Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear called a special session of the General Assembly to begin Tuesday, September 7.

The call comes two weeks after the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled a lower court was wrong to block new laws limiting the scope of the governor’s emergency powers, giving the Republicans’ legislative supermajority a substantial say over any new policy measures to address the pandemic.

The session will focus on legislation addressing the pandemic, but Beshear is asking lawmakers to consider a few unrelated matters.

Illinois State House lawmakers killed an ethics omnibus bill by rejecting the Amendatory Veto of Senate Bill 539 issued by Gov. JB Pritzker last week.

The requested amendment was a minor change to the bill to keep the current process regarding ethics investigations.

The Senate adopted the change, but the House, which had passed the bill by a vote of 113 to 5, rejected the change by a vote of 59 to 35.

Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams announced that special elections will be held on November 2 to fill three vacancies in the General Assembly per writs of election issued by Gov. Andy Beshear.

Voters will choose two new state representatives and one state senator.

House District 51 was vacated by the death of Rep. John “Bam” Carney; House District 89 was vacated by the resignation of Rep. Robert Goforth; and Senate District 22 was vacated by the death of Sen. Tom Buford.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker issued an amendatory veto of Senate Bill 539 lawmakers requested to maintain the current process regarding ethics investigations.

Pritzker pledged to certify the bill once the amendatory veto passes the Legislature.

The bill expands state lobbyist registration requirements to the local level; prohibits all fundraising statewide during legislative sessions; expands revolving door restrictions; and requires certain consultants hired by a lobbyist or lobbying entity to register and report.

If signed, the bill will be effective January 1, 2022.

Wisconsin lawmakers introduced seven bills to address a campaign finance system perceived to favor wealthy donors.

The proposed campaign finance reforms include lower contribution limits for statewide candidates; a broader definition of political action committee; a prohibition on making expenditures for certain mass communications if coordinated with a candidate; a prohibition on corporate or labor organization contributions to a segregated fund; and disclosure of donor employment information for cumulative contributions of more than $100.

Kentucky Rep. Robert Goforth, who won reelection despite facing criminal charges for allegedly choking a woman during a domestic dispute, resigned from his House District 89 seat.

A House panel dismissed a citizen’s impeachment petition seeking his removal from office after determining impeachment does not apply to legislators under the state’s constitution.

Gov. Andy Beshear will set the date for a special election to fill the seat.

Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch and Senate President Don Harmon issued a joint proclamation calling on the Legislature to convene on August 31 for a one-day special session to make changes in the new state legislative district map after official 2020 population numbers were released last week by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The House and Senate approved the state legislative map on May 28 with only Democratic votes, and Gov. JB Pritzker signed the map into law on June 4.

Republicans have filed a lawsuit in federal court to invalidate the map and give the redistricting commission remapping authority, claiming if a valid redistricting plan with the full force and effect of law was not completed by June 30, the Illinois Constitution shifts the responsibility for drafting a plan from the General Assembly to a redistricting commission.

Cleveland City Council adopted rule changes at the August 18 meeting to allow public comment at regular council meetings beginning at the September 20 Meeting.

The new rules make public comments the fifth item in the order of business at council meetings.

Anyone may speak, regardless of whether they are a resident of Cleveland and public comments will not be limited to current agenda items, but anyone who wants to speak must register.

Registration will open at noon on Wednesdays before a Monday council meeting and will close at 2:00 pm on the day of the council meeting.

Speaking slots of up to three minutes each will be allotted by order of registration up to a maximum of 10 speakers.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed legislation changing the vendor disclosure due date.

Effective immediately, Senate Bill 581 requires the Vendor Payment Program financial backer disclosure to be filed on August 1 of each year for the previous fiscal year.

The former deadline was July 1.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds issued a proclamation to schedule a special election for House District 37 on September 14 to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Rep. John Landon on July 29, 2021.

Iowa law requires a special election to be called within five days following a vacancy in the Iowa legislature.

There is no primary, and candidates will be nominated directly by political parties.

The winning candidate will serve the remainder of Landon’s term, which runs through 2022, and the seat will come up for election again next year.

In the Sterling Heights, Michigan nonpartisan mayoral primary election incumbent Mayor Michael C. Taylor received the most votes and will face Ken Nelson in the Nov. 2 general election.

The City Council will also be elected on Nov. 2 when voters will choose from the 12 candidates receiving the most votes in the primary.

In Detroit’s nonpartisan mayoral primary election, incumbent Mayor Mike Duggan, seeking his third term, overwhelmingly won the day with Anthony Adams coming in second.

Duggan and Adams will vie for Mayor in the Nov. 2 general election.

Incumbent Janice M. Winfrey received the most votes and will face off against Denzel Anton McCampbell for City Clerk in the Nov. 2 election.

And Proposal P which would have added 47 new elected positions and 102 new appointed positions to the city’s government, was overwhelmingly rejected by voters.

Two special primaries were held yesterday to determine who would be on the ballot for the Nov. 2 special election to fill two vacant state senate seats.

For Michigan State Senate District 8, Democrat Martin Genter and Republican Douglas Wozniak won their respective special primary elections to fill the seat vacated by Sen. Pete Lucido.

They advance to the Nov. 2 special election with Andrew Kamal, who is running as an independent.

For Michigan State Senate District 28, Democrat Keith Courtade and Republican state Rep. Mark Huizenga won their respective special primary elections to fill the seat vacated by Sen. Peter MacGregor.

Republicans currently have a 20-16 majority in the Michigan State Senate.

Mike Carey, a coal lobbyist backed by former President Donald Trump, won the Republican primary to succeed former Rep. Steve Stivers over 10 other candidates for the Ohio Congressional District 15 seat.

Carey will face Democratic state Rep. Allison Russo, a health policy consultant who won the Democratic nomination, on Nov. 2.