Category: State
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State executives are retiring in two states where the filing deadline passed in February
In February, the filing deadline passed in five states: Ohio (Feb. 4), Indiana (Feb 6), Louisiana (Feb. 13), Maryland (Feb 24), and Idaho (Feb. 27). Across these five states, 23 seats are up for election. In Ohio, every single state executive office is open, while in Indiana, Maryland, and Idaho, every incumbent is seeking re-election.…
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Idaho Supreme Court upholds state school choice tax credit
On Feb. 5, 2026, the Idaho Supreme Court unanimously upheld the state's private school choice refundable tax credit, rejecting the argument that the program violated the Idaho Constitution and judicial precedent. The petitioners included the Committee to Protect and Preserve the Idaho Constitution, Inc., Mormon Women for Ethical Government, School District No. 281, Latah County,…
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How Often Do Both State Legislative Chambers Flip at Once? Rarely. Only 20 times since 1992.
Since 1992, 160 changes in state legislative chamber partisan control occurred across the country. That includes 20 times both of a state’s legislative chambers changed partisan control in the same year (14%) and 120 times a single chamber changed partisan control (86%). While chambers may have periodic split control, especially chambers with an even number…
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Indiana becomes the 19th state to ban ranked-choice voting
On Feb. 24, Indiana Gov. Mike Braun (R) signed legislation prohibiting the use of ranked-choice voting in the state, making Indiana the 19th state to ban RCV nationwide. Ranked-choice voting (RCV) is a system where voters rank candidates by preference on their ballots. In the RCV system most commonly used in the United States, a…
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New York Senate passes $1 billion emissions reporting bill
On Feb. 10, 2026, the New York Senate passed Senate Bill 9072A, the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act, by a 40–22 vote. The vote fell along party lines, with Democrats in favor and Republicans opposed. The bill would apply to companies that do business in New York and generate more than $1 billion in annual…
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Signatures submitted for three Colorado ballot initiatives related to the human trafficking of minors, sex requirements for school sports teams, and surgeries for transgender minors
In Colorado, signatures were submitted on Feb. 17 and Feb. 20, 2026, to the secretary of state for three ballot initiatives related to increasing penalties for the human trafficking of minors, requiring interscholastic sports teams to be designated based on biological sex, and prohibiting healthcare professionals from performing surgeries on minors that would alter their…
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New Mexico voters will decide whether to allow school elections to be held at the same time as state or federal partisan elections
The New Mexico State Legislature voted to send an amendment to voters in November that would repeal the constitutional requirement that school elections be held at different times from partisan elections, allowing them to be held on the same dates as partisan elections, such as statewide and federal elections. The amendment, Senate Joint Resolution 1…
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Maine legislators weigh expanding state's ranked-choice voting system
On Feb. 10, Maine legislators approved a bill requiring the use of ranked-choice voting to elect the governor and members of the state legislature. Before advancing the legislation to Gov. Janet Mills (D), the legislature is waiting for advice from the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. In the ranked-choice voting system currently used in Maine, a…
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New Mexico voters to decide amendment establishing legislative salaries in 2026; state currently only one without legislator salaries
New Mexico voters will decide on a constitutional amendment on Nov. 3, 2026, that would establish a salary for state legislators based on the state’s annual median household income. The amendment, House Joint Resolution 5 (HJR 5), was introduced in the New Mexico House of Representatives by Rep. Cristina Parajon (D). On February 13, HJR…
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New Mexico voters to decide amendment changing appointment process for university boards of regents in Nov. 2026
New Mexico voters will decide on an amendment relating to the appointments to members of the Board of Regents on Nov. 3, 2026. The amendment passed both chambers of the state legislature. The amendment, House Joint Resolution 1 (HJR 1), was introduced in the New Mexico House of Representatives by Rep. Christine Chandler (D). On…