Category: State
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A look back at government responses to the coronavirus pandemic, April 6-10, 2020
Although the first case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was confirmed on Jan. 21, 2020, it wasn’t until March when the novel coronavirus upended life for most Americans. Throughout March and April, states issued stay-at-home orders, closed schools, restricted travel, and changed election dates. Many of those policies remain in place today. Here are the…
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Special election to be held in Oklahoma Senate district
A special election is being held on April 6 for District 22 of the Oklahoma State Senate. Molly Ooten (D) and Jake Merrick (R) are running in the general election. The seat became vacant after Stephanie Bice (R) was elected to represent Oklahoma’s 5th Congressional District on Nov. 3, 2020. Bice had represented the district…
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New York becomes third state to legalize recreational marijuana through legislative action instead of a ballot measure
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) signed a bill on March 31 legalizing recreational marijuana and allowing resentencing for those convicted of certain marijuana-related charges. Both chambers of the legislature passed the bill (Assembly Bill 1248/Senate Bill 854) on March 30. New York became the 15th state to legalize recreational marijuana. In addition, South Dakota…
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Wisconsin general election to be held April 6
The statewide general election for Wisconsin is on April 6. The primary was held on Feb. 16, and the filing deadline to run passed on Jan. 5. Candidates are running in elections for the following offices: • Superintendent of Public Instruction • Special elections for state Senate District 13 and Assembly District 89 • Wisconsin…
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Arizona Supreme Court Justice Andrew Gould retires
Andrew Gould retired as an associate justice of the Arizona Supreme Court on April 1. He had announced that he would retire from the court on March 12. Governor Doug Ducey (R) appointed Gould to the state supreme court on Nov. 28, 2016, after a new bill expanded the court from five justices to seven.…
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Tim O’Brien sworn in to Indiana House of Representatives
Tim O’Brien (R) was sworn in on March 30 to represent District 78 in the Indiana House of Representatives. Republican precinct committee members selected him to represent the district in a caucus on March 29. O’Brien replaces Holli Sullivan (R), who was recently appointed as Indiana’s new secretary of state. Sullivan, who had represented the…
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Five candidates running in a special primary election for California Assembly District 79
A special primary election is being held on April 6 for California Assembly District 79. Marco Contreras (R), Aeiramique Glass Blake (D), Leticia Munguia (D), Shane Parmely (D), and Akilah Weber (D) are running in the primary election. California holds top-two primary elections. The two candidates who receive the most votes in the primary will…
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Kentucky voters will decide an amendment in 2022 saying there is no right to abortion in the state constitution
The Kentucky State Legislature referred the No Right to Abortion in Constitution Amendment to the November 8, 2022 ballot. The amendment would add a section to the Kentucky Bill of Rights that states: “To protect human life, nothing in this Constitution shall be construed to secure or protect a right to abortion or require the…
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Federal judge strikes down 5% petition requirement for minor-party and unaffiliated U.S. House candidates in Georgia
On March 29, 2021, Judge Leigh Martin May, of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, struck down a Georgia law requiring minor-party and unaffiliated candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives to submit petitions signed by at least 5 percent of the district’s registered voters in order to appear on the…
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Nevada voters will decide whether to add an equal rights amendment to the state constitution
In November 2022, Nevada voters will decide whether to add the following language to Article 1 of the state Constitution: “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by this State or any of its political subdivisions on account of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age,…