Author: Annelise Reinwald
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Ballotpedia publishes results from March 2026 school board member survey
In 2026, Ballotpedia surveyed school board members to document their experiences serving on school boards and explore differences between serving on school boards in urban, suburban, and rural districts. The survey included Hall Pass subscribers and members of the National School Board Association (NSBA) rural group, and totaled 670 respondents. Of these, 656 were serving…
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New York Governor says state plans to participate in federal education tax credit scholarship program
On May 7, 2026, New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) said that she plans to opt the state into the federal education tax credit scholarship program, also known as the Education Freedom Tax Credit (EFTC). New York is the third state with a Democratic trifecta to indicate participation in the program, following Virginia and Colorado. Twenty-three…
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An overview of the rules, agency documents, and notices published in the Federal Register in the first quarter of 2026
The federal government added 16,150 pages to the Federal Register in the first quarter of 2026, spanning from Jan. 1 to March 31. This is more than in all quarters during the second Trump administration except the third quarter in 2025, during which the government added 19,256 pages. These pages constitute the 6,071 documents that…
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Senate Democrats introduce bill to repeal federal education tax credit scholarship
On April 15, 2026, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), introduced S. 4297 to repeal the provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) that established the federal education tax credit scholarship program, also known as the Education Freedom Tax Credit. The bill, titled the Keep Public Funds in Public Schools Act, has 29 Democratic and…
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Kansas and Wisconsin governors veto bills opting their states into federal school choice tax credit program
The Democratic governors of Kansas and Wisconsin both vetoed bills opting their states into the federal school choice tax credit scholarship program. They became the fourth and fifth Democratic governors to veto bills opting in to the program. At least 27 states have officially opted into the program, 23 of which have a Republican trifecta.…
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Kansas becomes thirty-third state to enact a K-12 cellphone ban
On March 20, 2026, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly (D) signed a bill enacting a statewide ban on cellphones in K-12 schools. The ban applies to all public and nonpublic accredited schools and prohibits the use of cellphones during the school day, commonly referred to as a “bell-to-bell” ban. School district boards and governing authorities of…
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Kentucky Legislature overrides veto of bill opting into federal school choice tax credit scholarship program
On March 17, 2026, the Kentucky General Assembly voted to override Gov. Andy Beshear's (D) veto of House Bill 1, which requires the secretary of state to annually opt the state into the federal school choice tax credit scholarship program. Gov. Beshear vetoed the bill on March 13, and the Kentucky House voted on March…
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Colorado Democrats introduce bill with requirements for schools receiving federal school choice tax credit scholarship funds
On Feb. 23, 2026, Democrats in the Colorado House of Representatives introduced HB 26-1292, which would establish requirements for schools that receive funds under the federal school choice tax credit scholarship program. As of March 17, Colorado and Virginia are the only states with a Democratic trifectas that have elected to participate in the program.…
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34 states require legislative review of all or some executive agency regulations
State legislatures oversee executive agency rulemaking through a variety of mechanisms that vary by state. Legislatures may be tasked with reviewing regulations, or explicitly approving them prior to their adoption. They can also disapprove of or nullify regulations, and hold hearings about proposed or adopted rules. The specific role of the legislature depends on the…
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Eleven states take action on federal school choice tax credit program in January
As of Jan. 26, 11 states had taken action this month to indicate participation in the federal school choice tax credit program. Twenty-one states in total have indicated participation in the program. Entities designated under each state's law to make elections on behalf of the state regarding federal tax benefits can decide to opt a…