Category: Federal
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U.S. Supreme Court begins February sitting for 2020-2021 term
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) continued its 2020-2021 term on February 22 with the beginning of its February sitting. The February sitting runs from February 22 through March 3, during which time SCOTUS will hear six hours of oral argument. Consistent with the court’s policy in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, all…
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SCOTUS accepts first cases to be heard during 2021-2022 term
On February 22, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court granted review in five cases for a total of three hours of oral argument, the first cases to be accepted for its upcoming 2021-2022 term. The new term is slated to begin on October 4, 2021. To date, the court has granted review in 63 cases during…
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Senate expected to confirm at least two Biden Cabinet nominees this week
Senate confirmation votes are expected this week for two of President Joe Biden’s (D) Cabinet nominees: Tom Vilsack for secretary of agriculture on Feb. 23 and Linda Thomas-Greenfield for ambassador to the United Nations by Feb. 24. Vilsack previously served as the secretary of agriculture for eight years in the Obama administration. He was unanimously…
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Federal Register weekly update: Tops 10,000 pages
The Federal Register is a daily journal of federal government activity that includes presidential documents, proposed and final rules, and public notices. It is a common measure of an administration’s regulatory activity. From February 15 through February 19—the fifth week of the Biden administration—the Federal Register grew by 1,006 pages for a year-to-date total of…
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Federal judge blocks Maine’s ban on out-of-state initiative petition circulators
On Feb. 16, U.S. District Court Judge John Woodcock blocked Maine from enforcing provisions of its state constitution and a 2015 law requiring petition circulators to be registered voters, and, therefore, state residents. Woodcock ruled that “the First Amendment’s free speech protections trump the state’s regulatory authority.” Secretary of State Shenna Bellows could appeal the…
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U.S. Supreme Court resumes hearing oral arguments on Feb. 22
On Feb. 22, 2021, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) will begin its February argument sitting. The court will hear arguments in 11 cases for a total of six hours of oral argument. Feb. 22 Florida v. Georgia Note: Trump v. Sierra Club was removed from the argument calendar after the court granted…
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Average margin of victory in Pivot Counties has shifted by 25.1 percentage points from Democrats to Republicans since 2008
Ballotpedia is concluding its analysis of Pivot Counties in the 2020 presidential election with a look at the presidential margins of victory in these counties and how they have changed over time. Pivot Counties are the 206 counties nationwide that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and Donald Trump (R) in 2016.…
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Analyzing partisan splits in states holding U.S. Senate elections in 2022
Thirty-four Senate seats are up for election on November 8, 2022. Republicans currently hold 20 and Democrats hold 14. For seats up for election next year, we look at party differences between the current Senate incumbent and their state’s other senator, their state’s governor, and their state’s 2020 presidential winner. Split Senate delegations Seven states…
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Final executive clemency update of Trump presidency
The U.S. Constitution, in Article II, Section 2, grants the president the power of executive clemency. Executive clemency includes the power to pardon, in which the president overturns a federal conviction and restores “an individual to the state of innocence that existed before the conviction.” From 2017-2021, Donald Trump (R) issued 143 pardons and 94 commutations.…
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U.S. Senate acquits former President Trump of incitement of insurrection
The U.S. Senate acquitted President Donald Trump (R) of incitement of insurrection on Feb. 13. All 50 Democrats and seven Republicans voted guilty. The other 43 Republicans voted not guilty. The seven Republicans to vote guilty were: ◦ Richard Burr (R-N.C.) ◦ Bill Cassidy (R-La.) ◦ Susan Collins (R-Maine) ◦ Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) ◦ Mitt…