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Republicans Try to Rein in ‘Rogue’ Progressive Prosecutors
Vowing to rein in so-called progressive prosecutors, Republican lawmakers in at least half a dozen states are pushing bills that would curb the discretion that local district attorneys have in deciding which crimes to prosecute — and, in some cases, make it easier to remove those elected officials from office. GOP backers say the legislation […]
As Abortion Measures Loom, GOP Raises New Barriers to Ballot Initiatives
Read more Stateline coverage on how states are either protecting or curbing access to abortions. Roused by voters’ recent endorsement of abortion rights — even in conservative states — Republican legislators are ramping up efforts to make it tougher for citizens to change laws or amend state constitutions through ballot measures. Some of the GOP proposals would […]
Shared Power Used to be the Norm in Statehouses. Now It’s Nearly Extinct.
Terry Kilgore has been a Republican member of the Virginia House of Delegates since 1994. During that time, there have been four years in which the GOP controlled the governor’s office and both chambers of the legislature. For two years, Democrats held complete control. In the other 23 years, Republicans and Democrats have shared power […]
Democrats Hold Governorships, Make State Legislative Gains
Note: This story was updated to reflect the latest election results from Minnesota. Dispelling predictions of a red wave, Democrats seized complete control of the legislatures in Michigan and Minnesota, and held on to governorships in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, maintaining a bulwark against Republican-dominated legislatures in the latter two states. Democrats also won historic […]
Trump-Appointed Judges Fuel Abortion Debate in the States
This is part one of Stateline’s 2021 State of the States series. Larry Grooms believes that “abortion is denying the right to life to many South Carolinians.” The Republican state senator, who has been in office since 1997, has introduced a bill to restrict abortion access nearly every year because, he says, “the right to […]
