MN ruling on ALEC as lobbyist, 1995

AO202.pdf (application/pdf Object)

Does this mean that ALEC in MN has broken lobbying laws??

Does this mean ANY ONE (see Section 5) can attend ALEC meetings in Minnesota FOR FREE, without fear of assault ??


One wonders the level of contribution from Comcast, MN's corporate sponsor. Either the corporate chair alone, or the corporation taken as a whole.

Also, one wonders who replaced John L. Holahan, Jr., Chair, Ethical Practices Board? http://www.cfboard.state.mn.us/Staff.htm



Issued to:
Samuel Brunelli, Executive Director
American Legislative Exchange Council
91 0 17th Street N.W., Fifth Floor
Washington, DC 20006
RE: Issues Forum

ADVISORY OPINION #202

SUMMARY
202. The American Legislative Exchange Council's sponsorship and proposed operation of an
issues forum that is available to the public is within the exceptions to the gift prohibition in Minn.
Stat. § 10A.071, subd. 3 (a)(2) and (3). However, the American Legislative Exchange Council's
disbursements in this endeavor may require disclosure under the lobbyist registration and
reporting laws in Minnesota. Minn. Stat. 9 1 0A.01, subd. 11 ; Minn. Rules pt. 451 0.01 00, subps.
4 and 5.

FACTS

As executive director of the American Legislative Exchange Council ("ALEC) you ask the Ethical
Practices Board for an advisory opinion based on your statement of the following facts and
information provided:
1. ALEC is a national bipartisan organization composed of members who are
individual legislators from all 50 states and members who are corporations and
other business associations from across the country.
2. ALEC's activities include the sponsoring of educational seminars throughout the
country designed for legislators and other interested persons.
3. ALEC receives its operating funds in the form of dues and contributions from its
members, some of whom are lobbyist principals as defined by Minn. Stat.
§ 1 OA.O1, subd. 28.
4. ALEC does not now have a lobbyist registered in Minnesota and does not
otherwise fall within the definition of lobbyist principal. ALEC recognizes that the
issues forum described herein may constitute lobbying under Minnesota law and
may thereby require that ALEC register a lobbyist with the Board, although the
forum is not designed to influence any specific legislation.
**5. ALEC proposes sponsoring an issues forum for which the target audience would
be primarily members of the Minnesota legislature, but ALEC business members
and other Minnesota businesses,'and any interested person could attend.**
6. Presentations at the forum would be designed to provide information to legislators
or other officials to assist them in the performance of their official duties.
7. Persons could attend the forum at no cost; persons who choose to attend the
dinner would pay a charge of $1 9, with advance or contemporaneous payment
required. This charge equals the per-plate amount the event facility would be
charging ALEC.
8. General operating funds of ALEC would cover the costs of the speakers'
expenses and honoraria, printing costs, facility rental, and other expenses not
related to the dinner itself. Attenders would be given photocopied outlines for
several of the presentations at the forum.
9. Agenda sheets and invitations that have been sent contain a statement that
advice on this matter will be sought from the Ethical Practices Board. ALEC will
notify persons that the event has been canceled if the Board finds that the
program is a prohibited gift.

QUESTION ONE
Does ALEC's sponsorship and operation of the issues forum issues forum require ALEC to
register a lobbyist with the Board?
OPINION
Yes, in the event that the issues forum and any written materials distributed include information
that communicates with or urges others to communicate with officials in attempts to advocate
a particular position to an official about legislative or administrative action, or which requests
initiation of any particular legislative or administrative action. If ALEC authorizes the expenditure
of more than $250 for the costs of the issues forum, a lobbyist must register with the Ethical
Practices Board to represent ALEC and report on ALEC's disbursements for lobbying purposes
in Minnesota. Minn. Stat. § 1 0A.01, subd. 11 ; Minn. Rules pt. 451 0.01 00, subps. 4 and 5.

