Category: State
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North Carolina Representative Black dies
North Carolina State Representative MaryAnn Black (D) died on March 26. She represented District 29, which includes parts of Durham, in the state House. Gov. Roy Cooper (D) first appointed Black in February 2017 to replace former Rep. Larry Hall, who left the legislature to take a cabinet position in state government. Black defeated Charles…
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March 2020 breakdown of state legislative party membership: 52.3% Republicans, 46.9% Democrats
March’s partisan count of the 7,383 state legislators across the United States shows 52.3% are Republicans and 46.9% are Democrats. There are 7,383 state legislative offices—1,972 state senate seats and 5,411 state representative seats. Republicans hold 3,864 state legislative seats—1,085 senate seats and 2,779 house seats. Democrats hold 3,457 state legislative seats—874 senate seats and…
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Campaign backed by Uber, Lyft, Instacart, and others files signatures for California ballot initiative to define app-based drivers as independent contractors and enact regulations
Californians could decide whether app-based drivers should be classified as independent contractors in November. On March 27, the campaign Protect App-Based Drivers & Services filed more than 1 million signatures with local election officials for the ballot measure. Counties have eight working days to count signatures followed by 30 working days to conduct a random…
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Michigan state Rep. Robinson dies
Michigan State Representative Isaac Robinson (D) died March 29 at age 44. He had represented District 4 in the Michigan House of Representatives since January 1, 2019. Robinson’s family stated that his suspected cause of death was coronavirus infection. At the time of his death, Robinson served on the tax policy, regulatory reform, and commerce…
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Longest-serving legislator in U.S. history announces retirement
Wisconsin State Senator Fred Risser (D) announced March 27 that he will not run for re-election this year for the first time in more than six decades. After 64 years as a member of the Wisconsin legislature, Risser is the longest-serving legislator at the state or national level in United States history. He is also…
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New York State Senate minority leader announces he won’t seek re-election
New York State Senate Minority Leader John Flanagan announced March 25 he would not seek re-election. Flanagan is the seventh Republican state senator to announce their retirement since Democrats took control of the Senate in 2018. Flanagan previously served as Senate president and Senate majority leader. He has represented New York State Senate District 2…
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Coronavirus daily update: March 31, 2020
As part of Ballotpedia’s coverage on the coronavirus pandemic, we are compiling a daily summary of major changes in the world of politics, government, and elections happening each day. Here is the summary of changes for March 31, 2020. Federal responses Read more: Political responses to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020 President Donald Trump (R)…
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Iowa to mail absentee ballot applications to all registered voters in the June 2, 2020, primary election
On March 31, 2020, Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate (R) announced that his office would send absentee ballot applications to all registered voters in the state in advance of the June 2, 2020, primary election. Forms were set to be mailed to voters in mid-to-late April. Seventeen states have implemented changes to their absentee…
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Georgia governor appoints first supreme court justice
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R) appointed Judge Carla McMillian to the Georgia Supreme Court on March 27, 2020. McMillian succeeded Justice Robert Benham, who retired on March 1. McMillian is Gov. Kemp’s first nominee to the nine-member supreme court. McMillian was a judge on the Georgia Court of Appeals from 2013 to 2020. She was…
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Tennessee governor issues stay-at-home order
On March 30, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) issued an executive order closing nonessential businesses and requiring individuals to remain in their homes except for essential activities. Lee’s order is effective from March 31 through April 14. Schools are scheduled to remain closed through April 24. Twenty-eight states have issued stay-at-home or shelter-in-place orders to…