Androphy Joins NIH

Bruce Androphy, operations director at State and Federal Communications, Inc., is leaving the company to lead the ethics efforts of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The NIH, which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the lead agency for biomedical and health-related research in the nation. The organization does this two ways: by conducting its own extensive research, and by funding billions of dollars in research done by others – agencies, institutions, laboratories, etc.

Its goal is to help prevent, diagnose, and detect diseases and disabilities. It is also charged with uncovering new knowledge to improve health.

“We wish Bruce Androphy the best as he leaves State and Federal Communications and starts his new position with the National Institutes of Health. I am sure our paths will cross again in the field of government ethics,” said Elizabeth Bartz, president and CEO.

“Joining the federal government in this key role was an opportunity Bruce could not pass up. We were happy to have had Bruce on our team because of the depth of knowledge he brought to us in the time he was here.”

Bruce joined State and Federal Communications this past summer, and was responsible for managing the company’s Research and Compliance Departments. Before joining State and Federal, he was executive director of the Tennessee Ethics Commission.

Upcoming COGEL Annual Meeting is Well Worth Your Time

We live in a land of acronyms – SGAC, NCSL, CSG, ALEC, PAC – and the list can go on and on. I am adding one more to the list of associations worth your attention – COGEL.

The Council on Governmental Ethics Laws is the professional organization for government agencies, organizations, and individuals with responsibilities or interests in governmental ethics, elections, campaign finance, lobbying laws, and freedom of information. COGEL is an active organization, which works to ensure ethics professionals are connected to each other and aware of new developments in the field. By offering opportunities to connect in person and online, COGEL enables networks to grow and strengthen.

COGEL is meeting from December 6th through the 9th at the Fairmont Scottsdale in Arizona for its annual meeting. Sessions on updates in lobbying, campaign finance, and freedom of information will be discussed. The conference agenda this year includes the following sessions, along with others:

• Advisory Opinions and How to Make Them Matter

• Revisiting Post Employment Restrictions in a Time of Staff Reductions

• Effectively Navigating Overlapping Jurisdictions

• Making the Best Use of Limited Ethics Resources

• Private and Public Sector Ethics and How One Can Support the Other

• Public Financing: What Makes It Successful?

• Making the Most of the Agency’s Website

• Strategies and Tactics for Prioritizing and Achieving Legislative Changes

• Freedom of Information Law: Issues & Trends

• Gifts and Government Operations: Undue Influence or Valuable Assets?

Join us in Scottsdale, Ariz., and meet with the important people who administer the ethics laws. I will then fly to San Diego for the NCSL Fall Forum and would love company on the flight.

Until next month, learn more about COGEL at www.cogel.org. You’ll be glad to have the group in your contacts list.

Elizabeth Z. Bartz
President and CEO

A Summer Spent Prepping for Later Steps in Life and Career

by Alexandra Constantinou
Research Intern

When I first learned of State and Federal Communications, Inc., I was at a Thai restaurant, of all places. I ran into a college student who had interned at State and Federal Communications during her summer breaks. Over dinner, I learned of her experiences with the company.

She was overflowing with compliments about the company, and Elizabeth Bartz, the president and CEO. Her genuine enthusiasm made me interested in pursuing an internship with State and Federal Communications. I had taken an advanced placement government course, so I thought I was prepared. After all, I knew what a PAC was, and what lobbying and ethics entailed.

However, I had never really paid attention to news articles about compliance, lobbying, ethics, campaign finance, and corruption in all the 50 states. My education began the day I started and continued all summer long. From The New York Times to The Courier-Journal of Louisville, Ky., and the Chicago Tribune to the Billings Gazette, I learned about national and local issues, scandals, or just plain interesting stories.

I truly learned the ins and outs of compliance laws, and I also learned to tighten writing as I edited News You Can Use™, a summary of ethics and government compliance news stories sent each week to State and Federal Communications’ clients.

What I learned will assist me as I apply to college, and beyond.

I am truly privileged to have been trusted to upload articles to the database, post summaries on the company’s intranet and also Twitter, and represent such a successful organization. As I hope someday to pursue a career in international relations, I am confident my internship at State and Federal Communications will set me apart from other students in the field.

As a teenager, I have learned to thrive in a workplace, work with adults, and recognize how even my minor contribution mattered to the company. I was able to express myself with some more creative articles, and thoroughly enjoyed interacting with everyone.

I have the utmost respect for Elizabeth, Jim Sedor, Nicolette Koozer, Katie Morton, and all the hard-working people on the staff.

Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your family, if only for a summer. If I was a corporation or organization in need of information about government compliance, State and Federal Communications would be my first choice.

Alexandra Constantinou spent the summer at State and Federal Communications, Inc. as an intern helping to research and summarize articles for News You Can Use™, which is e-mailed each week to clients. She is currently a senior at Revere High School in Bath Township, Ohio.

Municipal Coverage Grows and Now Includes All State Capitals

The number of municipalities and regional governments our research attorneys track continues to grow each month. We now cover more than 135 municipalities and regional governments, including every state capital. This is part of a continuous effort to better serve the needs of our clients.

This month, we have added six municipalities for which our customers will find comprehensive, timely, and accurate information that includes: complete calendar of reporting deadlines; critical statutory citations; extensive directories of contact information; summaries of laws; detailed reference charts on goods and services contributions; highlights of every statute; copies of all required forms; and much more.

