SCOTUS Denied VA Dems’ Attempt to Salvage Congressional Map Approved by Voters

Virginia’s Democratic attorney general, Jay Jones, said Friday night that he would redouble efforts to campaign on behalf of Democrats in the upcoming midterm elections following the US Supreme Court’s rejection of a request to restore a voter-approved congressional map. Following the high court’s one-sentence denial of Democratic state officials’ petition for emergency relief…
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VA Gov. Spanberger Vetoes Bill Allowing Public Employees to Collectively Bargain

Gov. Abigail Spanberger vetoed collective bargaining legislation Thursday, drawing major criticism from some of the state’s largest unions and labor advocate groups. The governor previously expressed support for the bills that would allow more Virginia public workers to organize in unions and negotiate their working conditions and pay rates. Spanberger first sought amendments to Senate…
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More State Governments Are Turning Against Data Center Tax Breaks

After years of states pushing legislation to accelerate the development of data centers and the electric grid to support them, some legislators want to limit or repeal state and local incentives that paved their way. President Donald Trump also has changed his tone. Last year he issued an executive order and other federal initiatives meant to support accelerated data center development.
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Major Battles for Reproductive Rights in 2026 Will Play Out in FDA and Courts

In 2026, the biggest battles over abortion will not be at the polls. There will be a few contested measures on state ballots. Next year, Nevada’s government will ask residents to approve constitutional protection for abortion rights for the second time, as required by state law. The same measure passed in 2024 with just over 64% of the vote. Virginians will likely see a similar ballot…
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Official Says 11 States Open to Stopping Residents From Voting at DOJ’s Request

The U.S. Department of Justice has sent a confidential draft agreement to more than a dozen states that would require election officials to remove any alleged ineligible voters identified during a federal review of their voter rolls. The agreement — called a memorandum of understanding, or MOU — would hand the federal government a major role in election administration…
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In Voter Rebuke to Trump, Democrats Win Races Across the US

We get an overview of how Democrats won big across the United States in Tuesday’s elections, with Daniel Nichanian, editor-in-chief of Bolts. Democratic Congressmember Mikie Sherrill won New Jersey’s governor’s race, and Abigail Spanberger flipped Virginia’s governorship. In California, voters approved a new congressional map that could help Democrats pick up five additional congressional seats in…
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