Category: State
-
Mississippi to allow restaurants, bars, and outdoor recreational facilities to reopen May 7
On May 4, 2020, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) announced that restaurants, bars, and outdoor recreational facilities in the state would be permitted to reopen effective May 7. Restaurants and bars must close no later than 10:00 p.m. and must adhere to social distancing and other guidelines. Outdoor recreational facilities can operate from 9:00 a.m.…
-
Ducey appoints four judges to Arizona Court of Appeals and Maricopa County Superior Court
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) made four judicial appointments on April 24, becoming the governor who has made the most judicial appointments in state history. Ducey has appointed 71 judges since taking office, overtaking the previous record of 68 appointments made by former Gov. Bruce Babbitt (D). Babbitt held office from 1978 to 1987. Ducey…
-
Komi resigns from New Hampshire House of Representatives
Former Rep. Richard Komi (D) resigned from the New Hampshire House of Representatives on May 2, after House Speaker Stephen Shurtleff (D) requested his resignation the previous day. The request for Komi’s resignation followed a tweet that Komi posted indicating his belief that sexual assault allegations against Vice President Joe Biden, which Biden has denied,…
-
Recall launched against Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey over stay-at-home order
A recall petition was filed against Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) on May 1 over his stay-at-home order due to the coronavirus pandemic. Supporters of the recall have up to 120 days—or no later than August 29, 2020—to collect the 594,111 signatures needed to force a recall election. The recall effort is being organized by…
-
One incumbent defeated in Ohio’s 2020 state legislative primaries
Forty contested primaries took place for the Ohio state legislature on April 28, 2020. There were nine primaries in the state Senate and 31 primaries in the state House. By partisan affiliation, 17 were Democratic primaries and 23 were Republican primaries. This was a 35.5 percent decrease in the number of primaries from 2018 (62)…
-
One Missouri Supreme Court justice faces retention election in November
Missouri Supreme Court Justice Patricia Breckenridge will face a retention election on November 3, 2020. She is the only member of the court facing a retention election this year. She was originally appointed by a Republican governor in 2007 and won a retention election in 2008. Currently, two justices on the court were appointed by…
-
Supreme Court of Georgia extends restrictions on in-person proceedings through June 12
On May 4, 2020, Supreme Court of Georgia Chief Justice Harold D. Melton announced that restrictions on in-person proceedings and the suspension of jury trials would be extended through June 12. Under the order, courts will be encouraged to develop plans for resuming nonessential court operations that can be conducted through video or phone conferencing…
-
New Jersey closes schools to in-person instruction for remainder of academic year
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) announced Monday that schools would be closed to in-person instruction for the remainder of the academic year. The order applies to both public and private schools. Private schools with longer school years must remain closed through June 30. Forty-six states have closed schools to in-person instruction for the remainder…
-
1 of 109 state-level incumbents defeated in Ohio’s primaries
Ohio held a statewide primary on April 28, 2020. Originally scheduled for March 17, the election was postponed amid concerns of the coronavirus pandemic. The general election is November 3, 2020. The primary was held largely by mail. As of 1 p.m. EDT on May 1, the Secretary of State’s office reported that there were…
-
A breakdown of state legislative special elections from 2010 to 2019
A total of 723 state legislative special elections took place from 2010 to 2019 in 31 states. The following states held the most special elections during that time period: Georgia: 63 Pennsylvania: 43 New York: 42 Louisiana: 40 Massachusetts: 40 Connecticut: 37 Mississippi: 36 Virginia: 34 Texas: 32 California: 31 South Carolina: 31 The largest…