Category: State
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Texans to vote on right to farm, ranch, timber production, horticulture, and wildlife management in November
The Texas State Legislature voted to send a constitutional amendment establishing a right to farm, ranch, timber production, horticulture, and wildlife management on a person’s owned or leased property to the Nov. 2023 ballot. The amendment states that the right does not preclude the state legislature from passing laws to regulate farming, ranching, timber production,…
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Louisiana attorney general launches ESG investigation
Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry (R) launched an investigation on April 25 into Climate Action 100+, which describes itself as “an investor-led initiative to ensure the world’s largest corporate greenhouse gas emitters take necessary action on climate change.” Landry’s office says the investigation seeks to determine whether some asset management companies that are part of…
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The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals restored several provisions of a recent Florida election law that have been struck down
The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court’s decision on April 27, 2023, involving “four recently enacted provisions of Florida’s election law, including provisions that regulate ballot drop boxes, the solicitation of voters at the polls, and the delivery of voter-registration forms by third-party voter-registration organizations,” according to Judge William Pryor’s majority opinion. These provisions…
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Florida could become 24th state to establish a constitutional right to hunt and fish
Florida could become the 24th state to establish a constitutional right to hunt and fish in 2024 after the Florida State Legislature passed a resolution referring the question to voters. The resolution would add a 28th section to the Declaration of Rights in the Florida Constitution to say that hunting and fishing are the preferred…
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Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) issues five executive orders from April 24-30
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) issued five executive orders from April 24-30. As of April 30, Lujan Grisham has issued 55 executive orders in 2023 — 32 more than she did at this point a year ago. Three of the orders are: Executive Order 2023-053, where the governor authorized additional emergency funds for…
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Governor Kathy Hochul (D) issues one executive order from April 24-30
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) issued one executive order from April 24-30. As of April 30, Hochul has issued 14 executive orders in 2023 — seven fewer than she did at this point a year ago. The order is: Executive Order No. 5.20, where the governor continued the temporary suspension and modification of laws…
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33 candidates filed for federal and statewide offices last week
Thirty-three people declared candidacies for federal or state offices in the past week, seven fewer than the 40 that declared the week before. All of these candidates declared before their state’s official filing deadline. Eighteen of the 33 candidates are Democrats, while 14 are Republicans. One is a minor party candidate. Twenty-seven candidates are running…
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Wisconsin Assembly passes unemployment insurance indexing bill
Wisconsin lawmakers on April 25 passed several bills related to unemployment insurance, including one that would index the length of unemployment insurance benefits to the state’s unemployment rate. Assembly Bill 153 would reduce the maximum number of benefit weeks to 14 during times when the unemployment rate is at or below 3.5%. The bill also…
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North Carolina Supreme Court vacates state’s congressional, legislative maps
In a 5-2 decision on April 28, 2023, the North Carolina Supreme Court overturned a 2022 decision that the state’s enacted congressional and legislative maps were unconstitutional due to partisan gerrymandering. The court vacated the maps the legislature enacted in 2021 and the remedial maps used for the 2022 elections. In its ruling, the court…
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New York adopts revised State Assembly districts
New York enacted new State Assembly district boundaries on April 24, 2023, when Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) signed legislation establishing them for use starting with the 2024 elections. The State Assembly passed the bill earlier that day by a vote of 132-13, and it passed the state Senate by a vote of 59-1. The New…