Republican-led election policy bills advance in Kansas legislative session
State lawmakers have introduced more than 2,300 election administration bills so far this year.
In Tuesday’s Brew, we looked at an example of what lawmakers in Kansas are doing in this policy area. As of Feb. 12, Kansas lawmakers had introduced 26 election-related bills, four of which had passed a legislative chamber. Some notable topics lawmakers are focusing on this year include:
- Banning ranked-choice voting
- Returning absentee/mail-in ballots
- Noncitizen voting and voter list maintenance
The fight against mosquitos in Louisiana
There are thousands of political subdivisions in the United States, including more than 3,200 counties. In many states, those local governments are responsible for a host of issues, such as garbage disposal etc. In some states, they’re responsible for things you might not expect.
In Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, one of those things is mosquito control. On March 29, Tangipahoa Parish voters will go to the polls to decide on a local ballot measure to renew a property tax levy that funds the parish’s mosquito abatement district (MAD).
U.S. Senate and House Republicans release separate budget resolutions
Budget reconciliation is a term for the legislative process that bypasses the filibuster to approve a package of legislation in Congress that changes spending, revenues, or the debt limit. A 60-vote threshold is typically needed in the Senate to end debate. Reconciliation bills, however, have limits on debate time that prevent filibusters, which means they require a simple 51-vote majority.
The U.S. Senate and House Budget Committees approved two separate budget resolutions for a floor vote. The advancement of these resolutions starts the reconciliation process.