Just the Issues ranks what people actually care about based on net votes. Read the full mission.
The U.S. should redirect military spending toward a civilian goodwill ambassador program
Instead of spending $2.89 trillion on the wars in Iraq and Syria, we could have paid over 1.4 million Americans a $100,000 salary—plus full international travel and living expenses—to live abroad and serve as global goodwill ambassadors for an entire decade. Rather than sinking our national wealth into dropping bombs, funding troop deployments, and managing the endless aftermath of conflict, we could deploy a peaceful workforce the size of a major metropolis to immerse themselves in foreign communities, build genuine relationships, and proactively dismantle tension at the grassroots level.
Instead of spending $1.05 trillion annually to maintain our current military machine, we could redirect those funds to pay 5.25 million everyday citizens to travel the planet promoting peace every single year. Even if we just chose to cancel the $144 billion we spend annually on developing new weapons, we could employ over 700,000 Americans right now in a massive, six-figure jobs program dedicated entirely to global friendship. It is a fundamental shift in strategy: instead of spending trillions fighting our enemies, we could invest that exact same money directly into the American middle class to ensure we don't have enemies in the first place.
Louisiana should not give the governor power to remove judges and district attorneys
Governor Jeff Landry is pushing legislation that would allow the governor and legislature to remove judges and district attorneys deemed incompetent. Critics argue this would undermine the separation of powers and judicial independence by giving elected officials direct authority over the judiciary.
Mississippi should upgrade its voting systems to ensure election security and accuracy
Mississippi and other GOP-led states are considering voting system upgrades amid persistent false claims about the 2020 election. Election administrators argue modernization is necessary for security and accuracy, while the political environment around election misinformation complicates the path to bipartisan support for improvements.
States should resist federal demands for voter registration data without clear legal justification
The Trump DOJ is seeking access to state voter registration data ahead of the midterms, raising concerns about election integrity and voter privacy. Kansas is among the states facing these requests, with critics warning the effort could lay groundwork to undermine confidence in election results.
Mississippi should strengthen its campaign finance disclosure laws and enforcement
Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson has repeatedly urged the legislature to strengthen campaign finance laws and enforcement mechanisms. Current gaps in disclosure requirements allow political spending to flow with limited transparency, undermining voters' ability to know who funds the candidates on their ballots.
South Carolina should not trade community earmarks for tax cuts that primarily benefit the wealthy
South Carolina lawmakers ended a fight over community earmarks to advance a tax cut plan that critics say primarily benefits high earners. Analysis suggests 60% of state residents would see tax increases under the GOP proposal, raising questions about who benefits from the state's fiscal priorities.
South Carolina should reform its system of legislative control over judicial appointments
A gubernatorial candidate has accused a state lawmaker of attempting to blackmail a judge, intensifying calls for judicial reform in South Carolina. The state is one of few where the legislature controls judicial appointments, a system critics say compromises judicial independence and creates opportunities for political pressure.
The Muscogee Creek Nation must process Freedmen citizenship applications before its May 2026 election
Approximately 4,000 Freedmen descendants have unprocessed citizenship applications with the Muscogee Creek Nation ahead of its May 30, 2026 election. Applicants are seeking a court injunction to ensure eligible Freedmen can participate in the vote, raising questions about tribal obligations under federal treaties.
Oklahoma County jail leadership must face accountability for unauthorized pay raises and financial mismanagement
Oklahoma County jail officials authorized $3.4 million in pay raises without board approval, creating a projected $5.8 million budget shortfall by June 2026. The sheriff has called for a criminal investigation into the unauthorized spending, and jail administrator Tim Kimrey has been accused of insubordination.
Oklahoma needs a long-term housing strategy for people displaced by homeless encampment clearances
The state arranged an $800,000 deal to house 40 people displaced after clearing a homeless encampment, but no long-term strategy has been articulated for ongoing displacement. Without sustained investment in transitional and permanent housing, short-term relocations risk cycling people back into homelessness.
Oklahoma should pass eviction mediation legislation to protect children from chronic school absenteeism
Data shows eviction filings make Oklahoma children 35% more likely to become chronically absent from school, with cascading effects on academic performance. A mediation bill advancing in the legislature would give families more time to resolve disputes before displacement, potentially reducing the downstream impact on children.
State charter school boards should issue complete decision notices that follow legal requirements
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond sued the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board for deliberately issuing an incomplete denial notice on a charter school application, circumventing the applicant's right to appeal. The AG argues the board's action violated procedural requirements designed to ensure transparency and due process in charter school authorization decisions.
Oklahoma should not balance its budget by shifting the tax burden onto low-income residents
Oklahoma faces a $571M shortfall for FY2027, with $1.8B in unmet agency funding requests. Analysts note the state's tax structure disproportionately burdens low-income residents through sales taxes and fees while higher earners benefit from recent income tax cuts. The gap between revenue and obligations continues to grow.
Cities should be able to block data centers that strain local water and power resources
A proposed 340-acre AI data center campus in Tulsa (Project Anthem) would consume up to 1 billion gallons of water per year on an $800 million private investment. Oklahoma utility regulators have warned that serving massive data center demand could raise electric bills for ordinary residential customers. Cities across the country face similar proposals as AI infrastructure expands, often with few permanent jobs and significant strain on local utilities.
Officials responsible for custody deaths in Oklahoma jails should face consequences
Nearly 60 people have died in Oklahoma County jail custody since 2020. The facility operates with 134 officers against a need of 500, faces a $6 million budget shortfall, and has missing financial records and unauthorized pay increases. Despite repeated failures to meet federal standards, no officials have been held accountable.
Oklahoma must adequately fund child welfare services to protect vulnerable children
Oklahoma's child welfare system is critically underfunded, with criminal networks exploiting gaps in state protections for vulnerable children. Systemic failures in staffing, oversight, and resource allocation have left the state unable to meet its basic obligations to at-risk youth.
Kansas should eliminate redundant campaign finance reporting that wastes taxpayer money
Kansas candidates must file identical campaign finance reports with both the Secretary of State and the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission because no unified electronic system exists. This bureaucratic duplication wastes staff time and taxpayer dollars while making it harder for citizens to track political spending in one place.
South Carolina should close the loophole that lets PACs spend unlimited money without disclosing donors
A 2010 South Carolina court ruling effectively broke the state's political committee definition, allowing undefined PACs to spend unlimited amounts in elections with zero donor disclosure. The Ethics Commission lacks enforcement power. Voters have no way to know who is funding campaigns in their state.
The cost of living in America has become unmanageable for too many families
According to the Urban Institute, 52 percent of Americans report difficulty affording basic household expenses. Rising costs of housing, food, healthcare, and childcare continue to outpace wage growth, squeezing working families across income levels.
The government should prepare workers for job displacement caused by AI
Artificial intelligence is increasingly capable of automating white-collar tasks including writing, coding, legal analysis, and customer service. Multiple economic studies project significant workforce disruption in the coming decade, yet no comprehensive federal retraining or transition program exists.