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The State and Local Tap: Five states to hold primaries next week, Missouri to hold impeachment session

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May 11, 2018Issue No. 112

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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. To see what happened in federal politics, click here.

State Politics: The Week in Review

Ballot Measures Update

2018:

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Saturday, May 5

Connecticut State Senate approves bill to join National Popular Vote Interstate Compact

  • The Connecticut State Senate approved HB 5421, which would allow the state's electoral votes to go to the presidential candidate who won the popular vote. HB 5421 would authorize Connecticut to join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, an interstate compact among 11 jurisdictions.
  • The Senate voted 21-14 for the bill, which passed the House by a 77-73 vote on April 26. Democratic Gov. Dan Malloy expressed support for the measure.

Iowa Legislature passes measure reducing state taxes over next six years

  • The Iowa State Legislature approved a bill that would reduce taxes over the next six years, including $398 million in income tax cuts for individuals and small business owners in 2019. According to the Des Moines Register, the bill would reduce the individual income tax brackets to four, with a top rate of 6.5 percent, by 2023. The bill also included efforts to protect the state from revenue shortfalls by limiting the tax cuts if the state calculated lower budget numbers in 2023 or 2024.
  • The bill, SF 2417, passed along party lines with all Democrats and independent Sen. David Johnson opposed and all Republicans in favor. Republicans viewed the bill as relief for state residents, while Democrats thought the bill resulted in a loss of income for state programs like health care and education.
    • Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) said, "Republicans led on tax reform in 2018. Hard-working, middle-class Iowa families, farmers, small-business owners and workers get meaningful relief, all while Iowa's budget priorities in future years are protected."
    • Sen. Rob Hogg (D) said, "The bill would result in a loss of income tax revenue to the state of more than $400 million a year - revenue the state needs for these programs. This tax bill will make the problem of budget cuts even worse."

Sunday, May 6

Signature deadline for initiatives in Missouri: signatures for minimum wage, marijuana, and elections-related initiatives filed

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Monday, May 7

Largest school districts in North Carolina plan to shut down on May 16

  • At least 13 school districts, including the largest in the state, announced that they planned to shut down on May 16 due to a scheduled teacher rally for more education funding and improved working conditions. In some cities, May 16 was classified as an optional work day for educators, according to The Business Journals.
    • Wake County School Board Chairwoman Monika Johnson-Hostler wrote in a letter to parents that educators were aware the closures were disruptive and asked for support: "The voices of our teachers need to be heard. Year after year our teachers are asked to do more with less. I ask that you support them in their decision to highlight the needs of their profession and your children."
    • State Superintendent Mark Johnson did not approve of school closures: "Protesting is a right, but it can be just as effective during non-school hours."
  • The North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE) announced in April what they called an advocacy day planned for May 16, the same day the General Assembly of North Carolina is expected to reconvene. NCAE President Mark Jewell told Policy Watch that the protest would focus on funding for teacher pay, textbooks, and classroom resources as well as greater investment in public education.
  • North Carolina ranked 41st (out of 50 states plus Washington, D.C.) in the National Education Association's (NEA) 2017 ranking for per-pupil expenditures, spending $9,329 per student. The national average was $11,642. The NEA also ranked North Carolina's average teacher salary of $49,970 in 2017 as 39th out of the 50 states and Washington, D.C. The national teacher salary average for 2017 was $59,660.

Investigations into Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens Update: Judge Burlison rules accuser's testimony will be accepted

  • Judge Rex Burlison ruled that the woman accusing Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens (R), identified in court filings as K.S., can testify during the trial scheduled for May 14.
  • Burlison rejected Greitens' attorneys' second motion for a bench trial, announcing that jury selection would begin on May 10. Burlison said he would reconsider the motion if it seemed an impartial jury could not be selected.
    • Greitens' attorneys had previously filed a second motion to request a bench trial, rather than trial by jury, for a trial scheduled on May 14. The attorneys argued that a fair jury was impossible because of negative and biased media coverage, specifically mentioning the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "The front page of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has consistently presented an overwhelmingly one-sided, negative portrayal of this case."
    • The Post-Dispatch responded that their coverage was "accurate and based on public statements and public documents" which were available online.
  • Greitens was indicted by a St. Louis grand jury for felony invasion of privacy on February 22, 2018. He was accused of taking a nude photograph of a woman with whom he had an affair and threatening to release the image if the woman spoke publicly about the affair. Greitens had admitted to the affair in January 2018 but denied the blackmail allegations. Click here to read more about investigations involving the governor.

Ted Cruz backs Hunter Hill for Georgia governor

  • U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is backing Hunter Hill in the May 22 Georgia gubernatorial Republican primary. Hill is a former state senator from northwest Atlanta who supports abolishing the state income tax, allowing gun owners to carry concealed weapons without permits, and enacting school choice policies.
  • According to public polling, Hill is dueling with Secretary of State Brian Kemp for second place in the primary. The second-place winner is likely to face the frontrunner, Lieutenant Gov. Casey Cagle, in a June 24 runoff election.
  • Cagle has led in all public polls with 30-40 percent of the vote. Hill and Kemp have usually polled at around 10-15 percent. A candidate would need to win more than 50 percent of the vote in the May 22 primary to avoid a runoff election.
  • The five major candidates—Cagle, Hill, Kemp, state Sen. Michael Williams, and businessman Clay Tippins— have focused on gun policy, including Cagle’s blocking of proposed tax breaks for Delta after it ended a discount program for members of the National Rifle Association in the wake of the Parkland school shooting.
  • Hill was the only major candidates to oppose Cagle’s actions, saying the tax breaks were poor policy in the first place and that using legislation to punish private companies would hurt the state’s business environment. He has also faced criticism from Tippins and Williams, who say he changed his position on gun policy for electoral purposes.
  • The winner of the Republican primary will face the winner of a contested Democratic race between former state Reps. Stacey Abrams and Stacey Evans. Incumbent governor Nathan Deal (R) is term-limited and cannot seek re-election.

