Gov. Asa Hutchinson has scheduled a special election on May 22, 2018, to fill the state House District 83 seat vacated by David L. Branscum.

The primary will be February 13 and a primary runoff, if necessary, on March 13.

Branscum vacated the seat to become the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development director in Arkansas.

The Montana Legislature adjourned a special session on the state’s budget shortfall in the early hours on Thursday morning.

Multiple bills were passed to close the $227 million gap including a bill requiring furloughs of state employees, changing the state liquor license lottery to an auction, and a bill to eliminate $13 million in block grants for school districts statewide. Tax increases proposed by Gov. Steve Bullock did not pass.

Legislators have said the passed budget solutions are far from perfect but avoid deeper cuts to crucial state agencies.

Gov. Rick Scott announced a special election will be held for House District 114. The special primary is schedule for February 20, 2018 and the special general for May 1, 2018.

Rep. Daisy Baez of Coral Gables resigned the seat as part of a plea deal with prosecutors. She pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor perjury charge after signing a change-of-address voter form stating she lived in District 114, when in fact she still lived in District 112.

Baez is additionally barred from running for office for a one-year probation period.

The Alaska Senate adjourned the fourth special session on November 10.

However, on November 13 the House majority coalition announced plans to hold technical sessions until the special session ends November 21.

A technical session will force the Senate to hold similar sessions because one body cannot adjourn without the other.

Lawmakers passed a criminal justice reform bill despite warnings from the Alaska Department of Law and ACLU that the measures are unconstitutional.

Lawmakers passed a series of bills during the fall veto session this week aimed at curbing sexual harassment within state government.

Among them, Senate Bill 402 expressly prohibits sexual harassment by lobbyists, provides for a $5,000 fine for violations, and requires lobbyists to take an annual sexual harassment training course. The Secretary of State’s inspector general is also granted additional authority to investigate reports of sexual harassment.

The measure unanimously passed both houses and now awaits the governor’s signature.

Former federal prosecutor Julie Porter has been appointed as temporary inspector general after reports surfaced of harassment claims going unnoticed for more than a year while the post was vacant.

Lawmakers passed a series of bills during the fall veto session this week aimed at curbing sexual harassment within state government.

Among them, Senate Bill 402 expressly prohibits sexual harassment by lobbyists, provides for a $5,000 fine for violations, and requires lobbyists to take an annual sexual harassment training course. The Secretary of State’s inspector general is also granted additional authority to investigate reports of sexual harassment.

The measure unanimously passed both houses and now awaits the governor’s signature.

Former federal prosecutor Julie Porter has been appointed as temporary inspector general after reports surfaced of harassment claims going unnoticed for more than a year while the post was vacant.

The group Represent South Dakota met the November 6 deadline for submitting petition signatures to the Office of the Secretary of State to add a constitutional amendment to the 2018 ballot.

The amendment would tighten campaign finance and lobbying restrictions, create an independent ethics commission, and require laws changing the ballot question process to pass a public vote.

House speaker Mark Mickelson also met the deadline to turn in petition signatures for an initiative that would ban out-of-state political contributions for ballot questions, affecting groups such as Represent South Dakota.

The Office of the Secretary of State will conduct a random sampling of the signatures to determine their validity.

The group Represent South Dakota met the November 6 deadline for submitting petition signatures to the Office of the Secretary of State to add a constitutional amendment to the 2018 ballot.

The amendment would tighten campaign finance and lobbying restrictions, create an independent ethics commission, and require laws changing the ballot question process to pass a public vote.

House speaker Mark Mickelson also met the deadline to turn in petition signatures for an initiative that would ban out-of-state political contributions for ballot questions, affecting groups such as Represent South Dakota.

The Office of the Secretary of State will conduct a random sampling of the signatures to determine their validity.

On Tuesday voters elected Wilmot Collins as the new Mayor of Helena, unseating the incumbent mayor of 16 years.

Collins, who came to Helena 23 years ago, is the first black mayor in the history of Montana.

Helena has nonpartisan elections, but Collins ran on a progressive message addressing teen and veteran homelessness, improving tourism, ensuring access to clean water, and encouraging other refugees to prosper in the city.

On Tuesday voters elected Wilmot Collins as the new Mayor of Helena, unseating the incumbent mayor of 16 years.

Collins, who came to Helena 23 years ago, is the first black mayor in the history of Montana.

Helena has nonpartisan elections, but Collins ran on a progressive message addressing teen and veteran homelessness, improving tourism, ensuring access to clean water, and encouraging other refugees to prosper in the city.

On Tuesday, Tucson voters rejected a ballot measure to increase the city sales tax by a half-penny and a second measure aiming to increase it by a tenth of a percent to fund zoo renovations.

The proposed half-cent increase was intended for early childhood education funding and pre-school vouchers and would have generated an estimated $50 million a year. There was strong opposition to the measure by city officials and both local political parties.

Tucson voters approved a sales tax increase earlier this year to fund police and infrastructure.

On Tuesday, Tucson voters rejected a ballot measure to increase the city sales tax by a half-penny and a second measure aiming to increase it by a tenth of a percent to fund zoo renovations.

The proposed half-cent increase was intended for early childhood education funding and pre-school vouchers and would have generated an estimated $50 million a year. There was strong opposition to the measure by city officials and both local political parties.

Tucson voters approved a sales tax increase earlier this year to fund police and infrastructure.

Voters in Denver approved a $937 million bond package to fund roads, parks, libraries, and cultural facilities.

The bond package, made up of seven different ballot questions, is the city’s largest ever and the first it has seen in a decade.

Support on all seven ballot questions was strong, the smallest margin of victory hovering above 60 percent.

There was no organized opposition to the package which covers about 460 repair and improvement projects throughout the city.

Voters in Denver approved a $937 million bond package to fund roads, parks, libraries, and cultural facilities.

The bond package, made up of seven different ballot questions, is the city’s largest ever and the first it has seen in a decade.

Support on all seven ballot questions was strong, the smallest margin of victory hovering above 60 percent.

There was no organized opposition to the package which covers about 460 repair and improvement projects throughout the city.