LEGISLATURE

Wisconsin’s conservative-controlled Supreme Court handed Republicans their newest weapon to weaken any Democratic governors in the battleground state.

Wisconsin's conservative-controlled Supreme Court handed Republicans their newest weapon to weaken any Democratic governors in the battleground state, ruling this week that political appointees don't have to leave their posts until the Senate confirms their successor. The court's decision — in the case of a conservative who refused to step down from an environmental policy board for more than a year after his term expired — marks another loss for Democratic Gov. Tony Evers as he faces reelection in November. Republicans have worked to reduce Evers' powers since even before he took office and have refused to confirm many of his appointees.

“If a case is brought in front of our clients, at least, they’ve indicated to us and the media that they’ll look at it,” said David Kallman, a lawyer with the conservative Great Lakes Justice Center. “And if the facts are there, they’ll charge, because the law is the law and it’s in effect.”

Arizona’s Republican attorney general says that a pre-statehood law that bans all abortions is enforceable.

The Supreme Court's decision to end the constitutional right to abortion likely will lead to legal battles as already divided states grapple with the new landscape of abortion access.

Red flag laws likely remain a nonstarter among Republican leaders in Texas, where Gov. Greg Abbott already faced a conservative backlash after he asked the Legislature to consider them four years ago.

North Dakota Republican Gov. Doug Burgum’s expensive effort to influence the GOP primary and reshape the Legislature with more people who support his spending and policy goals was a mixed bag.

Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan pitched redirecting more than $100 million in state funding to quickly boost mental health and school safety programs before school starts again next fall.His plan came[San Marcos, TX] [Hays County news] News San Marcos News, San Marcos Record [Texas State]

Texas House Speaker pitched redirecting more than $100 million to school safety.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick had asked House leaders to support his push for arming school police officers with bulletproof shields after the Uvalde shooting. House Speaker Dade Phelan is also asking for more money for mental health and school safety programs.

Ahead of a potential presidential bid, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem handily won the Republican nomination last week for a second term. It's a lesson that Donald Trump, Noem's ally, is learning as he falls short, notably in Georgia, in trying to punish Republicans who have crossed him. In the GOP primary last month, Georgia voters overwhelmingly backed Gov. Brian Kemp, who had rebuffed Trump's lies about widespread fraud during the 2020 election.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is among several top state officials testifying before a grand jury regarding whether former President Donald Trump illegally tried to overturn Georgia's 2020 election results. Tia Mitchell, Washington correspondent for the Atlanta Journal Constitution, explains the significance of his testimony.

Louisiana's Democratic governor says he'll call the state's Republican-dominated Legislature into special session to draw up new congressional districts.

Louisiana's Democratic governor says he'll call the state's Republican-dominated Legislature into special session to draw up new congressional districts.

An Arizona judge has declined a request by the state Republican Party to block most mail ballots for the 2022 election, preserving the voting method used by the overwhelming majority of voters.

The mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, are again putting the focus on gun control measures such as waiting periods to buy firearms.

The Indiana Supreme Court on Friday threw out a law that gave state legislators increased power to intervene during public health emergencies, agreeing with arguments from Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb that the move violated the state constitution. The court’s unanimous decision settles a legal fight that began more than a year ago when Holcomb sued over a law that was a response to his efforts to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. The new law gave legislative leaders authority to call the General Assembly into an “emergency session” if the governor declares a statewide emergency.

The New York Legislature has approved a milestone environmental measure designed to tap the brakes on the spread of cryptocurrency mining operations that burn fossil fuels.

Legislative leadership smiled as the GOP governor at times poked fun at the fact he vetoed their priorities

Gov. Greg Abbott and other Republican leaders signaled an openness to some gun restrictions after recent mass shootings. But in the last several years, lawmakers have eased gun laws, most notably by passing a permitless carry bill last year.

The state GOP long opposed new regulations on corporations. Then Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick launched a crusade against “woke” businesses.

New York’s political landscape for the next decade is being quickly retooled by a rural judge and out-of-state expert after a court ruled Democrats controlling New York's legislature bungled the job.

Kansas’ highest court has upheld a Republican redistricting law that improves the GOP's chances of flipping the state's only congressional seat held by a Democrat.

A court-appointed expert released a draft of new congressional maps for New York that are more favorable to Republicans than the original gerrymandered political maps drawn by Democrats.

