seat being vacated by Rep. Thad McCotter. A primary will be held on September 5th, and the election will take place on November 6, the same day as the general election. The winner of the special election will serve the remaining two months of McCotter’s term before the 113th Congress is sworn in on January 3, 2013.

The kitchen is complete by now. There is no more noise. Today alone, I ran into three people in our recently resized dining area:

Jen and I empathized over our faltering attempts at gardening. Why is it so hard, sometimes?

Jon and I discussed Radiohead and Hilton Head. Thom Yorke is a dancing machine!

And Sarah and I talked weddings. “I’m a bridesmaid, and it’s carnival themed.”

Just through these tiny interactions, I notice myself getting more comfortable here, in my new surroundings. I feel more at ease as an intern, and I’m happy.

It seems like all that racket was worth it.

This year marks the 104^th annual meeting of the National Governors Association. The meeting will be held in Williamsburg, Virginia, from July 13 through the 15. Governors from different regions will attend to discuss leadership methods and issues regarding states.

Elizabeth Bartz, President and CEO of State and Federal Communications, Inc., will attend the meetings and listen to the distinguished speakers discuss governing approaches.

A news conference will kick off the meeting on July 13, highlighting business tactics and economic development methods. Saturday’s events consist of meetings with organizations including the Economic Development and Commerce, the Human Services Committee and the Natural Resources Committee.

The sessions on July 15 cover entrepreneurial opportunities for governors and other policy leaders. According to the NGA news website, Delaware Governor Jack Markell, vice chair of the NGA, acknowledged the importance of governors joining to make improvements.

“The annual meeting brings governors together at a bipartisan level to develop innovative and improved approaches to governing,” Markell said. “As evidenced over the past year, when we come together great things can be accomplished. I look forward to hearing about the work governors are doing in their states.”

Lobbying

Ottawa, Ontario: “Council endorses lobby registry, integrity commissioner” by Errol McGihon in the Ottowa Sun.

The Hill’s “Lobbying World” staff report.

Campaign Finance

Alaska: “Assembly to weigh resolution on campaign finance” by The Associated Press in the Juneau Empire.

District of Columbia: “Vast ‘shadow campaign’ said to have aided Gray in 2010” by Mike DeBonis and Nikita Stewart in The Washington Post.

New York:  “Cuomo turns to campaign finance” by Jimmy Vielkind in the Albany Times Union.

Pennsylvania: “SEPTA found to violate federal lobbying rules” by Mark Fazlollah in the Philadelphia Inquirer.

West Virginia: “W.Va. group wants contribution limit blocked” by The Associated Press in The Republic.

Ethics

“Panel Seated in Ethics Inquiry Into Nevada Lawmaker” by Eric Lipton in The New York Times.