Nov 11, 2018

State Dems to target gun control, education funding after midterm wins

Khorri Atkinson

The Colorado State Capitol Building. Photo: Joe Daniel Price/Getty Images

Democrats, who secured victories across gubernatorial and state legislative races in the midterm elections, have vowed to push through gun control reforms, increase education funding and expand health care coverage after gaining a foothold in statehouses nationwide, the AP notes.

The big picture: Republicans will still control most legislatures and governorships, but Democrats almost doubled the number of states in which they hold the governor's mansion and both chambers of the state legislature. Those wins are set to give the party more power to act on its core policies after years of GOP control.

Some states where Democrats are in full control:

Colorado: Democrats flipped control of the Senate, giving them full control of government, where they've specifically promised to focus on public education funding, environmental protections and health care.
Maine: Democratic Governor-elect Janet Mills pledged to expand Medicaid, which had been blocked by her Republican predecessor despite the approval of a 2017 ballot measure.
New York: State Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins, who is poised to lead the chamber, promised an progressive agenda including measures to protect abortion rights, expand voting and impose higher taxes on the wealthy.
Nevada: Democrats want to prohibit bump stocks on guns after last year's Las Vegas mass shooting, expand Medicaid coverage and raise the minimum wage.

New Mexico: A pay increase for the state's teachers is one of Democrats' top priorities.

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State Dems to target gun control, education funding after midterm wins

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