Tag: State Legislature
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Legislatures in Arizona, California, and Rhode Island will decide on legislatively referred ballot measures in June
Three states—Arizona, California, and Rhode Island—have June deadlines for referring measures to voters. In Arizona, where legislators extended their session through June 30, 31 measures have passed one chamber and are awaiting a vote in the other. California's legislature does not adjourn until August 31, but legislative measures must be certified by June 25. Rhode…
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Tennessee Enacts REINS-style bill, the second REINS state in 2026
On May 19, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) signed HB 1913 into law. The bill introduces a REINS-style requirement for agency rulemaking, under which the legislature must approve of proposed rules exceeding a cost threshold. The bill also requires rulemaking agencies to seek feedback from trade organizations that would be affected by a proposed rule,…
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Fifteen Nevada state legislative incumbents face primary challenges, the second most at any point since 2010
Fifteen Nevada state legislative incumbents face primary contests in 2026, the most at any point since 2016, and the second most at any point since 2010. This is a 88% increase in the number of incumbents facing challengers compared to 2024. Twelve of the contested incumbents are Democrats, and three are Republicans. Twelve are state…
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Two hundred and sixty-seven major-party candidates are running for state legislature in California, the smallest at any point since 2010
Two hundred and sixty-seven major party candidates filed to run in California legislative elections, the fewest at any point since 2010. One hundred forty-nine are Democrats, and 119 are Republicans. All 80 Assembly seats and 20 of 40 Senate seats are up for election. Twenty-one seats are open, meaning no incumbents filed. This means newcomers…
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Alabama enacts post-election audit law, 13 other election-related bills in 2026 session
The Alabama Legislature adjourned its regular session on April 9 after enacting 14 election-related bills, all of which Gov. Kay Ivey (R) signed. Among those bills was HB 95, which requires post-election audits. Under the new law, each county judge of probate is required to order a post-election audit after every countywide and statewide general…
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Kentucky legislature overrides governor's veto on Medicaid work requirements bill
On April 14, 2026, the Kentucky General Assembly voted along party lines to override line item vetoes from Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) of House Bill 2 and enshrined changes to Medicaid rules into state law. Beshear had vetoed several portions of the bill, including a requirement that Medicaid applicants demonstrate three months of compliance…
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Maryland State Legislature replaces an amendment related to the Commission on Judicial Disabilities with an updated version and sends changes to collective bargaining for state employees to voters in November
The Maryland State Legislature voted to refer two constitutional amendments to voters in November. The first amendment (Senate Bill 933) would repeal the amendment (House Bill 788) referred to the ballot during the 2025 legislative session. Both amendments were designed to allow the chair of the Commission on Judicial Disabilities to appoint former members to…
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December redistricting vote shapes Republican primaries for Indiana Senate
Republican primaries for the Indiana Senate will take place on May 5, 2026. The general election is on November 3, 2026. The Indiana Senate is one of 88 state legislative chambers with elections in 2026. There are 99 chambers throughout the country. Twenty-five of the Indiana Senate's 50 seats are up for election in 2026.…
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One-fourth of indirect initiatives were approved by state legislatures between 2018 and 2025; 12 currently pending before state legislatures
There are nine states that authorize indirect initiatives, either statutes or constitutional amendments, where citizen-proposed ballot measures are first presented to state legislatures. Between 2018 and 2025, 40 indirect initiatives were certified to state legislatures. Ten were approved by state legislatures, while 17 were approved and 13 were rejected by voters. For the 2026 ballot,…
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How Often Do Both State Legislative Chambers Flip at Once? Rarely. Only 20 times since 1992.
Since 1992, 160 changes in state legislative chamber partisan control occurred across the country. That includes 20 times both of a state’s legislative chambers changed partisan control in the same year (14%) and 120 times a single chamber changed partisan control (86%). While chambers may have periodic split control, especially chambers with an even number…