Year: 2025
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Maine lawmakers recall RCV expansion from Gov. Mills’ desk
On June 25, 2025, both chambers of the Maine Legislature agreed by voice vote to recall LD 1666 from Gov. Janet Mills (D) desk and carry the bill over to the next special or regular legislative session. The bill would have expanded the state’s use of ranked-choice voting (RCV) to include general and special elections…
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NC Gov. Stein vetoes REINS-style bill increasing legislative oversight of agency regulations
What’s the story? North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein (D) vetoed House Bill 402, titled Limit Rules With Substantial Financial Costs, on June 27. HB 402 was designed to create legislative approval and agency board supermajority vote requirements for new agency rules with costs above stated thresholds. HB 402 now returns to the legislature, where both…
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States advance ESG-related bills
Four state legislatures took action on six ESG-related bills between June 17-23. Legislation in Ohio and Florida passed both chambers. Legislation in New Hampshire and North Carolina crossed over from one chamber to another. States with legislative activity on ESG last week are highlighted in the map below. Click here to see the details of…
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Seven candidates are running in a special election for Ward 8 of the Washington D.C. City Council
Seven candidates are running in a special election for Ward 8 of the Washington, D.C. City Council on July 15, 2025. Four have received media coverage: Salim Adofo (D), Mike Austin (D), Sheila Bunn (D), and Trayon White (D). On Aug. 19, 2024, federal agents arrested White, a councilmember at the time, after he allegedly accepted bribes to influence government contracts. On February 4, 2025, the D.C. council voted unanimously to expel White. White…
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Utah voters to decide on the state’s first veto referendum in 18 years
Welcome to the Friday, June 27, Brew. By: Briana Ryan Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: Utah voters to decide on the state’s first veto referendum in 18 years, on public sector bargaining On Nov. 3, 2026, Utah voters will decide whether to uphold or repeal House Bill 267 (HB…
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Maine voters to decide two citizen-initiated ballot measures in Nov. 2025 election, including voter ID and extreme risk protection orders
The Maine State Legislature adjourned on June 25, meaning voters will decide two indirect initiated state statutes at the election on Nov. 4, 2025. Signatures were submitted for two ballot initiatives in Jan. 2025—the Require Voter Photo ID and Change Absentee Ballot and Dropbox Rules Initiative and Extreme Risk Protection Orders to Restrict Firearms and…
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Chevron deference overturned one year ago today
The U.S. Supreme Court’s June 28, 2024, decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo (consolidated with Relentless, Inc. v. Department of Commerce) eliminated Chevron deference. In a 6–3 ruling, the Court held that judges must independently interpret ambiguous federal statutes rather than defer to agency interpretations. The majority wrote that such deference violated the judiciary’s…