On June 20, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed two bills affecting the administration and oversight of elections in Texas’ largest county, Harris County. SB1750 would transfer all powers and duties of a county elections administrator to the county tax assessor-collector and county clerk in counties with a population of more than 3.5 million. Harris…
There’s one state where the legislature cannot impeach the governor — Oregon. That could change on Nov. 5, 2024, when voters will decide on a constitutional amendment to empower the Oregon State Legislature to impeach and remove elected state executives, including the governor. The constitutional amendment would require a two-thirds vote in the House to…
Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat and ESG supporter, on June 23 vetoed a bill banning the use of ESG in state investments. The bill previously passed the state House on May 3 and the state Senate on June 13. The bill now heads back to the legislature, which is expected to have the votes to…
In Arizona, the state Legislature approved a constitutional amendment related to the governor’s emergency powers on June 12, 2023. Voters will decide on the amendment at the election on Nov. 5, 2024. As of June 12, there were four statewide ballot measures certified in Arizona for 2024. These four measures are legislative referrals. One would…
40 people declared candidacies for federal or statewide offices in the past week, two fewer than last week. All of these candidates declared before their state’s official filing deadline. Twenty-two of those candidates were Democratic, while 18 were Republican. Twenty-eight candidates are running for Congress, four for governorship, and eight for a lower state executive…
Incumbent Michael Adams defeated two candidates—2015 Republican nominee Stephen Knipper and former state Rep. Allen Maricle—in the Republican primary for Kentucky secretary of state on May 16. Adams faces former state Rep. Charles Wheatley—the only candidate who ran for the Democratic nomination—in the general election on Nov. 7. Adams was elected secretary of state in…
Nationally, governors issued 26 executive orders from May 1-7. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) led the field with 16, followed by Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) with three. Governors in 41 states issued the fewest orders with zero. Governors use executive orders to manage executive branch operations. Last week’s executive orders account for 5% of…
The Iowa State Legislature referred a constitutional amendment to the 2024 ballot that would create a system of succession in the case of temporary or permanent disability of the governor. The amendment would provide that if the governor dies, resigns, or is removed from office, the lieutenant governor would assume the office of governor for…
Nationally, governors issued 14 executive orders from April 3-9. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) led the field with three each, followed by Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) with two. Governors in 41 states issued the fewest orders with zero. Governors use executive orders to manage executive branch…
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) issued two executive orders from Feb. 27-March 5. As of March 5, Polis has issued eight executive orders in 2023—four fewer than he did at this point a year ago. Governors use executive orders to manage executive branch operations. During the week of Feb. 27-March 5, the nation’s governors issued…