The majority leader of the Iowa Senate, Sen. Bill Dix, resigned on Monday, March 12.

Dix resigned from his Senate District 25 seat after videos of the married lawmaker kissing a lobbyist were posted on Iowa Starting Line, a left-leaning website.

Dix was up for re-election this year and ran unopposed in 2014.  Gov. Kim Reynolds has yet to call a special election.

The 2018 Arkansas fiscal session adjourned sine die on March 12.

Following adjournment, Gov. Asa Hutchinson formally called a special session to begin on March 13.

The special session will address highway funding and pharmacy reimbursement legislation.

The adjournment date has yet to be determined.

The Florida Legislature adjourned sine die on Sunday, March 11 after extending its annual session for several days to pass a state budget.

Lawmakers approved an $88.7 billion budget with $21 billion allocated for public schools.

Some of the funds were reserved for school resource officers and mental health counselors in response to last month’s mass shooting in Parkland.

The West Virginia Legislature adjourned sine die on March 10.

Senate Bill 283, which expands the scope of those who may be debarred for procurement violations and establishes direct-award procurement requirements, passed both chambers and is on the governor’s desk.

Gov. Jim Justice has 15 days to sign or veto the legislation.

The Washington State Legislature adjourned sine die on March 8.

House Bill 2938, which increases penalties for campaign finance violations, and Senate Bill 5991, which requires nonprofit organizations that participate in political campaigns to file organizational statements and periodic disclosure statements, have passed both chambers are on the governor’s desk.

Gov. Jay Inslee has 20 days from the days he received these bills to sign or veto the bills.

Virginia’s General Assembly adjourned its 2018 regular legislative session Saturday, March 10.

During the 60-day session, legislators were unable to pass a state budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1.

Gov. Ralph Northam promised to call a special session in the next two to three weeks to reconsider the state’s spending plans.

The budget impasse came over Medicaid expansion, and was not a disagreement between parties, but rather between the House and the Senate.

If a budget is not passed by July 1, the state will face a government shutdown.

On March 2, 2018, Assembly Bill 9968 was introduced by Assemb. Sandy Galef.

The bill prohibits business entities with state contracts of more than $15,000 from making monetary, in-kind contributions, or a pledge of contribution in excess of $1,000 to an individual who holds a position of an elected state public office, a candidate for an elected state public office, or a state, county, or municipal political party, if the contract will be voted on or approved by such an individual.

The prohibition is for the preceding 12-month period before a contract is awarded. If passed, the bill will become effective 90 days after becoming law.

California Gov. Jerry Brown called a special election to fill the Senate District 32 seat.

The special primary election will be June 5, the same day as the statewide primary, with a potential runoff to follow on August 7.

The seat opened after Tony Mendoza resigned amid sexual harassment allegations.

Missouri lawmakers are considering a bill to increase transparency in the state procurement process.

Senate Bill 1060 would require individuals, corporations, associations, and other business entities entering into certain state contracts to disclose political contributions of $500 or more made to 501(c)(4) political organizations.

The bill would also require such persons or entities to file a new disclosure for any year a contract remains in effect.

Without the proposal, the identity of those contributing to political organizations would otherwise remain anonymous; current campaign finance law does not require such organizations to file reports of contributions and expenditures.

Gov. Phil Bryant has called a special election to fill the vacancy for House District 30 on May 8.

The seat was vacated by Rep. Robert Huddleston, who had two years remaining in his term.

If no candidate receives a majority of the vote, a runoff election will be held on May 29.

Pictured: Former Rep. Robert Huddleston

A North Carolina Superior Court three-judge panel kept in place the recently merged bipartisan state board of elections and ethics enforcement but voided a portion of the law regulating how members would be appointed to that board.

The ruling was in response to a mandate from the North Carolina Supreme Court after they held the membership of and appointment to the bipartisan board was a separation of powers violation.

In response to the Supreme Court’s holding, lawmakers passed House Bill 90 giving the governor the authority to fire any member of the board, so long as he fills the spot with a member from the same party. The bill also allows the governor to appoint a ninth, unaffiliated member, to avoid deadlock.

Gov. Cooper said publicly he would let House Bill 90 become law without his signature, despite his disagreement with it.

Additionally, he has filed a motion with the North Carolina Supreme Court challenging the three-judge panel’s decision and seeking clarity regarding the scope of the Supreme Court’s January holding, which affects the validity of House Bill 90 if it becomes law.

A bill passed by the Utah Legislature last month amending parts of the state’s election code was signed by Gov. Gary Herbert this week and is effective immediately.

House Bill 20, introduced and sponsored by Rep. Jeremy Peterson and Sen. Wayne Harper, modifies provisions relating to filling a State Board of Education candidate vacancy and a State Board of Education office vacancy.

The bill also addresses the handling of, and access to, a financial disclosure form filed by a candidate and shortens the deadline for a filing officer to forward a financial disclosure form to the lieutenant governor in certain situations. Included in the bill was also a clarification of the definition of expenditure under the Lobbyist Disclosure and Regulation Act.

The Utah Legislature is set to adjourn its regular session today. A number of bills passed by the Legislature have yet to be signed by Gov. Herbert.

In Oregon, a Multnomah County Circuit Court judge found county campaign finance reforms unconstitutional.

Judge Eric Bloch ruled the voter-approved limitations on campaign contributions and independent expenditures were impermissible under the free speech guarantees within the Oregon Constitution, citing a related Oregon Supreme Court opinion.

He ruled they also cannot force disclosure of the largest contributors to political mailers and other forms of communication.

The Multnomah County voters adopted the reforms with an 89 percent “yes” vote in November 2016. An appeal of the judge’s decision is expected.

The Connecticut Office of State Ethics will soon transition to a new lobbyist reporting system.

The new system will be installed on March 8 starting at 7am.

Users may experience some difficulty with the system during the installation process.