Author: Elisabeth Moore
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Wisconsin Supreme Court rules legislature’s lame-duck session was constitutional
In a 4-3 decision, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Friday that the state legislature’s December 2018 lame duck session was not unconstitutional. The League of Women Voters, plaintiffs in the case, had argued that the state’s constitution did not allow lawmakers to call an extraordinary session, making the December session and all actions resulting from…
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Trump picks Melania’s spokeswoman for new press secretary
Donald Trump chose Melania Trump spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham to serve as his White House press secretary Tuesday. Grisham will replace Sarah Huckabee Sanders, whose last day will be Friday. The First Lady said in a tweet: “I am pleased to announce @StephGrisham45 will be the next @PressSec & Comms Director! She has been with…
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Acting Texas Secretary of State David Whitley (R) resigns
Acting Texas Secretary of State David Whitley (R) resigned May 27 just before the end of the Texas legislative session. Whitley was appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott (R) on December 17, 2018, but needed to receive confirmation from two-thirds of the state Senate—21 out of 31 senators—to continue serving in a permanent capacity through 2021.…
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Iowa state representative changes party affiliation to Democratic, cites Trump and Republican Party direction
Iowa State Representative Andy McKean changed his party affiliation from Republican to Democratic on Tuesday. McKean said President Trump and changes in the party as a whole prompted this change. “I feel, as a Republican, that I need to be able to support the standard bearer of our party…Unfortunately, that’s something I’m unable to…
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Ohio governor signs bill prohibiting abortion after fetal heartbeat is detected
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) signed a bill into law on April 11 which bans abortions after a doctor is able to detect a fetal heartbeat-usually at about six weeks into a pregnancy. The law includes exceptions if the life of the woman is at risk, but not in cases of incest or rape. It…
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Former Arizona Sen. Steve Pierce chosen to fill Arizona House vacancy
The Yavapai County Board of Supervisors chose former Arizona Sen. Steve Pierce (R) on April 3 to replace Rep. David Stringer (R) in the Arizona House of Representatives. Stringer resigned on March 27 amid an ethics investigation. Prior to being chosen for Stringer’s seat, Pierce served in the Arizona State Senate from 2009 to…
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March 2019 SCOTUS update
This week, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) released five rulings on cases that were argued in October 2018 and January 2019. SCOTUS has heard four cases this month as of March 22. It is scheduled to hear five more by the end of the month and a total of 12 cases…
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An analysis of legislation in the 115th Congress
The 116th Congress is more than two months old. Here’s a look back at the 115th Congress. The 115th Congress ran from January 3, 2017, to January 3, 2019. The U.S. Senate and the U.S. House both began with a Republican majority. Following the November 2018 election, the Senate retained its Republican majority and…