Elections, public policy, government decisions, budgets, regulation, ethics, civil rights, and public administration.
Maryland’s General Assembly was scheduled to begin a special session Aug. 3 to consider whether to send voters a constitutional amendment related to congressional redistricting.
Acts from Louisiana’s 2026 regular legislative session generally became effective Aug. 1 unless an individual law set a different date. The enacted package includes the state’s 2026-27 operating budget and measures affecting statewide programs and public-safety benefits.
Kentucky began implementing dozens of laws enacted in the 2026 legislative session, with effective dates varying under the state’s constitutional rules and individual statutes.
Hawaii’s cited wildfire emergency relief period was scheduled to continue through Aug. 3, 2026, unless the state terminated or superseded it. Available records do not establish whether the state took either action later that day.
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Florida’s first use of authority created by HB 1471, naming CAIR, the Muslim Brotherhood, Antifa and more than 90 foreign terrorist organizations, including cartels.
Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes announced new funding for county voter-registration list maintenance, bringing the amount made available since 2024 to more than $4.22 million.
Seattle voters will take part in Washington’s Aug. 4 primary, which will narrow fields for November races, including the Seattle City Council District 5 special election.
Chesapeake City Council approved an eight-month hold on data-center applications while it develops policy, conducts research and seeks public input.
Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County filed a federal lawsuit seeking to stop DHS from opening a proposed warehouse-based immigration detention and processing center that could hold up to 10,000 people.
Kentucky’s 2026 general-election ballot will ask voters whether to restrict a governor’s ability to grant pardons or commute sentences during the final 60 days before a gubernatorial election and through the governor-elect’s inauguration.
Kansas voters will decide Aug. 4 whether to amend the state constitution to replace the current Supreme Court selection system with elections, with future procedures to be set by law if the measure passes.
Indiana election administrators face a noon deadline Aug. 3 for certification of certain local public questions, while some Libertarian candidates for smaller-town offices may file or withdraw by the same time.
Hawaii’s governor’s office says the state has acted after Hawaiian Electric walked back pollution-control commitments connected to the Department of Health’s regional-haze program. The announcement does not specify the legal mechanism, remedy or potential financial exposure.
Georgia lawmakers advanced legislation during a June special session to postpone a July 1 deadline for ending QR-code use in the official vote count, as no replacement tabulation method had been implemented.
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Florida’s fiscal year 2026-27 budget on June 29 after issuing nearly $810 million in line-item vetoes. The $117.6 billion plan took effect July 1 and includes a limited sales-tax refund for eligible impact-resistant window and door purchases.
Gov. Matt Meyer signed Senate Bill 9 on July 21, creating Delaware’s first comprehensive state freshwater wetlands protection program and a more predictable permitting process for applicants.
California lawmakers returned from summer recess Aug. 3 as the Senate Appropriations Committee scheduled a bill hearing and the Legislature entered a series of August deadlines.
Arkansas House and Senate education committees are scheduled to meet jointly Aug. 3 in Little Rock, with listed materials including a presentation on public-school funding adequacy.
Arizona county boards of supervisors must canvass returns from the July 21 primary by Aug. 3, following a Supreme Court order and Maricopa County settlement that set an interim framework for election operations.
Alaska’s statewide primary is scheduled for Aug. 18, 2026. Under the state’s nonpartisan primary system, the four highest-placing candidates in the governor and lieutenant governor contests advance to the Nov. 3 general election, which uses ranked-choice voting.
The Council of the European Union adopted additional restrictive measures on June 15, 2026, in response to Russia’s continuing war against Ukraine.
Senate leaders announced a short-term spending proposal Aug. 2 that would extend federal agency funding into early December, but the measure still needs Senate action and agreement with the House and White House.
