ARKANSAS: The fiscal session of the Arkansas General Assembly adjourned at noon on Friday, March 9, 2012.

OREGON: The Oregon Legislative Assembly has adjourned sine die for the 2012 regular session on March 5.

UTAH: The 2012 general session of the Utah State Legislature adjourned sine die on March 8, ending on its 45th day, the last permitted by the Constitution for annual general sessions. Governor Gary Herbert has until March 28 to sign or veto bills presented to him by the legislature.

WASHINGTON: The 2012 regular session of the Washington State Legislature adjourned sine die on March 8, 2012. Governor Gregoire has called for a special session to begin on March 12, 2012 to address a supplemental budget plan.

WYOMING: The State of Wyoming Legislature adjourned sine die on March 8. Governor Matt Mead has until March 26 to sign or veto legislation that reaches his desk.

Many thanks to our terrific Research Department for this update!

Alabama: “Alabama lawmakers return for 2012 regular session” by Bob Johnson (Associated Press) in the Montgomery Advertiser.

Arizona: “Monday is deadline to introduce bills in AZ House” by The Associated Press in the Arizon Capitol Times.

California: “Initiative would make Legislature part time, slash its pay” by Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times.

“California Legislators Turn in Keys to their Cars” by Karl Kurtz on NCSL’s blog The Thicket.

Oklahoma: “Okla. State Legislature Begins 2012 Session” by Homa Quazilbash on KTUL.com

Oregon: “Oregon Politics: Legislative session starts with big concepts and some lawmakers under scrutiny” by Jeff Mapes in The Oregonian

Virginia: “Va. legislators accepted $246,000 in gifts last year” by Anita Kumar in the Washington Post.

House Resolution 1140 has set the meeting dates and dates of adjournment for the 2012 regular session of the General Assembly for the period of Friday, January 27, 2012, through Monday, March 12, 2012.

The Assembly will generally be in session during the week and in adjournment during each weekend.

The resolution also schedules adjournment for Monday, February 13, Tuesday, February 14, Thursday, March 1, Friday, March 2, Thursday, March 8, and Friday, March 9.

Any additional periods of adjournment will be set by subsequent resolutions.

State Senator Doug Stoner has proposed legislation that would remove control of ethics enforcement from the General Assembly by making the state’s ethics commission an independent agency.

Senate Bill 315 would also change the name of the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission to the Georgia Ethics Commission.

The commission would be appointed by the chief justice of the Supreme Court and the chief judge of the Georgia Court of Appeals. Currently, members are appointed by legislators and the governor.

Take a look at this news item on NCSL’s blog, The Thicket: “TVW Introduces SCOUT” by Jan Goehring.

According to the post: “TVW, the Washington state public affairs network, is offering an innovative service to citizens who want to follow public policy issues and the legislative process. This new tool, called SCOUT, allows the public to easily keep track of issues. SCOUT will track video and bill information and automatically send it to those who open a free account.”

You can find the link to TVW here, and find out more about SCOUT at this link.

Photo of the Washington State Capitol dome by Tradnor on Wikipedia.

As a kick-off to their 2012 General Assembly, the Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission will be hosting Jack Abramoff as a speaker during their training session on ethics.

Abramoff will be paid $5,000 plus expenses. He will be speaking on January 4, 2012.

You can read about it in “Ex-lobbyist Jack Abramoff to speak at Kentucky legislative ethics session” by Tom Loftus in the Courier-Journal.

A post on NCSL’s The Thicket has a list of changes in top legislative staff positions. Even though it is not an election year, there has been an unusual number of replacements among the top staff in many states.

Among these top staffers is Tim Massanelli who is retiring after over 35 years of serving as Arkansas House Parliamentarian and Laura Clemens, clerk of the Ohio House, who has left that position to become director of government affairs for the Ohio Casino Control Commission.

See the full list here.

The 17 day special session which convened on November 28, 2011 adjourned late on December 14, 2011.

State lawmakers in Louisiana will be going through what has been called a “crash course” in the craft of lawmaking.

Be sure to read “Newest Louisiana legislators will get crash course in their new roles” by Ed Anderson in the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

The article says, “[House Clerk Alfred] Speer said the House’s agenda will include mock committee meeting and floor sessions, as well as discussions of ethics laws, parliamentary procedure, introduction to legislative staff, key dates for filing bills, and one called ‘Norms of Behavior or How to Operate within the House and Keep Your Integrity and Sanity.'”

You can find the Web Portal for the Louisiana State Legislature here.

Photo of the Louisiana State Capitol by Bluepoint951 on Wikipedia.

NORTH CAROLINA:  A special session of the North Carolina General Assembly convened Sunday evening.

The session is scheduled to adjourn on Tuesday, November 29, 2011.

The session was called to consider bills vetoed by Governor Bev Perdue, revise redistricting plans, and address election law bills.

Photo of the North Carolina State Legislative Building by Jayron32 on Wikipedia.

The special session of the Nebraska Legislature adjourned sine die on November 22, 2011.

The session, which began November 1, 2011, concerned the Keystone XL crude-oil pipeline project’s intended route through the state. The special session was called by Governor Dave Heinemen to focus on proposed bills intended to reroute the pipeline around a region of the state rich in groundwater. As a result of the session, two measures in relation to the pipeline were passed.

For more information about the measures passed and the special session, you can read the Legislature’s official news release, “Two pipeline measures approved; Legislature adjourns” on the Unicameral Update page.

Photo of the Nebraska Legislative Chamber by ensignbeedrill on Wikipedia.

North Dakota lawmakers wrapped up a special session on Friday after providing millions of dollars in additional disaster relief and repealing a law requiring the University of North Dakota to keep its Fighting Sioux nickname.

The five-day special session also produced a new redistricting map and items related to the Environmental Protection Agency in an attempt to defend hydraulic fracturing in the state.

The Rhode Island Senate and House will both convene this Thursday, November 17.

The two bodies will be meeting at different times in the afternoon to consider Senate Bill S1111A and House Bill H6319A.

The bills concern contributions and benefits related to the retirement system for public officers and employees.

The West Virginia Legislature convened for a special session on November 13, 2011 to certify election results.

The house has adjourned sine die.

The senate will reconvene at 6 p.m. on November 14, 2011.

Photo of the West Virginia State House by Analogue Kid on Wikipedia.