Last week, Mayor Marty Walsh vetoed a Boston City Council Ordinance on lobbying reform. Mayor Walsh first proposed an overhaul to the city’s lobbying laws in 2016, stating a need for an increase in transparency.

His proposal brought stricter lobbying laws mirroring those of the state in the form of a home rule charter which would require approval by the state legislature. Council passed its own version of the ordinance in late June hoping it would go into effect immediately upon signature by the mayor.

In vetoing the ordinance, Mayor Walsh indicated the passed ordinance failed to define and regulate lobbying and did not create an adequate enforcement mechanism.

Mayor Walsh stated his continued confidence in his recommended proposals, but Boston’s lobbying reform is headed back for more debate.

The 29th Hawaii State Legislature adjourned its first special session on Tuesday, July 10.

Lawmakers convened the two-day session to confirm Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald’s judicial nominations for various district courts.

The Senate confirmed Kenneth J. Shimozono, Mahilani E.K. Hiatt, and Wendy M. Deweese for six-year terms on the District Family Court of the First Circuit.

Kristine Y. Yoo was confirmed to a six-year term on the District Court of the First Circuit.

The New Hampshire Legislature will convene a special session on July 25, 2018, to address the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling regarding the collection of tax for online sales.

Prior to the ruling, businesses only needed to collect and remit sales tax if they had a “physical presence” in the state.

The aim of the special session is to get lawmakers to pass a bill that will protect New Hampshire businesses from having to collect and remit sales taxes imposed by other states.

Colorado lobbyist rule changes were effective June 30. Much of the changes involve recodification to ensure uniform and proper administration and implementation of state law.

Such changes clarify professional lobbyist and lobbyist firm registration and disclosure requirements as well as add or amend several lobbying definitions.

Effective January 1, 2019, a professional lobbyist must also log by date all position changes (monitoring, oppose, or support) on a bill and must file a monthly log contemporaneously with each monthly disclosure statement.

The Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust selected Jose J. Arrojo as its new executive director.

Arrojo is currently a Chief Assistant State Attorney and will be the third director of the commission since it was created in 1996.

Arrojo, will assume the post when Joseph Centorino steps down at the end of August.

After receiving at least three-fifths of the vote in each chamber, the North Carolina Senate gave final approval to a proposed constitutional amendment to alter the way the State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement is appointed.

The proposal switches the power to make appointments to the board from the governor to the Legislature.

Previously, Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper had sued Republican legislative leaders multiple times over legislation creating different versions of the joint board.

The amendment requires a simple majority at the ballot box to become effective on January 1, 2019.

State Representative Patti Bellock announced she has resigned in order to accept Gov. Bruce Rauner’s offer to serve as the Director of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services.

Rep. Bellock was the first woman to serve as a deputy leader of a legislative caucus in the state.

A new representative will be appointed to represent the 47^th House District in the coming weeks.

Elected officials across Summit County are introducing legislation to their respective municipalities to move the 2019 primary election from September to May to coincide with the statewide primary.

Once the measure is passed through the local legislative branches, it will be placed on the November ballot this fall for voters to decide.

If passed, the change in primary date will save taxpayer money and increase voter turnout.

The Fort Wayne City Council passed another bill related to pay-to-play practices.

Similar to last year’s pay-to-play ordinance, the City Council overrode Mayor Tom Henry’s veto in a 7-2 vote.

The newly passed measure, prohibits business entities, with any officer, partner, or principal with more than 10 percent ownership who have donated more than $2,000 to a campaign of someone with ultimate responsibility for awarding city contracts, from bidding on city contracts.

State Sen. David Curtis resigned Saturday, the day after the General Assembly completed its chief annual work session.

Curtis lost his seat in the May primary to Ted Alexander in the Republican primary election.

Republican leaders in Lincoln, Gaston, and Iredell counties will have to select someone to fill the remainder of Curtis’s two-year term.

The North Carolina Legislature adjourned on June 29, 2018.

The Republican-controlled General Assembly spent most of the session passing budget adjustments and overrode eight of Gov. Roy Cooper’s 10 vetoes.

Senate Bill 655 was passed and signed by Gov. Cooper last week. The bill changes the date primary elections are held from May to March and is effective January 1, 2019.

The Legislature is sending a voter photo identification mandate to be decided by voters in November.

Lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene on November 27, 2018.

Ballots are being sent to Montana lawmakers to see if they would like to hold a special session this month to address concerns over ballot initiatives addressing mine regulations and tobacco taxes to extend the state’s Medicaid expansion program.

Some lawmakers have expressed concerns about the measures and would like to offer competing initiatives to give voters alternative policy choices.

The ballots are due July 15, and if the majority of lawmakers vote in favor, the special session would begin the following day.

Gov. Greg Abbott set the special election for House District 52 for November 6, 2018, the same day as the general election.

The seat was vacated by Larry Gonzales, who decided to retire early after previously announcing he would not seek another term.

House District 52 contains parts of Williamson County.

An unanticipated, overnight fight over a minimum wage hike prolonged the adjournment of Delaware’s Legislature until after 8 a.m. Sunday.

The $816.3 million bond bill passed along mostly party lines after a compromise had been reached that will allow workers under age 18 to be paid up to 50 cents below the minimum wage.

Other notable bills that passed include a $16.8 million tax decrease for casinos and $500 bonuses for current state employees and pensioners.

The next two-year session will convene in January.