It’s Saturday, February 7, 2026, and time for your Democracy in the States: Weekly Roundup.
While ICE’s tactics are drawing national attention and protests, another significant and lasting issue is emerging: the growing conflict between federal authority and state power, particularly regarding elections.
This week, our founder Danielle Allen warned that the president is an “out-of-control megalomaniac” leading a “MEGA Movement” directing “ferocious energy toward knocking down our constitutional order.” In her telling, the movement has now turned its attention to the “remaining fence”: the powers reserved to the states and the people, with election systems at the center of this struggle.
This context is important for understanding last week’s events in Congress, where Republicans introduced the “Make Elections Great Again Act,” which Allen refers to as the “Megalomania bill.” Although a provision requiring documentary proof of citizenship was removed at the last minute, the bill still raises significant concerns by maintaining a nationwide photo ID requirement and introducing new obstacles to voter registration.
We’ll start with the institutional and election fights now escalating in statehouses and courts, then move to immigration enforcement and state-level pushback, and close with the fiscal pressures influencing state budgets and tax decisions.
Elections and the struggle over state control
With Washington getting more involved in areas states usually handle, local election officials are bracing for a year full of changes, lawsuits, and quick shifts in the rules. All of this could change how voting works before November arrives.
States respond
COLORADO: Republican policies proposed in Congress could upend state elections by banning universal mail-in ballots.
MONTANA: Congressional representatives remain silent as the administration doubles down on claims that the federal government should take over election administration.
GEORGIA: Fulton County officials filed a lawsuit seeking the return of 2020 election ballots seized during a recent FBI raid.
MICHIGAN: State Democrats are pushing back against federal efforts to sow doubt in the integrity of Michigan’s election results.
Eligibility, access & data
ALABAMA: The House approved a bill setting a maximum price for voter rolls while imposing new restrictions on accessing voter information.
ARKANSAS: State voter verification letters were sent without a date or official letterhead, leading to confusion among thousands of recipients.
MONTANA: Lawmakers are questioning the Secretary of State regarding the sharing of private voter data with federal agencies.
FLORIDA: A bill requiring first-time voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship cleared its first legislative committee.
NEBRASKA: A committee advanced a constitutional amendment specifying that “only” citizens can vote in state elections.
SOUTH DAKOTA: Lawmakers passed a bill to tighten candidate petition deadlines, aiming to provide auditors more time to prepare ballots.
TENNESSEE: Officials reported a “human error” temporarily prevented voters from looking up their registration status online.
Casting & counting ballots
FLORIDA: A Senate committee approved a measure to force the governor to quickly call special elections for vacant seats.
KANSAS: New legislation would eliminate mail-in ballots entirely if a court strikes down the state’s signature verification laws.
MISSOURI: A Senate committee heard a bill to move school board elections to November to increase participation.
NORTH CAROLINA: A federal judge expressed skepticism about the feasibility of opening university voting sites on short notice.
RHODE ISLAND: The House approved a permanent electronic portal for disabled and military voters to cast ballots independently.
TENNESSEE: Advocacy groups warned that technical “glitches” in election infrastructure are damaging public trust in democracy.
WISCONSIN: A new federal voting bill introduced by a state congressman drew swift condemnation from voting rights advocates.
Redistricting
FLORIDA: Voters filed a lawsuit to block a mid-decade congressional redistricting plan proposed by the governor.
INDIANA: Fundraising for congressional races is intensifying despite ongoing uncertainty regarding district lines.
MARYLAND: A state senator walked off the floor in protest after leadership stalled a vote on redistricting legislation.
UTAH: Two representatives asked a federal court to block a new court-ordered map that created a Democratic district.
VIRGINIA: The state Supreme Court announced it will hear a major challenge to the current congressional maps.
Institutions under revision
Changes to election rules don’t happen on their own. States are also rethinking how their governments work, including who has power, how agencies are set up, and the rules for courts and term limits.
IDAHO: The House is considering a resolution calling for a constitutional convention to amend the U.S. Constitution.
INDIANA: Lawmakers advanced a massive bill to consolidate 63 state boards and place new limits on public lawsuits.
NORTH DAKOTA: The Supreme Court agreed to hear a case regarding a ballot measure that modified voter-approved term limits.
