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The State and Local Tap: 1.19 million signatures verified in Newsom recall

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March 27, 2021Issue No. 247

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Week in review
On tap next week

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

Here's what happened in State and local politics last week.

State Politics: The Week in Review

Ballot Measures Update

  • Thirteen statewide measures have been certified for the 2021 ballot so far.
    • No new measures were certified for the 2021 ballot last week.
    • One additional 2021 initiative in Maine has been certified to the legislature, which means it will go on the November ballot if legislators do not enact it.
  • Twelve statewide measures have been certified for the 2022 ballot in nine states.
    • Two new measures were certified for the 2022 ballot last week:
      • The Georgia Legislature referred an amendment to the November 2022 ballot that would suspend compensation for public officials indicted for a felony.
      • The Nevada Legislature referred an amendment to the November 2022 ballot that would add language to the state constitution guaranteeing equal rights regardless of an individual's race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, ancestry, or national origin.
    • Signatures have been submitted and are pending verification for five additional 2022 initiatives in California, Maine, and Michigan.
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Saturday, March 20

Louisiana special election results for state education board, appeals court seats

  • Louisiana held special primary elections on March 20. Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50% of the vote. If no candidate wins outright, the top-two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.
  • On the ballot at the state level were special elections for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) District 4, Louisiana Circuit Courts of Appeal District 1, and Louisiana House of Representatives District 82. All three advanced to the general election on April 24.
  • The BESE special election was called after Tony Davis (R) left office in January. He served from 2016 to 2021. Five candidates were on the ballot, including one Democrat, two Republicans, and two independents. Cassie Williams (D) and Michael Melerine (R) advanced to the general election. Williams received 29.3% of the vote and Melerine received 28.2% of the vote.
  • The District 1 seat on the Louisiana Circuit Courts of Appeal became vacant in October, when Judge Felicia Toney Williams (D) retired. Williams served on the court from 1993 to 2020. Three candidates competed to replace her, all Democrats. Marcus Hunter (D) received 43.7% of the vote. He faces J. Garland Smith (D), who received 31.9% of the vote, in the general election.
  • The Louisiana House of Representatives District 82 seat became vacant in January when Charles Henry (R) resigned. Henry served from 2020 to 2021. Three candidates competed to replace him—one Democrat and two Republicans. Edwin Connick (R) faces Laurie Schlegel (R) in the general election after Connick received 39.7% of the vote and Schlegel received 35.7% of the vote in the primary.

Monday, March 22

1.19 million signatures verified in Newsom recall

  • The California Secretary of State's office released an update on signature verification in the effort to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom (D). According to the official report, 1.834 million signatures were turned in through March 11. Of those, 1.188 million were deemed valid. Another 380,060 signatures remain unprocessed. At least 1,495,709 signatures must be deemed valid to trigger a recall election.
  • According to media reports, recall organizers said they turned in more than 2.1 million signatures by the March 17 deadline. At the current verification rate of about 82%, that would amount to 1.722 million valid signatures, which would be enough to trigger the recall election.
  • Since 1911, there have been 55 attempts to recall a sitting California governor. The only successful recall campaign was in 2003 when voters recalled then-Gov. Gray Davis (D). Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) was chosen as Davis' replacement.

Massachusetts ends quarantine requirement for travelers

  • On March 22, Gov. Charlie Baker (R) replaced a statewide travel order with a travel advisory urging travelers to quarantine for 10 days if they have not received a negative COVID-19 test. Previously, the travel order required out-of-state travelers and returning residents to self-quarantine for 10 days or produce a negative COVID-19 test.
    • Travelers who are fully vaccinated and do not have symptoms are exempt from the advisory. People who enter the state for fewer than 24 hours or leave the state for fewer than 24 hours are also exempt.
    • The statewide travel order first went into effect on Aug. 1, 2020.

