Alaska sees first two transgender women elected to office
Kathy Ottersten and Liz Lyke recently took positions as elected officials during the past municipal election.
States & provinces
West Virginia to offer mobile blockchain voting app for overseas voters in November election
It will be the first state to offer this technology to improve voting accessibility for deployed members of the military and their families, according to West Virginia’s secretary of state.
India’s Sikkim becomes the first 100% organic state in the world
India’s north-eastern state of Sikkim has won the award for the being the “100 per cent organic state” that promotes agroecological and sustainable food systems.
Washington state abolishes death penalty
Washington has become the 20th US state to ban the death penalty, after its Supreme Court ruled the punishment was applied in an “arbitrary and racially biased manner”.
Minnesota now offers ‘X’ for gender option on driver’s licenses
In addition to “M” and “F,” “X” can now be checked by any applicant who does not want to identify as male or female.
California bans gun sales to people under 21
The bill will prevent people under 21 from buying rifles and other types of guns.
Pennsylvania to toughen gun laws in domestic violence cases
The bill will force people in Pennsylvania with a domestic violence ruling against them to more quickly surrender their gun.
California becomes first U.S. state to require women on corporate boards
California will be the first state to require publicly traded companies to have at least one woman on their board of directors.
$19 per hour minimum wage approved for New York and New Jersey airport workers
This policy is said to bring the wages of thousands of workers, approximately 40,000, to $19 per hour by 2023.
California becomes first U.S. state to ban sale of animal-tested cosmetics
The bill prohibits manufacturers from trying to “import for profit, sell, or offer for sale” any cosmetic that is tested on animals. The law goes into effect Jan. 1, 2020.