Category: State
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Nineteen states have conformed to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s No Tax on Tips deduction
Of the 41 states that levy a broad individual income tax on wages, 19 conformed their tax codes to adopt the No Tax on Tips deduction created by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) enacted on July 4, 2025. Twenty-one states have declined to adopt the deduction. Georgia has partially conformed to it. The…
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Georgia enacts law restricting judicial deference and requiring economic analyses for new regulations
On May 12, 2026, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) signed HB 1247 into law. The bill, which supporters call the Georgia Bureaucratic Deference Elimination Act, requires Georgia agencies to submit economic impact analyses of their rules to the legislature, and restricts the practice of judicial deference by state courts. The portion of the bill that…
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Louisiana voters to decide whether to limit governors to two terms for life, rather than two successive terms
The Louisiana State Legislature referred a constitutional amendment related to gubernatorial term limits to the Nov. 3, 2026, statewide general election ballot. Legislators passed the amendment on May 26, 2026. In Louisiana, a two-thirds (66.67%) vote is required during a single session to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum…
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Signatures submitted for Michigan initiative that would prohibit certain entities from political spending
Michiganders for Money Out of Politics, a campaign supporting a ballot initiative that would prohibit certain organizations and individuals from making campaign contributions, submitted an estimated 562,000 signatures to the Michigan secretary of state's office on May 27, 2026. The campaign needs 356,958 valid signatures to qualify for the November 2026 ballot. Christy McGillivray, the…
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Signatures submitted for Colorado initiative to spend motor vehicle and fuel tax revenue on roads; legislature passes bill to counter measure, if approved by voters
In Colorado, signatures were submitted to the secretary of state on May 26, 2026, for a ballot initiative related to funding road transportation expenses. More specifically, the measure — referred to as Initiative 175 — would add a new section to Article X of the Colorado Constitution to require both the state and local governments…
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Three Democrats compete for Michigan's open governor's seat as Whitmer's term-limited exit looms
Three candidates—Jocelyn Benson, Chris Swanson, and Kim Thomas—are running in the Democratic primary for Governor of Michigan on August 4, 2026. Benson and Swanson lead in polling, fundraising, and media attention ahead of the primary. Incumbent Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) is term-limited, leaving the office open in 2026. The Associated Press' Joey Cappelletti wrote that…
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Mississippi — one of nine states with supreme court districts — could redraw the districts in the next year
While congressional and state legislative districts are supposed to be redrawn every 10 years, this is not always the case with state supreme court districts. In fact, Mississippi was set to redraw its districts for the first time since 1987, but the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais led to the cancellation of…
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Mayes Middleton defeated Chip Roy in the May 26 Republican primary runoff for Texas Attorney General
Mayes Middleton (R) defeated Chip Roy (R) 55.2% to 44.8% in the Republican primary runoff for Texas Attorney General on May 26. Middleton and Roy were the top two finishers among the four candidates in the March 3 primary. They advanced because no candidate received more than 50% of the vote in the primary. Middleton…
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How Gov. Cox is reshaping Utah's highest court
On Aug. 31, the Utah Supreme Court will see its fourth vacancy in nine months. Chief Justice Matthew Durrant announced on May 22 his upcoming retirement from the state's highest court. His announcement came two weeks after Justice Diana Hagen resigned amid a pending investigation by the Utah Judicial Conduct Commission. In January 2026, Gov.…
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Louisiana voters to decide constitutional amendment prohibiting the expropriation of property by foreign adversaries
The Louisiana State Legislature referred a constitutional amendment related to the expropriation of property by foreign adversaries to the Nov. 3, 2026, statewide general election ballot. Legislators passed the amendment on May 21, 2026. In Louisiana, a two-thirds (66.67%) vote is required during a single session to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That…