Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has announced she is in talks with legislative leaders and housing advocates to construct a plan to increase funds in the Emergency Rental Assistance Program.

The federal funds allocated to Oregon to assist renters and owners have been almost exhausted, which will force the Oregon Emergency Rental Assistance Program to stop accepting applications on December 1.

Gov. Brown declared she will call a special session to draft a proposal to combat the looming evictions when the federal assistance is fully expended.

There is not a firm date announced for the special session.

The North Dakota Legislature adjourned the special session on November 12 after approving the redistricting maps and passing several other bills including bills banning critical race theory in schools and vaccinee mandates. This does not affect lobbyist reporting. 

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly will reconvene the Kansas Legislature for a special session on November 22 to address vaccine mandates.

The special session will aim to take up proposals to make it easier for workers to claim religious exemptions to vaccine mandates and to provide unemployment benefits to employees fired for not getting inoculated.

It is not yet clear when the session is slated to end. This does not affect lobbyist reporting.

A special session announced by Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak begins November 12 to vote on new congressional maps.

Nevada is a swing state with 38% of voters not identifying with the Democratic or Republican party, raising the political importance of the special session.

Currently, Democrats control the Legislature and the Governor’s Office, allowing for the creation of maps that lean in their favor.

The Democratic maps look to wrestle control of downtown Reno from the Republicans and to sure-up control of two hotly contested districts in Washoe County.

This does affect lobbyist reporting.

A lobbyist activity report will be due December 10, covering the month of November, and a termination and final report for the special session will be due 30 days after the close of the special session.

Three days after it convened on November 8, the first special session of the South Dakota Legislature adjourned sine die on November 10 when lawmakers reached a compromise on the decennial redistricting map.

A concurrent second special session began on November 9 and lasted only one day.

During the second special session, lawmakers overwhelmingly voted to establish a committee to consider impeachment of Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg for conduct in relation to a crash that killed Joe Boever last year.

Gov. Spencer Cox has called the Utah Legislature into a special session on redistricting set to begin November 9 at 10:30 a.m.

Lawmakers will vote on a set of maps that will determine the boundaries of Utah’s political districts, from school boards to the state Legislature and Congress, for the next decade.

In addition, Cox outlined other issues to be considered by lawmakers, including a vote to change the name of Dixie State University and an opportunity to consider provisions related to COVID-19 and the workplace.

It is not yet clear when the special session is slated to end.

Gov. Larry Hogan has announced a special session of the Maryland General Assembly to begin on December 6.

The session will focus on reviewing the certified redistricting maps presented by Hogan, which were drawn by the new Maryland Citizens Redistricting Commission.

The General Assembly does have the final say over these maps and must either approve them or adopt its own redistricting plan by the 45^th day of the 2022 legislative session, which is scheduled to begin on January 12, 2022.

This does not affect lobbyist reporting.

The Wyoming Legislature adjourned their special session after passing HB 1002, outlawing enforcement of federal vaccine mandates.

Included in HB 1002 is the ability for Wyoming’s attorney general to initiate or participate in litigation and take any appropriate action to challenge or resist federal government mandates relating to COVID-19.

A four-million-dollar fund has been set aside to finance legal actions opposing federal government COVID mandates.

Alaska’s fourth special session adjourned under little fanfare.

Governor Dunleavy tasked members of the Alaskan Legislature to fund another permanent fund dividend payment, a request met with legislative apathy.

The Senate held only one floor session while the house met only twice, with both houses holding relatively few committee meetings.

The Legislative leaders expressed concerns over a second payout from the permanent fund without a long-term budget plan.

Dunleavy stated he does not plan to call a fifth special session.

This does affect lobbyist reporting.

The fourth session adjourning in November triggers a monthly report covering November 1 to November 30, due December 31.

The quarterly legislative lobbyist report due on January 31 will only cover the month of December.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum has called a special session of the Legislature to begin November 8.

Lawmakers had announced a special session in September to begin November 8 but Burgum’s announcement means lawmakers will not be limited to the four days allotted under the constitution when the Legislature calls itself into session.

House Majority Leader Chet Pollert said they will determine whether a veto session will be necessary during the special session.

This does not affect lobbyist reporting.

The Tennessee General Assembly adjourned the third special session on October 30.

Lawmakers passed several bills limiting COVID-19 restrictions and mandates.

In addition to these measures, lawmakers also introduced and passed Senate Bill 9009 making school board elections partisan elections.

All of these bills now await action by Gov. Bill Lee.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has set the dates for the November Florida Legislature’s special session concerning COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

Lawmakers will convene the special session on November 15 and can adjourn no later than November 19.

The Iowa Legislature adjourned sine die October 28 after a one-day session in which lawmakers passed the second redistricting plan after rejecting the first one in a special session on October 5.

The plan passed the Senate 48-1, with one senator absent, and the House 93-2.

This does not affect lobbyist reporting. 

Speaker of the House Scott Bedke announced the Idaho Legislature will reconvene November 15 to address Federal Covid-19 rules for employers and consider an ethics complaint against Rep. Priscilla Giddings.

Normally, only Idaho’s Governor has the power to call a special session.

Instead of adjourning, the house called for an extended recess, a maneuver that allows the house to return to the regular session.

The Covid-related bill being considered would make it a misdemeanor for state or local government employees to implement President Biden’s Covid-19 rules in Idaho.

The Legislature will also consider censoring and removing Rep. Giddings from the House Commerce and Human Resources Committee.

The ethic complaint stems from Rep. Giddings sharing the name and picture of a 19-year-old legislative staffer who accused former Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger of sexual misconduct.

This does affect lobbyist reporting.