The Texas legislature passed a bill June 2 requiring proxy advisory firms to disclose when their shareholder vote recommendations at Texas-based companies incorporate ESG or other non-financial considerations. If Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signs the bill, it would become the first law of its kind and give Texas companies new legal recourse when proxy advice…
Arizona voters will decide on a constitutional amendment that would prohibit taxes on miles traveled in a motor vehicle and prevent state and local governments from limiting miles traveled by any individual in a motor vehicle. The amendment will appear on the ballot on Nov. 3, 2026. A vehicle miles traveled (VMT) tax, sometimes called…
On June 12, Gov. Joe Lombardo (R) vetoed two election bills that passed the legislature in the final days of the 2025 session, including new voter ID and drop box requirements, and changes to rules for unaffiliated voters in primary elections. Voter ID AB 499 would have required in-person voters to present a valid photo…
What’s the story In the 2025 legislative sessions, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Texas enacted laws prohibiting judicial deference by state courts to state administrative agencies. In a fourth state, Missouri, the legislature approved a bill and sent it to the governor’s desk. It had not been signed as of June 13. Three states were Republican trifectas.…
New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R) signed Senate Bill 295 on June 10, removing the income threshold from New Hampshire’s Education Freedom Account Program (EFA) and making the program universal, meaning all students are eligible to participate. The bill also sets the enrollment cap for the 2025-2026 school year at 10,000 students and creates an…
What’s the story? New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R) signed House Bill (HB) 10 on June 10, adopting a statewide Parents’ Bill of Rights. This bill establishes parents’ rights regarding their child’s education, prohibits schools from infringing those rights, and allows parents to seek legal relief if these rights are violated. The bill also requires…
Louisiana voters will decide on a constitutional amendment that would increase the judicial retirement age from 70 to 75. It will appear on the ballot on April 18, 2026. Currently, 31 states and the District of Columbia have mandatory retirement ages for judges. These laws require judges to retire either upon reaching a specified age…
New Jersey held state legislative primaries on Tuesday, June 10, the first of two states doing so this year. Virginia will hold state legislative primaries on June 17. At least one Democratic incumbent—Garnet Hall—lost, representing 1.3% of the 76 incumbents running for re-election and 2.9% of the 35 contested incumbents. With 35 incumbents (46%) in…
Jack Ciattarelli (R) defeated Bill Spadea, Jon Bramnick, and three other candidates in the June 10, 2025, Republican primary for governor of New Jersey. Gov. Phil Murphy (D) was term-limited, meaning the office was open. The last Republican governor was Chris Christie, who left office in 2018. Rider University’s Micah Rasmussen said, “It has been…
What’s the story? Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced last week that his office removed BlackRock from the state’s list of firms barred from managing public investment funds over their treatment of fossil fuel companies. Hegar said BlackRock’s recent shift away from public ESG support made the firm eligible to do business with the state again.…