Year: 2025

  • Four states have banned cellphone use in schools so far this month

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    Welcome to the Friday, May 16, Brew.  By: Briana Ryan Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: 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…

  • Alabama will be the second state to decide on amendments to restrict bail in 2026

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    Welcome to the Thursday, May 15, 2025, Brew.  By: Lara Bonatesta Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: Alabama will be the second state to decide on amendments to restrict bail in 2026 On April 29, Alabama became the second state to put a constitutional amendment on its 2026 ballot that…

  • Ballot measures certification update: Seven new measures for 2025 in CO and TX; six new measures certified in five states for 2026

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    The number of certified statewide ballot measures for both 2025 and 2026 is trending above average compared to previous election cycles as of May 13. 2025 ballot measures For 2025, 15 statewide ballot measures have been certified in six states—Colorado, Louisiana, Ohio, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin. This is seven more than the average of eight…

  • Montana passes legislative oversight bills

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    The Montana legislature passed two bills which would modify the rulemaking process for state administrative agencies. Both were supported by bipartisan majorities. House Bill 126 was passed by a vote of 100-0 in the House on January 29, 2025; the Senate voted 48-0 on April 9, 2025. Gov. Greg Gianforte (R) signed it on May…

  • Hall Pass: Your Ticket to Understanding School Board Politics, Edition #156

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    Welcome to Hall Pass, a newsletter written to keep you plugged into the conversations driving  school board governance, the politics surrounding it, and education policy.  In today’s edition, you’ll find: Reply to this email to share reactions or story ideas! On the issues: The debate over Utah’s school choice program In this section, we curate…

  • Checks and Balances, May 2025

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    Highlights from this edition of Checks and Balances include deep dives into President Trump’s memo directing agencies to repeal regulations without public notice and comment and Texas’ state DOGE-style and judicial nondeference bill. In Washington Trump directs agencies to skip public input for deregulation  What’s the story? President Donald Trump (R) issued a memorandum April…

  • State legislatures have passed 17,160 bills so far this year

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    Welcome to the Wednesday, May 14, Brew.  By: Briana Ryan Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: State legislatures have passed 17,160 bills so far this year In the April 30 Daily Brew, we discussed the five bills and resolutions Congress passed, which President Donald Trump (R) signed into law this…

  • Texas voters will decide on amendments related to noncitizen voting, death taxes, a state institute for dementia prevention and research, and property tax exemption for animal feed in November

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    The Texas State Legislature took the final votes needed to send four constitutional amendments to the Nov. 4 ballot this week. Texas will be the 15th state to decide on a constitutional amendment prohibiting noncitizens from voting in state elections. From 2018 to 2024, voters approved 14 ballot measures related to citizenship voting requirements. In…

  • Texans to decide on amendment to prohibit noncitizens from voting in 2025 ahead of three other states deciding on the issue in 2026

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    The Texas State Legislature voted to send a constitutional amendment to voters that would add language to the state constitution prohibiting noncitizens from voting. Currently, Texas has a statutory citizenship requirement to vote. Adding this requirement to the state constitution effectively raises the threshold for any changes to the policy from a simple majority of…

  • ESG critic appointed to Labor Department

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    In this week’s edition of Economy and Society: In Washington, D.C. ESG critic appointed to Labor Department What’s the story? The Department of Labor this month appointed Justin Danhof—a critic of ESG investing and a proxy voting and corporate engagement expert—as a senior policy advisor in the Employee Benefits Security Administration. Why does it matter?…