Georgia lawmakers and lobbyists are adapting new gift limits to old reporting methods while the ethics commission attempts to draft rules. House Bill 142 established the first-ever limit on lobbyist spending by capping the value of a gift a lobbyist could give a lawmaker at $75.

The bill, effective January 1, 2014, has several exceptions including one to remove the $75 cap for any caucus approved by the House or Senate ethics committees.

Once approved as a caucus, the members can accept a gift greater than $75 without everyone in a caucus attending a dinner, so long as the entire group is invited. Even before committee approval, delegations and more traditional caucuses began accepting expensive meals from lobbyists, leaving lobbyists to figure out how to disclose the spending.

The Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission is still months away from unveiling rules governing the new ethics law.

Lobbying

“Bottom Line” in The Hill.

California: “Fourth client drops lobbyist firm hit with record fines” by Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times.

Washington: “Lobbyist Paid Meals Legislation Appears To Die In Washington Statehouse” by Austin Jenkins in KUOW.

Campaign Finance

“Illegal Campaign Contributions By Lawyer at Florida Law Firm” by Kent Cooper in Roll Call.

Utah: “House kills campaign donation limits bill” by Lee Davidson in The Salt Lake Tribune.

Wisconsin: “Wisconsin big business interests back campaign finance bill” by Jack Craver in The Capital Times.

Ethics

District of Columbia: “D.C. Businessman Tied to 2010 Mayoral Campaign, Federal Candidate Faces Corruption Charges” by Hannah Hess in Roll Call.

District of Columbia: “Gray knew of ‘shadow campaign,’ Thompson prosecutors say; mayor says it’s all a lie” by Ann E. Marimow, Matt Zapotosky and Paul Schwartzman in The Washington Post.

Honolulu, Hawaii: “Honolulu Ethics Director Takes His Case for More Money to City Council” by Sophie Cocke in the Honolulu Civil Beat.

Michigan: “Michigan campaign finance violation draws near-record fine for union’s actions in 2012 election” by Brian Smith in Michigan Live.

Lobbying

“Roscoe Bartlett, defense lobbyist” by Austin Wright in Politico.

“Lobbying Firm Patton Boggs Fights for Itself” by Jennifer Smith and Elizabeth Williamson in The Wall Street Journal.

Canada: “Lawmakers top lobbyists in annual hockey game” by JulieAnn McKellogg and Emily Heil in The Washington Post.

New Jersey: “Hospitals were top spenders on lobbying in 2013, report says” by Susan K. Livio in The Star-Ledger.

Wyoming: “Editorial board: Wyoming lobbyists laws too weak, unenforced” in the Casper Star-Tribune.

Campaign Finance

“Comcast spreads cash wide on Capitol Hill” by Tony Romm in Politico.

Illinois: “Lawsuit challenging campaign financing limits won’t affect 2014” by Kurt Erikson in the Herald & Review.

Iowa: “Is anonymous donating the next big thing in Iowa politics?” by Mike Wiser in the Globe Gazette.

Louisiana:  “Campaign finance bills filed for legislative session that begins March 10: List” by Dan Swenson in The Times-Picayune.

North Carolina: “Dark money comes to light” by Mark Binker in WRAL News.

Utah: “Senate panel endorses campaign finance reform bills” by Dennis Romboy in the Deseret News.

Ethics

California: “California Legislature considers ethics reform bills” by Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times.

New York: “Assemb. William Boyland guilty on all counts” by John Riley and Anthony M. Destefano in Newsday.

South Carolina: “Book’s sale at park shops needles Sheheen campaign” by Rudolph Bell in The Greenville News.

West Virginia: “Bill would change ethics commission” by Phil Kabler in the Charleston Gazette.

Wisconsin: “Controversial election bills find little support in state Senate” by Matthew DaFour in the Wisconsin State Journal.

Legislative Sessions

Virginia: “Bills of note that passed in the 2014 General Assembly session” by The Associated Press in The Loudoun Times.

