Category: State
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297 constitutional amendments were filed during the 2023 Texas legislative session with House Republicans filing the most
Of the 297 constitutional amendments filed during the 2023 regular session, 184 amendments (62%) were filed by Republican senators or representatives, and 113 (38%) by Democratic legislators. Compared to the 2021 regular legislative session, Republicans filed 58 more amendments in 2023, and Democrats filed an additional 21. Sen. Brian Birdwell (R-22) filed the most Republican-sponsored…
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U.S. Supreme Court overturns Alabama’s congressional maps in Allen v. Milligan decision
On June 8, 2023, the United States Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that Alabama’s congressional redistricting plan adopted in November 2021 and used in the state’s 2022 elections violated the Voting Rights Act and must be redrawn to include a second majority-Black district. In November 2021, a group of Alabama voters and organizations sued Secretary of…
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Texas set to become ninth state to withdraw from ERIC, Arizona’s possible withdrawal vetoed by Gov. Hobbs (D)
Texas lawmakers sent SB1070 to Gov. Greg Abbot (R) on May 29, 2023, positioning the state to become the eighth to withdraw from ERIC this year, and the ninth overall. Elsewhere, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) vetoed SB1135 on May 26, a bill including provisions that would have effectively withdrawn Arizona from ERIC. ERIC is…
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62 candidates filed for federal and statewide offices last week
Sixty-two people declared candidacies for federal or state offices in the past week, the same number declared last week. All of these candidates declared before their state’s official filing deadline. Thirty-six of the 63 candidates are Democrats, while 20 are Republicans. Four candidates are running as Libertarians, and two are running without a party affiliation.…
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May 2023 partisan count: 54.49% of state legislators are Republican, 43.33% Democratic
At the end of May 2023, 54.94% of all state legislatures in the United States are Republican while 44.33% are Democratic. There are 7,386 state legislative seats in the country. Republicans control 56 chambers, while Democrats hold 41. Two chambers (Alaska House and Alaska Senate) were organized under multipartisan, power-sharing coalitions. Democrats hold 854 state Senate seats and…
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Texas Senate appoints committee to develop rules for upcoming impeachment trial
The Texas Senate appointed a committee on May 29 to develop proposed rules for the upcoming impeachment proceeding against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R). The committee, consisting of five Republicans and two Democrats, was directed to propose rules for the trial by June 20. The Senate also adopted a resolution on May 30 calling…
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Proposed legislation would eliminate ESG in TSP pensions
Congressman Chip Roy (R-Texas) on May 23 reintroduced legislation calling for the elimination of the use of ESG in the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), the pension plan for federal employees and members of the military. The private managers of the TSP are BlackRock and State Street, two of the largest passive asset managers and among…
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All candidates for Mississippi House of Representatives District 33 Republican primary complete Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey
All three candidates running in the August 8, 2023, Republican primary election for Mississippi House of Representatives District 33—Jonathan Dantzler (R), Jim Estrada (R), and Dennis Nowell (R)—completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey. These survey responses allow voters to hear directly from candidates about what motivates them to run for office. Eight of the country’s 99…
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State supreme courts have issued more than 2,700 decisions this year
State supreme courts issued 89 opinions from May 22-28. The Delaware Supreme Court led the field with nine opinions issued, followed by Massachusetts, Montana, and New York with six each. Last week’s 89 opinions account for 3% of the year-to-date total of 2,754. The West Virginia Supreme Court leads with 201 opinions issued since Jan.…
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One-fourth of Virginia State Senate incumbents are running in contested primaries
Democrats currently hold a 22-18 majority in the Virginia State Senate, which holds elections every four years rather than every two. The chamber is already poised to welcome at least 11 new members next year: ten incumbents are retiring, and two incumbents are running in the same district, leaving 11 districts open, over one-fourth of…