UTAH: The State Bar issued a warning against legislative attempts to expand the Supreme Court and alter lower court structures.
WISCONSIN: GOP lawmakers are pursuing a constitutional amendment to grant the legislature more control over administrative rulemaking.
On the ballot and on the campaign trail
While lawmakers and courts argue over the rules, voters and candidates are finding their own ways to get involved. The latest ballot measures and campaign moves show just how fast things can change when the rules aren’t settled.
Ballot measures
MAINE: Voters may decide on a measure to roll back transgender rights this November following a successful signature drive.
MISSOURI: Courts continue to toss out ballot summaries drafted by the Secretary of State, citing biased and misleading language.
OHIO: Activists were cleared to begin collecting signatures for a repeal of the state’s hemp ban and marijuana restrictions.
OKLAHOMA: The governor proposed several new state questions to overhaul public spending in his final address.
UTAH: The battle over a redistricting-related ballot measure has turned “ugly,” with reports of misleading tactics and fraudulent signatures.
VIRGINIA: Governor Spanberger signed legislation sending four constitutional amendments to the voters later this year.
Candidates & elections
INDIANA: A surprise filing for a U.S. House seat has intensified a series of high-stakes Republican primary battles.
MAINE: A special election to fill a vacant House seat has been scheduled to coincide with the June primary.
NORTH CAROLINA: A Republican candidate for U.S. Senate was disqualified by the state board for failing to meet residency requirements.
NEW MEXICO: A gubernatorial candidate switched from the Democratic party to an independent just before the filing deadline.
Immigration enforcement and the state-level response
We’re seeing the same push and pull between federal and state power in immigration enforcement. Local governments are deciding whether to cooperate, resist, or worry about legal risks. This week brought more enforcement, new laws, and communities coming together to respond.
State & local government action
COLORADO: Democrats are demanding an investigation into “death cards” left in the cars of individuals detained by federal agents.
ARIZONA: Governor Hobbs launched a “Know Your Rights” website for residents following weeks of protests against federal enforcement.
IDAHO: Republican senators introduced a bill to “strengthen” a court-blocked immigration law to better withstand federal preemption challenges.
IOWA: Lawmakers questioned Des Moines school officials regarding their cooperation with federal immigration agents.
MARYLAND: Both legislative chambers overwhelmingly approved bills banning local law enforcement from entering into detention agreements with ICE.
MICHIGAN: Senate bills were introduced to restrict the sharing of identifying information with ICE without a judicial warrant.
MINNESOTA: A Republican state senator criticized the federal “border czar” over reports of “countless wrongful detentions” of legal residents.
MISSOURI: Jackson County officials joined a push to prohibit federal agents from wearing facial coverings during enforcement actions.
NEVADA: The state treasurer joined a group of officials warning that federal immigration tactics are causing significant economic harm.
NEW HAMPSHIRE: Democrats failed to pass a bill that would have allowed towns to block the construction of new federal detention facilities.
RHODE ISLAND: Senate leadership is preparing legislation to require judicial warrants for all federal immigration arrests in the state.
NEW MEXICO: Governor Lujan Grisham signed the Immigrant Safety Act to ban local governments from contracting with federal detention agencies.
VIRGINIA: Governor Spanberger ended a long-standing agreement that allowed state police and corrections officers to assist ICE agents.
WASHINGTON: The Senate approved guardrails for license plate readers to prevent federal access to data for civil immigration enforcement.
WISCONSIN: The city of Verona began removing license plate cameras after canceling a contract over concerns about federal surveillance abuses.
Citizens’ response
ALASKA: Residents joined nationwide protests to condemn “violent” immigration crackdowns and recent fatalities in federal custody.
COLORADO: A large crowd gathered in Denver to protest ICE as part of a national general strike against federal tactics.
ARIZONA: Thousands marched in Phoenix against what they described as a violent and racially motivated deportation campaign.
IDAHO: Governor Little fired a human rights commissioner who posted social media comments critical of federal immigration enforcement.
MARYLAND: Opposition is growing against the potential construction of new federal detention centers within state borders.
MICHIGAN: Hundreds of high school students walked out of class to protest federal immigration actions in their community.
NEVADA: Activists in Southern Nevada are organizing a network to respond rapidly to federal immigration activity and arrests.