Colorado legislature puts measures to establish redistricting commissions on the November ballot

  • Two constitutional amendments creating independent congressional and state Legislative redistricting commissions passed unanimously in both chambers of the Colorado State Legislature, certifying them for the November 2018 ballot.
  • Currently, the responsibility of redistricting Congressional districts rests with the Colorado General Assembly, and the Colorado Reapportionment Commission is responsible for redistricting Colorado’s state legislative districts. The Reapportionment Commission is composed of 11 members: one person is designated to serve on the commission by the House Speaker, House Minority Leader, Senate Majority Leader, and Senate Minority Leader. The Governor appoints four members, and the Chief Justice of the Colorado Supreme Court appoints the remaining four members.
  • The amendments to create independent commissions for State Legislative and Congressional districts are similar. Both specify that the commissions would be composed of 12 members: four from the state’s largest political party, four from the state’s second largest political party, and four that are not affiliated with any political party. The amendments would do the following:
    • Establish qualifications for members to serve on the commission and the methods used to appoint members;
    • Provide opportunities for the public to be involved in the process;
    • Mandate that any paid lobbying of the commission must be reported to the secretary of state within 72 hours of when the lobbying took place; and
    • Establish methods by which maps should be drawn and require at least eight of the 12 members to approve a map.
    • In the event of deadlock in the commissions, a nonpartisan staff member would submit a final map to the Supreme Court for review. The commissions would allow for judicial review of a map and limit Supreme Court review to the question of whether or not the commission or its staff members “committed an abuse of discretion.”
  • In 37 of the 43 states required to conduct congressional redistricting, state legislatures have the final authority to draft and implement congressional district maps. Seven states contain only one congressional district each, rendering congressional redistricting unnecessary. Likewise, in 37 of the 50 states, state legislatures are primarily responsible for state legislative redistricting. In these states, legislatures typically adopt district lines by a simple majority vote in each chamber. A state's governor may usually veto the legislature's redistricting plan.
  • The composition of independent redistricting commissions varies from state to state. However, in all cases, the direct participation of elected officials is limited. Independent redistricting commissions exist in six states (in four of these states, independent commissions draw congressional and state legislative boundaries; in two, independent commissions draw only state legislative district boundaries).
  • There are six legislatively referred constitutional amendments on the ballot in Colorado for November 6, 2018, including an amendment to reduce the age qualification for legislative members from 25 to 21, an amendment to shorten language on the Colorado ballot regarding judicial retention by consolidating questions, and an amendment to remove the definition of industrial hemp from the Colorado Constitution and instead require that industrial hemp have the same definition as in federal law.
  • Voters in Ohio approved Issue 1 on May 8. Issue 1 was an amendment to change the vote requirements to pass congressional redistricting maps and the standards used in congressional redistricting in Ohio.
  • Signatures were submitted last week for an initiative in Missouri that would change how the state does state legislative redistricting, including the creation of a nonpartisan state demographer position that would be responsible for drawing legislative redistricting maps and presenting them to the house and senate apportionment commissions.

Tuesday, May 8

Connecticut General Assembly sends bump stock ban to governor's desk

  • The Connecticut State Senate voted 26 to 10 on a bill that would prohibit the sale, transfer, possession, manufacture, or use of bump stocks. Bump stocks are devices that increase the rate of fire of a semi-automatic rifle. Individuals without a firearm permit who possess the devices would be guilty of a felony after October 1, 2018. Individuals with a firearm permit who possess bump stocks would be guilty of a misdemeanor on a first offense until July 1, 2019, and subsequently guilty of a felony.
  • The Connecticut House of Representatives approved the bill on May 1 by a 114-35 vote. The bill was sent to Democratic Gov. Dan Malloy, who said he would sign it.
  • Bump stocks were banned in Massachusetts, California, Vermont, New Jersey, Washington, and Florida at the time of the bill's passage, and legislation to ban bump stocks was under consideration in other states including Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, and Delaware.

Maryland Gov. Hogan signs bill establishing new sexual harassment rules for state legislature

  • Republican Gov. Larry Hogan signed HB 1342, which updates sexual harassment policies in the Maryland General Assembly. The bill authorizes the legislature's Joint Ethics Committee to send sexual harassment complaints to an independent investigator and requires an independent investigator if a harassment complaint has been filed against the same member more than once. The bill also includes lobbyists in the sexual harassment policies.

Washington House Democrats vote to remove Rep. David Sawyer from committee chair position

  • The Washington House Democratic caucus voted to remove Rep. David Sawyer (D) from his position as chair of the Commerce and Gaming committee.
  • On February 21, 2018, the Seattle Times reported that Sawyer was being investigated by the state House over a sexual harassment allegation. Sawyer denied the allegations and said he would run for re-election.
  • House Majority Leader Pat Sullivan (D) said that the investigation into Sawyer, while unfinished, confirmed some of the allegations. Democratic leaders released a statement saying that "substantiated allegations of workplace misconduct will result in consequences, no matter one’s political party." Sawyer responded in his own statement, "I support a fair and transparent investigation. This does not reflect that at all. In fact, it reflects poorly on the institution we all have a responsibility to honor."

Indiana primary overview

  • Primaries in Indiana were held for federal, state, and local positions, and Ballotpedia covered a total of 172 seats on the ballot. These included the races for one U.S. Senate seat, nine U.S. House seats, three state executive seats, and 125 state legislative seats. Ballotpedia also covered local elections in Allen and Marion counties.

North Carolina primary overview

  • Primaries in North Carolina were held for federal, state, and local positions, and Ballotpedia covered a total of 265 seats on the ballot. These included the races for 13 U.S. House seats and 170 state legislative seats. Ballotpedia also covered local elections across five counties: Durham, Forsyth, Guilford, Mecklenburg, and Wake.

