Year: 2025

  • Hall Pass: Your Ticket to Understanding School Board Politics, Edition #142

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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 homework In this section, we curate reporting, analysis, and…

  • Three candidates are running in the nonpartisan election for Wisconsin’s Superintendent of Public Instruction

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    Incumbent Jill Underly, Brittany Kinser, and Jeff Wright are running in the nonpartisan primary for Wisconsin’s superintendent of public instruction on Feb. 18, 2025. The top two finishers will then run in a general election on April 1, 2025. PBS Wisconsin’s Steven Potter wrote, “Although the position is described as non-partisan, the job of running…

  • Arkansas Governor applies to CMS for waiver to implement work requirements for Medicaid

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    Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders sent a section 1115 waiver request to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) last Tuesday, January 28th, requesting permission to implement work requirements for able-bodied Medicaid recipients aged 19-64.  Section 1115 of the Social Security Act allows for states to request approval from the CMS to waive certain…

  • Administrative State legislation tracking update: 34 federalism-related bills introduced in 2025 legislative sessions so far

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    Ballotpedia’s Administrative State Legislation Tracker recorded 34 bills related to federalism as of Feb. 3. in the 2025 legislative sessions across 18 states and in Congress. These bills reflect ongoing debates about the balance of power between state and federal governments, addressing issues from unfunded mandates to federal regulatory authority. Overall, the tracker covered nearly…

  • Doug Collins confirmed as secretary of veterans affairs

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    The U.S. Senate voted to confirm Doug Collins as secretary of veterans affairs on Feb. 4, 2025. The Senate voted 77-23 in favor of his nomination. This was the tenth member of President Donald Trump’s (R) Cabinet confirmed in his second presidential term.  Trump announced on Nov. 14, 2024, that he had selected Collins as…

  • Chris Wright confirmed as secretary of energy

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    The U.S. Senate voted to confirm Chris Wright as secretary of energy on Feb. 3, 2025. The Senate voted 59-38 in favor of his nomination with seven Democrats, one independent who caucuses with Democrats, and 51 Republicans voting in favor. This was the ninth member of President Donald Trump’s (R) Cabinet confirmed in his second…

  • Since 1898, voters in 30 states have decided on 42 constitutional amendments to create state initiative and referendum processes

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    Welcome to the Wednesday, Feb. 5, Brew.  By: Briana Ryan Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: Since 1898, voters in 30 states have decided on 42 constitutional amendments to create state initiative and referendum processes Since 1898, voters in 30 states have decided on 42 constitutional amendments to create state…

  • Republican state officials request ESG clarification

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    In this week’s edition of Economy and Society: Around the world European Commission announces ESG regulatory simplification What’s the story? The European Commission (EC) released a report last week on its plans to promote European business competitiveness, including a planned ESG regulatory simplification. Why does it matter? This newsletter previously reported on complaints from European…

  • U.S. House average margins of victory were closest since at least 2012

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    Welcome to the Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, Brew.  By: Lara Bonatesta Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: U.S. House average margins of victory were closest since at least 2012  It’s been just over a month since the 119th Congress convened on Jan. 3, and as our lawmakers navigate things like…