Tuesday, March 23

Andrea Valderrama appointed to the Oregon House of Representatives

  • Multnomah County commissioners unanimously appointed Andrea Valderrama (D) to Oregon’s 47th House District on March 23. Valderrama replaces Rep. Diego Hernandez (D), who resigned on March 15 after the interim House Conduct Committee recommended his expulsion to the House. To learn more about the events leading up to Hernandez’s resignation, click here.
  • Valderrama will serve the remainder of Hernandez’s term, which ends in January 2023. Before her appointment, Valderrama ran for Portland City Council in 2018. She also chaired the David Douglas School Board.
  • According to Oregon Public Broadcasting, once Valderrama is sworn in, women will hold a majority of seats in the Oregon House of Representatives. This will be a historic first, with women holding 31 seats and men holding 29.

Indiana, Utah announce end dates for mask orders

  • On Tuesday, March 23, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) announced he would end the statewide mask mandate and restrictions on businesses on April 6. He said local officials could still enact stricter restrictions, and masks will still be required in schools. The mask order took effect July 27, 2020.
  • On Wednesday, March 24, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) signed House Bill 294, a law that eliminates the statewide mask mandate on April 10. The mask order took effect on Nov. 9, 2020.
  • In total, 39 states issued statewide public mask requirements during the pandemic. Thirty-three states currently have statewide mask orders, including all 23 states with Democratic governors and 10 out of 27 states with Republican governors.

Wednesday, March 24

John Formella confirmed as New Hampshire attorney general

  • John Formella was confirmed as New Hampshire’s next attorney general by the Executive Council of New Hampshire on March 24 by a vote of 4 to 1. Gov. Chris Sununu (R) nominated Formella to the position on March 3. Formella has served as legal counsel in Gov. Sununu’s office since 2017.
  • WMUR reported that Sununu congratulated Formella, saying “John’s work ethic is unmatched, and I have no doubt he will make an exceptional Attorney General and advance the best interests of Granite Staters. I look forward to working with him and the Department of Justice in the years ahead.”
  • Formella succeeds Gordon MacDonald, who left office earlier this year due to his nomination as chief justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court. Deputy Attorney General Jane Young assumed the duties of the attorney general’s office when MacDonald stepped down. According to the governor’s office, Formella will take office after “an appropriate transition period.”
  • Before becoming legal counsel to Gov. Sununu, Formella worked for the New England law firm Pierce Atwood LLP. He was first hired as a summer associate in 2011 and was promoted to a full-time attorney in 2012.
  • The New Hampshire attorney general serves as head of the Department of Justice. The office's primary responsibilities include acting as attorney for the state in criminal and civil cases in the supreme court, prosecuting crimes, enforcing the state’s criminal laws, and collecting unpaid debts to the state.

West Virginia high schools open full-time

  • On March 24, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice (R) ordered all schools, regardless of grade or county transmission levels, to reopen for in-person learning five days a week. Previously, high schools had to close in counties the state Department of Health and Human Resources designated as red transmission areas. All public and private pre-K, elementary, and middle schools in West Virginia were ordered open for full-time in-person or hybrid (at least two in-person days every week) instruction, regardless of county transmission rates, on Jan. 19.
  • Nationwide:
    • Two states (Del., Hawaii) and Washington, D.C. had state-ordered regional school closures, required closures for certain grade levels, or allowed hybrid instruction only.
    • Six states (Ark., Fla., Iowa, N.H., Texas, W.Va.) had state-ordered in-person instruction.
    • One state (Ariz.) had state-ordered in-person instruction for certain grades.
    • Forty-one states left decisions to schools or districts.

