Year: 2021
-
Eight states have enacted laws limiting governors’ emergency powers since the start of the pandemic
In response to the coronavirus pandemic, governors and state agencies in all 50 states relied on emergency power authority to enact stay-at-home orders, mask mandates, and other restrictions on businesses and individuals. Since March 2020, 10 bills in eight states have been signed into law that are aimed at increasing legislative oversight of governors’ emergency powers.…
-
New Mexico becomes the third state this year to approve recreational marijuana legalization
On April 12, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) signed House Bill 2 (HB 2) to legalize recreational marijuana. HB 2 made New Mexico the third state to approve recreational marijuana legalization in the last two weeks. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) signed a marijuana legalization bill on March 31, and, on April…
-
Maryland State Legislature referred two constitutional amendments to the ballot on the last day of its legislative session
On April 12, 2021, the Maryland State Legislature voted to refer two constitutional amendments to the 2022 ballot—the Civil Jury Trials Amendment and the Residency Requirements for State Legislators Amendment. The Civil Jury Trials Amendment would amend the state constitution to increase from $15,000 to $25,000 the minimum amount in controversy that guarantees a right…
-
Congressional resolution would reverse Trump-era rule specifying when Social Security administrative appeals judges would decide cases
On April 1, 2021, U.S. Representative John Larson (D-Conn.) introduced a resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to block a rule made by the Social Security Administration (SSA) in November 2020. The rule, published in the Federal Register on November 16, 2020, aims to clarify when administrative appeals…
-
Federal Register weekly update: 68 new final rules
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 5 through April 9—the 12th week of the Biden administration—the Federal Register grew…
-
State legislators passed restrictions on the initiative process in three states and are considering ballot measure law changes in several others
At least 123 legislative proposals concerning ballot initiatives, veto referendums, referrals, local ballot measures, and recall were introduced in the 2021 legislative sessions of 34 states. At least eight had been approved so far. Here are some of the most notable changes to ballot measure law passed and proposed in 2021: The Utah Legislature passed…