Category: State
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Alston appointed to Black’s seat in North Carolina House of Representatives
Attorney Vernetta Alston, a Democratic candidate running to represent District 29 in the North Carolina House of Representatives, has been appointed to the seat. Gov. Roy Cooper (D) appointed Alston on April 13 following the death of late representative MaryAnn Black in March. Alston is an attorney who also served on the Durham City Council…
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Chief justice of Maine Supreme Court resigns
Chief justice Leigh Ingalls Saufley of the Maine State Supreme Court resigned April 14. She stepped down to take a new position as the dean of the University of Maine School of Law, her alma mater. Saufley first joined the court in 1997, following her appointment by independent then-governor Angus King. In 2001, Saufley became…
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Harris retires from Kentucky State Senate after 25 years
Longtime Republican Sen. Ernie Harris retired from the Kentucky State Senate on April 15, the final day of the Kentucky General Assembly’s legislative session. Harris represented District 26 in the chamber for 25 years. He first assumed office in 1995. At the time of his retirement, Harris served as the chair of the state senate’s…
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New York sues U.S. Department of Labor
On April 14, New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) arguing that it violated the terms of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) with a new temporary rule. James asked the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York to block that…
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Florida closes schools for the year
On Saturday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) closed schools for the remainder of the academic year. Prior to the announcement, schools were closed through May 1. Florida became the 32nd state to close schools for the remainder of the academic year. Thirty-two states have closed schools for the remainder of the academic year: Alabama, Alaska,…
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Texas closes school for the year
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) closed schools for the remainder of the year. Prior to the announcement, schools were closed through May 4. Abbott said he made the decision with the consultation of doctors and health officials. Twenty-eight states have closed schools for the remainder of the academic year: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Georgia,…
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Mississippi extends shelter in place order through April 27
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) announced that the state’s shelter in place order was extended by one week to combat the coronavirus. The order, which went into effect April 3, will expire April 27. The order relaxes some restrictions put in place in the original order. According to Reeves, people will be allowed to visit…
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Iowa Governor appoints fourth supreme court justice
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds (R) appointed attorney Matthew McDermott to the Iowa Supreme Court on April 3, 2020. McDermott succeeded Acting Chief Justice David Wiggins, who retired on March 13, 2020. McDermott was the governor’s fourth nominee to the seven-member supreme court. At the time of his appointment to the state supreme court, McDermott practiced…
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Wisconsin extends stay-at-home order through May 26
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) announced that the state’s stay-at-home order was extended through May 26. Executive Order #12 was put into place on March 24 with an expiration date of April 24. Forty-three states issued statewide stay-at-home orders. Seven of those orders are set to last until modified or rescinded by the governor, while…
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New York extends stay-at-home order through May 15
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced that the state’s stay-at-home order was extended through May 15. Cuomo said that the order was helping to reduce the state’s hospitalization and intubation rates, but not enough to lift the order. According to Cuomo, New York’s rate of infections caused by sick individuals was down to 0.9…