The second session of the 106^th Nebraska Legislature adjourned sine die on August 13 after 60 legislative days of a session interrupted by COVID-19.

Speaker Jim Scheer suspended the session in mid-March in response to growing safety concerns regarding the global pandemic. After calling lawmakers back into session for three days in late March for the limited purpose of approving emergency funding to combat the pandemic, he suspended the session again.

Senators reconvened July 20 and finished the final 17 days of session in a changed physical environment of plastic barriers and physical distancing guidelines to limit contact between senators, staff, and the media.

The delaying of the session affected lobbyist reporting due dates. Any lobbyists or principals who received or expended more than $5,000 for lobbying purposes during the session must file special reports on September 15, 2020. Additionally, the lobbyist statement of activity is due on September 27, which signifies 45 days after adjournment sine die of the session.

Lawmakers passed 285 bills during the session, including measures to expand access to broadband Internet in rural areas, improve oversight of the state’s Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Centers and provide a tax exclusion for military retirement benefit pay.

Scheer is among six senators who are leaving the Legislature due to term limits. The others are Lincoln Sen. Kate Bolz, Omaha Sen. Ernie Chambers, Bellevue Sen. Sue Crawford, Omaha Sen. Sara Howard and Omaha Sen. Rick Kolowski.

Chambers, whose legislative career will stand as the longest in state history, was first elected to the Legislature in 1970. He left office in 2008 due to term limits but returned in 2012.

The first session of the 107^th Legislature is scheduled to convene on January 6, 2021.

Oregon Lawmakers worked past 11 p.m. Monday to conclude a special session growing tense and at times openly hostile in the Senate earlier in the evening.

Lawmakers passed a dozen bills to patch a $1 billion hole in the state budget, tighten restrictions on police and corrections officers’ use of force and help out-of-work and underemployed Oregonians.

The public was not allowed into the Capitol due to coronavirus concerns and lawmakers only accepted written testimony on the bills.

This was the second special session of the year.

Lawmakers spent three days at the Capitol in June focused on police reform laws and a handful of other proposals left over from the regular session abruptly ending when Republican lawmakers walked out.

Gov. Tim Walz issued a proclamation on August 7 for a third special session of the Legislature to begin Wednesday, August 12 at 12:00 p.m.

The main purpose will be to extend the COVID-19 peacetime emergency originally declared on March 13, and ending on August 12.

Minnesota statutes require that if the governor extends a peacetime emergency beyond the original 30 days and the Legislature is not in session, the governor must call a special session for lawmakers to approve the emergency declaration.

Additionally, the Legislature will determine the length of the session.

The Mississippi Legislature plans to reconvene its session on August 10.

The legislature’s return will focus on the recent vetoes by Gov. Tate Reeves, as well as legislation concerning the Department of Marine Resources and education budgets.

The 32nd Special Legislative Session adjourned shortly after midnight and the final bills have gone to Gov. Steve Sisolak for his signature.

Lawmakers wrapped up the state’s latest special session with a deeply divisive amendment.

This amendment cuts schools and hospitals out of a bill to protect business owners from coronavirus related employee lawsuits.

Other issues were also addressed such as police reform, voting rights, more flexibility with Nevada’s unemployment benefits, alternative dispute resolution for rental evictions and a dire budget shortfall as a result of the pandemic.

Legislators appropriated $410,000 from the general fund to pay for the six day session.

Gov. Brad Little stated Wednesday he will call the part-time Legislature back into a special session during the week of August 24 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The special session could include how to conduct the November general election amid the pandemic.

Also a topic of discussion is legislation creating a liability shield for protection against lawsuits during declared emergencies such as the pandemic.

How a special session would work during the pandemic and how much it would cost is unclear.

Lawmakers would have to be in the Statehouse in Boise for their votes to count.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has called for the General Assembly to return on August 10 for a special session.

