by Angela Andrews
A lot has happened in the world of legislative sessions since our post in January kicking off the start of the new year and the 2012 legislative sessions.
Legislatures in 46 states and six territories that meet in the even-numbered year have convened, and some of them have already adjourned. The Louisiana legislature is the last legislature to convene for 2012, as they start their session today. Check out our 2012 session calendar by convening date to see a list of when legislatures convened this year.
On the adjournment side, 10 legislatures have adjourned their regular sessions for 2012. This includes the Oregon Legislature, which held their first-ever annual session after voters approved a legislative referendum in 2010 requiring the Legislature to meet annually, instead of biennially (every other year).
South Dakota and Kansas are also on tap to adjourn this month. Take a look at our 2012 session calendar by adjourning date to see which legislatures will adjourn in April and May.
Of the 10 legislatures that have already adjourned, four still have unfinished business to consider. The Florida Legislature will meet in a special session to revisit their redistricting maps, and Virginia and Washington have been called into special sessions to finish their budgets. The West Virginia legislature adjourned on Saturday, but will reconvene this week to finish the state budget.
And, here's a fun fact for legislative junkies: Did you know that in some states, including Florida, Virginia and Washington, either the legislature or the governor can call the legislature into a special session? Learn more about special sessions here.
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