The new municipalities are:

Legislation We Are Tracking

At any given time, more than 1,000 legislative bills, which can affect how you do business as a government affairs professional, are being discussed in federal, state, and local jurisdictions. These bills are summarized in the State and Federal Communications’ digital encyclopedias for lobbying laws, political contributions, and procurement lobbying; this information is located on the client portion of the State and Federal Communications website.

Summaries of major bills are also included in monthly e-mail updates sent to all clients. The attached chart shows the number of bills we are tracking in regards to lobbying laws, political contributions, and procurement lobbying.

Changes for New Hampshire Lobbyists

by Jeff Hendrix, Esq.
Research Associate

The passage of Senate Bill 292 will result in several changes for New Hampshire lobbyists. The bill will modify the applicability of the lobbyist regulation statutes, lobbyist reporting requirements, and exemptions from the definition of a gift. The governor signed the bill on July 15, 2009. These changes became effective on Sept. 13, 2009.

Senate Bill 292 changes the annual expiration date of lobbyist registrations from December 1 to December 31. Therefore, for 2009, all current lobbyist registrations will expire on Dec. 31, 2009.

The bill also excludes certain communications from consideration when determining whether a person is required to register and report as a lobbyist in New Hampshire. These communications include public testimony before a legislative committee or subcommittee, and public testimony before any entity subject to the New Hampshire right-to-know law.

Lobbyist reporting requirements will change from monthly to quarterly. Lobbyists’ statements will be due the last Wednesday of January, April, July, and October covering all fees received and expenditures, honorariums, or expense reimbursements made since the last required filing. For 2009, this means the September monthly report will be due on Oct. 28, 2009. The next report is a quarterly report, covering the period of Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, 2009, due by Jan. 27, 2010.

Finally, Senate Bill 292 will expand the gift exemptions to include services, in addition to objects, which primarily serve an informational purpose and are provided in the ordinary course of business. Services with an economic value, where the donor’s act was purely private, personal, and would have been given even if the person receiving it were not an elected or public official, public employee, constitutional official, or legislative employee, are also excluded.

Summary of Changes UPDATE
Note Recent Changes to Compliance Regulations

by John Cozine, Esq.
Research Manager 

Government affairs professionals need to be aware of recent changes – and upcoming changes – in compliance laws for several jurisdictions, including: 

ALASKA:  The first special session of the Alaska Legislature adjourned sine die on Aug. 10, 2009. In this session, the legislature voted to override Governor Sarah Palin's veto of $28.5 million in energy cost relief stimulus funds. As a result, legislative branch lobbyists had a report due Sept. 30, 2009, covering the reporting period of July 1 through Aug. 31, 2009. The scheduled quarterly report due Oct. 31, 2009, will now have a reporting period of Sept. 1 through Sept. 30, 2009.

GEORGIA:  Georgia Ethics Commission Executive Secretary Rick Thompson has resigned. Thompson has been with the commission since January 2004 and took over at a time when state officials said the agency had a backlog of 200 cases, some dating back years. That backlog has been largely wiped out. Thompson said he gave the commission’s chairperson 60 days notice. He plans to start a public strategy company.

ILLINOIS:  Governor Pat Quinn signed Senate Bill 54 into law on Aug. 18, 2009. The bill is now Public Act 096-0555. Among other things, the act increases the registration fees from $350 to $1,000, requires lobbyists to take ethics training during each calendar year in which they are registered, and requires lobbyists and lobbying entities to report weekly while the Illinois General Assembly is in session and monthly when they are not. The provisions of this act affecting lobbying take effect Jan. 1, 2010. In other business, Gov. Quinn vetoed House Bill 7, a campaign finance bill that would have imposed contribution limits and other requirements. Proponents of the bill hope to pass a new and stronger bill in the fall.

LOUISIANA:  The board of ethics is drafting a rule to adjust the maximum value for food, drink, or refreshment that may be given to a public servant or public employee for a single event from $50 to $53. Once the rule is adopted, the maximum limit of $53 will be effective retroactive to July 1, 2009.

Landmark Series – Presidential Libraries

This article is one of an ongoing series that focuses on historical and/or significant landmarks. 
The information below was gleaned from www.reaganlibrary.com and www.wikipedia.com.

Ronald Wilson Reagan [1911 - 2004]   40^th President of the United States

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Center for Public Affairs is the official presidential library of the 40th president, and, unlike other presidential libraries, is also the final resting place of Ronald Reagan. It is located in Simi Valley, Calif., about 40 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.  

The Reagan Library is the largest of the 13 presidential libraries. Its dedication in 1991 was a historic event because five living United States presidents gathered in one place during the dedication, the first time that ever happened. The five presidents were: Reagan, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and George H. W. Bush. Six First Ladies, including former First Lady Nancy Regan, also attended the library’s dedication.

As are many other presidential libraries, the Reagan Library is the repository of presidential records for Reagan’s administration. It has 50 million pages of presidential documents, more than 1.6 million photographs, a half million feet of motion picture film, and tens of thousands of audio and video tapes. The Library also has papers and collections from Reagan’s eight years as Governor of California.

Two of the highlights at the library are an F-14 Tomcat fighter plane, and a piece of the Berlin Wall. President Reagan is credited with putting economic pressure – and a well-funded military build-up – against the former Soviet Union that was so intense the Soviet Union collapsed, bringing freedom to millions of people in Eastern Europe. The collapse of the U.S.S.R. and the tumbling of the Berlin Wall are considered two of his greatest legacies.

The Library was the site of the funeral of Ronald Reagan in June 2004, and he was laid to rest on the library grounds.

Contact information:

Main phone:   805-522-2977
Fax line: 805-520-9702
Email: info@reaganfoundation.org

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