Author: Sara Reynolds
-
Oregon governor to appoint new secretary of state
Oregon Secretary of State Dennis Richardson (R) passed away on February 26, 2019. Richardson had been diagnosed with brain cancer and was undergoing treatment at the time of his death. He was elected to the position in 2016. On February 27, Gov. Kate Brown (D) said she would appoint a successor from the Republican…
-
Senate confirms first federal judicial nominee in 2019 without support from home-state senators
The U.S. Senate confirmed Eric D. Miller’s nomination to the United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit on a recorded vote of 53 – 46. The vote, which took place on February 26, 2019, was the first circuit court judge confirmation to occur without blue slip approval from home-state senators. A blue…
-
NY Gov. Cuomo signs extreme risk protection order bill
On February 25, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) signed SB 2451, a firearms-related bill. The New York State Legislature approved the bill along party lines in January. According to the New York State Senate website, SB 2451 “establishes extreme risk protection orders as a court-issued order of protection prohibiting a person from purchasing, possessing or attempting…
-
Texas governor appoints former court of appeals judge to state supreme court
Gov. Greg Abbott (R) nominated Brett Busby on Friday to replace retired Justice Phil Johnson (R) on the Texas Supreme Court. Busby is Abbott’s second nominee to the nine-member court. His nomination is subject to confirmation by the Texas State Senate. If confirmed, Busby will serve until 2020. He must run for election that…
-
Iowa governor makes second appointment to state supreme court
On February 20, Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) selected Iowa Court of Appeals Judge Christopher McDonald to replace retired Justice Daryl Hecht on the Iowa Supreme Court. McDonald is Reynolds’ second nominee to the seven-member court. He will serve on the supreme court for one year and must then must compete in a yes-no retention election…
-
3rd Circuit Court of Appeals rules against Trump administration over law enforcement grants
On February 15, 2019, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit ruled in City of Philadelphia v. Attorney General of the United States that the Trump administration could not deny funds to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, because of its immigration policies. Judge Marjorie Rendell, a Bill Clinton appointee, wrote in…
-
Virginia General Assembly selects next supreme court justice
On February 14, the Virginia General Assembly appointed Virginia Court of Appeals Judge Teresa M. Chafin to succeed Elizabeth McClanahan on the Virginia Supreme Court. The Senate voted 36-0 and the House voted 97-0. Chafin will join the state supreme court on September 1, 2019. Both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly have Republican majorities.…
-
North Carolina governor appoints next state supreme court chief justice
Gov. Roy Cooper (D) appointed Justice Cheri Beasley to succeed Mark Martin as the chief justice of the state supreme court. Martin is retiring from the court on February 28, 2019. Beasley will assume the position on March 1, 2019. To remain in this position, Beasley must run for election in 2020. Voters elect the…
-
California Public Utilities Commission gets new commissioner
Genevieve Shiroma joined the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC), the state body charged with regulating the state’s utility companies, on February 5. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) appointed Shiroma on January 22, 2019, to replaced Carla J. Peterman, who left the PUC in 2018. Shiroma is serving the remainder of Peterman’s term, which expires in December…
-
Kentucky governor to appoint state supreme court justice
Kentucky Supreme Court Justice Bill Cunningham retired on January 31, 2019. He served on the state supreme court from 2007 to 2019. Under Kentucky law, if there is a midterm vacancy on the state supreme court, the governor appoints a successor from a list of three names provided by the Kentucky Judicial Nominating Commission.…