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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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]). ...

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...

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 ...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...