Year: 2025

  • Four states enact cellphone bans in May so far

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    Four (4) states enacted cellphone bans in May so far: All of the state policies prohibit unsanctioned cell phone usage from the beginning of the school day to the end of the days. Each policy does not apply to school-issued or school-used devices and have exemptions for use by students with medical or academic needs…

  • An introduction to Crypto Policy with form CFTC Chairman Chris Giancarlo

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    Episode #187 An introduction to Crypto Policy with form CFTC Chairman Chris Giancarlo On this episode: Cryptocurrency has evolved from a niche experiment into a disruptive force with global implications—and U.S. financial institutions, lawmakers, and regulators are working to establish clear crypto-related policy. In this episode, we unpack the state of crypto policy in 2025:…

  • Checking in on Trump’s judicial nominations

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    Episode #186 Checking in on Trump’s judicial nominations On this episode: President Trump has made his first judicial nomination since returning to office, selecting a candidate for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Most presidents make few judicial nominations in their first 100 days, and Trump’s current pace aligns with historical trends…

  • Missouri voters to decide on overturning abortion rights amendment, banning gender transition procedures for minors

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    The Missouri State Legislature placed an amendment on the ballot that would overturn Amendment 3 (2024), which amended the state constitution providing for the fundamental right to reproductive freedom, including abortion. Voters will decide on the new amendment in November 2026. This will be the first state where voters will be deciding to overturn an…

  • The Ballot Bulletin: Ballotpedia’s Weekly Digest on Election Administration, May 16, 2025

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    Welcome to The Ballot Bulletin: Ballotpedia’s Weekly Digest on Election Administration. Every Friday, we deliver the latest updates on election policy around the country, including nationwide trends and recent legislative activity.  In this week’s Ballot Bulletin, we cover 316 bills state legislatures acted on in the past week. Weekly highlights The big takeaways from the…

  • ICYMI: Top stories of the week

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    Four states have banned cellphone use in schools so far this month On May 14, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) signed House Bill 166, banning cellphone use in K-12 schools starting in the 2025-2026 school year. This move makes the Yellowhammer State the fourth state to ban cellphone use in schools in May alone: Learn…

  • Oklahoma State Legislature advances bill to change process of initiated ballot measures

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    The Oklahoma House of Representatives again advanced Senate Bill 1027 (SB 1027), a measure that would change the process of placing citizen-initiated amendments and laws on the ballot. SB 1027, which would take effect immediately after its passing, would make three changes to the initiative process in Oklahoma. First, it would implement a distribution requirement…

  • House Energy and Commerce Committee includes Medicaid work requirement in budget reconciliation bill

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    The House Energy and Commerce Committee passed its budget reconciliation bill on May 14 with a 30-24 vote after a May 13th markup of the previous draft version. The current version of the bill would require states to adopt community engagement requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents on Medicaid. The current version specifies community engagement…

  • House Judiciary’s budget reconciliation bill considers REINS Act provisions

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    The House Judiciary Committee released a draft of their budget reconciliation bill on April 27, which included major provisions from the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act (REINS Act), and the markup version voted out April 30th by a 23-17 margin retained those provisions. The final omnibus bill may differ from this…