Author: Annelise Reinwald
-
Rhode Island enacts three-year charter school moratorium
On June 18, 2026, Rhode Island Gov. Daniel McKee (D) signed identical bills (S 2787 and H7415) to prohibit the state's Council on Elementary and Secondary Education from approving the creation or expansion of any district charter schools through the 2028-2029 school year. The bill also reduced the allowed number of charter schools in the…
-
North Carolina General Assembly overrides veto to prohibit what bill defines as divisive concepts, discriminatory practices, DEI offices and positions in public schools
On June 24, 2026, the North Carolina General Assembly overrode Gov. Josh Stein (D)'s veto of Senate Bill 227, which prohibits what the bill defines as discriminatory practices, divisive concepts, and diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in public schools. Among other changes, the bill also amends the powers and duties of local school boards to…
-
Vermont enacts bill to limit how scholarships under Education Freedom Tax Credit can be used
On June 18, 2026, Vermont Gov. Phil Scott (R) signed H.933, limiting the use of scholarship funds under the Education Freedom Tax Credit (EFTC) so they may benefit only public school students or students attending independent (or nonpublic) schools eligible to receive public funds, among other EFTC and unrelated tax policies. As of June 30,…
-
South Carolina adopts REINS-style state law, prohibits judicial deference
On June 30, 2026, Gov. Henry McMaster (R) signed H 3021, making South Carolina the third state this year to enact a REINS-style law, and the fifth to prohibit judicial deference. The bill included other provisions related to executive agency procedure and oversight. H 3021 requires legislative approval for all executive agency regulations with estimated…
-
An overview of the rules, agency documents, and notices published in the Federal Register in the second quarter of 2026
The federal government added 23,692 pages to the Federal Register in the second quarter of 2026, spanning from April 1 to June 30. This is more than in all other quarters during the second Trump administration. The next highest was the third quarter in 2025, during which the government added 19,256 pages. The 23,692 pages…
-
Gov. McKee (D) signs bill to require governor, legislature agreement before opting into Education Freedom Tax Credit
On June 18, Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee (D) signed H 7163 which requires the Rhode Island General Assembly and the governor to approve any effort to opt into the Education Freedom Tax Credit (EFTC). It specified that the state may only participate if the legislature passes a bill that the governor signs, but does…
-
U.S. Treasury previews guidance for federal Education Freedom Tax Credit scholarship program
On June 10, the U.S. Department of the Treasury issued a preview of the forthcoming guidance implementing the Education Freedom Tax Credit (EFTC) scholarship program, which is set to take effect on Jan. 1, 2027. President Donald Trump (R) enacted the tax credit as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). The statute…
-
North Carolina General Assembly overrides Governor's veto of bill opting state into federal education tax credit scholarship program
On June 3, 2026, the North Carolina General Assembly overrode Gov. Josh Stein's (D) veto of HB 87, titled the Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA), opting the state into the federal education tax credit scholarship program. Stein vetoed HB 87 on Aug. 6, 2025. In his 2025 veto message, Stein said, "Once the federal…
-
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…
-
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…