Former mayor of small Missouri town ‘lined her own pockets with city funds’
JEFFERSON CITY — A new report is raising questions about what a small town Missouri mayor did with more than $66,000 in taxpayer funds. In a report released Wednesday, state Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick said the former acting mayor of Holland, located in Missouri’s Bootheel region, failed to deposit money to pay city utility bills in city […]
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Nebraska voter ID implementation plan advances despite objections | #elections | #alabama
A plan for implementing Nebraska’s new voter identification requirements cleared a major hurdle Monday, despite fierce objections from the senator who led efforts to put voter ID on the ballot. Senators advanced Legislative Bill 514 past first-round consideration on a 43-1 vote, after adding an amendment backed by the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee. […]
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Montana Ban Targets TikTok, Along with China and Big Tech | #republicans | #Alabama | #GOP
You’re reading Route Fifty’s State and Local Roundup. To get the week’s news to use from around the country, you can subscribe here to get this update in your inbox every Friday. *** It’s Friday, May 19, and we’d like to welcome you to the weekly State and Local Roundup. There’s plenty to keep tabs on, with a proliferation of […]
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Direct democracy proves too scary for red state legislatures; so, they change the rules | #elections | #alabama
David J. Toscano is an attorney and a former member of the Virginia House of Delegates. He is the author of Fighting Political Gridlock: How States Shape Our Nation and Our Lives, University of Virginia Press, 2021, andBellwether: Virginia’s Political Transformation, 2006-2020, Hamilton Books, 2022. Sometimes, the people want change so much that they resort […]
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School choice floated as educational policy change in Arkansas
Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios School choice, a hot topic for which Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has voiced support, allows parents to apply to send their K-12 children to schools other than the public school in their district. Driving the news: Last week was National School Choice Week, aimed at helping parents discover education options, including traditional […]
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Arkansas Capitol diary: What we’re watching after week 3
Photo: Worth Sparkman/Axios Arkansas’ new governor continued to issue executive orders as lawmakers worked through their third week of the 60-day general session. Catch up quick: As of Thursday, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced four orders for the week. Here are two of interest: An order repealed former Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s orders establishing the Infrastructure […]
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Some state, federal, tribal documents would be accepted under Nebraska voter ID bill | #elections | #alabama
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen appoints Pete Ricketts to the U.S. Senate. LINCOLN — The senator who led the successful ballot initiative to require voter identification in Nebraska introduced a bill Tuesday to carry out the requirement. Legislative Bill 535 spells out acceptable types of identification, requirements for providing ID with mail-in ballots and the […]
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Capitol review: Week 1 brings a new chapter to Arkansas
Lt. Gov. Leslie Rutledge oversees proceedings on the Arkansas Senate floor Thursday. Screenshot: Courtesy of the Arkansas Legislature The 94th General Assembly started its biennial session this week and Arkansas’ new leader was sworn in, meaning the Capitol was buzzing. Catch up quick: In addition to Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the state’s new lieutenant governor, […]
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Arkansas’ Gov. Sanders sets the tone with executive orders on inauguration day
A screenshot of Sanders’ inaugural address. Courtesy Arkansas PBS Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders proved to Arkansans on Tuesday that she’s a person of decisive action. What happened: Within hours of being sworn in as the state’s first woman governor, Sanders signed seven executive orders focused on the budget, government and schools. Why it matters: She’s […]
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Arkansas Gov.-elect Sarah Huckabee Sanders selects 13 for first cabinet
Photo: Worth Sparkman/Axios Arkansas Gov.-elect Sarah Huckabee Sanders has announced her intentions to nominate 13 of 15 state-level secretaries, starting her first term with a mostly clean slate. The list includes three reappointments and four out-of-staters, along with six current state government staffers and business leaders. Two appointees come from posts in conservative administrations in […]
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