Gov. Tom Wolf granted the Department of State’s request to extend the deadline for filing lobbying reports and temporarily waive the notarization requirement for campaign finance reports.

The governor granted the request in response to COVID-19 and to minimize delays in required reporting.

The lobbying disclosure report deadline for the first quarter is extended until July 30.

The reports are required on the same date as the second quarterly report but must be filed separately.

The governor also granted a temporary waiver of the notarization requirement for campaign finance reports and campaign finance statements filed by political committees and candidates for public office.

The waiver allows the required documents to be filed online until the COVID-19 health emergency subsides.

Filers must sign, either physically or typed, and date their report or statement cover sheet.

For filers who file on paper, the department will accept emailed campaign finance reports for the duration of the emergency.

Filers must email the campaign finance reports to: RA-stcampaignfinance@pa.gov.

On March 25, the General Assembly passed Senate Bill 422 to move the state general and presidential primary election from April 28 to June 2.

Lawmakers passed the postponement due to ongoing COVID-19 concerns.

Additionally, Gov. Tom Wolf has indicated his support for rescheduling the election and is expected to sign the bill into law.

On February 3, State Representative Melissa Shusterman introduced a bill amending the revolving door provision.

The bill requires public officials to wait one year after their term of office before lobbying.

House Bill 2263 establishes a lifetime ban for public officials from lobbying the governmental body they were associated with.

The bill also increases the waiting period for former public employees from one to two years.

If passed, this act takes effect in 60 days after enactment.

House Speaker Mike Turzai announced a special election for House District 85 on August 20.

The seat is vacant after Fred Keller won a special election to fill the U.S. House District 12 seat.

The winner of the special election will complete Keller’s term until November 30, 2020.

On May 1, Mayor Jim Kenney signed Ordinance No. 190083 amending the city’s provisions regarding campaign contributions, transition and inauguration committees, and campaign finance disclosures.

Ordinance No. 190083, increased contribution limits for persons other than individuals from $11,900 to $12,000 per calendar year.

Candidates may now establish a separate committee to raise money for transition or inauguration into office.

Additionally, a candidate may accept contributions to the transition or inauguration committee in addition to the contributions for their candidate committee.

The ordinance also requires enhanced disclosure of expenditures for publicly-distributed electioneering communications of $5,000 or more based on the date of the expenditure or date of its dissemination.

The provisions of the ordinance are effective immediately.

House Speaker Mike Turzai announced a special election for House District 11 on May 21. The special election will be held on the same day as the state primary.

The seat is vacant after Rep. Brian Ellis resigned on Monday amid allegations of sexually assaulting another state government employee in October 2015.

The winner of the special election will serve the remainder of the term through 2020.

Lt. Gov. John Fetterman announced special elections for Senate Districts 33 and 41 on May 21, the same day as the state primary.

The seats are vacant after Senators White and Alloway retired effective February 28.

Each winner of the special election will serve the remainder of the term through 2020.

The state Senate introduced two bills amending political contributions and gift disclosure.

Senate Bill 215 limits political contributions from contractors to a candidate to $2,400 per election and contributions to a business entity or political action committee supporting a candidate to $5,000 per election.

In addition, the state Senate also introduced Senate Bill 216 requiring public officials to disclose gifts from a friend with a value of $250 or more.

If passed, both bills would go into effect within 60 days.

Gov. Tom Wolf announced he has scheduled a special election to fill Pennsylvania’s U.S. House District 12 seat for May 21.

Last week, Rep. Tom Marino announced he would be resigning to take a job in the private sector.

The special election coincides with the state’s primary election date.

Rep. Tom Marino announced his resignation from the U.S. House of Representatives on January 17.

Marino said he has accepted a job in the private sector, and his last day in Congress will be January 23.

Gov. Tom Wolf will have 10 days to set a date for a special election to fill the vacancy in the 12th Congressional District.

Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Mike Stack announced a special election to fill the vacancy in the 37th Senate District.

The seat became open with the election of Guy Reschenthaler to the U.S. House of Representatives.

The district includes suburbs in western and southern Allegheny County as well as part of Washington County.

State Representative Vanessa Lowery Brown resigned on December 12 under protest.

In October, she was convicted of bribery, conflict of interest, and failure to properly file a financial disclosure report. The state constitution prevents her from continuing to serve in the Legislature.

Lowery Brown plans to appeal her conviction.

A special election could be set as early as March to fill the western Philadelphia seat.

Governor Tom Wolf was re-elected in Pennsylvania with a resounding 57.6 percent of the vote.  Republican challenger Scott Wagner did not pose a challenge, winning only 40.8 percent of the vote.

The win does not come as a surprise, as Governor Wolf led by double digits in every independent poll preceding the election.

Governor Wolf indicated he would continue working on his first-term priorities, including school funding.

He has advocated for many liberal causes, including ending the death penalty and expanding Medicaid.

State Rep. Mike O’Brien passed away on October 15 from a heart attack.

Earlier this year, O’Brien controversially announced his retirement after running unopposed in the primary election for the 175th House District seat.

The seat will remain vacant for the remainder of the year due to time constraints.

His former chief of staff, Mary Isaacson, is likely to be sworn in on January 1.