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2019 Congressional calendar

By Kelly Coyle
In Federal
January 2, 2019 at 3:27 PM
The 116th Congress will convene on January 3, 2019, and will conclude on January 3, 2021. The House is scheduled to meet for 130 days in 2019, and the Senate is scheduled to meet for 168 days.
 
In 2018, the House had 171 legislative days, and the Senate had 186 days.
 
From 2001 to 2018, the House spent an average of 140 days in session each year, while the Senate averaged 165 days in session each year.
 
Click here to view the calendar for the first session of the 116th Congress.


Ja’Mal Green withdraws from Chicago mayoral race, 17 candidates remain

By Amee LaTour
In Local
January 1, 2019 at 3:37 PM
On Monday, activist Ja’Mal Green withdrew from Chicago’s nonpartisan mayoral race, bringing the candidate field to 17.
 
In his withdrawal announcement, Green said his campaign lacked sufficient resources to continue amid a petition challenge launched by candidate Willie Wilson’s campaign lawyer. The challenge stated that Green didn’t have the required number of valid signatures (12,500) to qualify for the ballot.
 
The Chicago Board of Election Commissioners was in the process of considering the challenge at the time of Green’s withdrawal.
 
Last week, three candidates were disqualified from the ballot. Richard Mayers and Conrein Hykes Clark did not have the required number of valid signatures, and Sandra Mallory filed her paperwork incorrectly, an election board spokesperson said.
 
Petition challenges against five candidates are still being considered by the board: Dorothy Brown, Catherine Brown D’Tycoon, La Shawn Ford, Neal Sales-Griffin, and Roger Washington.
 
A total of 21 candidates initially filed to run in the mayoral race, left open after incumbent Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced in September that he would not seek re-election. The election is on February 26, with a runoff on April 2 if no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote in February.
 
Chicago is the third-largest city in the U.S. by population.


Three candidates disqualified from Chicago mayoral race: Field now at 18

By Amee LaTour
In Local
December 30, 2018 at 5:21 PM
The Chicago Board of Election Commissioners announced Thursday that three mayoral candidates had been disqualified from the ballot.
 
Richard Mayers and Conrein Hykes Clark did not have the required number of valid signatures (12,500), and Sandra Mallory filed her paperwork incorrectly, a board spokesperson said.
 
That leaves 18 candidates in the mayoral race.
 
Several remaining candidates are facing challenges to their candidacies that are being considered by the board: Dorothy Brown, Catherine Brown D’Tycoon, La Shawn Ford, Ja’Mal Green, Neal Sales-Griffin, and Roger Washington.
 
Since December 19, Toni Preckwinkle has dropped challenges against Lori Lightfoot and Susana Mendoza after they were each found to have the required number of valid signatures during the board’s record exams.
 
Earlier this month, Jerry Joyce withdrew his challenge of Bill Daley, and Paul Vallas withdrew his challenge of Garry McCarthy.


Federal Register weekly update; highest weekly number of final rules since September as 2018 draws to a close

By Sarah Rosier
In Federal
December 28, 2018 at 5:21 PM
The Federal Register is a daily journal of federal government activity which includes presidential documents, proposed and final rules, and public notices. It is a common measure of an administration’s regulatory execution.
 
During the week of December 24 to December 28, the number of pages in the Federal Register increased by 1,600 pages, bringing the year-to-date total to 67,676 pages. A total of 556 documents were included in the week’s Federal Register, including 418 notices, one presidential document, 45 proposed rules, and 92 rules.
 
No proposed or final rules were deemed significant under E.O. 12866—meaning that they may have large impacts on the economy, environment, public health, or state or local governments. Significant actions may also conflict with presidential priorities or other agency rules.
 
During the same week in 2017, the number of pages in the Federal Register increased by 1,116 pages, bringing the year-to-date total to 61,950 pages. As of December 28, the 2018 total led the 2017 total by 5,726 pages.
 
The Trump administration has added an average of 1,301 pages to the _Federal Register_ each week in 2018 as of December 28. Over the course of the Obama administration, the Federal Register increased by an average of 1,658 pages per week.
 
According to government data, the Federal Register hit an all-time high of 95,894 pages in 2016.


2019 mayoral election preview

By Marielle Bricker
In Local
December 26, 2018 at 5:21 PM
In 2019, Ballotpedia will cover 31 mayoral elections across the 100 largest cities by population in the United States.
 
As of December 2018, the mayors of 60 of the country’s largest 100 cities are affiliated with the Democratic Party, 28 are affiliated with the Republican Party, seven are independents, four have unknown party affiliations, and one seat is vacant. Of the 31 seats up for election in 2019, 20 current officeholders are affiliated with the Democratic Party, six are affiliated with the Republican Party, three are independents, and two are unknown.
 
There are a number of top races happening between January and May. A special 2018 mayoral election in Phoenix will conclude with a runoff on March 12, 2019. The previous mayor was affiliated with the Democratic Party. Incumbent mayors may face challenges in Jacksonville, Indianapolis, Denver, and Philadelphia. There are open seats up for election in Tampa, Kansas City, and Dallas.
 
