Category: Uncategorized

In June 2015 Hawaii enacted a law increasing the minimum age to use tobacco products to 21, making it the first state to do so in the 21st century. Seventeen other states that, including Hawaii contain 50.7% of the U.S. population, have done the same in the four years since.   The first tobacco age…

Ballotpedia has compiled the number of days each Democratic presidential candidate has spent in the four early primary states—Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada—between January 1, 2019, and July 29, 2019.   Former Rep. John Delaney was the most frequent campaigner in Iowa, while author Marianne Williamson spent the most days in New Hampshire,…

Today’s Brew highlights the administration’s proposals to reorganize the executive branch + previews Tuesday’s elections     Welcome to the Tuesday, August 6, Brew. Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: Trump administration moving forward with executive branch reorganization Mississippi state legislative, Seattle city council primaries among elections we’re following Tuesday…

Donald Trump has appointed and the Senate confirmed 146 Article III federal judges through August 1, 2019, his third year in office. This is the second-most Article III judicial appointments through this point in a presidency of all presidents dating back to Theodore Roosevelt. Only Bill Clinton, with 156 judicial appointments, had more.   Article…

In this month’s federal vacancy count, Ballotpedia tracked nominations, confirmations, and vacancies from June 27 to July 31, 2019. Ballotpedia publishes the federal vacancy count on the last Wednesday of each month.   HIGHLIGHTS Vacancies: There have been seven new judicial vacancies since the June 2019 report. There are 114 vacancies out of 870 active…

Five states are holding gubernatorial or state legislative elections this year: Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, and Virginia. All five states could see a change in trifecta status as a result.   A state government trifecta exists when one party controls a state’s governorship and holds majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. There…

Trump administration officials asked the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to immediately lift the injunction blocking enforcement of President Trump’s (R) three civil service executive orders. Government attorneys argued that the injunction has created uncertainty and stalled collective bargaining negotiations between federal agencies and union groups.   A three-judge…

On July 24, the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) gave the public more time to comment on new guidance related to how federal agencies should address greenhouse gas emissions. The guidance tells agencies to focus on the reasonably foreseeable environmental consequences of major actions. It also tells agencies that they do not have…

The Federal Register is a daily journal of federal government activity that includes presidential documents, proposed and final rules, and public notices. It is a common measure of an administration’s regulatory activity.   During the week of July 22 to July 26, the number of pages in the Federal Register increased by 1,452 pages, bringing…

On July 25, Idaho Governor Brad Little announced four changes to the state rulemaking process: The state will post all notices and schedules for public hearings during the rulemaking process on one website. Citizens may now subscribe to a state newsletter informing them when new rules are published. Agencies will have to include a cover…