Year: 2021
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Kansas voters will decide an amendment in 2022 saying there is no right to abortion in the state constitution
The Kansas State Legislature referred the No Right to Abortion in Constitution Amendment to the August 2, 2022, primary ballot. The amendment will reverse a 2019 Kansas Supreme Court decision that ruled that the Kansas Bill of Rights granted a right to abortion. The amendment would add a section to the Kansas Bill of Rights…
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Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth to resign after error in constitutional amendment process
Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth Kathy Boockvar (D) is expected to resign on February 5, 2021, after her office failed to advertise a constitutional amendment as the state constitution requires. Voters could have decided the constitutional amendment at the election on May 18, 2021, but the two-session process will need to restart. The earliest the amendment…
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Iowa to vote in 2022 on adding right to own and bear arms to state constitution
Voters in Iowa will decide in 2022 whether to add a right to own and bear firearms to the Iowa Constitution and require strict scrutiny for any alleged violations of the right brought before a court. The amendment was certified for the ballot on January 28, 2021, after having passed both chambers of the legislature.…
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Delaware legislature amends state constitution to prohibit discrimination according to race, color, national origin
On January 28, 2021, the Delaware House of Representatives approved Senate Bill 31 in the final step to amend the state constitution to add a prohibition on discrimination according to race, color, and national origin to the Delaware Bill of Rights. Unlike any other state, the Delaware State Legislature can amend the constitution without a…
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Voters approved changes to campaign finance, election dates, election systems, redistricting, suffrage, and term limits in 2020
In 2020, 12 states approved 13 ballot measures related to election policy including changes to campaign finance, election dates, election systems, redistricting, suffrage, and term limits. The measures are listed below according to topic. Campaign finance: Oregon Measure 107: Measure 107 authorizes the state legislature and local governments to (1) enact laws or ordinances limiting…
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Partisan shift on Michigan Supreme Court
The November 2020 election changed the partisan balance on the Michigan Supreme Court from Republican to Democrat control. The partisan balance on the court flipped from 4-3 with Republicans controlling the court to 4-3, with Democrats controlling the court. The two seats up for election on the court were held by Bridget Mary McCormack (D)…
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Federal Register weekly update: Highest weekly presidential document total since 2017
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 regulatory activity. From January 25 through January 29—the second week of the Biden administration—the Federal Register grew by 790 pages for a year-to-date total of…
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Filing deadline passes for special election in Missouri state House district
Candidates interested in running in the special election for District 45 of the Missouri House of Representatives had until January 27, 2021, to file. David Smith (D) is facing Glenn Nielsen (L) in the general election scheduled for April 6, 2021. The seat became vacant after Kip Kendrick (D) resigned to become state Senator Greg…