Category: State
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Arkansas governor signs four bills revising initiative and referendum rules, including signature gathering period, ballot language approval, and circulator requirements
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) signed four bills into law, changing state and local initiative and referendum processes. The bills are Senate Bill 102, Senate Bill 207, House Bill 1221, and House Bill 1222. Senate Bill 102 (SB 102) applies state initiative requirements to local initiative petitions. Changes include: SB 102 passed with support…
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Democratic state financial officers support ESG in letter to regulators
Seventeen Democratic state financial officers sent a letter to the acting heads of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Department of Labor (DOL), asking them to not restrict the use of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors in financial decisions. The letter responds to one sent last month by Republican state financial officers…
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Maine initiative on voter ID, absentee ballots, and dropboxes certified to legislature; will appear on the November 2025 ballot unless lawmakers enact it
In Maine, signatures for a citizen initiative to require photo voter identification, among other changes, were verified on Feb. 19, 2025. Secretary of State Shenna Bellows (D) announced that the campaign submitted 86,904 valid signatures. A minimum of 67,682 valid signatures was required. The proposed initiative will now go to the state legislature for consideration.…
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Virginia legislature advances three constitutional amendments on abortion, same-sex marriage, and felon voting rights restoration to the 2026 legislative session
The Virginia State Legislature gave final approval to three constitutional amendments, advancing them for approval by the legislature during its 2026 session. If the amendments are approved by the legislature in 2026, they will appear on the Nov. 2026 ballot. In Virginia, for a constitutional amendment to qualify for the ballot, it must pass the…
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Virginia legislature advances three constitutional amendments on abortion, same-sex marriage, and felon voting rights restoration to the 2026 legislative session
The Virginia State Legislature gave final approval to three constitutional amendments, advancing them for approval by the legislature during its 2026 session. If the amendments are approved by the legislature in 2026, they will appear on the Nov. 2026 ballot. In Virginia, for a constitutional amendment to qualify for the ballot, it must pass the…
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Tennessee enacts private school choice scholarship bill, becoming the 13th state with a universal school choice program
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) signed the Education Freedom Act of 2025 (EFA) into law on Feb. 12, 2025. The bill — House Bill 6004 — creates a universal private school student scholarship program under which all students are or will be eligible to receive the scholarship. Going into 2025, Tennessee had two existing education…
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Republican-led election policy bills advance in Kansas legislative session
All but two state legislatures are currently convening their regular 2025 legislative sessions. Lawmakers in these states have already introduced more than 2,300 bills related to election administration this year. Among states where lawmakers have advanced election policy bills is Kansas. Kansas has a divided government and is one of two states, along with Kentucky,…
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Oklahoma launches effort to oppose corporate DEI
Oklahoma Treasurer Todd Russ (R) announced plans to oppose corporate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs through shareholder proposals using its $2 billion Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust. DEI is typically associated with the social component of ESG. Treasurer Russ has argued corporations should be politically neutral and avoid using corporate money for DEI and ESG…
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Nevada initiative to exempt teachers from strike ban moves to legislature, could appear on 2026 ballot
In Nevada, voters may decide on an initiative that would exempt public school teachers from the state’s prohibition on strikes. Petitioners submitted signatures on Nov. 18, 2024, and enough valid signatures were found to certify the measure to the legislature on Dec. 11, 2024. If the legislature does not act on the measure or rejects…
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State supreme court vacancy count for January 2025
In this month’s state supreme court vacancy update, Ballotpedia tracked announced retirements, nominations, appointments, confirmations, and the swearing-in of justices from December 31, 2024, to January 31, 2025. Ballotpedia tracks court vacancies in all 52 state supreme courts. Announced retirements: Since last month’s state supreme court vacancy count, two justices have stepped down before their…