Welcome to Fair Season and the 164th Ohio State Fair!

Once again, fair season has arrived! As we enter this fun part of summer, it is important to keep in mind from whom you are receiving fair passes. A pass to a county or to the Ohio State Fair is a thing of value. While an individual pass from a lobbying source might not exceed $25, attending multiple days or accepting multiple passes from a single source may, triggering disclosure requirements. Please keep in mind that tickets to concerts or special events at the fairs may have additional costs. In addition, different fairs may have various ticket levels/packages (e.g. ensuring access to rides or specific sections of the fair) with different pricing. Lobbyists are required to keep track of the value of any gifted tickets or passes.

As a reminder, absent an independent relationship, the value of a fair pass provided to a legislator/staff’s spouse or family member is attributable to the legislator/staff. In this circumstance, the amount of the ticket for the spouse or family member must be added to the amount, if any, of the ticket provided to the legislator/staff.

Any fair pass(es) received from a lobbyist or employer of a lobbyist, exceeding $25 total in value, will appear on the corresponding Activity and Expenditure Report. If you file a Financial Disclosure Statement these tickets may be reportable on your 2017 filing. Legislators/staff members are prohibited from accepting more than $75 in gifts, aggregated per calendar year, from a lobbyist.

Safe travels and enjoy the Elephant Ears & deep-fried everything!