Ohio primary overview

  • Primaries in Ohio were held for federal, state, and local positions, and Ballotpedia covered a total of 220 seats on the ballot. These included the races for one U.S. Senate seat, 16 U.S. House seats, one special election for a U.S. House seat, six state executive seats, 116 state legislative seats, and Ohio state courts. Ballotpedia also covered judicial and municipal elections across five counties: Cuyahoga, Fairfield, Franklin, Hamilton, and Lucas.
    • Six state executive offices held primaries: governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer, and auditor. The Democratic primary for governor and lieutenant governor was the only contested Democratic primary. The Republican primary for governor and lieutenant governor and treasurer were the only competitive Republican primaries. All six seats up for election are open state executives positions.
    • In the Democratic primary for governor, former Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray (D) defeated former Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D) by a 40 percent margin. Both Cordray and Kucinich had attracted progressive support in the runup to the race; Cordray was endorsed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), while Kucinich was endorsed by Bernie Sanders-affiliated group Our Revolution.
    • In the Republican primary for governor, Attorney General Mike DeWine (R) defeated Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor (R) by a 20 percent margin. The two had both run as the conservative candidate in the race, with DeWine referring to Taylor as “a phony conservative you just can’t trust” while Taylor ads painted DeWine as “D.C. DeWine: too liberal for too long.”
    • The 116 Ohio Legislature seats up for election in 2018 are made up of 17 Ohio State Senate seats and 99 Ohio House of Representatives seats. The state senate primaries saw 26 Democratic candidates, 19 Republican candidates, and one Green Party candidate. Seven incumbents, three Democrats and four Republicans, filed for re-election and advanced to the general election. All 17 races had Democratic candidates, but three Republican primaries had no candidates.
    • The 99 Ohio House of Representatives primaries saw 135 Democratic candidates and 134 Republican candidates running for election. Twenty-two Democratic incumbents and 45 Republican incumbents filed for re-election; one incumbent, Wes Retherford (R), did not advance to the general. As of May 10, 2018, a second incumbent, Riordan McClain (R), was ahead in a race that is too close to call. Four Democratic primaries did not have any candidates on the primary ballot, compared to 11 Republican primaries without candidates on the primary ballot.
    • The battle for the state House speakership between state Reps. Ryan Smith and Larry Householder took center stage in most House Republican primaries. Candidates backed by Householder won 14 primaries, while candidates backed by Smith won three. Householder previously served as speaker in the early 2000s.

Ohio Issue 1, first-of-its-kind congressional redistricting process, approved by voters

  • Voters in Ohio approved a first-of-its-kind congressional redistricting process. Issue 1 was put on the ballot through a bipartisan vote on the state legislature. Voters approved the measure 74.85 percent to 25.15 percent. The measure requires the state legislature to adopt a 10-year congressional redistricting plan with 60 percent of members in each chamber voting in favor and 50 percent of Republicans and 50 percent of Democrats (or whichever two parties have the most members in the legislature) voting in favor. As of 2018, no state requires a specific level of support from the minority party in a state legislature to pass a congressional redistricting plan. Should the state legislature fail to meet these vote requirements, however, a process would begin of increasing redistricting standards and decreasing the minority support requirement. If the majority party can’t get at least one-third of the minority party to support a redistricting plan, then the legislature would be permitted to pass a plan through a simple majority support, with the plan lasting two general election cycles (four years), rather than 10 years. Issue 1 will take effect on January 1, 2021, and apply to congressional redistricting following the 2020 U.S. Census.
  • Ohio’s three newspapers with circulations over 100,000—The Cleveland Plain Dealer, The Cincinnati Enquirer, and The Columbus Dispatch—endorsed Issue 1, as did the Ohio Democratic Party and Ohio Republican Party. The National Democratic Redistricting Committee also backed the ballot measure, contributing to the measure’s supporting PAC. Opponents of Issue 1, including the four House Democrats and six House Republicans who voted against referring the amendment, did not organize a campaign. The ACLU of Ohio did not endorse a position on Issue 1, saying that while there are some benefits to the measure’s standards for redistricting, the measure would still allow for partisan gerrymandering.

West Virginia primary overview

  • Primary elections in West Virginia were held for federal and state legislative positions, and Ballotpedia covered a total of 121 seats on the ballot. These included the races for one U.S. Senate seat, three U.S. House seats, 17 state senate seats, and 100 state house seats.
    • A total of 25 Democrats and 23 Republicans competed for the 17 senate seats on the ballot. The incumbent senator sought re-election in every race, and three of those incumbents were defeated by a primary challenger. Mark Drennan lost to Eric Tarr in the District 4 Republican primary; Lynne Arvon was defeated by Rollan Roberts in the District 9 Republican primary; and Robert Karnes lost to William Hamilton in the District 11 Republican primary.
    • A total of 121 Democrats, 135 Republicans, and one Mountain Party candidate competed in the 67 state house primaries for 100 seats in the state house. Some of the House of Delegates districts are represented by multiple members. Of the 100 incumbents, 81 sought re-election. Two incumbents who sought re-election lost in the primary: Chanda Adkins (R) and Phil Isner (D).

Sixth LRCA certified in Colorado is a repeat of a rejected 2016 measure to repeal an exception to slavery prohibition for criminals

  • The Colorado Removal of Exception to Slavery Prohibition for Criminals Amendment was introduced in the state House as House Concurrent Resolution 18-1002 on April 9, 2018, and passed on April 30, 2018, with a vote of 60 to zero, with 5 excused. It was introduced in the Senate on May 2, 2018, and passed unanimously on May 8, 2018, certifying it for the November 2018 ballot.
  • This measure would amend the state constitution to repeal an exception to the ban of slavery which allowed compulsory labor, involuntary servitude, or slavery if for the punishment of a crime. The provision that would be repealed is bolded below:
    • “There shall never be in this state either slavery or involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted.”
  • The phrase "except as a punishment for crime, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted" means that anyone convicted of a crime could be subject to labor without consent in prison. The measure would remove this wording.
  • The amendment is identical to a 2016 measure. The measure was defeated at the ballot box; 49.68 percent voted to approve the measure while 50.32 percent voted to leave the constitution unchanged.
  • This was the sixth proposed constitutional amendment to be referred to the 2018 ballot in Colorado.
  • A total of 118 measures appeared on statewide ballots in Colorado from 1995 through 2017. In that time period, an average of between nine and 10 measures appeared on statewide ballots during even-numbered years. In even-numbered years, about 42 percent (44 of 104) of the total number of measures that appeared on statewide ballots during even-numbered years were approved, and about 58 percent (60 of 104) were defeated.
  • Among the total 118 measures, 29 were legislatively referred constitutional amendments. From 1995 through 2017, an average of between two and three legislatively referred constitutional amendments were on the ballot in Colorado during even-numbered years.