Government Tech and Social Media

Minnesota: “Minnesota Announces Civic Tech Legislation” by Sam Roudman in TechPresident.

West Virginia: “Onlookers often rely on social media for session updates” by Mandi Cardosi in The State Journal.

National:

Outrage Over Sexist Remarks Turns Into a Political Fund-Raising Tool

New York Times – Amy Choziak | Published: 2/27/2014

With a record number of women in Congress and dozens more on the ballot, gender-charged attacks – stoked by the growth of social media and small-dollar Internet donations – can generate campaign contributions in an instant. In the past few months, Republicans have likened Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Alison Lundergan Grimes to an “empty dress” and referred to a pregnant woman as a “host.” Democrats blast these comments out to supporters to build voter lists and drum up donations.

Federal:

Democrats Embrace Super PACs, but Some Fear Lack of Focus on Midterm Elections

Washington Post – Matea Gold | Published: 2/28/2014

There is now a near-universal view among top donors and strategists that the Democratic Party needs its own super PACs to compete with the growing role such groups are playing on the right. But there are disagreements over how to use the independent organizations. Some say Priorities USA Action and other groups that can accept unlimited contributions are too focused on the 2016 presidential race and a potential Hillary Clinton candidacy, even as Democrats face a costly, uphill fight this year to retain a thin Senate majority and gain seats in the House.

Group Close to Obama Says It Erred on Donation

New York Times – Nicholas Confessore | Published: 3/4/2014

Organizing for Action, a political advocacy group backed by President Barack Obama, said its executive director set up a White House meeting for a businessperson entangled in a lawsuit with a federal agency, who then pledged to raise $100,000 for the group one day after the meeting. The organization also said on three occasions its fundraisers or other employees had tried to steer potentially controversial donations to allied liberal groups that did not disclose their donors.

From the States and Municipalities:

California – Senate Dems to Propose New Limits on Gifts, Fundraising

Sacramento Bee – Laurel Rosenhall | Published: 3/5/2014

Countering a series of scandals, California Senate Democrats plan to propose sweeping changes to the Political Reform Act, including stricter limits on accepting gifts and campaign contributions. Sources said the legislation will cut roughly in half the $440 annual limit on gifts to elected state officials, and prohibit candidates from holding political fundraisers at the homes of lobbyists.

Colorado – Critics See Proposed Ethics Commission Cue as Bad Medicine

Colorado Independent – John Tomasic and Tessa Cheek | Published: 3/2/2014

A bill that aims to fix the Colorado Independent Ethics Commission comes as the number of complaints filed with the panel continues to grow. House Bill 1258 seeks to bolster protections for state employees who are brought before the commission. It would ensure they are provided with tax-paid legal counsel and have the right to sue individual members of the commission for damages. Critics say the measure would do more harm than good.

Colorado – First and Only Director of Colorado Ethics Commission Steps Down

Denver Post – Lynn Bartels | Published: 3/1/2014

Colorado Independent Ethics Commission Executive Director Jane Feldman has submitted her resignation, effective at the end of March. Complaints about the commission have led to legislation being introduced this session. That would affect its operations.

Florida – Special Interests Pay Their Way onto Florida’s Legislative Agenda

Bradenton Herald – Mary Ellen Klas (Miami Herald) | Published: 3/3/2014

Many of the decisions about what issues make the agenda of Florida’s 2014 legislative session have already been made, in large part due to special interest groups and a torrent of money flowing into the coffers of legislative political committees. Longtime lobbyist Bob Levy said money has always been a major part of what happens in Tallahassee, but the difference is the number of zeroes. “It existed then, but it was $50,000; today it’s $500,000,” said Levy.

Missouri – Small Number of Donations Fuel Missouri Political Spending

St. Louis Post-Dispatch – Walker Moskup | Published: 3/3/2014

From 2011 to 2013, more than half of the money raised by Missouri campaign committees – about $67 million – came from donations of $5,000 or more. Those larger donations represent about three percent of the total number of contributions. The absence of contribution limits in the state exacerbates the reliance on mega-donors, said Missouri State University professor George Connor.

