January 4, 2012 •
See Us in Person!
Plan to say hello at future events where State and Federal Communications will be attending and/or speaking regarding compliance issues.
January 8-13, 2012 Public Affairs Council Institute, Laguna, Calif.
January 19, 2012 NCSL Executive Committee Meeting, Kaiwah Island, South Carolina
January 30 – February 2, 2012 National Grassroots Conference, Miami, Florida
February 25 – February 27, 2012 NGA Winter Meeting, Washington, D.C.
February 27 – March 1, 2012 National PAC Conference, Orlando, Florida
November 30, 2011 •
Elizabeth Bartz Attends NCSL Fall Forum
Advancing the States’ Agenda
State and Federal Communications President and CEO Elizabeth Bartz is attending the National Conference of State Legislatures’ Fall Forum 2011 in Tampa, Florida.
The conference runs from November 30 until December 3, 2011.
November 1, 2011 •
Tuesday News Roundup
Text messages, government transparency, legislative sessions, and judicial races
Anonymous and unsolicited text messages are being sent against democratic candidates in Virginia. Here is the Washington Post article “Anti-Democratic text messages in Northern Va. prompt lawsuit, complaints” by Anita Kumar.
Government Technology discusses the tension between the demands of government transparency and the realities of state bugdet constraints in “Transparency Demands Cost Governments Money” by Sarah Rich.
NCSL has updated their 2012 Legislative Session Calendar.
Judicial races are getting expensive. PoliticsPA.com posted “Pa. Rated as Second Costliest Judicial Elections; Candidates Weigh in” by Sari Heidenreich. Here is the recent study by the Brennan Center For Justice, “The New Politics of Judicial Elections: 2009-10” that ranks judicial elections in the states.
Photo of texting by Alton on Wikipedia.
November 1, 2011 •
See Us in Person!
Plan to say hello at future events where State and Federal Communications will be attending and/or speaking regarding compliance issues.
November 9, 2011 WASRG Summit, Washington, D.C.
November 16, 2011 American League of Lobbyists Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C.
November 19-22, 2011 SGAC Foundation Leaders’ Policy Conference, Miami, Florida
November 29-December 2, 2011 NCSL 2011 Fall Forum, Tampa, Florida
December 4-7, 2011 Council on Governmental Ethics Laws, Nashville, Tennessee
October 20, 2011 •
Thursday News Items
Lobbyists, government, social media ethics, and latest trends!
Lobbyists are prominently mentioned in this Wall Street Journal piece, “Washington Area Is Tops in Income” by Elizabeth Williamson.
NCSL published “Social media tools can pose ethical problems for lawmakers,” by Judy Nadler. The article explores the ethical considerations lawmakers face when using social media tools. The article raises the question about the types of relationships that are established on a network like Facebook by citing the example of someone running for office: “A ‘push’ was organized to add key lobbyists, government contractors and others as ‘friends.'” Nadler discusses government-using-social-media issues such as transparency, playing favorites, and the obligation officeholders have to choose the words they use online carefully.
The Fierce Government IT article, “‘Snapshots cannot accurately archive gov 2.0 content, says Navy official” by Molly Bernhart Walker, discusses the challenges posed by the need to keep a record of government presence in social media platforms.
From Federal Computer Week: A recent survey takes a look at mobile device trends in “Government workers using mobile to access social media, survey shows” by Alice Lipowicz.
NCSL blog cites the results of two surveys
NCSL’s blog The Thicket at State Legislatures put up a post yesterday that discusses where legislators turn in order to get information to help them make public policy decisions.
The blog cites two sources of information and makes a comparison. The first source is a survey by NCSL, the Council of State Governments, and the State Legislative Leaders Foundation from 2002. The second source is a book called Power, Knowledge, and Politics: Policy Analysis in the States by John Hird from 2005.
The two surveys approached the question in different ways, but according to the blog post, they came up with the same rankings. Take a look at this chart, which summarizes it with bar graphs. Interest groups and lobbyists appear in eighth place on the list.
August 18, 2011 •
Elizabeth Bartz Offers Speech at SGAC Annual Member Luncheon
Event Kicks Off Term of Office
Elizabeth Bartz was elected president of the State Government Affairs Council (SGAC) at the annual Member Business Meeting and Luncheon held in San Antonio.
She succeeds departing president Joseph Crosby for the 2011-2012 term.
In addition to our congratulations, we would like to share a video of Elizabeth’s speech at the event, which was held during National Conference of State Legislature’s 2011 Legislative Summit in San Antonio Texas:
August 18, 2011 •
Highlights from the NCSL Legislative Summit 2011
Here is a video highlighting our time at the NCSL Summit in San Antonio, Texas:
August 10, 2011 •
Elizabeth Bartz Elected President of SGAC
Luncheon Marks Officer Transition
Today at the State Government Affairs Council (SGAC) annual Member Business Meeting and Luncheon held in San Antonio, Elizabeth Bartz was elected the organization’s president for 2011-2012.
