The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit upheld Rhode Island’s campaign finance law requiring the identification of donors in political advertisements.

The state law requires disclosure of independent expenditures totaling more than $1,000 to the Board of Elections with a listing of the candidate or referendum involved and all individual donors who gave more than $1,000.

The top five donors must also be listed in the ad itself.

The groups challenging the constitutionality of the law said they would appeal the issue to the Supreme Court

New York Rep. Victor Pichardo’s resignation was effective this week, leaving the 86th Assembly District seat vacant.

Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin’s former Senate District 30 seat is also vacant following his elevation to the lieutenant governor position.

Special elections will be held on November 2 to fill both seats. Winners of the special elections will serve until December 31, 2022.

Massachusetts State officials scheduled a special election for January 11, 2022 to fill the state Senate seat in the 1st Suffolk and Middlesex District.

The seat became vacant when Sen. Joe Boncore resigned to accept the CEO position with the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council.

A primary will be held on December 14.

The Maine Ethics Commission announced it would hold a three-hour course covering recent changes to the law governing the registration and reporting requirements for political committees.

The course will take place on October 18, both in-person and over Zoom, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

Registration for the course is available online and a recording of the training will be available on the commission’s YouTube channel.

Massachusetts State Sen. Joe Boncore resigned to become CEO of the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council.

His current term is set to expire on January 4, 2023.

The governor is expected to call for a special election to fill the vacant 1st Suffolk and Middlesex District seat.

Maine Gov. Mills and Secretary of State Shenna Bellows announced a special election to be held on November 2 for House District 86.

The seat became vacant when Rep. Justin Fecteau resigned in July to pursue an out-of-state career opportunity.

The winner of the special election will serve the remainder of the two-year term that is set to expire December 6, 2022.

New Hampshire Gov. Sununu announced a special election to be held on December 7 to fill the vacant state representative seat for Rockingham County District 6.

The seat was vacated when Rep. Anne Copp moved out of the district this summer.

The winner of the special election will serve the remainder of the term that is set to expire on November 30, 2022.

Pennsylvania lobbyists and lobbying firms are required to complete an annual equity disclosure report by October 7.

This year’s report covers the period of July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021.

Subsequent annual reports will be due July 30 of each year.

Each report must include how much equity a lobbyist or lobbying firm holds or has held in an affiliated principal for whom that lobbyist or lobbying firm has lobbied during the reporting period.

The amount of equity held can be represented by a dollar amount or by a percentage.

The state broadly defines equity as ownership in interest in property, especially in a business.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has called the state Legislature to reconvene today, September 1.

The session’s primary order of business will be to extend the state’s eviction moratorium, but the meeting is also expected to address the open meetings law, and issues related to legally producing and distributing cannabis.

Massachusetts state officials scheduled a special election on November 30 for the state House seat in the 4th Essex District.

The seat became vacant when Rep. Brad Mill resigned to accept an appointment to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.

A primary will be held on November 2.

Massachusetts State Rep. Brad Hill resigned to accept an appointment to the state’s Gaming Commission.

His current term is set to expire on January 3, 2023.

Gov. Baker is expected to call for a special election to fill the vacant Essex 4th District seat.

Rhode Island State officials scheduled a special election on November 2 for the state Senate seat in Providence District 3.

The seat became vacant when Sen. Gayle Goldin resigned to accept a position as a senior adviser in the U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau.

A primary will be held on October 5, if necessary.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced his resignation one week after the state Office of Attorney General released a report concluding he sexually harassed nearly a dozen women.

The resignation will take effect in 14 days on August 24.

Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul will serve as governor for the remainder of the term set to expire on January 1, 2023.

Hochul will be the first female governor of New York.

Effective September 28, New Hampshire House Bill 263 increases contribution limits and reporting, registration, and itemization threshold amounts for political committees.

The bill limits contributions to PACs to $10,000 and raises the registration and reporting threshold for those committees to $1,000 from $500.

Additionally, PACs will need to itemize expenditures and contributions of $50 or greater and provide more detailed information about contributors who give $200 or more, an increase from the current $25 and $100 thresholds.