Latest Developments:
- The New York Joint Commission on Public Ethics held its monthly meeting this week. Among the items on its agenda, was a discussion on the state’s lobby application. The Commission plans to have its new filing application available next week and will have “How To” videos along with a fully-staffed help desk to ensure smooth filing of the bi-monthly reports. Users will find that the new app is populated with any measures listed on the registration intended to be the subject of lobbying.
- The Louisiana Board of Ethics, at its February meeting, voted to approve an agenda item to increase the amount that lobbyists may spend on food and drink for a public official from $61 to $62 per event. The new limit will take effect July 1, 2019.
- The Washington Public Disclosure Commission met this week and received comments on its permanent regulations to implement the Disclose Act, which took effect January 1, 2019. The Commission may adopt them at its March meeting. The Commission also adopted a revision of its Interpretation regarding loans to Campaigns. The revision is intended to modernize the document, not to make any substantive changes.
In Case You Missed It:
- Transparent Hiring at the Georgia Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission: Yahoo News reports that 9 lawyers are in the running to be the next Executive Director of Georgia’s ethics commission. Notably among the candidates is Mike Sullivan, who currently heads the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance.
- Does it Matter whether the Law is Enforced?: The Dallas Morning News reports that, “By their own reports, most current Dallas City Council members committed apparent violations of the city’s campaign finance laws in recent years.” According to the report, campaign finance reports, as filed, show contributions that exceed local limits. However, the Morning News found that, “No one in city government examines the campaign finance filings to find violations.”
- Rooting out Corruption: Arkansas legislative leaders, following a series of corruption cases, are proposing a package of ethics reform bills according to the Associated Press. “A flurry of cases in the past two years has been eye-popping,” according to the AP article. The AP quotes the Senate President as expressing a determination that “the culture of greed and corruption is over.”