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California saw its biggest increase in registered lobbyists last session since at least 2011, when a change in the law caused the number to more than double. There was a roughly 10% increase in the number of lobbyists who registered for the 2023-24 session compared to the previous one — for a record of 3,245 people, according to the Secretary of State’s office. What’s behind the jump? Longtime lobbyist Chris Micheli sees it as the result of high turnover in the Legislature — leading to an “exodus of legislative staff” who went into advocacy. In what was dubbed the Great Resignation of 2022, for example, 26 members opted out of seeking re-election , in addition to the seven who reached term limits. Micheli said he has also seen a rise in state agency rule-making, which motivates those in support of or against regulations to lobby: “Some of these regulatory bodies, like the Air Resources Board — the number of regulations that they’re undertaking and their significance has been growing in recent years.” Meanwhile, the number of legislative staff has shifted only slightly since the mid-1990s, according to data from the National Conference of State Legislatures. The staff count can impact how much time members have to write and research legislation. The increase in lobbyists means there’s now at least one lobbyist for every staff member, compared to two staffers per lobbyist back in 1995, the earliest data available from the Secretary of State’s office. “The fact that the number of registered lobbyists has risen so high and outstrips the number of actual staffers that legislators have to help them with people’s work shows how skewed our system has become towards the interests of wealthy interests that also dominate campaign spending, rather than regular people,” emailed Trent Lange, executive director of California Clean Money Campaign — an advocacy group that aims to combat the influence of money on politics. Lobbyists are required to register with the Secretary of State’s office, and report on their activities each quarter. That’s according to the state’s Political Reform Act , which passed in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal in 1974 in an effort to combat political corruption. The law defines lobbyists as those who are paid to influence legislation or regulation through direct communication with lawmakers, outside of public comments. They can be hired as contractors by companies, or work to influence policy as an employee, although those who spend less than one-third of their time lobbying don’t have to register. Lawmakers and those who work for state agencies legally must wait one year after leaving state jobs before working as lobbyists. Legislative staff do not have that requirement. The recent jump in new lobbyists was the highest since 2011 , when a law signed by then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger went into effect requiring placement agents — financial officers who solicit investments from the state workers’ and teachers’ retirement funds — to register as lobbyists. The law nearly doubled the number of registered lobbyists, from 1,237 for the two-year session ending in 2010 to 2,353 in 2012. The second highest bump came in the session that ended in 2020, with 257 more registered lobbyists compared to the session before, according to the Secretary of State’s office. The rise in the number of lobbyists coincides with an uptick in money spent on lobbying, with industry and advocacy groups spending record amounts each year since 2022 . Spending to lobby California legislators hit nearly $420 million in just the first nine months of 2024, compared to $484 million in all of 2023 and $443 million in the entirety of 2022. Included in the recent boost: a summer lobbying blitz by Google to influence whether it would have to pay news outlets for publishing their content. Jonathan Mehta Stein, executive director of the good governmental advocacy group California Common Cause, labeled it “absolutely wild” that nearly $1 billion was spent on lobbying last session. “Sometimes people in the capitol community,” he said, “lose sight of how staggering it would be to their constituents if they knew how much money is spent to, in many cases, divert policy decisions away from the reason everyone originally went to Sacramento, which is to serve the public interest without fear or favor.” Jeremia Kimelman contributed to this story. This story was originally published by CalMatters and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.Shares of EQTEC plc ( LON:EQT – Get Free Report ) reached a new 52-week low during trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as GBX 0.45 ($0.01) and last traded at GBX 0.46 ($0.01), with a volume of 1508898 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at GBX 0.48 ($0.01). EQTEC Price Performance The stock has a market capitalization of £1.20 million, a PE ratio of -2.73 and a beta of 2.07. The company has a quick ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 2.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 37.66. The stock’s 50-day moving average is GBX 0.63 and its 200 day moving average is GBX 0.96. EQTEC Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) EQTEC plc licenses and sells its proprietary advanced gasification technology that generates green energy from municipal, agricultural and industrial waste, biomass, and plastics in the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom, European Union, and the United States. The company operates in two segments, Technology Sales and Power Generation. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for EQTEC Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for EQTEC and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Broncos cornerback Riley Moss is set to return after missing a month with knee injury
