Weekly Brew: September 20, 2019

A weekly shot of this week's most viewed stories from Ballotpedia's Daily Brew. Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Each week, we bring you a list of the most viewed stories from The Daily Brew, condensed. Here are the top five stories from the week of September 15 - September 21.     1. Ballotpedia releases research on public-sector union membership Throughout 2019, Ballotpedia researched and analyzed the membership, finances, and political spending of public-sector unions. Nearly 50% of the country's public-sector union employees are located in five states, according to our findings. Read more →   2. Four years ago, Republican presidential candidates hold second debate Flashback to 2016: four years ago from September 16, Republicans held their second debate of the 2016 cycle. Fifteen candidates were invited to participate, split into two segments. Read more →   3. Pivot County vote margins were more Republican in 2019 NC-9 special election compared to 2018 general The 9th Congressional District, which held a special election on September 10, overlaps three pivot counties—counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and Donald Trump (R) in 2016. We analyzed changes in vote margins. Read more →   4. Utah legislature modifies medical marijuana law The Utah legislature altered Proposition 2, which legalized the medical use of marijuana for individuals with qualifying medical illnesses, for the second time on September 16. Read more →   5. Appeals court rules federal housing board structure violates separation of powers The composition of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, formed after the 2008 recession to oversee the nation's housing market, has been ruled unconstitutional by a federal appeals court. Read more →