Wednesday, May 9

Colorado lawmakers approve bill changing state pension system

  • On the last day of the legislative session, Colorado lawmakers approved a bill changing the state pension system. The bill would:
    • reduce retirement benefits.
    • require public employees and government agencies to contribute more to retirement funds. (Public employee contributions would be raised 2 percent.)
    • freeze cost-of-living adjustments for two years and reduce subsequent annual cost-of-living raises from 2 percent to 1.5 percent.
    • raise the retirement age from 60 to 64 (teachers can retire at 58).
  • The bill included a provision in which the state would contribute $225 million per year towards paying off the system's unfunded liability, which ranged in estimates from $32 billion to $50 billion.
  • Lawmakers approved the legislation by a 34-29 vote in the House and a 24-11 vote in the Senate.

Colorado lawmakers send transportation budget deal to governor's desk

  • The Colorado General Assembly approved a two-year transportation funding bill that attempted to address the Colorado Department of Transportation's $9 billion budget shortfall. It would allocate $645 million in state revenues over the next two years to transportation and would refer a ballot measure to voters seeking authorization to issue $2.3 billion in bonds. Most of the revenue from bond sales would be spent on the state's highway system.
  • The approved version was a compromise bill in which roads would receive less funding than the Senate wanted and local governments and multi-modal purposes (mass transit, bicycle lanes, sidewalks, etc.) would receive less than the House intended.
  • It is the second time in two years that the legislature attempted to strike a bipartisan deal on transportation funding. Legislators were unable to approve a transportation funding bill in 2017, when a measure to increase the state sales tax and issue $3.5 billion in bonds died in the Senate Finance Committee.

Connecticut General Assembly passes budget bill on final night of legislative session

  • The Connecticut General Assembly approved a bipartisan $20 billion budget bill on May 9, 2018—the last day of the legislative session. The bill passed unanimously in the Senate and by a 142-8 vote in the House. The bill includes provisions to:
    • restore funding to the Medicare savings program, cities and towns, and the HUSKY A Medicaid program (HUSKY is the state's public healthcare program);
    • prohibit Gov. Dan Malloy (D) from increasing bus and train fares;
    • reduce sales tax on boat sales from 6.35 percent to 2.99 percent;
    • preserve tax breaks that were passed in 2017 for Social Security and pension income recipients;
    • allocate additional funding for magnet and vocational-agricultural schools and for 30 Superior Court judges; and
    • increase funding by 1 percent for nonprofit organizations contracting with the state.

Missouri Legislature passes budget proposal

  • The Missouri State Legislature approved a $28 billion budget deal.
  • The plan would increase state spending by $600 million over fiscal year 2018 levels, including a nearly $99 million increase to K-12 education.
  • The proposal would also provide appropriations to raise public employee pay. Employees who make less than $70,000 per year would get a $700 raise and employees who make more than $70,000 would get a 1 percent raise, both effective January 2019.
  • The bill would prohibit state universities from offering in-state tuition to members of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. DACA members are individuals who were brought to the United States without legal permission as children. They receive relief from being deported for a period of time if they meet certain criteria.

Louisiana lawmakers send bill establishing new sexual harassment policies to governor's desk

  • The Louisiana State Legislature approved House Bill 524, which would require state agencies to:
    • adopt sexual harassment policies clarifying that conduct such as unwelcome sexual advances or sexual behavior will not be tolerated,
    • establish a grievance process for filing complaints,
    • prohibit retaliation against individuals who file complaints,
    • track employee sexual harassment training compliance and make the compliance data publicly available, and
    • publish an annual report including the number of sexual harassment complaints they received.
  • The bill would also require legislators to complete at least one hour of anti-harassment training per year.
  • The measure passed one day after the resignation of Louisiana Secretary of State Tom Schedler, who stepped down due to allegations of sexual misconduct. Click here to read more.

Challenge to El-Sayed’s eligibility rejected

  • The Michigan State Bureau of Elections rejected a challenge to gubernatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed’s (D) eligibility Wednesday.
  • The challenge, which was filed by El-Sayed opponent Shri Thanedar (D), asserted that El-Sayed did not meet the residency requirement to run for governor. Candidates running for governor of Michigan are required to have been a registered voter in the state continuously for at least the four years preceding the election.
  • Thanedar’s challenge asserted that El-Sayed did not meet the requirement because he had lived in New York while attending medical school between 2013 and 2015. The El-Sayed campaign says that he had maintained a property in Michigan for the duration of his time in New York.
  • In rejecting Thanedar’s challenge, the bureau said that its voter file for El-Sayed indicated that he had remained a registered voter for the entirety of the four years preceding the November election.
  • A separate legal challenge filed by El-Sayed against the Secretary of State’s office asserting his eligibility remains ongoing. The office had moved to dismiss the suit last month on the grounds that El-Sayed’s eligibility had not been challenged at the time.
  • A challenge to Thanedar’s candidacy filed by El-Sayed also remains ongoing. The challenge asserts that Thanedar’s nominating petitions contain a number of errors and invalid signatures. The bureau has until the end of the month to rule on Thanedar’s eligibility.
  • El-Sayed and Thanedar, alongside former state Sen. Gretchen Whitmer (D), are the three Democrats who qualified for the August 7 primary. Incumbent Gov. Rick Snyder (R) is term-limited.