The special session will address COVID-related liability protection for persons and entities, electronic delivery of health services, and peaceful demonstration legislation aimed at protecting individuals and public and private property.

Per legislative rules, the special session will last at least 3 days, but could last longer.

Gov. Kate Brown announced she will convene a second special session of the Oregon Legislature starting Monday, August 10.

The main objective of the session will be to address the state’s devastating budget shortfall arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The governor’s decision to call lawmakers into session could be a concession the state is unlikely to receive any budget assistance from Congress, a possibility Brown and public employee union leaders cited earlier in the summer as a reason to delay the second special session.

In her proclamation calling the special session, the governor also noted her support for urgent legislation building on matters considered in the first special session, including additional police accountability reforms.

The Massachusetts General Court passed Senate Bill 2873 declaring a state of emergency within the Legislature and extending the legislative session past the traditional last day of July 31.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the General Court extended the session to respond to and mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, to protect the health, security, safety, and economic well-being and convenience of the people of the Commonwealth.

The bill suspends Joint Rule 12A and allows the second annual session of the 191st General Court to continue until the end of the calendar year.

Lawmakers reconvened at the Capitol July 20 to complete the second session of the 106th Nebraska Legislature.

Speaker Jim Scheer of Norfolk suspended the session in March due to public health concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

Senators returned to a changed physical environment. Changes included limitations on staff access to the legislative chamber and plexiglass barriers between members. Additionally, there was no public access to the balconies.

Among the major proposals remaining on the agenda are a property tax measure, a new business tax incentive program and passage of the state budget.

The 2020 session is scheduled to adjourn on August 13.

The revised session dates affect lobbyist reporting. Special monthly reports must be filed by lobbyists and principals if they receive or spend more than $5,000 for lobbying during any calendar month in which the Legislature is in session.

Special monthly reports are due within 15 days after the end of such calendar month.

Additionally, the lobbyist statement of activity report will be due 45 days after adjournment sine die of the session on September 27.

The Nevada Legislature’s 31st special session came to an end Sunday after 12 legislative days of grinding progress on a focused agenda to close a $1.2 billion state budget gap.

During the budget focused special session, lawmakers passed four bills implementing a vast majority of budget changes.

Still ahead are a possible second session and further fiscal tightening.

These will come amid uncertainty over another possible round of federal assistance, a resurgent virus spread, and stagnant or worsening economic trends.

Gov. Steve Sisolak stated he would postpone calling a second legislative session due to concerns over a spike in COVID-19 cases.

Gov. Ned Lamont announced a special legislative session to start on Tuesday, July 21.

The Legislature will reconvene to discuss bills relating to police reform, absentee ballots, telehealth insurance, and insulin drug costs.

Legislative leaders and Gov. Lamont have also discussed returning for a second special session in September to consider housing reform legislation.

Gov. Mike Parson announced a Special Session of the General Assembly beginning July 27 to focus on addressing violent crime in Missouri.

The escalating violence has become especially deadly in St. Louis and Kansas City, and both cities have tried various measures to stem the violence.

A new Kansas City program announced by the White House last week, Operation Legend, will bring in more than 100 agents from the FBI and other agencies to battle violent crime.

Parson said stopping this trend is more than just a big city problem, “It is a Missouri problem and we cannot wait until next session to address it.”

Other states are considering police reforms in the wake of protests.

Parson indicated Missouri lawmakers will focus only on measures that could strengthen laws and put more people behind bars.

He wants lawmakers to focus on six issues: juvenile certification, witness statement admissibility, witness protection funds, the unlawful transfer of weapons, and laws against endangering the welfare of a child.

Senate President Troy Jackson and House Speaker Sara Gideon sent out a poll to Legislature members proposing a special legislative session.

If the majority of lawmakers agree to the special session the Legislature would reconvene in August at the Augusta Civic Center, following state health and safety guidelines.

Legislative leaders seek to address issues relating to the budget, economy, public school readiness, healthcare, and any bills carried over from the regular session.