November 18, 2013 •
Attorney General Running for Texas Governor Makes Ethics Proposals
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has proposed increasing the frequency of reporting campaign finance data and imposing a reporting requirement before spending for certain campaign contributions. Abbott, a candidate for governor, announced his intentions for these and other ethics reforms […]
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has proposed increasing the frequency of reporting campaign finance data and imposing a reporting requirement before spending for certain campaign contributions. Abbott, a candidate for governor, announced his intentions for these and other ethics reforms while campaigning, according to KHOU.com.
One proposal requires that no funds received above $5,000 within the last 30 days before an election be expended by a campaign or PAC until those funds have been reported to the Texas Ethics Commission and posted on the campaign or PAC website.
Other recommendations include requiring quarterly campaign finance reporting as opposed to semi-annually reporting and requiring public officials to disclose any state or local public contracts or paid relationships held by the official or his or her spouse.
November 5, 2013 •
Texas Ethics Commission Guidance: Independent Expenditure-Only PACs
On November 4, in response to a court decision enjoining the Texas Ethics Commission from enforcing parts of the Election Code, the Ethics Commission released guidance concerning independent expenditure-only PACs. The commission acknowledged restrictions on independent expenditures from independent expenditure-only […]
On November 4, in response to a court decision enjoining the Texas Ethics Commission from enforcing parts of the Election Code, the Ethics Commission released guidance concerning independent expenditure-only PACs.
The commission acknowledged restrictions on independent expenditures from independent expenditure-only PACs, referred to in the state as “direct campaign expenditure only committees,” are currently unenforceable under the October 16, 2013, ruling in Texans for Free Enterprise v. Texas Ethics Commission.
The commission requires independent expenditure-only PACs submit a sworn statement stating the committee intends to act exclusively as a direct campaign expenditure only committee in accordance with Texans for Free Enterprise and the committee will not use its funds to make contributions to candidates for elective office, officeholders, or political committees supporting or opposing candidates or assisting officeholders.
The commission also made available sample template political committees may use to submit their sworn statements
August 26, 2013 •
Texas Special Election to Be Held for House District No. 50
November 5, 2013
A special election will be held November 5, 2013, for the Texas State House of Representatives District No. 50 seat.
State Rep. Mark Strama announced his resignation on June 26, 2013, in order to work for Google Fiber. The winner of the election will serve out the unexpired term of Strama, who was last elected to the seat on May 29, 2012.
August 20, 2013 •
Political Advertising Rules by Texas Ethics Commission Amended
Emails and Redistricting
On August 8, 2013, the Texas Ethics Commission adopted a new rule concerning political and legislative advertising related to redistricting and amended its definition of political advertising.
The new commission rule allows candidates campaigning in districts altered by redistricting to use the term re-elect “only if the candidate is the elected incumbent of an office that represented any part of the new or renumbered district prior to the redistricting”.
The definition of political advertising was amended to contrast an individual communication made by email versus “mass e-mails involving an expenditure of funds beyond the basic cost of hardware messaging software and bandwidth”. Currently the rule’s language in the definition of political advertising reads only that it “does not include communication made by email”.
The changes take effect on September 1, 2013.
August 6, 2013 •
Texas Third Special Session Adjourned
Sine Die
Yesterday, the Texas Legislature adjourned its third special session sine die.
Governor Rick Perry had called the special session to consider legislation relating to the funding of transportation infrastructure projects. According to KVIA.com, the Legislature passed a constitutional amendment boosting transportation spending with money coming from oil and gas revenues diverted away from the state’s Rainy Day Fund. The amendment will be voted on next year by the state’s voters.
May 28, 2013 •
Texas Legislature Adjourns and Special Session Called
May 27
The Texas Legislature adjourned sine die yesterday on May 27.
However, the Legislature was immediately called into special session by Governor Rick Perry. The special session began in the evening, but cannot last longer than 30 days.
The initial call for the special session will focus on approving redistricting maps drawn for the 2012 election by federal judges, according to KRISTV.com. Other items are expected to be added to the special session’s agenda.
Photo of the Texas State Capitol by Kumar Appaiah on Wikipedia.
May 10, 2013 •
Texas Lobbyists May Have to Report Political Consulting Service Employers
House Bill 1422
A bill requiring lobbyists to disclose work as campaign consultants passed in the Texas Legislature on May 9.
House Bill 1422 requires individuals registering as lobbyists with the state to include the full name and address of each person who compensates or reimburses the registrant, or person acting as an agent for the registrant, for services, including political consulting services, rendered by the registrant from:
- A political contribution;
- Interest received from a political contribution; or
- An asset purchased with a political contribution.
The legislation has been sent to Governor Rick Perry. If not vetoed, the bill will become law with or without his signature.
March 7, 2013 •
Texas Bill Introduces “Establishing Goodwill” into State Lobbying Law Definition of Communications with Lawmakers
House Bill 2737
In a Texas bill introduced predominantly dealing with the ethics of public servants, the requirement for registering as a lobbyist in the state would be expanded.
