Politics and Campaigns
Top State Stories 1/13
MA: Massachusetts lawmakers plan biggest gun control push in years with Democratic governor bostonglobe.com Massachusetts legislators say they will file at least two dozen gun safety bills amid rising concern about gun violence and loopholes in existing state laws, setting the stage for what could be the biggest push for sweeping gun reform that the state […]
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 […]
As 2024 Election Looms, State Legislatures Consider Voting Changes
With their eyes on the 2024 presidential election, state lawmakers around the country are preparing to reshape voting rules in what election experts expect will be another busy legislative season. Republican lawmakers — many of whom are motivated by the mistaken belief that the voting system is riddled with election fraud — are looking to […]
Top State Stories 12/16
CA: California approves roadmap for carbon neutrality by 2045 sacbee.com California’s air quality regulators approved a much-disputed blueprint for meeting the state’s ambitious greenhouse gas reduction goals. Critics called it thin on actionable detail and overly reliant on unrealistic carbon removal technology. OR: Judge blocks Oregon’s voter-approved ban on large ammo magazines oregonlive.com In a […]
Top State Stories 12/15
CA: Drought emergency declared for all Southern California latimes.com As California faces the prospect of a fourth consecutive dry year, officials with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California have declared a regional drought emergency and called on water agencies to immediately reduce their use of all imported supplies. GA: No more runoffs? Georgia election chief seeks […]
GOP Lawmakers Aim to Criminalize Drag Shows Where Children Could Be Present
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — It was trivia night at Tribe, an LGBTQ club in Nashville, and drag queen Tracey Ottomey was quizzing the crowd on pop music, Christmas movies and Queen Victoria. At the same time, pop music videos — widely available on YouTube and other platforms — played on screens around the bar. One audience […]
Top State Stories 12/9
TX: Texas court throws out lawsuit against doctor who violated state abortion law texastribune.org A judge in San Antonio has thrown out a lawsuit filed against a Texas abortion provider who intentionally violated a state law that allows anyone to bring a lawsuit against someone who “aids or abets” an abortion after about six weeks of […]
Top State Stories 12/8
IN: Indiana sues TikTok over adult content, security indystar.com Indiana has sued the popular social media platform TikTok over allegations it fails to protect children from mature content, and that it deceived users about the Chinese government’s ability to access their data. ME: Maine House makes history by electing first Black speaker bangordailynews.com Democratic state Rep. Rachel […]
Top State Stories 12/7
DC: District of Columbia votes to eliminate bus fares washingtonpost.com The District of Columbia will become the nation’s most populous city to offer free public transit after the Washington, D.C. Council voted to waive fares for Metrobus rides. The D.C. government will subsidize bus rides within the city limit starting July 1, allowing passengers to board […]
Top State Stories 12/6
GA: Polls open for US Senate runoff on Election Day in Georgia ajc.com Polling places opened for the Georgia runoff for U.S. Senate between Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker, the last undecided Senate race in the country. HI: New Hawaii governor takes over a state with chronic problems, but money to […]
Don’t Vote for Just One: Ranked Choice Voting Is Gaining Ground
Last month, voters in Nevada, Seattle and at least six other jurisdictions around the country approved measures to change how they elect their leaders. Instead of voting for just one candidate, they instead will rank a slate of candidates. Ranked choice voting has seen steady success in recent years. Nationwide, 62 jurisdictions have adopted the […]
Top State Stories 12/2
WA: To address wealth gap, Washington to consider K ‘baby bonds’ seattletimes.com A new proposal coming to the Washington legislature, the Washington Future Fund, would create a pool of money that every child born under the state’s Medicaid program, Apple Health, could access. The money can be used in adulthood to use toward homeownership, education […]