February 12, 2015 •
Thursday News Roundup
Lobbying New Mexico: “Lobbyist Disclosure Bill Hits Snag in House Committee” by Steve Terrell (Santa Fe New Mexican) for Las Cruces Sun-News Campaign Finance Arizona: “State Office Working to Close Campaign Finance Loophole” by Howard Fischer (Capitol Media Services) for […]
Lobbying
New Mexico: “Lobbyist Disclosure Bill Hits Snag in House Committee” by Steve Terrell (Santa Fe New Mexican) for Las Cruces Sun-News
Campaign Finance
Arizona: “State Office Working to Close Campaign Finance Loophole” by Howard Fischer (Capitol Media Services) for Arizona Daily Star
Nevada: “Nevada Supreme Court Rules against Conservative Group Citizen Outreach in Campaign Flyer Case” by Riley Snider and Michelle Rindels (Associated Press) for Greenfield Daily Reporter
Rhode Island: “Rhode Island Lawmaker Arrested for Alleged Misuse of Campaign Money Resigns Leadership Post” by Jennifer McDermott and Michelle Smith (Associated Press) for Greenfield Daily Reporter
Ethics
New Jersey: “Wisniewski Seeks to End Christie’s Paid-for Travel” by Matt Friedman for Newark Star-Ledger
New York: “Political Corruption in Albany a Very Old Story” by Paul Grondahl for Albany Times Union
Indiana: “Indiana Lawmakers’ Panel Passes Ethics Reform Package” by Tony Cook for Indianapolis Star
Virginia: “Va. House and Senate Unhappily Pass Ethics Bills; Governor Awaits Deal” by Jenna Portnoy and Rachel Weiner for Washington Post
Procurement
Texas: “Ethics Bill Would Shed Light on Contracts” by Jay Root for Texas Tribune
February 11, 2015 •
Wednesday Government Relations News
Lobbying California: “Legal Clinic Immerses Aspiring Lawyers in the Political Process” by Maura Dolan for Los Angeles Times Florida: “Mayor’s Ball Draws Influential Donors” by Andy Reid for South Florida Sun Sentinel Missouri: “Ethics Bills Move Ahead in Senate, House […]
Lobbying
California: “Legal Clinic Immerses Aspiring Lawyers in the Political Process” by Maura Dolan for Los Angeles Times
Florida: “Mayor’s Ball Draws Influential Donors” by Andy Reid for South Florida Sun Sentinel
Missouri: “Ethics Bills Move Ahead in Senate, House Committee” by Rudi Keller for Columbia Daily Tribune
New Mexico: “New Mexico Lobbyists Spend on Lawmakers but Disclosure Lacks” by Sandra Fish for Las Cruces Sun-News
Campaign Finance
Arizona: “Committee: Lobbyists still can’t donate during sessions” by Julia Shumway for Arizona Republic
Illinois: “Illinois Governor Acts to Curb Power of Public Sector Unions” by Monica Davey and Mitch Smith for New York Times
Oregon: “Secretary of State Wants to Limit Campaign Spending” by Hannah Hoffman for Salem Statesman Journal
Pennsylvania: “A Section of City Code Has Money from Law Firms, Corporations Drying Up in Philly Politics” by Chris Hepp for Philadelphia Inquirer
Ethics
New York: “NY Senate Democrats: Ban outside income for lawmakers” by David Klepper and Michael Virtanen (Associated Press) for Seattle Times
Washington: “Lt. Governor Wants Change in How Ethics Are Policed” by Jim Brunner for Seattle Times
February 10, 2015 •
NY’s JCOPE Issues Report, Recommendations for Statewide Ethics Reform
On February 2, 2015, the commissioners of the Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) issued a report to the governor and the Legislature outlining requested changes to existing ethics and lobbying laws. Among their recommendations are mandatory electronic filing for […]
On February 2, 2015, the commissioners of the Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) issued a report to the governor and the Legislature outlining requested changes to existing ethics and lobbying laws. Among their recommendations are mandatory electronic filing for lobbyists and lobbyist employers, disclosure of political consulting or fundraising activities undertaken by lobbyists, assessment of financial penalties for non-compliance with audits, and barring individuals or entities from acting as lobbyists if they have repeat violations of the Lobbying Act.
