Pennsylvania Approves SB 3 The PENNSYLVANIA Senate approves SB 3 , which would ban women from obtaining an abortion after the 20 th week of pregnancy, except in cases where the mother’s life is in danger but with no exceptions for cases of rape...
On Thursday (Feb. 16) Kansas’ Republican-led House gave final approval for a major income tax increase, marking a reversal of course from the big tax cuts the GOP-controlled Legislature passed in 2012 and 2013 at the urging of Gov. Sam Brownback...
New Jersey Signs SB 1923 NEW JERSEY Gov. Chris Christie (R) signs SB 1923 , legislation that bars the state’s public worker pension fund from investing in companies that refuse to do business with Israel. The Garden State becomes the third state...
IA Says NO Min Wage Hike The IOWA House kills legislation that would have raised the Hawkeye State minimum wage to $8.75 by 2016 (IOWASTATEDAILY.COM). ME Vetoes SB 55 MAINE Gov. Paul LePage (R) vetoes SB 55, which would have required pints of...
NY Senate Approves AB 7060 The NEW YORK Senate approves AB 7060, legislation that would allow emergency access to medical marijuana for patients with illnesses like epilepsy. It moves to Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) for consideration (LEXISNEXIS STATE NET...
The image of the tobacco-chewing baseball player or manager – think Don Zimmer over any stage of his approximately 100 years in the game – is as iconic as the any in the sport. But that may all be changing in California, where Gov. Jerry Brown...
Washington House Approves HB 5381 The WASHINGTON House approves HB 5381, which would allow Evergreen State police officers to alert mental health experts after reports of an attempted suicide or a suspected suicide attempt even if that incident does...
Forty six governors signed a compact last week pledging to increase their collective efforts to combat the rising tide of opioid abuse in their states. Those efforts will include taking new steps to keep doctors from over-prescribing opioid medications...
MI HOUSE PASSES ‘BRAIN DRAIN’ TAX BREAK: The MISSISSIPPI House passed a bill last week that would provide graduates of four-year colleges and universities in the state who stay and work within its borders a three-year exemption from state...
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf is a hands-on kind of guy, Meaning he does things us peons take for granted, like dialing the phone himself when he wants to make a call. Sadly, that doesn’t jibe with the culture around the statehouse in Harrisburg, where...
For the next nine months, 5,000 California drivers will be voluntarily reporting their mileage to the state and getting “charged” for every mile they drive. The state’s gas tax, which hasn’t been increased since 1994, hasn’t...
As far as Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan was concerned, it was well past time to do a little gubernatorial housecleaning. So as the Baltimore Business Journal reports , Hogan wiped away 72 previous executive orders, some dating back to 1970 and the administration...
THE NAME GAME: For years, Hawaii resident Janice "Lokelani" Keihanaikukauakahihuliheekahaunaele's driver's license has been not quite right. As Fox News reports, for years Aloha State licenses have only accommodated 35 total characters...
NH Vetoes SB 101 NEW HAMPSHIRE Gov. Maggie Hassan (D) vetoes SB 101, which would have barred state education officials from implementing the Common Core curriculum standards in any Granite State public school (UNION LEADER [MANCHESTER]). TN Signs...
Supreme Court Rules Lethal Injection Allowed In OK The U.S. Supreme Court rules in favor of allowing OKLAHOMA to continue using a controversial lethal injection process for executing condemned inmates. The High Court rejected a plea from three death...
It was a simple question: “Do you think Muslims in the state of Florida hate America?” The query came from MSNBC’S “Morning Joe” host Joe Scarborough, and it was directed at Florida Gov. Rick Scott. Although it might seem...
Business In NJ The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rules that a 2014 NEW JERSEY law allowing sports betting at casinos and racetracks violated the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, a 1992 federal law prohibiting the practice in all...
TX Approves HB 21 The TEXAS House approves HB 21, so-called “right-to-try” legislation that would allow terminally ill patients to access experimental medications still awaiting federal approval. The measure moves to the Senate (TEXAS TRIBUNE...
Some folks think statehouses have gone to the dogs, but last week in California it was true. On Tuesday, Assemblymember Matt Dababneh held a press conference on the Capitol steps to promote legislation to require the University of California to offer...
Federal Appeals Court Blocks OH Inactive Voter Purge The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that OHIO’s purge of inactive voters from its voting rolls violates federal law, reversing a lower court’s decision. The case now returns to...
LA Approves HB 266 The LOUISIANA Senate approves HB 266 , so-called “ban the box” legislation that would ban government agencies from asking job applicants about their criminal history until they have been granted an interview for an open...
If you believed this awful campaign season couldn’t get any worse, I have news for you – it can always be worse. Earlier this year an activist artist group began placing statues of a bloated, naked Donald Trump in New York City. Now, as the...
If you are a Dallas Cowboys fan it might behoove you to lobby team owner Jerry Jones to stop letting New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) anywhere near them. For the unaware, in spite of his Garden State roots Christie is a rabid Cowboys fan. That has never...
North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory (R) and legislative leaders have finally agreed to spend $21.74 billion this fiscal year. The state has been operating without a budget - running on continuing resolutions instead - since the new fiscal year began on July...
Georgia Approves HB 131 The GEORGIA House approves HB 131, a bill that would add threats made on computers or other electronics to the Peach State’s bullying law. It moves to the Senate (BND.COM, LEXISNEXIS STATE NET). Alabama Endorses SB...