Search query: tennessee
Gerrymandering Wars Escalate Beyond Texas and California: A National Race to the Bottom?
Republicans currently hold a narrow 219 to 212 edge over Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives, with four vacancies: three from Democratic members who have died and one from a Republican who has resigned. This is the smallest House majority held by either party in nearly a century. The razor-thin margin means the stakes in the 2026 midterms could not be higher. With so few competitive seats left nationwide, both parties are turning to mid-decade redistricting as a way to secure advantages.
27 Aug, 2025
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10 min read
How It Really Works: The Unfair Fight Between Legal Cannabis and Unregulated 'Gas‑Station' Hemp
When President Richard Nixon told the nation on June 17, 1971, that drug abuse was “public enemy number one,” he formally launched the War on Drugs and cemented cannabis in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act.
22 Jul, 2025
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10 min read
Congress Moves to Ban Unregulated, Intoxicating Hemp Being Sold at Gas Stations Nationwide
In a late-session vote last week, House Republicans advanced a sweeping change to federal hemp policy that could outlaw a wide range of intoxicating hemp products, sometimes referred to as “gas station weed,” as the hemp Farm Bill loopholes become a major policy issue in many states, including California, Tennessee and Texas.
26 Jun, 2025
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3 min read
TX Gov. Vetoes Hemp Bill - No Criminalization for Synthetic THC
On June 23, 2025, Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott shocked lawmakers and lobbyists alike by vetoing Senate Bill 3 (SB 3), a measure that would have banned hemp-derived THC products across the state. He also called for a special session to bring lawmakers back to Austin on July 21 to craft regulations that restrict, but do not outright ban, intoxicating hemp products.
23 Jun, 2025
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5 min read
Is Texas About to Be More Chill on Hemp Than California?
California has just proposed a sweeping new rule to permanently ban intoxicating hemp products — and Texas may soon follow, as Governor Greg Abbott (R) faces a June 22 deadline to sign or veto a similar bill.
19 Jun, 2025
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4 min read
Texas Legislature Passes Statewide Ban on Hemp-Derived THC; Bill Heads to Governor Abbott
A sweeping bill to ban hemp-derived THC products in Texas is now headed to Governor Greg Abbott’s desk after final legislative approval. On May 26, the Texas Senate voted 25–6 to concur with House amendments to Senate Bill 3 (SB3), clearing the last procedural hurdle for the legislation.
27 May, 2025
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4 min read
Tennessee Governor Signs Sweeping Hemp Crackdown into Law
Tennessee's hemp industry is facing major regulatory upheaval after Governor Bill Lee signed a bill on May 21 that will significantly restrict the production and sale of hemp-derived cannabinoid products beginning in 2026.
27 May, 2025
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3 min read
A Partisan Fight Heats Up: Voter ID Initiative Pits Maine’s Democrat Secretary of State Against a Powerful GOP Super PAC
A super PAC allied with the Republican Party is challenging the official language of a voter ID ballot question set to appear on Maine’s November 2025 ballot.
14 May, 2025
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4 min read
In 3 States, Partisans Pick the Secretary of State Without Voter or Executive Input
In 47 US states, the secretary of state is a recognized statewide office, and in most of those states, voters get to decide who holds it. But in three 3 states — Maine, Tennessee, and New Hampshire — the legislature holds that power exclusively.
29 Apr, 2025
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7 min read
Open Primaries President: Voters Don't Trust Reformers Right Now; We Need to Earn That Trust
The nonprofit reform group Open Primaries hosted its first Primary Buzz Discussion of 2025 last week. But this conversation worked differently as Open Primaries President John Opdycke was the one being interviewed.
06 Feb, 2025
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2 min read