After the well-publicized scandals with Salvatore DiMasi and Dianne Wilkerson, the lawmakers on Beacon Hill passed ethics legislation yesterday banning politicians from accepting gifts and upping the consequences for ethical violations. The Governor had threatened to veto a sales tax increase unless this act was passed, along with reforms in the pension system and the … Read more »
Tag: campaign contributions
California’s Pay-to-Play Laws
California requires disclosure of gifts to officials at public agencies. The disclosure is made using Form 801 (.pdf). This form is for use by all state and local government agencies to disclose payments made to the agency when the payments provide a personal benefit to an official of the agency. Examples may include travel, meals … Read more »
Colorado’s Pay-to-Play Law
The Colorado voters passed Amendment 54 in the November, 2008 elections, which amends the Colorado Consitution to limit campaign contributions: Text of the Proposed Initiative (.pdf) and Text of the Constitutional Amendment (.pdf). The consitutional amendment carries a presumption of impropriety between contributions to political campaigns and the award of sole source government contracts. Read more »
West Virginia’s Pay-to-Play Law
West Virgina addresses pay-to-play abuse by limiting campaign contributions during the negotiation and performance of the contract. West Viginia Code §3-8-12(d) provides: (d) Except as provided in section eight of this article, no person entering into any contract with the State or its subdivisions, or any department or agency of the State, either for rendition … Read more »
Kentucky’s Pay-to-Play Law
Kentucky places limitation on campaign contributors who get no-bid contracts from the state. K.R.S. §121.056(2) provides: No person who has contributed more than the maximum legal contribution established by KRS 121.150 in any one (1) election to a slate of candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor that is elected to office or any entity in … Read more »
Chart of Pay to Play Restrictions
Public Citizen has published a chart of the restrictions on campaign contributions from government contractors (.pdf) Read more »
South Carolina’s Pay-To-Play Law
South Carolina restricts campaign contributions by a contractor to a candidate who participated in awarding the contract. South Carolina Code §8-13-1342 provides: No person who has been awarded a contract with the State, a county, a municipality, or a political subdivision thereof, other than contracts awarded through competitive bidding practices, may make a contribution after … Read more »
Ohio’s Pay-To-Play Law
On January 2, 2007, then Ohio Governor Taft signed into law Substitute House Bill 694, enacting changes to Ohio’s pay-to-play laws. The new law places restrictions on many political contributors who currently hold, or are competing for, a contract with the state or local government. The new law also extends these prohibitions to many local … Read more »
Hawaii’s Pay-To-Play Law
Hawaii Revised Statutes §11-205.5 places limitations on campaign contributions by state and county contractors. Read more »
Connecticut’s Pay-to-Play Law
Connecticut’s law imposes a contribution and solicitation ban on state contractors, prospective state contractors, and their principals. A few, but not all, of the principals now covered under the law are as follows: Members of the company’s Board of Directors; Individuals owning 5% or more of the company’s stock; Individuals at the company living or … Read more »