Santa Clarita becomes first city in Los Angeles County to officially oppose state sanctuary jurisdiction law

  • The Santa Clarita City Council unanimously voted to file a brief supporting the lawsuit—the first city in Los Angeles County to officially oppose California's sanctuary city law, according to the Los Angeles Times.
  • The city joins several municipalities and Orange and San Diego counties that have voted to join a Trump administration lawsuit against California's sanctuary state law.
  • California's sanctuary jurisdiction law went into effect on January 1, 2018. It included the following provisions:
    • Prohibiting California law enforcement agencies from using state and local resources to report, arrest, investigate, or detain individuals for federal law enforcement purposes.
    • Limiting coordination between county jails and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials.
    • Allowing local agencies to notify ICE of the release dates for violent felons and to alert federal officials to previously deported individuals with criminal backgrounds.

Thursday, May 10

Maryland gubernatorial candidate Kevin Kamenetz dies of heart attack

  • Maryland gubernatorial candidate and Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz (D) died Thursday morning of a heart attack at the age of 60.
  • Kamenetz was the fundraising leader among Democratic candidates as of the January campaign finance reports, with $2 million cash on hand. He had been endorsed by Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D). Opinion polls of the Democratic primary field showed Kamenetz with levels of support between 10 and 15 percent, behind only Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker (D).
  • Kamenetz was among nine Democratic candidates who filed to seek the party's gubernatorial nomination in the June 26 primary. The winner will face Gov. Larry Hogan (R) in the November general election.

Friday, May 11

Connecticut Republicans head to state convention

  • The Connecticut Republican Party began its state convention, which will continue through May 12. At the convention, delegates are voting to endorse candidates in the August 14 primary for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, treasurer, secretary of state, comptroller, and the state’s five congressional seats. In order to be officially endorsed, candidates must receive votes of support from over 50 percent of the delegates. If no candidates make that threshold, no one will be listed as the party’s nominee on the primary ballot. Candidates who receive votes of support from at least 15 percent of the delegates will be automatically added to the primary ballot.
    • The Connecticut Democratic Party will hold its state convention from May 18 to May 19.

Special Elections

As of this week, 70 state legislative special elections have been scheduled or held in 23 states. Elections have been held for 16 Democratic seats and 33 Republican seats. Democrats have flipped seven seats as a result of special state legislative elections in 2018. In special elections between 2011 and 2017, one party (either Republicans or Democrats) saw an average net gain of four seats across the country each year.

  • An average of 90 seats were filled through special elections in each of the past three odd years (2013: 84, 2015: 88, 2017: 98).
  • An average of 44 seats were filled through special elections in each of the past four even years (2010: 26, 2012: 45, 2014: 40, 2016: 65).

Upcoming special elections include:

May 15

Local Politics: The Week in Review

Elections Update

Saturday, May 5

Texas city and schools election wrap-up

  • Texas held local elections in many cities and school boards across the state on Saturday. Ballotpedia covered elections in the cities of Arlington, Garland, Irving, and Lubbock. Ballotpedia also covered school board elections in 49 districts, 20 of which canceled their elections due to a lack of opposition.

Monday, May 7

Independent candidate filing deadline in Ohio

  • Ohio independent candidates filed to appear on the November ballot by submitting a declaration of candidacy and nominating petitions and paying a filing fee. Signature requirements varied depending on the office being sought. Statewide offices such as governor and United States Senator required 5,000 qualified elector signatures. United States Representative and state legislature candidate signature requirements were based on the size of the district—if 5,000 or more electors in the district voted for the office of governor in the most recent election, candidates needed signatures from 1 percent of the number of electors who voted; if less than 5,000 electors voted for said office, candidates needed 5 percent of the vote or 25, whichever was less.
    • The primary election was held on May 8, 2018, and the general election is November 6, 2018.

Tuesday, May 8

Indiana primary overview

  • Primaries in Indiana were held for federal, state, and local positions, and Ballotpedia covered a total of 172 seats on the ballot. These included the races for one U.S. Senate seat, nine U.S. House seats, three state executive seats, and 125 state legislative seats. Ballotpedia also covered local elections in Allen and Marion counties.

North Carolina primary overview

  • Primaries in North Carolina were held for federal, state, and local positions, and Ballotpedia covered a total of 265 seats on the ballot. These included the races for 13 U.S. House seats and 170 state legislative seats. Ballotpedia also covered local elections across five counties: Durham, Forsyth, Guilford, Mecklenburg, and Wake.

Ohio primary overview

  • Primaries in Ohio were held for federal, state, and local positions, and Ballotpedia covered a total of 220 seats on the ballot. These included the races for one U.S. Senate seat, 16 U.S. House seats, one special election for a U.S. House seat, six state executive seats, 116 state legislative seats, and Ohio state courts. Ballotpedia also covered judicial and municipal elections across five counties: Cuyahoga, Fairfield, Franklin, Hamilton, and Lucas.
    • Thirty-seven Court of Common Pleas seats are up for election across the five counties covered by Ballotpedia. While the general election is a nonpartisan election, judicial candidates may take part in partisan primary races. Forty-four Democratic candidates and 29 Republican candidates were on partisan primary ballots. Of these, 18 Democratic incumbents and 10 Republican incumbents filed. All 28 incumbents advanced to the general election.
    • Ballotpedia covered 18 county seats on the primary election ballot across Cuyahoga, Fairfield, Franklin, Hamilton, and Lucas counties. Eighteen Democratic candidates and 14 Republican candidates filed for election to those seats. Sixteen incumbents, 10 Democrats and six Republicans, filed for re-election. Nine Democratic incumbents and all six Republican incumbents advanced to the general election. A total of four Democratic primaries did not have Democratic candidates: two races in Cuyahoga county and one each in Fairfield and Franklin counties. Six Republican primaries, all in Cuyahoga County, had no candidates.
    • The city council in Toledo, Ohio, held a special election for the District 6 seat. The election was called after Lindsay Webb vacated her seat after being appointed as Lucas County Treasurer. Four candidates filed for election: Chris Delaney (D), David Ball (D), James Nowak (R), and Alex Rivera (R). Incumbent Delaney, who was appointed to the position in late January 2018, won the special election and will hold the seat for the remainder of Webb’s term, which expires in 2020.

