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It's
Never Been a Better Time to be a Client
of
State and Federal Communications
2006
is going to be a busy year. This
mid-year election year will bring many
changes in the political layout of the
land in the United States. State and
Federal Communications has the key
information you need to participate in
the elections. Our Executive Source
Guide on Political Contributions
includes the important answers you need
when the solicitations for contributions
arrive.
On
other note, I continue to see news of
companies and individuals that are not
complying with regulations. Dare I
mention the "A" word -Abramoff?
As you know, fines are going to be
levied. Careers are being threatened.
And, there are continued ethics issues
surrounding lobbying and political
contributions. I cannot say that we have
all the answers at State and Federal
related to these issues, but we have
knowledge about all the current
regulations. Just staying current and
following the compliance changes that
are uploaded almost daily on our website
will keep give you an edge in ensuring
you and your company stay on the right
track in 2006.
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On
Wednesday, January 25, American League
of Lobbyist President Paul Miller
testified before the Senate Committee on
Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs on the topic of pending Lobbying
Disclosure Act proposals. And, this
week, State and Federal Communications
is attending the 29th Annual National
Grassroots Conference sponsored by the
Public Affairs Council in Key West,
Florida. In my world, this is what we
discuss all day long – ethics,
compliance, and always doing things
right.
So
you can see why I chose the headline for
this article! It’s
Never Been a Better Time to be a Client
of State and Federal Communications.
Elizabeth Z. Bartz
President and CEO
State and Federal Communications, Inc.
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New
Jurisdictions to be Monitored
State and Federal Communications is again broadening its
coverage and will be adding the following jurisdictions to its
wide list of states and municipalities. This information should
be researched and put onto our website by mid-year 2006. The new
areas will include:
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Austin,
Texas
San
Antonio, Texas
Honolulu,
Hawaii (city and county)
Anne
Arundel County, Maryland
New
Castle County, Delaware
Atlanta,
Georgia
Jacksonville,
Florida
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania
Providence,
Rhode Island
Los
Angeles World Airports, California
Torrance,
California |
In
addition, in the next issue of Compliance Now we will showcase
new research topics for Political Contributions, Lobbying Laws,
and for Procurement.
2006
National ‘Innovate to Motivate’ Conference Next Week in Key
West
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As
the 5th Annual ‘Innovate to Motivate’
Conference gets ready to kick off next week (January 31
- February 2, 2006) in Key West, Florida, State and
Federal Communications is gearing up as well. We are one
of the co-hosts for this national event that promises to
motivate PAC and grassroots participation, including
best practices in the industry.
State
and Federal Communications President and CEO Elizabeth
Z. Bartz will make a presentation titled, “A Guide to
Federal and State Grassroots Regulation.” Here is an overview of her planned
presentation:
“Grassroots
activities are increasingly being regulated at the state
and federal levels, which makes it essential that you
become knowledgeable about the regulations in the states
where you operate. I will focus on… -
Which states address grassroots lobbying in their
lobbying laws;
- How ‘grassroots lobbying’ is defined in the various
states;
- Which states require registration and reporting of
grassroots
activities; and
- How to operate within the law to keep you and your
organization out of trouble.”
To
learn more about the conference, visit
www.innovatetomotivate.com |
Website
Changes
In the months
ahead State and Federal Communications
is going to introduce a new website format with many changes
that will improve the graphic look, make access to information
easier, and expand the content.
For
now, there are a few changes to note on the current website, which
are pointed out in this web page image …
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News You Can Use is
still available to all clients and subscribers. Merely log in
with your code and this button will appear on the services page.
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Key Dates has also
been moved in a similar fashion behind the log in. In addition,
Key Dates are now being continually updated, including those
dates for legislative sessions and key dates for municipalities.
Michigan
Starts “E-Lobby” On-line Reporting
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Susan
R. Pierce, J.D., State Researcher conveys news that The
Michigan Bureau of Elections has finally implemented an
electronic reporting system, called "E-Lobby". At
present, the system is only available for filing financial
reports. The system is based on the original paper forms, so
users can make the transition to the electronic system with
relative ease. A user can obtain a password by visiting the
state website shown here at www.Michigan.gov/sos
Once
a password is assigned, a user can login and easily fill out a
pre-populated report form, hit a submit button, and almost
immediately receive a confirmation e-mail from the state.
Unlike many electronic reporting systems implemented in other
jurisdictions, the "E-Lobby" system is convenient
and user friendly.
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New Lobbying Laws Can
Affect Procurement
John
Cozine, ESQ, Research Manager shares some important
lobbying news. In 17 states, employees engaged in
procurement activities may also find themselves subject
to the lobbying laws promulgated by the state. Many
states consider any attempt to influence a public
employee, such as trying to sell goods or services to
the state, to be lobbying. Some states go even further.
A January 17th opinion issued by the Louisiana Ethics
Board includes in its definition of lobbying "any
direct act or communication with executive branch
officials in connection with the education or promotion
of pharmaceutical products." As such,
representatives of pharmaceutical companies engaged in
the same lunchtime drug education seminars that have
been held for years at hospitals across the country
could suddenly find themselves required to register as
lobbyists upon meeting certain spending thresholds if
state-employed doctors were present. Pending further
consideration by the Board, drug samples may be found to
be a "thing of economic value," which could
restrict or preclude the distribution of free drug
samples at state hospitals.
For
these reasons, knowing the present state of procurement
and lobbying laws in each state in which you do business
is crucial to avoiding fines for failure to register and
report as a lobbyist and the bad press that can
accompany such state actions.
A
thorough and up-to-date understanding of the law can
assist you in taking action to ensure that your
employees avoid actions that would fall under the
definition of lobbying or to ensure that they register
as lobbyists so as to be in full compliance with the
law.
State
and Federal Communications offers the convenient and
thorough ‘Executive Source Guide on Procurement
Lobbying’ to answer your questions in this arena when
they arise. Contact Heather Cercone at hcercone@stateandfed.com
if you are interested in adding our Procurement Lobbying
guide to your current service subscription. |
Meet
James Sedor
Meet
James Sedor,
Researcher, responsible for the much-loved ‘News You
Can Use’ (NYCU) regular electronic mailing to our
clients and subscribers. Daily, Jim meticulously scours
publications across the United States for the latest
news affecting the industry, and condenses this into
readable, timely bites presented in NYCU.
When
asked why NYCU is a ‘must-read’ he says, “This
unique service delivers a convenient and comprehensive
summary on campaign finance, lobbying, and ethics across
the country. With the current climate of reform, both at
the federal and state levels,
it is important to keep up-to-date with any changes
affecting these issues.” |
See Us in Person
Plan
to say hello at future professional development events where
State and Federal Communications will be attending and/or
speaking regarding compliance issues.
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Innovate
to Motivate
January
31 - February 3, 2006
Key West, Florida
www.innovatetomotivate.com
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30th
Anniversary
National Public
Affairs Council Conference
February 12-15, 2006
Miami, Florida
www.pac.org
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SGAC
Annual Meeting
March 22-24, 2006
Memphis, Tennessee
www.sgac.org
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NCSL
National Conference
August 2006
Nashville, Tennessee
www.ncsl.org
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