State Senator Lou Correa is planning to introduce legislation that would make members of the public who are appointed to serve on boards subject to the state’s revolving door provision.

The legislation would require that all board members wait 12 months after terminating board service before lobbying their former colleagues.

Photo of the California Senate chamber by David Monniaux on Wikipedia.

The San Bernardino County supervisors voted to endorse a plan to limit campaign contributions at their September 27, 2011 meeting. The supervisors further voted to direct the county counsel’s office to draft an ordinance to be voted on by the supervisors at a future meeting.

The current plan would allow individuals to donate up to $3,900 per election cycle. Small contributor committees would be permitted to donate $7,800 per election cycle.

Two San Bernardino County supervisors will introduce a proposal at the Board of Supervisors meeting on September 27, 2011 which would create a law regulating political contributions for county elections.

The supervisors hope to impose and enforce limits on contributions from individuals, businesses, and political action committees contributing to county elections.

The image of the San Bernardino County Seal by Jetijones on Wikipedia.

The Riverside County Board of Supervisors will be considering a proposal today which would make electronic filing mandatory for all campaign finance reports filed by candidates and PACs.

The county registrar of voters presently has a system that allows for electronic filing; however, use of the system is optional.

The move to mandatory electronic filing is being proposed as a mechanism to increase transparency.

The Fair Political Practices Commission will hold an interested persons’ meeting on Tuesday, September 13, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. to discuss the proposed text message contribution regulation.  The commission has also issued a notice to adopt the text message regulation at a public hearing to be held on or after October 13, 2011.

The proposed regulation permits candidates and committees to raise funds through low-dollar text message contributions. For the purposes of the regulation, contributions are deemed to be received on the date that a mobile fundraising vendor, acting as an agent of the candidate or committee, obtains possession and control of the funds. Once received by the mobile fundraising vendor, contributions must be promptly reported to the candidate or committee’s treasurer or a designated agent thereof no later than the closing date of any campaign statement the candidate or committee is required to file.

For text message contributions of less than $25, candidates and committees will be required to maintain the dates and daily totals of contributions. For contributions exceeding $25 but less than $100, the proposed regulation requires that candidates and committees record the full name and street address of the contributor, the cumulative amount received from each contribution, and any information regarding an intermediary where applicable. When a contribution exceeding $100 is received, the regulation requires that the candidate or committee maintain a record of the contributor’s name and address, occupation, employer, the cumulative amount received from the contributor, and any information regarding an intermediary where applicable.

Under the proposed regulation, a contribution made by text message will be attributed to the person who is subscribed to the cell phone number from which the contribution is received.

The Fair Political Practices Commission has issued a notice to adopt two new regulations. The commission has also announced it will hold a public hearing on September 22, 2011 to consider the proposed regulations. The regulations to be considered have previously been made available for public comment and have since been revised.

The first proposed regulation to be considered modifies the reporting requirement for payments made at the behest of an elected officer which is made principally for a legislative, governmental, or charitable purpose in the aggregate amount of $5,000 or more. The regulation requires that a behested payment report be filed within 30 days of the date the payment is made. The Commission is considering whether a communication made on behalf of a charity which results in a donation is a behested payment.

The second proposed regulation would allow committees that have terminated to accept refunds from governmental entities and unexpected refunds from any other entities totaling $10,000 or less after termination of the committee. It would also permit terminated committees to transfer refunds to other committees without having to reopen the terminated committee. Refunds that are transferred to a new committee would be reported as if they had been received prior to termination and attributed accordingly when transferred to the new committee.

Original image of the Seal of the State of California by Zscout370 on Wikipedia.

California may become the first state to allow political contributions on the state and local levels to be made by text message on your smartphone. The  California Fair Political Practices Commission is behind a plan that would allow such contributions by the 2012 elections. Approval is expected by October.

The hope is that this will allow for small donations and widen the number of people who are engaged in the political process. Last December, the Federal Election Commission rejected a similar plan for federal campaigns.

Here is a Capital Public Radio recording of Commission Chair Ann Ravel talking about the idea and what regulations would need to accompany it.

Today’s San Francisco Chronicle offers “Calif. poised to OK political donations via text,” by Carla Marinucci.

Santa Clara Superior Court Judge James P. Kleinberg has issued a proposed decision striking down a San Jose law that bars campaign contributions to candidates during the 17 days leading up to an election.

The proposed decision will be finalized in August.

 
National:

State Legislative Bills Raise Conservative Group’s Profile

Federal:

Key Senator Urges Federal Investigation of Murdoch Media Company

The Influence Industry: Coming soon to a screen near you – a lobbying campaign

From the States and Municipalities:

Alabama

Legislature’s Ethics Chairs Say Referral Fees Are ‘Unquestionably Illegal’

Arizona

Arizona Lawmaker Says Pointing Gun at Reporter Wasn’t Deliberate

California

Gays Gaining Ground in State Political District Boundary Talks

Connecticut

Agency Head: Malloy’s undermining watchdogs’ fiscal autonomy

Idaho

Watchdog Group Says Idaho Should Have Stricter Lobbyist Reporting

Indiana

City Ponders Campaign-Gift Curbs

Minnesota

Full Eighth Circuit to Hear Minnesota Disclosure Law Case

Montana

High Court Sets Oral Arguments in Campaign Lawsuit

South Carolina

Campaign Reports, Fines Dog Son of Late S.C. Gov. Campbell

Tennessee

Haslam’s Office Cuts Off Hundreds from Clip Service

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The Commission will discuss “behested payments” and examine the scenario where a public official’s name is listed on the letterhead of a fundraising letter for a nonprofit organization, but neither the official nor any person on his or her staff acts as an agent to solicit donations on behalf of the official.

The commission will also discuss a proposed regulation regarding the use of text messages to raise funds through low dollar contributions.

Lastly, the commission will be discussing a proposed regulation that would allow terminated committees to receive a refund and legally transfer the refund to a new committee without having to reopen the terminated committee so long as both committees report the transaction.

Pursuant to the city of San Diego’s Election Campaign Control Ordinance, the San Diego Ethics Commission has released the final version of the 2012 Committee Manual.

The manual addresses the recent changes to San Diego’s campaign finance laws and how they will impact each type of committee required to make a report in the 2012 election year.

Assembly Bill 860 would prohibit corporations or labor unions from making contributions to a candidate for elected office. Additionally, this legislation would strengthen the state pay-to-play laws.

The bill would prohibit government contractors from making contributions to an official or candidate who is or would be elected to a position responsible for awarding a government contract to the contributor.

Finally, this bill would also prohibit any employer from using payroll deduction to fund any political activity.

Photo of the California State Capitol by Nikopoley on Wikipedia.

Under Assembly Bill 447, all committees making expenditures or receiving contributions of more than $500 would be required to file quarterly statements.

The legislation would eliminate independent expenditure reports, odd-year committee reports, and certain supplemental pre-election reports. Instead, all officers, candidates, and committees would have one pre-election report due 16 days before an election.

Late contribution reports would still be required within 24 hours of making a contribution near an election.

Photo of the California State Assembly Chamber by Lincolnite on Wikipedia.

Voters overwhelmingly approved an amendment to the city charter placing serious restrictions on the ability of those doing business or seeking to do business with the city to make campaign contributions.

The pay-to-play rule, which passed with a vote of 75 percent in favor, will prohibit anyone bidding on a contract with Los Angeles worth $100,000 or more from donating to or fundraising for city officials with the authority to approve the contract on which he or she is bidding.

Photo of Los Angeles City Hall by Brion VIBBER on Wikipedia.