Pennsylvania – D.C.-Based Democratic ‘Super PAC’ Sues to Remove Pa. Law Blocking it from Getting Corporate and Union Money

Harrisburg Patriot-News – Matt Miller | Published: 3/3/2014

A Washington, D.C.-based super PAC filed a lawsuit asking a federal judge to void a Pennsylvania law that is blocking its efforts to raise funds from corporations, associations, and unions in the state. The General Majority PAC contends the U.S. Constitution and a Supreme Court ruling grant it the right to solicit money from those sources to finance its political message during Pennsylvania’s legislative races this year.

Utah – Free Lunches, Receptions Abound for Utah Legislature

Salt Lake Tribune – Lee Davidson | Published: 3/3/2014

While events featuring free food remain a popular way to attract Utah lawmakers to hear lobbying pitches, they appear to be changing. The number of free lunches, which are expensive for sponsors, dropped by nearly half this year. Less-costly receptions nearly doubled. Still, special interests do not see free “wining and dining” disappearing any time soon. That is too bad, say groups who cannot afford that style of lobbying.

Virginia – Va. Moves to Tighten Ethics Rules, But Not Too Much

Washington Post – Michael Laris | Published: 3/1/2014

The Virginia House and Senate have passed different bills that address ethics reform. They will work on a compromise as the legislative session draws to a close, but neither bill addresses key loopholes. Lawmakers said it was more difficult than they expected to make far-reaching changes, in part because as they got into the details, they became concerned that imposing tough provisions could end up inadvertently criminalizing their own honest mistakes.

Wisconsin – Wisconsin Senator Seeks to Allow In-Session Lobbyist Checks

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel – Patrick Marley | Published: 3/4/2014

Recently introduced bills in Wisconsin would exempt political groups behind issue ads from disclosing donors and allow lobbyists to funnel donations to candidates. Senate Bill 655 would allow lobbyists to provide contributions on behalf of others to elected officials at any time. The bill also would move up the date on which lobbyists can personally give campaign contributions from June 1 to April 15 of election years.

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.

Lobbying

“K Street gears up for Hillary” by Kevin Bogardus in The Hill.

“Groups Try to Mute the Comcast Lobby | K Street Files” by Kate Ackley in Roll Call.

Louisiana: “Former Jindal aide Rainwater looks to lobbying, consulting” by Michelle Millhollon in The Advocate.

New Jersey: “Lobbying expenditures climbed over $60 million in 2013, report finds” in PolitickerNJ.

Campaign Finance

“New Challenges to Campaign Finance Regulation” opinion piece by David Friedman in The Stanford Daily.

New York: “Women stump for campaign finance reform” by Casey Seiler in the Capitol Confidential.

Wisconsin: “Walker says he’s not focused on Republican bills affecting campaign donations, spending” by Scott Bauer (Associated Press) in The Republic.

Ethics

California: “Senate Democrats proposing revamp of campaign, gift laws” by Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times.

Campaigns and Elections

“Thought the Senate map was set?” by Jessica Taylor in The Hill.

“2014 Governors Races: A Look at the Too-Close-to-Call Contests” by Louis Jacobson in Governing.

South Carolina: “Cheers! SC Bill Aims to Lift Booze Ban on Election Day” by Drew MacKenzie in Newsmax.

Procurement

“Bringing Innovation to Procurement” by Justin Brown in Government Technology.

Lobbying

“Lobbying World” in The Hill.

Kentucky: “Ethics Reporter: First month of session sees one-month record of $1.9 million for lobbyists” by the Kentucky Ethics Commission in KY Forward.

Wisconsin: “Wisconsin senator seeks to allow in-session lobbyist checks” by Patrick Marley in the Journal Sentinel.

