The Kansas Supreme Court heard oral arguments this month in a case concerning the authority of the high court itself. In 2014 the Kansas Legislature passed a bill taking the power to appoint chief district judges away from the state’s highest...
Internet and anti-tax activists are applauding Congressional action on a customs bill this month that would make a current moratorium on Internet access taxes permanent. But that action could cost seven states hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue...
States enacted budgets for fiscal 2016 that will increase general fund spending by an average of 4.1 percent, according to the National Association of State Budget Officers. The biggest spending bump, New York’s 14.7 percent increase, is largely...
America isn’t the only country with outdated laws. As the New York Times reports , Britain has over 44,000 legal statutes, some dating back to the 13 th Century. So voluminous is the official ledger that Parliament employs a small team of legal...
States have struggled for six years to reach revenue and spending levels they attained before the Great Recession of 2008-09 brought shortfalls and layoffs. They’re still struggling. The recession cut so deeply and recovery has been so slow that...
NEW YORK Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announces a series of reforms in the use of solitary confinement for inmates in the Empire State prison system. The reforms, which are part of an agreement to settle litigation brought against the system by the New York...
Decrying the continued growth of opioid addiction in the Green Mountain State, Vermont Gov. Pete Shumlin (D) introduced new regulations for the prescription of painkillers and other opioid-containing drugs. “We are fighting this battle on...
Seattle’s City Council unanimously approved an ordinance last week allowing drivers for Uber, Lyft and other ride-sharing services to collectively negotiate for pay and working conditions, the first legislation of its kind in the nation. “This...
Last Wednesday, 5 1/2 months into the current fiscal year without a state budget, Pennsylvania House Republicans gave Gov. Tom Wolf (D) and the chamber’s Democratic minority 24 hours to come up with enough votes to pass the $1 billion tax plan they’re...
Odds are good that until a few days ago most people not from there had never heard of Woodland, North Carolina. But little Woodland became international news last week when a story in the Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald reported that townsfolk had rejected...
Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad (R) reached a momentous milestone last week, becoming the longest serving governor in American history. On Dec. 14, Branstad marked his 7,6742nd day in office, surpassing the previous gubernatorial longevity record held by New...
Action NC, Democracy North Carolina, the North Carolina A. Philip Randolph Institute and three North Carolina residents have filed a lawsuit alleging that the state’s Board of Elections, Department of Health and Human Services, and Division of Motor...
KY Teacher Pension Liability Tops $24B: KENTUCKY’s ailing Teachers’ Retirement System announced an unfunded liability of $24.4 billion for 2015. That sum is a nearly $3-billion increase from the $21.5 billion unfunded liability for 2014...
Former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell is a rabid Eagles fan. I mean rabid! As in he even does a bit of pro-Eagles punditry for Comcast SportsNet in Philadelphia. But it hasn’t been a great year for the Iggles so far, which means the mercurial Rendell...
Saying that “When you attack immigration, you attack the founding premise of our nation,” NEW YORK Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) decried growing anti-immigrant sentiment that has become a focal point of GOP presidential aspirant Donald Trump’s...
NM Local Governments Spend Millions Lobbying State Cities, counties, colleges and other public entities in NEW MEXICO spent nearly $7.2 million in 2014 and 2015 lobbying the state and federal government. About two-thirds of that sum, or around $4.8...
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R) said last week that he is close to ending the “pause” he enacted on Syrian refugees being relocated in the Wolverine State. In a radio interview with Michigan Public Radio, Snyder said, “The federal government...
Representatives of 195 nations sign a legally binding accord in Paris that for the first time requires nearly every country to commit to lowering greenhouse gas emissions to help mitigate the most drastic effects of global climate change. Under the agreement...
Brown Seeks OR Education Innovation OREGON Gov. Kate Brown (D) announced the creation of an education innovation officer position on her staff. The position, which will not be an executive appointment, will be tasked with helping Brown better assess...
Health & Science in MD The MARYLAND Department of Health and Mental Hygiene issues an order authorizing pharmacists to dispense the anti-overdose drug naloxone to thousands of individuals who have been trained and certified through the state’s...
Social Policy in OH A federal judge temporarily blocks OHIO Attorney General Mike DeWine (R) from going to court to change how Planned Parenthood disposes of fetal remains following abortion procedures. U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus Jr. issued...
A FLORIDA court rules that a Sunshine State law mandating that dogs which cause severe injury to a person be euthanized is unconstitutional. Judge Andrew Owens rules the statute to be “arbitrary and unduly oppressive” (BRADENTON HERALD). ...
After a busy fourth quarter, you are probably more than ready to turn off when you leave the office. So, how will you get your news when you’re not operating in work mode over the holidays? According to Pew Research , if you’re a Millennial...
Since the FIFA corruption scandal broke in May, prosecutors have charged 41 individuals or entities with violations of global anti-bribery and corruption laws. At the time, court documents suggested that as-yet unnamed media companies and advertisers...
Every state has at least a few laws on the books that might have seemed like a good idea at some time but now make no sense at all. Not surprisingly, according to the website Thrillist.com, many deal with alcohol. For instance, don’t be getting...