Year: 2021

  • Minneapolis group submits signatures for Nov. 2 initiative to replace police department with department of public safety

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    On April 30, Yes 4 Minneapolis submitted over 20,000 signatures for an initiative to repeal and replace provisions in the city charter governing the police department. This initiative would remove language concerning the city’s police department from the city charter, including provisions requiring minimum funding for the department and giving the mayor control over the…

  • U.S. Supreme Court holds rare May sitting on May 4

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    The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) held its May argument sitting on May 4, hearing one case in a one-hour session. In keeping with each sitting of this term, the court heard arguments remotely and provided live audio to the public. Terry v. United States concerns sentencing reductions for crack cocaine offenses. In…

  • April 2021 partisan composition of state legislative seats: 54.3% Republicans, 44.9% Democrats

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    Ballotpedia’s April partisan count of state legislative seats found that 54.29% of state legislators are Republicans and 44.94% are Democrats.  At the end of every month, Ballotpedia tallies the partisan balance of state legislatures, which refers to which political party holds a majority of seats in each chamber. Republicans currently control 61 chambers, while Democrats…

  • Arkansas enacts nonprofit donor disclosure bill

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    Arkansas enacts nonprofit donor disclosure bill On April 30, Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) signed SB535 into law. The bill bars state agencies and officials from implementing disclosure requirements on nonprofits that are “more stringent, restrictive, or expansive” than those already in force. It also prohibits state and local public agencies from requiring, requesting, or disclosing…

  • U.S. Senate approves resolution to reverse Trump-era methane rule and restore standards set by Obama administration

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    The U.S. Senate passed a resolution under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) on April 28 to block a rule made by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Sept. 2020.  The final vote was 52-42, with three Republicans, Susan Collins (Maine), Lindsay Graham (S.C.), and Rob Portman (Ohio), voting in favor of the resolution. 49 Democrats…

  • Federal Register weekly update: New significant proposed rule from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

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    The Federal Register is a daily journal of federal government activity that includes presidential documents, proposed and final rules, and public notices. It is a common measure of an administration’s overall regulatory activity, accounting for both regulatory and deregulatory actions. From April 26 through April 30, the Federal Register grew by 1,320 pages for a…

  • OIRA reviewed 22 significant rules in April

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    The White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) reviewed a total of 22 significant regulatory actions issued by federal agencies in April 2021. The agency approved no rules without changes and approved the intent of 20 rules while recommending changes to their content. Two rules were subject to a statutory or judicial deadline.…

  • Staff favorites about state legislative committees

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    Fun facts and finds about state legislative committees   Our staff recently updated our extensive list of state legislative committee information and added current membership information for 2,083 committees. As you may expect, government structures vary widely among the states. For example, we added information for 14 committees in Nebraska and 87 committees in Mississippi. We…

  • Economy and Society: ESG references in federal lobbying reports on the rise

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    ESG developments this week In Washington, D.C. ESG references in federal lobbying reports on the rise On April 29, Roll Call reported that references to ESG in federal quarterly lobbying reports have grown over the last few months—coinciding with the start of the Biden administration. According to the paper, lobbying mentions of ESG had risen…

  • Illinois’ U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos announces she’s not running for re-election in 2022

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    U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos (D-IL) announced on April 30 that she would not run for re-election in 2022.  Bustos was first elected to the U.S. House to represent Illinois’ 17th Congressional District in 2012. She most recently won re-election in 2020, defeating Esther Joy King (R), 52% to 48%. As of April 30, eight members…