February 12, 2016 •
Public Hearing Scheduled to Discuss Changes to Columbus, OH Ethics Laws
Columbus City Council President Zach Klein will hold a public hearing on proposed ethics legislation on Wednesday, February 17, 2016. The proposed changes enhance transparency and accountability for lobbyists, strengthen ethics disclosure laws, and amend campaign finance reporting requirements. Public […]
Columbus City Council President Zach Klein will hold a public hearing on proposed ethics legislation on Wednesday, February 17, 2016. The proposed changes enhance transparency and accountability for lobbyists, strengthen ethics disclosure laws, and amend campaign finance reporting requirements.
Public testimony will be accepted. Comments will be limited to three minutes. Those wishing to comment must fill out a speaker slip at Columbus City Hall on the day of the hearing.
February 10, 2016 •
Cleveland City Council Raises Campaign Contribution Limits for Local Candidates
Cleveland City Council voted Monday, February 8, to increase campaign contribution limits for mayoral and council candidates. After much debate, the Finance Committee agreed on a $5,000 annual limit from individuals and a $7,500 annual limit from political action committees […]
Cleveland City Council voted Monday, February 8, to increase campaign contribution limits for mayoral and council candidates.
After much debate, the Finance Committee agreed on a $5,000 annual limit from individuals and a $7,500 annual limit from political action committees giving to mayoral candidates. Individual contributions to council candidates were capped at $1,500 annually, with PAC contributions limited to $3,000.
The ordinance passed with three council members voting against it.
Photo of the Cleveland skyline by Eric Drost in Wikimedia Commons.
January 26, 2016 •
Cleveland City Council to Consider Raising Campaign Contribution Limits
Cleveland City Council President Kevin Kelley wants to raise the limits on political contributions in order to offer challengers a fair fight against incumbent candidates with established war chests. Individual and PAC contributions to mayoral candidates would be capped at […]
Cleveland City Council President Kevin Kelley wants to raise the limits on political contributions in order to offer challengers a fair fight against incumbent candidates with established war chests. Individual and PAC contributions to mayoral candidates would be capped at $10,000 per calendar year. The current city ordinance permits just $1,000 from individuals and $2,000 from PACs. The proposed legislation would also increase contribution limits for council candidates up to $1,500 from individuals and $3,000 from PACs.
Critics argue the proposal would allow special interests to buy influence at City Hall. Kelley, however, believes $10,000 is not enough money to make a mayor feel beholden to a donor. Considering most Ohio cities have no campaign contribution limits, Kelley suggests a higher limit is still better than no limit at all.
The legislation will be discussed at the Finance Committee meeting on Wednesday, January 27, and will likely be up for passage the same night.
Photo of Cleveland City Hall by Stu Spivack on Wikimedia Commons.
January 7, 2016 •
Columbus Mayor Proposes New Lobbying and Campaign Finance Ordinances
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther has proposed three new ordinances providing for an increase in lobbying oversight and gift disclosure, additional campaign finance disclosure, and the hiring of an inspector general. Columbus City Council is expected to hold a public hearing […]
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther has proposed three new ordinances providing for an increase in lobbying oversight and gift disclosure, additional campaign finance disclosure, and the hiring of an inspector general. Columbus City Council is expected to hold a public hearing on the proposals in the coming weeks and to vote on them by late February.
With the lobbying proposal, Ginther wants the city to establish a new lobbyist registry to track the activity of lobbyist vendors seeking contracts with the city. Additionally, lobbyists would be required to disclose expenditures made on elected officials and department directors.
Photo of Mayor Ginther by David Paul on Wikimedia Commons.
November 3, 2015 •
Gov. Kasich Sets Special Election to Fill Boehner’s Seat
Ohio Gov. John Kasich set a special election for June 7, 2016, to fill the seat of former U.S. House Speaker John Boehner. A primary will be held March 15, the same day as the state’s presidential primary. Interested individuals […]
Ohio Gov. John Kasich set a special election for June 7, 2016, to fill the seat of former U.S. House Speaker John Boehner. A primary will be held March 15, the same day as the state’s presidential primary.
