Legislatures in two states — Kansas and Mississippi — considered but did not pass bills to expand Medicaid in 2024. Both bills would have included work requirements. Voters in one state — South Dakota — will decide a ballot measure to allow Medicaid work requirements on November 5. Background Ten states have not expanded Medicaid…
Six states adopted new laws related to voting by individuals convicted of a felony or voting by incarcerated individuals, including two states with Republican trifectas that passed bills to restore voting rights to certain individuals convicted of a felony more quickly. In Oklahoma, Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) signed HB 1629 on May 13, restoring voting rights to people convicted…
Three states with Republican trifectas added new definitions of who may return another voter’s ballot in 2024. Idaho adopted H 599, which stipulates that only election officials, postal workers, common carrier employees, a person paid by the voter, a relative of the voter, a member of their household, or a caregiver may collect or deliver another…
On May 13, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves (R) signed SB 2144 into law, banning ranked-choice voting (RCV). With the new law, more states have now banned RCV in 2024 than in any other year. Mississippi joined Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Alabama, who all adopted legislation banning RCV this year, and became the ninth state overall to prohibit the electoral system. SB 2144 bans RCV “in…
A Medicaid expansion bill in Mississippi died in negotiations between the Mississippi House and Senate, primarily over the inclusion of work requirements in the final version, resulting in its failure to pass before the session deadline on May 2, 2024. The Mississippi House of Representatives passed House Bill 1725 on February 28, 2024, with a…
Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson (R) on March 26, 2024, sent a cease and desist letter to BlackRock arguing the firm misled investors regarding the extent of its commitment to ESG strategies and threatened to fine the asset manager. Watson specifically said BlackRock’s claim that the firm’s non-ESG funds did not “seek to follow…
Both of the candidates running in the April 2, 2024, Republican primary runoff for Mississippi’s 2nd Congressional District — Ronald Eller (R) and Andrew S. Smith (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. Here are the candidates’ responses to…
The Mississippi House of Representatives passed H.B. 1725 on February 28, 2024, which would expand Medicaid eligibility for people who earn up to 138% of the federal poverty level and meet work requirements. The bill directs the Mississippi Division of Medicaid to apply for a waiver from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services…
This year’s filing deadline for candidates running for Congress in Mississippi was Jan. 12, 2024. Twelve candidates are running for Mississippi’s four U.S. House districts, including four Democrats and eight Republicans. That’s three candidates per district, less than in the previous three election cycles. There were 5.75 candidates per district in 2022, 3.75 candidates per…
The Mississippi House of Representatives passed a proposed constitutional amendment that would create a new state initiative and referendum process. On Jan. 24, the constitutional amendment, House Concurrent Resolution 11, was passed 80-39. Among House Republicans, 78 voted ‘Yes’ and one voted ‘No’. Among House Democrats, 38 voted ‘No’ and one voted ‘Yes’. The one…