A North Dakota state senator who is resigning following a report about text messages he exchanged with an inmate ran up travel expenses the past decade that are more than 14 times what lawmakers bill state taxpayers on average, according to a review by The Associated Press. Republican Ray Holmberg, the Legislature's longest-serving senator, has made taxpayer-funded trips to four dozen U.S. cities, China, Canada and several countries in Europe, the AP's review of travel records showed. The 229 lawmakers who served during that period accounted for more than $2 million in travel, or about $8,700 per lawmaker — putting Holmberg’s total many times above the average as he went everywhere from Norway to New Orleans and Portland, Oregon, to Puerto Rico.

Foreign drug cartels that established illegal outdoor marijuana farms in Oregon last year are adapting as pressure on them begins to mount, law enforcement officials said Thursday. New challenges are emerging as a task force created by the Legislature met for the first time to figure out how to combat cannabis-related problems, some of which threaten Oregon's legal, regulated recreational marijuana industry. The Task Force on Cannabis-Derived Intoxicants and Illegal Cannabis Production is also responsible for recommending funding and command structure to enable law enforcement to combat illegal cannabis production, changes to state laws to address labor trafficking and water theft by the cartel-financed pot farms and regulations on genetic engineering of cannabis, among other issues.

Texas voters overwhelmingly approved two proposed amendments on Saturday that will provide property tax relief to homeowners.According to the Austin American-Statesman, nearly 85% of voters supported [San Marcos, TX] [Hays County news] News San Marcos News, San Marcos Record [Texas State]

Lawmakers in California are talking about making a four-day work week a reality. Here's why the idea isn't as far-fetched as it seems.

The Supreme Court’s apparent intention to abolish a nationwide right to abortion, spelled out in a draft opinion leaked this week, will not be the final chapter in the nation’s most pitched culture battle.

The Supreme Court’s apparent intention to abolish a nationwide right to abortion, spelled out in a draft opinion leaked this week, will not be the final chapter in the nation’s most pitched culture battle.

Frustrated Indiana conservatives fell short in most primary races in their drive to push the Republican-controlled state Legislature further to the right and saw two of their movement’s leaders lose their reelection bids.

Politico said it obtained a draft Supreme Court majority opinion indicating the landmark abortion ruling will be overturned.

New York’s highest court has rejected new congressional maps that had widely been seen as favoring Democrats.

The state’s performance reports have been effectively buried, but there are lots of places where state government operations could use a scrubbing.

North Dakota’s longest-serving state senator says he'll resign following a report that he had traded scores of text messages with a man jailed on child pornography charges.

Performance reviews of state government are an exercise in separating the operation of government — how things work — from the direction of government — what, in broader terms, government should do. The nuts and bolts on one hand, the vision thing on the other.

Voting rights groups have sued Florida over a congressional map drawn by Gov. Ron DeSantis and passed by the GOP-controlled Legislature.

The Arizona Supreme Court says the state’s voters do not have the right to reject a massive income tax cut approved by the Republican-controlled legislature last year.

The Arizona Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that the state's voters do not have the right to reject a massive income tax cut approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature and Gov. Doug Ducey last year. The decision means a tax cut is in effect that will hit nearly $2 billion when it is fully in place and mainly benefits the wealthy. Lawyers for the Arizona Free Enterprise Club, a conservative pro-business group that pushes for lower taxes and regulations, argued the state constitution does not allow referrals for measures that provide for the “support and maintenance” of state government and that the tax cut bill falls into that category.

North Dakota's longest-serving state senator resigned Wednesday as head of a powerful panel that oversees the Legislature's business between sessions, just days after a published report that he had exchanged scores of text messages with a man jailed on child pornography charges. Republican Sen. Ray Holmberg, 79, stepped down from the Legislative Management committee, saying in a statement “recent events and discussions have made it clear to me that the interim governing body of the legislature, Legislative Management, does not need to be any part of that discussion.” Holmberg will remain on the panel, but not as its chairman.

Opinion: For the second election in a row, North East ISD school board incumbents are being challenged at the ballot box by conservative activists.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has adopted Republican-drawn maps for the state Legislature, after initially approving maps drawn by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.

Election security experts for years have urged states to replace outdated voting machines.

Since entering Congress in 2013, Rep. Eric Swalwell has watched the morality of the GOP disintegrate under the leadership of Donald Trump. Is there anything left to salvage? The congressman joins Katie Phang to discuss.

The appeals judge said he would allow a lower court judge to hire an expert to draw up alternative congressional district maps in case the disputed ones ultimately get tossed.

The Republican legislature does not have the votes to override his vetoes. The bills are part of a nationwide GOP effort to reshape the elections.

Wisconsin’s Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who is up for reelection in November, has vetoed a package of bills passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature that would have made a series of changes to the battleground state’s election laws.

