On June 18, the Alaska Legislature adjourned a special session after failing to alter the effective date of the state budget.

Under the Alaska constitution, bills take effect 90 days after enactment unless two-thirds of the House and two-thirds of the Senate approve an earlier date.

The House could not meet this threshold.

Gov. Dunleavy issued a proclamation, calling lawmakers into another special session starting June 23 with the goal of passing a state budget before July 1.

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice has announced another special session for lawmakers on June 24.

The special session is aimed at appropriations of over $250 million of budget surplus prior to the end of the fiscal year on June 30.

On June 17, the Connecticut Legislature adjourned a special session after passing bills related to the state budget and recreational marijuana use.

The cannabis bill allows applicants from communities affected by high drug-related issues to acquire business licenses.

If signed by Gov. Lamont, Connecticut will become the 19th state to legalize marijuana.

This does not affect lobbyist reporting.

On June 14, the Minnesota Legislature returned to the capitol for a special session.

In this session, lawmakers will be finalizing a two-year, $52 billion budget before the start of the next fiscal period July 1.

If the legislature fails to pass a budget before July 1, there will be a government shutdown.

The Oregon House voted to expel Rep. Mike Nearman after he allowed demonstrators, some who were armed, into the Capitol on December 21, 2020, while the House was in a special session.

The District 23 seat will most likely remain vacant for the remainder of the legislative session.

Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon and statehouse leaders announced there will not be a special session this July.

The July special session was to be called for deliberation on how to best allocate the federal relief money given by the American Rescue Plan, but lawmakers decided the discussion would be better served if it was delayed until the 2022 legislative session.

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice has announced he is calling a special session of the West Virginia Legislature for June 7.

The special session will look to allocate a portion of the state’s nearly $400 million surplus in federal relief funds from the departments of Health and Human Resources and Education to the state’s road maintenance programs.

The Texas Legislature adjourned sine die May 31 after 140 days in session.

Talk of a special session and questions about how soon one may happen or what additional issues Gov. Greg Abbott could task legislators with has largely defined the last weekend of the legislative session.

In the final days of the session, House Democrats staged a walkout and broke quorum, making it impossible to give final approval to Senate Bill 7, a massive voting bill that would tighten the state’s election laws, before the midnight deadline.

Gov. Abbott quickly made clear that the bill, along with another other priority legislation that would have made it harder for people arrested to bond out of jail without cash, still must pass and that the two issues will be added to the special session agenda.

Before lawmakers adjourned, Gov. Abbott made clear he intends to reprimand the Legislature over its unfinished business by vetoing the section of the state budget that funds the legislative branch.

Wisconsin lawmakers convened the special session called by Gov. Tony Evers on May 25 for less than a minute and adjourned without considering the governor’s plan.

Evers called the special session to consider the expansion of BadgerCare, the Wisconsin Medicaid system, and invest the $1 billion in cost savings realized under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) into Wisconsin’s economic recovery.

As of today, 38 states have approved Medicaid expansion to become eligible for the additional federal funding.

The Minnesota Legislature adjourned sine die on May 17, although work is not finished.

Lawmakers reached a bipartisan budget agreement on numbers only, with details to be worked out at a special session in June.

Both chambers expect to be back in a special session on June 14 when Gov. Walz’s current declaration of a Peacetime Emergency ends.

If Walz wants to extend the emergency declaration again, he is obligated by law to call a special session to give both chambers the right to rescind his declaration by a majority vote.

If the budget bills are not passed and signed into law by July 1, there will be a government shutdown, which has happened twice before.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers signed Executive Order #116 today calling for a special session of the Legislature to begin at noon on Tuesday, May 25 to consider the expansion of BadgerCare, the Wisconsin Medicaid system, and invest the $1 billion in cost savings realized under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) into Wisconsin’s economic recovery and more than 50 projects and economic development initiatives across the state.

Wisconsin would be the 37th state to approve Medicaid expansion and become eligible for the additional federal funding.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox has called for state legislators to meet in a special session May 19 to discuss issues including accepting and appropriating funds from the American Rescue Plan.

The Legislature will also discuss prohibiting face mask requirements in K-12 schools, amending provisions related to the sale of electronic cigarettes, and extending the state of emergency for drought conditions.

However, lawmakers will not discuss critical race theory and Second Amendment sanctuary legislation during the special session.

Cox said Second Amendment sanctuary legislation should wait for a future general session.

The length of the special session has not been announced. This does not affect lobbying dates.

Individuals, political committees, lobbyists, or their principals may not make a campaign contribution to the governor, the governor’s personal campaign committee, or a PAC controlled by the governor when the Legislature is convened in a special session.

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy intends to call two special sessions during the summer on May 20 and August 2.

Dunleavy will task lawmakers with addressing the state budget and the Permanent Fund dividend.

The Legislature’s regular session is scheduled to end May 19 and lawmakers are not on track to finish the state’s budget before then.

During the August session, the Legislature will consider a constitutional amendment to reduce the Permanent Fund and permanently cap the Legislature’s ability to spend from the fund.

Florida House Speaker Chris Sprowls and Senate President Wilton Simpson have announced a special session to convene on May 17.

The special session will focus on legislation implementing and ratifying the 30-year gaming compact with the Seminole Tribe of Florida announced on April 23 by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

This expansive compact looks to modernize the state’s gaming industry, authorize sports betting, and is projected to increase revenue by over $6 billion over the next decade.