Category: State
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RCV bans and repeals advancing at higher rate than new authorizations
More ranked-choice voting (RCV) bans and repeals are advancing in comparison with new authorizations during 2024 state legislative sessions. Forty bills this year would ban or repeal uses of RCV, while 69 would establish a new use of RCV. Prospective bans make up a greater share of bills that have passed at least one chamber…
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Moore Capito, Patrick Morrisey, Chris Miller, and Mac Warner are running in the Republican primary election for Governor of West Virginia
Moore Capito (R), Patrick Morrisey (R), Chris Miller (R), and Mac Warner (R) are running in the Republican primary election for Governor of West Virginia on May 14, 2024. Capito, Miller, and Morrisey each say they are the race’s most conservative candidate, while Warner says the race is not about being the most conservative. All…
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Dave Boliek (R) and Jack Clark (R) are running in the Republican primary runoff for North Carolina State Auditor
Dave Boliek (R) and Jack Clark (R) are running in the Republican primary runoff for North Carolina State Auditor on May 14, 2024. Clark and Boliek were the top two finishers in the March 5 Republican primary with 23.2% and 22.1% of the vote, respectively. State law permitted Boliek to request a runoff because Clark…
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Signatures submitted for Colorado initiative that would require an economic impact summary for all ballot measures
In Colorado, signatures were submitted for a citizen-initiated ballot measure on March 27. The ballot initiative would require that an economic impact statement be included on the ballot for each measure, before the question itself is presented to voters. The economic impact statement would need to state the effect the measure would have on state…
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Georgia voters will decide on two property tax exemption measures and three constitutional amendments in November
The Georgia State Legislature ended its 2024 legislative session on March 29, having placed five measures on the ballot for the general election on Nov. 5, 2024. Three measures are constitutional amendments, and two are property tax exemptions. The legislature referred two ballot measures to amend state law to increase property tax exemptions. One measure…
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Colorado legislature refers constitutional amendment concerning bail rights to the November ballot
The Colorado State Legislature passed a constitutional amendment that would remove the right of bail in cases of first-degree murder when the proof is evident or the presumption is great. The measure will be on the Nov. general election ballot. A 55% vote is needed for it to be approved. To put the constitutional amendment…
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West Virginia lawmakers pass bill to maintain weekly unemployment insurance benefit amounts and change taxable wage bases
The West Virginia House passed an amended version of Senate Bill 841 on Mar. 9, which changed the wage base on which employers pay state unemployment insurance taxes to the first $9,500 of employees’ wages. It also kept the maximum weekly benefit amount for workers at $662. The West Virginia Senate concurred with the changes…
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Utah lawmakers require discussion of federal air quality regulations
Utah Governor Spencer Cox (R) on March 13, 2024, signed a bill into law requiring the Utah Division of Air Quality to regularly discuss emissions-related regulations with the state’s Federalism Commission. The bill also includes requirements to discuss regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal rules affecting industries. The Utah Department of Environmental Quality…
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Texas education fund pulls $8.5 billion from BlackRock
The Texas Permanent School Fund (TPSF) on March 19, 2024, pulled roughly $8.5 billion from BlackRock’s asset management. Texas State Board of Education Chairman Aaron Kinsey (R) argued that since BlackRock supported environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) investing through its boycott of the fossil fuel industry, state law prohibited BlackRock from managing public funds.…
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Idaho voters to decide on amendment prohibiting noncitizen voting
Idaho voters will decide on a constitutional amendment on Nov. 5, 2024, that would prohibit noncitizen voting in elections. The amendment would add language to the Idaho Constitution saying, “No person who is not a citizen of the United States shall be a qualified elector in any election held within the state of Idaho.” Noncitizens…