State and Federal Communications is proud to be a founding member of the Greater Akron Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals Network (YPN).

As a consistent supporter of the city of Akron and the economic growth of the region, State and Federal Communications is strengthening its commitment by becoming a part of the Chamber’s re-launch of this valuable program.

According to the chambers website, “The Greater Akron Chamber is committed to making an impact on the retention and attraction of talent in the greater Akron area. We believe that by connecting our region’s YPs to each other and to our community, we will be better able to accomplish that goal. The mission of the YPN is to attract and retain talent to the Greater Akron region by connecting the next generation of leaders to each other and to the community.”

The YPN hosts quarterly networking events as well as programs geared towards personal and professional development. By offering benefits available exclusively to YPN members and opportunities to take ownership in the community, the program will support a new crop of leaders and strengthen the economic development of the greater Akron area.

State and Federal Communications is proud to be a part of the Greater Akron Chamber of Commerce, and a founding member of the Young Professionals Network.

Jon Spontarelli is a member of the Young Professional Network and the primary contact from State and Federal Communications.

Elizabeth Bartz, President and CEO of State and Federal Communications, was a presenter at the National Summit on Strategic Communications in Washington, D.C. yesterday.

The session was “Lobbying and Advocacy: Winning Strategies for Changing Times.” According to the conference agenda, the discussion consisted of the following:

“Thousands of political players, representing various causes, lobby on issues through diverse and fluid factions. Some research suggests that these factions often cancel each other out and prevent disruptive swings in public policy. Yet, this is no reason for organizations to step away from political involvement. As agencies and governments struggle with growing needs for services and large budget cuts, companies will be expected to play an even greater role in addressing society’s problems and advocating for solutions.”

The panel featured Elizabeth Bartz and Story Partners Chairperson Gloria Story Dittus, and was moderated by Tim Flaherty, Principal at Booz Allen Hamilton.

Campaign Finance

Federal: “Md. lawmakers take on political spending spree” by John Fritze in the Baltimore Sun.

Vermont: “Vermont lawmakers work to unravel Citizens United ruling” by Nicole Gaudiano in the Burlington Free Press.

Missouri: “St. Louis attorney pleads guilty in campaign donation scheme” by Virginia Young in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Lobbying

“Courting the White House: Don’t call it lobbying” by Anna Palmer and Abby Phillip in Politico.

“White House Opens Door to Big Donors, and Lobbyists Slip In” by Mike Mcintire and Michael Luo in The New York Times.

“Is dialoguing lobbying?” by Donovan Slack in Politico.

California:  “The lobbyists’ bumbles and foibles” by Ray LeBov in Capitol Weekly.

Federal:

Democrats Give Special Interests a Role at Convention

Lobbyists Push Congress to Toughen Rules for Their Industry

White House Abandons Push for Federal Contractors to Disclose Political Giving

From the States and Municipalities:

Alaska

Commission Nominee Withdraws after Racism Accusation Revived

Arkansas

Ethics, Campaign Finance Reform Measure Inspired by Occupy Movement

California

L.A. County Supervisors Campaign for Funds in Lightly Contested Races

Georgia

Gifts Continue to Rain on Lawmakers

Indiana

Union Says Right-to-Work Law Violates Free Speech

Massachusetts

House May Pull PR, CEOs, Communications Specialists into Lobbying Definition

Michigan

Wayne Co. Ethics Rules Get Mixed Welcome

Missouri

Former Missouri Governor Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering

New Mexico

New Charges Filed against NM Town’s Mayor-Elect

Ohio

Josh Mandel, Ohio Treasurer, Sent Top Aide to Beginner’s Course

South Carolina

Ethics Commission Probes Haley’s Campaign Finances

Washington

Ex-Evergreen Instructor Who Owes $119,000 for Ethics Violations Has Disappeared

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.

Florida: “In wake of ‘Taj Mahal’ scandal, Florida Supreme Court approves new lobbying rules for judges” by Lucy Morgan in the Tampa Bay Times.

Florida: “Florida Supreme Court to judges: No lobbying” by Lucy Morgan in The Miami Herald.

Georgia: “Georgia ethics commission goes easy on late campaign reports after change in process” by Walter C. Jones in The Florida Times-Union.

Idaho: “Retiring ID Rep. lands at lobbying, marketing firm” by The Associated Press in the Idaho Statesman.

Kansas:  “Corporations drop memberships in ALEC, which has strong ties to Kansas Legislature” by Scott Rohtschild in the Lawrence Journal-World.

Maryland: “Campaign Finance Transparency Measures Pass General Assembly” by Megan Poinski in Southern Maryland Online.

Massachusetts: “House may pull PR, CEOs, communications specialists into lobbying definition” by Colleen Quinn in the Boston Herald.

Georgia: “Gov. Deal still has 3 pending ethics complaints” by the Morris News Service in the Augusta Chronicle.

Missouri: “Former Missouri governor, St. Louis attorney indicted in campaign contributions case” by Robert Patrick in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

South Carolina: “Ethics Commission to hear 7 allegations against Haley” by Gina Smith in The State.

