The Committee on House Administration, led by Chairman Bob Ney, will hold a hearing entitled, “Political Speech on the Internet: Should it be Regulated?” at 9 a.m. on Thursday, September 22, 2005, in the Committee’s Hearing Room, 1310 Longworth House Office Building.

face="Arial">North Carolina lawmakers no longer would be able to leave public office and immediately become lobbyists under a bill (S.B. 612) approved by the state Legislature Aug. 24. Under S.B. 612, which has been sent to Gov. Mike Easley (D) for his consideration, a "cooling off" period would be imposed for the first time on public officials in North Carolina before they could become lobbyists. The bill would require that former lawmakers and state officials wait at least six months before working as a lobbyist. The pending lobbying reform bill also would extend lobbying restrictions

DKT International, a nonprofit organization that works to prevent HIV/AIDS worldwide, has sued the US Agency for International Development (USAID) for its retraction of a grant when DKT refused to sign a pledge opposing sex work. In June, DKT applied for a $60,000 subgrant to market condom lubricants in Vietnam. The grant was initially approved, but rescinded when DKT refused to sign the pledge.

Common Cause, a political reform organization that has frequently criticized Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio) and other House Republican leaders, was itself blasted by Ney for a lapse in filing a lobbying disclosure report due earlier this year. Ney said a delay by Common Cause in filing a report under the Lobbying Disclosure Act proved that procedural changes are needed, including a move to electronic filing of lobbying reports.