LA Seeking Private Help for Roads Transportation officials in LOUSIANA said last week they will for the first time seek help from private firms in fast tracking road congestion mitigation projects in the Pelican State. The work would take place along...
In one of the most consequential cases of its current term, Evenwel v. Abbott , the U.S. Supreme Court voted unanimously last week to uphold the standard of one person, one vote in drawing election districts. Two Texas voters had argued that only eligible...
WA Approves SB 5057 The WASHINGTON House approves SB 5057, setting new rules regarding the transport of oil via train that would require oil companies to pay for spills and derailments and publicly disclose what kinds of oil they transport through...
TX Senate Approves SB 1697 The TEXAS Senate approves SB 1697, a bill that allows the state to keep the names of execution drug providers from the public. It moves to the House (TEXAS TRIBUNE). WA Signs HB 1068 WASHINGTON Gov. Jay Inslee (D) signs...
LA House Approves HB 149 The LOUISIANA House gives final approval to HB 149, which would enact several new policies designed to temper penalties for marijuana possession in the Pelican State, including dropping the maximum penalty from 20 years in...
The ancient tale of Damon and Pythias – two young Greeks whose friendship was so strong they were willing to die for each other – is likely apocryphal, but such devotion definitely exists. Case in point comes from the state of Washington,...
RAUNER SIGNS TWO IL ANTI-HARASSMENT BILLS : ILLINOIS Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) signed two measures last week aimed at curbing sexual harassment in the Prairie State statehouse. The measures require all lawmakers, lobbyists and state employees to undergo...
TN House Approves HB 108 The TENNESSEE House approves HB 108 , which would require doctors who perform abortions to provide women with an ultrasound prior to having the procedure. It moves to the Senate (TENNESSEAN [NASHVILLE]). MD Governor Signs...
Citing “a total lack of regulation” on political social media spending, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) has thrown his support behind a bill to broaden the Empire State’s definition of political communication to include paid internet...
OH Gay Marriage The OHIO Supreme Court's Board for Professional Conduct rules that judges who perform civil marriages may not refuse to conduct a ceremony for a gay couple, nor may they refuse to do all marriages based on personal beliefs opposing...
ILLINOIS Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) signs legislation that will create a task force to develop rules for the use and regulation of drone aircraft. The task force is required to submit recommendations to the governor by July 1, 2016 (ASSOCIATED PRESS). ...
As states continue to recover from the Great Recession, several are embracing a tax credit to help bring working families along. This year five states, including California and Massachusetts, where a Democrat and a Republican hold the top office, respectively...
A $9-billion school-construction bond proposal has qualified for California’s November 2016 ballot, according to Secretary of State Alex Padilla. “This bond will go a long way to ensure school districts have the necessary resources to...
It’s just too dad gummed easy to get a shootin’ iron in Texas, according to state Rep. Tony Dale. Now Dale is no namby pamby gun-control lovin’ peacenik. He’s a red-blooded gun lover with a 100 percent rating from the NRA, ooooh...
The MISSOURI House approves an omnibus environmental bill that would, among several things, require oil and natural gas companies to obtain permits before using the extraction process known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. The state also would have...
Vermont Gov. Pete Shumlin (D) joined with the Vermont Commission on Women to launch an initiative aimed at ensuring women earn equal pay for equal work in the Green Mountain State. Shumlin said the state would be the first employer to sign onto the Vermont...
Nebraska Same-Sex Marriage Ban Struck Down A federal judge strikes down a NEBRASKA law barring same-sex marriage. Senior U.S. District Judge Joseph Bataillon’s order was scheduled to take effect on March 9, but it was stayed after state Attorney...
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards makes no bones about being a country boy at heart. Which is why it should come as no surprise that he recently installed a chicken coop on the front lawn of the Governor’s Mansion. As Edwards told WWTV in New Orleans...
Expressing concern that regulators are too focused on “ancillary stuff,” Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R) urged state regulators to prioritize setting up the state’s basic retail framework before worrying about licensing pot cafes...
Since 2014, 30 states have enacted laws addressing police violence, including those limiting the use of force, and requiring de-escalation and anti-bias training for officers, according to Campaign Zero, a policing reform effort initiated by activists...
CT Approves HB 5054 The CONNECTICUT Senate approves HB 5054 , legislation that would require which would require alleged domestic abusers to immediately give up their guns and ammunition if their partners seek restraining orders. It moves to Gov. Dannel...
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) appears to be softening his once rigid stance against legalized marijuana. Speaking at a panel held at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles last week, the governor who once said he wished he could “wave...
President Trump seems to have only one strategy – personally attack anyone and everyone at any time in an effort to make himself look or feel better. Most grownups choose not to directly engage with such juvenile behavior. But then former California...
The Seattle City Council adopts new rules that allow workers who drive for ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft to form unions and collectively negotiate wages with the companies (For more, see “Seattle Becomes 1st City to Allow Ride-sharing...
Hogan Completes Chemo MARYLAND Gov. Larry Hogan (R) completed his final round of chemotherapy treatment for B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Hogan posted on his Facebook account that since being diagnosed in June he has undergone 30 days of 24-hour...