Reaction to the leaked draft presidential executive order requiring vendor disclosure of political contributions has been increasing. A hearing was held in the House last week to examine the proposed executive order, with testimony being presented from various witnesses.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, writing on behalf of a coalition of more than 80 business groups and trade associations, has strongly protested the proposed executive order, stating, “American businesspeople should not be forced to limit the exercise of their constitutional rights under a new and oppressive regulatory scheme.”

More than 30 public-interest groups have signed a letter in support of the draft executive order, writing, “In order to keep in check actual or perceived corruption in government contracting, it is imperative that there be full disclosure of campaign contributions and expenditures by federal government contractors.”

If the draft presidential executive order were to be signed, it would be effective immediately, requiring every entity submitting offers for federal contracts to disclose certain political contributions and expenditures made within the two years prior to submission of their offer.

Photo of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce courtesy of APK on Wikipedia.

Members of the Miami-Dade Ethics Commission will have 39 applicants to choose from when replacing current Executive Director Robert Meyers, who is resigning his position after 12 years with the commission.

Included in the 39 applicants, among other professions, are two retired former Miami-Dade prosecutors, a former assistant attorney general, an assistant public defender, and a former daytime television judge.

The commission is expected to narrow the list of candidates at their upcoming meeting on May 26, 2011. After narrowing the list, interviews of the finalists will take place and a new executive director is expected to be named during the summer.

Most of us have become accustomed to offering our preferences and opinions on social networks. We have the “like” button on Facebook for the updates our friends share – pictures, news, and videos. On YouTube, you can mark a video as a favorite. You can share it, flag it, add it to a playlist, and leave your comments on it.

This week, YouTube launched YouTube Town Hall, a place where you can watch videos created by members of Congress. They are speaking on topics such as the budget, energy policy, education, health care, the economy, and the war in Afghanistan.

Like everywhere else in social media, you can weigh in your opinion “supporting” a video’s message by clicking the support button. You can also share videos with your friends. YouTube’s Town Hall page opens with the motto: “Watch the debates. Choose your side.”

The videos can be viewed in debate mode, with two videos (offering opposing messages) sitting side-by-side, or by what YouTube calls the “Leaderboard,” which ranks the videos from the ones getting top support down to the least supported.

You can even ask questions on policy. If enough people give your question a “thumbs up,” it may become one of the top-rated and selected each month to be answered by a member of Congress!

I am keenly interested to see whether this will catch on. Is this the town hall of the future? Could it reshape the way we conduct campaign debates? Let’s see!

Have a good weekend.

Governor Lincoln Chafee has sent letters to the directors of Rhode Island’s 17 quasi-public agencies requesting, among other things, they terminate non-critical contracts with lobbyists. He is also requesting any procurement activities by these agencies be open and transparent, instructing the agencies to post all procurement rules and regulations applicable to each agency’s contract practices on a public website.

Governor Chafee indicates the purpose of the letters is to help find cost reductions that are available through increased efficiency and productivity, stating, “Under my appointment authority I take very seriously the responsibility of placing highly qualified individuals who strive to ensure value in the services provided by our quasi-public agencies.”

Some of the quasi-public agencies include the Rhode Island Industrial-Recreational Building Authority, the Rhode Island Airport Corporation, and the Rhode Island Health and Educational Building Corporation.

John Cozine, Research Manager for State and Federal Communications, shared a fun fact with me today. He told me he went to Junior High and High School with Reince Priebus, the Chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC).

It is true; I saw the yearbook picture as proof. But I wouldn’t want anyone to put my Junior High picture on the internet, so I decided to opt for kindness and go with a more current photo.

Reince Priebus was elected Chairman of the RNC on January 14, 2011. You can find his blog here on the RNC website.

Photo of Reince Priebus courtesy of Wispolitics.com on Wikipedia.

The three reissued executive orders include a ban on political contributions to the mayor from the owners of companies that do business with the city, an order requiring city employees to comply with hiring oversight rules, and an order reaffirming that it is the duty of every city employee to report wrongdoing to the inspector general.

The first new executive order prohibits new appointees from lobbying city government for two years after leaving the administration, bars lower level employees from lobbying the departments or agencies in which they work, and bars appointees to boards and commissions from lobbying the board or commission on which they sit.

The second new executive order protects city employees from being pressured to give gifts or make political contributions to their superiors.

The third new executive order prohibits city lobbyists from making political contributions to the mayor.

Following a report by the Colorado Springs Gazette noting mayoral runoff candidate Steve Bach had failed to include the occupation and employer of his contributors, which is required by state law, Young informed the newspaper Bach would have to file the missing information.

Young reversed her decision the next day, however, by calling the disclosure of the information “optional” due to the fact Colorado Springs election law trumps state election law and there is no specific requirement for reporting the information on the reporting forms.

