SB 629 - This act modifies and enacts numerous provisions relating to ethics. The act bars political fund-raising activities from being held in buildings owned by the state or political subdivisions.
Statewide elected officials and legislators shall not act as a paid political consultant for another statewide elected official or legislator or for a campaign committee, candidate committee, continuing committee, or political party committee.
Statewide elected officials and legislators and their staff, employees, and family shall not receive any lobbyist gifts with a value of over $50.
Under current law, no contribution or expenditure of public funds shall be made by officers or employees of a political subdivision to advocate, support, or oppose any ballot measure or candidate. This act adds officers and employees of school districts and public institutions of higher education to the prohibition.
Legislators shall not lobby until 2 years after leaving office.
Appointees to boards and commissions are required to disclose 10 years of political contributions made be them, their spouses, and any business entity in which the appointee or the appointee's spouse has an interest.
Those who offer anything of value to any elected or appointed public official or employee of the state in exchange for an action affecting legislation or rulemaking and those who accept such value in such instances are guilty of a class D felony.
The act establishes campaign contribution limits for individuals and political party committees. The limits are as follows for contributions made by or accepted from any person other than the candidate in an election:
• $10,000 for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Auditor, or Attorney General.
• $2,500 for Senators.
• $1,000 for Representatives.
• $600 any other office, including judicial office, if the population of the area is under 100,000.
• $1,000 any other office, including judicial office, if the population of the area is between 100,000 and 250,000.
• $2,000 any other office, including judicial office, if the population of the area is over 250,000.
The limits are as follows for contributions made by or accepted from a political party committee in an election:
• 10,,000 for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Auditor, or Attorney General.
• $2,500 for Senators.
• $1,000 for Representatives.
• 10 times the allowable contribution limit for any other office.
This act is similar to HB 633 (2009), HB 687 (2009), SB 389 (2009), SB 270 (2009), HCS/SS#2/SCS/SB 577 (2010), SB 800 (2010), HCS#2/SB 844 (2010), SB 648 (2010), HB 1322 (2010), HB 1326 (2010), HB 1337 (2010), HB 1727 (2010), HB 1846 (2010), HB 2039 (2010), HCS/HB 2300 (2010), SB 75 (2011), HB 139 (2013),SB 526 (2012), SB 825 (2012), HB 1080 (2012), HB 1320 (2012), HB 1756 (2012), HB 1939 (2012), SB 92 (2013), and SB 181 (2013).
CHRIS HOGERTY