Year: 2025

  • Montana Republican Party censures nine Republican state senators who formed a coalition with Senate Democrats

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    Welcome to the Tuesday, April 22, Brew.  By: Briana Ryan Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: Montana Republican Party censures nine Republican state senators who formed a coalition with Senate Democrats On April 4, the Montana Republican Party censured nine Republican members of the Montana Senate. The party wrote in…

  • Robe & Gavel: SCOTUS begins April 2025 sitting

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    Welcome to the April 21 edition of Robe & Gavel, Ballotpedia’s newsletter about the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) and other judicial happenings around the U.S. Nature’s first green is gold, Her hardest hue to hold. Her early leaf’s a flower; But only so an hour. Then leaf subsides to leaf. So Eden…

  • How Wisconsin’s partial veto power has evolved through 95 years of ballot measures

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    The Wisconsin Supreme Court upheld Gov. Tony Evers’ (D) use of a partial veto in the state’s biennial budget on April 18, 2025. His partial veto extended a two-year school funding increase into a 402-year provision. At the center of the case were constitutional provisions that had been added or amended through three ballot measures…

  • Sen. Chuck Schumer blocks Trump federal prosecutor nominees via blue slips—what are they?

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    Welcome to the Monday, April 21, Brew.  By: Lara Bonatesta Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: Sen. Chuck Schumer blocks Trump federal prosecutor nominees via blue slips—what are they? On April 16, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced that he would not return blue slips for two of President Donald Trump’s…

  • West Virginia becomes 25th state with a Parents’ Bill of Rights

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    What’s the story? West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey (R) signed House Bill (HB) 2129 on Apr. 12, 2025, establishing a Parents’ Bill of Rights in state law. The bill states that parents have a fundamental right to direct their minor children’s upbringing in the following specific areas: The bill also stated that it did not…

  • ICYMI: Top stories of the week

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    New Jersey has the most contested primaries, fewest open seats since 2011 All 80 seats in the New Jersey General Assembly are up for election this year, and there are 29 contested primaries on June 10, eight more than the last regular elections in 2023. This is the most contested primaries since at least 2011,…

  • The Ballot Bulletin: Ballotpedia’s Weekly Digest on Election Administration, April 18, 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 509 bills state legislatures acted on in the past week. Weekly highlights The big takeaways from the…

  • Texas House rejects amendment to universal school choice bill that would have placed statutory measure on statewide ballot for first time

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    In Texas, House Republicans defeated an amendment to Senate Bill 2 on April 16 that would have required the proposed universal education savings account (ESA) program to be placed on the Nov. 4, 2025, ballot for voters to decide. Had it been placed on the ballot, Senate Bill 2 would have been the first statewide…

  • 2025 and 2026 ballot measure totals trend above average for odd and even years

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    Welcome to the Friday, April 18, Brew.  By: Briana Ryan Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: 2025 and 2026 ballot measure totals trend above average for odd and even years As of April 15, the number of certified statewide ballot measures for both 2025 and 2026 is trending above average…

  • Trump issues executive order opposing state ESG policies

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    Photo of the White House in Washington, D.C.

    President Donald Trump (R) issued an executive order last week directing U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate and block enforcement of state laws promoting ESG policies. Trump argued such laws conflict with national security and economic interests. The order lays the groundwork for federal legal challenges against state ESG laws. It reverses the dynamic…