Year: 2025

  • Hall Pass: Your Ticket to Understanding School Board Politics, Edition #161

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    Welcome to Hall Pass, a newsletter written to keep you plugged into the conversations driving school board governance, the politics surrounding it, and education policy.  In today’s edition, you’ll find: Reply to this email to share reactions or story ideas! On the issues: The debate over Texas’ Ten Commandments bill In this section, we curate…

  • Louisiana Legislature places six constitutional amendments on the 2026 ballot

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    Welcome to the Wednesday, June 18, 2025, Brew.  By: Lara Bonatesta Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: Louisiana Legislature places six constitutional amendments on the 2026 ballot The Louisiana Legislature adjourned on June 12, ending its 2025 legislative session. During the session, legislators put six constitutional amendments on the 2026…

  • Tracker: Article III federal judicial nominations by president by days in office since 2001

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    There were 50 vacancies out of 890 authorized federal judicial posts as of June 16, 2025. Forty-nine of those were for Article III judgeships. This report is limited to Article III courts, where appointees are confirmed to lifetime judgeships. In the past month: By June 16, 2025—148 days in office—President Donald Trump (R) had nominated…

  • Arizona voters to decide on constitutional amendment prohibiting taxes on vehicle miles traveled and related limits in Nov. 2026

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    Arizona voters will decide on a constitutional amendment that would prohibit taxes on miles traveled in a motor vehicle and prevent state and local governments from limiting miles traveled by any individual in a motor vehicle. The amendment will appear on the ballot on Nov. 3, 2026. A vehicle miles traveled (VMT) tax, sometimes called…

  • SEC withdraws proposed ESG rules

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    In this week’s edition of Economy and Society: In Washington, D.C., and around the world SEC withdraws proposed ESG rules What’s the story? The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) withdrew two ESG-related proposed rules last week—one that would have expanded ESG disclosure requirements and another that would have revised the shareholder proposal submission process. Why…

  • Checks and Balances, June 2025

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    Highlights from this edition of Checks and Balances include deep dives into the elimination of REINS from the One Big Beautiful Bill and Oklahoma’s 2025 legislation on agency rules.  In Washington One Big Beautiful Bill Act goes to Senate without REINS  What’s the story? The U.S. House removed administrative state-related provisions from the final version…

  • New Hampshire becomes 18th state with a universal private school choice program

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    Welcome to the Tuesday, June 17, Brew.  By: Briana Ryan Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: New Hampshire becomes 18th state with a universal private school choice program On June 10, New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R) signed SB 295, which removed the income threshold from the state’s Education Freedom…

  • Louisiana legislature refers six constitutional amendments to 2026 ballot covering taxes, civil service, judicial retirement, and education

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    The Louisiana State Legislature voted to send six constitutional amendments to the 2026 ballot before adjourning on June 12. The six amendments will be decided at two different elections; five will appear on the ballot on April 18, 2026, and one on Nov. 3, 2026. The constitutional amendments cover a variety of topics, including the…

  • Nineteen members of Congress have announced they will not seek re-election in 2026

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    Since May 22, 2025, one member of the U.S. Congress has announced that he will not seek re-election in 2026. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) announced on May 27 that he will run for governor of Alabama in 2026 rather than re-election to the U.S. Senate. As of June 10, The Cook Political Report and Inside…

  • Nevada Gov. Lombardo vetoes bills to require voter ID and open primaries to unaffiliated voters

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    On June 12, Gov. Joe Lombardo (R) vetoed two election bills that passed the legislature in the final days of the 2025 session, including new voter ID and drop box requirements, and changes to rules for unaffiliated voters in primary elections.   Voter ID AB 499 would have required in-person voters to present a valid photo…