Campaign Finance

Illinois: “Rauner’s $6 million sets record in Illinois governor race” by Rick Pearson in the Chicago Tribune.

Wisconsin: “State Senators introduce campaign finance legislation” by Andrew Hahn in The Daily Cardinal.

Ethics

“Former FEC General Counsel Retruns to Battle” by Kent Cooper in Roll Call.

California: “Scandals cost California Democrats supermajority in Senate” by Jessica Calefati in the Contra Costa Times.

Elections

“Texas 2014 Primary Election Results” in the Texas Tribune.

The Board of Supervisors has adopted a Lobbyist Ordinance to regulate any person who contacts certain county officials with the purpose of promoting, supporting, modifying, opposing, or causing delay or abandonment of conduct. Ordinance No. NS-19-42 regulates contract lobbyists, in-house lobbyists, lobbying firms, and expenditure filers who influence policy without directly contacting officials.

Legislative, procurement, and grassroots activity is covered by the ordinance, which specifically provides for the possibility a political action committee will qualify as an in-house lobbyist.

Registration and disclosure forms will be available when the ordinance becomes effective on March 27, 2014.

Lobbying

“Bottom Line” in The Hill.

“Wyden’s rise starts K Street bidding war” by Megan R. Wilson and Kevin Bogardus in The Hill.

“Hollywood’s Top Lobbying Group Is Sponsoring CPAC” by Nikki Schwab in U.S. News & World Report.

Campaign Finance

Florida: “More Ads in Florida Push Independent Expenditures above $7.5 million” by Kent Cooper in Roll Call.

Ethics

California: “California lawmakers report meals, sports tickets, other gifts” by Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times.

New Jersey: “Port Authority chairman hit with ethics complaint by NJ Working Families Alliance” by Steve Strunsky in The Star-Ledger.

Vermont: “Vermont House working on ethics rules” by Nancy Remsen in the Burlington Free Press.

Congress

“Snow Delays Senate Votes for Another Day” by Niels Lesniewski in Roll Call.

State Legislative Sessions

Florida: “A viewers’ guide to the 2014 Florida Legislature session” by Steve Bousquet in the Miami Herald.

Kansas: “Kansas lawmakers taking a break from session” by The Associated Press on KAKE News.

Utah: “Nine days remain in productive legislative session” by Billy Hextra in the Daily Herald.

Wyoming: “Bill on special legislative session to deal with fallout from Supreme Court decision dies” by Bob Moen (Associated Press) in The Republic.

Elections

Texas: “What to Watch in the Texas Primary” by Ross Ramsey in Governing.

Virginia’s lack of gift laws has been thrown into the spotlight recently with the federal indictment of former Gov. Bob McDonnell. McDonnell became embroiled in scandal after accepting gifts worth thousands of dollars from Star Scientific CEO Jonnie Williams. While state law required all gifts of more than $50 to be disclosed, there was no limit on what a public official could accept from any donor. Williams also gave gifts to McDonnell’s wife and daughters; these gifts went undisclosed because state law does not require gifts to officials’ family members to be disclosed.

The national attention on Virginia has turned the tide in favor of ethics reform. Several ethics bills filed before the session convened on January 8 have now been incorporated into Senate Bill 649. This comprehensive bill prohibits gifts of more than $250 from lobbyists, requires reporting of gifts to immediate family members, changes lobbyist reporting from annual to semiannual, and establishes the Virginia Conflict of Interest and Ethics Advisory Council, a newly created legislative agency tasked with facilitating compliance with the state’s ethics laws. The bill passed the Senate on February 10 and the House of Delegates with a substitution and amendments on February 26, but the Senate rejected the House’s amended bill on February 28.

