Latest Developments:
- The Cook County Board of Commissioners approved Ordinance 20-4404. The Chicago Tribune calls it the “biggest overhaul in 15 years.” The ordinance requires more disclosure; however, the “annual amount that vendors and lobbyists can donate to Cook County elected officials and candidates in non-election years would double from $750 to $1,500.” The article also notes that the county was caught unaware as a recent state law preempted portions of the county’s law and ”will be discussing the viability of seeking an exemption for the county from the state’s lobbying regulations for the next legislative session in an effort to resume County regulation.”
- The Baltimore County Council approved Bill 102-21 to establish a county fund for public financing of county elections. The measure takes effect 45 days after enactment. The Baltimore Sun explains that “County executive candidates who opt into the program would not be allowed to spend more than $1.4 million in a primary or general election. Those running for council may not spend more than $150,000.”
In Case You Missed It:
- Revolving Door Attacked: The Springfield News-Leader reports that a Missouri lawmaker is suing the Missouri Ethics Commission to overturn the state’s revolving door provisions that prevent him from becoming a lobbyist for two years. His federal lawsuit “alleges that his inability to register as a lobbyist to serve a prospective client was denying him income. He also argues that because the two-year restriction ‘bans (him) from saying certain things, backed by the threat of criminal prosecution,’ it is unconstitutional.”
- Revolving Door Wide Open: The Oklahoman reports that “Oklahoma is one of seven states with no type of ban on lawmakers or public officials from entering the lobbying profession for a certain amount of time…” The article explains the ease of moving from state legislator or staffer to a lobbyist position. It notes that the Oklahoma “Ethics Commission voted twice in recent years to establish ‘cooling off’ laws that would ban public officials from moving straight into a lobbying job. But each time those rules were voted down by the state Legislature.”
- New York State Reforms: According to The City, “Gov. Kathy Hochul plans to overhaul the state government’s ethics agency as she runs for election and tries to distance herself from scandal-wrecked former governor Andrew Cuomo…” The article quotes a spokesperson for Hochul, who said that “the governor ‘is committed to instituting real ethics reforms and restoring trust in government, and we will continue to work with legislators and good government groups to reform JCOPE and improve ethics oversight to better serve New Yorkers.’”
- SF Fraud Case: The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the former San Francisco Public Works Director agreed to plead guilty two years after his initial arrest in what prosecutors “called ‘a long-running scheme involving multiple bribes and kickbacks’ during his term as head of Public Works.” In the deal, he admitted to receiving “money, international trips, expensive jewelry, high-end wine and other goods and services from city contractors and developers in exchange for preferential treatment and confidential information about city business.”