The Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission announced they are postponing until further notice the meeting scheduled for Tuesday, July 12, 2011.
Information concerning a new meeting date will be provided on the Commission website once the date is determined.
Questions concerning the postponement of the meeting may be directed to Lisa M. Dentler, Confidential Secretary, by calling (404) 463-1980.
July 5, 2011 •
News You Can Use Digest – July 5, 2011
Here are highlights from the latest edition of News You Can Use:
Federal:
Colbert Declares Victory at FEC
FEC Limits Lawmakers’ Fundraising for Super PACs
From the States and Municipalities:
Alabama
Gambling Trial Highlights Fees Paid to Legislators
Arizona
Justices Strike Down Arizona Campaign Finance Law
Florida
Judge Strikes Down Florida Campaign Finance Matching Law
Illinois
Jury Finds Blagojevich Guilty of Corruption
Massachusetts
Massachusetts
Special Education Director Said to Siphon $10 Million
Missouri
Missouri Lawmakers Eat for Free
Nevada
Tougher Nevada Campaign Money Laws Come into Play
New York
New Contribution Rule Limits Assignments to Elected Judges
Oklahoma
Oklahoma Ethics Commission Reprimands NRA Lobbyist
Wisconsin
Wisconsin Justices in Altercation
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.
Jim Sedor is editor of News You Can Use.
July 1, 2011 •
Happy Fourth of July!
All of us at State and Federal Communications would like to wish you a wonderful Fourth of July weekend!
July 1, 2011 •
More News from the States
News from Five State Legislatures
DELAWARE: The 146th Delaware General Assembly concluded its first regular session June 30, 2011.
IOWA: The Iowa General Assembly adjourned sine die.
NEW HAMPSHIRE: The New Hampshire Legislature adjourned June 30, 2011.
OREGON: The 2011 regular session of the Legislature adjourned sine die on June 30, 2011. Governor John Kitzhaber has 30 days, excluding Saturdays and Sundays, to act upon any bill he receives within the last five days of the session, or the legislation becomes law without his signature.
RHODE ISLAND: The Legislature’s 2011 regular session recessed today. Any bills submitted to Governor Lincoln Chafee must be signed or vetoed by July 10. There is no pocket veto.
July 1, 2011 •
State and Federal Communications Celebrates an Anniversary!
July 1, 2011 marks our 18th year.
State and Federal Communications is marking 18 extraordinary years of serving our clients. We are having a party in the office today, complete with decorations and ice cream.
We even have a video to mark the occasion:
July 1, 2011 •
Highlighted Site Of The Week – Fun American History Facts
Are you an American history junkie? Do you like learning little known facts about our nation’s history and about our founding fathers? Or are you just looking for something to do while you take a little break from work?
This week’s Highlighted Site Of The Week, American History Fun Facts, provides information on subjects like the American Flag, American Recipes, and Our Founding Fathers.
Did you know:
Grover Cleveland excluded the promise “to obey” from the traditional wedding vows when he married Frances Folsom at the White House on June 2, 1886?
Or:
It wasn’t until 1804 that the first formal Independence Day celebration took place at the White House.
You can learn even more facts if you visit the Fun Fact Back Issues provided by this website which provides a variety of topics that you can learn about.
If you want to know which presidents were nicknamed “His Roundity” or “His Accidency”, you can visit the Presidential Nicknames page of this website and learn who the holders of those less than flattering nicknames were as well as the nicknames attached to other past presidents and the nicknames that have already been attributed to President Obama.
This site is a fun way to kill a little bit of time while still learning something about the United States of America.
Have a great weekend everyone!
July 1, 2011 •
Ask the Experts – What to Know If You’re Not Registered
Here is your chance to “Ask the Experts” at State and Federal Communications, Inc.
Q. I am a lobbyist but am not registered in a jurisdiction because I mainly use outside counsel and do not meet the registration threshold. Should I be concerned with any reporting requirements or other restrictions?
A. Yes, you need to be familiar with the jurisdiction’s reporting requirements. Even if you do not surpass a registration threshold, your activities may require disclosure. In Pennsylvania, a principal/company is required to report pro-rata compensation and expenses paid to non-lobbyists if they engage in lobbying activities, yet remain under the $2,500 per quarter registration threshold. Though you never engage in direct lobbying, preparation, or strategic planning with your lobbying firm, it may be reportable.
Verify the reporting of political contributions in your jurisdiction. If you are not a registered lobbyist, you may still have responsibility for directing how political contributions are distributed. Vermont, for example, requires political contributions to be disclosed on an employer’s report.
Finally, be aware of gift restrictions. You may believe it is permissible to take a public official to lunch or for a cup of coffee because you are not registered in the jurisdiction. In Massachusetts, a person not registered as a lobbyist may only provide gifts valued at less than $50 to a state, county, or municipal employee. If your company is registered as a lobbyist employer in the jurisdiction, gift restrictions may be applicable to all employees. Michigan only allows a lobbyist employer to provide gifts in a month which are valued at $55 or less. Expenditures which are reimbursed are attributable to the company in all instances. Whether these expenses require reporting will vary.
