Year: 2025

  • Vermont, Ohio, North Carolina, and Oregon enact K-12 cellphone bans

    Posted on

    Welcome to the Tuesday, July 8, 2025, Brew.  By: Lara Bonatesta Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: Vermont, Ohio, North Carolina, and Oregon enact K-12 cellphone bans  As part of our ongoing coverage of education policy, we’ve been following state legislation to ban cellphone use in K-12 schools.  Here’s the…

  • State supreme court vacancy count for June 2025

    Posted on

    In this month's state supreme court vacancy update, Ballotpedia tracked announced retirements, nominations, appointments, confirmations, and the swearing-in of justices from June 1 to June 30, 2025. Ballotpedia tracks vacancies in all 52 state supreme courts. Justice retirements: One justice stepped down from her state's highest court in June 2025. On June 27, Beth Walker…

  • Robe & Gavel: Federal Judicial Vacancy Count released for July 2025

    Posted on

    Robe & Gavel: Federal Judicial Vacancy Count released for July 2025 Welcome to the July 7 edition of Robe & Gavel, Ballotpedia’s newsletter about the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) and other judicial happenings around the U.S. There are days we live as if death were nowhere in the background; from joy to…

  • After 2023 veto, Arizona Legislature sends drug cartel terrorism designation law directly to voters as ballot measure

    Posted on

    Welcome to the Monday, July 7, Brew.  By: Briana Ryan Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: After 2023 veto, Arizona Legislature sends drug cartel terrorism designation law directly to voters as a ballot measure On Nov. 3, 2026, Arizona voters will decide on a ballot measure that would define drug…

  • 70% of last June’s elections were uncontested

    Posted on

    Throughout June, Ballotpedia covered 900 elections in 20 states, 70% of which were uncontested. That’s up from May, when 43% of the 2,892 covered were uncontested. Ballotpedia defines an uncontested election as one where the number of candidates running is less than or equal to the number of seats up for election. This analysis does…

  • Vermont, Ohio, North Carolina, Oregon enact K-12 cellphone bans

    Posted on

    What's the story? Vermont, Ohio, North Carolina, and Oregon have all enacted statewide bans on cellphone use in K-12 schools since June 27. What's the background? 25 states have enacted cellphone bans or limits in K-12 schools, and at least 17 states have adopted cellphone bans or limits so far in 2025. Three states require…

  • North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein vetoes REINS-style bill increasing legislative oversight of agency regulations

    Posted on

    Welcome to the Thursday, July 3, Brew.  By: Briana Ryan Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein vetoes REINS-style bill increasing legislative oversight of agency regulations On June 27, North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein (D) vetoed House Bill 402 (HB 402), a REINS-style bill, which would…

  • Rep. Dusty Johnson announces 2026 run for governor of South Dakota

    Posted on

    Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) announced on June 30, 2025, that he will run for governor of South Dakota in 2026 rather than another term in the U.S. House of Representatives. Incumbent Gov. Larry Rhoden (R) became governor after Kristi Noem (R) resigned to serve as the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security in President Donald Trump’s…

  • A look back at 2025 state primary election competitiveness

    Posted on

    A smaller share of seats were open in this year's state primary elections than in any odd year since 2011. Ballotpedia’s 2025 state primary election data included competitiveness and incumbency statistics from state legislative and state executive elections in three states — New Jersey, Virginia, and Wisconsin.  The percentage of open seats in 2025 (5.9%)…

  • President Donald Trump's rate of issuing new executive orders decreases again in June

    Posted on

    President Donald Trump (R) issued nine executive orders in June, bringing his total to 166. To view the titles and text of each order he issued in June, click here. Trump issued 46 executive orders in January 2025, more than any other month of his presidency. With only nine orders, June 2025 marks the month…