Democrats were able to keep their legislative majority after Tuesday’s election.

They won a key race by recovering a South Jersey seat that was lost two years ago and were able to combat Republican takeover in various competitive races across the state.

Democrats won a majority of the 40 seat Senate and 80 seat Assembly races through campaigning on women’s issues and were able to capitalize on the backlash received from the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade.

Matt Simpson, Chair of the Alabama House Ethics and Campaign Finance Committee, is expected to propose changes to the state’s ethics law during the next legislative session.

Changes will include clarification to the definition of lobbyist principal for purposes of gift rules.

Additionally, clarification is expected for how to determine what is a conflict of interest for officials.

The aim of these changes is to help public employees and officials avoid unintentional violations of the law.

The committee’s next meeting is on October 26.

The Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board issued draft rule language staff considers to be technical or noncontroversial.

The language will be considered by the board’s three-member rulemaking committee at one or more public meetings to be announced at a later date.

Interested parties will have an opportunity to comment on the draft rule language.

Once it is available staff will also release draft rule language considered to be potentially controversial, including language intended to implement changes made by the Legislature in 2023 to statutes governing lobbyist regulation and reporting.

Information related to the rulemaking process will be posted on the board’s rulemaking docket webpage at cfb.mn.gov/citizen-resources/the-board/statutes-and-rules/rulemaking-docket. 

This information will include how to sign up for the rulemaking notice list, the dates of any scheduled rulemaking committee meetings, copies of official documents, copies of formal comments received by the Board, and draft rules.

State Sen. Doug Larsen, his wife, and their two young children died when the small plane they were in crashed in Utah.

Larsen was first elected to the Senate in 2020 and chaired a Senate panel focused on industry and business legislation.

Larsen’s District 34 comprises Mandan, the city neighboring Bismarck to the west across the Missouri River.

District 34 Republicans will appoint a successor to fill out the remainder of Larsen’s term, through November 2024.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has picked Laphonza Butler to fill Dianne Feinstein’s Senate seat.

Butler is the current president of Emily’s List, a national political organization that focuses on electing Democratic women who support abortion access.

She previously served as president of a labor union and as an advisor to Kamala Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign.

Butler also has political ties to Newsom, as she was a partner in the political consulting firm now known as Bearstar Strategies that is run by the governor’s veteran strategists Ace Smith, Sean Clegg, and Juan Rodriguez.

Butler is only a short-term caretaker of the seat, with the position being voted on the 2024 ballot.

None of the three front runners were chosen for the appointment. Newsom stated he did not want to play favorites ahead of the 2024 election.

Dianne Feinstein passed away at the age of 90.

Feinstein’s death leaves a vacant U.S. Senate seat, requiring Gov. Gavin Newsome to appoint a temporary successor.

Feinstein started her public service career as president of San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors in 1978. She was also appointed Mayor of San Francisco before winning a special election for her U.S. Senate seat.

During her decades-spanning career, she was a major gun-control advocate, helped create the AMBER alert network, and sponsored bills protecting millions of acres of California desert.

She declared earlier this year she would not seek reelection at the end of her term in 2024.

New Hampshire Rep. Troy Merner has announced his resignation.

New Hampshire law requires a member of the House to live in the district they represent.

Following an investigation, Merner was found to be living in another district for over a year.

Gov. Lamont called for a second special session to convene on September 26.

This session is seeking the approval of several pieces of legislation, including changing the date set by state statute for Connecticut to hold its presidential preference primary and also authorizing the Office of Secretary of the State to retain election monitors in certain municipalities.

Connecticut is currently one of the last states in the nation to hold its presidential primary.

The legislation being considered will move the date of the primary up four weeks from the last Tuesday in April to the first Tuesday in April.

Lawmakers convened the special session called by Gov. Tony Evers in an executive order issued in August on September 20.

The session immediately adjourned without considering proposals to enact a comprehensive workforce development package using some of the state’s projected $4 billion surplus in this biennium.

None of the 86 Republican legislators responded to the legislative survey launched by Evers last week, refusing to publicly state their positions on specific policy components of the governor’s workforce plan, the workforce plan in its entirety, and what initiatives or plans, if any, they support.

The special session reconvened September 21 for a skeletal session.

Gov. Lamont called the Legislature into special session to consider the nomination of Nora Dannehy to the Supreme Court.

The governor’s proclamation compels the special session to begin on September 19.

A second special session proclamation by Lamont is anticipated later this month to consider legislation changing the date for Connecticut’s presidential preference primary.

A state court has ruled the New York Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government violates the state’s constitution because it was formed without a constitutional amendment and it divests the governor of her authority.

The commission will need to suspend its work pending the outcome of any appeal.

While this matter works its way through the courts, the commission will continue to promote compliance with the state’s ethics and lobbying laws. 

Gov. Tim Walz issued a writ of special election to fill the vacant seat in House District 52B following the resignation of State Representative Ruth Richardson.

The special election will be held on December 5.

A special primary, if necessary, will be held on November 16.

This special election date allows for the new representative to be seated when the legislative session convenes on Tuesday, February 12, 2024.

Gov. Kay Ivey announced the dates for a special election to fill the House District 10 seat vacated by Rep. David Cole after pleading guilty to a charge of voter fraud.

The primary election for the seat will be held on December 12, and if necessary, the primary runoff will be held on January 9, 2024.

The special general election will be held on March 26, 2024.

Republican State Rep. Bob Young sent a letter to Speaker of the House Jason Stephens saying he’s stepping down effective October 2.

Gov. DeWine and half of the Republicans in the Ohio House had called on the District 32 representative to resign following his second arrest in two months.

Under the Ohio Constitution, the vacancy will be filled by a majority vote of House members who are affiliated with the same political party as the person last elected to the vacant seat.