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TORONTO, Nov. 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Spokespersons from , co-founders of and Canada’s largest online donation and fundraising platform, are available for media interviews to discuss GivingTuesday, which takes place this year on December 3rd. As many Canadians continue to struggle under financial pressure and are turning to charities to meet essential needs, CanadaHelps is highlighting how communities can unite this giving season by engaging in generosity. As the world’s largest generosity movement, celebrates and encourages all forms of giving, including donating, volunteering, performing acts of kindness, and more. More than $13.6 million was donated within 24 hours via CanadaHelps.org to support registered charities on GivingTuesday in 2023. This year, the organization is aiming to surpass last year’s total. The holiday season is a critical fundraising time for charities with approximately 40% of annual donations being made in the final two months of the year on CanadaHelps.org. The generosity shown on GivingTuesday and throughout the rest of the year sustains the vital work of charities year-round. Generosity is especially critical given the record-breaking use of food banks reported across the country as Canadians struggle under financial pressures and turn to charities for daily essentials including food and shelter. Spokespeople can speak to findings from with insights on Canadians turning to charities for support, including: Spokespeople can highlight a variety of easy ways Canadians can participate in GivingTuesday, including donating to a favourite charity or cause, volunteering, fundraising, setting up a monthly donation, purchasing (as holiday season gifts and stocking stuffers), performing acts of kindness, and so much more. Like so many small businesses that rely on postal service to deliver packages, many charities rely on direct mail which represents a critical portion of their annual revenue. With the Canada Post strike, many charities are concerned that they will be forgotten among supporters who would normally mail in a cheque at the end of the year. Spokespeople can speak to the impact of the labour dispute on Canada’s charitable sector, can share examples of charities in select cities that are affected, and offer alternatives to traditional mail for giving. While the arts and culture sector provides significant personal and cultural benefits to Canadians, according to , only 6% of the population says they prioritize arts and culture charities as important causes they support. Spokespeople can speak to the unique benefits of arts and culture organizations in uniting people, some of the challenges facing these charities, and highlight examples of the impact of specific arts charities in communities across Canada. As Canadians search for the perfect gift to give this holiday season, spokespeople can discuss the variety of giving options for all budgets that can make a vital impact on charities and the communities that rely on them. Spokespeople can speak to creative ways that parents can use GivingTuesday to engage children in giving while also learning about specific causes of interest and impact. Companies across the country are embracing GivingTuesday as a way to make a positive impact. Spokespeople can highlight how businesses are supporting charities, how it benefits their organizations, and provide examples of how select companies are supporting this day of generosity. Spokespeople can speak to strategic ways of giving and using charitable tax benefits to receive up to 49% of their contribution back as a tax credit. They can also discuss how monthly donations and donations of securities are strategic ways to give and how these methods grew 11% and 32% respectively on CanadaHelps in 2023 compared to the prior year. For 11 consecutive years, fewer Canadians have been engaging in charitable giving. Canada Revenue Agency tax filer data shows donation rates declined from 23.4 percent in 2010 to 17.7 percent in 2021 (among those Canadians claiming tax receipts). Spokespeople can speak to popular causes Canadians are supporting, ways Canadians are giving, and how we can reverse declines in the number of Canadians who give. Canadians are increasingly disconnected and have shrinking social networks, which is correlated with lower rates of giving. Recent global data also highlighted how Canada is the second most polarized nation when it comes to giving, only behind Great Britain.* Spokespeople are available to speak to these trends and how generosity can unite communities this holiday season. GivingTuesday has global roots and has made a local impact. Launched in 2012 in the United States as a response to Black Friday and Cyber Monday and brought to Canada in 2013 by CanadaHelps, GivingTuesday is now celebrated in more than 90 countries. In Canada, an estimated six million Canadians have participated in GivingTuesday. CanadaHelps is Canada’s largest online donation and fundraising platform, and a charity advancing philanthropy through technology. For Canadians, CanadaHelps.org is a safe and trusted destination for discovering and supporting any charity in Canada. CanadaHelps also develops affordable fundraising technology used by more than 30,000 charities, and provides free training and education so all charities can increase their impact and succeed in the digital age. Since 2000, more than 4.8 million people have donated upwards of $3.2 billion through CanadaHelps. Connect with CanadaHelps on , , , and .
