The Way It Is Now: The City’s Lobbyist Ordinance requires local lobbyists to register with the City’s Ethics Commission. When they register, the City does not require them to identify the City agencies they plan to lobby. Lobbyists must file monthly reports and disclose campaign contributions made or delivered by the lobbyists themselves, their employers or clients.
In general, a person is not allowed to make a campaign contribution of more than $500 to a City elected official or a candidate for City elective office. Lobbyists are subject to this $500 campaign contribution limit. The City does not restrict anyone, including lobbyists, from collecting campaign contributions from other persons—a practice known as “bundling”—and delivering those contributions to a City official or candidate for City office.
With some exceptions, lobbyists cannot provide any City official with gifts worth more than $25. Under current law, lobbyists cannot deliver payments or gifts through third parties in order to avoid this gift limit.
The Proposal: Proposition T would prohibit a lobbyist from making campaign contributions to a City elected official or bundling contributions for the official if the lobbyist is registered to lobby the official’s agency. These restrictions also apply to candidates for local offices.
Proposition T also would prohibit a lobbyist from providing gifts of any value to any City officials. Some nonprofits would have a limited exemption. The measure would also clarify that lobbyists cannot use third parties to attempt to avoid these gift limits.
Proposition T would require lobbyists to identify the City agencies they plan to lobby.
A “YES” Vote Means: If you vote “yes,” you want to:
• prohibit any lobbyist from making campaign contributions to a City elected official or bundling contributions for the official if the lobbyist is registered to lobby the official’s agency;
• generally prohibit lobbyists from providing gifts of any value to City officials; and
• require lobbyists to identify the City agencies they plan to lobby.
A “NO” Vote Means: If you vote “no,” you do not want to make these changes.
