Category: State
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Nation’s governors issue 1,514 executive orders in 2023, fewer than 2022
The nation’s governors issued 1,514 executive orders in 2023. In comparison, they issued 1,575 executive orders in 2022. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) led the field with 525, followed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) with 242 and New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) with 145. Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) issued the fewest…
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Satana Deberry (D), Tim Dunn (D), and Jeff Jackson (D) are running in the Democratic primary for North Carolina Attorney General
Satana Deberry (D), Tim Dunn (D), and Jeff Jackson (D) are running in the Democratic Party primary for Attorney General of North Carolina on March 5, 2024. Deberry and Jackson have led in pre-election polls and media attention. Incumbent Josh Stein (D) is running for governor rather than seeking re-election. Deberry is the state’s 16th…
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Eleven candidates are running in the Democratic primary in Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District
Eleven candidates are running in the Democratic primary election for Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District on March 5, 2024. Six candidates lead in local media attention: Napoleon Bracy Jr. (D), Merika Coleman (D), Anthony Daniels (D), Shomari Figures (D), Juandalynn Givan (D), and Jeremy Gray (D). The primary is taking place in the context of court-ordered…
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Kansas Governor seeks to expand Medicaid with work requirements
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly (D) on December 14, 2023, proposed legislation to expand the state’s Medicaid program with work requirements for certain enrollees. The Cutting Healthcare Costs for All Kansans Act would require adults under 65 to provide employment verification to qualify for Medicaid. The bill aims to expand Medicaid to approximately 150,000 Kansans who…
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Three Arkansas unemployment insurance laws take effect
Three unemployment insurance laws in Arkansas went into effect on January 1, 2024. Together, Acts 106, 196, and 587 reduce maximum unemployment insurance benefits, establish the contribution rate of employers, disqualify an individual from receiving benefits under certain circumstances of refusing a job offer or failing to attend a job interview, and require benefit recipients…
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State education officials issued the most school board endorsements in 2023
In July and August 2022, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and his opponent in that year’s gubernatorial election, Charlie Crist (D), both endorsed school board slates of candidates. NBC News’ Tyler Kincade wrote, “It was unusual to see a sitting governor wade into what are official nonpartisan races that historically have been overlooked by big…
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Let’s Go Washington PAC submitted 2.6 million signatures for six ballot initiatives that could appear on the ballot in Nov. 2024
Let’s Go Washington, a campaign supporting six citizen-initiated ballot measures in Washington, submitted 2.6 million signatures for the initiatives before the deadline on Dec. 29, 2023. At least 324,516 signatures must be found to be valid for each initiative. That’s 1.95 million total signatures between the six initiatives. State Rep. Jim Walsh (R-19) sponsored the…
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California campaign withdraws veto referendum on fast-food employment law from 2024 ballot under new process
On Dec. 29, the Save Our Local Restaurants PAC withdrew a veto referendum from the Nov. 5, 2024, ballot that would have repealed California Assembly Bill 257 (AB 257). AB 257 was designed to establish a 10-member fast food council authorized to adopt a minimum wage for fast food restaurant employees not to exceed $22…
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2023 highest odd-year constitutional amendment election turnout in Texas in almost two decades
Texas registered voter turnout at the Nov. 7 constitutional amendment election was 14.4%—the highest since 2005 when it reached 18%. 2023 was six percentage points higher than 2021, which saw a turnout of 8.8%. This amounted to over a million more voters turning out for the election. Texas voters decided on 14 constitutional amendments on…
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State supreme court vacancy 2023 recap
From January 1 through December 21, 2023, Ballotpedia tracked 20 state supreme court vacancies. This was the second-lowest number of vacancies since Ballotpedia started tracking state supreme court vacancies in 2019. Of the 20 vacancies, 13 (65%) were caused by a justice resigning from their seat. Of the 13 retirements, seven (54%) were voluntary, with…