The new Louisiana state superintendent of education, Dr. Cade Brumley, started with the Department of Education on Monday, June 8. The Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education first appointed Brumley to the position on May 20, 2020, and the Louisiana State Senate confirmed his nomination on June 1. Brumley replaces former superintendent John White,…
Five states are holding primaries for congressional and state-level office June 9—Georgia, Nevada, North Dakota, South Carolina, and West Virginia. Ballotpedia has identified nine of those primaries as battlegrounds. The nine battleground primaries include one for U.S. Senate, two for governor of West Virginia, and six for U.S. House. Six are Republican primaries and three…
In 4-1 decision, the Florida Supreme Court ruled that the ballot summary of the Ban on Semiautomatic Rifles and Shotguns Initiative was misleading. Ban Assault Weapons NOW is sponsoring the measure targeting the 2022 ballot. The measure would ban possession of semiautomatic rifles and shotguns, with certain exceptions involving registration requirements. The measure would define…
Gov. Jim Justice defeated former Secretary of Commerce Woody Thrasher, former state Del. Mike Folk, and four others to win the Republican nomination for governor in West Virginia. As of 8:33 p.m. Eastern Time, Justice had received 66% of the vote to Thrasher’s 18% and Folk’s 9% with 8% of precincts reporting. None of the…
Kanawha County Commissioner Ben Salango defeated Douglas Hughes, Jody Murphy, Stephen Smith, and state Sen. Ron Stollings to win the Democratic primary for governor in West Virginia. As of 11:30 p.m. ET, Salango had received 39% of the vote. Smith was second with 33% and Stollings was third with 14%. No other candidate received more…
Officials in three states—California, Massachusetts, and North Carolina—released guidance for reopening schools for the 2020-2021 year. Schools in all three states have been closed to in-person instruction since mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic. So far, schools in four states (Alabama, Montana, North Dakota, and Wyoming) have reopened to in-person instruction after closing due to…
Gov. Brad Little (R) appointed Aaron von Ehlinger (R) to represent District 6A in the Idaho House of Representatives on June 3. The seat became vacant when late Rep. Thyra Stevenson (R) died on May 11, 2020. Ehlinger will serve the remainder of Stevenson’s unexpired term ending on November 30, 2020. The appointment, which filled…
Gov. Tony Evers (D) appointed Randy Romanski as the Wisconsin Secretary of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection on June 1. Romanski has held the position in an interim capacity since November 2019 and before that served as deputy secretary. His appointment is subject to confirmation by the Wisconsin State Senate. Romanski first assumed state executive…
Massachusetts is entering its second phase of reopening on June 8, allowing retail stores and outdoor dining to reopen with capacity and distancing restrictions. Phase Two also allows hotels, amateur and professional sports, personal services (like house cleaning and tutoring services), driving and flight schools, outdoor historical attractions; funeral homes, warehouses, outdoor recreation facilities (like…
The filing deadlines to run for elected state offices in Connecticut, Florida, and New Hampshire will pass in the next week. Connecticut’s filing deadline is on June 11, and Florida and New Hampshire’s filing deadlines are on June 12. In Connecticut, prospective candidates may file for the following offices: State Senate (36 seats) State House…