While it remains to be seen whether the General Assembly will pass ethics reform before it adjourns on March 8, newly sworn-in Gov. Terry McAuliffe took swift action to ensure his administration would not face the same ethical issues as McDonnell’s had. On his first day as governor, McAuliffe signed Executive Order 2, which prohibits the acceptance of gifts in the executive branch exceeding $100 per calendar year. The order became effective immediately upon his signature. Gifts from lobbyists and principals are now restricted to $25. The order does allow for some exceptions, such as excluding items of $25 or less from the definition of gift. It also allows the receipt of certain items while engaging in an activity serving a legitimate public purpose, such as food and refreshments served at certain events.

Q. My company is planning to get more engaged on the local level. What are some things I need to consider?

A. There are many considerations for a company prior to engaging on the local level. To ensure you are in compliance while interacting with municipal officials, it is important to check whether the municipality has a lobbyist registration ordinance, gift rules, or a pay-to-play ordinance. These provisions, if present, will impact your ability to engage with municipal officials. Requiring lobbyists to register on the municipal level is a quickly emerging trend throughout the U.S. This trend is not just impacting individuals who engage in what is generally regarded as lobbying, but also affecting permitting, sales, and other business functions.

For example, in San Jose, California, lobbying includes attempting to influence the proposal, drafting, development, adoption, recommendation, or approval of any contract, permit, license, or hiring action. The proliferation of these types of provisions has made it such that applying for a building permit, attempting to contract with the state, or even attempting to influence the selection of a candidate to be hired may be considered lobbying depending on the jurisdiction and the circumstances. The broad application of lobbying ordinances in municipalities merits attention and consideration prior to engaging to ensure registration is completed if needed.

An additional consideration is whether your company belongs to any trade associations with a lobbying presence in the municipality. Trade associations can help facilitate introductions to key players. However, you must still pay attention to the lobbyist registration threshold. It is a common misconception that being in the presence of a registered lobbyist negates an individual’s registration requirement. This is very rarely the case and should not be relied upon as a general rule. For more information about local level lobbying, please visit our website, www.stateandfed.com.

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.

Lobbying

“Lobby shop strikes gold with Wyden hire” by Megan R. Wilson in The Hill.

“Comcast now a $19 million lobbying powerhouse” by Todd Shields, Stephanie Green and Laura Litvan (Bloomberg News) in the Chicago Tribune.

“David L. Cohen quite influential without being a ʹlobbyistʹ” by Jonathan Tamari in The Inquirer.

“Shadow lobbying spends three times more than traditional lobbying” in the AG Beat.

Massachusetts: “Lobbying Spending Increases Dramatically” by The Associated Press in WGBH.

Massachusetts: “Review: Mass. health lobby spent $100M since 2007” by Steve LeBlanc (Associated Press) in the Boston Globe.

New Mexico: “New Mexico Debates New Lobbyist Rules” by Liz Farmer in Governing.

Campaign Finance

“Supreme Court disrupted by protest over campaign finance ruling” by Al Kamen in The Washington Post.

“Hidden camera footage surfaces of Supreme Court debate” by Mario Trujillo in The Hill.

“Coming Soon from SCOTUS: Campaign Finance and Affirmative Action” by Damon root in Reason.

“Facing 140,000 Comments, Treasury Braces for IRS Hearing, Legal Fight” by Eliza Newlin Carney in Roll Call.

California: “Identity of Campaign Finance Scandal Informant Revealed” by Wendy fry on NBC 7 San Diego News.

Florida: “Why this Florida congressional race is one of the most expensive ever” by Amber Phillips in The Denver Post.

Florida: “Political campaign fundraisers lose the frills” by James L. Rosica in The Tampa Tribune.

Missouri: “Former St. Louis alderman fined for using campaign funds for personal use” by Nicholas J.C. Pistor in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Pennsylvania: “D.C.-based PAC sues, saying Pa. can’t ban campaign contributions” by Kate Giammarise in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Texas: “Interactive: Campaign Finance Viewer for March Primaries” by Ryan Murphy and Travis Swicegood in The Texas Tribune.

