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30
Years and Just Starting to Rev Up!
Thirty
years ago Saturday Night Live started, I was in 11th grade, and
State and Federal Associates started its S&FA Reporting
Services division to keep track of state lobbying laws in the
states. Needless to say, I was not at State and Federal
Associates at that time. I joined the company in 1983 — please
don't do the math!
Marty
Miller and Bob Raven were the original creators of State
Lobbying Laws. Shown in the photo here are Marty and I together
earlier this month in Washington, D.C.
The first client subscriber was GEICO, Government Employees
Insurance Company. We are proud to say that GEICO is still a
subscriber to our publications today.
Shortly
after I joined S&FA, I was asked to give a presentation to the
Public Affairs Council. I was given 45 minutes to speak about
the 50 state lobbying and campaign finance laws. Marty Miller
gave me two pieces of advice: Be the expert, not the technician;
and wear something washable!
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Back
then there were a few states that did not require reporting of
lobbying expenditures, no one knew what a "prohibited"
period was, and we typed up the updates on an IBM Selectric
typewriter. Technology has changed and we are able to provide
updates to you every month, every state requires some type of
lobbying disclosure, and campaigns will remind you of that
state's "prohibited" period.
A
lot has changed with the make up of our subscribers…some are
still here, some have been sold to others, some are no longer
around. It hard to believe time has moved so quickly. We wish to
thank all our other clients for their years of patronage. On
occasion, we’ll talk about our long-standing relationships in
future issues of Compliance Now as we
celebrate this significant milestone over the next year.
Elizabeth Z. Bartz
President and CEO
State and Federal Communications, Inc.
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New
Executive Source on Procurement LobbyingTM 
Now
Bundled with 2006 Options
Available
now, and as part of the 2006 series of reference guides offered
by State and Federal Communications is the Executive Source on
Procurement LobbyingTM. Why is this an important
reference service for your company? If your firm is doing
business with, or wants to start selling to states and
municipalities, then you need to comply with the increasingly
important set of procurement laws surrounding this activity.
Failure to comply in any category could cost your company
thousands, and possibly millions of dollars. We have done the
work in compiling this information which is continually updated
each month on our website for your on-line use.
To
make it convenient for you to sign up for this unique service,
we have bundled this together as a reduced price option with
State and Federal’s well-known Executive Source Guides you
already know and use, Political ContributionsTM, and
State Lobbying LawsTM.
You
will be pleased with the results when you sign up for this in
2006. Look for this option when you receive your renewal letters
during the coming year.
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Women
of Note
Our
President and CEO, Elizabeth Z. Bartz was honored as one of
Crain’s Cleveland Business magazine’s ‘Women of Note’
for 2005. She and several other inspirational leaders and
entrepreneurs in Northeast Ohio were feted at recognition
luncheon at Cleveland’s City Club earlier this month. They
also appeared in a special article in a recent issue of the
magazine.
The
Women of Note program was first initiated in 2000 by Crain's
Cleveland Business in a feature entitled "Women of
Influence." The program has grown considerably with
in-depth profiles written on each winner.
Women of Note calls attention to the accomplishments and
contributions of various women in Northeast Ohio. Winning
candidates are selected by a review of more than 100
submissions. As Crain’s states, “Our staff selects the top
women in Northeast Ohio. By shining a spotlight on these Women
of Note, Crain's hope to encourage others to follow in their
footsteps and become the next leading ladies in Northeast
Ohio.” Read the article in this PDF
version.
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State
and Federal Supports Civic Activities
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The
Greater Akron Chamber of Commerce thanked State and Federal Communications in the
recent member newsletter for being the primary sponsor enabling
the Chamber of Commerce to purchase new CapWiz software.
This on-line tool encourages grassroots participation and
provides an excellent resource for members to communicate their
views to area lawmakers.
Through Cap Wiz, members will be able
to track important legislation and keep informed about what is
happening in Columbus and Washington D.C.
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One
of State and Federal Communications favorite non-profit groups
that it supports is the Boys & Girls Clubs of Summit County.
The company is very active in providing donations and other
assistance. State and Federal’s Elizabeth Bartz received a
wonderful congratulatory card signed by the boys and girls in
the program upon receipt of the Women of Note award.
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U.S. Chamber of Commerce Meeting in Chicago
Hears Strategic Presentation
At
the October 21, 2005 meeting during the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
7th Annual Great Lakes/Midwest Government Affairs
Conference in Chicago, State and Federal President and CEO
Elizabeth Bartz presented “Strategies for Managing an
Effective PAC.” In this program she explored strategies to
create and manage an effective Political Action Committee (PAC)
with attention to the campaign finance laws and PAC regulations
for specific states. She reviewed the dos and don’ts for
each state and discussed spending/contributions with regards to
state laws. It was a well-attended session that evoked
thoughtful questions.
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Register
Your Sales Staff
As Lobbyists
 State
and Federal Communications Research Manager, John Cozine, Esq,
explains that in a little over one-third of the states,
vendors may be required to register as lobbyists. The
requirement to register may hinge upon the value of the
procurement contract or the extent to which the vendor is
attempting to influence the decision of the state to enter
into the contract. For example, in Connecticut, the definition
of lobbying expressly excludes communications by
representatives or employees of vendors who act solely as
salespeople and do not otherwise engage in lobbying regarding
any administrative action. However, the ethics commission
interprets this exclusion narrowly while interpreting the
definition of lobbying broadly. As a result, vendors who
engage in attempts to influence the award of a contract must
register as a lobbyist upon expending more than $2,000 in
those attempts. Ask State and Federal to help you in
understanding any of these state regulations.
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Meet Jeff Roberts
Jeff
Roberts, CPA, is the Comptroller of State and Federal
Communications, Inc. He
oversees the financial arm of the company, including accounts
payable and accounts receivable, and he is also responsible for the Human
Resource functions. He has been with the company since 2003.
When asked what he finds most interesting about
politics, he replied, “The vast majority of people have and
express strong opinions about different issues and candidates,
but many of them fail to show up at the polls and make their
opinions count!” |
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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COGEL
Conference
December 4-7, 2005
Boston,
MA
www.cogel.org
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Innovate
to Motivate
January
31 - February 3, 2006
Key West, FL
www.innovatetomotivate.com
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Public
Affairs Council
Political Action Committee Conference
February 12-15, 2006
Miami, FL
www.pac.org |
SGAC
Annual Meeting
March 22-24, 2006
Memphis, TN
www.sgac.org
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