Over the past month, two state legislators—Louisiana Rep. Francis Thompson and North Carolina Rep. Tricia Cotham—left the Democratic Party to join the Republicans. Both changes gave their new parties legislature-wide veto-proof majorities in their respective states. Veto-proof majorities exist when one party controls enough seats in a chamber to override a gubernatorial veto. When these…
In New York, voters will decide on a constitutional amendment to remove the debt limit on small city school districts at the election on Nov. 7, 2023. The New York Constitution places a debt limit on small city school districts, which are defined as districts located in cities with fewer than 125,000 inhabitants. The debt…
As of April 2, members of the New Mexico State Legislature, which includes the New Mexico House of Representatives and the New Mexico State Senate, have passed four bills related to election administration since the beginning of the year. Of the four bills passed this year, four have been enacted. This is four more than…
As of April 2, members of the Indiana General Assembly, which includes the Indiana House of Representatives and the Indiana State Senate, have passed two bills related to election administration since the beginning of the year. Of those two bills, legislators passed two during the week of March 27-April 2. Republicans sponsored both bills. The…
As of April 2, members of the New York State Legislature, which includes the New York State Assembly and the New York State Senate, have passed four bills related to election administration since the beginning of the year. Of those four bills, legislators passed one during the week of March 27-April 2. A bipartisan group…
As of April 4, 2023, six statewide measures have been certified for the ballot in three states for elections in 2023. That’s the same as the average number (6) certified at this point in other odd-numbered years from 2011 to 2021. For 2024, 23 statewide measures have been certified in 12 states. That’s seven more…
The Wisconsin Supreme Court issued three opinions from March 27-April 2. As of April 2, the court issued 20 opinions in 2023 — five more than this point a year ago. The three opinions are below: State v. Hoyle, where the court reversed the appellate court’s reversal of the defendant’s conviction on two counts of…
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals issued 14 opinions from March 27-April 2. The Texas Supreme Court issued five opinions from March 27-April 2. Both courts are the state’s courts of last resort. As of April 2, the court of criminal appeals issued 89 opinions in 2023 — 20 more than this point a year…
The New Mexico Supreme Court issued one opinion from March 27-April 2. As of April 2, the court issued 10 opinions in 2023 — two more than this point a year ago. The opinion is below: State v. Lopez, where the court held “that the tolling provision of Rule 7-506.1(D) applies to cases that are…
The New Jersey Supreme Court issued one opinion from March 27-April 2. As of April 2, the court issued 16 opinions in 2023 — one fewer than this point a year ago. The opinion is below: New Jersey v. Higgs, where the court remanded for a new trial in a case where the defendant was…