Interested individuals have until Dec. 16 to file candidacy petitions with the Butler County Board of Elections.
October 12, 2015 •
Columbus Mayoral Candidate Proposes New Ethics Plan
Columbus mayoral candidate Andrew Ginther recently proposed a plan for new ethics rules for lobbyists and elected officials. His plan would amend the definition of lobbyist and expand lobbyist reporting requirements. Elected officials would be required to report all gifts […]
Columbus mayoral candidate Andrew Ginther recently proposed a plan for new ethics rules for lobbyists and elected officials. His plan would amend the definition of lobbyist and expand lobbyist reporting requirements. Elected officials would be required to report all gifts received as well as participate in annual ethics training. The plan would also require additional disclosure in city campaign finance filings beyond the requirements already set by state law.
Ginther, president of Columbus City Council, faces Franklin County Sheriff Zach Scott in the November election; Scott also has a plan for tightening restrictions on lobbyists and proposing gift rules.
September 25, 2015 •
United States Sixth Circuit Upholds District Court Ruling Regarding Contributions to Ohio Judicial Candidates
The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals denied Ohio Supreme Court candidate Colleen O’Toole’s motion for a preliminary injunction to enjoin enforcement of an Ohio Code of Judicial Conduct Rule 4.4(E). This rule imposes restrictions on when a judicial campaign committee […]
The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals denied Ohio Supreme Court candidate Colleen O’Toole’s motion for a preliminary injunction to enjoin enforcement of an Ohio Code of Judicial Conduct Rule 4.4(E). This rule imposes restrictions on when a judicial campaign committee may solicit and receive campaign contributions. Judicial candidate committees for 2016 may begin soliciting and receiving contributions no earlier than 120 days before the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March and may continue to accept contributions until 120 days after the general election.
O’Toole’s campaign committee claims the rule violates the First Amendment by restricting political speech and it violates the Fourteenth Amendment by treating judicial campaign committees differently than other political organizations. The committee failed to demonstrate a likelihood of success on the merits of any claim.
While the contribution restrictions may not be the least restrictive means of maintaining public confidence in judicial integrity, the court found the regulation need only be narrowly tailored, not perfectly tailored. Moreover, perfect tailoring would be impossible given the intangible nature of public confidence.
The court also found it permissible to treat judicial campaign committees differently than political action committees and other political organizations because of the unique nature of judicial elections. Interests in maintaining the integrity, impartiality, and independence of the judiciary are inherently different from those implicated by other political campaigns. More simply, judicial elections may be regulated differently than political elections because the role of judges differs from that of politicians.
September 25, 2015 •
U.S. House Speaker John Boehner Resigning in October
U.S. House Speaker John Boehner will resign and give up his seat in Congress at the end of October, according to his aides. He is currently under intense pressure from conservatives to defund Planned Parenthood as he attempts to keep […]
U.S. House Speaker John Boehner will resign and give up his seat in Congress at the end of October, according to his aides. He is currently under intense pressure from conservatives to defund Planned Parenthood as he attempts to keep the government open through the end of the year. Several members of the conservative base vowed not to vote for a bill if it did not defund the organization, and some are on a path to remove him as speaker.
Since becoming speaker in 2011, Boehner has struggled to navigate politically with a polarized Congress and its increasingly conservative Republican members. Boehner’s announcement comes just a day after he had a private audience with Pope Francis at the Capitol. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy is expected to serve as the next speaker.
August 19, 2015 •
Michelle Mills Replaced on Columbus, Ohio City Council Ballot
Elizabeth Brown, daughter of Sen. Sherrod Brown, will replace Michelle Mills on the November ballot in the race for Columbus City Council. Mills recently announced her resignation from council effective September 4, 2015. Though no reason was given for her […]
Elizabeth Brown, daughter of Sen. Sherrod Brown, will replace Michelle Mills on the November ballot in the race for Columbus City Council. Mills recently announced her resignation from council effective September 4, 2015.
Though no reason was given for her resignation, Mills was one of four members of council who attended the Big Ten Championship football game with lobbyist John Raphael. Raphael is part of a federal bribery investigation involving the city’s former red light camera vendor.
