Category: Uncategorized

A three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on January 10 unanimously ruled that a district court must reconsider a lawsuit arguing that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) violated the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). The American Anti-Vivisection Society and the Avian Welfare Coalition sued the USDA…

On January 7, 2020, Illinois State Representative Celina Villanueva (D) was appointed by the Cook County Democratic Committee to fill the vacant District 11 state Senate seat. Villanueva assumed office on January 7, 2020, and her current term will end on November 3, 2020. Villanueva’s appointment came after former state Senator Martin Sandoval (D) resigned…

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (R) appointed U.S. Marine Corps veteran and businessman Mike Griffith (R) to fill the vacant District 35B state House seat on December 30, 2019. Griffith assumed office on January 6, 2020, and his term will end on January 10, 2023. Griffith’s appointment came after former state Delegate Andrew Cassilly (R) resigned…

Vermont Governor Phil Scott (R) appointed businessman Peter Reed (I) to fill the vacant Orange-Washington-Addison District state House seat on January 6, 2020. Reed was sworn into office on January 7, 2020, the first day of Vermont’s 2020 Legislative Session. Reed’s appointment came after former state Representative Ben Jickling (I) resigned in August 2019 to…

A new state legislative special election has been added to our list. The special election is for the District 128 seat in the Maine House of Representatives on March 3, 2020. There is no primary, and the filing deadline is on January 23. The Democratic, Republican, and Green Independent nominees will be selected via party…

County commissioners from several eastern Oregon counties appointed Lynn Findley (R) to represent the 30th District in the Oregon State Senate, effective January 9, 2020. The 30th District is comprised of six entire counties and parts of three others. The seat had been vacant since former state Sen. Cliff Bentz (R) resigned to run for…

On January 7, 2020, Republicans elected William Barclay (R) as minority leader of the New York State Assembly. Barclay was first elected to the State Assembly in 2002 and previously served as State Assembly Deputy Minority Leader. Barclay’s appointment came after former Minority Leader Brian Kolb (R) was arrested on December 31, 2019, after crashing…

Signatures have been verified in the recall effort against Councilman La’Shadion Shemwell in McKinney, Texas. The city secretary found 3,062 signatures valid, and petitioners needed 2,127 valid signatures to put the recall on the ballot. The election is expected to be held in May 2020. Recall proponents accused Shemwell of failing to uphold his oath…

On Dec. 26, 2019, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that public-sector unions cannot be required to refund fees paid prior to Janus v. AFSCME. In Janus, the U.S. Supreme Court held that compulsory collection of union fees violates workers’ free-speech and associational rights. Who are the parties to the suit?…

Three new state legislative special elections have been added to our list. The special elections are for the District 8, 18, and 58 seats in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on March 17, 2020. There is no primary, and there is no filing deadline since candidates are nominated directly by political parties.