It seems that North Carolina lawmakers are experiencing premature withdrawal from lobbyist cash.  Last month, both chambers of the NC legislature voted overwhelmingly for a sweeping ethics reform package.  Under the new laws, lobbyists have to report their expenditures on a monthly basis and are barred from making personal contributions to political campaigns.

Nevertheless, the laws don't go into effect until January 1st, and there's still a little thing called an election in the way.  While some lawmakers have pledged to comply with the ethics changes before they become law, many are racing for last-minute checks.  

Representative Bruce Goforth (D), for example, has invited lobbyists to his annual "Bruce Goforth for North Carolina House" fundraising golf tournament, which has a minimum admission price of $125.  Meanwhile, Rep. Bonner Still (R) has petitioned lobbyists for $1,000 donations in order to compete with a wealthy opponent.  Both voted for the ethics changes.

This frenzied rush for campaign cash has caused some, including N.C. Coalition for Lobbying Reform member Chris Fitzsimon, to question the sincerity of the lawmakers' votes:

After five years of fighting for legislation, the Hawaii Ethics Commission will finally be able to place fines on ethics violations.  A new state law, passed just before election season, allows the Ethics Commission to impose a $500 fine for each violation.

Under the old system, the Commission could only declare guilt or innocence, and any punitive measures would target the state body that employed the individual, not the individual him or herself.  Moreover, the Commission could not act once an implicated individual left a state position, a loophole that the new law will close.

A fine of $500 may not be hefty in itself, but numerous counts accompany most ethics violations.  For example, engaging in private business while in office often requires state resources and time, and thus carries with it the potential for multiple ethics violations.

According to Mollway, the new law is a "milestone" for ethics reform in Hawaii and indicates an increased acceptance of tighter ethics standards.  Let's hope that other states attain a similar respect for appropriate ethics reform legislation.

On Friday, a three-judge federal panel redrew several Texas Congressional districts after a long partisan battle with Election Day implications.  The Supreme Court declared the existing map, redrawn in 2003 by the Republican controlled state Legislature, unconstitutional because it significantly weakened Hispanic strength in the 23rd Congressional District - a violation of section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.

The expansive 23rd District currently stretches from El Paso County in the West to parts of Webb and Bexar (San Antonio) Counties in the South.  Under the new plans, Webb County has been moved entirely into the 28th District, and Kerr, Kendall, Bandera, and Real Counties have been added to the 21st District.

Additionally, several solidly Hispanic neighborhoods in southern Bexar Country have been added to the 23rd District.  Hispanics will constitute 61 percent of the voting-age population in the revised 23rd District, a 10 percent increase from the 2004 figure.

For more information about Friday's decision, check out the panel's ruling and the new map (pdf).

The Massachusetts Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice has sued the city of Springfield for denying minority groups equal opportunities to cast votes.  The lawsuit claims that:

The lawsuit hinges upon several recently extended provisions of the Voting Rights Act that, inter alia, provide for language assistance in jurisdictions with significant minority populations.  If true, the case demonstrates that voting rights injustices need not be confined to Southern states.  It's a national problem.

How about switch political parties?  Well, that is exactly what a former North Carolina state representative did in 2003.

In a federal court on Tuesday, Michael Decker pleaded guilty to accepting $50,000 in exchange for switching political parties and supporting an unnamed "particular candidate" for House Speaker.  The switch, in which Decker changed from a Republican to a Democrat, turned a bare Republican majority in the House into a 60-60 tie, enabling House Speaker Jim Black (D) to retain power.

Decker had been a member of the Republican Party for 18 years prior to the switch, and promptly rejoined the GOP after the legislative session.  He was later defeated in the 2004 election and could now face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

However, North Carolina Republicans are justifiably displeased with Decker's plea.  Despite involvement in Decker's switch, Black continues to serve as House Speaker, a fact that "sickens" party chairman Ferrell Blount.  Though Black has not been charged with a crime, all signs point to him as the "particular candidate" that Decker supported.

With elections fast approaching, allegations of illegal campaign contributions have become more heated in the states.  

Take Wisconsin, for example.  In 2005, Richard and Barbara Schiffrin donated $10,000 and $5,000 to embattled Governor Jim Doyle (D) and Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager (D), respectively, at a campaign function.  Later that day, Richard Schiffrin sought state business with the Wisconsin Investment Board at meetings established by a Lautenschlager aide and the Doyle campaign's chief fund-raiser.  

Though Schiffrin's law firm was not hired by the state, the Wisconsin Ethics Board is now reviewing whether the campaign contributions were "met with promises to help obtain state business."  Political rivals themselves, Doyle and Lautenschlager must now fend off charges of ethics violations from their Republican challengers.

Meanwhile, Missouri Democrats are outraged at Governor Matt Blunt (R) for what they see as a blatantly illegal campaign contribution.

According to a recent financial report, Blunt's campaign committee received $38,982 from the Republican National Committee in April, an amount that rises well above state contribution limits from party committees.

After admitting to ten ethics violations on Tuesday, former Rhode Island State Senator John A. Celona (D) was fined $130,000 by the Rhode Island Ethics Commission, a record penalty.

The fine comes as a result of undisclosed consulting work for CVS, Blue Cross & Blue Shield, and New England Ambulance between 2000 and 2003.  Celona's contract with CVS netted him $1,000 a month in 2000 and included legislative favors beginning in 2001 as chairman of the Senate Corporations Committee.  In 2002, he received $1,200 a month from another client, New England Ambulance.  That same year, Celona began a relationship with Blue Cross as the host of a company-sponsored nutritional show on cable TV.  He was initially paid $1,000 per episode and received a total of $10,605 over the course of the year.  After his financial dealings were uncovered, Celona resigned from the RI Senate.

Celona has already pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges and will likely see prison time.  The Ethics Commission can impose a maximum fine of $25,000 per count, for a total penalty of $250,000, but decided to charge Celona approximately half that amount.  Though Celona is remorseful, an apology may not suffice:

Government officials should take notice.

On Monday, an ethics complaint was filed against Arkansas Secretary of State Charlie Daniels (D) for producing a state-financed voter guide that many view as nothing more than a reelection advertisement.

Daniels maintains that it "was never intended for [the guide] to be subtly or otherwise a campaign piece."  Moreover, thousands of identical voter guides have been used for educational purposes since 2004, before he was a political candidate.

It should be interesting to see what the Ethics Commission says about the booklet.

And whether or not the guide amounts to an abuse of political office, Daniels may have a tough reelection bid ahead of him.  Republican challenger Jim Lagrone has held Daniels responsible for voter machine malfunctions throughout the state during the May primary, citing programming glitches and ballot-counting delays.