Wisconsin's Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who is up for reelection in November, on Friday vetoed a package of bills passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature that would have made a series of changes to the battleground state's election laws. The bills are part of a nationwide Republican effort to reshape elections following President Joe Biden’s victory over Donald Trump. The bills were quickly passed earlier this year amid Trump's insistence that the 2020 election was stolen from him and that there was widespread fraud, despite no evidence to back up his claims.

Abortion rights supporters have scored a surprising victory in Nebraska, derailing a bill that would have automatically outlawed abortion if the U.S. Supreme Court ever overturns its Roe v.

Texas state Rep. Briscoe Cain accused nonprofits of being “criminal organizations.” Lawyers representing the funds are demanding a retraction.

Cain has accused the nonprofits of being “criminal organizations” and has ordered them to stop funding abortions in Texas. Lawyers representing the funds are demanding a retraction.

In a rare disagreement with the Republican-dominated Legislature, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed the state's newly drawn congressional maps Tuesday, and lawmakers will hold a special session in April to redraw them. The veto puts more pressure on the Republican-dominated Legislature to approve a map and resolve any resulting lawsuits before the June 13 to 17 qualifying period for federal candidates. Florida is also creating a new 28th district because of population growth.

California's average gas prices hit a new state record Wednesday at $5.88 per gallon, more than $2 higher than it was a year ago, according to AAA.

House Select Committee on Investigation will issue final report to House of Representatives by end of March.

The issue is no longer contained to just the party’s fringes — and it is unlikely to go away any time soon as the national fervor grows, Gov. Greg Abbott’s directive faces legal challenges and it factors prominently into a slew of GOP primary runoffs.

The incumbent avoided a runoff. State Rep. James White had tried to unseat Miller with criticisms centered on controversies under Miller’s leadership.

Your guide to voting in person for the Texas primaries.

A Nebraska state senator called for a criminal investigation after one of her colleagues said he would resign after admitting that he took photos of a female legislative aide without her knowledge. Democratic state Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha sent a letter urging the state attorney general and Nebraska State Patrol to investigate the conduct of Republican Sen. Mike Groene to determine if he committed any crimes, according to the Omaha World-Herald. Groene told The Associated Press Friday that he planned to resign this week to avoid putting his family through a public ordeal.

Mail-in ballot applications for the March 1 primary are being rejected by almost 40% — largely because of a missing ID number, which is now required after a new voting bill passed the Legislature last[San Marcos, TX] [Hays County news] News San Marcos News, San Marcos Record [Texas State]

Kansas officials face two lawsuits over a Republican redistricting law.

The cost to build California's ambitious but long delayed high-speed rail line has once again risen, with rail officials now estimating it could take up to $105 billion to finish the line from San Francisco to Los Angeles. The new cost estimates, released Tuesday as part of the California High Speed Rail Authority's biennial business plan, are up roughly $5 billion from two years ago.

The redrawn state Senate District 10 splits Black and Hispanic voters in Tarrant County. A full trial on whether GOP lawmakers intentionally discriminated against voters of color is expected later this year.

California’s more than half-million fast food workers would get increased power and protections under a first-in-the-nation measure approved by the state Assembly.

California's more than half-million fast food workers would get increased power and protections under a first-in-the-nation measure approved by the state Assembly on Monday. It would be limited to fast food restaurants with at least 30 establishments nationally. “California has a chance to lead the country and address outstanding issues in the fast food industry," said Democratic Assemblyman Chris Holden, a former franchisee himself.

A three-judge federal panel is hearing arguments in a lawsuit claiming that Texas Republicans violated the Voting Rights Act when they redrew state Senate District 10 in Tarrant County to lessen Black and Hispanic voting power.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made clear in his State of the State speech that he likes teachers, first responders and freedom and he doesn’t like Dr. Anthony Fauci, critical race theory, abortion, illegal immigration and Burmese pythons.

Brad Raffensperger, the secretary of state of Georgia, says "the only person who should touch your ballot is you and the election official."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says "there's an agreement to be reached" with West Virginia Democratic Senator Joe Manchin on President Biden's Build Back Better Act.

A top Republican lawmaker in the presidential battleground state of Wisconsin said Friday that there is “zero chance” the GOP-controlled Legislature will take over the awarding of the state's 10 presidential elector votes in 2024, even as Democrats worry that is their goal. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos told The Associated Press in an interview that he also opposes dissolving the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission, which oversees elections, or making wholesale changes to how it operates. There has been an intense focus on Wisconsin and its election laws since President Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump by nearly 21,000 votes last year.

Current and former Black state lawmakers in Detroit have announced a pending lawsuit to block Michigan’s newly drawn congressional and legislative districts, contending they illegally dilute the voting strength of African Americans.

