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Each week, we bring you a collection of the most viewed stories from The Daily Brew, condensed. Here are the top stories from the week of April 20th to April 24th, 2020.

       

Mississippi voters to see two versions of a medical marijuana measure in November

Initiative 65 and Alternative 65A, two versions of a medical marijuana amendment, will appear on the Mississippi ballot November 3. Initiative 65 and Alternative 65A would both amend the Mississippi Constitution to provide for the establishment of a medical marijuana program for individuals with a debilitating medical condition.

Oklahoma Governor Stitt (R) sets earlier election date for Medicaid expansion question

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) declared April 17 that State Question 802, which would expand Medicaid, will appear on the June 30 primary ballot instead of the November 3 general election ballot.

Supreme Court rules jury convictions in state court trials must be unanimous

While the U.S. Supreme Court has delayed hearing oral arguments during the coronavirus outbreak, it is continuing to issue rulings on cases it heard earlier this term. The Court issued a ruling this week regarding jury verdicts in state courts.

The Supreme Court overturned a Louisiana jury’s conviction of a defendant because the decision was not unanimous. The Court ruled 6-3 in Ramos v. Louisiana that "if the Sixth Amendment’s right to a jury trial requires a unanimous verdict to support a conviction in federal court, it requires no less in state court."

More state legislative incumbents face primary challenges in 2020 than 2018

Our elections team recently updated an analysis of the candidates who filed for state legislature in the states whose deadlines have passed. In these 25 states where filing deadlines have passed:

• There are fewer open seats and contested primaries in 2020 compared to 2018.
• More incumbents are facing primary challenges this year.

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