Essential Ethics

Latest Developments: In Kansas, the Governor signed S.B. 394, which adds additional lobbyist registration triggers and additional exceptions to lobbyist registration requirements.  The bill also includes new gift rules and disclosure requirements. The California Fair Political Practices…

Latest Developments: The FPPC has released its agenda for the meeting next week.  The April 19 meeting will include pre-notice discussion of regulations to implement the recommendations of the Ad Hoc Governance Committee and a review of the…

Latest Developments: The California Attorney General issued an opinion on April 3, 2018, that a city council member who is also an attorney may not advocate on behalf of a client’s interests that are adverse to the city’s…

Latest Developments: New York Joint Commission on Public Ethics met on March 27, 2018.  Staff demonstrated a new website that will become available to the public next week.  The staff has also issued a new Procurement Lobbying…

Latest Developments: Federal Budget:  House Bill 1625 has been approved by Congress signed by the President.  Buried within the bill are a few provisions that pertain to political activity: Section 125 (page 468) prohibits the IRS from finalizing a regulation that…

Latest Developments: Fair Political Practices Commission meets next Thursday, March 22, 2018.  Among the topics on the agenda for discussion: Regulations 19401(recordkeeping requirements for mass mailing and earmarked funds) and 18450 (definition of “advertisement” for disclosure purposes).  Both of…

Latest Developments: Oklahoma Ethics Commission meets today, Friday, March 9, 2018.  While we generally don’t monitor this commission closely, it’s worth noting that the meeting agenda includes a presentation by a current state legislator who is asking the…

Latest Developments: New York JCOPE met Tuesday (2/27/18).  JCOPE’s only discussion concerned a request for an exemption from disclosure of source of funding from the NY Civil Liberties Union, which was denied.  The still-pending lobby…

Latest Developments: San Francisco Ethics Commission met last Friday (2/16/18).  The commission failed to put an amendment to the city’s ethics ordinance on the June ballot (Item 4).  The proposal was a watered-down version of the…

Latest Developments: Oakland Public Ethics Commission met Monday (2/5/18).  The Lobbyist Registration Subcommittee of the Commission approved a revised Lobbyist Registration Guide for 2018, which is the first update in 10 years.  The guide is…