QUESTION TWO
Does ALEC's sponsorship and proposed operation of the issues forum as described in this
request constitute a gift to officials that is prohibited by Minn. Stat. 9 10A.071?
OPINION
No. The issues forum as described in this request is offered without charge to officials and any
others who may wish to attend. Officials and others who choose to attend the dinner each
would pay the amount that the facility would charge ALEC for the dinner. The operation-of the
issues forum is a gift that is within the exception from the gift prohibition for services to assist
an official in the performance of official duties. Minn. Stat. § 10A.071, subd. 3 (a) (2).

QUESTION THREE
Is the distribution of photocopied outlines of the presentations at the issues forum to legislators,
other officials, and other attenders at no charge prohibited by Minn. Stat. § 10A.071?
OPINION
No, provided that any photocopied materials that may be distributed to legislators or officials are
within the exception for informational material of unexceptional value specified in Minn. Stat.
5 1 OA.071, subd. 3 (a)(6).

Issued: 2, - 3 -w\' - I
John L. Holahan, Jr., Chair
Ethical Practices Board

PERTINENT STATUTES AND RULES
Minn. Stat. 5 1 OA.O

1 DEFINITIONS provides:
Subd. 1 1 . (a) "Lobbyistu means an individual:
(1) engaged for pay or other consideration, or: authorized to spend money by another
individual, association, political subdivision, or public higher education system, who spends more
than five hours in any month or more than $250, not including the individual's own travel
expenses and membership dues, in any year, for the purpose of attempting to influence
legislative action or administrative action, or the official action of a metropolitan governmental
unit, by communicating or urging others to communicate with public or local officials.
Subd. 18. "Public official" means any:
(a) member of the legislature;
(b) constitutional officer in the executive branch and the officer's chief administrative
deputy;
(c) member, chief administrative officer or deputy chief administrative officer of a state
board or commission which has at least one of the following powers: (i) the power to adopt,
amend or repeal rules, or (ii) the power to adjudicate contested cases or appeals;
(d) commissioner, deputy commissioner, or assistant commissioner of any state
department as designated pursuant to section 15.01 ;
(e) individual employed in the executive branch who is authorized to adopt, amend or
repeal rules or adjudicate contested cases;
(f) executive director of the state board of investment;
(g) executive director of the Indian affairs intertribal board;
(h) commissioner of the iron range resources and rehabilitation board;
(i) commissioner of mediation services;
(j) deputy of any official listed in clauses (e) to (i);
(k) judge of the workers' compensation court of appeals;
(I) administrative law judge or compensation judge in the state office of administrative
hearings or referee in the department of jobs and training;
(m) solicitor general or deputy, assistant or special assistant attorney general;
(n) individual employed by the legislature as secretary of the senate, chief clerk of the
house, revisor of statutes, or researcher, legislative analyst, or attorney in the office of senate
counsel and research or house research;
(0) member or chief administrative officer of the metropolitan council, regional transit
board, metropolitan transit commission, metropolitan waste control commission, metropolitan
parks and open spaces commission, metropolitan airports commission or metropolitan sports
facilities commission;
(p) the director of the racing commission, the director of the gambling control board, the
director of the state lottery, and the deputy director of the state lottery;
(q) director or the division of gambling enforcement in the department of public safety;
(r) member or executive director of the higher education facilities authority; or
(s) member of the board of directors or president of the Minnesota world trade center
corporation.

Subd. 25. Local official. "Local official" means a person who holds elective office in a
political subdivision or who"is appointed to or employed in a public position in a political
subdivision in which the person has authority to make, to recommend, or to vote on as a
member of the governing body, major decisions regarding the expenditure or investment of
public money.

Subd. 26. Metropolitan governmental unit. "Metropolitan governmental unit" means any
of the seven counties in the.metropolitan area as defined in section 473.121, subdivision 2, a
regional railroad authority established by one or more of those counties under section 398A.03,
a city with a population of over 50,000 located in the seven-county metropolitan area, the
metropolitan council, a metropolitan agency as defined in section 473.1 21, subdivision 5a, the
Minnesota state high school league, and ~innesotaT echnology, Inc.

