Mary Peck
The IOWA Senate Judiciary Committee approves SB 26, which would allow women who have had an abortion to later sue the doctor performing the procedure for causing her emotional distress. The lawsuit could come at any point thereafter in her life (ASSOCIATED PRESS).
Mary Peck
The NORTH DAKOTA Senate approves SB 2154, which would suspend implementation of a voter-approved measure to allow the use of medicinal marijuana in the Flickertail State. The suspension would run through July 31, or until lawmakers endorse legislation to implement their won regulations on the sale of medicinal weed. Voters endorsed Measure 5 , also known as the North Dakota Compassionate Care Act, in November with the support of nearly 64 percent of voters. It moves to the House. Similar efforts on voter-approved marijuana legalization measures are underway in MAINE and MASSACHUSETTS (BISMARCK TRIBUNE, BOSTON GLOBE, LEXISNEXIS STATE NET).
Mary Peck
The ARIZONA House Education Committee declines to hear HB 2120, a bill that would have banned colleges from offering classes that promote “resentment or social justice toward a race, gender, religion, political affiliation, social class or other class of people.” The bill is now dead for the year (ARIZONA CAPITOL TIMES [PHOENIX]).
ILLINOIS Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) signs SB 550, which will require all Prairie State schools and day care centers to be tested for lead contamination in their drinking water by 2018. The law exempts schools and centers that have already undergone the testing (CHICAGO TRIBUNE).
Mary Peck
NEW JERSEY Gov. Chris Christie (R) signs SB 2483, which restricts access to firearms for people who have been convicted of a domestic violence crime or who are subject to a domestic violence restraining order (NJ.COM)
Mary Peck
The MISSOURI House approves HB 91, so-called right-to-work legislation that would bar union workplaces from requiring workers to pay union dues as a condition of employment. It moves to the Senate (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH).
MASSACHUSETTS Gov. Charlie Baker (R) signs SB 2505, legislation that among several things establishes that the owner of a public electric car charging station cannot charge a subscription fee or require someone to buy a club membership in order to use the station. The law, which does allow an owner to have a separate price schedule for members, also requires payment options to be accessible to the public. The owner must also disclose publicly the location, hours and fees of the charging station (BOSTON GLOBE, LEXISNEXIS STATE NET).