Category: State
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Illinois law requiring unemployment insurance taxes for contractors takes effect
Illinois House Bill 3301 took effect on January 1, 2024, amending Illinois’ Unemployment Insurance Act to update the definition of a newly hired employee to include independent contractors. The updated definition requires employers to pay state unemployment insurance taxes for contractors. House Bill 3301 passed the Illinois House on March 22, 2023, and the Senate…
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Minnesota Supreme Court to hear challenge of new felon voting law
The Minnesota Supreme Court will hear a challenge to a new law that automatically restores voting rights to people convicted of a felony who are still on parole, probation, or supervised release in the state. On March 3, 2023, Governor Tim Walz (D) signed House File 28 into law. Previously in Minnesota, the state restored voting rights to people convicted of…
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Texas Republican Party places 13 nonbinding advisory questions on the March primary ballot
The Texas Republican Party has placed 13 nonbinding advisory questions on the March 5 primary ballot. The Texas Democratic Party does not plan on placing any questions on primary ballots this year. The last time they did was in 2020. An advisory question is a type of ballot measure in which citizens vote on a…
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Campaign to repeal ranked-choice voting in Alaska submits signatures
In Alaska, a campaign supporting an initiative to repeal top-four ranked-choice voting (RCV) submitted 41,895 signatures on Jan. 12. The initiative could appear on the general election ballot in Nov. In 2020, voters approved Ballot Measure 2, which replaced partisan primaries with open top-four primaries and established ranked-choice voting for general elections, including the presidential…
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South Dakota unemployment insurance tax cut takes effect
South Dakota House Bill 1011, which decreases the state unemployment tax rate for employers by 0.5%, took effect Jan. 1, 2024. The state estimates businesses will save about $18 million in taxes in 2024 under the new law. Gov. Kristi Noem (R) signed the bill on Feb. 1, 2023. The state Senate passed the bill…
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State supreme courts issue 6,722 opinions in 2023, fewer than 2022 and 2021
State supreme courts issued 6,722 opinions in 2023. The Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia led the field with 528 opinions issued, followed by Texas with 446 and Delaware with 435. In comparison, state supreme courts issued 7,423 opinions in 2022 and 8,320 opinions in 2021. State supreme courts issued an average of 129…
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Nation’s governors issue 1,514 executive orders in 2023, fewer than 2022
The nation’s governors issued 1,514 executive orders in 2023. In comparison, they issued 1,575 executive orders in 2022. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) led the field with 525, followed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) with 242 and New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) with 145. Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) issued the fewest…
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Satana Deberry (D), Tim Dunn (D), and Jeff Jackson (D) are running in the Democratic primary for North Carolina Attorney General
Satana Deberry (D), Tim Dunn (D), and Jeff Jackson (D) are running in the Democratic Party primary for Attorney General of North Carolina on March 5, 2024. Deberry and Jackson have led in pre-election polls and media attention. Incumbent Josh Stein (D) is running for governor rather than seeking re-election. Deberry is the state’s 16th…
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Eleven candidates are running in the Democratic primary in Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District
Eleven candidates are running in the Democratic primary election for Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District on March 5, 2024. Six candidates lead in local media attention: Napoleon Bracy Jr. (D), Merika Coleman (D), Anthony Daniels (D), Shomari Figures (D), Juandalynn Givan (D), and Jeremy Gray (D). The primary is taking place in the context of court-ordered…
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Kansas Governor seeks to expand Medicaid with work requirements
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly (D) on December 14, 2023, proposed legislation to expand the state’s Medicaid program with work requirements for certain enrollees. The Cutting Healthcare Costs for All Kansans Act would require adults under 65 to provide employment verification to qualify for Medicaid. The bill aims to expand Medicaid to approximately 150,000 Kansans who…