Category: State
-
Wisconsin’s April 7th Marsy’s Law ballot measure challenged in court
On December 18, 2019, the Wisconsin Justice Initiative, a nonprofit organization, filed litigation in the Dane County Circuit Court that challenges the Marsy’s Law Amendment, which is on the ballot for April 7, 2020. Marsy’s Law was designed as a type of constitutional bill of rights for crime victims. As of 2019, 13 states had…
-
Massachusetts income tax rate decrease takes effect on January 1
In the general election of 2000, Massachusetts voters approved Question 4 with 59 percent of the vote. The initiative enacted a law that would lower the state’s personal income tax from 5.9% in 2000 to 5% by 2003. In 2002, the Massachusetts General Court passed House No. H.5250, which replaced the schedule adopted by Question…
-
27% drop in recall efforts in 2019
This year, fewer state and local recall efforts were started or reached the ballot compared to 2018. Ballotpedia covered 151 recall efforts against 230 officials in 2019. In comparison, 206 recall efforts targeted 299 officials in 2018. Since Ballotpedia released its first annual recall report in 2012, a minimum of 151 efforts (2019) and a…
-
Massachusetts changes federal and state primary date in 2020 to September 1
On December 13, 2019, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker (R) signed H4246, a supplemental appropriations bill, into law. The bill includes a section changing the state’s primary election date for federal and state-level offices from September 15, 2020, to September 1, 2020. No candidate filing deadlines have been altered as a result of this change. Massachusetts’…
-
Republican wins Tennessee House special election
A special general election was held for District 77 of the Tennessee House of Representatives on December 19, 2019. Rusty Grills (R) won the special election with 3,344 votes and defeated Michael Smith (D), Max Smith (I), Ronnie Henley (I), and Billy Jones (I). The primary was held on November 5, 2019. The filing deadline…
-
Filing deadline passes for Ohio candidates
On December 18, the major-party filing deadline passed to run for elected office in Ohio. Candidates filed for: 16 seats for the U.S. House of Representatives; Six seats on the State Board of Education’ 16 seats in the Ohio State Senate; 99 seats in the Ohio State House; Two Ohio Supreme Court justices; and 21…
-
North Carolina filing deadline is December 20
On December 20, the major-party filing deadline passed to run for elected office in North Carolina. Candidates filed for the following offices: • U.S. Senate – Incumbent Thom Tillis (R) filed to run for re-election. • U.S. House (13 seats) – Incumbents announced they would not file to run for re-election in districts 2, 6,…
-
U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) won’t seek re-election in 2020
Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) announced on December 19, 2019, that he would not seek re-election to the U.S. House in 2020. Meadows was first elected to the House representing North Carolina’s 11th District in 2012. He was the 25th Republican member of the U.S. House to announce he would not seek re-election in 2020. He…
-
Two referendums filed this week challenging tax bill passed by Utah Legislature in special session
Two different referendum petitions were filed this week targeting the repeal of Utah Senate Bill 2001, which was passed by the Utah Legislature in a special session on December 12, 2019. The bill, sponsored by Republican Senator Lyle Hillyard of District 25, passed in the Senate by a vote of 20-7 with two senators absent…
-
Filing period closes for Minnesota state House special elections
The filing deadline passed on December 10 for special elections in District 30A and District 60A of the Minnesota House of Representatives. The primary is on January 14, and the general election is on February 4. In District 30A, Chad Hobot and Michelle Rockhill are running in the Democratic primary. Paul Novotny and Kathy Ziebarth…