There were 25 mayoral elections in 2018. Democrats saw a net loss of one seat—in Lexington, Kentucky. Republicans saw a net gain of one seat—with gains in Lexington and Virginia Beach and a loss in Garland, Texas (which was won by an unaffiliated candidate). 


Democratic donor who backed Obama’s 2008 run announces pro-Booker super PAC

By Emily Aubert
In Federal
December 21, 2018 at 9:43 PM
Democratic donor Steve Phillips announced the formation of the Dream United super PAC to support a possible presidential run by U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) Thursday. Phillips said he already had $4 million lined up to support Booker and expected to raise $10 million over the coming months. Phillips backed former President Barack Obama’s 2008 run in a similar fashion, with his groups spending $11 million on that campaign. 
 
While Booker said last month that he was considering running for president, three notable Democrats have taken formal steps towards a run. Former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro (D) formed an exploratory committee last week and West Virginia state Sen. Richard Ojeda (D) and U.S. Rep. John Delaney (D-Md.) both declared their candidacies.
 
Nearly 440 candidates have already filed with the Federal Election Commission to run for president in 2020, including 131 Democrats, 59 Republicans, 18 Libertarians, and 10 Greens.
 
Ballotpedia is also tracking more than 60 possible Democratic and Republican presidential contenders.


Trump announces withdrawal of troops from Syria

By Joel Williams
In Federal
December 21, 2018 at 8:41 PM

On December 19, 2018, President Donald Trump ordered all remaining U.S. troops to be withdrawn from Syria. The U.S. had been conducting direct combat operations in Syria since April 2017. Department of Defense officials said they expected the troop withdrawal to take no more than 30 days. In a video posted to Twitter, Trump said, “We have won against ISIS. Our boys, our young women, our men – they’re all coming back, and they’re coming back now.” According to The New York Times, this move was the catalyst for Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis’s retirement, which was announced Thursday night. Click here to read more about the conflict in Syria and the Trump administration. 



Democratic donor who backed Obama’s 2008 run announces pro-Booker super PAC

By Emily Aubert
In Federal
December 21, 2018 at 8:37 PM
Democratic donor Steve Phillips announced the formation of the Dream United super PAC to support a possible presidential run by U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) Thursday. Phillips said he already had $4 million lined up to support Booker and expected to raise $10 million over the coming months. Phillips backed former President Barack Obama’s 2008 run in a similar fashion, with his groups spending $11 million on that campaign. 
 
While Booker said last month that he was considering running for president, three notable Democrats have taken formal steps towards a run. Former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro (D) formed an exploratory committee last week and West Virginia state Sen. Richard Ojeda (D) and U.S. Rep. John Delaney (D-Md.) both declared their candidacies.
 
Nearly 440 candidates have already filed with the Federal Election Commission to run for president in 2020, including 131 Democrats, 59 Republicans, 18 Libertarians, and 10 Greens.
 
Ballotpedia is also tracking more than 60 possible Democratic and Republican presidential contenders.


Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis to retire in Feb. 2019

By Rob Oldham
In Federal
December 21, 2018 at 8:32 PM
Secretary of Defense James Mattis will retire at the end of February 2019, President Donald Trump announced in a tweet Thursday. Trump tweeted, “During Jim’s tenure, tremendous progress has been made, especially with respect to the purchase of new fighting equipment. General Mattis was a great help to me in getting allies and other countries to pay their share of military obligations. A new Secretary of Defense will be named shortly. I greatly thank Jim for his service!” 
 
Mattis, a former Marine Corps four-star general, became secretary of defense in January 2017 after the U.S. Senate confirmed him in a 98-1 vote. He was the first recently retired general to serve in the position since George C. Marshall in the early 1950s.


New Mexico governor orders regulatory impact statements for all new proposed rules or regulatory changes

By Caitlin Styrsky
In State
December 21, 2018 at 8:27 PM

New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez (R) signed an executive order on Tuesday that requires all state boards, commissions, and agencies to complete a Regulatory Impact Form (RIF) for each proposed rule or regulatory change. 

The RIFs will feature information about each proposal’s impact on the general public and possible outcomes to expect if the proposal is not implemented. State regulators must also include information that identifies the problem that the proposal is intended to address and provides an explanation for why the proposal is the best option among other possible solutions. The RIFs will be posted online through the state’s Sunshine Portal for public review 48 hours prior to the public comment period.

“Improving our regulatory environment has been a top priority for this administration, and analyzing each proposed rule is another step forward in ensuring that regulations are created responsibly and transparently,” said Martinez in a press release. “This new tool will help regulators and the public better understand the impact these regulations have on the people of our state.”

Democratic Governor-elect Michelle Lujan Grisham has not indicated whether or not she supports the order. She could rescind the order after she takes office in early 2019.

The RIFs in New Mexico are similar to the Regulatory Impact Analyses (RIA) submitted by federal agencies as part of the federal regulatory review process. Pursuant to Presidential Executive Order 12866, federal agencies must submit RIAs to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) for each proposed significant regulatory action— those that may conflict with presidential priorities or have large impacts on the economy, environment, public health, or state or local governments.

Unlike federal RIAs, New Mexico’s RIFs will be required for all proposed rules or regulatory changes and will not be limited to those with significant regulatory impacts.