The Feds

“Washington-Area Federal Offices Are Closed Monday” by Kellie Lunney in Government Executive.

Ethics

Colorado: “Critics see proposed ethics commission cure as bad medicine” by John Tomasic and Tessa Cheek in the Colorado Independent.

Colorado: “Director Jane Feldman leaves Colorado Ethics Commission” by Lynn Bartels in The Denver Post.

South Carolina: “Ethics reform bill heads back to SC House without changes to legislative oversight of members” by The Associated Press in The Republic.

National:

In Some States, gaming Industry Consultants Double as Gambling Regulators

Las Vegas Review-Journal – Hannah Dreier (Associated Press) | Published: 2/23/2014

As more cities and states embrace legalized gambling across the country, private companies are being hired to write regulations and vet casinos, even as the same firms work the other side of the fence, helping casinos enter new markets and sometimes lobbying for their interests. Letting consulting companies with deep ties to the gambling industry decide how casinos are run is a significant departure from how established gambling states, including Nevada and New Jersey, do things.

Federal:

Where Have All the Lobbyists Gone?

The Nation – Lee Fang | Published: 2/19/2014

January records show spending on federal lobbyists decreased for the third consecutive year, and the number of registered lobbyists dropped to the lowest level since 2002. Despite word if its demise, some experts believe lobbying is not becoming extinct; it is only going underground. The combination of a loophole-ridden law, meager enforcement efforts, and a sophisticated strategy permitting third parties to develop faux-grassroots campaigns, as well as White House executive orders that dissuaded lobbyists from registering, all combined to collapse the system designed to track federal lobbying.

From the States and Municipalities:

California – California State Sen. Ron Calderon Indicted on Corruption Charges

Fresno Bee – Laurel Rosenhall (Sacramento Bee) | Published: 2/21/2014

California Sen. Ron Calderon was charged with accepting $100,000 in bribes, lavish trips, and no-show jobs for his children in exchange for pushing legislation to benefit a hospital engaged in billing fraud and participating in a film industry tax scheme that actually was an FBI sting. Calderon’s brother, Tom, a former state lawmaker-turned-lobbyist, was charged with money-laundering for funneling bribes through a tax-exempt group he controlled.

California – Lobbyist Kevin Sloat’s Penalty Falls Short, Ex-Employee’s Lawyer Says

Los Angeles Times – Patrick McGreevy and Paige St. John | Published: 2/20/2014

The California Fair Political Practices Commission signed off on a $133,500 fine for lobbyist Kevin Sloat, who made improper campaign contributions to elected officials. The attorney whose lawsuit triggered the investigation, criticized the commission for not addressing other allegations. The suit said Sloat and his firm arranged free golf games for lawmakers at a course run by a client, helped legislators get sports and concert tickets, and assisted one state Assembly member in buying art at a deep discount.

Connecticut – Federal Grand Jury Probes GOP Contracts

Connecticut Post – Ken Dixon and Neil Vigdor | Published: 2/21/2014

Lawmakers say they believe federal authorities are trying to determine whether any Connecticut House Republicans were pressured to use a particular company for their political campaign mailings. Federal subpoenas show the FBI wants to see contracts and correspondence between the House Republicans and two direct mail companies that have been used by the caucus members and the caucus’ PACs.

Georgia – Ethics: The ghost of Legislatures past

Georgia Public Broadcasting – Jeanne Bonner | Published: 2/20/2014

Georgia lawmakers attended a joint question and answer session to straighten out growing confusion about how to abide by the law that lobbyists’ spending on individual legislators to $75 per expenditure. Critics and supporters alike say it contains exceptions that may undermine the intent to rein in lobbyists’ power. The state ethics commission probably will not issue guidelines on complying with the law until this summer.

Hawaii – Lobbyists Would Have to Disclose More Details on Political Spending

Honolulu Civil Beat – Nathan Eagle | Published: 2/25/2014

Hawaii lawmakers are advancing legislation this session that would require lobbyists to account for the money they are spending by breaking it into categories that show how much goes toward food, entertainment, gifts, loans, and other areas. A separate bill aims to make lobbying disclosure reports available in a timelier manner, particularly after a special legislative session.

