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...
After President Donald Trump’s effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, fell flat in Congress last month Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) said Republican lawmakers were out of excuses for not joining 31 other...
Governors from the four states that have legalized recreational marijuana use asked the Trump administration last week to keep in place federal marijuana policies that have served as the foundation for legalization efforts in their states. In a letter...
South Carolina Approves HB 3930 The SOUTH CAROLINA House approves HB 3930 , which would allow Palmetto State residents to carry a gun, openly or concealed, without obtaining a state permit. It moves to the Senate (POST & COURIER [CHARLESTON])....
Social Policy In Indiana A federal judge strikes down an INDIANA law that required women to undergo an ultrasound at least 18 hours prior to an abortion. U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt said the law would “place an undue burden”...
California Approves SB 54 The CALIFORNIA Senate approves SB 54 , so-called “sanctuary state” legislation that would bar state and local law enforcement from using their resources to assist federal officials in immigration enforcement. The...
Kansas Vetoes HB 2044 The KANSAS House fails to override Gov. Sam Brownback’s (R) veto of HB 2044 , which would have expanded Medicaid in the Sunflower State to include people with incomes at 133 percent of the poverty line (KANSAS CITY STAR...
Maryland Signs HB 1325 MARYLAND Gov. Larry Hogan (R) signs HB 1325 , which makes the Old Line State the third to ban hydraulic fracturing, or fracking (BALTIMORE SUN).
North Dakota Approves HB 1275 The NORTH DAKOTA Senate approves HB 1275 , a bill that says a student of a public or nonpublic school can't be prohibited from voluntarily participating in any “student-initiated prayer” at an athletic...
Alabama Approves HB 36 The ALABAMA House approves HB 36 , which would extend the Heart of Dixie’s so-called “stand your ground” law, which allows people to use deadly force to defend themselves, to include churches. It moves to the...
Business In Indiana The U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals rules that the 1964 Civil Rights Act protects gay and lesbian employees from workplace discrimination, the first time a federal appellate court has come to that conclusion. The ruling from the...
Back in Trump’s favorite country it is now illegal to distribute a popular Internet image of Russian President Vladimir Putin in what has become widely known as the “gay clown” meme. As CNN reports , doing so could get you 15 days in...
If you are already sick of all things Trump – and based on the president’s historically dismal approval ratings , many folks are – then you might want to skip to the next story. As the New York Post’s Page Six reports , Donald...
Texas Rep. Victoria Neave got to experience a bit of Lone Star State tradition last week. As she introduced a piece of legislation, Rep. Jim Murphy interrupted, saying “I’m having trouble finding the representative” and asking if the...
Overcoming claims that he no longer has the political clout to sway lawmakers, CALIFORNIA Gov. Jerry Brown (D) earned a huge victory last week as Golden State lawmakers endorsed his proposal to raise the state gasoline and vehicle licensing taxes to raise...
In such a fast paced world, it is important to continuously develop a skill set that helps you remain career-relevant, especially in the PR world. Recently, we hosted a webinar with three PR experts: Lauren Doyle, Vice President of Wordsworth Communication...
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has decided to extend its FCPA Pilot Program, designed to encourage companies to self-report evidence of bribery and corruption, until it feels able to judge the program’s effectiveness. Pilot Program encourages...
Thirteen states, led by California, are engaged in what promises to be a protracted conflict with the Trump administration over stricter emission and fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks. Following up on his campaign promises, President...
States have been offering tax credits and other financial incentives for the purchase of electric and hybrid vehicles since the 1990s. But at least seven states have recently repealed or exhausted the funding of their programs, or allowed the programs...
NH HOUSE FAILS TO PASS BUDGET NEW HAMPSHIRE’s Republican-controlled House failed to pass the budget proposed by the chamber’s Finance Committee for the first time since the 1960s, due to limited Democratic support and a “large faction”...
As part of a plan to address their state’s $2.8 billion budget deficit, members of the Alaska House voted 21-19 in favor of a bill ( HB 111 ) last week that would increase oil production taxes and reduce the state subsidy for new oil drilling. ...
In February New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) unveiled a plan to use revenue from the state’s lottery to bail out its woefully underfunded public pension system. And last week he told reporters he’s been meeting with union leaders to discuss...
Middle-class families across New York state received a generous gift from lawmakers this month. Included in the $153 billion state budget they passed last Sunday is a first-of-its-kind in the nation program, called the Excelsior Scholarship , proposed...
JUDGE RULES TX VOTER ID LAW INTENTIONALY DISCRIMINATORY U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of TEXAS Nelva Gonzales Ramos ruled that the state’s Republican controlled Legislature deliberately discriminated against minority voters when...
California lawmakers passed legislation this month ( SB 1 ) that will provide $52 billion in transportation funding over the next decade primarily by raising taxes on both gasoline and diesel fuel. Because of the tax provisions, a supermajority vote was...