Tag: news
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Amy Beard appointed commissioner of Indiana’s Department of Insurance
Amy Beard assumed office on June 2 as commissioner of the Indiana Department of Insurance. Governor Eric Holcomb (R) appointed Beard to the position in May to replace outgoing commissioner Stephen Robertson. Robertson announced in April he would resign as commissioner, effective June 1. Beard has worked at Indiana’s Department of Insurance since 2013, serving…
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Ruth Ruggero Hughs resigns as Texas Secretary of State
Ruth Ruggero Hughs resigned as Texas secretary of state effective May 31, after the Nominations Committee of the Texas State Senate did not take up her nomination for another term. Gov. Greg Abbott (R) appointed Hughs on August 19, 2019, to succeed David Whitley after he did not receive enough confirmation votes from the state…
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Noah Valenstein resigns as secretary of Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Noah Valenstein stepped down from his position on June 4. He had led the agency for over four years since former Gov. Rick Scott (R) appointed him on May 23, 2017. Shawn Hamilton, the department’s deputy secretary for land and recreation, will take over as interim secretary. In his…
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May 2021 partisan composition of state legislative seats: 54.3% Republicans, 44.9% Democrats
Ballotpedia’s May partisan count of state legislative seats found that 54.30% of state legislators are Republicans and 44.93% are Democrats. At the end of every month, Ballotpedia tallies the partisan balance of state legislatures, which refers to which political party holds a majority of seats in each chamber. Republicans currently control 61 chambers, while Democrats…
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Colorado Legislature passes transportation funding bill that removes bond issue from 2021 ballot
On June 2, 2021, the Colorado State Legislature passed a transportation funding bill, Senate Bill 260. It included a provision to remove the bond issue that was set to appear on the 2021 ballot. Governor Jared Polis (D) is expected to sign the legislation. The bill was passed largely along party lines with Democrats in…
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Recall effort against supervisors in Shasta County, California, approved to circulate petitions
An effort to recall three of the five members of the Shasta County Board of Supervisors in California has been approved to circulate petitions. District 1 representative Joe Chimenti, District 2 representative Leonard Moty, and District 3 representative Mary Rickert were named in the notices of intent to recall. Recall supporters have until Sept. 29…
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Special election to be held on June 8 in New Hampshire House district
A special election is being held on June 8 for the Merrimack 23 District of the New Hampshire House of Representatives. Muriel Hall (D) and Christopher Lins (R) are running in the general election. The winner of this special election will serve until December 2022. The seat became vacant after Samantha Fox (D) resigned on…
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Federal Register weekly update: No significant rules issued
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 overall regulatory activity, accounting for both regulatory and deregulatory actions. From May 24 through May 28, the Federal Register grew by 1,376 pages for a…
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Looking back at government responses to the coronavirus pandemic, June 1-5, 2020
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. Many of those policies remain in place today. Here…
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Delaware, Maine, New Jersey end face-covering requirements
Three states ended statewide public mask requirements for vaccinated and unvaccinated people between May 21 and May 28. Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) ended the statewide indoor mask requirement May 24. Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew said businesses could require people to show proof of vaccination, but “the state of Maine…