The Alaska Senate adjourned the fourth special session on November 10.

However, on November 13 the House majority coalition announced plans to hold technical sessions until the special session ends November 21.

A technical session will force the Senate to hold similar sessions because one body cannot adjourn without the other.

Lawmakers passed a criminal justice reform bill despite warnings from the Alaska Department of Law and ACLU that the measures are unconstitutional.

According to the American Civil Liberties Union (A.C.L.U.) and New York Civil Liberties Union (N.Y.C.L.U.), Attorney General Eric Schneiderman will not enforce certain provisions of the ethics law passed in 2016.

Specifically, Schneiderman is holding off on enforcing provisions of the New York Executive Law related to charitable lobbying donations (N.Y.E.L §172-e, f) until a federal lawsuit is decided. Schneiderman and officials from the Joint Commission on Public Ethics are both listed as defendants in the lawsuit filed by the A.C.L.U. and N.Y.C.L.U.

Plaintiffs contend the law requiring 501(c)(3) charities to disclose all their donors who contributed more than $2,500 to a substantial lobbying campaign run by an issue-oriented 501(c)(4) is unconstitutional and they are seeking an injunction prohibiting enforcement the ethics law.

Lobbying

“The Lobbying Reform That Enriched Congress” by Isaac Arnsdorf for Politico

Arizona: “Arizona Governor Fires State’s Contract Lobbyists” by Yvonne Wingett Sanchez for Arizona Republic

Missouri: “Aldermen Vote Down Measure Banning Lobbyists on the Floor” by Rachel Lippmann for St. Louis Public Radio

Campaign Finance

“‘Feel Bern’ PAC Comes Under Scrutiny” by Megan Wilson for The Hill

Arizona: “Drive to Expand Public Campaign Financing Fizzles” by Mary Jo Pitzl for Arizona Republic

Georgia: “Atlanta City Councilman Faces Hundreds of Campaign Finance Allegations” by Maggie Lee for Creative Loafing

Ethics

Hawaii: “ACLU Lawyer to Be State Ethics Chief” by Rui Kaneya for Honolulu Civil Beat

New York: “Operative Tied to Cuomo Is Accused of Bribing Judge to Get Favorable Rulings” by Vivian Yee for New York Times

Campaign Finance

“House Votes to Protect ‘Dark Money’ Political Donors” by David Morgan for Reuters

Arizona: “FBI Questions Former Utility Regulator, APS, Corporation Commission” by Ryan Randazzo for Arizona Republic

Connecticut: “Agency Approves Settlement That Would End Probe of Democrats’ Spending On Malloy Re-Election” by Jon Lender for Hartford Courant

Ethics

New Jersey: “Emails Appear to Show Christie Was Told About Political Activities of His Office” by Matt Friedman and Ryan Hutchins for Politico

Rhode Island: “No Moratorium as Ethics Bill Advances in R.I.” by Jennifer Bogdan for Providence Journal

Elections

“A New Phase for Trump’s Media War” by Niall Stanage for The Hill

“Two Years Ago, Eric Cantor Lost His House Seat. Was It Just in The Nick of Time?” by Roxanne Roberts for Washington Post

District of Columbia: “Vincent Gray Wins D.C. Council Seat, Makes Political Comeback” by Aaron Davis and Fenit Nirappil for Washington Post

Ohio: “ACLU Sues Cleveland Over Republican National Convention Protest Rules” by Andrew Tobias for Cleveland Plain Dealer

A Federal District Court denied a preliminary injunction request demanding the Federal Election Commission (FEC) not enforce a law prohibiting individuals with federal contracts from making political contributions to federal candidates or political parties.

In Wagner v. Federal Election Commission, filed in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, the Court rejected challenges to the constitutionality of section 441c of Title 2 of the U.S. Code, which prohibits any vendors with contracts with the federal government from making such contributions.

The case, brought by the ACLU, asked the Court to declare the law unconstitutional as applied to individuals who have personal services contracts with federal agencies. Because federal workers who are not contractors may make federal political contributions, while contractors performing the same work may not, the suit argued section 441c violates both the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution and the First Amendment.

In denying the preliminary injunction request, the Court concluded the plaintiffs do not have a likelihood of success on the merits of their claims.

Individuals with federal contracts should be allowed to make political contributions to federal candidates or political parties, a lawsuit filed yesterday by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) argues.

The suit, Wagner v. Federal Election Commission, filed in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, challenges the constitutionality of section 441c of Title 2 of the U.S. Code, which prohibits any vendors with contracts with the federal government from making such contributions.

According to its press release, the ACLU is asking the Court, on behalf of the three named plaintiffs, to declare the law unconstitutional as applied to individuals who have personal services contracts with federal agencies. Because federal workers who are not contractors may make federal political contributions, while contractors performing the same work may not, the suit argues section 441c violates both the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution and the First Amendment.

Photo of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia courtesy of the Court’s website.