Democrats gained unified control of five more states in the 2018 elections ― meaning they hold the governor’s mansion and majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. And they’re taking advantage of it, passing measures to strengthen voting rights, anti-discrimination measures, health care and more. Democrats now have control in 14 states, plus the District of Columbia. Connecticut’s evenly split state Senate went blue, and Democrats maintained control of the state House and the governor’s mansion. Democrats in Colorado clinched unified control by flipping the state Senate. In Maine, Democrats flipped both the state Senate and the governor’s seat. The Democratic gubernatorial candidate won in New Mexico — alongside two already-blue chambers — giving Democrats complete control of the state’s politics. And in New York, Democrats flipped seats in the Senate for consolidated control of the state.

smartboy10/Getty Images Democrats now have unified control of 14 states and the District of Columbia.

At the national level, Republican control of the White House and Senate prevents Democrats from enacting their agendas. Yet while even Democratic state lawmakers could not get everything done that they wanted to, the examples below provide a glimpse of what they can do if they get the chance.

Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images A 9-year-old carries a sign at a May abortion rights rally in Portland, Maine.

(AP Photo/Hans Pennink) New York Assemblywoman Maritza Davila, center, urges state senators to pass the Green Light Bill granting undocumented immigrants access to driver's licenses, during a June 17 rally in Albany, N.Y. Despite hesitation from some Democrats, the bill passed and was signed the next day.

Patrick Raycraft/Hartford Courant via Getty Images Michael Song, at right, and his wife, Kristen, center, along with legislators and gun-safety advocates, pushed for Connecticut to create requirements for safe gun storage. The bill was named "Ethan's Law" in memory of the son the Songs lost in a firearm accident at a friend's home.

Guns A series of firearm safety bills passed in Connecticut, including two safe storage laws and one “ghost gun” law. The storage laws require all firearms, loaded or unloaded, to be safely stored in homes occupied by minors, and for pistols kept in vehicles to only be stored in the trunk, a locked glove box, or a locked safe. Connecticut also closed a loophole on ghost guns ― untraceable firearms sold in parts and assembled at home ― now making it illegal to manufacture a firearm without subsequently engraving or permanently attaching an identifying mark to it, like a serial number, so the gun can be traced. While signing the bills, Gov. Ned Lamont stressed that gun violence prevention only goes so far without the federal government’s support. “In our country, we have a patchwork of gun laws in each individual state – and as they say, we are only as strong as our weakest link. For the safety of our communities, we must demand federal action on this issue,” Lamont said. In Colorado, Gov. Jared Polis signed a “red flag” gun law, an extreme risk protection order that will go into effect in January 2020. Red flag laws allow judges to temporarily ban individuals from buying or owning guns if they receive a request from family members or law enforcement. New York passed its own series of gun-control measures, including banning bump stocks, a “red flag” bill and extending the waiting time for background checks. Education And Family In Connecticut, residents will soon be able to take advantage of a paid family medical leave plan that passed in the 2019 legislative session. The law is one of the most generous plans in the country, allowing residents to take up to three months off with pay if they or a family member become sick or if they have a baby. Although Lamont previously said he would veto the bill, he signed the plan into law on Tuesday. Colorado will now offer free full-day kindergarten starting in the 2019-20 school year ― one of Polis’ top priorities. The full-day kindergarten plan still depends on individual districts switching their programming from a half day to full day, though many have already said they plan to. And in Maine, Mills signed a bill that requires student loan lenders to register in order to do business in Maine. The bill prohibits predatory actions such as misleading borrowers and committing fraud. The state also would be able to investigate lenders for these claims. Criminal Justice Over two years after Maine residents voted to legalize recreational marijuana, Mills signed a bill to regulate and legalize the sale of recreational marijuana on Thursday. The law outlines the rules for growing, buying and selling marijuana and how to apply for a license. State officials expect legal weed to arrive in stores by early 2020 and anticipate the state will pull in $22 million in sales during the first three months. New Mexico also made headway in criminal justice reform. The state “banned the box” ― prohibiting employers from including a question on job applications about an applicant’s criminal history ― and legislators are considering barring jail officials from putting juveniles, pregnant women and inmates with serious mental disabilities in solitary confinement. New Mexico also decriminalized drug paraphernalia (the first state in the country to do so) and small quantities of marijuana.

Morgan Lee/AP Photo New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham talks after signing an executive order for state agencies to aggressively pursue strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in January.

Environment In the climate sector, Maine’s legislature passed three significant renewable energy and climate action bills, including a commitment to reducing carbon and setting a target for using 100% renewable energy by 2050. They also passed an offshore wind initiative. And New Mexico committed to pursuing a transition from coal to renewable energy by passing the Energy Transition Act. Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department Secretary Sarah Cottrell Propst called the measure the “strongest package of its kind in the country.” Finally, New York passed one of the most ambitious climate bills in the country and is waiting on a signature from Cuomo. The bill would set a goal to have the state run on 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040 and economy-wide, net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Many Democratic-led states, such as Maine, Colorado and New Mexico, have passed laws designed to reduce harmful emissions, but the size of New York’s economy is what makes this plan so ambitious. Anti-Discrimination Measures Lawmakers in Colorado passed equal pay legislation in late May, compensating employees who are underpaid as a result of their gender when they win a civil suit confirming it. The law kicks in on Jan. 1, 2021. “We are fighting for women to be treated with the dignity, fairness and respect they deserve,” state Rep. Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez (D) told The Denver Post after Polis signed the bill. New York also passed an equal pay bill, covering all protected classes. Furthermore, two of the newly Democrat-controlled states banned the homophobic and transphobic “gay and trans panic defense,” which had allowed defendants to potentially justify a violent crime as a reaction to a victim’s sexuality. Connecticut became the fifth state to do so, banning the defense for violence or criminal behavior, and New York, the sixth, prohibited the defense for homicides. New York also passed the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act, which aims to combat discrimination against transgender people by establishing gender identity as a protected class in multiple contexts, including housing and employment.

(Hans Pennink/AP Photo) New York Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell (D) sponsored the bill in New York banning the "gay and trans panic" defense.