This is not the first time confusion has entered into the campaign finance requirements concerning the mayoral election. In February, candidates received conflicting information about the legality of direct corporate contributions. The Colorado Springs City Council eventually adopted a resolution permitting the contributions in order to clarify the issue.

Photo of the Colorado Springs City Hall by David Shankbone on Wikipedia.

The 8^th Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed a decision of the District Court which upheld a new Minnesota law that revealed political donations from several corporations. The law was enacted in May of 2010 after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United freed businesses to spend corporate money on elections, overturning restrictions on corporate political spending in about half the states, including Minnesota. Minnesota lawmakers responded by enacting disclosure requirements to publicize corporate campaign spending.

In affirming the decision, the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed with claims that Minnesota’s disclosure requirements effectively prohibit corporate independent expenditures and impose burdensome regulations that inhibit free speech.  The Court continued that Minnesota’s regulations are similar to laws upheld by the Supreme Court and the regulations on corporate independent expenditures are less burdensome than federal regulations on PACs.

Roll Call published an article today for those who are interested in how technology is affecting government, campaign finance, and elections. In a piece called “Members launch personal apps,” Melanie Zanona discusses how Members of Congress are beginning to embrace the use of smartphone apps. What started out as a new communication opportunity could become an important fundraising tool in the upcoming elections.

According to the article, U.S. Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio) was the first to come up with an app last year so that he could stay in touch with his constituents. It also says the past year has seen 16 Members now offering mobile apps, most of them being Republicans.

Apps are being used to give people quick access to news, voting records, to social media platforms, and to photos.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s campaign site has an app that allows people to donate to his campaign.

At the end of the article, they have a list showing the categories of apps and the names of the legislators who offer them.

Last year State and Federal Communications took part in The All-American Soap Box Derby and United Way of Summit County Corporate Derby. On a hot and sunny July day, we showed up with a fearless driver, a handy pit crew, and we built a car. I have to say it was a terrific car. Here is what happened:

Most of the staff from our office showed up at Derby Downs in Akron to cheer for Team State and Federal. We had an exciting time!

If any of our readers in the Summit County area are thinking about participating in this event, we encourage you to do it! It is a fun way to help out the United Way of Summit County and the All-American Soap Box Derby. And best of all, you get to keep the replica Soap Box car that you build! The big day will on Friday, July 15, 2011.

You can get your registration form for the event here.

The first regular session of Missouri’s 96th General Assembly adjourned the evening of May 13, 2011.

The General Assembly will reconvene for a technical session at 8:00 a.m., May 26, 2011 to last until May 30, 2011 in accordance with the constitution.

Governor Jay Nixon may sign or veto bills until July 14, 2011, and the veto session of the General Assembly is scheduled to convene on September 14, 2011.

Photo of the Missouri Capitol Building by RebelAt on Wikipedia.

This week’s Highlighted Site of the Week is the General Services Administration’s Dipity (yes, Dipity), or social timeline, for U.S. Government use of Social Media.

The first entry on the timeline, showing the very beginning of our government’s use of social media, is April 1st, 2002, when the White House Easter Egg Roll was streamed live on the internet. Other landmarks include the announcement that “Ask the White House” was first put online in April 2003, how iTunes first offered presidential speeches in July 2005, Apps for Democracy was launched in October 2008, and Data.gov was inaugurated offering the public 47 databases in May 2009.

What is the latest entry on the timeline? On April 11 the Smithsonian Institution livestreamed Ignite Smithsonian session through UStream. The broadcast was called “Citizen History: Making History with the Masses” and is archived here.

Here is an interesting article by Federal Computer Week. They reference the timeline and ask the question, “Is government adoption of social media slowing down?”

Have a terrific weekend!

The West Virginia Ethics Commission has concluded it cannot prevent an employee of the Legislature from avoiding the state’s newly passed “revolving door” ban if he changes his status from an employee to an independent contractor before the law takes effect on July 1, 2011.

Under the pending law, elected officials and certain high-ranking unelected employees will be forbidden from acting as lobbyists for one year after leaving public employment. The commission decided this law does not include independent contractors.

This decision comes after a request for an opinion by legislative counsel Donnie Adkins. The commission said it “is troubled” by the proposed maneuver but would be unable to bring him within the revolving door ban as an independent contractor.

The West Virginia Ethics Commission offers the opinion on their website.

Here is the Charleston Gazette’s coverage in the story, “Ethics loophole a cause of concern” by Phil Kabler.

RHODE ISLAND: The Providence Lobbying Disclosure Ordinance, which was to take effect May 16, will now take effect July 1. The City Council’s Committee on Finance amended the March 11 ordinance extending the time to begin the implementation of the regulations. The new ordinance requires lobbyist registration, reporting, ID badges, and penalties.

This report refers to the March 23 Lobby Comply post “Providence Creates Lobbying Registration Law” by George Ticoras.

Photo of the Providence, R.I. skyline by boliyou on Wikipedia.