Today’s political law links, 2/20/13

AGGREGATE LIMIT CASE TO BE HEARD. USAT. “In a move that could signal the end of a key restriction on political giving, the Supreme Court announced Tuesday it will consider a case challenging the limit on how much individuals can donate directly to federal candidates and political parties.”

SUPREME COURT TO HEAR CASE. The Times. “In what may turn out to be the most important federal campaign finance case since the 2010 decision in Citizens United, the court agreed to decide whether aggregate limits on federal campaign contributions are constitutional.”

LIMITS WILL BE CONSIDERED. The Post. “The Citizens United decision was a big boost to interest groups, weakening the ability of campaigns and parties to compete with them. There are no limits on the amount that individuals can contribute to super PACs. The challenge would restore some of the balance by removing restrictions on the political parties.”

LIMIT CASE TO BE HEARD. Politico. “Three years since the landmark Citizens United decision that dramatically changed campaign finance laws, the Supreme Court announced Tuesday it will take up another campaign finance case challenging how much donors can give to campaigns and committees.”

IRS SUIT. The Hill. “A former Democratic congressional candidate and a government watchdog are suing the IRS, claiming the agency has allowed political groups to flout campaign finance laws.” Politico has more.

SCIENCE SUPER PAC. Story here. “A veteran La Jolla lobbyist has created a super PAC in hopes of raising up to $100 million to support candidates in the 2014 Congressional elections who will push for increases in federal funding for basic scientific research, especially in the life sciences.”

RETURN OF WOF. Politico. “A number of super PACs that formed specifically to support candidates in the 2012 elections are grappling with the question of what to do now — and to figure out what to do with their cash.”

CA: PROPOSED LOBBYIST FINE. Story here. “The Fair Political Practices Commission has proposed fining a former Sierra Club lobbyist $24,500 for failing to file quarterly disclosure reports for nearly two years.”

CA: NO LIMITS IN PASADENA. Story here. “Unlike most other cities, Pasadena has no cap on political donations, and for some candidates, that has meant big money.”

FL: ETHICS REFORM MOVING. Story here. “A Senate committee unanimously approved an ambitious ethics bill Tuesday and set it up to be the first bill voted out of the Florida Senate but only after it exempted current lawmakers from the ‘revolving door’ limits on lobbying the governor and his agencies.”

MD: LOBBYIST LOSES APPEAL. Story here. “It was a valiant effort, but Maryland super-lobbyist Bruce Bereano’s attempt to erase his 1994 federal fraud convictions was stopped in its tracks Feb. 8 by the Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va.” The opinion is online here.

HAVE A GOOD DAY.

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