August 12, 2015 •
Rep. Resigns Seat Following Campaign Finance Investigation
Ohio state Rep. Ron Gerberry is resigning from his House seat effective August 21. His resignation comes after reports he was facing charges of campaign finance law violations. Gerberry allegedly had false information on his campaign finance filings. According to […]
Ohio state Rep. Ron Gerberry is resigning from his House seat effective August 21.
His resignation comes after reports he was facing charges of campaign finance law violations. Gerberry allegedly had false information on his campaign finance filings. According to The Vindicator, he will plead guilty to the charge of “unlawful compensation.”
Gerberry has served in the Ohio Legislature for 27 years.
July 28, 2015 •
Ohio State Representative Convicted of Theft, Removed from Office
On July 27, 2015, a jury found state Rep. Steve Kraus guilty of fifth-degree felony theft. Under Ohio law, Kraus was automatically removed from his seat in the Ohio House upon his conviction. Kraus, who also works as an auctioneer […]
On July 27, 2015, a jury found state Rep. Steve Kraus guilty of fifth-degree felony theft. Under Ohio law, Kraus was automatically removed from his seat in the Ohio House upon his conviction.
Kraus, who also works as an auctioneer and real estate agent, was accused of removing items from the home of an elderly woman. He asserted he had been granted permission to enter the home and it was his fiduciary duty to remove the items.
However, the woman’s real estate agent stated Kraus was only given permission to enter the garage to photograph an antique car.
Kraus faces up to 12 months in prison. The sentencing will be held on August 21.
Photo of Steve Kraus courtesy of the Ohio House of Representatives website.
July 21, 2015 •
Gov. John Kasich Running for President
Ohio Gov. John Kasich announced his candidacy for president this morning in Columbus at the Ohio Union on Ohio State University’s campus. “I am here to ask you for your prayers, for your support, for your efforts because I have […]
Ohio Gov. John Kasich announced his candidacy for president this morning in Columbus at the Ohio Union on Ohio State University’s campus. “I am here to ask you for your prayers, for your support, for your efforts because I have decided to run for president of the United States,” Kasich stated.
His speech also included the importance of policy, increasing national security spending, shaping future generations, and bringing back the American Dream. He is the sixteenth Republican candidate to join the race.
July 20, 2015 •
Group, Summit County Council Have Competing Redistricting Commission Plans
The group Fair Districts for Summit County has proposed a charter amendment to create an independent commission responsible for the approval of redistricting plans. Should the amendment gain enough signatures to get on the November ballot and be passed by […]
The group Fair Districts for Summit County has proposed a charter amendment to create an independent commission responsible for the approval of redistricting plans. Should the amendment gain enough signatures to get on the November ballot and be passed by voters, the redistricting would take effect in 2016.
Ten Democratic council members have sponsored legislation opposing the amendment, claiming the changes are attempts to gerrymander districts to benefit Republicans and weaken the importance of Akron in county council districts.
The council is introducing its own charter amendment to create a redistricting commission, but any redistricting changes would take place after the 2020 U.S. Census.
July 13, 2015 •
Ohio Budget Bill Includes Changes to Ethics and Campaign Finance Law
Gov. John Kasich signed House Bill 64, the biennial budget, on June 30. In addition to making $71 billion in appropriations, the bill modifies existing ethics and campaign finance laws. The bill authorizes the creation of a “Teacher of the […]
Gov. John Kasich signed House Bill 64, the biennial budget, on June 30. In addition to making $71 billion in appropriations, the bill modifies existing ethics and campaign finance laws. The bill authorizes the creation of a “Teacher of the Year” designation and allows a recipient of the award to receive gifts or privileges as part of the recognition program. In addition, the bill allows a person or entity to make contributions to the program without violating ethics laws.
House Bill 64 also permits nonprofit corporations designated as tax-exempt business organizations (i.e., 501(c)(6) organizations) to transfer portions of dues payments from its unincorporated member businesses to the organization’s political action committee (PAC). Prior to House Bill 64, campaign finance law banned a corporation from using its own funds, even those raised by dues, to aid any PAC, including its own.
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