Kansas Passes Budget; (Possibly) Concluding One Of The Longest Sessions In State History

The 2017 legislative session could potentially shape state elections in Kansas next year and in 2020. In the 2016 elections, 14 Republican lawmakers a [View this email in your browser]( [Ballotpedia]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [The Tap]( Thank you for your feedback as we work to provide you with the best weekly political roundup email. Once again, we are featuring a condensed review of the week and preview of the week ahead. [You can still access the full Tap here](. If you haven’t yet told us what you think of our new format, please reply to this email and let us know! [Click here for the full review of the week in state and local politics]( Kansas Legislature Passes Budget; (Possibly) Concluding One Of The Longest Sessions In State History - On Saturday, June 10, the [Kansas State Legislature]( [approved]( spending plans for fiscal years 2018 and 2019. The [House]( approved a single bill containing budgets for both years in an 88-27 vote. The [Senate]( passed the bill 27-11. The plans now head to Gov. [Sam Brownback]( (R), and, as of June 15, he had not stated whether he intends to sign the bill. The Legislature’s approval of the budget plans could bring to an end—pending Brownback’s signature—one of the longest legislative sessions in state history. June 10 marked 113 days. The Legislature’s longest session [on record]( was in 2015. It lasted 114 days. Kansas’ regular legislative session in 2017 was originally projected to end on May 19. It began on January 9. The Legislature [initially]( set the legislative budget for 100 days in 2017. Each additional day beyond the originally-budgeted 100 costs between $43,000 and $45,000. The Kansas Constitution imposes no limits on the number of days the Legislature can meet in odd-numbered years.     - The 2017 legislative session could potentially shape state elections in Kansas next year and in 2020. In the [2016 elections]( 14 Republican lawmakers aligned with Brownback were defeated by Republicans who ran on platforms opposed to the governor and the 2012 tax cuts. All 14 of these lawmakers voted in favor of the veto override earlier this month. The reverse of 2016 happened in [2012]( when Republican challengers aligned with Brownback defeated eight Republican incumbents opposed to him. The House’s 125 seats are up for election in [2018](. All 40 seats in the Senate will be up for election in [2020](. Brownback was first elected in 2010 and won re-election in 2014. He is term-limited in 2018. [A map of states in session] [Map of state government trifectas] San Antonio mayor and six other incumbents lose runoffs in Texas - On Saturday, June 10, nonpartisan runoff elections took place in seven Texas cities that are among the [100 largest cities]( in the country. In those cities, there were runoffs for mayor of San Antonio and El Paso, as well as in a total of 18 city council seats: [San Antonio]( (six seats), [Dallas]( (three seats), [El Paso]( (three seats), [Arlington]( (two seats), [Plano]( (two seats), [Fort Worth]( (one seat), and [Garland]( (one seat). In those 20 runoff elections, nine featured incumbents running for re-election. Seven of those nine incumbents were defeated. - San Antonio Mayor [Ivy R. Taylor]( was defeated in her bid for a second full term in the [runoff election]( by District 8 city council member [Ron Nirenberg](. Nirenberg received almost 55 percent of the vote according to unofficial results. While city council District 1 incumbent [Roberto Trevino]( won his runoff election, District 2 incumbent[Alan E. Warrick II]( was defeated. Since two city council members were defeated this cycle, and four incumbents did not seek re-election, the 10-member San Antonio City Council will have a majority of new members. San Antonio is the second-largest city in Texas and the [seventh-largest city]( in the U.S. by population. - All three Dallas City Council incumbents ([Monica Alonzo]( in District 6, [Tiffinni Young]( in District 7, and [Erik Wilson]( in District 8) who ran in [runoff elections]( were defeated. This means that there will be four new members on the 14-seat city council, although two of the four are former council members. An investigation is still ongoing into possible voter fraud during the May general election after some residents complained that they had received mail-in ballots that they had not requested. However, that investigation is not expected to impact the outcome of any of this cycle’s elections. Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest city in the U.S. by population. Attorneys General of Maryland and D.C. Sue President Trump Over Emoluments Clause - On Monday, June 12, attorneys general [Brian Frosh]( (D) of Maryland and [Karl Racine]( (D) of the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland against President [Donald Trump]( (R). In D.C. and Maryland v. Trump, the Attorneys General argued that the President had not separated his political activities from his business ventures while in office, claiming that "foreign and domestic officials are put in the position of considering whether offering benefits to businesses associated with the President is important to maintaining goodwill." Although President Trump has faced lawsuits from private entities over alleged violations of the [Constitution's emoluments clause]( this is the first such suit brought by government officials. Should the lawsuit be allowed to proceed, a potential next step for the attorneys general would be to demand the release of the President's tax returns in order to collect information on his foreign business ventures. The lawsuit follows a February vote by the [Maryland General Assembly]( allowing Attorney General Frosh to sue the federal government without first obtaining permission from Governor [Larry Hogan]( (R). This was the first legislative expansion of the [Maryland Attorney General]( powers since the office was established in [the state’s current Constitution]( which dates to 1867. In March, the Assembly passed the Maryland Defense Act of 2017, designating an additional $1 million to the Attorney General’s annual budget starting in Fiscal Year 2019 for the hiring of five additional attorneys with the express purpose of bringing suit against the federal government. The act mirrored a similar five-attorney “Federalism Unit” created in 2010 under then-[Oklahoma Attorney General]( [Scott Pruitt]( with the purpose of bringing legal action against the federal government. In a brief statement on Monday, Governor Hogan did not take a stance on the lawsuit, saying “Per the resolution passed by the General Assembly, the Governor’s office no longer has a role in this process.” - Maryland is one 19 states operating under [divided government]( with Democratic majorities in both houses of the [Maryland General Assembly]( and a Republican [governor](. Maryland also has divided triplex status, with a Republican governor and [secretary of state]( and a Democratic attorney general. Maryland is one of 13 states [to have neither a trifecta nor a triplex](. Does Louisiana have twice as many people in jail than other states? - Louisiana lawmakers have passed a package of bills to reduce criminal sentences, including removing mandatory minimums under some circumstances, expanding parole options, and providing alternatives to prison for nonviolent offenders. According to Louisiana State Senator Danny Martiny, “We don’t have twice as many criminals as everybody else. We just have twice as many people in jail as everybody else." [Louisiana has the highest overall incarceration rate (779 per 100,000) based on the latest data available, but that rate isn’t twice as much as all other states.]( Louisiana also led the nation in the rate of inmates incarcerated for nonviolent crimes in 2012. Stage Set For Potential Power Shifts In Virginia's 2017 General Election - On Tuesday, June 13, primary elections in Virginia for [governor]( [lieutenant governor]( and the [House of Delegates]( took place, setting the stage for general elections in November. Democrats have their sights set on retaking the [House]( and defending the governor’s mansion, while Republicans are gearing up to defend their House majority and take control of the executive branch. Since the Republican-controlled [Senate]( is not up for election this year, there is no chance of the state becoming a Democratic [trifecta](. It could, however, continue operating under divided government or become a Republican trifecta. Here’s what happened in the primaries: - Governor: In the Democratic race, Lt. Gov. [Ralph Northam]( defeated former U.S. Rep. [Tom Perriello]( 55-44 percent, based on unofficial results. In the Republican race, political consultant and former chair of the [Republican National Committee]( [Ed Gillespie]( defeated Prince William County Board of Supervisors Chairman [Corey Stewart]( and and State Sen. [Frank Wagner](. Gillespie received 43.7 percent of the vote, Stewart received 42.5 percent, and Wagner received 13.8 percent. - Lieutenant Governor: In the Democratic race for lieutenant governor, former federal prosecutor [Justin Fairfax]( won 49.1 percent of the vote, defeating assistant U.S. attorney [Gene Rossi]( and political consultant [Susan Platt](. Rossi received 11.7 percent of the vote, while Platt received 39.2. In the Republican race, state Sen. [Jill Holtzman Vogel]( defeated state Sen. [Bryce Reeves]( and Rep. [Glenn Davis](. Vogel received 42.8 percent of the vote to Reeves’ 40 percent and Davis’ 17.2 percent. Candidates for governor and lieutenant governor run on [separate tickets]( in Virginia.   - House: All 100 seats in the [Virginia House]( are up for election in 2017. Tuesday’s primary election featured 26 [contested primaries]( 20 Democratic races and six Republican races. This was an increase from 2015 and 2013. Out of the 20 Democratic primaries in 2017, 15 took place in Republican-controlled districts. Five were in Democratic-controlled districts. All six Republican primaries took place in Republican-controlled districts. A total of six incumbents—four Democrats and two Republicans—faced primary challengers. No incumbents were defeated on Tuesday night. Incumbents won their races by an average of 49 points, based on unofficial results. In the general election, Republicans will seek to defend their 66-34 majority in the chamber. Democrats would need to flip 17 districts in order to take control of the House. In the 2016 presidential election, Democrat [Hillary Clinton]( defeated Republican [Donald Trump]( in [51 out of 100]( Virginia House districts.  - Virginia is one of 19 states under [divided government](. Republicans control both chambers of the [Legislature]( while Democrats control the governorship. Elections for [state Senate]( are not scheduled to take place until [2019]( though two [special elections]( in the Senate took place earlier this year. Seattle considering income tax on high-income residents, may face legal battle - On Monday, June 12, two members of the [Seattle]( City Council [announced]( a proposal to assess a 2 percent income tax on city residents with incomes greater than $250,000. Initial estimates suggest such a tax could generate $125 million each year, which would be used to lower property and other taxes, provide additional city services, and replace funding lost due to possible federal budget cuts. In May, the council passed a resolution calling for the adoption of an income tax on high-income residents by July 10. Even if the council approves such a measure, it could face a legal challenge, since Washington state law prohibits cities and counties from enacting an income tax and the state’s constitution [requires]( taxes to be “uniform upon the same class of property.” Seattle is the largest city in Washington and the [21st-largest city]( in the U.S. by population. Democrats, Republicans split city council elections in Las Vegas - On Tuesday, June 13, a [general election]( was held for two city council seats in [Las Vegas]( after no candidate received a majority of the votes cast in those districts in the primary election on April 4, 2017. In Ward 2, challenger [Steve Seroka]( defeated incumbent [Bob Beers]( while in Ward 6, former state Assemblywoman [Michele Fiore]( defeated businesswoman [Kelli Ross]( wife of the term-limited incumbent. Although municipal elections in Las Vegas are officially nonpartisan, each council race featured one candidate from each party, with Seroka and Ross identifying as Democrats and Beers and Fiore identifying as Republicans. Therefore, although the two seats each changed party control, the overall partisan composition of the city council remains unchanged at 4 Democrats and 2 Republicans. Las Vegas is the largest city in Nevada, and the [30th-largest city]( in the U.S. by population. - In [North Las Vegas]( a [general election]( was held for one seat on the city council, as none of the five candidates in the primary election on April 4 received more than 50 percent of the vote. [Scott Black]( unseated city councilwoman [Anita Wood]( in the Ward 3 contest. Although municipal elections in North Las Vegas are officially nonpartisan, prior to this year’s elections all five members of the city council (which includes the mayor) identified as Democrats. Black, who was endorsed by the city’s Democratic mayor, [John Lee]( will become the sole Republican member of the city council. North Las Vegas is the fourth-largest city in Nevada, and the [96th-largest city]( in the U.S. by population. Alabama Legislative Black Caucus Objects To New Legislative District Maps - On Tuesday, June 13, the Alabama Legislative Black Caucus filed a [formal objection]( with a federal court against new legislative district maps approved by the Legislature last month. On May 19, the [Alabama Legislature]( approved new legislative maps, voting along party lines [71-32]( in the [House]( and [21-8]( in the [Senate](. The need for new maps stemmed from a federal court decision made earlier this year. In January 2017, a three-judge panel of the [United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama]( ruled that lawmakers had placed too heavy an emphasis on race in drawing 12 districts—three in the Senate and nine in the House—in the [2010-2012 redistricting process](. The court ordered the Legislature to redraw the districts ahead of the [2018 elections](. Democrats opposed the plan approved by the Legislature in May, arguing that it would negatively impact the influence of Black voters throughout the state. Republicans stated that the plan addresses the concerns voiced by the three-judge panel in January. Leading up to the vote on May 19, Democrats used parliamentary rules—such as [requesting]( the bill to be read aloud in its entirety—to delay a vote on the proposal. - The objection filed by the Alabama Legislative Black Caucus on Tuesday focused on [Jefferson County]( the state’s largest county and home to [Birmingham](. The Caucus argued that Republican lawmakers drew districts in Jefferson County “to maintain more majority-white than majority-black districts in the Jefferson County House delegation.” In the House—under the current map—[18 districts]( intersect with Jefferson County, while [eight districts]( intersect with the county in the Senate. Democrats control eight of those 18 House districts, and Republicans control ten. Democrats control three of the eight Senate districts. Republicans control the other five. As of June 13, Republicans in the Legislature [had not]( issued a response to the objection filed by the Alabama Legislative Black Caucus.  [Click here for the full review of the week in state and local politics]( Ballotpedia depends on the support of our readers. The Lucy Burns Institute, publisher of Ballotpedia, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All donations are tax deductible to the extent of the law. 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