Since 2000, 20 states have raised their cigarette taxes, with Louisiana becoming the latest to do so on April 1. And over a dozen states have expanded gambling since the Great Recession. But as states have become more reliant on so-called “sin taxes”...
Prince’s shocking and untimely death shook the entire world last month, spurring a tsunami of tributes and condolences from musicians, athletes, fans and even President Obama . A wealth of state and national lawmakers also weighed in, though none...
CA Approves AB 1594 The CALIFORNIA Assembly approves AB 1594 , which would bar the use of standard and electronic cigarettes on California State University and community college campuses. It moves to the Senate (SACRAMENTO BEE). MD Gov Signs SB...
ME Gov Vetoes Clean Election Fix MAINE Gov. Paul LePage (R) vetoed a bill approved by the Legislature last month that would have pumped $500,000 into the state’s Clean Election Fund, enough to support the clean election candidates already running...
Internet Tax Bill Advances in OK The OKLAHOMA Senate passed an amended version of HB 2531 last month that will require out-of-state companies to provide Oklahoma customers a statement at the end of the year indicating the amount of their purchases...
And from the sublime to the ridiculous, there’s this. As the Associated Press reports , Missouri Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal led a filibuster of a tax bill she opposed last week by reading for almost an hour from a self-help book co-written by rapper...
WI Gov Signs SB 459 WISCONSIN Gov. Scott Walker (R) signs SB 459 , a bill that designates privately-held riverfront lands as specialized wetlands, allowing property owners to conduct more building activity in those areas. The law also requires disputes...
AL Lawmakers Set Up Impeachment Process ALABAMA lawmakers set up the process by which the House will attempt to impeach Gov. Robert Bentley (R). House lawmakers overwhelmingly approved a resolution that requires at least 21 signatures by House members...
CT Approves HB 5053 The CONNECTICUT House approves HB 5053 , which would limit most initial prescriptions for opioids to a seven-day supply and require first-responders to carry the anti-overdose drug naloxone. The bill, which would also require the...
WI Gov Signs SB 533 WISCONSIN Gov. Scott Walker (R) signs SB 533 , which bars local governments from issuing their own photo IDs to the homeless, unauthorized immigrants or others struggling to obtain other forms of identification (WISCONSIN PUBLIC...
Social Policy In FL The FLORIDA Supreme Court temporarily blocks implementation of a Sunshine State law imposing a 24-hour waiting period for women seeking an abortion. The court stayed the law while it determines if it will hear a case challenging...
LA Approves HB 539 The LOUISIANA House unanimously approves HB 539 , which would allow coroners to donate tissue or biological samples from abandoned or unclaimed bodies to people who train dogs for search and rescue missions. It moves to the Senate...
What market-driven influences are likely to shape the energy industry in 2016? We did some research using Nexis® to see what we could learn. Political developments always hold the potential to impact the energy sector—and election years tend...
Tomorrow marks the anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death in 1616. While not a cause for celebration, this anniversary has served as the inspiration for the United Nation’s Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to...
Americans were shocked and saddened by the news of recording artist Prince’s death at the age of 57 on Thursday. The legendary singer-songwriter’s death hit airwaves and news outlets faster than you can say, “Diamonds and Pearls.”...
Remember when Michael Corleone said, “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in,” in The Godfather Part III? Executives at FIFA and UEFA can probably relate to his frustration after the recent Panama Papers leak put the spotlight...
It’s old news that in his early years California Gov. Jerry Brown was always looking for another job, most notably at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. What is less clear to the masses but something those of us who cover him regularly know well is that...
CA AB 908 Signed by Gov CALIFORNIA Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signs AB 908 , which will expand the Golden State’s paid family leave wage replacement levels from 55 percent of income to either 60 percent or 70 percent depending on the worker’s...
By all accounts, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker is a nice guy and certainly among the most moderate members of his state’s GOP. But that didn’t stop him from recently feeling the wrath of the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce...
North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory (R) issued an executive order last week intended to mitigate growing national backlash to legislation he signed last month that critics contend discriminates against the LGBT community. The bill came in response to...
Wyoming, the Equality State, was the first U.S. territory to grant women the right to vote and the first state to elect a female governor. But only 13 percent of its current state lawmakers are women, the lowest rate of any state in the country, according...
State, Federal Lawmakers Consider Forgiving Farmers’ Student Debt: Only about 6 percent of American farmers are under the age of 35, while more than 62 percent are over 55, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2012 Census of Agriculture...
This year’s statehouse elections offer opportunities for both Democrats and Republicans to shift majority control of legislative chambers, according to Tim Storey of the National Conference of State Legislatures. Democrats are eyeing Republican...
Republicans have flourished in U.S. statehouses during the Obama presidency, winning a best-ever number of legislative chambers and a near-record majority of governorships. But GOP legislative domination, as well as control of Congress, may be threatened...
Edwards Issues LGBT Order LOUISIANA Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) issued Executive Order No. JBE 2016-11 , which protects LGBT state employees and contractors from being fired, discriminated against or harassed based on their gender identity or sexual...