RECENT LOBBYING, ETHICS & CAMPAIGN FINANCE UPDATES
We read the news, cut through the noise and provide you the notes.
Welcome to Compliance Notes from Nossaman’s Government Relations & Regulation Group – a periodic digest of the headlines, statutory and regulatory changes and court cases involving campaign finance, lobbying compliance, election law and government ethics issues at the federal, state and local level.
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Campaign Finance & Lobbying Compliance
A former candidate for Congress has petitioned the Federal Election Commission to allow candidates to use campaign funds to pay for their health insurance and expand their right to take a salary with campaign funds. (Dave Levinthal, Business Insider)
Members of Congress will now be allowed to hire bodyguards with campaign funds, according to a new ruling from the Federal Election Commission. (Daniel Payne, Politico)
Government Ethics & Transparency
Missouri: A bill introduced in the Missouri House would extend certain ethics rules imposed on the legislature – including a gift ban and two-year limit on lobbying after leaving government service – to members of the St. Louis City Council. (Kurt Erikson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
Nonprofits
Ohio: The Ohio House is considering a bill that would require political nonprofits and other corporate groups to disclose their donors and spending with the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office, similar to political action committees or political candidates. Among the groups it would affect are 501(c)(4) nonprofits. (Andrew J. Tobias, cleveland.com)
Voting
Georgia: Governor Kemp signed into law an election reform bill that imposes new voter identification requirements for absentee ballots, empowers state officials to take over local elections boards, limits the use of ballot drop boxes and makes it a crime to approach voters in line to give them food and water. (Kelly Mena, Fredreka Schouten, Dianne Gallagher and Pamela Kirkland, CNN)
New Jersey: New Jersey is poised to dramatically expand access to the ballot box in upcoming elections and introduce in-person early voting under a bill, S3203, awaiting Gov. Phil Murphy's signature. Voters would be able to cast ballots at polling places up to 10 days early and on a day that works for their schedule — even on the weekends — beginning this November. (Stacey Barchenger, NorthJersey.com)