Thursday, March 25

Virginia statewide filing deadline passes

  • The filing deadline to run for elected office in Virginia was on March 25. In Virginia, prospective candidates may file for the following offices:
  • Ballotpedia is also covering local elections in the following cities:
    • Chesapeake
    • Norfolk
    • Richmond
    • Virginia Beach
  • The Democratic primary is scheduled for June 8, the Republican convention is scheduled for May 8, and the general election is scheduled for Nov. 2, 2021.
  • Virginia’s statewide filing deadline is the fourth to take place in the 2021 election cycle. The next statewide filing deadline is on April 5 in New Jersey.
  • Virginia has a Democratic state government trifecta. A trifecta exists when one political party simultaneously holds the governor’s office and majorities in both state legislative chambers. Democrats control the House of Delegates with a 55-45 majority and the state Senate with a 21-18 majority with one vacancy. Democratic Governor Ralph Northam was elected in 2017.

Georgia becomes seventh state to expand COVID-19 vaccination eligibility to anyone over 16

Here are some notable changes to vaccine availability and distribution in various states during the past week:

  • On March 25, all Georgia residents 16 and older became eligible for a coronavirus vaccine. Previously, the state limited vaccinations to people 55 and older, essential workers, and people with underlying health conditions. Georgia is the seventh state to allow vaccinations for anyone over the age of 16 statewide.
  • On March 24, all Utah residents 16 and older became eligible for a coronavirus vaccine. Residents aged 50 and older have been eligible since March 4.
  • State-operated vaccination sites in Arizona also started administering vaccines to residents 16 and older on March 24. Previously, people 55 and older could make appointments at state sites.

Special Elections

Local Politics: The Week in Review

  • In 2021, Ballotpedia is providing comprehensive coverage of elections in America's 100 largest cities by population and all state capitals. This encompasses every office on the ballot in these cities, including their municipal elections, trial court elections, school board elections, and local ballot measures. Ballotpedia also covers all local recall elections as well as all local ballot measures in California and a selection of notable local ballot measures about elections and police-related policies. Recent and upcoming local ballot measure elections are listed below:
    • March 2 in California: Voters in nine local jurisdictions decided nine local ballot measures in Fresno County, Los Angeles County, Marin County, Riverside County, and Sonoma County.
      • Five parcel tax measures - One was approved, and four were defeated.
      • A school district reorganization measure - Approved
      • A measure on short-term rental regulations - Approved
      • An appropriations limit increase measure - Approved
      • A hotel tax measure - Defeated
    • March 2 in Vermont: Voters in Burlington approved a local charter amendment that was designed to enact ranked-choice voting for city council elections.
    • April 6 in Alaska: Voters in Anchorage will decide eleven ballot measures: seven bond measures, one property tax measure, and three annexation issues.
    • April 6 in Colorado: Voters in Colorado Springs will decide one local charter amendment concerning the length of ballot titles for tax or bonded debt increases.
    • April 6 in Missouri: Voters in Kansas City and St. Louis will decide whether to renew local 1% earnings taxes. Voters in the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District will decide five local charter amendments and one bond issue. Voters in the Platte County R-III School District will decide a $73 million bond issue.
    • April 6 in Wisconsin: Voters in Madison will decide four advisory questions concerning the Madison Common Council.

Monday, March 22

Kim Janey sworn in as acting mayor of Boston

  • Kim Janey was sworn in as the nonpartisan acting mayor of Boston on March 22, after former Mayor Martin Walsh was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the secretary of labor in President Joe Biden's (D) administration. Janey is the first Black person and the first woman to serve as Boston mayor.
  • Janey will serve as acting mayor through the next election on Nov. 2. Janey has not yet announced whether she will run for re-election.
  • Janey will remain a non-participating member of the Boston City Council, representing District 7. Janey was elected to the council in 2017.
  • Boston is one of the 100 largest cities by population in the United States. Of the mayors of the country’s 100 largest cities, there are currently 64 Democrats, 25 Republicans, four independents, and seven nonpartisans.
WHAT'S ON TAP NEXT WEEK

Here's what is happening in State and local politics this week.

State Politics: What's On Tap Next Week

States in session

46 states—Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming—are in regular session.

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The Tap covered election news, public policy, and other noteworthy events from February 2016 to February 2022.

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