Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 678 into law on September 1.

Senate Bill 678 requires a person paid by a committee to post content online supporting or opposing a candidate or a ballot measure to include a disclaimer stating they were paid to make the post.

This bill targets “influencers” and follows California’s recent trend on curtailing social media’s influence on elections.

The bill will become effective January 1, 2024.

The California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) announced the formation of a Digital Transparency Task Force.

The purpose of this group is to address the issues surrounding political advertising through social media and other digital outlets.

The Digital Transparency Task Force will study the current landscape of these outlets.

They will also look at trends and ways to keep up with the ever-changing field, including regulations possibly needing updated, enhanced, added, or strengthened.

The FPPC created the task force to help set standards and to develop best practices for transparent digital political advertising.

They will also assist the public to easily find the information in a publicly accessible database.

U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm, has enjoined Maryland from enforcing M.C.E.L. §§ 13-405 and 13-405.1.

The statutes in question, require online platforms, like search engines and social media sites, to publicly disclose the contact information and amount paid by the purchaser to the online platform for the placement of the qualifying paid digital communication within 48 hours.

In the 50-page opinion, the judge concludes the statutes encroach on First Amendment freedoms. The state may file an interlocutory appeal.

On September 26, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill concerning political advertising in social media. Assembly Bill 2188, the “Social Media DISCLOSE Act”, requires disclosure for advertisements made “via a form of electronic media that allows users to engage in discourse and post content, or any other type of social media”, and is paid for by a political party or a candidate-controlled committee.

The disclosure obligations fall on both the registered political parties and committees and on the “online platforms.” The online platform must maintain and make available for online public inspection a digital copy of a political advertisement, the number of impressions generated from the ad, information regarding the total amount spent on the advertisements, and other relevant information.

The bill defines an online platform as a “public-facing Internet Web site, web application, or digital application, including a social network, ad network, or search engine, that sells advertisements directly to advertisers. A public-facing Internet Web site, web application, or digital application is not an online platform for purposes of this [Act] to the extent that it displays advertisements that are sold directly to advertisers through another online platform.” The online platforms will be required to include with each political advertisement a disclosure of who funded the ad or a hyperlink to a website containing the required disclosures.

The bill takes effect on January 1, 2020.

On April 24, the New York Joint Commission on Public Ethics adopted Part 943, commonly referred to as the Comprehensive Lobbying Regulations. The rules were originally introduced in October 2016 and have gone through several revisions.

The adopted regulations compile existing guidelines and advisory opinions regarding rules and requirements related to lobbying. For example, the adopted revised rules include an online ethics training requirement for lobbyists and provide further clarification regarding reportable expenses attributable to social media activities and grassroots lobbying.

The adopted rules will become effective January 1, 2019, and are available at the JCOPE website.

Lobbying

Arizona: “A Sexist Culture Endures at Arizona Capitol, Insiders Say” by Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Dustin Gardiner for Arizona Republic

Ethics

“These Are the Only Two States That Don’t Require Lawmakers to Disclose Finances” by Kristian Hernandez for Center for Public Integrity

“Kushner’s Financial Ties to Israel Deepen Even with Mideast Diplomatic Role” by Jesse Drucker for New York Times

Colorado: “Change to Colorado Conflict-of-Interest Rule Limits Information Elected Officials Must Share with Voters” by John Frank for Denver Post

Maryland: “Maryland’s Female Lawmakers Push Back – Quietly – on Sexual Harassment” by Ovetta Wiggins for Washington Post

Oregon: “Oregon Ethics Commission Rebukes Cylvia Hayes for ‘Blatant Disregard of Ethics Laws” by Hillary Borrud for Portland Oregonian

South Carolina: “As Corruption Probe Continues, Some Lawmakers Want South Carolina Politics to Be More Transparent” by Andrew Brown for Charleston Post and Courier

Virginia: “Growing Pains: How the departure of a longtime town manager spawned political scandal” by Antonio Olivo for Washington Post

Tech and Social Media

“Without Naming Trump, Twitter Says It Won’t Block World Leaders” by Mike Isaac for New York Times

The Joint Commission on Public Ethics will be hosting a roundtable discussion on February 12^th on proposed guidance on the topic of social media activities and whether certain activities are considered lobbying under the New York Lobbying Act. JCOPE has extended the comment period through February 19^th.

The original comment period ran through January 11^th, and involved input regarding when social media activity constitutes reportable lobbying activity in terms of direct lobbying, grassroots lobbying, and linking to a lobbying website.

The commission is also seeking input on whether expenditures made in connection with social media activity could be considered “expenses” under the Lobbying Act.

