Category: State
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North Carolina legislature sends constitutional amendment to 2026 ballot requiring photo ID to vote, including by mail
The North Carolina State Legislature approved a constitutional amendment to require photo identification to vote by mail or by other means, rather than only for voters voting in person. The amendment will appear on the Nov. 2026 ballot. In North Carolina, voter ID is currently required for those voting in person but is not required…
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Ballotpedia adds special elections to state supreme court vacancy coverage
Ballotpedia now includes vacancies filled by special elections in our state supreme court vacancy coverage. In 2024, there has been one retirement from a state supreme court, resulting in a vacancy that will be filled by a special election occurring in 2025. Louisiana: On August 4, 2024, Louisiana Supreme Court Justice James Genovese (R) stepped…
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Voters in San Mateo County, California, to decide on charter amendment to allow supervisors to remove elected sheriff for cause
Voters in San Mateo County, California, will decide on a charter amendment to allow the County Board of Supervisors to remove Sheriff Christina Corpus from office for cause through a four-fifths (4 of 5) vote. The charter amendment would expire on December 31, 2028. Voters will decide on the charter amendment at a special election…
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North Carolina Senate Republicans pass two constitutional amendments related to income taxes and voter ID
The North Carolina State Senate passed two constitutional amendments on Dec. 2, 2024, which voters would decide in Nov. 2026. One amendment, SB 920, would reduce the maximum income tax rate from 7% to 5%. The other, SB 921, would require all voters to provide photo identification to vote. In North Carolina, voter ID is…
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Minimum wage set to increase in 23 states and D.C. in 2025 by an average of $0.75
In 2025, the minimum wage will increase in 23 states and Washington, D.C. The increases range from $0.25 in Montana and Ohio to $2.15 in Michigan. The 2025 increases come from state laws adopted in the past that provided for incremental increases and inflation adjustments as well as voter approval of minimum wage increase ballot…
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Eleven states sue asset managers, alleging antitrust violations
Eleven Republican-led states on Nov. 27 sued BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street—the Big Three passive asset managers—arguing the firms violated antitrust laws. The states said the firms’ collective ESG engagement hurt coal production, raising consumer energy costs. The firms argued they operate independently and compete with one another. BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street hold large…
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State supreme court vacancy count for November 2024
In this month’s state supreme court vacancy update, Ballotpedia tracked announced retirements, nominations, appointments, confirmations, and the swearing-in of justices from November 2, 2024, to November 30, 2024. Ballotpedia tracks court vacancies in all 52 state supreme courts. Announced retirements: No justices retired from office or announced an upcoming retirement during November 2024. Candidates nominated,…
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55% of state legislators are Republican, 44% Democratic
At the end of November 2024, 55% of all state legislators in the United States are Republican while 44% are Democratic. There are 7,386 state legislative seats in the country. Republicans control 56 chambers, while Democrats hold 41. Two chambers (Alaska House and Alaska Senate) were organized under multipartisan, power-sharing coalitions. Democrats hold 836 state…
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Ohio enacts education bill reducing licensing requirements, repealing education regulations
An Ohio K-12 education bill went into effect Oct. 24, reducing educator licensing requirements and repealing certain education regulations from the Ohio Revised Code. Senate Bill 168 included provisions: State Sen. Michele Reynolds (R), who sponsored the bill, said it would “eliminat[e] excess and burdensome regulations and [address] teacher shortages.” Matt Dotson, a lobbyist with…
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New Hampshire lawmakers override public participation law veto
New Hampshire lawmakers on Oct. 10 overrode Gov. Chris Sununu’s (R) veto of a bill regarding public participation in agency rulemaking. The bill requires rulemaking agencies to compile reports describing how suggestions from public comments were incorporated into final rules. It also requires agencies to “provide a detailed explanation that includes the facts, data, interpretations,…