Nebraska Indefinitely Postpones LB 660 The NEBRASKA Natural Resources Committee unanimously votes to indefinitely postpone LB 660 , which would have allowed private energy developers to enter the Cornhusker State energy market. The Committee also unanimously...
WV Gov Unveils Suicide Prevention Plan WEST VIRGINIA Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin (D) unveiled a plan designed to reduce the number of suicides by military veterans. Dubbed the Mountain State 22 Program – a reference to the number of veterans believed...
Health In Florida The 11 TH U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rules that a 2011 FLORIDA law limiting the ability of doctors to ask their patients about their gun ownership is unconstitutional. The court left intact a portion of the law that bars doctors...
Approximately a month after the GOP-dominated legislature rejected his own plan, Montana Gov. Steve Bullock (D) signed off on a Republican plan to expand Medicaid in the Treasure State. Under the bill (SB 405), the state will extend health coverage...
Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) renewed a previously-rejected call last week to dramatically overhaul the state’s welfare program. Elements of his plan are not official but have previously included requiring applicants to the Temporary Assistance for...
Legislation prohibiting or otherwise opposing local government adoption of policies restricting cooperation with federal immigration authorities has been introduced in at least 22 mostly Republican-controlled state legislatures this session. Three of...
When one of the owners of Rainforest Farms in Juneau, Alaska tried to mail a box of cash to Anchorage last month to make a regular tax payment, the U.S. Postal Service refused to deliver it. Not because of insufficient postage or missing address information...
Texas Approves HB 214 The TEXAS House approves HB 214 , which requires women to pay an additional insurance premium if they want their health plan to cover abortions performed outside of medical emergencies. The bill, which does not contain exceptions...
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R) has created a task force charged with devising a plan for taking on $14 billion in unfunded liabilities for municipal employee pensions and retiree health care. Snyder named 23 people to the group, which is expected to have...
Iowa Approves SB 26 The IOWA Senate Judiciary Committee approves SB 26 , which would allow women who have had an abortion to later sue the doctor performing the procedure for causing her emotional distress. The lawsuit could come at any point thereafter...
Speaking of Chris Christie, the approval rating of the man formerly known as a viable presidential candidate has dropped into the teens. According to a new Quinnipiac poll, just 19 percent of New Jersey residents approve of his job performance, making...
Fallin Cracks Down On Sexual Harassment : Saying “Sexual harassment is wrong and cannot be tolerated,” OKLAHOMA Gov. Mary Fallin (R) issued Executive Order 2017-41 last week, which directs state agency heads to take action to ensure workers...
RAIMONDO ISSUES RI OPIOID EXECUTIVE ORDER Citing an “alarming rate of deaths” from opioid abuse, RHODE ISLAND Gov. Gina Raimondo (D) issued an 18-point executive order aimed at coordinating state and local government efforts to combat the...
A federal court dismisses a lawsuit brought forth by ALABAMA officials seeking to block Syrian refugees from being relocated in the Heart of Dixie. The court said the suit was too vague and “fails to state a claim for which relief may be granted”...
Days after sending lawmakers a State of the State letter in which he repeatedly railed against “socialist politicians,” Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) said he would forgo the state’s official nomination process for selecting a new education...
Georgia Approves SB 139 The GEORGIA Senate approves SB 139, a bill that would bar Peach State cities from banning single-use plastic bags at grocery and other retail stores. The measure moves to the House (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION). Washington...
CA Rejects SB 323 and Signs SB 277 The CALIFORNIA Assembly Business and Professions Committee rejects SB 323, a bill that would have allowed nurse practitioners to treat patients without the supervision of a doctor (SACRAMENTO BEE). Also in CALIFORNIA...
The Florida Supreme Court threw the state’s political landscape into chaos this month when it threw out the congressional district map drawn by the Republican-led Legislature in 2010, as well as a revised map drawn by the Legislature last year,...
In a radio interview last Tuesday, Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) said he will consider using the National Guard to battle a recent uptick in the use of heroin and other opiates that has led to a rash of drug overdoses in the Pine Tree State. “I...
Outgoing Arizona House Speaker David Gowan (R) did his best to give developers in his state a gift last week by securing the passage of a pet bill of his allowing them to create “community facilities districts” without city approval. The bill...
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie for certain has a tempestuous nature, but he’s no match for the rolling ball of 24/7 pugnaciousness that is Maine Gov. Paul LePage, who’s primary accomplishment through almost two terms in office is keeping everyone...
California Governor Signs Marijuana Bill Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signs a bill ( SB 65 ) banning the smoking of marijuana or ingestion of marijuana products while driving or riding in a vehicle, starting Jan. 1 when recreational pot becomes legal in the...
Mississippi Legislature Approves SB 2273 The MISSISSIPPI Legislature gives final approval to SB 2273 , which would reinforce that cursive writing be taught to Magnolia State public school students. It is now with Gov. Phil Bryant (R), who is expected...
Crime In FL FLORIDA Gov. Rick Scott (R) signs HB 7101, which requires that at least 10 out of 12 jurors recommend the death penalty in order for a capital punishment sentence to be carried out. The law still leaves a final decision on sentencing to...
A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia has ordered Alabama, Georgia and Kansas to stop requiring residents to provide proof of U.S. citizenship, such as a birth certificate or naturalization papers, when they register...