Tag: news

  • Biden signs three Congressional Review Act bills repealing Trump-era rules 

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    President Joe Biden (D) signed three Congressional Review Act (CRA) bills on June 30, reversing three administrative rules implemented near the end of the Donald Trump (R) administration.  Signing these bills brings the total number of rules repealed under the CRA to 20. These CRA bills are also the first Congress has used to reverse…

  • Judge blocks $3,000 limit on contributions to Florida initiative campaigns during signature gathering

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    On July 1, U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor issued a preliminary injunction blocking the enforcement of Florida Senate Bill 1890. SB 1890 was designed to set $3,000 limits on campaign contributions to committees in support of or opposition to ballot initiatives during signature gathering. The bill was designed to lift the contribution limits after a…

  • Arizona voters to decide single-subject rule amendment for citizen-initiated ballot measures

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    At the 2022 general election, Arizona voters will decide a constitutional amendment to require that citizen-initiated ballot measures embrace a single subject. The ballot measure would also require the initiative’s subject to be expressed in the ballot title, or else the missing subject would be considered void.  Known as the single-subject rule, 16 states (of 26…

  • SCOTUS issues two per curiam opinions, accepts new cases for review

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    The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) issued orders on June 28 from its weekly conference, issuing two per curiam opinions and granting review in two cases for its upcoming October 2021 term. The following two cases were decided without argument in per curiam rulings. A per curiam opinion is unsigned and delivered by…

  • Eleven candidates running in Republican special primary for Ohio’s 15th Congressional District

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    Eleven candidates are running in the Republican primary to represent Ohio’s 15th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives on August 3, 2021. The special general election, which will be held November 2, 2021, was called after Steve Stivers (R) resigned his seat in the House to become the President and CEO of the…

  • An update on NYC comptroller election results

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    Voters in New York City may be waiting at least a couple weeks to find out who the Democratic nominee for city comptroller is—along with nominees for other offices on the ballot, including mayor and city council.  The city Board of Elections is scheduled to begin running ranked-choice voting tabulations on June 29—the day it…

  • A look back at government responses to the coronavirus pandemic, June 29-July 3, 2020

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    Although the first case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was confirmed on Jan. 21, 2020, it wasn’t until March when the novel coronavirus upended life for most Americans. Throughout the year, states issued stay-at-home orders, closed schools, restricted travel, issued mask mandates, and changed election dates. Here are the policy changes that happened June 29-July…

  • Oregon voters to decide on removing slavery and involuntary servitude as criminal punishment from state constitution in 2022

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    On June 24, the Oregon State Legislature voted to send a constitutional amendment to voters in November 2022 that would remove language that allows slavery or involuntary servitude for duly convicted individuals. The amendment would also add language to authorize an Oregon court or a probation or parole agency to order alternatives to incarceration for…

  • Lynn DeCoite appointed to Hawaii State Senate, creating vacancy in state House

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    Hawaii Governor David Ige (D) appointed Lynn DeCoite (D) to the District 7 seat in the Hawaii State Senate on June 17. The seat became vacant in May when former state Sen. Jamie Kalani English (D) retired due to the long-term health effects of a past COVID-19 infection. DeCoite to serve the remainder of Kalani…

  • Bernalillo County Commission appoints Pamelya Herndon to New Mexico House of Representatives 

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    The Bernalillo County Commission appointed Pamelya Herndon (D) to District 28 in the New Mexico House of Representatives on June 22. Herndon replaces Melanie Ann Stansbury (D), who was elected to New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District on June 1 of this year.  The Bernalillo County Commission voted 4-0 to appoint Herndon, who was one of…