Voters in Hamilton County, Ohio, approved local property taxes to fund (a) the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden and (b) public library services, respectively

  • Hamilton County, Ohio, voters approved two local tax measures Tuesday—Issue 2, a five-year renewal of a property tax to fund the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, and Issue 3, a new property tax to fund the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.
  • Issue 2 was designed to renew the property tax funding the zoo at a rate of .46 mill per dollar (or $0.046 per $100 of assessed property value). While zoo administrators requested that a tax increase appear on the ballot, the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners approved only the renewal, which passed with 78 percent of the vote.
  • Issue 3 was designed to levy a 10-year property tax to fund library operations and services at a rate of one mill per dollar (or $0.10 per $100 of assessed property value). The tax under Issue 3 is in addition to an existing property tax funding the library at the same rate, for a total of $0.20 per $100 of value benefitting the library. Issue 3 received approval at a lower rate than Issue 2, passing with 63 percent of the vote on election night.

Voters approve parcel tax increase for Dixie School District in Marin County, Calif.

  • On Tuesday, voters in Marin County approved Measure B to increase to the school parcel tax—a type of special property tax—to fund Dixie School District for 12 years. The rate, now $470 per parcel (or unit of property), was previously $352 per parcel. The measure needed a two-thirds (66.67%) supermajority vote, and it passed on election night with just over 70 percent of the vote.
  • California is the only state to allow parcel taxes that benefit school districts. Ballotpedia found in 2017 that the majority of school parcel taxes have been levied in five counties in the San Francisco Bay Area, including Marin County, and that they accounted for 70 percent of all school parcel taxes in the state.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka wins re-election

  • Incumbent Ras Baraka won a second term in Newark’s mayoral election on May 8. He faced a former supporter, Newark City Councilwoman Gayle Chaneyfield Jenkins. Chaneyfield Jenkins backed Baraka's 2014 mayoral bid, running as part of his slate of candidates. She later broke with the mayor.
  • The candidates differed on issues like development and education. Chaneyfield Jenkins opposed a Baraka-backed proposal mandating a number of low-income housing units in new residential developments. She was also against a state moratorium on charter school expansion that had Baraka's support.

City officials recalled in Michigan

  • In Roscommon, Michigan, Village President Dan Fishel was defeated by Councilman Mike Miller in the recall election. Unofficial results showed Miller winning with 89 votes over the 71 votes earned by Fishel. Recall supporters accused Fishel of violating a village ethics ordinance after he shared his personal opinions of the Roscommon Downtown Development Authority.
  • In Wayne, Michigan, City Councilman Chris Sanders was defeated by Jeremiah Webster in a recall election. Unofficial results showed Webster winning with 71.6 percent of the vote. The recall effort was initiated after the city council's decision to extend elected official terms to 2018. The council approved the extensions because three council seats were due for election in 2017 prior to the city's decision to move elections from odd years to even years to coincide with state elections. Another approved petition argued that Sanders recruited residents outside of Wayne County to make critical comments about City Manager Lisa Nocerini at council meetings. Organizers also looked to remove Sanders due to his vote to block the sale of the vacant Wayne Activities and Banquet Center.

Recall election of three school board members in Maine approved

  • A recall election seeking to remove three of the seven members of the Scarborough School Department Board of Education in Maine was approved at the ballot. Recall supporters targeted board members Donna Beeley, Cari Lyford, and Jodi Shea after David Creech, principal of Scarborough High School, resigned from his position effective June 30. Creech did not publicly say why he resigned, and school officials said his resignation could not be discussed because it was a personnel matter. Creech's wife and lawyer said he was forced to resign by Scarborough Superintendent Julie Kukenberger.
    • Recall supporters said they were seeking recall due to incompetent oversight of the superintendent. Beeley defended the school board and Kukenberger, saying, “Social media and news outlets have promoted a narrative that due to the confidentiality required has been one-sided."
    • Beeley, Lyford, and Shea will continue to serve on the board until May 16, when the results of the recall election will be finalized. Special elections will be held to elect their replacements but have not been scheduled yet. Ballotpedia has tracked 25 recall efforts targeting a total of 54 school board members in 2018. Five of those recall efforts have made it to the ballot with elections scheduled to be held in 2018.

Colorado legislature approves transportation funding bill, including a $2.337 billion bond issue on the November 2019 ballot contingent on potential 2018 citizen initiatives

