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Articles on State politics

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Abortion rights supporters celebrate Issue 1 passing in Ohio on Nov. 7, 2023. Megan Jelinger/AFP via Getty Images

Abortion rights victories show this issue is unlikely to fade in 2024 elections − 3 things to know

The new constitutional amendment to protect the right to abortion in Ohio − as well as other wins for Democrats − shows the importance of ballot initiatives and focusing on abortion in elections.
Devon Sanders, a statehouse reporter and student at the Lousiana State University Manship School of Mass Communication, interviewed State Rep. Katrina Jackson in 2018. Richard Watts

Student reporters fill crucial gap in state government coverage

Where regular reporters have disappeared, university-led statehouse reporting programs have stepped in.
Fani Willis, the district attorney of Fulton County, Georgia, has said that a decision about charging Trump is imminent. David Walter Banks/Getty Images

As charges loom over Trump, prosecutors come under fire – a criminal justice expert explains what’s at stake

Most prosecutors are elected in uncontested races across the country. But there are signs that the posts are becoming political hotbeds, placing more pressure on the criminal justice system.
Jim Marchant, Republican candidate for Nevada secretary of state, arrives at a rally in Henderson on Nov. 6, 2022. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Voters largely reject election deniers as secretaries of state – but the partisan battle for election administration will continue

Voters mostly did not cast their ballots for chief election administration officials who deny the 2020 election. But the hyperpartisan trend could further erode trust in elections.
Couy Griffin, a former county commissioner in Otero County, N.M., rides a horse in New York City in May 2020. Gotham/Getty Images

A New Mexico official who joined the Capitol attacks is barred from politics – but the little-known law behind the removal has some potential pitfalls for democracy

Other countries disqualify political officials and prevent them from holding office more often than the US does. There are benefits and potential risks to using this kind of legal tactic.
The State of Texas is in a legal battle to seize power from the Houston public school board. Eakrin Rasadonyindee/Shutterstock.com

The made-up crisis behind the state takeover of Houston’s public schools

While the state of Texas says it is taking over the Houston school system in the name of school improvement, an expert argues the move is motivated by racism and political power struggles.
Incumbent Rep. Barbara Comstock, R-Va., won reelection. AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File

Why the Democrats won’t win the House in 2018

State legislators in 18 states are intentionally drawing congressional boundaries to favor their party, according to experts who ran thousands of simulations using open-source mapping software.
Queensland Labor under Annastacia Palaszczuk has claimed a lead in the polls ahead of next year’s state election. AAP/Dan Peled

One down, two to go? Labor revival puts incumbents on edge

The rule of thumb in Australian politics has been that voters are reluctant to throw out governments after a single term. And if they do, it’s during a major crisis. Perhaps that’s a measure of Australians…
Detroit has emerged from bankruptcy, but the process has been sharply criticized, which could impair its success. Reuters

What are the costs of Detroit’s rise from bankruptcy?

Earlier this month, we learned that the biggest municipal bankruptcy in history would also be among the swiftest. The emergency manager for Detroit filed for bankruptcy in the summer of 2013 without a…
The government is hoping asset recycling will lead to major infrastructure investments, but its success could lie elsewhere. Stefan Postles/AAP

Asset recycling no dream for Hockey, but efficiency boost likely

UPDATE: This piece originally said the Asset Recycling Initiative had been passed by the Senate. Subsequent to publication, the amended legislation was rejected by the House of Representatives. The piece…
The latest report into Australian education shows some positives and some negatives. School image from www.shutterstock.com

COAG education reports show early childhood and Year 12 are key

Educational outcomes in Australia are showing signs of improvement, particularly in the early years and in Year 12 attainment, according to the latest reports from the Council of Australian Governments…
The writing may be on the wall for Labor’s carbon policy, but that doesn’t mean the states should give up. Flickr/bk2204

States of decay: complementing the federal carbon policy

In a survey last year of 22,812 people across 22 countries (including Australia), the polling organisation GlobeScan found that environmental concerns had fallen worldwide since 2009, and fewer than one…
The ACT election result has produced another hung parliament. ALP leader Kate Gallagher is waiting to find out if she’ll lead it. AAP/Alan Porritt

ACT election swing no killer blow for the Greens

As numbers from polling booths across the ACT started to go up on the big screen in the tally room on Saturday night the first and most obvious trend was a huge swing to the Liberals and a correlative…
State governments are looking at changing the way they deliver education. AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

The policy and politics of education cuts

At a time when the Commonwealth sponsored Gonski Review of School Funding is recommending an increase of $5 billion a year plus for schools around Australia, it may seem odd that some state governments…

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