Email from Vote Smart Your Weekly Briefing is Here! Dive into the Latest Updates Now.   Words This Friday (WTF) with Dr. Kyle Dell Executive Director Dr. Kyle Dell breaks down the words making headlines this week in “Words This Friday” (WTF) — a quick, insightful look at the language shaping our news and civic conversations. Vote Smart is grassroots: no ads, no agendas, just facts. Your support helps keep it that way. Push Grows in Congress For a Ban on Lawmakers Trading Individual Stocks Source 1: Reuters, Source 2: CBS News Senate Democrats Push For a Clean 3-Year Extension of Expanded Health-Care Subsidies Source 1: Fox News, Source 2: POLITICO Federal Immigration Enforcement Begins Operations in Minneapolis Source 1: NBC News, Source 2: Breitbart Key Votes Viz by Region: West, South, Midwest, Northeast Congress Congress – House Passed HR 1005 - Combating the Lies of Authoritarians in School Systems (CLASS) Act Congress – House Passed HR 2965 - Small Business Regulatory Reduction Act of 2025 Congress – House Passed HR 5348 - Social Security Child Protection Act of 2025 For full details on each bill, visit our Vote Smart Issue Summary page. State Nevada (NV) – Governor Joseph Lombardo Signed AB 2 - Exempts Casinos from a State Law Requiring Liquor Wholesalers to Take Funds Directly from A Customer's Bank Account Wisconsin (WI) –House Passed AB 614 - Establishes Legal Authorization for Teachers to Take Certain Actions to Maintain Order in Their Classroom Wisconsin (WI) - Senate Passed AB 165 - Prohibits Local Governments From Using Tax Revenue to Establish a Guaranteed Income Program Without Work Requirements Democrat Muhammad Akbar Ali won a special election to represent Georgia’s 106th State House district. This district, which covers parts of Gwinnett County, was left vacant when Shelly Hutchinson left the legislature to care for family. Ali, who won over fellow Democrat Marqus Cole in a run-off election, will at 21 years old be the youngest member of the Georgia legislature. Republican Matt Van Epps won a special election to represent Tennessee’s 7th Congressional district. Van Epps, a former state cabinet official, won the seat vacated by former Representative Mark Green, defeating State Representative Aftyn Behn by a vote of 54%-45%. He will take office sometime this month, bringing the total number of Republicans in the chamber to 220. 2025 Ballot Measures: California, Colorado, Maine, New York, Texas, and Washington   This week, there were regular and special elections across the country. Click on the links below to view the results:   Florida Special General Elections, State Senate District 11 and State House 90 Georgia Special General Elections, State House Districts 23 and 121 Iowa Special General Election, State House District 7 Oklahoma Special Primary Election, State Senate District 35 Acts of Courage  "As a local election official, I got a chance to participate in a recount of a local election for city alderman. I was one of eight different electors, each of whom counted all 17,000 ballots, with one representative from each candidate watching each of us conduct the recount. Members of the public were also permitted to observe the overall operation. Made me so proud of my city officials for the care they took in conducting this important democratic process." Christine, from Manchester, New Hampshire Share your Act of Courage to be highlighted in next week’s Digest! Vote Smart | 1153 24TH ST | DES MOINES, IA 50311-4308 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice