I've spent the year writing about legislation that was interesting, controversial or downright weird. So as the year draws to a close and your news feeds are full of retrospectives, let's add one more and take a look at the legislation that has most garnered interest among BillTrack50 users in 2024. This is an analysis of the top 20 bills measures by the number of times they were read on our website - those that were enacted, those that came close and fell at the final hurdle and those that barely made it out of the starting gate.
The list reveals fascinating patterns about which issues captured public attention and how different states approached similar challenges. Perhaps most striking, if unsurprising, is how the state bills attracting most interest from our users reflect the national issues that were at the forefront of Americans' minds in this election year - immigration, pay and working conditions, and social issues such as transgender rights. And that the most successful of the most read bills tended to be those which addressed more right-leaning concerns on these issues. Let's dive in!
Public sector compensation emerged as a major focus across multiple states, with several bills proposing significant raises for state employees. Oklahoma's SB 1292 aimed to provide a 9% salary increase for state employees, while North Carolina's "Make State Employment Great Again Act" proposed both immediate bonuses and longer-term raises. Notably, despite strong public interest in these proposals, both bills failed to advance. The Oklahoma bill will be familiar to readers of our monthly newsletter, as it led the way as the most read bill of the month for most of the year and finished way out in front as our most popular bill of the year. Despite the fact that it never made it out of committee. The last time Oklahoma public employees received an across the board pay rise was in 2019, and they'll now have wait longer for the next one. Maybe 2025? We'll be rooting for you!
Immigration policy generated significant debate and legislative action. Georgia's Criminal Alien Track and Report Act successfully passed and was signed into law in May. It seeks to enhance cooperation between state and local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities to identify and apprehend criminal illegal aliens by requiring law enforcement to establish the immigration status of people they detain. The bill passed with votes going largely along party lines, Democrats mainly voting against. In contrast, The Democratic attempt to make Minnesota a sanctuary state through SF 2724 failed despite considerable public attention. Opposition to the bill reflected widespread perceptions that made immigration one of the hot button topics of the year: “Our country is in the midst of an unprecedented crisis at the southern border, and this dangerous legislation not only exacerbates the problem, but brings it right to our backyard,” said Republican Congressional Representative Brad Finstad.
Social issues, particularly gender-related legislation, drew the eye of BillTrack50-ers, again reflecting issues that have generated debate across the country. Ohio's SAFE Act, which restricts gender-affirming care for minors and regulates school sports participation, successfully passed into law after quite a tussle - it passed the legislature despite the opposition of all Democrats, was vetoed by Governor DeWine, and then both chambers voted to overrule his veto. “I continue to believe it is in the best interests of children for these medical decisions to be made by the child’s parents and not by the government,” DeWine said in a statement following the vote to overrule his veto.
Criminal justice reform efforts saw mixed results. Illinois' HB 5219, which would have eliminated mandatory prison terms and allowed prison inmates to earn a day of credit for each day served, leading to an early release, died in committee. Despite its lack of progress, it came in at number 2 on our top 20 list. This pattern of high-profile criminal justice reform bills stalling in committee was seen across several states.
Military and veteran benefits legislation generally fared well. California's AB 46, the Military Services Retirement and Surviving Spouse Benefit Payment Act, however, advanced through the Assembly with strong support only to die in committee in the Senate. California is one of only two locations which fully taxes military pensions (along with Washington D.C.) and this bill sought to address that situation.
State responses to property rights issues showed regional variations. Georgia's Squatter Reform Act passed unanimously, while other property-related bills in different states faced more challenges. The Georgia law's success might be attributed to what one supporter called "a carefully balanced approach to property rights and due process."
Education initiatives revealed interesting patterns in public engagement and legislative success. Georgia's Early Literacy Act (which consists of a raft of measures to improve reading skills in elementary school) passed with nearly unanimous support while the Promise Scholarship Act (which allows the use of public funds for private school education in a voucher-type system) passed despite the opposition of all Democratic legislators. Even more controversial education bills, such as New Hampshire's HB 1473 prohibiting 'social-emotional learning', failed without even getting a vote on the floor.
Generally speaking, bills with broad bipartisan support have a greater likelihood of passing but what's notable from these bills (which are a snapshot of the most controversial bills of course) is that highly partisan bills on topics such as immigration, transgender rights, and education are passing through largely Republican legislatures. Does this represent a more partisan approach to state politics, reflecting national polarization?
About BillTrack50 – BillTrack50 offers free tools for citizens to easily research legislators and bills across all 50 states and Congress. BillTrack50 also offers professional tools to help organizations with ongoing legislative and regulatory tracking, as well as easy ways to share information both internally and with the public.