City Aims to Curb Lobbyists:
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D) joined forces to push for strict limits to the influence of lobbyists in the city, according to the New York Times. The two “jointly proposed new legislation prohibiting all city employees, elected or appointed, from accepting gifts or meals from lobbyists,” and “also proposed legislation that would end matching funds for campaign donations from lobbyists, their spouses and other immediate family members.” The reform proposal also “would seek strict new disclosure and reporting standards, requiring that the information be filed electronically and that lobbyists disclose when they are also helping political candidates raise money.” A proposal for a mechanism to enforce infractions “had not been worked out yet.”