In a 5-2 decision on April 28, 2023, the North Carolina Supreme Court overturned a 2022 decision that the state’s enacted congressional and legislative maps were unconstitutional due to partisan gerrymandering. The court vacated the maps the legislature enacted in 2021 and the remedial maps used for the 2022 elections. In its ruling, the court…
Twenty-eight state legislative seats up for election in New Jersey this year are open, meaning no incumbents filed to run. This represents 23% of the state’s legislature, a decade-high rate of open seats, and a marked increase from previous election cycles. Newcomers are guaranteed to win all open seats since no incumbents are running for them.…
New York enacted new State Assembly district boundaries on April 24, 2023, when Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) signed legislation establishing them for use starting with the 2024 elections. The State Assembly passed the bill earlier that day by a vote of 132-13, and it passed the state Senate by a vote of 59-1. The New…
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) issued one executive order from April 17-23. Lujan Grisham has issued 40 executive orders—20 more than she did at this point a year ago. The order is here: Executive Order 2023-040, where the governor declared an emergency in Sandoval County due to severe flooding and authorized emergency financial…
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) issued 20 executive orders from April 17-23. As of April 23, DeSantis has issued 85 executive orders in 2023 — 15 fewer than he did at this point a year ago. Three of the orders are below: Executive Order Number 23-81, where the governor extended the assignment of Katherine Fernandez…
The Texas State Legislature took the final vote to send a constitutional amendment to the Nov. 2023 ballot on April 25. The measure would amend section 59 of Article XVI of the state constitution to authorize the legislature to permit conservation and reclamation districts in El Paso County to issue bonds to fund parks and…
The Texas State Senate passed two constitutional amendments related to parental rights. They are now pending before the House. If approved by the House, they would appear on the ballot for Nov. 7, 2023. Senate Joint Resolution 29 would provide a state constitutional right for parents or legal guardians to direct their children’s education, including choosing…
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) issued one executive order from April 17-23. As of April 23, Hochul has issued 13 executive orders in 2023—six fewer than she did at this point a year ago. The order is below: EXECUTIVE ORDER No. 4.20, where the governor continues a statewide disaster emergency due to healthcare staffing…
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) issued two executive orders from April 17-23. As of April 23, Evers has issued 14 executive orders in 2023—three more than he did at this point a year ago. The orders are: EXECUTIVE ORDER #194, where the governor declared a state of emergency in response to widespread flooding across the…
Ballotpedia is covering 47 ballot measures in seven counties in Texas on May 6. Five of the 47 are citizen initiatives, and the remaining 42 were referred to the ballot by a vote of a local governing board, such as a county board or city council. Compared to the May elections in 2019 and 2021…