NEW MEXICO: Thousands of residents gathered in Albuquerque’s city center to demand an end to federal immigration sweeps.
WISCONSIN: Hundreds marched through Madison and Milwaukee to protest what they called an “unprecedented” federal crackdown on immigrant families.
In the courts
COLORADO: Congressional representatives visited an Aurora detention facility after a court ruling restored their right to conduct unannounced oversight visits.
NEBRASKA: The ACLU filed a lawsuit on behalf of detainees, alleging that federal agents are blocking access to legal counsel.
NEVADA: A judge ordered the DMV to produce all communications with federal agencies regarding the sharing of driver data.
NORTH DAKOTA: A wave of detention cases involving legal residents and refugees has begun moving through the state court system.
WEST VIRGINIA: A federal judge ruled that a third immigrant was wrongly jailed as state facilities become overcrowded with federal detainees.
ICE activity
NEBRASKA: The detention of a DACA recipient has left a mixed-status family in turmoil and seeking federal intervention.
NEW HAMPSHIRE: Newly released documents confirm federal plans to place a high-capacity immigration facility in Merrimack.
NATIONAL: The number of people in immigration detention nationwide surpassed 70,000 last month, an all-time high.
WEST VIRGINIA: Public defenders argued in court that ICE tactics have systematically violated constitutional protections for non-citizens.
WISCONSIN: Federal agents from the Twin Cities office have extended their enforcement operations deep into Western Wisconsin communities.
Human impact
MAINE: Lingering fear is disrupting local businesses and healthcare one week after the end of a large-scale federal operation.
RHODE ISLAND: Families reported that federal agents are refusing to disclose the locations of detainees who have been hospitalized.
NATIONAL: Mayors from across the country described a “climate of fear” that is preventing residents from accessing basic city services.
WISCONSIN: Community groups are mobilizing to provide support for families as the federal crackdown enters its second month.
Budgets, cuts, and the new fiscal reality
After elections and enforcement, the third big story this week is about money. States are facing tough choices as federal funding drops and costs go up. Some are making deep cuts, some are trying to fill the gaps, and others are changing tax policies to keep their budgets steady.
Tighter budgets
IDAHO: The budget committee approved 5% “chainsaw” cuts for most state agencies to account for declining federal aid.
KANSAS: Lawmakers moved to slash funding for public universities, freezing tuition and withholding millions over policy disagreements.
KENTUCKY: Republican budget writers voiced skepticism over the governor’s universal Pre-K proposal due to long-term funding concerns.
NORTH DAKOTA: The state is offering early retirement incentives to employees to reduce payroll as global oil prices fluctuate.
OKLAHOMA: Governor Stitt’s budget proposes flat spending for most agencies while cutting deeper into health and human services.
SOUTH DAKOTA: A proposal to invest $2.5 million in teacher retention moved forward as schools struggle with staffing shortages.
Taxing choices
GEORGIA: Lawmakers rejected the governor’s income tax rebate in favor of a one-time property tax break for homeowners.
IDAHO: The House approved a bill to adopt federal tax changes that will cost the state $155 million in revenue.
NEW JERSEY: The new treasurer announced that the state will fill its $1.5 billion budget gap without raising taxes on residents.
SOUTH CAROLINA: Small businesses could see lower property taxes on office equipment under a new bill passed by the House.
SOUTH DAKOTA: Committees are sparring over dozens of competing tax relief bills, including a move to legalize mobile sports betting.
WASHINGTON: Governor Ferguson rejected an initial legislative proposal for a capital gains tax overhaul, seeking more direct education spending.
Filling gaps
MAINE: Governor Mills’ final budget pulls from the “rainy day” fund to provide $300 affordability payments and offset federal cuts.
NEBRASKA: Residents criticized a proposal to sweep $495 million from specialized cash funds to fill a projected state deficit.
In Case You Missed It …
“Questions for Leaders: A Self-Examination,” by Mary C. Gentile, Feb. 7, 2026
“Gold Medals and American Unity: The Surprising Civic Power of Sports,” by Conor Gaughan, Shared America, Feb. 5, 2026
“The MEGA(lomania) Movement,” by Danielle Allen, Feb. 4, 2026
“Mamdani’s Bold Experiment in Participatory Democracy,” by Gideon Lichfield, Feb. 1, 2026