The report also notes the need for a review of the Lobbying Act to ensure all forms of government advocacy, including grassroots lobbying and strategic consulting, are being captured for reporting purposes.
According to the Times Union, Gov. Cuomo said he is willing to delay budget negotiations in exchange for an ethics reform package from the Legislature, incorporating the recommendations of the JCOPE.
The entire report is available here.
February 10, 2015 •
Tuesday Lobbying and Campaign Finance News Update
Lobbying Hawaii: “Hawaii Lobbyists Fined for Failing to Register with State Ethics Commission” by The Associated Press for Greenfield Daily Reporter Minnesota: “Tomassoni Quits Range Job, Citing ‘Distractions’” by Don Davis for Duluth News Tribune Texas: “State Law Allows for […]
Lobbying
Hawaii: “Hawaii Lobbyists Fined for Failing to Register with State Ethics Commission” by The Associated Press for Greenfield Daily Reporter
Minnesota: “Tomassoni Quits Range Job, Citing ‘Distractions’” by Don Davis for Duluth News Tribune
Texas: “State Law Allows for Lobbying Deep in the Shadows of Texas” by James Drew for Dallas Morning News
Campaign Finance
California: “A Legal Use of Power: Parties funnel millions to California candidates” by Jim Miller for Sacramento Bee
Pennsylvania: “After Pennsylvania Treasurer Scandal, Pay-to-Play Law Still a Longshot” by The Associated Press for Lehighvalleylive.com
Ethics
New York: “Harassment Suit against Former Assemblyman Vito Lopez and Sheldon Silver Is Settled” by Jesse McKinley for New York Times
North Carolina: “City Panel Proposes Stronger Ethics Policy” by Steve Harrison for Charlotte Observer
Oregon: “Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber Faces Call to Resign amid Scandal over Fiancée” by Maria La Ganga for Los Angeles Times
Washington: “Free U.S. Open Tickets for Lawmakers? Ethics Board to Discuss” by Melissa Santos for Tacoma News Tribune
Legislative Issues
Idaho: “Recodification Bill Would Create New Title of State Law for Ethics, Public Records, Open Meetings” by Betsy Russell for Spokane Spokesman-Review
South Carolina: “Lawmakers Hear Calls to Change the Way SC Elects Judges” by Jamie Self for The State
Political Advertising
“Drones Fly into the Political Ad Wars” by Daniel Lippman for Politico
February 9, 2015 •
Monday News Roundup
Lobbying New Mexico: “GOP Leaders Says Former Speaker Gave Office Space to Lobbyist” by Patrick Malone (Santa Fe New Mexican) for Las Cruces Sun-News Campaign Finance “Helena-Based Campaign Finance-Tracking Group Gets Prestigious $1M Grant” in The Missoulian “Big Business Crushed […]
Lobbying
New Mexico: “GOP Leaders Says Former Speaker Gave Office Space to Lobbyist” by Patrick Malone (Santa Fe New Mexican) for Las Cruces Sun-News
Campaign Finance
“Helena-Based Campaign Finance-Tracking Group Gets Prestigious $1M Grant” in The Missoulian
“Big Business Crushed Ballot Measures in 2014” by Liz Essley White for Center for Public Integrity
“The Secret World of a Well-Paid ‘Donor Adviser’ in Politics” by Nicholas Confessore for New York Times
Illinois: “Ald. Deb Mell Hit with Complaint over Free Rent Provided by Dad Dick Mell” by Ted Cox for DNAinfo.com
Montana: “Bullock, Ankney Outline Campaign Finance Reform Bill” by Charles Johnson for Montana Standard
Utah: “Politicians May Be Giving Contributions to Charity in the Future” by Amy McDonald for Provo Daily Herald
Ethics
Arkansas: “Lawmakers Favor Expanded Ethics Panel” by Michael Wickline for ArkansasOnline.com
Hawaii: “Hawaii Ethics Commission Fines Current and Former State Workers over Free Golf” by The Associated Press for Fox News
