Author: Douglas Kronaizl
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Medical marijuana legal for two-thirds of Americans, recreational marijuana legal for one quarter
Though the cultivation, distribution, and use of marijuana remains illegal at the federal level, a majority of states have passed laws over the past 25 years legalizing marijuana usage for either medical or recreational purposes. Americans in 33 states and the District of Columbia have access to medical marijuana. This represents 67.5 percent of the…
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A state-by-state comparison of state legislative election and session dates in 2020
In 2020, 44 states will hold legislative elections and 46 states will hold regularly-scheduled legislative sessions. In 19 of the states holding legislative elections in 2020, filing deadlines were scheduled to occur after the end of the state legislative session. Candidates in the remaining 25 states have to file either during or before their legislative…
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Harvard the most attended higher education institution for top state executive officials
One hundred and ninety-two officials currently hold one of the top four state executive positions of governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, or secretary of state. Below is a summary of the educational backgrounds of these state executive officials in 2020. Of the group, there are: • 185 officeholders with a bachelor’s degree (B.A., B.S., etc.)…
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Federal tobacco age restriction increase followed five years of state increases
On December 20, 2019, President Donald Trump (R) signed H.R. 1865 into law setting the federal tobacco age restriction at 21. At the time H.R. 1865 was signed into law, 54% of the country’s population already lived in states that had signed legislation setting their tobacco age restrictions at 21. The first law in the…