Gov. Mark Gordon called a special session of the Wyoming Legislature to help respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The two day special session will start at 8:00 a.m. on May 15.

Lawmakers will gather both online and in the state Capitol, which will be open to those legislators who wish to go there, to distribute federal stimulus money to Wyoming businesses, healthcare facilities and workers.

Through four draft bills, lawmakers will determine how to distribute $500 million of the $1.25 billion the state received through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act passed in March.

In addition, lawmakers are eyeing new programs to provide loans to businesses, recompense landlords for lost rent to halt evictions, and help fund healthcare facilities and other needs.

Democratic leaders in Colorado’s General Assembly announced the temporary suspension of the legislature will continue until the day after Memorial Day on May 26.

The regular session was originally suspended on March 14 to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Colorado lawmakers said the move to resume on May 26 was to ensure additional time for preparations, including safety protocols.

Additionally, clarity on potential congressional action that could impact the state budget will be made certain.

The announcement to extend the suspension of the session took some Republican lawmakers by surprise.

Republican Sen. Paul Lundeen said lawmakers need to start weighing in and addressing critical questions facing unemployment sooner rather than later.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Rhode Island General Assembly has extended the postponement of the legislative session.

All House and Senate sessions have been canceled for the week of May 11 to May 15.

The House Finance Committee is expected to resume fiscal year 2020 and 2021 budget hearings on Thursday, May 14.

Additionally, both chambers of the General Assembly are scheduled to meet on Tuesday, May 19.

This does not affect lobbyist reporting.

At the request of the Executive Director of the Board of Ethics, Mayor Lori Lightfoot, at the last City Council meeting, proposed an amendment to the lobbying ordinance passed late last year.

Lightfoot’s proposed Ordinance 2020-2328 would amend Chapter 2-156 of the Municipal Code regarding lobbying to allow elected officials from outside Chicago to lobby the City Council, the mayor’s office and other city government offices, as long as the public body they represent doesn’t have pending or recurring legislative or contractual matters involving the city of Chicago.

If passed the ordinance would become effective immediately.

The Office of the North Dakota Secretary of State approved a petition for a proposed constitutional amendment.

This amendment will make several changes to election procedures, and make the Ethics Commission responsible for state legislative redistricting procedures.

The Legislature is responsible for redrawing district lines every 10 years following each U.S. Census and is scheduled to do so again in 2021.

The group proposing the measure, North Dakota Voters First, will need to obtain signatures of 4% of eligible voters by July 6 to get the proposal on the ballot in November.

The group has now filed a lawsuit against Secretary of State Al Jaeger in U.S. District Court claiming it should be allowed to collect electronic signatures during the pandemic.

The state law requiring petition circulators to collect necessary signatures in-person is unrealistic and dangerous.

Additionally, the inability to get the measure on the ballot this year would mean the current redistricting rules stay in place for another decade.

On May 5, United States District Court Judge Analisa Torres for the Southern District of New York ruled the New York Board of Elections must hold a presidential primary and include previously qualified candidates on the ballot, including Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Gov. Cuomo previously postponed the presidential primary from April 28 to June 23 due to the COVID-19 public health emergency.

The Board of Elections later voted to cancel the presidential primary.

However, the board still scheduled a congressional special election and local primaries for June 23.

The court’s ruling found the cancellation of the presidential primary to be unconstitutional.

Additionally, the cancellation had violated candidates of their First and Fourteenth Amendment rights.

The preliminary injunction restores all 10 presidential candidates and their respective slates of delegate candidates to the New York presidential primary ballot and requires that the primary election be held on June 23.

The North Dakota Ethics Commission website is now live.

The website, ethicscommission.nd.gov, includes board information, meeting minutes, and complaint forms.

At a recent meeting, the five-member board also discussed reconciling perceived conflicts in constitutional and statutory language related to commission procedures; additionally, they reviewed proposed 2021 ethics legislation covering legislators and executive branch officials.

