Category: Federal
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U.S. Supreme Court overturns Oregon ballot measure from 1932 that enacted non-unanimous jury verdicts
On April 20, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned an Oregon ballot measure from 1932 in its ruling on Ramos v. Louisiana. In 2016, Evangelisto Ramos was convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment on a 10 to 12 jury verdict. He appealed his conviction to the Louisiana Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal, arguing his…
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2,787 major party candidates filed for 2020 Congress elections
As of April 20, 2,787 major party candidates have filed to run for the Senate and House of Representatives in 2020. So far, 409 candidates are filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to run for U.S. Senate in 2020. Of those, 335—174 Democrats and 161 Republicans—are from one of the two major political parties.…
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U.S. extends travel restrictions with Canada and Mexico
On April 20, acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf announced the U.S. would extend travel restrictions placed on Canada and Mexico an additional 30 days to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Saturday that restrictions would remain in place. The Mexican Secretariat of Foreign Affairs confirmed the extension…
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Fourth special election to the 116th Congress to be held April 28
The fourth special election to the 116th U.S. Congress will take place on Tuesday, April 28, in Maryland’s 7th Congressional District. Kim Klacik (R) and Kweisi Mfume (D) are running in the election. The special election will fill the vacancy left by the death of Rep. Elijah Cummings (D) in Oct. 2019. Due to the…
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Federal Register weekly update; lowest weekly final rule total since January
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 April 13 to April 17, the Federal Register grew by 1,354 pages for a year-to-date total of 21,738 pages. Over the same…
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USPS named America’s favorite government agency according to Pew survey
A Pew Research Center survey released on April 9 found that 91 percent of Americans have a favorable opinion of the United States Postal Service (USPS), earning it the title of America’s favorite government agency. The survey also found that USPS and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) were the only agencies to receive similar favorability…
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White House releases guidance for reopening state and local economies
On Wednesday evening, the White House released the Guidelines for Opening Up America Again, offering guidance to state and local officials on a three-phase approach to reopening their economies. According to the document, the economic reopening can take place at either the state or county level based on an individual governor’s discretion. The plan has…
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SCOTUS schedules postponed arguments for May sitting
The U.S. Supreme Court has released its May argument calendar for the 2019-2020 term. The court will hear nine hours of oral argument in 13 cases between May 4 and May 13. The cases were originally scheduled for the court’s March and April sittings. Those sittings were postponed “in keeping with public health precautions recommended…
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Candidate filing period for congressional races to end in Michigan and Florida
The statewide filing deadlines to run for congressional offices in Michigan and Florida are approaching. Michigan’s deadline is on April 21, and Florida’s deadline is on April 26. Prospective candidates in Michigan may file for the following congressional offices: • U.S. Senate: The Class II Senate seat currently held by Gary Peters (D) is up…
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Ballotpedia tracks U.S. House races without a Democratic or Republican candidate
Ballotpedia is tracking U.S. House races without a known Democratic or Republican candidate in the 2020 elections. As of April 15, 25 states have U.S. House races without a major-party candidate. A total of 26 U.S. House races do not have a Democratic candidate, and 31 do not have a Republican candidate. The most seats…