State Net | Capitol Journal

State Net | Capitol Journal
State Net | Capital Journal
Tagged Content List
  • Blog Post: Government Cybersecurity Bills Introduced in Nearly 3/4 of States in 2019

    At least 37 states have introduced legislation this year dealing with the cybersecurity of government agencies, 24 of which have enacted such measures, according to information from the National Conference of State Legislatures and LexisNexis State Net. The measures deal with a range of issues, including...
  • Blog Post: Who Is That Tall Man?

    Riders on the Boston subway might have done a double take last week at the site of the tall, distinguished guy who looked a lot like the governor. But why would he be on the T? Doesn’t he have a car and a driver to shuttle him about town? Yes, he does. But that didn’t stop Gov. Charlie Baker...
  • Blog Post: Governors in Brief - September 16 2019

    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...
  • Blog Post: Online Sports Betting

    There was a time when, if you weren’t in Las Vegas and you wanted to put some money down on a football game – say $100 that the Rams would cover the spread on Sunday – you needed to talk to a bookie. So, you picked up your phone. That bookie – maybe a guy who looked a little...
  • Blog Post: States Save for Inevitable Rainy Day

    Many states have learned lessons from the Great Recession of 2007-09 and are better prepared for the next economic downturn, according to findings by the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO) and other analysts. “Rainy day funds are growing as a share of state budgets,”...
  • Blog Post: Over Half of States Consider Consumer Data Privacy Bills in 2019

    At least 27 states have considered legislation this year dealing with the privacy of consumer data, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures . Consumer data privacy bills were enacted in six of those states, while measures are still pending in several others, including California, where...
  • Blog Post: Battle Still Raging Over CA Data, Worker Classification Laws

    Halfway through the California legislative session this summer, it looked like the tech industry and other corporate interests were easily winning a furious battle to re-shape the state’s highly anticipated data privacy law before it goes into effect in January. Yeah, not so much. Most...
  • Blog Post: Governors in Brief - October 4 2019

    WA GOV ORDERS VAPING BAN Citing a rising number of illnesses and deaths linked to e-tobacco use, WASHINGTON Gov. Jay Inslee (D) said he will ask the state board of health to adopt emergency rules enacting a statewide ban on flavored vaping products. At least four other states – MICHIGAN, NEW...
  • Blog Post: Governors in Brief - October 14 2019

    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...
  • Blog Post: Handful of States Address Motor Vehicle Subscription Services

    At least four states - Indiana, Massachusetts, North Carolina and New Jersey - have introduced legislation this year dealing with motor vehicle subscription services, according to LexisNexis State Net’s legislative tracking system. Indiana and North Carolina have both enacted such measures. Bills...
  • Blog Post: States Pose Roadblocks for Motor Vehicle Subscription Services

    Although motor vehicle subscription services - similar to auto leases but with no long-term commitment, the ability to change vehicles periodically and insurance and maintenance bundled in - have only been around for a few years, they’ve been embraced by some automakers, insurers and consumers...
  • Blog Post: Trump Administration Sued by Many Mostly Democrat-Led States

    As of October 17, 68 lawsuits had been initiated against the Trump administration via a complaint or petition filed by multiple states, according to data compiled by Dr. Paul Nolette, an associate professor of political science at Marquette University, for the website AttorneysGeneral.org . Democrat...
  • Blog Post: You Don’t Say

    If you think political language has become coarser and less dignified over the last few years, you’re right. But what about out there in the real world? An argument could certainly be made that things have always been a little vulgar out on the mean streets, but maybe a little less so if a bill...
  • Blog Post: Governors in Brief - November 4 2019

    Judge Upholds Baker’s MA Vaping Ban A Suffolk Superior Court judge rejected a plea from vape retailers to overturn upheld MASSACHUSETTS Gov. Charlie Baker’s (R) emergency ban on vaping. The ruling came hours after health officials announced a second Bay State resident had died from a vaping...
  • Blog Post: Handful of States Ban Vaping

    As of Oct. 15, governors or public health agencies in seven states had imposed temporary bans on the sale of vaping products, four of which had been at least partially blocked by legal challenges, according to Time . At least five states have also introduced bills this year aimed at banning flavored...
  • Blog Post: States Weigh More Bans on Vaping

    As public health officials confront an outbreak of lung injuries linked to vaping from e-cigarettes, a patchwork of state and local responses have cropped up in lieu of federal regulation. But with a developing and not yet fully understood problem, and with several e-cigarette bans in a handful...
  • Blog Post: Health & Science - November 18 2019

    Massachusetts House Approves HB 4183 The MASSACHUSETTS House approves HB 4183 , which would make the Bay State the first to completely ban the sale of all flavored vaping and tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes. The measure moves to the Senate (STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE [BOSTON]). ...
  • Blog Post: Governors in Brief - November 18 2019

    Cuomo Threatens NYC Utility NEW YORK Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) threatened to revoke the license of a utility that provides gas to New York City and Long Island unless it begins providing natural gas to new customers on Long Island. Cuomo also vowed to take legal action against the utility National Grid...
  • Blog Post: Social Policy - November 25 2019

    Massachusetts House and Senate Approve HB 4203 The MASSACHUSETTS House and Senate overwhelmingly approve HB 4203 , which would ban Bay State drivers from talking on a handheld device while behind the wheel. It moves to Gov. Charlie Baker (R), who is expected to sign it into law (STATE HOUSE NEWS ...
  • Blog Post: Health & Science - November 25 2019

    MASSACHUSETTS House and Senate Unanimously Approve HB 4210 The MASSACHUSETTS House and Senate unanimously approve HB 4210 , which would extend MassHealth coverage until age 26 for young adults formerly in Department of Children and Families custody, require insurers to maintain accurate online provider...
  • Blog Post: Education - November 25 2019

    Massachusetts House and Senate Approve SB 2412 The MASSACHUSETTS House and Senate approve SB 2412 , a bill that would reformulate how Bay State school districts receive state money by directing more to those serving students living in poverty or with language barriers. The measure, which would also...
  • Blog Post: Business - November 25 2019

    MASSACHUSETTS Senate Approves SB 2410 The MASSACHUSETTS Senate approves SB 2410 , a bill that would prohibit the distribution of single-use plastic bags and require customers to pay a fee of at least 10 cents for recyclable or reusable bags. The ban, which would not apply to plastic bags used to hold...
  • Blog Post: Governors in Brief - November 25 2019

    Raimondo Will Seek Legal RI Pot in 2020 Calling it “the next logical step” after legalizing medical use, RHODE ISLAND Gov. Gina Raimondo (D) said she will make another attempt to legalize adult recreational marijuana use in the Ocean State next session. Raimondo made her comments after...
  • Blog Post: Consumer Data Privacy Bills Introduced in Half of States in 2019

    As of mid-October, 26 states had introduced legislation this year dealing with the privacy of consumer data, according to analysis of LexisNexis State Net legislative data by the National Conference of State Legislatures. Seven of those states had enacted such measures, including Hawaii, where a consumer...
  • Blog Post: With Feds Distracted, States Will Have Much to Ponder in 2020

    It’s the holiday season, and if most voters are thinking about politics at all they are probably pondering more about how to get through family festivities without a major blowup over differing political philosophies than they are about next year’s legislative agendas. But rest assured...