New York: “Malcolm Smith, Ex-New York Senate Chief, Is Convicted of Corruption” by Tanzina Vega for New York Times
South Dakota: “Ethics Commission Killed by House Republicans” by Bob Mercer for Rapid City Journal
February 5, 2015 •
Thursday News Roundup
Lobbying “Top Frankfort Lobbyists Make Big Money … VERY Big” by Tom Loftus for Louisville Courier-Journal Missouri: “Ethics Amendment Sponsor Sees Little Chance for Effective Action by Lawmakers” by Rudi Keller for Columbia Daily Tribune Campaign Finance “Capitalizing on a […]
Lobbying
“Top Frankfort Lobbyists Make Big Money … VERY Big” by Tom Loftus for Louisville Courier-Journal
Missouri: “Ethics Amendment Sponsor Sees Little Chance for Effective Action by Lawmakers” by Rudi Keller for Columbia Daily Tribune
Campaign Finance
“Capitalizing on a Political Contribution Cap Hike” by Carrie Levine for Center for Public Integrity
California: “San Diego County Supervisors Put Caps on Campaign Spending” by City News Service for KPBS
Ethics
“Obama Administration Seeks to Negotiate Medicare Drug Prices” by David Morgan for Reuters
Nevada: “When Do Lawmakers’ Day Jobs Become Conflicts of Interest?” by Kyle Roerink for Las Vegas Sun
New York: “State Ethics Panel Seeks More Clout, Leeway” by Casey Seiler for Albany Times Union
New York: “New York City Councilman Arrested on Corruption Charges” by Nikita Stewart for New York Times
Oregon: “Cylvia Hayes Scandal: Kitzhaber associates helped create jobs for her that had Oregon influence in mind” by Nick Budnick and Laura Gunderson for Portland Oregonian
Pennsylvania: “After Rapid Rise, Pennsylvania Attorney General Faces Sharp Fall” by Jennifer Steinhauer for New York Times
Elections
“The Surprising Power of Blue-State Republicans” by Nate Cohn for New York Times
February 4, 2015 •
Senate Bill 2505 Takes Aim at New York Lobbying, Pay-to-Play
A bill introduced in the New York Senate would impose new reporting requirements on lobbyists and lobbyist employers, as well as limit political contributions from lobbyists and certain other persons. The bill also contains pay-to-play restrictions. Senate Bill 02505 requires […]
A bill introduced in the New York Senate would impose new reporting requirements on lobbyists and lobbyist employers, as well as limit political contributions from lobbyists and certain other persons. The bill also contains pay-to-play restrictions.
Senate Bill 02505 requires lobbyists, certain business entities, persons with ownership interests or senior level management within such entities, and family members of any of the foregoing to file campaign finance reports when making contributions to the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, comptroller, and state legislators.
The bill further limits the amount of any contribution made to any of those offices or associated political committees. The bill requires lobbyists and lobbyist employers to disclose contributions to the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, comptroller, and state legislators on their periodic reports.
Senate Bill 02505 requires state contractors with contracts totaling more than $50,000 and persons who own more than 10 percent of any business entity having such a contract, senior management personnel in such a business entity, and family members of the foregoing persons to file campaign finance reports. The bill also limits contributions from such persons to the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, comptroller, and state legislators and affiliated political committees for the duration of the qualifying contract.
Senate Bill 02505 was referred to the Senate Committee on Finance on January 28, 2015.