You can directly submit questions for this feature, and we will select those most appropriate and answer them here. Send your questions to: marketing@stateandfed.com.
(We are always available to answer questions from clients that are specific to your needs, and we encourage you to continue to call or e-mail us with questions about your particular company or organization. As always, we will confidentially and directly provide answers or information you need.) Our replies to your questions are not legal advice. Instead, these replies represent our analysis of laws, rules, and regulations.
June 30, 2011 •
FEC Allows Limited Federal Candidate Solicitations for Independent Expenditure-Only Political Committees
Colbert’s PAC Prevails Too
The Federal Election Commission issued two advisory opinions today, including one allowing federal candidates to solicit contributions for independent expenditure-only political committees (IEOPC) up to $5,000.
In AO 2011-12 revised draft A, which was approved unanimously by the six commissioners, the FEC held solicitations by federal candidates are restricted to the applicable “limitations, prohibitions, and reporting requirements” of 2 U.S.C. §441i(e)(1)(a). While an IEOPC may accept unlimited contributions, the commission held the law still restricts the contribution amount a federal candidate may solicit. Therefore, although federal officeholders and candidates, and officers of national party committees cannot solicit unlimited contributions for an IEOPC, they may still make solicitations within the monetary strictures of the amended Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971.
The advisory opinion also concluded federal officeholders and candidates, and national party officers, may attend, speak at, and be featured guests at fundraisers held by an IEOPC, even when unlimited contributions are simultaneously being solicited from corporations, individuals, and labor organizations. The federal candidate would have to restrict their personal solicitation at the event to the amounts limited by the law.
A second advisory opinion was also issued granting Viacom a press exemption from reporting expenses as contributions, with some exceptions, for its employee Stephen Colbert’s new political action committee, which Mr. Colbert intends to use a vehicle for commentary on the current state of campaign finance.
June 30, 2011 •
After the FEC Open Meeting
Colbert Gives a Statement to the Press
Elizabeth Bartz offers a few more pictures from after Stephen Colbert’s appearance at the Federal Election Commission’s open meeting today:
June 30, 2011 •
Legislative News from the States
Sessions in Alaska, Maine, and Texas adjourn
ALASKA: The Legislature’s second special session ended with the Senate adjourning sine die on June 27 and the House adjourning sine die on June 28.
MAINE: The Maine Legislature adjourned sine die June 29, 2011.
TEXAS: The Texas Legislature adjourned their special session on Wednesday, June 29, 2011. Barring another special session, the Legislature will not meet again until January, 2013.
June 30, 2011 •
Elizabeth Bartz Attending the FEC Open Meeting
Live from the FEC and Stephen Colbert is there, too!
Elizabeth Bartz, President and CEO of State and Federal Communications is attending the Federal Election Commission Open Meeting where Stephen Colbert will be answering questions about his super PAC. You can follow her tweets covering the event at @ElizabethBartz. Be sure to follow Dan Backer’s @DBCapStrategies tweets – he is also covering the event.
There is a live broadcast of the FEC Open Meeting here.
Elizabeth Bartz tweets: “We are starting. Mr. Colbert’s request is first. Then there will be a break so people can leave.”
Here are a few pictures she took while waiting for and from inside the event:
June 29, 2011 •
Providence Lobbyist Registration Delay
City Accepting Information by E-Mail
Providence, Rhode Island will not have its online portal set up for lobbyist registrations by July 1, the date the new city local lobbying ordinance takes effect. However, the City Clerk will accept e-mail registrations containing the name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, and lobbyist’s employer’s identification.
No registration fee will be due or accepted until the online portal becomes available. After the online portal becomes available, the City Clerk will contact individuals to complete the registration process.
The registration information can be e-mailed to astetson@providenceri.com.
June 29, 2011 •
Social Media, Democracy, and Campaigns
An article reports the results of a panel discussion hosted by the Center for Technology Innovation.
Darrell West, Vice President and Director of the Brookings Institution’s Governance Studies published the following article: “Ten Ways Social Media Can Improve Campaign Engagement and Reinvigorate American Democracy” on June 28.
In it he reports the findings of a panel discussion regarding how social media can have an effect on American politics , especially concerning campaigns, elections, and civic participation.
You can find video coverage or an audio file of the event at the event’s media page, or you can read some of the tweets from the event.
June 28, 2011 •
West Virginia to Review Public Funding Program
Secretary of State Tennant will discuss the issue with the governor and attorney general.
In response to the U.S. Supreme Court decision which struck down Arizona’s public funding matching system, West Virginia Secretary of State Natalie Tennant has indicated that West Virginia will review its own public funding program.
West Virginia’s public funding program, approved by lawmakers in 2010, is set to begin with a pilot project involving two state Supreme Court seats up for election in the 2012 general election. West Virginia’s law would give candidates who opt into the program more state money as spending by their opponents or independent expenditures by third parties increased.
Tennant has stated that she plans to meet and discuss this issue with Governor Earl Ray Tomblin and Attorney General Darrell McGraw.
Photo of Natalie Tennant courtesy of Natalie Tennant on Wikipedia.
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.
