Grant Degginger, Chair
Katrina Asay, Vice Chair
Amit Ranade, Member
Kathy Turner, Member
Rule Making
Disclosing Lobbying Expenditures for Legislative Receptions
- The Commission approved draft language for rule making that will relieve lobbyists from disclosing a per-person cost when reporting expenditures for certain legislative receptions and officials who attend these events from reporting food & beverage costs on their personal financial affairs statements. The draft language proposes amendments to:
o WAC 390-20-020 Forms for lobbyist report of expenditures, and
o WAC 390-24-010 Forms for statement of financial affairs.
- Additional draft language was approved that will revise and convert to rule PDC Interpretation 96-03, L-2 Reporting Guide for Entertainment, Receptions, Travel and Educational Expenditures. The revisions incorporate criteria under which lobbyists will not be required to include a per-person cost when disclosing expenditures for legislative receptions.
Enforcement
The Commission found that Robert Jesse Hill, a 2014 state representative candidate in the 27th legislative district, violated campaign disclosure laws by not timely filing a personal financial affairs statement and assessed a $900 penalty.
Orders from July 2014 Group Enforcement (failure to file annual personal financial affairs statements) were reconsidered and the Commission:
- Suspended, with terms, the $300 penalty assessed to Jeff Jansma, Fire Commissioner, Skagit Fire Protection District 4, and
- Suspended, with terms, $200 of the $300 penalty assessed to Tracey Rascon, School Director, Cape Flattery SD 401.
Legislative Matters
The Commission approved agency-request legislation that will promote improved efficiency of agency operations and requirements (Bill Request Z-0091) and revise certain personal financial disclosure requirements for elected and appointed officials, candidates, and appointees (Bill Request Z-0007).
Advisory Matters
Interpretation 14-01, Campaign Loans, was adopted to provide guidance to candidates and political committees related to accepting and repaying campaign loans.
Filer Requests
The Commission granted new Personal Financial Statement (F-1) reporting modifications that exempt:
- Patti Connolly Walker, District Court Judge, Spokane County, from disclosing her personal residential address information on her F-1 report for 2013, and
- Randy Brandt, District Court Judge, Spokane County, from disclosing his personal residential address information on his F-1 report for calendar years 2012 and 2013.
The Commission meeting materials can be found at www.pdc.wa.gov under Commission Meetings. For additional information concerning these issues contact Lori Anderson, Communications & Training Officer, at (360) 664-2737, toll free 1-877-601-2828 or e-mail at landerson@pdc.wa.gov.
The next regular meeting of the Public Disclosure Commission is tentatively scheduled for October 23, 2014.