Category: Federal

  • Checks and Balances: Chevron deference at stake

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    The Checks and Balances Letter delivers news and information from Ballotpedia’s Administrative State Project, including pivotal actions at the federal and state levels related to the separation of powers, due process and the rule of law. This edition:  In this month’s edition of Checks and Balances, we review administrative pushback against vaccine mandates; developments in…

  • Forty members of Congress are not running for re-election

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    As of Dec. 21, 2021, 40 members of Congress—six members of the U.S. Senate and 34 members of the U.S. House—have announced they will not seek re-election. The latest member to announce their intent to not run in 2022, Lucille Roybal-Allard (D), announced her retirement from the House on Dec. 21.  Roybal-Allard represents California’s 40th…

  • U.S. Senate confirms nine Article III nominees, two Article I nominees to judgeships

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    The U.S. Senate confirmed nine of President Joe Biden’s (D) Article III judicial nominees and two of his Article I nominees in votes held on Dec. 17 and 18. The Article III nominees confirmed to lifetime judgeships include: Jane M. Beckering, to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan Mary Katherine Dimke,…

  • SCOTUS releases February argument calendar

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    The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) released its February argument calendar for the 2021-2022 term on Dec. 17. The court scheduled seven cases for arguments on the merits between Feb. 22 and March 2, including two cases consolidated for one hour of oral argument. Arguments will be conducted in person, although the court…

  • Supreme Court issued rulings in two Texas abortion cases

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    On December 10, 2021, the Supreme Court of the United States issued rulings in a pair of cases related to Texas’ S.B. 8. S.B. 8 restricted abortion procedures after six weeks of pregnancy and authorized private civil right of action related to violations of the law. One case, United States v. Texas, questioned whether the federal…

  • Biden announces nine nominees to Article III courts; three to D.C. local courts

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    President Joe Biden (D) announced his intent to nominate nine individuals to Article III judgeships with lifetime terms on Dec. 15: Jessica Clarke, to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Sherilyn Garnett, to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California Hector Gonzalez, to the U.S. District Court…

  • U.S. Senate confirms two nominees to Article III judgeships

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    The U.S. Senate confirmed two of President Joe Biden’s (D) federal judicial nominees to lifetime Article III judgeships on Dec. 15: Jennifer Sung, to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, by a vote of 50-49 Samantha Elliott, to the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire, by a vote of…

  • Lucy Koh confirmed to U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit

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    The U.S. Senate confirmed one of President Joe Biden’s (D) federal judicial nominees to a lifetime Article III judgeship on Dec. 13: Lucy Koh, to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, by a vote of 50-45 The United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit is one of 13 U.S. courts…

  • Economy and Society: WSJ names ESG critique among best books of 2021

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    Economy and Society is Ballotpedia’s weekly review of the developments in corporate activism; corporate political engagement; and the Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) trends and events that characterize the growing intersection between business and politics. ESG Developments This Week Lawsuit challenges California’s board diversity mandate   On November 29, the Free Enterprise Project, a program…

  • SCOTUS accepts three new cases for 2021-2022 term

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    The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) accepted three cases for argument during the 2021-2022 term on Dec. 10: Golan v. Saada, originating from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit, concerns international child custody. Southwest Airlines v. Saxon, on an appeal from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit,…