The Lobbyist Registry for the city of Burlington, Ontario, Canada has officially gone live on the city’s website this month.

A new lobbying law, passed on October 19, 2021, requires consultant lobbyists, in-house lobbyists, and voluntary unpaid lobbyists to file a registration with the City Clerk within 10 days after entering into an undertaking to lobby. Only one registration needs to be filed for each undertaking even though a lobbyist may, in connection with the undertaking, communicate or arrange meetings with more than one public office holder on more than one occasion.

The new legislation defines lobbying as meaning any communication with a public office holder by an individual who represents a business or financial interest with the goal of trying to influence legislative action. In turn, the law defines legislative action as the development, introduction, passage, defeat, amendment or repeal of a bylaw, motion, resolution, or the outcome of a decision on any matter before the City Council or a Committee of the Council. A lobbyist is required to file a return updating any change in their registration within 10 business days of the change taking place. The subject matter registration will be closed once lobbying is complete or within 12 months of the lobbying commencing, whichever is sooner.

The new Lobbyist Registry is available at https://www.burlington.ca/en/your-city/lobbyist-registry.asp.

Sometime in January of 2022, the city of Burlington, Ontario, Canada expects to have its new electronic Lobbyist Registry webpage available to the public.

The city’s new lobbying law, passed on October 19, 2021, requires consultant lobbyists, in-house lobbyists, and voluntary unpaid lobbyists to file a registration with the City Clerk within 10 days after entering into an undertaking to lobby. Only one registration needs to be filed for each undertaking even though a lobbyist may, in connection with the undertaking, communicate or arrange meetings with more than one public office holder on more than one occasion.

The new legislation defines lobbying as meaning any communication with a public office holder by an individual who represents a business or financial interest with the goal of trying to influence legislative action. In turn, the law defines legislative action as the development, introduction, passage, defeat, amendment or repeal of a bylaw, motion, resolution, or the outcome of a decision on any matter before the City Council or a Committee of the Council.

A lobbyist is required to file a return updating any change in their registration within 10 business days of the change taking place. The subject matter registration will be closed once lobbying is complete or within 12 months of the lobbying commencing, whichever is sooner.

The Puerto Rico Department of Justice released a lobbyist registry on its website, as required by Executive Order 2019-031, to establish a code of transparency for all agency heads in the executive branch.

The lobbyist registry is part of an automatic slideshow on the main page of the Department of Justice site.

There are two separate links: one to conduct a search in the registry and the other for lobbyists to register.

However, lobbyists have not yet been featured on the registry webpage.

The Puerto Rico Innovation and Technology Service and the Department of Justice indicated they are working to publish the content.

The Puerto Rico Department of Justice plans to launch its digital Lobbyist Registry platform this week to regulate interactions with government agencies.

The launch is pursuant to former Gov. Ricardo Rosselló’s executive order.

Executive Order 2019-031 provides that any person who carries out any lobbying activity before a government agency must register with the Lobbyists Registry and provide a sworn statement with the clients he or she represents before the Government of Puerto Rico.

Additionally, the lobbyist must disclose the businesses in which he or she has roles in either through shares or professional service contracts.

The executive order also calls for the creation of a transparency code prohibiting all executive branch cabinet members from participating in any type of meeting with any person who engages in lobbying and not registered in the Lobbyist Registry.

The Government of Yukon is seeking public input for development of a mandatory lobbyist registry.

On August 6, the government issued a news release stating proposed legislation would cover both consultant and in-house lobbyists. The voluntary public survey is hosted by the Yukon Bureau of Statistics and is available until September 4. The survey is available online or on paper, by request. All public input remains confidential in accordance with the Statistics Act (Yukon).

If legislation concerning lobbying passes, Yukon would become the first Canadian territory with a lobbyist registry. Currently, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut also do not have lobbying laws. The federal government and all provinces in Canada have lobbyist registries.

A new system is expected to replace Alberta’s outdated lobbyist registry as early as November. The current system moves slowly, is incompatible with certain internet browsers, and does not produce accurate search results.

Lobbyists will need to create new accounts and re-register when the new system opens, as data from the old registry will not be imported. Migrating existing lobbyist data over to the new system would have been more expensive.

Kent Ziegler, the Office of the Ethics Commissioner’s chief administrative officer, believes it is better to start from scratch to ensure accuracy.

Premier Brian Gallant has again questioned a long running delay in implementing a lobbyist registry in the province. The Legislative Assembly in New Brunswick passed the Lobbyists’ Registration Act in May but, in order to take effect, the cabinet must first proclaim the act and promulgate regulations for its operation.

The act is similar to the federal government and other provinces in requiring lobbyists to register publicly, disclose who they represent as well as who they meet with and what topics are discussed.

It has been seven years since Premier Shawn Graham first initiated a push for a law regulating lobbyists.

Lobbying

“Lobbyists prepare for government shutdown” by Byron Tau in Politico.

“Lobbyists swoop in to defend investor visas” by Kevin Bogardus in The Hill.

Hamilton, Ontario: “Lobbyist registry delayed again” by Matthew Van Dongen in The Spec.

Campaign Finance

“Lobbying, Campaign Finance, and IRS Reports Keep Moving During Shutdown” by Kent Cooper in Roll Call’s Political MoneyLine Blog.

“House Members Shut Down Gov’t. Money Going Out, But Not Contributions Coming In” by Kent Cooper in Roll Call’s Political MoneyLine Blog.

“The Next Citizens United?” by Richard Hasen in Slate.

“The case for eliminating contribution limits” by Ann W. Herberger in Campaigns & Elections.

“Top U.S. political donors in 2012 among country’s richest men” by Gabriel Debenedetti in Reuters.

Alaska: “APOC: No immediate action on complaint against Stiver” by Sam Friedman in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

Maryland: “Maryland’s new laws at a glance” by John Wagner in The Washington Post.

Ethics

FEC: “Not ‘essential’: Shutdown would hit FEC hard” by Dave Levinthal in The Center for Public Integrity.

Georgia: “Ethics commission to ask for special investigator” by The Associated Press in the Athens Banner-Herald.

Ohio: “Son of indicted donor’s lawyer works for Mandel” by Joe Vardon in The Columbus Dispatch.

Government Tech and Social Media

“Government Social Media Feeds Will Go Dark During a Shutdown” by Joseph Marks in Nextgov.

Elections

Ohio: “Ohio lawmaker’s election reform bills include voter ID requirement, reduced early-voting times” by Jeremy Pelzer in The Plain Dealer.

Pennsylvania: “Challenge to Pennsylvania’s voter ID law not affected by Justice Dept. lawsuit against N.C.’s law” by Jan Murphy in The Patriot-News.

Lobbying

Ottawa, Ontario: “Council endorses lobby registry, integrity commissioner” by Errol McGihon in the Ottowa Sun.

The Hill’s “Lobbying World” staff report.

Campaign Finance

Alaska: “Assembly to weigh resolution on campaign finance” by The Associated Press in the Juneau Empire.

District of Columbia: “Vast ‘shadow campaign’ said to have aided Gray in 2010” by Mike DeBonis and Nikita Stewart in The Washington Post.

New York:  “Cuomo turns to campaign finance” by Jimmy Vielkind in the Albany Times Union.

Pennsylvania: “SEPTA found to violate federal lobbying rules” by Mark Fazlollah in the Philadelphia Inquirer.

West Virginia: “W.Va. group wants contribution limit blocked” by The Associated Press in The Republic.

Ethics

“Panel Seated in Ethics Inquiry Into Nevada Lawmaker” by Eric Lipton in The New York Times.