Year: 2021
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U.S. Senate returns 37 federal judicial nominations to president
On January 3, 2021, the United States Senate returned the nominations of 37 individuals to the president at the sine die adjournment of the 116th Congress. On the same day, President Donald Trump (R) resubmitted 17 judicial nominations to the Senate. The list of returned nominations included 22 nominees for the U.S. district courts, three…
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New York, Kentucky ease school restrictions, New Mexico, West Virginia start temporary school closures
On Jan. 4, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced schools could remain open in communities with 9% or greater positivity rates if positivity among students and school staff was lower than in the surrounding community. Previously, the state required schools to close in communities where the positivity rate was 9% or greater. The same…
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U.S. Supreme Court releases argument calendar for February, March
The U.S. Supreme Court has released its argument calendar for February and March of the 2020-2021 term. The court will hear eight hours of oral argument in eight cases between February 22 and March 3. So far, the court has agreed to hear 48 cases during its 2020-2021 term. February 22, 2021 Trump v. Sierra…
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Trump has appointed second-most federal judges through December 31 of a president’s fourth year
Donald Trump has appointed and the U.S. Senate has confirmed 234 Article III federal judges through December 31, 2020, his fourth year in office. This is the second-most Article III judicial appointments through this point in all presidencies since Jimmy Carter (D). The Senate had confirmed 261 of Carter’s appointees at this point in his…
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Union Station: Federal court rejects challenge to Wisconsin union regulations
Seventh Circuit rejects challenge to Wisc. Act 10 On Dec. 17, 2020, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit rejected a challenge to Wisconsin Act 10, omnibus legislation enacted in 2011 that introduced new requirements and regulations for public-sector labor unions. The parties to the suit The plaintiffs are…
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Republican incumbent re-elected to Public Service Commission in Georgia’s statewide runoff election
District 4 Commissioner Lauren “Bubba” McDonald Jr. (R) won re-election to Georgia’s Public Service Commission (PSC) on Tuesday, January 5, 2021. He defeated challenger Daniel Blackman (D) with 50.6% of the vote, according to unofficial results posted on January 7. There were 4.40 million votes cast in the race. The runoff was held after no…
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Missouri House of Representatives District 45 special election set for Apr. 6, 2021
Election officials have scheduled a special election for the District 45 seat in the Missouri House of Representatives for Apr. 6, 2021. The seat became vacant after Kip Kendrick (D) resigned on Jan. 6. There is no primary, and the filing deadline is on Jan. 27.
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Democrats win control of U.S. Senate
Democrats won control of the U.S. Senate following two runoff elections in Georgia on January 5. Jon Ossoff (D) defeated David Perdue (R) in the regular runoff election. Raphael Warnock defeated Kelly Loeffler (R) in the special runoff election. As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, Ossoff had 50.3% of the vote to Perdue’s 49.7%. Perdue was…