House Bill 2737 amends the state’s lobbying law to include goodwill lobbying.
Specifically, the following definition is added: “Communicates directly with a member of the legislative or executive branch to influence legislation or administrative action” or any variation of the phrase includes establishing goodwill with the member for the purpose of later communicating with the member to influence legislation or administrative action.
A person would not be required to register if he or she spends 26 hours or less during the calendar quarter engaging in the communication. Additionally, the other current thresholds for determining whether registering as a lobbyist is required would remain.
The bill, introduced by Rep. Dennis Bonnen, also make changes concerning the regulations of political contributions and expenditures, political advertising, the conduct of public servants, and the reporting of personal financial information by public servants.
Photo of the Texas State Capitol courtesy of Kumar Appaiah on Wikipedia.
February 19, 2013 •
May Elections May Move in El Paso
Voters to Decide
This May El Paso, Texas voters will decide whether to move city elections to November or let them remain in the spring.
The City Council voted on February 14, 2013, to allow the voters to amend the city’s charter and choose the timing of future municipal elections. The council did not make any recommendation as to its preference.
If approved, the first November election would be held in 2018, according to the El Paso Times.
December 14, 2012 •
Texas Senate District 6 Special Election
January 26, 2013
Texas Governor Rick Perry announced a special election for the currently vacant district six state senate seat. The position was held by Senator Mario Gallegos, who died last October but was nonetheless reelected posthumously in November.
The Governor has set the election for Saturday, January 26, 2013.
In the event a single candidate does not receive a majority of the votes in the January election, a runoff election will be held between the top two candidates receiving the most votes.
May 29, 2012 •
Redistricting in the News
Keep up with the latest redistricting articles from five states.
Arizona: “Dismissal of Arizona redistricting lawsuit requested by commission” by The Associated Press in the Arizona Capitol Times.
Kansas: “Remove politics, and redistricting map falls in line” by Scott Rothschild in the Lawrence Journal World.
Kansas: “Redistricting hearings begin in Kansas City” by Andy Marso and Aly Van Dyke in the Topeka Capitol-Journal.
Missouri: “Missouri’s U.S. House and statehouse districts will remain, court rules” by Elizabeth Crisp in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
North Carolina: “N.C. group: Panel, not lawmakers, to draw districts” by the Associated Press in the Greensboro News & Record.
Texas: “Redistricting concerns remain in Texas” by Paul J. Weber in the Daily Oklahoman.
March 2, 2012 •
Texas Primary Date Changed
Runoff Election Date Also Rescheduled
A federal court has pushed back Texas’s primary date from April 3 to May 29.
Additionally, the Texas general primary runoff election has also changed to July 31 from June 5.
A three judge panel from the US District Court for the Western District of Texas San Antonio Division, having entered redistricting plans for the 2012 elections for the US House of Representatives, the Texas House of Representatives and the Texas State Senate, found it necessary to make certain adjustments to the election schedule. The court’s order, issued March 1, stipulates various other changes of filing dates and deadlines for candidates and for voting activities concerning elections of federal, state, county, and local offices held in the state.
The court order also mandates that for the 2012 elections to the Texas House and Senate, a person must be a continuous resident of the district the person seeks to represent from April 9, 2012 until the date of the General Election.
The court’s order can be found, via the website Texas Redistricting.
February 24, 2012 •
Texas 30-day Pre-Election Reports Due March 5 Not Required
No April 3 Ballot
The Texas Ethics Commission announced there is no requirement to file the 30-day pre-election report due March 5th.
Normally, committees such as general and specific-purpose political committees that support or oppose a candidate or measure must file reports 30 days before an election in which the committee is involved, covering the first day after the period covered by the last report through 40 days before the election.
The Ethics Commission lifted the requirement because there is no ballot for the April 3rd election. The state’s primary election dates will likely be changed once redistricting in Texas has been finalized.
January 20, 2012 •
Redistricting News across the Nation
The U.S. Supreme Court threw out the Texas redistricting plans created by a federal court and calls for new plans, plus more redistricting news from the states:
Idaho
“Attorney General: Redistricting Commissioners can’t be fired” in the Spokesman-Review.
Kentucky
“Beshear Signs Redistricting Bill, Decries Process” by Phillip M. Bailey from the WFPL News.
Here is opinion piece by Kentucky Rep. Kelly Flood: “Senate redistricting ‘a display of arrogance, bullying‘” from the Lexington Herald-Leader.
Texas
“Justices’ Texas Redistricting Ruling Likely to Help G.O.P.” by Adam Liptak in the New York Times.
“Supreme Court throws out Texas election maps” by James Vicini on Reuters.
“Supreme Court sides with Texas on redistricting plan” by Robert Barnes in the Washington Post.
Virginia
“Virginia Senate narrowly passes GOP-backed congressional redistricting bill” by The Associated Press in the Washington Post.
“Senate approves GOP congressional redistricting plan” by Jim Nolan in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
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