The next meeting is scheduled in an online format for May 13.

Oregon political candidates in legislative and statewide races can continue to accept contributions vastly exceeding the caps voters approved in 2006.

Secretary of State Bev Clarno announced on Friday she would not allow the 2006 voter approved initiative.

The initiative placed a $1,000 limit on donations to statewide candidates and a $100 limit on contributions to legislative candidates.

Clarno’s office released a statement communicating Measure 47 from 2006 was not made operative by the Oregon Supreme Court decision.

Therefore, there is no change in current state election laws.

Clarno’s decision was based off of a verbal opinion from the Department of Justice.

Also, Multnomah County Circuit Judge Thomas Ryan ruled Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler’s campaign did not need to limit spending.

The ruling came after a suit filed by Wheeler’s main opponent questioning his use of contributions.

Portland mayoral candidate Sarah Iannarone had joined several campaign finance activists in a lawsuit against Wheeler’s campaign.

The lawsuit contends the mayor must repay all the donations he’s received surpassing the $500 campaign finance limit approved by Portland voters in 2018 but never enforced due to legal challenges.

After last week’s Supreme Court ruling, the city auditor’s office will begin enforcing Portland’s campaign finance measure starting today.

However, candidates won’t be retroactively punished for taking large donations.

Portland Attorney Dan Meek said he would ask the state Supreme Court to reconsider its April decision to make it clear Measure 47 should go into effect immediately.

In November, voters will decide on a proposed state constitutional amendment making it clear the state could adopt any limits allowed under the U.S. Constitution.

Louisiana lawmakers will resume their regular legislative session on May 4 to address budget issues and virus response legislation.

Despite the stay-at-home order in place through May 15, many legislators are ready to return for the remainder of session.

These final four weeks began March 9, and the session was postponed March 16.

Legislative leaders also anticipate a large financial gap from widespread unemployment, forcing down tax collections and oil prices.

Altogether, the next financial year, beginning July 1, is predicting between $500 million to $1 billion less in state funding.

With a session that must end June 1, many legislators are eager to use the available days to assist with economic recovery.

This does not affect lobbyist reporting.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the General Assembly has extended the postponement of the legislative session.

All House and Senate sessions are canceled for the week of May 4 to May 8.

Additionally, the House Finance Committee is expected to resume budget hearings the week of May 11, and the full General Assembly are scheduled to meet on Tuesday, May 12.

This does not affect lobbyist reporting.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the General Court has suspended all legislative activities until further notice except for remote public meetings.

Lawmakers previously suspended legislative activities until May 4.

The State House and Legislative Office Building will be closed to legislative members, legislative staff, and visitors during the suspension.

Mississippi Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann and Speaker of the House Philip Gunn have announced the Legislature will reconvene the 2020 Legislative Session at 1:00 p.m. on May 1.

In addition, the end-of-session report will be due 10 days after the adjournment sine die of the regular legislative session.

The expected adjournment date was extended to June 9 when the session was postponed due to COVID-19 concerns.

Georgia General Assembly leaders have proposed two potential dates to reconvene the suspended session.

The Senate has proposed a return date of May 14, while the House has proposed a June 11 return date.

Given an agreement between both houses are needed for the return.

Upon the General Assembly’s return, the 2021 budget will be a chief concern as the fiscal year begins on July 1.

State level and Transportation Board lobbyists will continue to be required to file semi-monthly until lawmakers have officially adjourned sine die.

South Carolina House Speaker Jay Lucas and Senate President Harvey Peeler announced the General Assembly will reconvene on May 12.

The leaders made the announcement in a joint letter.

The General Assembly is expected to pass bills allowing them to take up a number of matters in a special session.

Additionally, the General Assembly will work to extend the time to pass a budget.

This work was set to be completed when they reconvened on April 8.

However, a public disagreement over restrictions on Santee Cooper led to a failure to come to an agreement.