Author: Madison Adkins
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New Mexico Supreme Court Justice Barbara Vigil retires
New Mexico Supreme Court Justice Barbara Vigil retired on June 30. She joined the court in 2012 after winning election to an open seat on the court against Paul J. Kennedy, 55% to 45%. Vigil won a retention election for a full eight-year term in 2016, with 72% of voters retaining her. Before that, Vigil…
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Ohio House of Representatives expels former speaker Larry Householder
The Ohio House of Representatives voted 75-21 on June 16 to expel former House Speaker Larry Householder (R). Householder was arrested on July 21, 2020, and charged with conspiracy to participate in a racketeering scheme. He allegedly participated in a $60 million bribery case related to the legislative passage of a $1.5 billion funding bill…
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Federal judge rules California’s ban on assault weapons is unconstitutional
Federal District Court Judge Roger Benitez ruled on June 4 that California’s Assault Weapons Control Act of 1989, which banned all assault weapons in California, violates the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and unlawfully restricts the kinds of firearms protected under previous U.S. Supreme Court rulings. He wrote, “Like the Swiss Army Knife, the…
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Ruth Ruggero Hughs resigns as Texas Secretary of State
Ruth Ruggero Hughs resigned as Texas secretary of state effective May 31, after the Nominations Committee of the Texas State Senate did not take up her nomination for another term. Gov. Greg Abbott (R) appointed Hughs on August 19, 2019, to succeed David Whitley after he did not receive enough confirmation votes from the state…
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Tennessee Representative Mike Carter dies
Tennessee state Representative Mike Carter (R) died from pancreatic cancer on May 15, 2021. Carter first won election to the 29th District on Nov. 6, 2012. He was subsequently re-elected four times, most recently in 2020. Governor Bill Lee (R) said in a post on Twitter, “I will miss Mike Carter who was a leader,…
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Annette Ziegler becomes chief justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
Annette Ziegler became chief justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court on May 1, beginning a two-year term in that role. Ziegler succeeds Patience Roggensack, who had served as chief justice since April 2015. Ziegler was first elected to the court in 2007. She previously served as a Washington County Circuit Court judge, becoming the first…
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Aaron von Ehlinger resigns from Idaho House of Representatives
Idaho state Representative Aaron von Ehlinger resigned on April 29 after the Idaho House Ethics and Policy Committee found his “conduct unbecoming” of a representative and voted unanimously to recommend his immediate suspension and expulsion from the House. Von Ehlinger said in his resignation letter, “I maintain my innocence of any wrongdoing of which I…
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Missouri House of Representatives unanimously expels Rick Roeber
The Missouri House of Representatives voted unanimously on April 21 to expel Rep. Rick Roeber (R). On April 19, the House Ethics committee released a 13-page report following its investigation into allegations that Roeber had abused his children. The Committee found the testimony and allegations of Roeber’s now-adult children to be credible and recommended Roeber’s…
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DeAnne DeFuccio sworn in to New Jersey General Assembly District 39
DeAnne DeFuccio (R) was sworn in on April 9 to a seat in the New Jersey Assembly, representing the 39th District. DeFuccio won the special election held at the Bergen County Republican Organization on March 31 by a vote of 88-81 over John Azzaritti. DeFuccio will serve the remainder of Holly Schepisi’s (R) term, which…
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Costa Constantinides resigns from New York City Council
Costa Constantinides resigned from the New York City Council on April 9 after announcing he would leave to take a position as CEO of the Variety Boys and Girls Club of Queens on March 31. Constantinides had served as the District 22 representative since 2013. His current term was set to expire on Dec. 31,…