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The State and Local Tap: Mississippi expands COVID-19 vaccination eligibility to anyone over 16

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March 20, 2021Issue No. 246

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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

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Monday, March 15

New Jersey governor nominates Rachel Wainer Apter to state supreme court

  • New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy (D) announced on March 15 that he would nominate Rachel Wainer Apter to the New Jersey Supreme Court. She will replace Justice Jaynee LaVecchia, who is retiring on Aug. 31.
  • Wainer Apter has served as a director with the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights, a counsel to the New Jersey Attorney General, and an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union. From 2011 to 2012, Wainer Apter was a law clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She has also clerked for federal judges Robert Katzmann and Jed Rakoff.
  • State law requires supreme court nominees to pass the “advice and consent” of the state Senate one week after the governor issues a public notice of the nomination.
  • This is Gov. Murphy’s second nominee to the seven-member supreme court. The court will switch from a 4-3 majority of justices appointed by Republican governors to a 4-3 majority of justices appointed by Democratic governors. According to state law, the New Jersey governor may appoint justices to have up to a one-seat partisan advantage on the court, but he or she may go no further than that.
  • Twenty-six state supreme courts have Republican majorities, 16 have Democratic majorities, and eight have split or indeterminate majorities.

Arizona is seventh state to require schools to provide some in-person instruction

  • Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey’s (R) March 3 executive order requiring public schools to offer in-person instruction took effect March 15. Arizona is the seventh state to require at least part-time instruction for certain grade levels. High schools and middle schools in high-transmission counties are exempt from the order. Parents can still keep their children in virtual classes.
  • Nationwide:
    • Three states (Calif., Del., Hawaii) and Washington, D.C. had state-ordered regional school closures, required closures for certain grade levels, or allowed hybrid instruction only.
    • Five states (Ark., Fla., Iowa, N.H., Texas) had state-ordered in-person instruction
    • Two states (Ariz., W.Va.) had state-ordered in-person instruction for certain grades.
    • Forty states left decisions to schools or districts

Arizona Supreme Court justice announces retirement

  • Arizona Supreme Court Justice Andrew Gould has scheduled his retirement for April 1. Gould’s replacement will be Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey's (R) sixth nominee to the seven-member supreme court.
  • Under Arizona law, justices on the Arizona Supreme Court are selected through the assisted appointment method for six-year renewable terms. Following the initial appointment, judges are subject to a retention election in the next general election which occurs more than two years after the appointment.
  • Governor Ducey appointed Gould to the court in 2016. Previously, Gould served as a judge with Division One of the Arizona Court of Appeals from 2011 to 2016 and on the Yuma County Superior Court from 2001 to 2011. Following Gould’s retirement, the Arizona Supreme Court will include the following members:
    • Robert Brutinel, appointed by Gov. Jan Brewer (R) in 2010
    • Ann Timmer, appointed by Gov. Jan Brewer (R) in 2012
    • Clint Bolick, appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey (R) in 2016
    • John Lopez IV, appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey (R) in 2016
    • James Beene, appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey (R) in 2019
    • Bill Montgomery, appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey (R) in 2019
  • This year, there have been 10 supreme court vacancies in nine of the 29 states where replacement justices are appointed instead of elected. The vacancies have been caused by retirements.

Tuesday, March 16

Pennsylvania state Rep. Jeffrey Pyle resigns

  • Pennsylvania state Rep. Jeffrey Pyle (R) announced his immediate retirement on March 16, citing health issues. CBS Pittsburgh reported that Pyle was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2005 and had recently suffered a stroke.
  • Pyle first assumed office as the District 60 representative in 2005 and was re-elected seven times, most recently in 2020. He has also served as the mayor of Ford City, Pa., as a committeeman for Ford City's Second Ward South of Armstrong County, and as a teacher in the Armstrong School District.
  • The special election to fill the District 60 seat will take place on May 18, which coincides with Pennsylvania's statewide primary. On that day, voters will decide primaries for one seat on the Pennsylvania Superior Court and one seat on the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court. Voters will also decide three statewide ballot measures.

Indiana governor appoints Holli Sullivan as secretary of state

  • Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) appointed state Rep. Holli Sullivan (R) as secretary of state on Feb. 16. She succeeds Connie Lawson (R), who announced earlier this year that she would be resigning due to health and family reasons. Sullivan will serve until the office’s next scheduled election in November 2022.
  • Governor Mitch Daniels (R) first appointed Lawson as secretary of state in March 2012 to succeed Charlie White (R). Lawson was re-elected to the position in 2014 and 2018. Her tenure of nine years is the second-longest in the history of the office. Indiana’s first secretary of state, Robert New, served for nine years and one month from 1816 to 1825.
  • Before being appointed secretary of state, Sullivan served in the Indiana House of Representatives, representing District 78 since 2014. She was originally appointed to the state House after Gov. Mike Pence (R) appointed the district's previous representative, Suzanne Crouch (R), to state auditor. Sullivan was re-elected to the legislature in 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020.
  • When a vacancy occurs in the Indiana General Assembly, the party that last held the seat must appoint a replacement, with the approval of the chair of the state party. Sullivan’s successor will be selected by the Republican precinct committeemen of District 78.
  • The Indiana secretary of state is one of five statewide elected offices established by Indiana's Constitution. The secretary of state is responsible for maintaining state records, overseeing elections, chartering new businesses, and overseeing the state’s securities and motor vehicle dealership industries.

