Kansas lawmakers passed a bill allowing more nonprofits to reimburse public officials for travel and conferences. House Bill 2060 expands who can reimburse public officials for expenses to any nonprofit nonpartisan organization that doesn’t engage in lobbying in the state of Kansas. Current law prohibits certain elected officials and state employees from soliciting or accepting free or discounted tickets to entertainment or sporting events if such gifts are provided due to their role in government. The bill creates an exemption if it is obvious to the person accepting the gift the free or discounted tickets are not provided due to their position, or if accepting an invitation serves a legitimate state purpose or interest. The bill will now go to the governor to be signed or vetoed.

The New Mexico Legislature adjourned at noon on March 22 after 60 days in session. During the session, lawmakers passed a bill requiring lobbyists to file activity reports disclosing their stances on legislation, and, if positions change, to update their stances within 48 hours. House Bill 143 is being transmitted to the governor’s desk for signature. During a news conference following the Legislature’s adjournment, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham indicated a special session to address public safety is likely in the aftermath of a March 21 mass shooting in Las Cruces.

Arizona’s 7th Congressional District Rep. Raúl Grijalva passed away on March 13 after complications from lung cancer, ending his decades-long career in public service. One of Arizona’s longest-serving congressmen, Mr. Grijalva championed immigrants’ rights and climate change policies. Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs will call for a special election in accordance with state law within 72 hours after the office is officially declared vacant. A special general election must follow between 70 and 80 days after the special primary election.

Former Houston mayor and current U.S. Congressman Sylvester Turner unexpectedly died March 5 at the age of 70 after suffering a medical emergency. Turner’s 18th Congressional District seat will be filled through a special election to determine who will finish his current term. Gov. Greg Abbott has called for the special election to be held on November 4.

Kansas lawmakers are considering a bill to consolidate special elections. Senate Bill 273 would require special elections to be held on the first Tuesday in March. If passed, the bill would eliminate the need for separate special elections throughout the year and instead set a single date for all future special elections. The aim of the proposed legislation is to reduce costs and simplify scheduling.

Lobbying and campaign finance thresholds increase January 1, 2025, to reflect changes in the consumer price index.

The thresholds for lobbyist compensation and reimbursement increased from $1,870 to $1,930.

Lobbyist expenditures increased from $940 to $970 per calendar quarter, not including expenditures for an individual’s travel, food, lodging, or membership dues.

If a lobbyist does not intend to exceed $2,220 during a calendar year in expenditures, the lobbyist may file an annual report due on January 10.

Salary reporting thresholds have also increased.

Compensation or reimbursement required to be reported must be reported as an exact amount if the compensation or reimbursement received exceeds $1,112,200.

Regarding campaign finance, a general-purpose and specific-purpose committee may not accept political contributions or expenditures totaling more than $1,080 without filing a campaign treasurer appointment.

Other changes include the threshold at which a contribution from an out-of-state PAC requires certain paperwork increased from $1,080 to $1,110.

Incumbent Gov. Spencer Cox defeated Democratic candidate Brian King 56% to 31% in Utah’s gubernatorial race on November 5.

King, a trial lawyer and state representative, has served as Utah’s House minority leader for eight years.

While moderate Republicans have historically fared well in Utah’s statewide elections, Cox has recently sought to convince voters that he is more conservative than his record shows.

Jenniffer González of Puerto Rico’s pro-statehood New Progressive Party is leading polls early November 6 in the U.S. territory’s race for governor.

With 91% of precincts reporting, González received 39% of votes compared with 33% obtained by Juan Dalmau of the Independence Party and Citizen Victory Movement.

Trailing González and Dalmau is Jesús Manuel Ortiz of the Popular Democratic Party, which supports the island’s territorial status.

For decades, the New Progressive Party and the Popular Democratic Party would receive at least 90% of all votes, but that began to change in 2016.

Newer parties are attracting more voters given Puerto Rico’s economic and political turmoil while a younger generation is decrying corruption, persistent power outages and a lack of affordable housing, among other things.

On November 5, voters in Colorado rejected a ballot measure establishing top four primaries and ranked choice voting in general elections.

Proposition 131 aimed to eliminate party primaries, and instead all candidates, regardless of party, would compete in an open primary.

The top four finishers in each race would advance to the general election, where voters would rank candidates for each office in order of preference.

If one candidate were to receive more than 50% of the vote, he or she would win.

If not, the last place finisher in that race would be eliminated, and the votes would be reallocated to the candidate the voters rank second.

The elimination process would continue until one candidate had 50% of all the votes cast.

As of 9:00 a.m. November 6, with 73% of the precincts reporting, Proposition 131 failed 56% to 45%.

On November 5, voters in Arizona rejected a ballot measure to implement ranked choice voting in general elections and defeated a competing measure to require partisan primaries.

The ranked choice voting measure, Proposition 140, requires primaries in which candidates, regardless of partisan affiliation, appear on a single ballot.

The measure allows a certain number to advance to the general election, such as top-two or top-four primaries.

In contrast, the partisan primary measure, Proposition 133, is contradictory because a primary cannot be both partisan and include all candidates running in the same primary regardless of party.

While Proposition 133 doesn’t state that ranked-choice voting can’t be used in general elections, Proposition 140 conditions ranked-choice voting on a primary system change.

Proposition 133 would have added the existing system of partisan primaries to the Arizona Constitution, where voters select candidates to represent political parties in the general election.

As of 9:00 a.m. November 6, with more than 58% of the precincts reporting, Proposition 133 failed 58% to 42%.

The Texas Legislature adjourned its third special session November 7 and announced a fourth special session on the same day to address the unresolved issue of school vouchers.

In Gov. Greg Abbott’s special session proclamation, he acknowledged the Texas Legislature made progress over the past month protecting Texans from forced COVID-19 vaccinations and increasing penalties for human smuggling but said more work must be done.

The agenda items of the fourth special session include the establishment of an education savings account program, and state border security.

A special election will be held to fill the vacant seat in Senate District 32 that was held by John Michael Montgomery.

Montgomery resigned from his seat in the Oklahoma Senate to take a position as the President and CEO of the Lawton Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce.

The special primary election will be held on Tuesday, October 10.

If a special primary election is not necessary, the special general election will be held on Tuesday, December 12.

The Aurora City Clerk’s Office increased campaign finance contribution limits August 1 following a city code mandate.

A person, political committee, or non-municipal political organization may not make aggregate contributions to a candidate committee or recall defense committee more than $450 to any one candidate in any one ward race or more than $1,150 to any one candidate in any at-large or mayoral race.

A small donor committee is limited to aggregate contributions to a candidate committee or recall defense committee of $4,500 to any one candidate in any one ward race or $11,500 to any one candidate in any at-large or mayoral race.

The adjustments are based on an amount calculated by the Colorado Secretary of State as prescribed in the Colorado Constitution.

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