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>> Mayor Vince Gray will unveil a proposed overhaul of the city’s campaign finance laws this week, reports the Examiner. The proposal will stem from an audit of existing laws being conducted by D.C. Attrorney General Irv Nathan. Recent months have seen additional scrutiny on the practice of bundling of campaign donations and the use of money orders to give money to candidates.

>> Maryland legislators gather today for a three-day special legislative session to approve a budget, writes WTOP. The budget will include tax increases on individuals making more than $100,000 and households taking in more than $150,000; Gov. Martin O’Malley hopes to see the tax hikes raise an additional $247 million in revenue. This special session will not include discussions on plans to expand gambling in the state.

>> During a budget session last week, members of the D.C. Council floated the idea of lowering fines for some traffic violations. According to The Washington Times, legislators argue that tickets for some vehicular misdeeds are too high and that with increasing automated enforcement, fines should be lowered. By way of comparison, speed cameras in Maryland spit out $40 tickets; in D.C., fines start at $75 and climb steadily depending on how far above the speed-limit you were driving. (A resident recently started circulating a petition requesting that fines for speeding be dropped.)

Briefly Noted: Change in policy means that D.C. government workers may have to use outstanding vacation time before end of year … Proposed 2013 Metro budget doesn’t factor in wage and pension increases for workers … Guardian Angels to patrol area south of Columbia Heights … D.C. police more aggressively targeting jaywalkers … Black market emerges for stolen or counterfeited handicapped parking permits … Architects toy with idea of D.C. without height restrictions … D.C. considers neighborhood preference for charter schools.

This Day in DCist: In 2010, a challenger to D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton proposed shutting down the Key Bridge until D.C. got voting rights and a Barn Dance was planned for Chinatown’s Barnes Dance.