A report from a special “strike force” to California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) says the Golden State should ease its strict liability laws for utilities found to have caused devastating wildfires. The report came in the wake of the bankruptcy...
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) lauded the approval of a closely-watched weed legalization measure last week, but declined to say if he would sign the measure if it reaches his desk. Murphy has long supported legalizing cannabis in the Garden State...
If you’re a well-respected but wonky administrator facing off with two huge personalities for the epic job of being California’s next governor, you gotta go big or go home. Or at least go for a laugh or two. Last week, California state Treasurer...
The last day of West Virginia’s 2016 regular session on March 12 didn’t resemble the frenzied pace of past final days due to the front loading of this year’s session with major bills to allow plenty of time for the GOP-controlled Legislature...
Arguments over health care are a daily occurrence in statehouses around this country. While it’s hard to find common ground on what reforms would be best, everyone can agree that the cost of health care can be downright absurd. Which is why, as...
FL CONSIDERING RESTRICTING ACCESS TO VOTER INFORMATION: A bill introduced by FLORIDA Rep. Cyndi Stevenson (R) would restrict voter information that has been publicly available for decades to election officials, voters inquiring about their own information...
The aforementioned Jerry Brown brought a lot to the governor’s office during his historic tenure. But one thing he didn’t bring was children. Not so for new Gov. Gavin Newsom and First Lady Jennifer Siebel Newsom, who have four kids under...
Stealing road signs that bear numbers like “420” and “69” is definitely a thing. So much so that Washington state transportation folks have been forced to come up with clever ways to defeat said sign thieves. As the Seattle Times...
As the nation's capital resumes its customary political gridlock, both political parties are turning to the states to advance national agendas. In the process of doing so, however, they are finding that they are far from united within their own ranks...
The U.S. travel destinations with the fastest growing short-term rental markets are not big cities, according to a 2014 report from HomeAway, Inc. which offers rentals worldwide through numerous websites, including VRBO.com. Based on a comparison of traveler...
The historically long federal government shutdown had lots of repercussions across America, most of them bad. But for a large colony of elephant seals, the shutdown was as good as hanging out a welcome sign. As the San Francisco Chronicle reports , the...
Louisiana Signs A Trio Of Bills LOUISIANA Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) signs a trio of bills aimed at addressing the Pelican State’s severe opioid crisis. Those measures include: SB 55 , which requires doctors to check the state’s prescription...
California lawmakers last month cemented their commitment to dramatically reducing the state’s carbon emissions, passing a pair of bills ( SB 32 and AB 197 ) that collectively extend the program by a decade and give the Legislature more oversight...
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) proposed what he called “a common sense” compromise to his standoff with lawmakers over the state’s controversial “bathroom bill,” which requires transgender people to use restrooms in public...
A gubernatorial State of the State address is a governor’s spotlight moment, the time where they get the stage all to themselves to showcase everything they believe to be important. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott understands this as well as anyone, which...
New Hampshire Approves HB 436 The NEW HAMPSHIRE House approves HB 436 , which would exempt companies converting or transmitting virtual currency like Bitcoin from state banking laws that regulate money transmitters. It moves to the Senate (NEW HAMPSHIRE...
Missouri Approves HB 91 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)...
At least 25 states have either passed or considered legislation aimed at bringing the efficiencies of public retirement systems to new pension plans for workers in the private sector, according to the Pension Rights Center. Illinois, Oregon and Washington...
NEWSOM WANTS TO STEP UP CA POT ENFORCEMENT Citing a lack of cohesive enforcement to stamp out CALIFORNIA’s illegal marijuana market, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced expanded efforts by the state National Guard to work with federal officials to...
Between 2007 and 2017, the number of renters in the United States over the age of 60 increased by 43 percent, according to a report this month from RentCafé , a nationwide apartment search service. That surge in older renters, in turn, helped raise...
Over the past decade, many states, citing concerns about voter fraud, have enacted voting restrictions, such as photo ID requirements and early voting reductions. It looked as though voter purges would be the next phase of that movement, after the U.S...
TN LEGISLATURE CONSIDERING CLOSING PRIMARY ELECTIONS TENNESSEE’s House Elections and Campaign Finance Subcommittee approved a bill ( HB 1273 / SB 1500 ) last week that would require voters to declare a party affiliation in order to vote in the...
California marked the end of an era last week, as Gov. Jerry Brown handed off the gavel to new Gov. Gavin Newsom. Brown exited office as the state’s longest-serving governor (16 years) and perhaps its greatest political comeback story. Once the...
It’s said there is no such thing as a free lunch. That’s rarely true in politics, where lobbyists are more than happy to ply lawmakers with lavish meals at the drop of a hat. But the free gourmet chow is now off the table in Missouri, where...
NY LAWMAKERS CONSIDERING BRINGING CASINOS TO NYC NEW YORK state lawmakers, including Assembly speaker Carl Heastie (D), have been meeting with representatives from major gambling companies about the possibility of opening two to three full-fledged...