Council passes major ethics legislation

City Council today approved new ethics laws that will regulate lobbyists for the first time and set limits on contributions to inaugurations, transitions and legal defense funds.

Council notably did not vote on the most controversial piece of the package _ a ballot initiative that would allow Council to loosen restrictions on political activities by city employees, which currently only voters can do.

"We want to make sure there are no unintended consequences," said Tasco, who said she wanted all the groups - including the Ethics Board and Committee of Seventy - to "be on board" with any changes to the city's strict political activity prohibitions.

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