The Georgia Campaign Finance Commission has voted to approve the biennial increase to contribution limits.

The limit for statewide offices increased $600 up to $7,600 for each primary and general election and $400 up to $4,500 for each runoff.

The limit for other offices increased $200 up to $3,000 for each general and primary election and $100 up to $1,600 for each runoff.

These changes are effective immediately.

The special session of the South Carolina Senate scheduled for October 12 has been cancelled.

In a letter to senators, Senate President Harvey Peeler stated the session would be unnecessary citing delays in redistricting plans and House leaders’ refusal to reconvene on COVID-19 funding issues.

While the redistricting issue will still need to be addressed in a special session later this year, the COVID-19 funding issues, without the House’s willingness to reconvene on the issue, will have to wait until the 2022 session.

Gov. Brian Kemp called a special session of the Georgia General Assembly to convene on November 3.

The special session will focus on redistricting, as well as to consider ratification of executive orders and confirmations of gubernatorial appointments.

Gov. Kay Ivey called a special session of the Alabama Legislature to convene on September 27.

The purpose of the special session is to address the state’s prison infrastructure.

A copy of a draft bill has already been presented to the legislators containing a multi-phase plan including the construction of two new prison facilities and other necessary renovations to existing facilities, which will be funded in part by a $785 million bond issue and $400 million from federal COVID relief funding.

The South Carolina Senate will convene for a special session on October 12.

Senate President Harvey Peeler hopes to limit the session’s scope to federal COVID-19 funding and redistricting, as provided in the adjournment resolution passed in May.

Leaders in the state House have not announced any plans to convene.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has announced a special election for House District 165 to coincide with the November 2 municipal elections.

If needed, a runoff will be held on November 30.

The House District 165 seat became vacant upon the passing of Rep. Mickey Stephens in August, who had held the seat continuously since 2009.

Mississippi Rep. Abe Hudson Jr. has resigned effective August 30.

Hudson has held the 29^th District seat since winning a special election in 2016.

Gov. Tate Reeves will set a special election to fill the District 29 seat until the term ends in January 2024.

This is the third vacancy in the Mississippi Legislature to be filled in 2021.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has announced a special primary election for House District 76 will be held on November 16 with runoff elections held on December 14, if necessary.

The special general election will be held on March 1, 2022.

The seat was previously held by Rep. Thad McClammy who passed away on August 21.

Sen. Doug J.J. Peters has resigned effective July 30 to accept a position on the University of Maryland’s Board of Regents.

Sen. Peters had previously announced he did not plan to seek reelection marking the end of his 15-year tenure in the Maryland Senate.

A successor will be appointed to serve the remainder of his current term with elections for the 23^rd District’s Senate seat schedule for 2022.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has announced a special primary election for House District 63 will be held on October 19 with runoff elections held on November 16, if necessary.

The special general election will be held on February 1, 2022.

The House District 63 seat has been vacant since former Rep. Bill Poole took over as state finance director on August 1.

The Board of County Commissioners have adopted Ordinance 21-73 adding additional requirements to the registration and reporting of lobbyists communication with the Miami-Dade County.

The new requirements include requiring lobbyists to disclose the specific issues they are lobbying, lobbyist registration to be amended within 15 days to ensure accuracy, and requiring lobbyist expenditure reports to be filed even if there were no expenditures.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has appointed Rep. Bill Poole to succeed Kelly Butler as state finance director.

In June, Butler announced he would be retiring after over 30 years of public service due to health concerns.

Rep. Poole, who has chaired the House Ways and Means Education Committee since 2013, will begin his new position as head of the Alabama Department of Finance on August 1.

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves has announced special elections for November 2 to fill the two Senate seats recently vacated after two Democratic Senators resigned on June 30.

If needed, runoff elections will be held on November 23.

Sen. Tammy Witherspoon of District 38 resigned to serve as the newly elected mayor of Magnolia and Sen. Sampson Jackson of District 32 retired.

North Carolina Senate Bill 722 became law without the governor’s signature on June 28.

The bill will delay certain municipal elections from 2021 to 2022 to accommodate delays in redistricting based upon 2020 Census data.

This delay will effectively extend the terms of current officeholders until the delayed elections can be held.

Winners of these delayed elections will serve their term as though they were elected in 2021 to return elections to their regular cycle.