Baker Starts MA Justice Selection Process MASSACHUSETTS Gov. Charlie Baker (R) announced last Tuesday that the 12-member state Supreme Judicial Court Nominating Commission will start screening applicants to replace soon-retiring Justices Margot Botsford and Justice Geraldine Hines. Both will step...

Hickenlooper Offers CA Pot Advice Saying his state “made an awful lot of mistakes,” COLORADO Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) shared some insights into regulating legal marijuana with a CALIFORNIA legislative committee last week, telling lawmakers they need to pay particular attention to preventing...

Baker Tries Again on MA Police Assault Bill After lawmakers killed a similar proposal last session, MASSACHUSETTS Gov. Charlie Baker (R) refiled legislation last week that would make it a felony to assault and cause serious bodily harm to a police officer. The measure would also limit the sentencing...

Decrying a lack of federal action, several Northeastern governors have formed a multi-state partnership to address gun violence. The “States for Gun Safety” coalition is the brainchild of New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, who was joined by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Connecticut Gov. Dannel...

BAKER OPEN TO NEW MA DEATH PENALTY In the wake of the murder of a Bay State police officer, MASSACHUSETTS Gov. Charlie Baker (R) says his office is talking with lawmakers and law enforcement officials about crafting a bill to reinstate the death penalty for cop killers. Baker supported making the...

BROWN MOVES DAYLIGHT SAVINGS BILL TO CA BALLOT CALIFORNIA Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signed AB 807 , a measure that will allow Golden State voters to decide if they want to stay on daylight saving time year-round. If voters approve, the measure would still need approval by a two-thirds margin of the state...

The ongoing controversy over family separations at the U.S. border with Mexico has spurred a bipartisan group of governors to pull back or reject outright President Trump’s request to send National Guard troops to the U.S. border with Mexico. Democrats Andrew Cuomo of New York, Gina Raimondo of...

RAIMONDO ORDERS RI PLASTICS TASK FORCE Responding to the failure of several legislative efforts to mitigate the impact of plastic waste on the environment, RHODE ISLAND Gov. Gina Raimondo (D) issued Executive Order 18-06 , which will create the “Task Force to Tackle Plastics,” which will...

Baker Opposes MA Nurse Staffing Mandates MASSACHUSETTS Gov. Charlie Baker (R) said a recent report by the state Health Policy Commission has convinced him to vote no on Question 1 , a ballot measure that would require strict nurse-to-patient ratios in Bay State hospitals. Baker cited cost estimates...

Saying it was “inevitable” that her state would soon be surrounded by states that have legalized recreational cannabis use, Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo (D) joined a growing number of her Democratic colleagues in proposing to follow suit. Raimondo was hardly enthusiastic about the...

Countering a growing trend among retailers toward accepting only credit cards or other forms of electronic payment, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) signed legislation last week requiring brick-and-mortar retail operations to accept cash and imposing potentially big fines on those that don’t go...

TWO DOZEN GOVS RESIST TRUMP CLEAN CAR ROLLBACK Two dozen governors – including three Republicans – signed a letter to President Donald Trump last week urging his administration not to move forward on a plan to roll back auto emissions standards nationwide. The letter comes on the heels...

VA GOV VOWS END TO LAWSUITS AGAINST PATIENTS VIRGINIA Gov. Ralph Northam (D) said he would work with University of Virginia James Ryan to end the widespread practice of aggressively pursuing former patients for unpaid medical bills. A recent investigation by Kaiser Health News revealed that that UVA...

BAKER PUSHES MA IMPAIRED DRIVING BILL Responding to the state Cannabis Control Commission moving closer to allowing social consumption marijuana lounges, MASSACHUSETTS Gov. Charlie Baker (R) urged Bay State lawmakers to act on legislation ( HB 71 ) he proposed earlier this year to address impaired...