Tag: weekly brew

Understanding primaries – State primary laws and types, explained State laws governing primaries can be confusing. In some states, political parties control their primaries, including whether to hold a primary at all. Elsewhere, primaries are mandatory.  Looking at laws governing who may participate in a primary, we classify states into one of five categories:  Thirty-nine…

California Legislature approves congressional redistricting amendment for November 2025 ballot On Aug. 21, California lawmakers approved and Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed legislation to put a constitutional amendment on the Nov. 4 ballot to redraw the state’s congressional districts. Under Proposition 50, California would use the congressional district map from Assembly Bill 604 (AB 604).…

Nationwide mail-in ballot rejection rate was 1.2% in 2024, higher than in 2016 and 2020 On June 30, the Election Assistance Commission released the 2024 Election Administration and Voting Survey results. In Monday’s Brew, we analyzed the survey’s reporting on rejected mail-in ballots across all 50 states and U.S. territories in 2024 and compared these…

Twenty-two states have banned or limited cellphones in classrooms so far this year So far this year, 22 states have enacted laws or policies banning or limiting cellphones in classrooms. Oregon enacted the most recent law via executive order on July 2. Since 2023, 33 states have enacted laws or policies on cellphone use in…

Texas House Democrats leave the state to prevent a quorum for congressional redistricting Democratic members of the Texas House of Representatives have left the state to prevent a quorum necessary for the chamber to vote on the proposed congressional district map. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) added redistricting to the state’s 30-day special legislative session…

The school year is about to begin—see how much your district received in federal pandemic relief   Between 2020 and 2021, Congress provided roughly $190 billion in aid to K-12 school districts as part of a program called Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER). As students around the country prepare to go back to school…

Missouri governor signs law repealing provisions of 2024 paid sick leave and minimum wage ballot initiative On July 10, Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe (R) signed House Bill 567 (HB 567), using legislative alternation to repeal provisions of a 2024 citizen initiative that established paid sick leave requirements and a previously existing provision that tied future…

Vermont, Ohio, North Carolina, and Oregon enact K-12 cellphone bans Since June 27, Vermont, Ohio, North Carolina, and Oregon have all enacted statewide bans on cellphone use in K-12 schools. Twenty-five states have enacted cellphone bans or limits in K-12 schools, with at least 17 doing so this year. Three states require all school district…

Voters in one of the 31 states with mandatory judicial retirement ages—Louisiana—will decide whether to raise their age On April 18, 2026, Louisiana voters will decide on an amendment to increase the judicial retirement age. Currently, the age is 70, and if a judge turns 70 during their term, they may finish the rest of…

New Hampshire becomes 18th state with a universal private school choice program On June 10, New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R) signed SB 295, which removed the income threshold from the state’s Education Freedom Account Program (EFA) and made the program universal. Private school choice programs provide public funds for alternatives to public schools, such…