ICYMI: Top stories of the week

States have passed 100 environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) bills since 2020

More than 100 bills opposing or supporting ESG investing have been enacted since 2020. ESG investing refers to an asset management approach that considers the environment, social issues, and governance practices of corporations.

Overall, most Republican trifectas and states with divided governments have tended to support legislation opposing ESG. Most Democratic trifectas have tended to make laws supporting ESG investing.

SCOTUS’s 2023 term had one of the highest occurrences of 6-3 votes since 2007

The Supreme Court began hearing cases for the term on Oct. 2, 2023. The term continues through a summer recess until the next term begins on the first Monday in October. The court considered 62 cases during its October 2023 term.

Five (8%) of the Court’s 62 opinions were decided 5-4, a decrease from recent terms. Thirty-five percent of the opinions issued in the 2023 term were 6-3–the highest rate since 2017. Forty percent of the Court’s opinions were unanimous. Since the 2007 term, approximately 42% of opinions have been unanimous.

Ohio redistricting initiative campaign raises a record $26.95 million

Voters in Ohio will decide on a citizen initiative on Nov. 5 to establish the Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission (CRC), a 15-member non-politician commission responsible for adopting state legislative and congressional redistricting plans.

According to campaign finance reports filed on July 31, the group Citizens Not Politicians, which is backing the initiative, raised $26.95 million, a record amount raised for a ballot measure to create an independent redistricting commission.

So far this year—second-highest percentage of U.S. House incumbents facing primaries, second-lowest percentage of state legislative open seats

Out of the 47 states where candidate filing deadlines have passed, an average of 51.0% of U.S. House incumbents faced contested primaries from 2014 to 2024. So far in 2024, 52.3% of incumbents have faced or are facing a primary challenger, the second-highest percentage since Ballotpedia began collecting data in 2014.

At the state legislative level, an average of 18.7% of legislative seats were open from 2010 to 2024, meaning an incumbent did not run for re-election in those races. So far in 2024, 16.2% of seats are open, the second-lowest percentage since Ballotpedia began collecting data in 2010.