Subd. 27. Political subdivision. "Political subdivision" means the metropolitan council,
a metropolitan agency as defined in section 473.1 21, subdivision 5a, a municipality as defined
" in section 471.345, subdivision 1, the Minnesota state high school league, and Minnesota
Technology, Inc.

Subd. 28. Principal.
"Principal" means an individual or association that:
(1) spends more than $500 in the aggregate in any calendar year to engage a lobbyist,
compensate a lobbyist, or authorize the expenditure of money by a lobbyist; or
(2) is not included in clause (1) and spends a total of at least $50,000 in any calendar
year on efforts to influence legislative action, administrative action, or the official action of
governmental units, as described in section 10A.04, subdivision 6.
Minn. Stat. § 10A.03 LOBBYIST REGISTRATION provides:
Subdivision 1. Each lobbyist shall file a registration form with the Board within five days
after becoming a lobbyist.

Subd. 2. The registration form shall be prescribed by the Board and shall include (a) the
name and address of the lobbyist, (b) the principal place of business of the lobbyist, (c) the
name and address of each person, if any, by whom the lobbyist is retained or employed or OD
whose behalf the lobbyist appears, and (d) a general description of the subject or subjects on
which the lobbyist expects to lobby.
Minn. Stat. § 10A.04 LOBBYIST REPORTS provides:
Subdivision 1. Each lobbyist shall file reports of the lobbyist's activities with the Board as
long as the lobbyist continues to lobby. A lobbyist may file a termination statement at any time
after ceasing to lobby.
Subd. 2. Each report shall cover the time from the last day of the period covered by the
last report to 15 days prior to the current filing date. The reports shall be filed with the Board by
the following dates: (a) January 15; (b) April 15; and (c) July 15.
Minn. Stat. § 10A.071 CERTAIN GIFTS BY LOBBYISTS AND PRINCIPALS PROHIBITED provides:
Subdivision 1. Definitions. (a) The definitions in this subdivision apply to this section.
(b) "Gift" means money, real or personal property, a service, a loan, a forbearance or
forgiveness of indebtedness, or a promise of future employment, that is given without the giver
receiving consideration of equal or greater value in return.
(c) "Official" means a public official, an employee of the legislature, or a local official of
a metropolitan governmental unit.

Subd. 2. Prohibition. A lobbyist or principal may not give a gift or request another to give
a gift to an official. An official may not accept a gift from a lobbyist or principal.

Subd. 3. Exceptions. (a) The prohibitions in this section do not apply if the gift is:
(1) a contribution as defined in section 1 0A.01, subdivision 7;
(2) services to assist an official in the performance of official duties, including but not
limited to providing advice, consultation, information, and communication in connection with
legislation, and services to constituents;
(3) services of insignificant monetary value; '
(4) a plaque or similar memento recognizing individual services in a field of specialty or
to a charitable cause;
(5) a trinket or memento of insignificant value;
(6) informational material of unexceptional value; or
(7) food or a beverage given at a reception, meal, or meeting away from the recipient's
place of work by an organization before whom the recipient appears to make a speech or
answer questions as part of a program.
(b) the prohibitions in this section do not apply if the gift is given:
(1) because of the recipient's membership in a group, a majority of whose members are
not officials, and an equivalent gift is given to the other members of the group; or
(2) by a lobbyist or principal who is a member of the family of the recipient, unless the
gift is given on behalf of someone who is not a member of that family.

Minn. Rules pt. 451 0.0100 DEFINITIONS provides:
. . .
Subp. 4. Lobbyist. "Lobbyist" means an individual as set forth in blinnesota
Statutes,section 1 0A.01, subd. 11. "Lobbyist" does not include an individual who merely
communicates with a public official to obtain information or request an interpretation of a law,
rule, or agency action.
Subp. 5. Urginglurges others to communicate. "Urgingfurges others to communicate"
means any written or oral communication by a lobbyist which requests that an individual or
association advocate a particular position to a public official concerning any legislative action
or administrative action, or which requests an individual or association to advocate a public
official initiate any particular legislative or administrative action. The term does ;not include mere
presentation of factual material without comment.