Mississippi becomes second 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:

  • All Mississippi residents over the age of 16 became eligible for vaccinations on March 16. Before the change took effect, residents aged 50 and older had been eligible for vaccinations since March 4. Mississippi is the second state to allow vaccinations for anyone over the age of 16 statewide. Alaska opened vaccination appointments to everyone aged 16 and older on March 9.
  • Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) announced a revised timeline for vaccine distribution on March 15. Lamont said scheduling will open to all individuals ages 45 to 54 starting March 19. The state is targeting April 5 to open vaccinations to everyone age 16 or older.
  • Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) announced that residents 16 and older with medical conditions or disabilities will become eligible for a coronavirus vaccine on March 22. All residents 16 and older will become eligible on April 5.

Wyoming is sixth state to end statewide face-covering requirements

  • Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon (R) ended the statewide mask mandate and lifted capacity requirements on businesses on March 16. Wyoming was the sixth state to lift a statewide mask mandate. Gordon first implemented the mask order on Dec. 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 the 27 states with Republican governors.

Dori Hauck sworn in as member of North Dakota House of Representatives

  • Dori Hauck (R) was sworn in to the North Dakota House of Representatives to replace former Representative Luke Simons (R) on March 16. Simons, who had represented District 36 since 2016 and was re-elected in 2020, was expelled from the House on March 4 following multiple misconduct allegations.
  • Simons was the first lawmaker in state history to be expelled. According to Article IV, Section 12 of the state constitution, the House “may punish its members or other persons for contempt or disorderly behavior in its presence,” and can expel members if two-thirds of the chamber concurs. The vote to expel Simons was 69-25.
  • Hauck served as secretary-treasurer of the District 36 Republican Party for eight years before her appointment. She will serve in the House until 2022.
  • Under state law, the party committee representing the district has three weeks to appoint a replacement. North Dakota is one of four states that fills vacancies by political party appointments. The others are Colorado, Illinois, and Indiana. Of the other state legislatures, 25 fill vacancies through special elections, 10 through gubernatorial appointments, seven through board of county commissioners appointments, three by a hybrid-system, and in one state, Ohio, the legislative chamber fills vacancies.

Wednesday, March 17

Supporters of recall effort against California governor say they submitted over 2 million signatures

  • The organizers of an effort to recall California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) had until March 17 to turn in signatures in an attempt to get the recall on the ballot. According to media reports, recall organizers had turned in more than 2 million signatures to the secretary of state's office as of March 11.
  • To trigger a recall election, organizers needed to turn in 1,495,709 signatures, which is equal to 12% of the total votes cast in the 2018 gubernatorial election. If supporters turn in enough valid signatures to trigger a recall election, the additional procedural steps dictate a recall election take place within 60 to 80 days of signature verification.
  • In the most recent reporting period that ended Feb. 5, the California Secretary of State had reviewed 798,310 signatures and deemed 668,202 of those valid. At the time of the report, there were still 296,147 signatures submitted that had not yet been reviewed.
  • A recall election would present voters with two questions: the first would ask whether Newsom should be recalled from the office of governor, and the second would ask who should succeed Newsom if he is recalled. A majority vote is required on the first question for the governor to be recalled. Should voters approve a recall, whichever candidate receives the most votes on the second question would win outright.
  • Since 1911, there have been 55 attempts to recall a 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.

Friday, March 19

Connecticut, Massachusetts modify travel, quarantine restrictions

  • On March 19, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) ended the requirement that out-of-state travelers and returning residents self-quarantine for 10 days or provide a negative COVID-19 test upon entering the state. The state now recommends travelers follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Connecticut Department of Public Health travel guidance, which includes self-quarantining after travel and seeking a COVID-19 test.
    • Lamont first announced the travel restrictions on June 24, 2020. Govs. Phil Murphy (D-N.J.) and Andrew Cuomo (D-N.Y.) announced similar restrictions on that day.
  • Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R) announced on Thursday, March 18, that the state’s travel restrictions, which require travelers to quarantine or provide a negative COVID-19 test, will become an advisory on Monday, March 22.

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.
    • April 6 in Wisconsin: Voters in Madison will decide four advisory questions concerning the Madison Common Council.
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

Saturday, March 20

Louisiana voters to decide special elections for state education board, appeals court seat

  • Louisiana voters will decide several special elections on March 20. Under the state’s majority-vote system, all candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation. Such a general election, if needed, is set for April 24.
  • On the ballot at the state level are 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.
  • The BESE special election was called after Tony Davis (R) left office to devote more time to his job as a senior director at the National Association of Manufacturers on Jan. 20. Davis served from 2016 to 2021. Voters will select from five candidates—one Democrat, two Republicans, and two independents.
  • Voters will also decide who will fill a vacancy for the District 1 seat on the Louisiana Circuit Courts of Appeal. That seat became vacant on Oct. 1, 2020, when Judge Felicia Toney Williams (D) retired. Williams served on the court from 1993 to 2020. Three candidates are on the ballot to replace her, all Democrats.
  • Three candidates—one Democrat and two Republicans—are running in a special election in District 82 of the Louisiana House of Representatives. That seat became vacant on Jan. 12 when Charles Henry (R) resigned. He had held that office since 2020.

States in session

47 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 Mexico, 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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