Supreme Court ruling on election laws, Trump's second term recap, education policy.
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Here are the top stories from the week of January 19 to January 23.
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U.S. Supreme Court rules candidates may challenge election laws before Election Day
On Jan. 14, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 7-2 that candidates have standing to sue over election laws they believe to be unconstitutional before voting takes place.
Bost v. Illinois State Board of Elections allows U.S. Rep. Michael Bost (R-Ill.) and two 2024 presidential electors to move forward with a lawsuit challenging an Illinois law allowing mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted up to 14 days after Election Day. Illinois is one of 15 states that allow absentee/mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted if they arrive within a set period of time after the election.
The Supreme Court overturned rulings by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, who had found Bost did not have standing to sue prior to the election.
The ruling did not address whether Illinois' mail-in ballot counting law is constitutional.
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First year of Trump's second term by the numbers
Earlier this week marked the one year anniversary since Donald Trump (R) assumed office as the 47th president of the United States, making him one of only two U.S. presidents to serve two non-consecutive terms. Here’s a look at the first year of his second term, by the numbers, though Jan. 16.
Executive actions
Trump issued 229 executive orders, 57 presidential memoranda, and 118 proclamations in the first year of his second term. Trump’s executive order total was the highest first-year executive order total since Franklin Delano Roosevelt (D), who issued 568 executive orders in 1933.
Federal judges
Trump nominated, and the Senate confirmed 27 Article III federal judges, including 21 to U.S. District Courts and six to the U.S. Courts of Appeals. During the first year of his first term, Trump nominated, and the Senate confirmed 23 Article III judges, including one Supreme Court Justice, 12 to the U.S. Courts of Appeals, and 10 to the U.S. District Courts.
Supreme Court emergency applications
The Trump administration filed 32 emergency applications with the Supreme Court. An emergency application asks the Court for immediate intervention in a case that has not fully progressed through the ordinary procedures required for the Court to issue a regular opinion. The Court granted the Trump administration’s request for intervention in 21 cases.
Presidential pardons
Trump issued 181 presidential pardons and commutations, not including instances of mass pardons. According to the Department of Justice, during fiscal year 2017, Trump issued one pardon and no commutations. Joe Biden (D), Barack Obama (D), and George W. Bush (R) issued no pardons or commutations during their first fiscal year in office.
Tie-breaking votes in the Senate
Under Article I, Section 3, Clause 4 of the U.S. Constitution, the vice president also serves as the president of the Senate and may cast the deciding vote when there is a tie in the Senate. Vice President J.D. Vance (R) cast seven tie-breaking votes in the Senate.
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These 2026 state elections will shape K-12 education policy
Governors, state legislators, and both appointed and elected state education officials are the key drivers of state education policies. Let’s take a look at the state elections that will influence K-12 education policy this year.
Gubernatorial elections
Voters in 36 states will elect a governor this year. In 14 of the 36 states holding gubernatorial elections, the governor appoints the chief state school officer. In 31 of the 36 states, the governor appoints some or all members of the state board of education, typically with state Senate approval.
State boards of education elections
According to the National Association of State Boards of Education, state boards across the country share the following responsibilities: “(1) authority for adopting and revising policies that promote educational excellence and equity, (2) convening experts and stakeholders to serve as a bridge between policymakers and citizens, and (3) the power to raise questions as the citizens’ voice in education.” Specific duties and powers, however, vary by state.
Voters in eight states and Washington, D.C., will elect new members of their state boards of education.
Chief state school officer elections
The chief state school officer is known as the superintendent of public instruction or the superintendent of education (or schools), depending on the state. But in each case, the chief state school officer generally oversees the public school system and directs the state department of education.
This year, voters in eight states will decide elections for chief state school officer. Republicans hold the office in Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Oklahoma, and South Carolina. In California, North Dakota, and Wyoming, the offices are officially nonpartisan.
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