Year: 2025
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Anti-ESG bill dies in Texas House
A Texas bill that sought to shift the legal burden in shareholder lawsuits involving ESG policies failed in committee last week. The House Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence Committee voted it down 9–1. If enacted, the bill would have been the first to make it easier for shareholders to challenge ESG-related decisions by requiring companies to…
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North Carolina House passes bill to increase legislative control of rulemaking
What’s the story? The North Carolina House passed House Bill 402, named the NC REINS Act, on April 16, 2025, by a vote of 68-44. The bill would increase legislative oversight of proposed agency regulations. It was scheduled for a May 21 hearing before the Senate Regulatory Reform Committee. HB 402 would make any regulation…
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Gina Ortiz Jones and Rolando Pablos running in June 7 San Antonio mayoral runoff election
Gina Ortiz Jones and Rolando Pablos are running in the June 7, 2025, runoff election for mayor of San Antonio, Texas. Ortiz Jones and Pablos advanced to the runoff from the nonpartisan general election on May 3. Ortiz Jones received 27.2% of the vote and Pablos received 16.6%. The two advanced to a runoff because…
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Republican party committees lead in cumulative fundraising as of fourth campaign finance deadline of the 2026 election cycle
As of April 30, 2025, the end of the most recent party committee campaign finance filing period, the three committees associated with the Democratic Party have raised a cumulative $122 million and spent $116 million in the 2026 election cycle, while the three committees associated with the Republican Party have raised $143 million and spent…
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Texas voters to decide on three property tax exemption amendments, including third homestead exemption increase in three years
The Texas State Legislature voted to send three property tax exemption amendments to the Nov. 4 ballot this week—increasing two existing exemptions and authorizing the creation of a new one. Senate Joint Resolution 2 would increase the property tax exemption from $100,000 to $140,000 of the market value of a homestead. This will be the…
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Nevada voters to decide on 2026 ballot initiative allowing public school teacher strikes
Nevada voters will decide on a ballot initiative in 2026 to exempt school teachers and certain other school employees from the state law prohibiting public employee strikes. The initiative, if approved by voters, would change Nevada state law to allow public school teachers, and other education personnel, to strike. In 1969, Nevada passed legislation making…
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Federal judge declares Oregon cannabis union law unconstitutional, overturning the 2024 ballot measure
Oregon Measure 119, which was approved by voters in November 2024, was overturned by a federal judge on May 20, 2025. District Judge Michael H. Simon issued an opinion holding that the ballot measure violates the U.S. Constitution and the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) by limiting employers’ right to free speech. Measure 119, which…
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Supreme Court hears case on nationwide injunctions tied to birthright citizenship order
What happened? The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments May 15 in Trump v. CASA, Inc., a case challenging President Donald Trump’s (R) executive order restricting birthright citizenship. The case was consolidated with Trump v. Washington and Trump v. New Jersey, in which four and 18 states, respectively, filed lawsuits against the administration. The legal…
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Proposed OPM rule would change procedures to terminate career federal employees
What’s the story On May 23, 2025, the public commentary window ended for a proposed Office of Personnel Management (OPM) rule that would modify the procedures for terminating career federal employees, also known as civil servants. The OPM proposed the rule on April 23. The proposed “Improving Performance, Accountability and Responsiveness in the Civil Service”…