North Carolina: “John Edwards gambles on NC jury to avoid prison” by Michael Beisecker (Associated Press) in the Seattle Post Intelligencer.

North Carolina: “Edwards campaign repays taxpayers $2.1 million” by Michael Beisecker (Associated Press) in Bloomberg Businessweek.

South Carolina: “State Ethics Commission probing SC Gov Haley campaign finances, sets July hearing” by Meg Kinnard (Associated Press) in The Republic.

Texas: “Texas Ethics Commission report disappoints some good government activists” by Mark Lisheron on TexasWatchdog.org.

The General Assembly adjourned Monday at midnight following a tense debate that failed to pass a revenue plan needed to avoid hundreds of millions of dollars in budget cuts.

Democratic legislators say they will ask Governor Martin O’Malley to call a special session for more time to work on the revenue package and other measures.

The governor would not say whether he planned to call for a special session.

Photo of the Maryland State House by Thisisbossi on Wikipedia.

Following a board meeting, American League of Lobbyists President Howard Marlowe announced the group has approved rules that would require more people to register as lobbyists, as well as other transparency measures.

For full news coverage, be sure to read: “Lobbyists OK Lobbying Reform Proposals”by Andrew Joseph in the National Journal.

According to the National Journal: “The reforms, more than a year in the making, include lowering the registration thresholds, mandating that lobbyists who work for state and local governments or religious organizations register, and shifting enforcement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office to the Justice Department.

The plan would require a person who spends 10 percent of their time lobbying to register as a lobbyist, down from the current 20 percent threshold. And it lowers the number of paid lobbying contacts a lobbyist can have per quarter before registering from two to one. The proposal also shortens the registration window from 45 days to 20 days and would require all lobbyists to undergo ethics training and attend a refresher course every five years.  The proposal preserves exemptions for citizen lobbyists.”

Here is the American League of Lobbyists press release.

Also read: “American League of Lobbyists suggests new rules” by Abby Phillip in Politico.

“American League of Lobbyists Announces Tougher Lobbying Rules” by Andrew Ramonas in The Blog of Legal Times.

Elizabeth Bartz, President and CEO of State and Federal Communications, appears in the April 2012 issue of Akron Life magazine. The publication is featuring a special supplement honoring the American Heart Association’s ninth Go Red for Women campaign.

What is Go Red for Women, you ask?

According to their site, “Cardiovascular disease claimed the lives of nearly 500,000 American women each year, yet women were not paying attention. In fact, many even dismissed it as an ‘older man’s disease.’ To dispel the myths and raise awareness of heart disease as the number one killer of women, the American Heart Association created Go Red For Women – a passionate, emotional, social initiative designed to empower women to take charge of their heart health.”

Elizabeth Bartz is one of the Circle of Red Members – women who are leaders in their community, each offering resources, time, and influence to find a cure for heart disease. She is quoted, “I go red for my mom, my sisters, my daughter, my aunts, my cousins, and all of my friends.”

For those of you in Northeast Ohio, find a copy of Akron Life magazine. The Go Red for Women feature will inspire you!

Jeff Brindle, Executive Director of the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC), has renewed efforts calling for campaign finance reform, specifically concerning political contributions from contractors.

In a press release detailing public contractors’ political contributions for 2011, ELEC’s analysis concludes that while contractors are making fewer contributions directly to candidates, they are making substantially more contributions to PACs.

Director Brindle states, “In some cases, contractors may be evading the intent of pay-to-play restrictions and contribution limits by giving indirectly through these PACs. That is why the Commission has recommended making it harder for one candidate or group to establish multiple, affiliated PACs.”

Director Brindle also reiterates the Commission’s recommendation to adopt a single statewide pay-to-play law. Previous LobbyComply blog posts discusses the earlier recommendations can be found here and here.

“State Dept. competition expands horizons of social networking” by Jared Serbu on Federal News Radio.

“5 Best Practices for Open Local Government” by Noelle Knell in Government Technology.

“Study: Social Media Has Mixed Impact on Elections” by John P. Mello, Jr. in PC World.

“Government Dashboards – Measuring Performance” by Vivienne Kamphaus on Govloop.

“What the Feds are Twittering Right Now” from Nextgov.

New York City, NY: “City to Install ‘Smart Screens’ in Some Public Phone Booths” by Matt Flegenheimer in The New York Times.

“White House abandons push for federal contractors to disclose political giving” by Mike Lillis in The Hill.

“F.C.C. Pushes for Web Site on TV Political Ad Spending” by Brian Stelter in The New York Times.

“Limits on Lobbyists as Hosts? Simply Unworkable, They Say” by Robert Pear in The New York Times.

“FEC Ruling Leaves Ad Uncertainty” by Eliza Newlin Carney in Roll Call.

Arkansas: “Campaign Finance Reform in Arkansas Enters a New Phase” by KARK 4 News.

Maryland: “Lobbyist scores a ‘scoop’ of sorts” by Michael Dresser in The Baltimore Sun.