The Nevada Legislature’s 31st special session came to an end Sunday after 12 legislative days of grinding progress on a focused agenda to close a $1.2 billion state budget gap.

During the budget focused special session, lawmakers passed four bills implementing a vast majority of budget changes.

Still ahead are a possible second session and further fiscal tightening.

These will come amid uncertainty over another possible round of federal assistance, a resurgent virus spread, and stagnant or worsening economic trends.

Gov. Steve Sisolak stated he would postpone calling a second legislative session due to concerns over a spike in COVID-19 cases.

Gov. Ned Lamont announced a special legislative session to start on Tuesday, July 21.

The Legislature will reconvene to discuss bills relating to police reform, absentee ballots, telehealth insurance, and insulin drug costs.

Legislative leaders and Gov. Lamont have also discussed returning for a second special session in September to consider housing reform legislation.

Gov. Mike Parson announced a Special Session of the General Assembly beginning July 27 to focus on addressing violent crime in Missouri.

The escalating violence has become especially deadly in St. Louis and Kansas City, and both cities have tried various measures to stem the violence.

A new Kansas City program announced by the White House last week, Operation Legend, will bring in more than 100 agents from the FBI and other agencies to battle violent crime.

Parson said stopping this trend is more than just a big city problem, “It is a Missouri problem and we cannot wait until next session to address it.”

Other states are considering police reforms in the wake of protests.

Parson indicated Missouri lawmakers will focus only on measures that could strengthen laws and put more people behind bars.

He wants lawmakers to focus on six issues: juvenile certification, witness statement admissibility, witness protection funds, the unlawful transfer of weapons, and laws against endangering the welfare of a child.

Senate President Troy Jackson and House Speaker Sara Gideon sent out a poll to Legislature members proposing a special legislative session.

If the majority of lawmakers agree to the special session the Legislature would reconvene in August at the Augusta Civic Center, following state health and safety guidelines.

Legislative leaders seek to address issues relating to the budget, economy, public school readiness, healthcare, and any bills carried over from the regular session.

The Wisconsin Ethics Commission adopted a formal opinion stating lobbyists may make a campaign contribution to partisan elective state officials and candidates for partisan elective office, regardless of whether the individual is on the ballot for that election, during the contribution window.

The contribution window begins the first day authorized by law for the circulation of nomination papers as a candidate at a general election or special election and closes the day of the general or special election.

A contribution to a candidate for legislative office may only be made during the period if the Legislature has concluded its final floor period and is not in special or extraordinary session.

The contribution window opened on May 14 and will close on November 3.

The Alabama Ethics Commission has filed a motion asking the Montgomery County Circuit Court to revise one of their orders.

The Court recently ruled that airport authority employees are not public employees, or subject to the Ethics Act.

The Ethics Commission has proposed rather than looking to whether someone is paid through taxpayer contributions, the standard should be whether their salaries were paid out of revenue from negotiated “commercial arms-length” transactions.

The Birmingham Airport Authority has filed a response arguing the commission’s new standard inconsistent with the facts of the case.

Joining them in opposition, the Alabama Water and Wastewater Institute has also filed a brief arguing this new standard.

The institute argues the standard would create a burden on public corporations and their employees.

Therefore, this would cause an attempt to untie a tangled knot of revenue and determine the status of each employee.

Gov. Tim Walz announced on July 7, he intends to call lawmakers back for an open-ended session beginning July 13.

Walz stated the session will coincide with the 30-day extension of the peacetime emergency ending July 12, and added that other issues should get top billing.

Walz is obligated by law to call a special session for the Legislature to approve the emergency declaration.

The Senate tried to revoke the governor’s executive power during the first special session ending June 19.

However, the attempt failed because it requires the vote of both chambers.

In the first special session, no deals were reached on legislation both parties said was necessary and everything will be on the agenda again.

The Legislature will determine the length of the session.

The Nevada Legislative Counsel Bureau sent a notice stating the requirements for registration and reporting of lobbyist activities will not be applicable to the upcoming special session.

To prevent potential spread of the coronavirus, access to the legislative building during the special session will be limited to legislators, essential staff and a small press pool.

