Category: State
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Hawaii enacts new state legislative districts
Hawaii enacted new legislative districts on Jan. 28, 2022, when the Hawaii Reapportionment Commission voted 8-1 to approve a legislative map proposal. The maps will take effect for Hawaii’s 2022 state legislative elections. The commission’s Technical Committee Permitted Interaction Group initially presented the state legislative map plans to the commission for consideration on Oct. 14,…
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Hawaii enacts new congressional district maps
Hawaii enacted new congressional districts on Jan. 28, 2022, when the Hawaii Reapportionment Commission voted 8-1 to approve a congressional map proposal. Hawaii was apportioned two seats in the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2020 census, the same number it received after the 2010 census. This map will take effect for Hawaii’s 2022 congressional…
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New York enacts new congressional and legislative maps
New York enacted new congressional and legislative districts on Feb. 3, 2022, when Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) signed legislatively approved proposals into law. New York was apportioned 26 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2020 census, one fewer than it received after the 2010 census. The congressional and legislative maps will take…
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Incumbent and two challengers running in Republican primary for Texas Commissioner of Agriculture
Three candidates are running in the Republican primary election for Texas Commissioner of Agriculture on March 1, 2022. Incumbent Sid Miller and James White lead in fundraising, endorsements, and media attention. Miller was first elected agriculture commissioner in 2014 and won re-election in 2018. He represented District 59 in the Texas House of Representatives from…
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Texas Republican Party places nonbinding advisory questions on March primary ballot
The Texas Republican Party has placed 10 nonbinding advisory questions on the March 1 primary ballot. The Texas Democratic Party did not place any questions on primary ballots. An advisory question is a type of ballot measure that has no legally binding effect but serves to let voters express their opinions on a policy. The…
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TX-28 Democratic primary features a rematch of a 2020 primary
Three candidates are running in the Democratic primary election for Texas’ 28th Congressional District on March 1, 2022. The candidates running in the primary are incumbent Henry Cuellar, Tannya Benavides, and Jessica Cisneros. In the 2020 Democratic primary, Cuellar defeated Cisneros 51.8% to 48.2%. In that primary, Cisneros had endorsements from Justice Democrats, Sen. Bernie…
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Michigan House of Representatives approves changes to unemployment insurance benefits administration
The Michigan House of Representatives on Jan. 27 approved a package of bills proposing changes to the state’s system of unemployment insurance benefits administration. The legislation comes after an audit discovered the UIA paid at least $8.5 billion in improper benefits between March 2020 and December 2021. The package includes bills prohibiting the Michigan Unemployment…
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Florida sports betting initiative fails to submit enough signatures to qualify for 2022 ballot; casino expansion initiative campaign sues over petition validation process
Two ballot measures in Florida concerning sports betting (sponsored by Florida Education Champions) and additional casinos (sponsored by Florida Voters in Charge) failed to qualify for the 2022 ballot. Each initiative needed 891,589 signatures to be validated by county elections officials by Feb. 1. Florida also has a signature distribution requirement, which requires that signatures…
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Maine initiative signature deadline passes with no signatures submitted; campaigns target 2023 ballot
The Maine 2022 signature deadline for citizen-initiated measures was Jan. 30. None of the six active campaigns submitted signatures; however, the campaigns have an 18 month circulation period allowing the campaigns to target ballots in 2023. The six initiatives concern requiring a law to establish a publicly funded health coverage program; creating a consumer-owned electric…
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Ohio Secretary of State certifies marijuana legalization initiative to the state legislature
The Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R) announced on Jan. 28 that an initiative proposing the legalization of marijuana had submitted enough valid signatures to be presented to the state legislature. The initiative would enact a state law to legalize the cultivation, processing, sale, purchase, possession, home growth, and use of recreational marijuana for…