As more lobbyists turn to the internet and social media, the New York Joint Commission on Public Ethics has begun soliciting informal comments on the applicability of New York’s Lobbying Act to social media activities.

The Commission seeks guidance on when social media activity constitutes reportable lobbying activity in terms of direct lobbying, grassroots lobbying, and linking to a lobbying website.

The Committee is also seeking input on whether expenditures made in connection with social media activity could be considered “expenses” under the Lobbying Act.

Comments will be taken by the Committee until January 11, 2016.

Today is the last day Team Intern will be Team Intern. We say goodbye to Elizabeth Scozzaro and Costa Janos as they venture on to continue their college studies. Over the last two months, we have all grown incredibly close. Every day we met in the first floor kitchen and ate lunch together. We have attended and graduated from Intern Edge, a weekly meeting of Akron area interns to connect us with local leaders and help us to develop as leaders.

We were also able to volunteer at  the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church’s Good Samaritans, a monthly distribution of food to those in need in the local community. Sans Costa Janos, Team Intern also shoveled mulch at the United Way Day of Action at the Lake Anna YMCA.

Helping Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church prepare for their Grecian food festival in September, we prepared filling for numerous items, most of which involved rolling. We were also blessed with enjoying countless doughnuts and treats from Damascus Road, a local coffee shop throughout the summer provided by Joe May and Michael Beckett.

We bonded outside of work as well, meeting up at Akron RubberDucks games, the local double “A” affiliate of the Cleveland Indians, and enjoy a relaxing evening on Elizabeth Scozzaro’s aunt’s pontoon boat.

Some of Team Intern will be sticking around for a few more weeks. I finish up on the 19^th, David Trujillo on the 20th, Sophia Avouris on the 21^st, and David Jones back to his normal, year round internship here at State and Federal Communications.

Here is a little bit about each of us.

Elizabeth Scozzaro, a senior marketing and business administration major at Baldwin Wallace University. Also a member of the sorority, Alpha Phi, is best known for making us create a pyramid. Elizabeth Scozzaro spent the summer assisting on projects with Elizabeth Bartz.

Sophia Avouris, the youngest member of Team Intern. Just graduating from high school, Sophia is an incoming freshman to Kent State University and plans to study political science. Sophia worked under Joe May in the Social Media department conducting SEO (Search Engine Optimization) research and Lobby Comply blog posts.

Costa Janos, transferring this year from the University of Kentucky, he is now attending THE Ohio State University as a sophomore studying Finance with a minor in communications. Team Intern never was able to bond with Costa outside of work because of his intensive golf outings. Costa worked with the research department checking primary election dates and tracking legislation.

David Jones, the veteran of the group, studies network administration with Cisco at Stark State College. Has graduated twice from Intern Edge and has at some point helped each intern with an electronic device. David Jones works under Ken Kelewae in the IT department.

David Trujillo, who for a time left us to fulfill his commitment to the Ohio National Guard just rejoined us this past Monday. Trujillo is majoring in public relations and organizational communications with minors in Arabic and creative writing. Oh, and he is studying for the LSATs in September. *exhale* David Trujillo also worked with the research department throughout the summer.

I, Nikos Frazier, am a junior photojournalism major at Kent State University. Team Intern will never forgive me if I don’t add that I drink tea by the gallon and if I am not drinking tea, I am drinking coffee. I have worked under Joe May in the Social Media department researching SEO research, photographing and blogging events attended by State and Federal Communications and lately researching the 2016 presidential Candidates’ social media accounts and usage.

As we all part ways, we will always remember this summer. For most of us this is our first internship. State and Federal Communications has given us incredible opportunities. We have been able to perform numerous community outreach to help give back to Akron. Intern Edge stressed how great Akron is and how we, Millennials, need to comeback and create an even greater Akron. But even if we do not return to Akron, we know now the importance to give back to the community, create a network and help create something great.

So as I try to finish this post in a great way, I am at a loss of words. So I leave everyone with Korean Proverb I learned while visiting Seoul, South Korea this last March, “Aim high in your career, but stay humble in your heart.”

Goodbye Team Intern, and for once more, “Team Intern Unite!”

“Google Reveals its Innovation Lab for Government” by Jason Shueh in Government Technology.

“The Federal Government May be Unpopular, but Science and Tech Agencies Remain a Hit” by Hallie Golden in Nextgov.

“For Feds, Choosing Cloud Services is a Lot Like Dating” by Frank Konkel in Nextgov.

Maine: “Social media trending in municipal government” by Kelley Bouchard in the Portland Press Herald.

South Carolina: “Social media to be banned for state employees while working” by Cassie Cope in The State.

Government Tech

“Morning Tech” by Tony Romm, Erin Mershon, Brooks Boliek and Alex Byers on Politico.