February 4, 2015 •
Wednesday Government Relations News
Campaign Finance North Carolina: “Audit: Elections board spent nearly $1 million for nothing” by Craig Jarvis for Raleigh News & Observer Wisconsin: “Federal Judge’s Judgment Takes John Doe Probe off Life Support” by M.D. Kittle for WisconsinReporter.com Ethics “How Did […]
Campaign Finance
North Carolina: “Audit: Elections board spent nearly $1 million for nothing” by Craig Jarvis for Raleigh News & Observer
Wisconsin: “Federal Judge’s Judgment Takes John Doe Probe off Life Support” by M.D. Kittle for WisconsinReporter.com
Ethics
“How Did Politics Get So Personal?” by Thomas Edsall for New York Times
“How and Why Retired Politicians Get Lucrative Appointments on Corporate Boards” by Maxwell Palmer and Benjamin Schneer for Washington Post
California: “California’s Top Political Ethics Cop Resigns” by Laurel Rosenhall for Sacramento Bee
New York: “Pushing Ethics Reforms, Cuomo Wants Lawmakers to Reveal Income or Lose It” by Alexander Burns and Susanne Craig for New York Times
Rhode Island: “House Will Once Again Mull Two Proposals to Restore Ethics Commission’s Authority over State Lawmakers” by Jennifer Bogdon for Providence Journal
Elections
“Measles Prove Delicate Issue to GOP Field” by Jeremy Peters and Richard Pérez-Peña for New York Times
Legislative Issues
Nevada: “Assemblyman May Be Extortion Victim, Police Say” by Ray Hagar for Reno Gazette-Journal
New York: “Heastie Is Elected Speaker of New York Assembly” by Jesse McKinley for New York Times
February 3, 2015 •
Kansas Legislature Mulls Raising Registration Threshold for Lobbyists
A new bill could increase the expenditure threshold for lobbyist registration. House Bill 2082, attempting to account for inflation, would increase the current $100 threshold to $1,000. The current law has been in place since 1975. Proponents of the bill […]
A new bill could increase the expenditure threshold for lobbyist registration. House Bill 2082, attempting to account for inflation, would increase the current $100 threshold to $1,000.
The current law has been in place since 1975.
Proponents of the bill believe it will only serve to protect private citizens from inadvertently breaking the law, while having no effect on industry lobbyists, who typically expend much larger sums.
Carol Williams, executive director of the Kansas Government Ethics Commission, presented the proposal to the House Elections Committee and was the only person to testify on the matter.
February 3, 2015 •
Lobbyist Bundling Disclosure Threshold Increases to $17,600
On February 3, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) published its price index adjustments for expenditure limitations and lobbyist bundling disclosure threshold in the Federal Register. The lobbyist bundling disclosure threshold has increased to $17,600 for 2015 from $17,300 in 2014. […]
On February 3, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) published its price index adjustments for expenditure limitations and lobbyist bundling disclosure threshold in the Federal Register. The lobbyist bundling disclosure threshold has increased to $17,600 for 2015 from $17,300 in 2014. This threshold amount is adjusted annually.
Federal law requires authorized committees of federal candidates, leadership political action committees (PACs), and political party committees to disclose contributions bundled by lobbyists and lobbyists’ PACs.
February 3, 2015 •
Changes Scheduled for Delaware’s Online Lobbyist Filing System
The electronic filing system of the Public Integrity Commission, the Public Integrity Reporting System, is being moved. As a result of the change, filers will be required to update their passwords after the system is moved. The system will be […]
The electronic filing system of the Public Integrity Commission, the Public Integrity Reporting System, is being moved. As a result of the change, filers will be required to update their passwords after the system is moved.
The system will be down for the transfer from 11:00 p.m. on February 7 to 6:00 a.m. on February 9.
The first time a filer logs in after the system is moved, he or she will be prompted to create a new password. The commission has not released the web domain of the new system but is scheduled to do so in the near future.