  • Senate Bill 1 was approved by the legislature in the last days of the 2018 legislative session, and now goes to the governor’s office for his signature. SB 1 includes different budget allocation and bond issue scenarios in response to the whether (a) no citizen initiatives to issue transportation revenue anticipation notes (TRANs) are approved in 2018, (b) an initiative to issue TRANs but without a tax increase is passed by voters in 2018, and (c) an initiative to issue TRANs and increase taxes to fund the repayment of the notes is passed by voters in 2018. The different scenarios also involve lease-purchase agreement funding provided by SB 267 in 2017.
    • In scenario (c), in which an initiative to issue TRANs with a tax increase to repay the debt is passed, no 2019 referral would take place, and SB 1 would dictate the allocation of and additional $50 million per year to the State Highway Fund. The lease-purchase agreement funding provided by SB 267 in 2017 would stay in place.
    • In scenario (b), in which an initiative to issue TRANs but without a tax increase is passed, no 2019 referral would take place, and SB 1 would dictate the allocation of the $100 million per year from SB 267 (2017) to the repayment of the TRANs debt instead of pursuing the final three lease-purchase agreement batches of $500 million each.
    • In scenario (a), in which neither citizen initiative is approved in November 2018, Senate Bill 1 requires the proposed $2.337 billion bond issue to go before voters in November 2019, and one of the following two scenarios would occur:
  • Of the $2.337 billion proposed by the contingent 2019 referral, 85 percent would go to the State Highway Fund, managed by the Colorado Department of Transportation, to fund certain projects that qualify for federal aid. A quarter of the funds going to the State Highway Fund would be required to be used for projects within counties with a population of 50,000 or less. The remaining 15 percent of the TRANs revenue would go to the Multimodal Transportation Options Fund. Multimodal projects are defined as "capital or operating costs for fixed route and on-demand transit, transportation demand management programs, multimodal mobility projects enabled by new technology, multimodal transportation studies, and bicycle or pedestrian projects.” The maximum repayment cost of the TRANs debt would be $3.25 million, and it would have to be repaid fully within 20 years.
  • Senate Bill 1 was introduced on January 10, 2018. The Senate passed the measure unanimously as amended on March 28, 2018. The initial version proposed a 2018 bond election date and an amount of $3.5 billion. The House amended the proposal to push the election date back to November 2019 contingent on the whether or not a citizen initiative to issue TRANs was approved in November 2018, decrease the amount of the proposed bond issue, and approved the amended version 36-29 on May 8, 2018. The Senate unanimously concurred with the amendments the same day
  • Two citizen initiatives related to transportation funding and bond issues were filed with state officials targeting the 2018 ballot:
    • One initiative was designed to authorize $3.5 billion in transportation revenue anticipation notes (TRANs) with a total repayment cost of $5.2 billion. It would be repaid through the allocation of an estimated $350 million per year from the state's general fund. This initiative was sponsored by the Independence Institute.
    • The other initiative, which has the backing of the Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce, was designed to issue between $3.72 billion and $9 billion in TRANs and repay the debt through a sales tax increase of between 0.35 percentage points and 1 percentage point, depending on the version selected.
  • Regardless of what happens with the initiatives and the proposed legislatively referred bond issue, SB 1 allocates an additional $465 million to transportation in the 2018-2019 fiscal year, and an additional $150 million to transportation in the 2019-2020 fiscal year. These allocations are in addition to $500 million in lease-purchase agreement revenue to be entered into during the 2018-2019 fiscal year and paid back through $100 million per year from the general fund.

Wednesday, May 9

Voters in Connecticut will decide amendment to require public hearings and legislative supermajority to sell certain state-owned lands in November

  • The Connecticut General Assembly referred to the ballot for the election on November 6, 2018, a constitutional amendment that would require the legislature to hold public hearings on state-owned land sales and transfers and a two-thirds vote of the legislature to sell or transfer land under the control of the state agriculture and environment protection departments.
  • To refer an amendment to the ballot in Connecticut, the state legislature must approve a proposed amendment by either (1) a supermajority vote of 75 percent during one legislative session or (2) by a simple majority vote in two successive sessions. The amendment received more than 75 percent of the vote in each legislative chamber, landing the measure on this year’s ballot. On May 7, 2018, the state Senate adopted the constitutional amendment in a unanimous 35-member vote with one member absent. The state House of Representatives approved SJR 35 in a vote of 118 to 32. More than 88 percent of House Republicans voted to approve the amendment, while nearly 70 percent of House Democrats did likewise.
  • The amendment was designed to address concerns from environmental groups, including the Connecticut Forest & Park Association, about the state’s annual conveyance bills, which provide for transferring or selling state-owned land to local governments, private developers, or other entities. Sen. Michael McLachlan (R-24), who voted for the amendment, said the measure “is focused on our green spaces and our park lands, that they are held to a higher degree.” Rep. Rick Lopes, who voted against the amendment, responded, “Your project is going to become a political football. It’s going to seriously, seriously damage your ability to get things done.”
  • From 1996 through 2016, the Connecticut General Assembly referred four constitutional amendments to the ballot. Voters approved three and rejected one of the referred amendments. The average number of amendments appearing on even-year ballots was zero. The Connecticut ballot for November 6, 2018, will feature two constitutional amendments for voter consideration. The second amendment, which was referred in June 2017, would prohibit lawmakers from using the state transportation fund for anything other than transportation purposes.

Thursday, May 10

Voters in South Carolina will decide a ballot measure to make the superintendent of education a governor-appointed position, rather than an elected position

  • The South Carolina State Legislature referred to the ballot for the election on November 6, 2018, a constitutional amendment to make the position of state superintendent of education a governor-appointed position, rather than an elected position.
  • As of 2018, South Carolina is one of 13 states, including neighboring Georgia and North Carolina, where voters elect the superintendent of education. In 17 states, the governor appointed the superintendent. In the remaining 20 states, either a state board of education or a state board of regents appointed the superintendent.
  • The measure would authorize the governor would appoint the superintendent, with the consent of the state Senate. The measure would take effect on January 1, 2023. On November 6, 2018, voters will all vote on who will be the next superintendent of education. Incumbent Molly Spearman (R) is running for re-election. Whoever wins the election on November 6, 2018, could be the state’s last elected superintendent should voters approve the ballot measure.
  • The legislature also sent a companion bill to the governor’s desk to require the appointed superintendent of education to possess the minimum of a master’s degree and experience in the field of public education or experience in operational and financial management.
  • From 1996 to 2017, an average of three to four measures appeared on the ballot during even-numbered years in South Carolina. The amendment to make the superintendent of education an appointed position was the first certified for the ballot in South Carolina in 2018. As the legislature adjourned on May 10, 2018, the amendment will be the only measure on the statewide ballot in South Carolina this year. Between 1996 and 2017, 86.84 percent (33 of 38) of statewide ballots were approved by voters, and 13.16 percent (5 of 38) were defeated.
WHAT'S ON TAP NEXT WEEK

Here's what is happening in state and local politics this week. To see what happened in federal politics, click here.

State Politics: What's On Tap Next Week

Tuesday, May 15

Idaho primary overview

  • Ballotpedia will cover a total of 133 federal and state seats up for primary election in Idaho. These include U.S. Congress, governor and other state executives, Idaho State Legislature, and Idaho state courts. Ballotpedia will also cover judicial and municipal elections in Ada County.

Nebraska primary overview

  • Ballotpedia will cover a total of 44 federal and state seats up for primary election in Nebraska. These include one seat in the U.S. Senate, three seats in the U.S. House, nine state executive offices including governor, and 24 seats in the state senate. Ballotpedia will also cover local primaries in Douglas and Lancaster counties. These races include county commissioner, assessor, attorney, sheriffic, treasurer, and more.

