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State Net Capitol Journal: Lawmakers Will Face Wide Array Of Issues In 2013
Posted on 20 Dec 2012 by State Net

For much of 2012, it seemed just about every major issue confronting states and the federal government was put on hold in anticipation of the impending election. With that process finally over, lawmakers will settle in to try and solve a myriad of thorny... Read More

State Net Capitol Journal: Connecticut Enacts Sweeping Gun Control Law
Posted on 16 Apr 2013 by State Net

In Connecticut, where less than four months ago Adam Lanza fired 154 shots in four minutes from a Bushmaster AR-15 semiautomatic rifle, killing 26 children and teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary School, lawmakers passed and Gov. Dannel Malloy (D) signed... Read More

State Net Capitol Journal Spotlight: Hot Issues Won’t Vary Much in 2014
Posted on 11 Dec 2013 by State Net

By Rich Ehisen | For most states, 2013 was a welcome respite from the usual election year political gridlock. That all changes next year, with 38 governorships, 46 legislative chambers, 33 United States Senate seats and all 435 House of Representatives... Read More

State Net Capitol Journal: Justice Department Sues To Block N.C. Voter ID Law
Posted on 8 Oct 2013 by State Net

The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit last month to block North Carolina's new voter ID law, which some critics have called the most sweeping of its kind. The law was signed by Gov. Pat McCrory (R) in August, just two months after the... Read More

State Net Capitol Journal: Governors Brace For Marriage Fight To Return To States
Posted on 3 Jul 2013 by State Net

Governors reacted somewhat predictably to the Supreme Court's historic decisions supporting same-sex marriage last Wednesday, with Democrats hailing the rulings and Republicans bemoaning them. But there is one thing both sides can agree on: the battle... Read More

State Net Capitol Journal: More Hot - And Reheated - Issues For States In 2013
Posted on 21 Dec 2012 by State Net

Last week, SNCJ took a look at some of the most pressing issues facing states in 2013. Here are a few more, some of which are either ongoing considerations for state lawmakers or matters likely placed square on their radars by last month's elections... Read More

State Net Capitol Journal: What Supreme Court Decisions Could Mean For the States
Posted on 30 Jul 2013 by State Net

By Lou Cannon The Supreme Court's momentous rulings last month on three issues shook up the country and the states. The court gave conservatives a victory on voting rights while moving the country in a liberal direction on marriage equality. Disappointing... Read More

Obama Administration Joins Battle Over Voting Rights
Posted on 20 Dec 2011 by State Net

- Compiled by KOREY CLARK This year more than a dozen states have passed new voting laws that supporters say were necessary to deter fraud and opponents say will dampen minority voter turnout in next year's elections. Last week the Obama administration... Read More

State Net Capitol Journal: Nevada Upping Ante On Medical Marijuana
Posted on 19 Oct 2013 by State Net

In 1931 the Nevada Legislature passed "The Wide Open Gambling Bill," which helped turn a nascent industry into a cornerstone of the state's economy. This past June the state passed a law that could do the same for another budding industry... Read More

State Net Capitol Journal: Surprising Election Fraud Scandal Surfaces In Florida
Posted on 12 Oct 2012 by State Net

It has usually been Democrats who have been accused, mostly by Republicans, of doing little to deter voter fraud - or worse. In a recent op-ed piece on CNN's Website, Reince Priebus, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, went as far as... Read More

State Net Capitol Journal: Congress Struggles To Find Balance In Flood Insurance Reform
Posted on 20 Nov 2013 by State Net

By Rich Ehisen | When Lynne Kampel bought her small home on Long Island in 1990, its location across the road from Randall Bay's inlet waters, only blocks from the famed Nautical Mile, was a real selling point. So was its price tag, a steal at... Read More