July 20, 2011 •
Budget Bills Approved to Reopen Minnesota Government
Special Session Adjourns
The special legislative session called on Tuesday by Governor Mark Dayton adjourned at 3:43 a.m. Wednesday morning.
The Legislature passed 12 budget bills that were signed by Governor Dayton in order to reopen state government.
July 19, 2011 •
Minnesota Governor Calls Legislature to Special Session
Session to Address Budget Agreement
Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton has called a special legislative session to begin today at 3 p.m. for a vote on a budget agreement that would end the state’s government shutdown.
Governor Dayton stated that some state agencies could re-open as early as Wednesday if the budget agreement is finalized.
Photo of the Minnesota State Capitol dome by Mulad on Wikipedia.
July 18, 2011 •
News You Can Use Digest – July 18, 2011
Here are highlights from the latest edition of News You Can Use:
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
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.
Jim Sedor is editor of News You Can Use.
May 24, 2011 •
Minnesota Legislature Adjourns
A special session will be necessary.
The regular session of the Minnesota Legislature adjourned the evening of May 23, 2011.
A special session will be necessary to avoid a state government shutdown at the end of June, as no budget compromise was reached during the regular session.
The Governor has until June 6, 2011 to act on bills passed by the Legislature.
Photo of the Minnesota State Capitol dome by Mulad on Wikipedia.
May 17, 2011 •
Another Victory for Minnesota’s Corporate Campaign Finance Disclosure Law
Court of Appeals Affirms Lower Court Decision
The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed a decision of the District Court which upheld a new Minnesota law that revealed political donations from several corporations. The law was enacted in May of 2010 after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United freed businesses to spend corporate money on elections, overturning restrictions on corporate political spending in about half the states, including Minnesota. Minnesota lawmakers responded by enacting disclosure requirements to publicize corporate campaign spending.
In affirming the decision, the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed with claims that Minnesota’s disclosure requirements effectively prohibit corporate independent expenditures and impose burdensome regulations that inhibit free speech. The Court continued that Minnesota’s regulations are similar to laws upheld by the Supreme Court and the regulations on corporate independent expenditures are less burdensome than federal regulations on PACs.
November 9, 2010 •
Minnesota Board Releases Advisory Opinion
Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board Issues Advisory Opinion to Clarify Lobbyist Registration Requirement
The Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board issued Advisory Opinion 413 clarifying the state’s lobbyist registration requirements. The Board sought to answer whether a lobbyist is required to register multiple times when employed by an entity which consists of a parent company and a number of affiliates, including subsidiaries and joint ventures controlled by or under common ownership and control of the parent company.
Several of the affiliates have legislative and administrative interests in Minnesota, and lobbying is conducted on their behalf. The Board concluded that a lobbyist must register on behalf of each association whose interests they promote, regardless of the mechanism used to retain or direct the efforts of the lobbyists. The opinion continued that a lobbyist who represents an association such as a trade or business association is not required to register separately for each member of the association.
Photo of the Minnesota State Capitol by Mulad on Wikipedia.
September 22, 2010 •
Minnesota Disclosure Law Upheld
Minnesota Law Requiring Disclosure of Corporate Political Spending Upheld by U.S. District Court
U.S. District Judge Donovan Frank denied a temporary injunction in a lawsuit brought by supporters of Minnesota Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer, upholding a new Minnesota law that revealed political donations from several corporations. The law was enacted in May after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United earlier this year freed businesses to spend corporate money on elections, overturning restrictions on corporate political spending in about half the states, including Minnesota.
Minnesota lawmakers responded by enacting disclosure requirements so that corporate campaign spending would be public. In his decision, Judge Frank explained the public has an interest in knowing who speaks and who pays for campaign messages and advertisements as elections approach.
Photo of Tom Emmer from the Minnesota House of Representatives Web site.
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