On October 7, lawmakers in the Prince Edward Island Legislative Assembly solicited public input regarding what procedural rules they should follow.

The Standing Committee on Rules, Regulations, Private Bills and Privileges is seeking public input on the Rules of the Legislative Assembly, in particular on potential changes to the parliamentary calendar, sitting hours, and budget process.

Public comments and suggestions by individuals and organizations must be in writing and submitted to the Assembly by October 25.

Gov. Gary Herbert has signed a series of bills bringing an end to the special legislative session.

The governor signed two major bills making changes to the laws governing medical cannabis and beer.

Lawmakers approved a change to allow grocery and convenience stores a one-week grace period to purchase and store 4% beer before it can be sold to customers as the cap is lifted from 3.2% beer on Nov. 1.

Additionally, legislators passed changes to the state’s medical cannabis bill.

Lawmakers officially passed a legislative fix to an issue regarding vehicle sales during Gov. Mike Parson’s special session.

The session took place from September 9 to September 16, 2019.

Currently, the value of one previously owned motor vehicle, trailer, boat, or outboard motor may be used as a deduction against the sales tax owed on the purchase of any such vehicle within 180 days before or after a taxpayer sells a previously owned vehicle.

House Bill 1 expands the deduction to include the values of one or more previously owned motor vehicles, trailers, boats, or outboard motors.

Parsons stated if he hadn’t called lawmakers to Jefferson City, thousands of people would have suffered financial loss.

The bill will take effect 90 days after receiving Gov. Parson’s signature.

The Senate adjourned on Monday, bringing an end to the special legislative session.

Gov. Jim Justice called the special session after legislators failed to agree on education proposals following a two-day teacher strike in February.

The Senate adjourned its half of the special session during its scheduled interim meetings.

The House adjourned it’s session about two months ago.

The California Legislature adjourned the 2019 session on September 13.

Campaign Finance Bills Passed

The legislature passed several campaign finance bills during the session.

Assembly Bill 220 prohibits the use of campaign funds to pay for professional services not directly related to a political, legislative, or governmental purpose. The bill also authorizes the use of campaign funds to pay for child care expenses resulting from a candidate or officeholder engaging in campaign activities or performing official duties.

Assembly Bill 571 makes a technical, nonsubstantive change to a provision of the Political Reform Act of 1974. The provision prohibits candidates for elective state office or committees controlled by that candidate from making a contribution to another candidate for elective state office in excess of $3,000.

Senate Bill 71 prohibits the expenditure of funds in a legal defense fund campaign account to pay or reimburse a candidate or elected officer for attorney’s fees or other legal costs.

The bill also prohibits the use of campaign funds for fines, penalties, judgments, or settlements, except as specified.

Electioneering Bill Passed

Assembly Bill 201 broadens the definition of mass mailing to include campaign-related mass texting. Mass text messages will be required to include the name or image of a candidate or refer to a ballot measure.

Lobbying Bill Passed

Assembly Bill 902 codifies current regulations into law, including regulations regarding filing deadlines, bookkeeping, and lobbyist registration.

The last day for the governor to sign or veto bills passed by the legislature during the 2019 legislative session is October 13.

The General Court of New Hampshire is set to reconvene this week for a veto session over 55 bills vetoed by Gov. Chris Sununu.

The Legislature will discuss bills relating to firearm sales, renewal energy, and campaign finance transparency.

Lawmakers will review Senate Bill 156 concerning political contributions by limited liability companies.

The bill requires political contributions made by a limited liability company to be allocated to members for the purpose of contribution limits.

The House of Representatives is scheduled to meet for two days on September 18 and 19. The Senate is scheduled for one day on Thursday, September 19.

Missouri lawmakers are back in Jefferson City for the annual veto session, beginning September 11 at 12 p.m. at the Missouri State Capitol.

The veto session gives lawmakers the ability to overturn any of Gov. Mike Parson’s six vetoes.

Two widely debated vetoes include outdoor cremations and whether to let motorcyclists ride without a helmet.

A two-thirds vote in the House and the Senate is needed to overturn a veto.

The veto session is running at the same time as a special session, which Gov. Parson called to address a vehicle tax credit issue.

The Hawaii Senate will convene in special session on September 16 to review gubernatorial nominees to the state courts.

The gubernatorial nominees up for consideration by the Senate are:

• • • Clyde J. Wadsworth to the Intermediate Court of Appeals as associate judge for a term of 10 years
    • Kevin A.K. Souza to the First Circuit Court for a 10-year term
    • Lisa W. Cataldo to the First Circuit Court for a term to expire in 10 years
    • Ronald G. Johnson to the First Circuit Court for a 10-year term
    • Trish K. Morikawa to the First Circuit Court for a term to expire in 10 years
    • John M. Tonaki to the First Circuit Court for a 10-year term
    • Jeffrey A. Hawk to the Third District Court for a six-year term

Hearings on the appointees before the Senate Committee on Judiciary are scheduled to begin on September 10.

Gov. Gary Herbert called for a special session of the Utah Legislature to convene on September 16.

The session will focus on issues related to dispensing medical cannabis, appropriating census funding, and making several other technical adjustments.

Legislators will have an opportunity to discuss and receive public comments on the issues, deliberate on matters, and take possible action.

Maine lawmakers voted to pass Gov. Janet Mills’ proposed $105 million bond to fund transportation efforts during the one-day special legislative session on Monday, August 26.

The transportation bond to upgrade roads, bridges, ports, rail and air transportation, and to repair culverts and restore a commercial fishing wharf will now head to the ballot for voters on November 5.

The three proposed bonds for land conservation projects; infrastructure and economic development; and environment and energy projects all failed to reach the two-thirds vote needed to pass.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills issued a proclamation calling for a special legislative session to be held on Monday, August 26.

The session will be used to consider bond proposals in transportation; infrastructure and economic development; environmental protection; and land conservation totaling $163 million.

The transportation proposal provides $105 million to upgrade roads, bridges, ports, rail and air transportation, and to repair culverts and restore a commercial fishing wharf.

The infrastructure and economic development proposal provides $23 million to be divided among education centers, the National Guard, and high-speed internet access in rural Maine.

The environmental protection proposal provides $15 million to be divided among the Department of Environmental Protection, the improvement of municipal wastewater infrastructures, and the Heating Fuels Efficiency and Weatherization Fund to provide low-interest loans for energy efficiency projects, including heat pumps for residential homeowners.

The land conservation proposal provides $20 million for the Land for Maine’s Future program to be dispersed over two years to preserve farmland, working waterfronts, and other natural resources.

Proposals passed during the special session will appear on the ballot on November 5.

Bonds need a two-thirds vote in each chamber to pass.

The Tennessee Legislature held a single-day special session to formally elect c as speaker of the House.

Sexton, a Crossville Republican, had already been informally chosen for the role after a series of votes in a July caucus meeting.

Sexton replaces Glen Casada, who resigned from the speakership earlier this month.

Gov. Mike Parson has scheduled a special legislative session to begin on September 9.

Parsons hopes to see legislation passed allowing individuals to count the sales earning of multiple vehicles as credits against the sales tax of a replacement vehicle.

Revenue officials had allowed this until a June Missouri Supreme Court ruling said current law only permits a single vehicle to count for the tax credit.

The session is unlikely to cost the state much as it coincides with an already scheduled annual veto session on September 11.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills has called a special session to begin on Monday, August 26.

Mills hopes the Legislature will pass four bond bills totaling $163 million to raise funds for a variety of infrastructure projects.

The Legislature rejected a more ambitious bond proposal backed by Mills before its June adjournment.