February 3, 2015 •
Tuesday Lobbying and Campaign Finance News Update
Lobbying Missouri: “Missouri Lawmakers’ Steady Shift to Lobbying Raises Concerns with Critics” by Jason Hancock for Kansas City Star New Jersey: “Christie’s Overseas Travel Funded by Firms That Do Business with N.J.” by Shawn Boburg and Hugh Morley for Bergen […]
Lobbying
Missouri: “Missouri Lawmakers’ Steady Shift to Lobbying Raises Concerns with Critics” by Jason Hancock for Kansas City Star
New Jersey: “Christie’s Overseas Travel Funded by Firms That Do Business with N.J.” by Shawn Boburg and Hugh Morley for Bergen Record
Campaign Finance
Montana: “State Legislative Panels Reject Campaign Finance Reform Bills” by Charles Johnson for The Missoulian
Ethics
Indiana: “Indiana Gov. Pence Walks Back State-Run Media Site” by Danielle Hayes for UPI.com
Kansas: “Kansas House Rejects Amendment to Address Private E-mail Loophole” by Bryan Lowry for Wichita Eagle
New York: “Speaker Candidate Drew Ethics Panel’s Notice” by Susanne Craig and Thomas Kaplan for New York Times
Pennsylvania: “Pennsylvania Treasurer McCord to Plead Guilty in Campaign Finance Case; Resigns Immediately” by The Associated Press for Greenfield Daily Reporter
Wisconsin: “Wisconsin’s Treasurer Wants to Cut Needless Workers, Starting With Himself” by Julie Bosman for New York Times
Elections
Massachusetts: “Statute Against Lying in Campaign Ads Faces Legal Test” by Stephanie Ebbert for Boston Globe
Legislative Issues
Texas: “Texas Lawmaker Demands Muslim Visitors Take Loyalty Oath” by Adam Lerner for Politico
February 2, 2015 •
Monday News Roundup
Lobbying Missouri: “Missouri House to Halt Committee Meetings at Country Clubs and Restaurants” by Kevin McDermott for St. Louis Post-Dispatch Washington: “Lawmakers Grouse about Free Meals Rule” by Jordan Schrader for Tacoma News Tribune Campaign Finance “National Donors Pick Winners […]
Lobbying
Missouri: “Missouri House to Halt Committee Meetings at Country Clubs and Restaurants” by Kevin McDermott for St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Washington: “Lawmakers Grouse about Free Meals Rule” by Jordan Schrader for Tacoma News Tribune
Campaign Finance
“National Donors Pick Winners in State Elections” by Ben Weider for Center for Public Integrity
New Jersey: “Auditor Finds No Pay-to-Play Conflict in N.J. Pension Investment” by Andrew Seidman for Philadelphia Inquirer
Ethics
“Amid Ethics Concerns, House Energy Chairman Drops Bill” by Tony Cook for Indianapolis Star
Massachusetts: “State Senator’s Lavish Gift Raises Concerns on Ethics” by Andrea Estes for Boston Globe
New York: “6 Days That Felled Sheldon Silver, the Speaker Who Ruled Albany for Decades” by Jesse McKinley, Thomas Kaplan, Susanne Craig, and William Rashbaum for New York Times
Elections
“Mitt Romney Decides against Running for President Again in 2016” by Philip Rucker and Dan Balz for Washington Post
January 30, 2015 •
Legislation to Implement Lobbyist Revolving Door Policy Gaining Momentum in Missouri Senate
A bill creating a revolving door for lawmakers seeking to lobby after leaving office was approved by the Senate Rules, Joint Rules, Resolutions, and Ethics Committee by a 7-0 vote. The bill requires state lawmakers to wait two years after […]
A bill creating a revolving door for lawmakers seeking to lobby after leaving office was approved by the Senate Rules, Joint Rules, Resolutions, and Ethics Committee by a 7-0 vote.
The bill requires state lawmakers to wait two years after leaving office before working as lobbyists. It also bans out-of-state travel paid by lobbyists and limits when a lobbyist can report spending on a group of legislators instead of on individual members.
If passed, the bill would have an effective date of January 2017.
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