In the News
National Review Online: Permits for Political Speech?
By Katrina TrinkoDavid Rubin wants to be able to put political signs in his yard.Yard signs have long been a staple of political campaigns, local, state, or federal. But in the upstate New York town of Manlius, residents can’t put up signs without a permit, and can’t have them up more than thirty days before or five days after an election.“It’s an obvious unconstitutional violation of my First Amendment rights,” says Rubin, a communications professor at Syracuse University.
Independent Groups
Washington Post: Report argues for lifting ban on politics from the pulpit
By Michelle BoorsteinMore than 1,100 mostly conservative Christian pastors for the past few springs have been explicitly preaching politics — they call the annual event “Pulpit Freedom Sunday” — in an effort to lure the Internal Revenue Service into a court showdown. Meanwhile, groups that favor a strong church-state separation are going to courtto demand that the IRS more aggressively enforce the ban that dates to 1954.The report by officials of major denominations (including the Southern Baptist Convention and Assemblies of God) and large nonprofit organizations (including the Crusade for Christ and Esperanza, one of the country’s biggest Latino evangelical groups) argues that the ban chills free speech and violates the culture of people who see the weaving of faith and political expression as essential to their religious practice.
Politico: FEC signs off on Progress Kentucky closing
By Byron TauThe controversial liberal Super PAC whose officials are being investigated for bugging Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s office is closing up shop.The Federal Election Commission approved Progress Kentucky’s request to shut down, according to documents filed late last week.
Candidates, Politicians, Campaigns, and Parties
Politico: Reince Priebus ducks Fox tie to Hillary Clinton film
By TAL KOPAN“The big question for me, Candy, is, No. 1 , which company is putting it on the air, who’s doing the work. I’m not interested if they’re using the same caterer, or whether they all drink Diet Coke. I’m not boycotting Diane Lane,” Priebus said. “I’m going to boycott the company that puts the miniseries and the documentaries on the air for the American people to view.”
Roll Call: Expect Campaign Advertisements Earlier Than Ever
By Abby LivingstonWithout a presidential race dominating the airwaves, House and Senate races will be on the receiving end of an unprecedented deluge of political spending this midterm cycle. And with only a few dozen competitive House districts to focus their spend, many political operatives predict the television ad wars will start earlier than ever.Until recently, the parties and most candidates did not air major television advertisement campaigns until around Labor Day — when television networks returned to prime-time programs. Last cycle, party committees aired some five-figure and small six-figure buys during the August before the elections, but the serious seven-figure spending came after Labor Day.
State and Local
District of Columbia –– Washington Post: Ex-Gray adviser Vernon Hawkins charged with lying in ‘shadow campaign’ probe
By Ann E. Marimow, Mike DeBonis and Nikita StewartThe case against Hawkins stems from allegations that he paid a former campaign worker to leave town to avoid FBI questions, according to court papers. He is thelatest in a series of people charged who have connections to businessman Jeffrey E. Thompson, the alleged financier of what has become known as the “shadow campaign.”Hawkins, 74, is the first person charged in the two-year investigation with a substantial link to both Gray and Thompson, who was for years one of the city’s largest contractors.
New York –– NY Daily News: Controller hopeful Eliot Spitzer has cut $3.6 million in checks to his campaign
By ANNIE KARNIFormer Gov. Eliot Spitzer has already cut $3.65 million in checks to his campaign — including $271,831 to get his name on the city controller ballot after jumping into the race just four days before the deadline, new campaign disclosures show.That six-figure number was not broken down to show how much petitioners were paid. At the time, workers claimed they were compensated as much as $800 a day, and a spokesman would not comment on that figure.
Pennsylvania –– Post-Gazette: Lobbyists fight state fee increase
By Kate GiammariseHARRISBURG — A proposed state fee increase for lobbyists — from $200 to $700 — has Harrisburg lobbyists in an uproar, with numerous nonprofit groups saying the increase will hurt their ability to discuss policy with lawmakers and open government advocates concerned it could lead to less lobbying transparency.A proposal by the Department of State would increase the biennial fee paid by registered lobbyists from $200 to $700. State officials say the increase is needed to maintain an online database of lobbyists and defray other costs of administering the lobbyist disclosure act.
