Search query: texas

Texas Legislature Passes Statewide Ban on Hemp-Derived THC; Bill Heads to Governor Abbott
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
-
4 min read
California Lawmakers Push Back on Federal AI Regulation Ban Buried in 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act'
California Lawmakers Push Back on Federal AI Regulation Ban Buried in 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act'
Given the state’s role as home to many leading AI companies, a bipartisan coalition of California legislators is urging Congress to strike a little-noticed provision from the sweeping federal tax package that would block states and local governments from regulating artificial intelligence (AI) for the next decade.
27 May, 2025
-
6 min read
Senator Jacky Rosen Bucks Party Politics to Champion No Tax on Tips
Senator Jacky Rosen Bucks Party Politics to Champion No Tax on Tips
Americans woke up to the news Wednesday that the US Senate did the seemingly impossible in today’s hyper-polarized political environment: Its members unanimously approved a stand-alone bill that eliminates taxes on tips, which was one of President Donald Trump’s signature promises on the 2024 campaign trail.
21 May, 2025
-
4 min read
Democrat Senator Gallego Releases Plan for Immigration Reform that Party Loyalists Won’t Like
Democrat Senator Gallego Releases Plan for Immigration Reform that Party Loyalists Won’t Like
Senator Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) has introduced a plan for systemic immigration reform and a front-and-center border security plan to reach what he says should be a bipartisan goal of “getting illegal border crossing to as near zero as possible.” 
16 May, 2025
-
6 min read
Running for President as an Independent: How it Really Works
Running for President as an Independent: How it Really Works
Have you ever wondered why, in the greatest democracy in the world, almost no one runs for President of the United States as an independent? The answer is that running as an independent is extremely difficult, if not impossible. That is why very few people have attempted it, and none have won in modern history. 
12 May, 2025
-
13 min read
Who Really Pays for Congress? Local Donors All But Disappear in 2024
Who Really Pays for Congress? Local Donors All But Disappear in 2024
There is an old saying: All politics is local. However, many voters may get the impression this is becoming less and less a reality -- particularly in US House and Senate elections where candidates are elected to represent specific districts or states, but campaign to a national audience.
06 May, 2025
-
3 min read
To Avoid Confusion, Should RCV Just Be Called Instant Runoff Elections?
To Avoid Confusion, Should RCV Just Be Called Instant Runoff Elections?
In discussions with an elderly voter in Colorado about Proposition 131, the unsuccessful 2024 ballot measure to create a nonpartisan primary with ranked choice voting (RCV), in the general election, we learned something important. This individual had voted against Proposition 131, casting his mail ballot on the day he received it. A week later, he received a campaign ad mailer that Colorado’s governor and Denver’s mayor had endorsed Proposition 131, which may have influenced his decision.
11 Mar, 2025
-
5 min read
An Insider’s Guide to Contacting Your Elected Representatives
An Insider’s Guide to Contacting Your Elected Representatives
It’s February and Washington is still in the, “new year, new you” phase. We are a month and a half into a new Congress and a few weeks shorter than that into a new (ish) presidency. And like most of us with a New Year's resolution, Congress and the administration are still in the “haven’t given up on the diet” phase.  
24 Feb, 2025
-
7 min read
The Worst Partisan Gerrymanders of the 2020s
The Worst Partisan Gerrymanders of the 2020s
With two post-census election cycles in the books, congressional district maps are mostly set for the remainder of the decade – which means we will know the outcomes of the vast majority of House elections before voters even cast ballots in November 2026, 2028 and 2030.
13 Dec, 2024
-
9 min read
Toss the Survival Guides: Research Finds Politics Is Rarely an Issue at Thanksgiving
Toss the Survival Guides: Research Finds Politics Is Rarely an Issue at Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is often portrayed as a minefield of political debates, with an annual surge of guides offering tips to "survive" political conversations at the dinner table. But how useful are these guides?
27 Nov, 2024
-
4 min read