Becky is back! Keeping you up to date on a busy week in government and ethics news from around the country

Gov. Jim Justice said he will call the West Virginia Legislature into special session on October 16, 2017.

State officials have commented a legislative framework must first be established in order to get the road projects off the ground.

On October 7, 2017, voters approved a constitutional amendment allowing transportation officials to sell $1.6 billion in general obligation bonds to make up about 60 percent of the governor’s “Roads to Prosperity” program, which he believes will give the West Virginia economy a boost.

Some lawmakers say the Legislature will need to meet in a special session in the coming months to battle Montana’s budget crisis made worse by the summer’s wildfires.

Gov. Steve Bullock can cut budgets by up to 10 percent to balance the budget, but the bipartisan Legislative Finance Committee said this week that more than spending cuts will be necessary and passed a resolution to reduce cuts. Gov. Bullock will likely come forward with his final spending cuts in the coming weeks.

A statement from the governor’s office issued this afternoon did not give a timeline for when Bullock may call a special session.

Becky is back and coming to you from downtown Akron, Ohio with this week’s News You Can Use Video Digest!

Gov. Paul LePage has called a special session of the Maine Legislature.

The special session will address a food sovereignty law conflicting with federal requirements and funding for the Office of Geographic Information Systems.

The special session will begin on October 23, 2017.

Jon Spontarelli is delivering this weeks news you can use digest from the Public Affairs Council State and Local Government Relations Conference in Alexandria, VA.

Gov. Bill Walker issued a proclamation to convene the Legislature’s fourth special session on October 23 to address revenue and public safety issues.

The governor has proposed a payroll tax of 1.5 percent that is expected to generate between $300 million and $325 million. Under this proposal, Alaskans would pay the lowest taxes in the country.

Senate Bill 54, which addresses Class-C felonies, will also be under consideration.

Coming to you this week from the Greek Festival in Akron, Ohio is Becky Campbell with News You Can Use Video Digest!

The California Legislature adjourned in the early hours of September 16.

Bills passed in the late-night session include Senate Bill 568, which would move the presidential primary election to March; Assembly Bill 249, which would require campaign advertisements to clearly display their largest funders; and Assembly Bill 132, which would require counties to provide additional voter education and requires every signature of a recall petition to be examined and verified.

The bills are now waiting for Gov. Jerry Brown’s signature or veto.

Lawmakers are meeting this week for three legislative days to start discussions on bills they would like to pass during the shorter, 32-day session next year.

In addition to getting updates on this year’s wildfire season and how the state is reacting to Equifax’s consumer data breach, legislators will be discussing a proposal to institute a greenhouse gas “cap and invest” proposal, which would fine businesses that go over their limit on greenhouse gas emissions and would invest that revenue into green-energy infrastructure.

Legislators are also being tasked with approving executive appointments during this three-day period.

 Becky is coming to you from the Content Marketing World 2017 conference in Cleveland, Ohio with this week’s News You Can Use Video Digest!

The North Carolina General Assembly adjourned on August 31 after finishing a two-week special session.

Members voted on new legislative districts per court order and voted to override two vetoes by the governor.

The Legislature will reconvene on October 4, 2017, to consider constitutional amendments, election regulations, and to draw new judicial districts.

Becky is here to recap all the government, ethics and elections news from around the country.

State legislative leadership submitted a proclamation on Thursday, August 24, to call the Hawaii Legislature into special session on Monday, August 28, 2017.

The proclamation was filed at the written request of two-thirds of the members of each house.

Lawmakers are expected to consider a bill drafted by committee chairs to fund the completion of the rail project on Oahu.