Year: 2021
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A look back at government responses to the coronavirus pandemic, July 13-17, 2020
Although the first case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was confirmed on Jan. 21, 2020, it wasn’t until March when the novel coronavirus upended life for most Americans. Throughout the year, states issued stay-at-home orders, closed schools, restricted travel, issued mask mandates, and changed election dates. Here are the policy changes that happened July 13-17,…
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Federal Register weekly update: Lowest number of final rules added since April
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 July 5 through July 9, the Federal Register grew by 1,100 pages for a…
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Preview: Upcoming special congressional elections
Three special elections for the U.S. House will take place within the next month: a runoff election for Texas’ 6th Congressional District on July 27 and primaries in Ohio’s 11th and 15th congressional districts on Aug. 3. Texas’ 6th The July 27 runoff in Texas features Republicans Jake Ellzey and Susan Wright. The two advanced…
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Justin Fecteau resigns from Maine House of Representatives
Justin Fecteau (R) resigned from the Maine House of Representatives on July 4 to accept a teaching job outside his legislative district. He represented District 86 from 2018 to 2021. Fecteau was first elected to the state House in 2018. He defeated Adam Turner (D) to win re-election in 2020, 57% to 43%. When there…
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Union Station: District court rulings on mandatory bar membership cases reversed
Fifth Circuit reverses district court rulings on two mandatory bar membership cases On July 2, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled in favor of plaintiffs challenging mandatory bar membership in Louisiana and Texas, two of 31 states that require lawyers to join the state bar association. Boudreaux…
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Voters to decide Concord City Council special election on July 13
The city of Concord, New Hampshire, is holding a nonpartisan special election on July 13 for Ward 4 on the city council. The filing deadline for the special election passed on May 14. The winner of the special election will have to run for re-election in Nov. to retain the seat. Edith Chiasson, Karen McNamara,…
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Maine voters to decide $100 million transportation bond at November 2021 election
On July 6, Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) signed legislation placing a $100-million bond issue on the ballot for November 2, 2021. The bond issue is the third ballot measure set to go before voters in November. It’s the only bond issue certified for the ballot so far. The ballot measure divides the bond revenue…
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Two Georgia House special runoffs set for July 13
The special general runoff elections for Georgia House of Representatives Districts 34 and 156 are scheduled for July 13, 2021. In District 34, Devan Seabaugh (R) is facing Priscilla Smith (D) in the runoff. In the June 15 general election, Seabaugh and Smith advanced from a field of five candidates and earned 47.1% and 24.6%…
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Redistricting review: Virginia House of Delegates candidate sues over 2021 elections using existing maps (and other news)
Virginia: On June 28, Paul Goldman, a candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates, filed suit against Gov. Ralph Northam (D) and the Virginia State Board of Elections (among other state officials), asking that a U.S. District Court declare the Nov. 3, 2021, elections for the House of Delegates invalid, limit the terms of delegates…
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Washington initiative signature deadline passes with no campaigns submitting signatures
The signature submission deadline for Initiatives to the People (ITP)—which is the name of direct ballot initiatives in Washington—passed on July 2, 2021. No campaigns submitted signatures. To qualify for the ballot, proponents would have needed to submit 324,516 valid signatures. A total of 136 ITPs were filed by five sponsors. The filed initiatives concerned…