“The Mobile Wave Still Looks Like a Trickle in Government” by Jack Moore in Nextgov.

“From Federal Hill, federal contractor patrols social networks for spies” by Ian Duncan in The Baltimore Sun.

“Why Commercial Clouds are More Secure than Federal Data Centers” by Roger Baker in Nextgov.

“Data-Driven Innovation: Why States Should Build Multipurpose Analytics Platforms” by Daniel Castro in Government Technology.

Social Media

“Inside the Twitter world of U.S. Sen. Cory Booker” by Everett Merrill in the Daily Record.

Nevada: “Money talks: What Las Vegas-area cities spend on communication” by Bethany Barnes, Ben Botkin, James Dehaven and Eric Hartley in the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Open Government

“Yes, That Text Message Is a Public Record” by Michael Grass in Government Executive.

“Can Transparency Be Legislated?” by Paul Eder in Government Executive.

“Citizen Engagement: Yes, Virginia There is a Santa Claus” by Emily Jarvis in GovLoop.

“3 Bold Predictions for 2015” by Patrick Fiorenza in GovLoop.

“White House Launches Open Data Disaster Portal” in Government Technology.

“Eastern Foundry, A New Government Tech Incubator Opens” by Eric Hal Schwartz in InTheCapitol.

Arizona: “How an Arizona Town Uses Its Website and Facebook to Promote Local Businesses” by Michael Grass in Government Executive.

Massachusetts: “Boston hackathon app helps upgrade city permitting system” by David Stegon in StateScoop.

“Tennessee City Bans Negative Social Media Comments” by Michael Grass in Government Executive.

Texas: “Texas Wants to Be a Cloud Model for Other States” by Eric Pfeiffer in Government Executive.

Washington: “Washington state audit reveals cyber weakness” by David Stegon in in StateScoop.

A news summary where government and politics meet tech and social media:

2014 Midterm Elections

“Google, Facebook aim to get out the vote” by Julian Hattem in The Hill.

“Cell Phones, Social Media and Campaign 2014” by Aaron Smith in Pew Internet Research Project.

“Help Us #FactcheckFacebook’s Election Efforts Today” by Micah L. Sifry in TechPresident.

“10 Races Federal Employees Should Watch on Election Day” by Eric Katz on Government Executive.

YouTube Elections

Bing Elections and Voter Guide – U.S. Senate Predictions

Google Politics and Elections | United States Midterm Elections

E-Government

“Is E-Gov Really Delivering?” by Tod Newcombe in Government Technology.

“Recreation.gov a Test Case for Government Tech” by Miranda Neubauer in TechPresident.

Lobbying

“Lobbying World” in The Hill.

“Americans Are O.K. With Big Business. It’s Business Lobbying Power They Hate.” by Neil Irwin in The New York Times.

“TechAmerica Axes Top Government Representative” in Government Technology.

Campaign Finance

“Study: Major companies are increasingly disclosing their political spending” by Tom Hamburger in The Washington Post.

“Why the Billionaires Got Bupkus” by Michael Lind in Politico Magazine.

“D’Souza Avoids Prison in Campaign Finance Case” by Jonathan Mahler in The New York Times.

Maine: “Groups’ spending on Maine elections hits record $4.6 million” by Steve Mistler in the Portland Press Herald.

San Diego, California: “Leaders OK campaign crackdown” by David Garrick in The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Ethics

“Lawmakers push for new limits to political intelligence brokers” by Peter Schroeder in The Hill.

“QUIZ: Do You Know How to Be an Ethical Political Appointee?” by Eric Katz in Government Executive.

Georgia: “AG’s office pays $10,000 fine in ethics commission case” by Aaron Gould Sheinin in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Georgia: “DeKalb Commission releases money for ethics investigations” by Mark Niesse in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Political Advertising

“When NOT to Air Political Ads on TV” by Abby Livingston in Roll Call.

Minnesota: “Minnesota campaign regulators give social media advice, suggest online posts carry disclaimers” by The Associated Press in the Star Tribune.

Missouri: “Few 2014 campaign TV ads in Missouri” by The Associated Press in the Springfield News-Leader.

Elections

Florida: “Hillary Clinton to campaign for Charlie Crist” by Maggie Haberman in Politico.

North Carolina: “N.C. sees rise in unaffliated voters” by Benjamin Brown in the Charlotte Observer.

Legislative Sessions

Montana: “Legislative Update September 2014” by Sen. Matt Rosendale in The Roundup.

Utah: “2015 Legislature Could See Record Number of Bills” by Bob Bernick in Utah Policy.

Tech and Social Media

“Procurement: What if We’re Doing it Wrong?” by Mark Headd in Government Technology.