Minnesota – Bill Seeks to Undo Senjem’s Loosening of Gift Ban

Rochester Post-Bulletin – Heather Carlson | Published: 2/25/2014

During the last legislative sessionin Minnesota, a campaign finance bill was successfully amended to allow lawmakers and legislative employees to attend receptions thrown by lobbyists without having to pay for food and drinks. It does require that all 201 lawmakers be invited and given at least five days’ notice. Now, state Rep. Ryan Winkler has sponsored a bill to reinstate a ban on the practice.

Missouri – Ethics Bills Draw Little Praise from Missouri Lawmakers They Would Regulate

St. Louis Post-Dispatch – Virginia Young | Published: 2/26/2014

Members of the Missouri House General Laws Committee agreed the state needs to update its ethics laws, but were divided on how to do it and how far an overhaul should go. The committee considered several proposals, including ones that would require limits on campaign contributions and lobbyist gifts.

New Jersey – Bergen County Freeholders Tighten Limits on Political Donations by No-Bid Contractors

Bergen Record – John Ensslin | Published: 2/20/2014

Bergen County freeholders approved a “pay-to-play” bill that will drastically lower the amount of money contractors can donate to county political parties. The freeholders passed a resolution that will lower the allowed contribution from no-bid county contractors from $5,200 to $2,000. The move represents a reversal of a 2013 measure that softened restrictions during a critical election year for both parties and led to criticism from watchdog groups.

Oregon – Oregon Secretary of State’s Website is Back Up and Running

Salem Statesman Journal – Hannah Hoffman | Published: 2/24/2014

Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown announced her department’s online systems – the Central Business Registry and ORESTAR, the state’s online campaign finance reporting system – are back up and running after being shut down for nearly three weeks following a security breach. Brown said a grace period has been established for political campaigns filing overdue reports, with fines for late transactions being waived.

Pennsylvania – Council Committee OKs Private Gifts of Up to $99 in Value to City Workers

Philadelphia Inquirer – Bob Warner | Published: 2/24/2014

A Philadelphia City Council committee gave initial approval to specific limits on the value of gifts that city workers can accept. The city’s five-decades-old gift law had never sets limits on the value of gifts that city workers, including elected officials, can receive. The ordinance would allow city employees to annually accept noncash gifts worth up to $99, even from people with official business before them.

Utah – Utah Legislature: Vote up or down – conflict or not

Salt Lake Tribune – Lee Davidson | Published: 2/24/2014

Utah and Oregon are the only two states where lawmakers cannot abstain and are required to vote even if they have a major conflict-of-interest on a bill. Utah Rep. Jim Nielson has introduced legislation to allow lawmakers to abstain or vote “present.” But he does not expect it to go far. In part, that is because leaders see conflicts as natural in a citizen Legislature, and they worry that creating more pressure to declare them and skip votes could get out of hand. Ethics reformers say a better system is needed.

Virginia – House Passes Ethics Bill with ‘Turkey Dinner Amendment’

The Daily Progress – Marcus Schmidt (Richmond Times Dispatch) | Published: 2/26/2014

The Virginia House passed a Senate ethics reform package. Senate Bill 649, which is almost identical to a proposal a House committee hammered out over several weeks, puts a $250 cap on gifts from lobbyists and anyone with business before the state, and it creates an ethics advisory council that will oversee and update Virginia’s financial disclosure system. Del. C. Todd Gilbert said he expects both bills to be dealt with in conference committee before one broad proposal heads to Gov. Terry McAuliffe.