NAPLES, Fla. (AP) — Down by two shots with two holes to play, Jeeno Thitikul knew exactly what was needed to capture the biggest prize in women’s golf history. And another eagle-birdie finish — for the second straight day — made it happen. Thitikul claimed the record-setting $4 million first-place check by winning the CME Group Tour Championship on Sunday. It’s the biggest money prize in women’s golf history, bigger than even the winner’s shares in three of the four men’s major championships this year. “Today, standing here with the trophy, it’s more than I can ask for,” Thitikul said. Thitikul shot a 7-under 65 on Sunday and finished the week at 22 under, one shot ahead of Angel Yin (66). Yin had a two-shot lead walking to the 17th tee, only to wind up settling for the $1 million runner-up check. Yin — who missed the start of the season after breaking her leg over the winter — hardly sounded defeated after finishing second and more than doubling her 2024 earnings in four days. “I’m pretty awesome. ... I’ve learned that I just need to believe my myself and that’s what I did,” Yin said. Brooke Henderson (66) of Smiths Falls, Ont., tied for eighth at 13-under overall. The win and the massive check came down to the 18th hole, Thitikul and Yin tied at 21 under after a back-and-forth day atop the leaderboard — both knowing a mistake would likely come at a $3 million cost. Both hit the fairway on 18. Thitikul’s approach was nearly perfect, stopping about 5 feet from the cup. Yin’s response stopped maybe 15 feet away, giving Thitikul the edge as they walked up the fairway. She was smiling broadly as she approached the green, almost as if she knew what was about to happen. Yin’s birdie putt just missed. Thitikul’s was dead center. And history was hers. Her plans for all that cash? “Definitely spend it,” Thitikul said. “That’s an honest answer, for sure. Definitely going to spend it for a little while.” She already had clinched a $1 million bonus this week through the Aon Risk-Reward Challenge, a competition based on how players score on a designated hole each week. In the end, it wound up as a whopping $5 million week for the 21-year-old from Thailand — and going 8 under on the Nos. 17 and 18 over the four days at Tiburon Golf Club made the difference. “All the hard work paid off,” said Thitikul, whose eagle-birdie close to Saturday’s round pulled her into a tie for the lead with Yin going into Sunday at 15 under. It didn’t take long on Sunday for Thitikul to jump in front, with birdies on two of the first three holes to grab a two-shot edge. Her lead vanished with a two-shot swing on the par-4 fourth; Yin made birdie, Thitikul bogey. It seemed like Yin grabbed control on the par-3 16th. Her birdie putt from across the green — about 25 feet — rolled in for a two-shot lead with two holes to play. But her second shot at the par-5 17th missed the green right, and the door was opened for Thitikul. The eagle-birdie finish Saturday gave her hope. The eagle-birdie finish Sunday gave her so much more — even though, it turns out, the second shot on the par 5 wasn’t one that she caught flush. It worked out anyway. “Just lucky enough,” Thitikul said. Olympic gold medalist Lydia Ko (63) finished third at 17 under, her nine birdies coming in a 13-hole span. “I’m excited to be able to work hard this offseason and have another great 2025,” Ko said. Ruoning Yin (68) was alone in fourth at 16 under, and LPGA player of the year Nelly Korda (66) finished at 15 under along with Narin An (68). Ayaka Furue finished at 13 under, good enough to give her the Vare Trophy as the LPGA’s season-long scoring champion over Haeran Ryu. “I feel very happy to have this trophy in my hands,” said Furue, the first Japanese player to win the Vare. Lexi Thompson — a 15-time winner as a pro who plans to step away from full-time golf — finished at 2 under. It’s not clear how often Thompson plans to play in 2025 and beyond; that said, she returns to Tiburon the week of Dec. 9 for the Grant Thornton Invitational, where she’ll team with Rickie Fowler in the event featuring PGA Tour and LPGA Tour players. “I’m not going anywhere, guys.” Thompson said. “I’ll be back in two weeks.” There were two players who said they were retiring after Sunday’s round: Marina Alex, who shot 66 to finish at 12 under, and Ally Ewing, who closed with a 68 to wrap up the week at 11 under. “I’m happy to have ended on my best,” said Alex, a bottle of sparkling wine in her right hand, a bouquet of flowers in the other. Added Ewing: “I’ve been at peace with my decision. It’s just so nice to be able to share the walk with my family this week.” But in the end, the week belonged to Thitikul. And as the sun was setting over Tiburon on Sunday, she was ready for her offseason to begin with a well-deserved celebration. “Anybody hungry?” she asked. “I am.” With Sunday’s check in her pocket, she can dine anywhere she wants for a while. ___ AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf Tim Reynolds, The Associated Press
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