Year: 2026
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Hall Pass: Your Ticket to Understanding School Board Politics, Edition #193
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 whether America's public schools need more money — or…
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New York Senate passes $1 billion emissions reporting bill
On Feb. 10, 2026, the New York Senate passed Senate Bill 9072A, the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act, by a 40–22 vote. The vote fell along party lines, with Democrats in favor and Republicans opposed. The bill would apply to companies that do business in New York and generate more than $1 billion in annual…
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Signatures submitted for three Colorado ballot initiatives related to the human trafficking of minors, sex requirements for school sports teams, and surgeries for transgender minors
In Colorado, signatures were submitted on Feb. 17 and Feb. 20, 2026, to the secretary of state for three ballot initiatives related to increasing penalties for the human trafficking of minors, requiring interscholastic sports teams to be designated based on biological sex, and prohibiting healthcare professionals from performing surgeries on minors that would alter their…
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Tom Malinowski became the first former House member running for a formerly held seat to be defeated in 2026
Rep. Tom Malinowski (D) became the first former member of Congress to face voters in a bid for their old office in the 2026 election cycle. In the special election for New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District, Analilia Mejia (D) defeated Malinowski 29% to 28%. Malinowski represented New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District from 2019 to 2023.…
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30% of congressional incumbents not seeking re-election this year have endorsed a successor
On Feb. 9, U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), who is not seeking re-election this year, endorsed Micah Lasher (D) in the Democratic primary election to succeed him in representing New York's 12th Congressional District. In doing so, Nadler joined 17 other retiring members of the U.S. Congress who have so far endorsed candidates in primary…
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Recent midterm election years featured more open state legislative seats than presidential years
According to Ballotpedia’s annual competitiveness analyses, midterm election years like 2026 tend to feature more open state legislative seats than presidential election years. Voters across 46 states will choose who will represent them in 6,155 state legislative districts this November. On March 3, 2026, three states—Arkansas, North Carolina, and Texas—will hold the first primary elections…
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The average margin of victory across 2025’s state legislative elections was 24.7%, down from 28.7% in 2023
The average margin of victory across 2025’s 180 state legislative elections was 24.7%. This is the second-lowest average margin of victory in odd-year elections since 2019, and down from 28.7% in 2023. The Nov. 4, 2025, state legislative elections included all 100 seats in the Virginia House of Delegates and all 80 seats in the…