The Mississippi Legislature adjourned the 2017 regular session sine die on March 29, 2017, days before its anticipated adjournment date of April 2.

Gov. Phil Bryant is, however, expected to call a special session before July 1, the date a new budget is needed for the next fiscal year.

The House and Senate reached a stalemate over infrastructure funding and an internet sales tax. Gov. Bryant said he would call the special session when lawmakers reach an agreement.

The Idaho Legislature adjourned the 2017 regular session sine die on March 29, 2017.

Major issues of this year’s session included proposed income tax cuts and funding for public schools.

A handful of legislators will work through the interim on updating the state’s public school funding formula. Many argue it is outdated and does not meet the needs of a modern education.

On March 27, South Dakota lawmakers met for the final day of the 2017 legislative session to consider five bills Gov. Dennis Daugaard vetoed.

Two-thirds support is required to overturn a gubernatorial veto and lawmakers failed to raise enough support to override any of the vetoes up for consideration.

The next legislative session is set to convene January 9, 2018.

The New Mexico Legislature adjourned sine die on March 18, 2017.

House Joint Resolution 8, which creates an independent ethics commission, passed both houses and will be placed on the 2018 general election ballot for voter approval.

Senate Bill 393, a bill requiring lobbyists to disclose the cumulative total of expenditures under $100, passed both houses and Gov. Susana Martinez has until April 7, 2017, to sign the bill into law.

On March 14, the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut adjourned its 2017 Winter Sitting.

Bills considered by lawmakers included amendments to the Consumer Protection Act, the Inuit Language Protection Act, and the Human Rights Act.

The Assembly meets each year for a Winter Sitting, a Spring Sitting, and a Fall Sitting in October.

The legislature will reconvene for its Spring Sitting on Tuesday, May 30, 2017, at 1:30 p.m.

On March 10, the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories adjourned for the remainder of the winter.

During the session, lawmakers considered various supplementary appropriations dealing with infrastructure and operations expenditures, debated cutbacks, and passed a budget for the territories with all but two MLAs voting for it.

Under the new budget, the Department of Public Works and Services will be consolidated with the Transportation department.

The Second Session of the 18th Assembly will reconvene on Thursday, May 25, 2017.

The Utah Legislature adjourned its 2017 regular legislative session sine die on March 9, 2017.

Lawmakers worked just beyond their midnight deadline and passed a record 535 bills and resolutions during the 45-day session.

The passed bills include House Bill 52 creating a misdemeanor when a person conspires to make a contribution through one or more persons to avoid disclosure, House Bill 204 requiring the state to hold a presidential primary in every year a presidential election is held, and Senate Bill 275 repealing provisions requiring in certain circumstances a corporation to disclose donor identity and notify donors if the corporation uses the money to influence the outcome of an election.

In a statement to the Utah House of Representatives, Gov. Gary Herbert said it was the best legislative session he has ever seen by the state.

On March 3, the Wyoming Legislature adjourned its 2017 general session.

Lawmakers passed a supplemental budget bill making cuts to education and substance abuse prevention funding.

The budget adjustment was needed due to lower state revenues than previously anticipated.

The 2018 legislative session is scheduled to convene February 12, 2018.

The Virginia General Assembly adjourned the 2017 regular session sine die on Saturday, February 25.

A major focus of the short session was the commonwealth’s biennial budget and several bills supporting second amendment rights received strong support from both sides of the aisle.

A reconvened session is scheduled for April 5, 2017, for lawmakers to consider bills and recommendations returned to them by the governor.

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Thursday, February 23, is South Dakota’s crossover day, which is the final day for lawmakers to pass bills out of their chamber of origin.

Ahead of the deadline, lawmakers are set to consider campaign finance and ethics bills that were proposed in the wake of the repeal of Initiated Measure 22.

A bill to create a state government accountability board is scheduled to be heard by the House on Wednesday, February 22, and another bill to increase the revolving door restriction to three years was scheduled to be heard by the House on Tuesday, February 21.

Tuesday was the last day for bills in the 2017 session of the Wyoming Legislature to be approved in the house of origin.

All bills, with the exception of the budget bill, that have not passed a third reading in the house of introduction are dead.

The legislative session is expected to adjourn on March 3, 2017.

See what’s happening in government relations this week in our News You Can Use Video Digest. Enjoy!

A joint committee of the South Dakota Legislature voted Monday to send House Bill 1069 to a full chamber debate in an attempt to repeal Initiated Measure 22.

Initiated Measure 22 is the voter approved ethics and campaign finance overhaul that established various lobbying and campaign finance restrictions.

The bill contains an emergency clause to avoid the possibility of voters proposing a referendum to reverse a repeal.