The Legislature’s website and YouTube channel will both host livestreams of all floor sessions and committee meetings.

In addition, the teleconference system will allow individuals to call in to participate in the legislative process.

The Legislators will receive written comments made available through submission by email, fax and mail.

The Oakland Public Ethics Commission has launched the OAKAPPS Lobbyist Registration and Reporting System.

This system allows users to register as an Oakland lobbyist, maintain a client list, enter lobbyist activity, draft disclosure reports, and submit them online.

It is available at https://apps.oaklandca.gov/OakApps/OakApps.aspx.

In order to use the system, a user name and password is needed.

For questions about using this new system, please contact the Oakland Public Ethics Commission at ethicscommission@oaklandca.gov or 510-238-3593.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s proposed amendment to the lobbying ordinance has been stalled.

The stall comes after Lincoln Park Alderwoman Michele Smith, chair of the Committee on Ethics and Government Oversight, said she has no plans to call Lightfoot’s ordinance for a vote.

The Mayor introduced Ordinance 2020-2328 in April over concerns that the language in the original ordinance passed by City Council late last year was too broad.

Additionally, there were concerns the ordinance would force registered lobbyists to give up positions on suburban bodies in order to keep lobbying Chicago government.

The proposed amendment would allow elected officials from outside Chicago to lobby City Council, the mayor, and other city offices.

This would be allowed as long as the public body they represent does not have pending or recurring legislative or contractual matters involving the city of Chicago.

In response to Smith’s statement, a spokesman for Lightfoot stated the administration looks forward to partnering with Smith to make necessary updates to any existing lobbying policies.

Lobbyists in Louisiana can now spend a bit more on wining and dining state lawmakers and other public officials.

When the new budget year began July 1, the lobbying limit on food and drink for a public official edged up $1 per person, per occasion.

The new limit per person at an event is $63.

When the lobbying cap was first enacted, the limit was $50 per occasion.

However, the 2008 law that sets the limit allows annual adjustment tied to increases in the federal consumer price Index for food and beverages.

That index rose 1.8 percent in the last year.

Toledo, Ohio Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz has requested the resignation of four City Council members accused of encouraging and accepting bribes in exchange for votes.

Yvonne Harper (District 4), Tyrone Riley (District 1), Gary Johnson (At-large), and Larry Sykes (At-large), are named in a complaint filed in U.S. District Court at the conclusion of a two-year FBI investigation.

The court documents detail how each of the members allegedly accepted payments in the range of $500 to $5,000 for “yes” votes on zoning requests to internet cafes.

In an official statement, Kapszukiewicz explained these members are entitled to their day in court and should be presumed innocent until proven otherwise.

However, he is concerned about the cloud of doubt that would rest over city government if they continue to hold office.

The City Council approved a November ballot measure relating to contributions and gifts from lobbyists.

The proposed measure would bar lobbyists from making campaign contributions.

The mayor, council members, and senior administrators would also be barred from accepting gifts from lobbyists or city contractors.

The mayor and council members would also be required to sit out of any vote involving a person or entity contributing to their campaign or other cause in the last 12 months and the three months following the vote.

The proposed initiative would also give the mayor the power to hire and fire the city manager and department heads starting January 1, 2023.

The measure also includes a provision to align San Jose’s mayoral races with the presidential election cycle in an effort to increase voter turnout.

The City Council will hold a special meeting on July 28 where they will review the proposed ballot language before sending it off to the county Registrar of Voters.

Gov. Steve Sisolak officially called for the Nevada Legislature to convene in a special session on July 8 to address the state’s fiscal year 2021 budget crisis.

At a later date, the governor’s office will issue the formal proclamation to convene the special session.

Gov. Sisolak and legislative leadership are working to assess potential additional items to be included in any special session proclamation.

These additions will be including policy proposals related to criminal and social justice reform.

Furthermore, the governor acknowledged the start date could change based on public health conditions.

The public will be able to watch the floor sessions and committee meetings via the Legislature’s livestreams.

Finally, those who wish to participate will be able to teleconference or submit written comments.

This does affect ALERTS reporting.

A lobbyist activity report will be due between the first and tenth of the month after each month the Legislature in in a special session.