Email from Vote Smart Research: Last Week Today   Vote Smart Weekly Digest The Vote Smart Weekly Digest brings you timely, non-partisan insights straight to your inbox, helping you stay informed on key political facts and developments. Research Highlights: Congressional Agreement on Government Funding: Congress approved a short-term funding measure to avoid a government shutdown, extending federal operations for three months. The agreement ensures that essential services and programs continue uninterrupted. While lawmakers had discussions on additional measures related to various priorities, the funding package focused solely on maintaining government operations. Vice President Encourages Youth Civic Engagement: Vice President Kamala Harris delivered a speech at Prince George's Community College in Maryland, urging young people to remain engaged in the political process. She emphasized the importance of active participation in democracy and encouraged attendees to persevere despite challenges or recent election outcomes. The Vice President did not address her future political plans during the event. Public Concerns Over Economic Outlook: A recent AP-NORC poll shows that many Americans are concerned about the economy as the year concludes. Despite indicators such as low unemployment and a rising stock market, a significant portion of respondents described the economic situation as poor. The survey also highlighted differing perspectives, with optimism and concerns varying among individuals based on their outlook for the upcoming year. Key Votes: Congressional and State Congressional Legislation Congress - House passed HR 7673 - Liberty in Laundry Act Congress - Senate cloture not invoked PN 1789 - Nomination of Lauren McGarity McFerran, of the District of Columbia, to be a Member of the National Labor Relations Board for the term of five years expiring December 16, 2029 Congress - House passed S 4199 - Judicial Understaffing Delays Getting Emergencies Solved (JUDGES) Act State Legislation Michigan (MI) - House passed SB 975 - Authorizes Victims of Domestic Violence to Receive Unemployment Benefits Ohio (OH) - Senate passed HB 73 - Authorizes Healthcare Providers and Pharmacies to Prescribe Off-Label Medication New York (NY) - House & Senate passed A 9232 - Amends the Types of Damages that May be Awarded in Wrongful Death Suits    Biographies and Elections: Here are some interesting candidates our team researched this week! Republican Chris Cournoyer was appointed by Governor Kim Reynolds as Iowa’s next Lieutenant Governor on Monday, December 16th, to fill the vacancy created when Adam Gregg resigned last September. Cournoyer, a state senator from Le Claire, represented the 35th district. Governor Reynolds will soon call for a special election to fill the new vacancy. Democrat Nadine Nakamura was elected Speaker of the Hawaii House of Representatives upon the swearing in of the new session a month ago. She will be the first woman to lead the chamber. Democrat Ryan Fecteau was elected Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives for a second, non-consecutive term upon the swearing in of the new session last week. At 32 years old, he is the youngest speaker in the country and the first openly gay speaker in Maine history. Our team is hard at work processing the election results! Click on the links below to view the winners of each race:  2024 Presidential Election 2024 Congressional Elections 2024 Gubernatorial Elections 2024 Statewide Elections 2024 State Judicial Elections 2024 State Legislative Elections Voter Education: Government 101 Giving Tuesday Recap! We didn’t quite reach our Giving Tuesday Matching Campaign goal, but in the holiday spirit, we’re extending the match until we hit the $5,000 mark! This means your donation today will be doubled until we reach that goal—let’s make it happen together! Double your impact!   Share This Email Share This Email Share This Email Vote Smart | 1153 24TH ST | DES MOINES, IA 50311-4308 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice