Category: State
-
Wisconsin governor vetoes unemployment insurance changes
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) on August 4 vetoed five bills related to unemployment insurance. The bills in the package included the following proposals: Broadening the definition of employment misconduct that would disqualify a fired person from claiming unemployment benefits. Requiring the Department of Workforce Development to create a process through which employers can disclose…
-
54.94% of state legislatures are Republican, 44.35% Democratic
At the end of July 2023, 54.94% of all state legislatures in the United States are Republican while 44.35% are Democratic. There are 7,386 state legislative seats in the country. Democrats hold 853 state Senate seats and 2,423 state House seats, gaining two seats overall since last month. Republicans hold 1,110 state Senate seats and…
-
Alabama’s 2022 state legislative elections saw highest percentage of seats with no major party competition
In the 2022 state legislative election cycle, Alabama saw the highest percentage of seats with no major party competition in the country. Major party competition exists when a ballot contains a candidate from one or both major parties and does not account for minor party candidacy. Oklahoma came in second with 71.2% of races lacking…
-
State legislative primaries were most competitive in 2022 out of past four election cycles
Primaries for state legislative incumbents in states with trifectas have become more competitive since 2016. A trifecta happens when one political party holds the governorship and majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. In 2016, the percentage of state legislative incumbents facing a primary challenger was 20.6%. In 2018, it was 21.9%, and in…
-
Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez resigns from Colorado House
Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez (D) resigned from the Colorado House of Representatives on Aug. 4, 2023, to serve as an at-large member of the Denver City Council. Gonzales-Gutierrez most recently ran for re-election to the District 4 House seat in 2022, winning with 83% of the vote. She was later elected to the Denver City Council on April…
-
Election legislation roundup: New Jersey State Legislature
As of July 30, members of the New Jersey State Legislature, which includes the New Jersey General Assembly and the New Jersey State Senate, have passed two bills related to election administration since the beginning of the year. Of those two bills, two have been enacted, with one being enacted during the week of July…
-
Group submits signatures for veto referendum to overturn Arkansas LEARNS Act
Citizens for Arkansas Public Education and Students (CAPES) submitted signatures to place a veto referendum on the Nov. 2024 ballot to repeal the LEARNS Act, an education bill signed by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R). CAPES turned in signatures on July 31 and said they expected to be about 500 signatures short of the requirement.…
-
Maine voters to decide on state flag ballot measure in Nov. 2024
Maine voters will decide on whether to change the design of the state flag on Nov. 5, 2024. This is the first certified statewide measure for the Maine 2024 ballot. The ballot measure would replace the current Maine state flag, which features the state’s coat of arms, with the first official state flag called the…
-
Arkansas laws opposing ESG take effect
Two new state laws in Arkansas creating an oversight committee to develop a list of companies using ESG in investment or boycott decisions go into effect on August 1. State and public entities “could no longer conduct business with the companies” on the list, according to The Center Square. Ballotpedia tracks support for and opposition…
-
Ohio seeks to implement Medicaid work requirements
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (R) on July 4, 2023, signed a two-year state budget that seeks to implement work requirements for Medicaid recipients. The state budget requires the director of the Ohio Department of Medicaid to apply for a Section 1115 waiver from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The waiver, if approved…