Oregon primary overview

  • Ballotpedia will cover a total of 116 federal and state seats up for primary election in Oregon. These include U.S. Congress, governor, labor commissioner, Oregon State Legislature, and Oregon state courts. Ballotpedia will also cover judicial and municipal elections in Portland and Multnomah County. Also up for a vote in Portland, Oregon, and Multnomah County will be Measure 26-197 and Measure 34-284. Measure 26-197 would renew a property tax for five years to fund children programs, while Measure 34-284 would renew a property tax for five years to fund teacher positions in the Beaverton School District.
    • At least three Oregon state legislative Democratic primaries feature matchups between moderate and progressive candidates. Senate President Peter Courtney and state Sen. Rod Monroe both face progressive challengers. The fight for the open state House District 32 also features candidates from opposing wings of the party. Key issues include housing, environmental policy, and the national popular vote.

Pennsylvania primary overview

  • Ballotpedia will cover a total of 249 federal and state seats up for primary election in Pennsylvania. These include U.S. Congress, governor and lieutenant governor, and Pennsylvania General Assembly. Special elections are also being held for District 48, District 68, and District 178 of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

Two state legislative special elections in Alabama

  • Special elections will be on the ballot in Alabama. The winners of these elections will fill vacancies for District 26 of the Alabama State Senate and District 4 of the state house.
    • In the senate race, Democrat David Burkette and Republican D.J. Johnson will compete to replace Senate Minority Leader Quinton Ross (D), who resigned to become president of Alabama State University. Five Democratic candidates ran in the primary in December 2017. Burkette then defeated John Knight in the Democratic primary runoff in February. Johnson had no Republican competition in the primary.
    • Democrat Juanita Allen Healy, Republican Parker Moore, and independent candidate Pete Willis will face off in the race for the Alabama House of Representatives seat. The seat became vacant following Micky Hammon’s (R) removal from office when he pleaded guilty to mail fraud. After advancing from a three-way Republican primary, Moore won the primary runoff against Tom Fredricks. Healy was unopposed for the Democratic nomination.
    • Alabama is one of 26 Republican trifectas, where there is a Republican governor and Republican majorities in both chambers of the state legislature.

Two state legislative special primaries in Wisconsin

  • Wisconsin will hold a special primary election for the State Senate District 1 seat and the State Assembly District 42 seat. Both seats were vacated on December 29, 2017, after Frank Lasee (R) and Keith Ripp (R) were appointed to new positions. The general election will take place on June 12.
    • Three candidates filed for the State Senate District 1 seat. Republican candidates André Jacque and Alex Renard will face off in the Republican primary. The primary winner will face Democratic candidate Caleb Frostman in the general election.
    • In State Assembly District 42, seven candidates filed for election. Democratic candidates Ann Groves Lloyd and Nicholas Schneider will face off in the Democratic primary. Republican candidates Colleen Locke-Murphy, Jon Plumer, Darren Schroeder, and Spencer Zimmerman are running in the Republican primary. The primary winners will face independent candidate Gene Rubinstein in the general election.
  • The special elections were called after the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC) sued Gov. Scott Walker (R) for not calling a special election in 2018 to fill the two seats. A circuit court judge ruled that the state should hold the elections.
    • Three Wisconsin legislative special elections were held earlier this year, resulting in a single flipped seat in the Wisconsin State Senate. Wisconsin is currently one of 26 Republican trifectas: Walker holds the governor’s office and Republicans have an 18-14 majority in the state senate and a 63-35 majority in the state assembly.

Friday, May 18

Missouri to hold special session regarding Greitens’ impeachment

  • Missouri legislators called for a special session scheduled to begin to discuss impeaching Gov. Eric Greitens (R). The decision to convene was made after 138 House members and 29 Senators signed a petition calling for the governor's impeachment

Washington state filing deadline

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Local Politics: What's On Tap Next Week

Tuesday, May 15

Idaho primary overview

  • Ballotpedia will cover a total of 133 federal and state seats up for primary election in Idaho. These include U.S. Congress, governor and other state executives, Idaho State Legislature, and Idaho state courts. Ballotpedia will also cover judicial and municipal elections in Ada County.

Nebraska primary overview

  • Ballotpedia will cover a total of 44 federal and state seats up for primary election in Nebraska. These include one seat in the U.S. Senate, three seats in the U.S. House, nine state executive offices including governor, and 24 seats in the state senate. Ballotpedia will also cover local primaries in Douglas and Lancaster counties. These races include county commissioner, assessor, attorney, sheriffic, treasurer, and more.

Oregon primary overview

  • Ballotpedia will cover a total of 116 federal and state seats up for primary election in Oregon. These include U.S. Congress, governor, labor commissioner, Oregon State Legislature, and Oregon state courts. Ballotpedia will also cover judicial and municipal elections in Portland and Multnomah County. Also up for a vote in Portland, Oregon, and Multnomah County will be Measure 26-197 and Measure 34-284. Measure 26-197 would renew a property tax for five years to fund children programs, while Measure 34-284 would renew a property tax for five years to fund teacher positions in the Beaverton School District.

Candidate filing deadline for Wayne County Community College trustees

  • The filing deadline will pass for three seats on the Wayne County Community College Board of Trustees in Michigan. To qualify for the ballot, potential candidates must be 18 years or older, an elector in the district they are running to represent, and have collected between 250 and 500 signatures from electors in their district. Candidates must file an affidavit of identity and nonpartisan nominating petition by 4 p.m. on the date of the filing deadline. Trustees elected in 2018 will serve for six years starting January 1, 2019.
    • The Michigan statewide primary is August 7, 2018, and the general election will be on November 6, 2018.

School board seats up for election in Lackawanna, New York

  • Three seats on the Lackawanna City Board of Education are up for general election. The school district served 1,772 students during the 2015-2016 school year. Mohamed Munassar, Raymond Braxton, Mark Kowalski, Leonard Kowalski, Glenn Matthews, and George Halsey are competing for the three at-large seats.


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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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