Category: State

  • Missouri governor signs law repealing provisions of 2024 paid sick leave and minimum wage ballot initiative

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    Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe (R) signed House Bill 567 (HB 567) on July 10, repealing provisions of Proposition A, which voters approved in 2024. HB 567 repealed the paid sick leave requirements and the provision that tied future minimum wage increases to inflation. Proposition A is an initiated state statute that was approved by nearly…

  • States passed 27 bills either supporting or opposing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing this year

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    In case you’re not familiar, here’s a quick background on ESG. ESG investing is an asset management approach that considers environment, social issues, and corporate governance practices. It’s a type of stakeholder investing which says shareholder returns should not be the only goal. Stakeholder investing contrasts with traditional approaches that exclusively consider financial factors like…

  • Texas voters to decide on slate of amendments prohibiting several types of taxes in November

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    The Texas State Legislature is sending three constitutional amendments to voters this November that would prohibit several types of taxes—Proposition 2, Proposition 6, and Proposition 8.  Proposition 2 would prohibit realized or unrealized capital gains taxes and add language stating that the prohibition would not apply to ad valorem taxes on property, sales taxes on…

  • Vermont, Ohio, North Carolina, Oregon enact K-12 cellphone bans

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    What’s the story? Vermont, Ohio, North Carolina, and Oregon have all enacted statewide bans on cellphone use in K-12 schools since June 27. What’s the background? 25 states have enacted cellphone bans or limits in K-12 schools, and at least 17 states have adopted cellphone bans or limits so far in 2025. Three states require…

  • Oregon governor signs ESG investing law

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    Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek (D) signed the Climate Resilience Investment Act on June 26, directing the state’s $96 billion Public Employees Retirement System to study the effects of its investments on climate change and to “pursue the goal of reducing the carbon intensity of the fund.” The law is among the first to directly require…

  • Utah voters have decided 220 ballot measures since 1895, beginning with constitution ratification ahead of statehood

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    Ballotpedia completed an inventory of all Utah ballot measures dating back to 1895, when voters approved the state constitution. Between 1895 and 2024, Utahns voted on 220 ballot measures—140 (63.6%) were approved and 80 (36.4%) were defeated. This count includes the ratification of the state constitution by voters in 1895, two months before the United States…

  • Oregon joins 45 other states in allowing the governor to make appointments to vacant U.S. Senate seats

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    On June 20, 2025, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek (D) signed Senate Bill 952 (SB 952), which gives the governor the power to appoint an interim U.S. senator for the state if a vacancy occurs. The bill includes the following provisions: In 36 states, governors appoint individuals to fill vacancies temporarily until a special election. The…

  • Louisiana is the eighth state in 2025 to pass a bill prohibiting foreign national contributions to ballot measure campaigns

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    Louisiana is the 18th state to pass a law prohibiting foreign spending in ballot measure campaigns and the eighth state to do so in 2025, a record for the most states enacting such laws in a single year. Louisiana House Bill 693 (HB 693) modified existing campaign finance rules, including establishing new rules for political…

  • Maine lawmakers recall RCV expansion from Gov. Mills’ desk

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    On June 25, 2025, both chambers of the Maine Legislature agreed by voice vote to recall LD 1666 from Gov. Janet Mills (D) desk and carry the bill over to the next special or regular legislative session. The bill would have expanded the state’s use of ranked-choice voting (RCV) to include general and special elections…

  • NC Gov. Stein vetoes REINS-style bill increasing legislative oversight of agency regulations

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    What’s the story? North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein (D) vetoed House Bill 402, titled Limit Rules With Substantial Financial Costs, on June 27. HB 402 was designed to create legislative approval and agency board supermajority vote requirements for new agency rules with costs above stated thresholds. HB 402 now returns to the legislature, where both…