Departing President Joseph Crosby was presented the Steuben Eagle by Elizabeth Bartz in recognition for his leadership and his past year of service.
August 3, 2011 •
Remember the Alamo!
Join us next week in San Antonio!
Have you made your reservation for NCSL Legislative Summit 2011? I hope so. State and Federal Communications, Inc. will be there in full strength and ready to meet you!
This is our (lucky) 13th year attending this annual meeting of legislators and government affairs executives. The exhibit booth has been packed and is ready for the trek to San Antonio along with our computers, brochures, and our fabulous lanyards that we are resurrecting after a two-year hiatus.
This year we have six people from the company joining us. Stop by Booth 217 to see Nola Werren, John Chames, Ren Koozer, Rebecca South, Joe May, and yours truly!
Where else will you see us? Name it. We are attending the Women’s Legislative Network Executive Board meeting, Foundation for State Legislatures Board of Directors Meeting, Executive Meeting, Foundation events, and every event sponsored by State Government Affairs Council (SGAC). We will be all over San Antonio…And, you will be able to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and on our blog, www.lobbycomply.com. Joe May, our social media coordinator, is joining us this year to keep you up-to-date on the speakers (Jim Collins author of Good to Great is set to speak). Joe will also cover events and while we will miss the tour of the Alamo, we will attend the armadillo race. (Now, I assure you that is something we do not have in Akron, Ohio. Feel free to ask me about our Soap Box Derby.)
NCSL is not for the weak because we are up at the crack of dawn for a hearty breakfast and then off to meetings and booth duty. By Thursday night, we will all be ready for a fabulous dinner as we unwind from a busy week…And, thinking of what we will do in Chicago in 2012!
July 7, 2011 •
See Us in Person!
Plan to say hello at future events where State and Federal Communications will be attending and/or speaking regarding compliance issues.
July 12 -15, 2011 Social Media for Government Conference by Advanced Learning Institute, Washington, D.C.
August 8 – 11, 2011 NCSL Legislative Summit Booth 217, San Antonio, Texas
November 19-22, 2011 2011 SGAC Foundation Leaders’ Policy Conference , Miami, Florida
Here is your chance to “Ask the Experts” at State and Federal Communications, Inc.
Q. Summer is approaching and I will be attending conferences such as NCSL and ALEC. Can I pay for dinners with legislators and/or State Night events?
A. First and foremost, are you or your company registered to lobby in the state? Most states have more stringent gift laws applicable to lobbyists and lobbyist principals (Texas is the exception to this rule of thumb). The answer will also vary depending upon whether you are paying for a private dinner or sponsoring a State Night event. For example, taking a legislator to dinner, paying for cab fare or other transportation, or giving him a ticket to a ballgame are not considered part of the national conference agenda. Therefore, the normal gift limits will apply.
Many states have gift limit exceptions specifically carved out for expenditures at national conferences to which all members of the legislature are invited. State Night events are considered part of the conference agenda; therefore the gift limit exceptions will apply.
Although a State Night sponsorship may be permissible, it is important to determine if and when the expenditure must be disclosed. The reporting implications for such events range from simple aggregate disclosure to detailed reporting where the name of every legislator attending must be listed.
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.
June 1, 2011 •
See Us in Person
Plan to say hello at future events where State and Federal Communications will be attending and/or speaking regarding compliance issues.
June 16, 2011 WASRG, Washington, D.C.
June 27 – 30, 2011 BIO International Convention, Washington, D.C.
July 12 -15, 2011 Social Media for Government Conference by Advanced Learning Institute, Washington, D.C.
August 8 – 11, 2011 NCSL Legislative Summit Booth 217, San Antonio, Texas
April 6, 2011 •
Texas-sized Fun at NCSL Ohio Night!
Planning on attending NCSL and want to be involved with Ohio Night in San Antonio? Look no further.
State and Federal Communications, Inc. is overseeing the planning of Ohio Night at Biga on the Bank, next to the Westin on the Riverwalk. We will have a great space with a fabulous view to interact with the Ohio legislators attending the event. My assistant with this event is none other than Former Ohio Senate President Finan, now with Calfee Halter.
The event will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, August 10 at Biga on the Bank. If you are interested in joining, please complete the form, and we will include you in our austere group of sponsors. [Click here for Ohio Night form.]
For more information about the NCSL Legislative Summit 2011, go to their website for details.
Until next month, check out the meetings being held all over the country and plan on joining us at the event of the summer, Ohio Night at NCSL.
State and Federal Communications, Inc. provides research and consulting services for government relations professionals on lobbying laws, procurement lobbying laws, political contribution laws in the United States and Canada. Learn more by visiting stateandfed.com.
