Man, it just ain’t any fun being a kid these days. Case in point comes from Georgia, where Gov. Brian Kemp last month vetoed a bill that would have required most Peach State schools to schedule recess time for kids in grades K-5. But as the Atlanta...
Last week Standard & Poor’s lowered the bond rating for Hartford, Connecticut from B- to CCC, a four-grade drop. That news was bad enough, particularly coming after another four-grade drop in the city’s rating, from BB to B-, less than...
California Signs SB 1139 CALIFORNIA Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signs SB 1139 , which bars the denial of applicants to Golden State medical schools based solely on their immigration status. The law also ensures that all medical students are eligible to apply...
Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill (R) and Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D) were among those who appeared at a hearing on Election Security held by the U.S. Committee on House Administration this month. Over two years after Russian...
If you were looking for Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo last Monday, you needed to ditch the shoes first. That’s because, as CBS News reports , she opted to hold her usual Monday office hours at the beach. It was just the first of what Raimondo...
LA GOV, HOUSE LEADER AT ODDS ON SALES TAX BREAK LOUISIANA state Rep. Lance Harris (R), who heads the House majority caucus, introduced legislation last week to roll back the sales tax increase lawmakers approved last year to help shore up the state...
School cafeterias are generally not in danger of earning a Michelin star. But this being the era of ubiquitous smartphones and app-based food delivery services, modern students are no longer slaves to the school lunch menu. Enterprising kids are now as...
Cooper Signs NC Pay Leave Order Saying that “parenting is often more than a full-time job,” North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) issued Executive Order 95 last week, which grants up to eight weeks of paid parental leave to many of the estimated...
If you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it’s yours. If not, it never was. Or so said author Richard Bach, anyway. Now it appears Utah is ready to give his words some legal muscle. As NBC affiliate KHQ-TV reports , Gov. Gary Herbert...
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) wasted no time last week addressing the final batch of bills lawmakers sent to him this session, vetoing eight and letting another 10 become law without his signature. Most of the measures Hogan vetoed would have imposed...
Going On In AR A federal judge issues a temporary restraining order that prevents ARKANSAS from enforcing a section of a 2015 law requiring abortion providers to contract with a second doctor who has hospital admitting privileges. The order issued...
We’ve seen some great political ads over the years, but Minnesota Congressional candidate Dean Phillips has outdone them all. In a new video , Phillips uses the legend of Bigfoot to accuse his opponent – incumbent Erik Paulsen – of ignoring...
California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) proposed a revised 2014-15 budget last week that calls for nearly $1 billion more in spending than his draft proposal in January. The new $107.8-billion spending plan includes a sizable increase in Medicaid funding to cover...
The MINNESOTA Senate approves a comprehensive education reform bill that would among several things, encourage educators to emphasize students' existing skills and allow teaching license candidates who are unable to pass the state's "basic...
The change in Assembly Speakers wasn't the only big news around the California Capitol last week. Gov. Jerry Brown also issued his annual May budget revision. Given that the state has around $2 billion more in revenue than earlier predicted it was...
In case you are pondering using your vacation time to visit a state capital, you should know they are not all created equal. In fact, as the USA Today reports, some are downright spiffy places to hang out. The top of the list, according to a reader survey...
The Democracy Alliance, an organization that advises top Democratic donors, is launching an effort to boost the amount of money being contributed to liberal organizations in the states. The aim of the five-year initiative, called 2020 Vision, is to increase...
TX City Council Approves Proposal The SAN ANTONIO City Council approves a proposal to require all employers except government entities to provide employees with one hour of paid sick leave for every 34 hours worked. Employers with more than five...
NY Governor Signs AB 6823 NEW YORK Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) signs AB 6823 , which relieves Empire State prosecutors from having to prove force, fraud or coercion was used to involve a minor in prostitution. (NEW YORK POST)
MT ENACTS SCHOOL SAFETY TAX BILL MONTANA Gov. Steve Bullock (D) has signed a bill ( SB 92 ) that will allow schools to levy a new tax specifically for school safety. The bill will also let schools use existing funding streams for safety upgrades. ...
Responding to a drastic increase in foreclosures since 2009, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) signed a package of bills aimed at helping cash-strapped Garden State residents stay in their homes and overwhelmed cities deal with a rash of vacant foreclosed...
FEDERAL APPEALS PANEL ORDERS NEW DISTRICTS, SENATE ELECTIONS IN MI A three-judge federal panel has ordered MICHIGAN’s Republican-controlled Legislature to redraw at least 34 political districts before the 2020 election - and ordered the state...
As a native of South Lake Tahoe, California I know firsthand that it is one of the loveliest places in the world. But as the Sacramento Bee reports , the community is feeling under siege these days from an influx of two entirely different kinds of visitors...
BULLOCK SIGNS MT REINSURANCE BILL MONTANA Gov. Steve Bullock (D), signed legislation last week that will create a reinsurance program to help reimburse insurers for high-cost claims so those costs aren't included in determining individual marketplace...
LA VOTERS TO WEIGH ABORTION RIGHTS IN 2020 LOUISIANA lawmakers gave final approval last week for a proposed constitutional amendment that would stipulate there is no right to an abortion in the state. The action, part of a wave of recent anti-abortion...