Recall efforts against Sen. Pete Lee of Senate District 11 failed on September 10.

Similar recall efforts have recently targeted Senate President Leroy Garcia of Senate District 3.

Proponents of Lee’s recall notified the Secretary of State’s Office that they would not submit the recall petition signatures required by 5 p.m. September 10.

The petition needed 11,304 signatures to recall Lee, who was targeted for sponsoring legislation to create a paid family and medical leave program to be funded by a mandatory fee on businesses and employees.

Garcia, who won his reelection in November with more than 70% of the vote, was targeted for recall after voting for a bill to restrict oil and gas production in Colorado.

If proponents for Garcia’s recall gather 13,506 signatures by the petition deadline of October 18, the effort will trigger a special election that could be held in District 3 in early 2020.

The Hawaii Senate will convene in special session on September 16 to review gubernatorial nominees to the state courts.

The gubernatorial nominees up for consideration by the Senate are:

• • • Clyde J. Wadsworth to the Intermediate Court of Appeals as associate judge for a term of 10 years
    • Kevin A.K. Souza to the First Circuit Court for a 10-year term
    • Lisa W. Cataldo to the First Circuit Court for a term to expire in 10 years
    • Ronald G. Johnson to the First Circuit Court for a 10-year term
    • Trish K. Morikawa to the First Circuit Court for a term to expire in 10 years
    • John M. Tonaki to the First Circuit Court for a 10-year term
    • Jeffrey A. Hawk to the Third District Court for a six-year term

Hearings on the appointees before the Senate Committee on Judiciary are scheduled to begin on September 10.

A coalition of Coloradans failed to collect enough signatures to force a special election to recall Gov. Jared Polis.

The leaders of the recall announced they fell short of the 631,266 signatures needed by the recall petition deadline of the end of the day on September 6 .

There were approximately 300,000 total signatures counted.

El Paso City Council voted to hold a special election on November 5 to replace a District 3 councilwoman after a Facebook post on her public page announced her candidacy for mayor.

The post by city Rep. Cassandra Hernandez, which was later deleted, triggered a resign-to-run law.

The law states that an elected official must resign from office upon announcing a run for another seat.

Rep. Hernandez said she did not upload the post but one of her supporters did.

Hernandez asked city leaders to use their discretion to vote no and asked to be able to vote.

However, her request to vote was denied and the special election for her position was approved with a 4-3 vote.

Hernandez cannot run for her seat in the special election because she is under a holdover clause, meaning she is keeping the seat until her successor fills it.

Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday, November 5 as the special election date to fill House Districts 28 and 100.

Rep. John Zerwas announced his early resignation from District 28, effective September 30, after being appointed the executive vice chancellor for health affairs for the University of Texas.

District 100 was vacated by former Rep. Eric Johnson, who resigned when he was elected mayor of Dallas.

Maine lawmakers voted to pass Gov. Janet Mills’ proposed $105 million bond to fund transportation efforts during the one-day special legislative session on Monday, August 26.

The transportation bond to upgrade roads, bridges, ports, rail and air transportation, and to repair culverts and restore a commercial fishing wharf will now head to the ballot for voters on November 5.

The three proposed bonds for land conservation projects; infrastructure and economic development; and environment and energy projects all failed to reach the two-thirds vote needed to pass.

Gov. Mike DeWine signed a campaign finance bill into law, promoting transparency for campaign finance reports.

Senate Bill 107 allows certain local political candidates to file their campaign finance reports electronically.

The bill further requires the Secretary of State to make the information in the electronic statements available online.

Senate Bill 107 will take effect January 1, 2021.

City Council unanimously approved Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s ethics ordinance on July 24, changing the definition of lobbyist for purposes of registration.

Ethics Ordinance 2019-5305 provides that a person acting on behalf of a nonprofit will not need to register as a lobbyist if he or she is unpaid or is providing technical assistance to the nonprofit.

The ordinance will become effective 90 days after its passage and publication.

Kelsey Ketron, daughter of Rutherford County Mayor Bill Ketron, resigned from the Tennessee Republican Party’s Executive Committee.

Ketron, who faces a criminal investigation related to insurance fraud, released a statement that it had been an honor to serve District 12 for the past five years.

Ketron’s seat on the state executive committee will remain vacant until the party can appoint a committee to find a replacement to serve the remainder of the four-year term.

Once the committee recommends a name to replace Ketron, it must be voted on by the full executive committee.

Local lawmakers are considering an ordinance requiring lobbyists working in Aurora to register and report expenditures in excess of $75.

At-large councilwoman Angela Lawson, who is also the Lobbyist Registration Program Manager for the secretary of state, first introduced the proposal to a city policy committee in October 2018.

If passed, lobbyists would be required to begin registering at the beginning of 2020.

City Council discussed the proposal during the council’s special study session on July 22.

The ordinance has not yet been brought forward for official action.

The date to move forward to a regular council meeting has not been set.

Gov. Kate Brown signed legislation on July 23 requiring registered lobbyists to attend annual training beginning in 2021.

House Bill 3377 directs lobbyists to certify training attendance to the Oregon Ethics Commission.

The bill also requires the commission to report lobbyist training attendance to the legislative equity officer.

House Bill 3377 becomes effective on January 1, 2021.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is in the process of passing an ethics ordinance related to government ethics and lobbyist registration.

Under Ethics Ordinance 2019-5305, a person acting on behalf of a nonprofit will not need to register as a lobbyist if he or she is unpaid or is providing technical assistance to the nonprofit.

The full City Council is scheduled to consider the mayor’s ethics reform on July 24.

The Elections Division of the Secretary of State’s Office approved petitions to collect signatures for the recall of Gov. Jared Polis and Sen. Pete Lee of Senate District 11.

More than 600,000 signatures are needed by September 6 to force a recall election for Polis.

According to the recall statement of grounds, the petition for recall is sought against Polis for his support of legislation involving oil and gas regulation and sexual education dissemination, among others.

More than 11,000 signatures are needed by September 10 to force a recall election for Lee.

According to the recall statement of grounds, the petition for recall is sought against Lee in part for sponsoring legislation to create a paid family and medical leave program to be funded by a mandatory tax on businesses and employees.

Gov. Mike Parson signed procurement lobbying legislation on July 10, bringing changes to the state’s bid solicitation process.

House Bill 1088 provides that solicitations and subsequent purchases must be publicly advertised only if a contract is worth more than $100,000. The previous threshold was $25,000.

The bill further provides that all purchases in excess of $10,000 must be based on competitive bids. The previous threshold was $3,000.

Additionally, information technology purchases estimated not to exceed $150,000 may be completed under an informal process. The previous threshold was $75,000.

The bill becomes effective on August 28, 2019.