Washington – State Legislators’ Financial Disclosures Fall Short

Seattle Times – Jim Brunner | Published: 2/22/2014

Although Washington frequently gets high marks from national open-government groups, some experts say one area where the state is lagging is in the personal financial disclosure by public officials. There are other flaws in the state’s disclosure system that leave holes in the public’s understanding of the financial affairs of their elected officials. As a result, some lawmakers file erroneous or confusing reports that go uncorrected unless spotted by political opponents, journalists, or activists.

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.

Lobbying

“Tax plan sends shockwaves down K Street” by Vicki Needham in The Hill.

“Movie Industry, In a Switch, Is Courting the GOP” by Brody Mullins and Ben Fritz in The Wall Street Journal.

“Former software lobbyist tapped for trade post” by Julian Hattem in The Hill.

“Patton Boggs begins new merger talks” by Megan R. Wilson in The Hill.

“‘Card check’ victors reap little reward” by Kevin Bogardus in The Hill.

“Buying alpha: Here’s the easiest way to stock gains” by Jeff Cox on CNBC.

Missouri: “Who bought lawmakers’ lunch? Lobbyist splits hairs” by Virginia Young in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

New Mexico: “N.M. lobbyists spent $200K on dinners, golf, skiing” by The Associated Press on KFDA News.

New York: “Mayor Accepted Lobbyist Money, Amid Improper Payments” by Jeff Preval on WGRZ.

Campaign Finance

Connecticut: “New campaign finance law sparks debate” by Isabelle Taft in the Yale Daily News.

West Virginia: “Campaign finance bill dies in the House” in the West Virginia Metro News.

Ethics

Alabama: “‘Clean’ ethics legislation passes in Senate” by Kala Kachmar in the Montgomery Advertiser.

Virginia: “House passes ethics bill with ‘turkey dinner amendment’” by Markus Schmidt in the Times Dispatch.

Campaigns, Conventions, and Elections

“And the finalists for the GOP convention are ….” by Rebecca Shabad in The Hill.

“Practitioner’s Toolbox: One Political Startup’s Efforts To Engage Potential Supporters Online” by Sarah Lai Stirland in TechPresident.

Arkansas: “Ark. House committee approves lt. gov. bill” by The Associated Press in the San Francisco Chronicle.

From the State Legislatures

Tennessee: “Bill would give Tennessee Legislature power over attorney general” by Todd South in the Times Free Press.

West Virginia: “Lawmakers push dozens of bills before deadline” by Jonathan Mattise (Associated Press) in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

Lobbying

“Lobbying World” in The Hill.

“Lobbying is booming under Obama. Here’s why.” by Jeremy Slevin on MSNBC.

“Who Says There Are No Second Acts in Politics?” by Jordan Michael Smith in Politico.

“Lobbyist drafts bill to ban gays from NFL” by Rebecca Shabad in The Hill.

“Firm disowns lobbyist selling anti-gay bill” by Mike Lillis and Rebecca Shabad in The Hill.

“More downsizing at Patton Boggs” by Megan R. Wilson in The Hill.

Virginia: “Report: Va commerce secretary broke lobbying rule” by The Associated Press in The Washington Post.

Campaign Finance

“Worse Than it Looks? How to Depict Big Money in Politics.” by Ciara Torres-Spelliscy in the Brennan Center for Justice Blog.

Louisiana: “Louisiana politicians who owe $908,000 in fines for campaign finance violations: List” in The Times-Picayune.

Pennsylvania: “New Website Design Aims to Make Campaign Finance Reports Easier to Find” by Deanna Garcia in WESA/NPR News.

Utah: “Bill would impose fine for late campaign finance reporting” by Dennis Romboy in Deseret News.

Political Advertising

Rhode Island: “R.I. panel proposes repealing law banning anonymous, negative campaign literature” by Philip Marcelo in the Providence Journal.

Ethics

Missouri: “Missouri lawmakers divided on ethics law process” by Jordan Shapiro (Associated Press) in the Connecticut Post.

Missouri: “Ethics bills draw little praise from Missouri lawmakers they would regulate” by Virginia Young in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.