Last February’s deep freeze and the blackout that followed were brutal. But without the selfless actions of countless Texans, the situation could have been much worse. Cold weather, warm hearts, can help: Without the selfless actions of countless Texans, the 2021 winter storm could have been much worse.

He pledged to empower private citizens to enforce a ban on the manufacture and sale of assault weapons in the state.

He pledged to empower private citizens to enforce a ban on the manufacture and sale of assault weapons in the state.

Gavin Newsom says he will empower private citizens to enforce a ban on assault weapons in the state, citing the same authority claimed by conservative lawmakers in Texas to outlaw most abortions.

Critics of Texas' Chapter 313 corporate tax incentive program say it lacks accountability and is burdensome to taxpayers in the state.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom says he wants to empower private citizens to enforce a ban on the manufacture and sale of assault weapons in the state.

Critics of the Chapter 313 corporate tax incentive program say it lacks accountability and is burdensome to taxpayers in the state.

A group supporting former President Donald Trump's agenda is working to bypass Wisconsin's Democratic governor to change the swing state's election laws.

Another Abbott priority — increasing the penalty for illegal voting — also did not pass in the last special session. VaccinesWhile Patrick’s push for another special session last month focused on those elections-related issues, other Republicans in recent weeks have rallied largely around banning vaccine mandates. Meanwhile, the Republican Party of Texas, which last month called for a fourth special session, is campaigning on a “Four-Day 4th,” referring to a four-day special session. “When this was put on the special session call during the last special session, the issue was fairly new — people weren’t facing imminent threat of being fired at the time,” Rinaldi said. The last time a governor convened a fourth special session was in 2004, when then-Gov.

It remains unclear whether Gov. Greg Abbott — the only official with the power to convene special sessions — will order state lawmakers back to Austin, or what issues he would include on the agenda.

Some GOP lawmakers in Wisconsin want to strip the state's bipartisan elections agency of its power and give it to the Republican-controlled Legislature. The idea is backed by GOP Sen. Ron Johnson.

The South Dakota Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a lower court's ruling that nullified a voter-passed amendment to the state constitution that would have legalized recreational marijuana use. Gov. Kristi Noem instigated the legal fight to strike down the amendment passed by voters in November. The high court sided with those arguments in a 4-1 decision, ruling that the measure — Amendment A — would have violated the state’s requirement that constitutional amendments deal with just one subject.

Ohio's final congressional map sprinted through the Legislature last week and was signed by Republican Gov. Mike DeWine over the weekend, all in less than five days.

A new state law requires the secretary of state's office to audit results in four randomly selected counties every two years.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis is urging residents to get COVID-19 vaccinations and booster shots as the state sees a virus spike. Cases, hospitalizations and deaths have all been on the rise for weeks in Colorado. (Nov. 12)

Kimi Cole wants to become the country’s first openly transgender politician elected to a statewide office.

Here are the key takeaways from Tuesday’s town hall, “Out of Bounds: Repercussions from Redistricting.”

Poll: More Texas voters unhappy than satisfied over power grid, abortion, property taxes

The U.S.[San Marcos, TX] [Hays County news] News San Marcos News, San Marcos Record [Texas State]

The U.S. Department of Justice is suing Texas over its new voting law, passed earlier this year in the Legislature.

Republican legislators passed Senate Bill 1 this year to further restrict the state’s voting process and narrow local control of elections.

Republican Texas lawmakers passed sweeping legislation this year to further restrict the...

Opening a second front in widening legal wars over redistricting, a coalition of mostly Hispanic, Democratic members of the Texas House filed suit in state court Wednesday challenging the constitutionality of the new political map for the state House.

The Mexican American Legislative Caucus is arguing that the new state House map violates the Texas Constitution. The lawsuit follows two legal challenges to the state’s new maps previously filed in federal court.

The Arizona Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that the Republican-controlled Legislature violated the state constitution by including new laws banning school mask mandates and a series of other measures in unrelated budget bills.

A highly anticipated nonpartisan audit of the 2020 presidential election in Wisconsin did not identify any widespread fraud in the battleground state, which a key Republican legislative leader says shows that the state's elections are “safe and secure.”.

High Texas property taxes were an issue in the state's 2018 elections, and you can see from their work on a new homestead exemption earlier this week that state lawmakers didn't forget that lesson from voters.

As secretary of state, Fort Worth attorney John Scott would oversee election administration in Texas.

With partisan fervor, Republicans drew new maps for Congress and the Legislature that dilute the power of voters of color. Now the lawsuits begin, as groups that feel marginalized battle for representation in the halls of power.

Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas Secretary of State Jose A. Esparza are being sued over new redistricting lines drawn up by the state Legislature.