After over a year of negotiation, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) and legislative leaders announced an agreement to legalize recreational marijuana use in the Garden State. The deal would establish a flat tax rate of $42 per ounce, which would stay...
EVERS SEEKS ROLLBACK OF WALKER-ERA WI WORK LAWS The budget proposed by WISCONSIN Gov. Tony Evers (D) would roll back several employment laws implemented under former Gov. Scott Walker (R), including a repeal of the state’s so-called “right...
WA House Approves HB 1706 The WASHINGTON House approves HB 1706 , which would require Evergreen State employers to pay disabled workers the same $12 per hour minimum wage they pay other workers. The measure moves to the Senate (ASSOCIATED PRESS). ...
OR Senate Approves SB 664 The OREGON Senate approves SB 664 , a measure requiring schools to teach students about the Holocaust and other acts of genocide. It moves to the House (ASSOCIATED PRESS, LEXISNEXIS STATE NET).
NM Legislature Gives Final Approval to SB 489 The NEW MEXICO Legislature gives final approval to SB 489 , which would require all electricity from publicly regulated utilities to be obtained from renewable and carbon-free resources by 2045. It goes...
NM House Endorses SB 76 The NEW MEXICO House endorses SB 76 , which would bar coyote-killing contests in the Land of Enchantment. It goes to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishman (D) for consideration (NEW MEXICO POLITICAL REPORT).
FL House and Senate Approves SB 182 The FLORIDA House and Senate approve SB 182 , which would allow patients to smoke medical marijuana. It moves to Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who pushed the measure and is expected to sign it right away (MIAMI HERALD)...
HI House Declines SB 557 The HAWAII House declines to take up SB 557 , a Senate-passed bill that would have made the Aloha State the third to become a so-called “sanctuary state,” which gives local law enforcement agencies the option to...
IA Supreme Court Upholds The IOWA Supreme Court upholds a lower court’s ruling that the Hawkeye State cannot deny Medicaid coverage for sex reassignment surgery. The court ruled that doing so would violate the state’s 2007 Civil Rights...
ID House Approves HB 217 The IDAHO House approves HB 217 , a bill that would require a public vote on any public projects using urban renewal money. It moves to the Senate (IDAHO STATESMAN [BOISE]). 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Rejects Challenge...
Word is that tattoos are becoming less of a thing for the younger set these days. That’s probably a good idea given that some folks apparently think it is a good idea to get a tattoo on their eyeball. Yes, on their eyeball! Thankfully, Cornhusker...
Since men get to constantly tell women how to manage their own bodies, Georgia state Rep. Dar’shun Kendrick thinks it’s time that women get to return the favor. In an email to colleagues she titled “Testicular ‘Bill of Rights’...
All hail Lincoln, a Nubian goat now known as His Honor the Mayor of Fair Haven, Vermont. Yes, as the Associated Press reports , Lincoln outlasted over a dozen other critters seeking the office, most notably a dog named Sammie, to win the final tally 13...
Most people would not spend $18,000 to save $200. Alas, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety is clearly not burdened with such fiscal sense. As the Jackson Clarion-Ledger reports , the DPS has recently spent $17,727.50 fighting an open records...
For most communications and public relations professionals, crisis planning is a relatively standard tactic in the professional tool belt. While the timing of a crisis can’t always be predicted, PR leaders—together with management—frequently...
March 15 is World Consumer Rights Day , and this year’s theme is ‘Trust in Smart Devices.’ Innumerable devices populate the digital landscape—from wristbands that track every step taken to smartphones that instantly connect users...
If you’re a social media user, you’ve likely seen plenty of posts about what people—even those without a religious affiliation—are giving up for Lent. There are the usual suspects, of course: chocolate, alcohol, bread. But a recent...
It has been just over two years since President Donald Trump famously bemoaned the complexities of the American health care system, telling a meeting of the nation’s governors that “Nobody knew health care could be so complicated.” ...
New York pays a larger share of its total Medicaid spending than any other state, at 51.2 percent, with the federal government covering the other 48.8 percent, according to data compiled by the Kaiser Family Foundation . New York also pays the most in...
Two years ago Amazon announced plans to build a second headquarters in North America and invited cities to vie for the 50,000 jobs that facility would provide. More than 200 cities responded with incentive proposals. But companies don’t always...
The Affordable Care Act mandated that insurance companies cover mental health services at parity with medical care. But loopholes in the ACA and other federal laws have let some plans limit or exclude mental health coverage. So state and local governments...
MN GOV PROPOSES $1.3B IN BORROWING MINNESOTA Gov. Tim Walz (D) has proposed borrowing nearly $1.3 billion to provide more affordable housing, fix buildings on college campuses and repair transportation infrastructure. Although parts of the governor’s...
With Democrats having suffered presidential election losses despite winning the popular vote in 2000 and 2016, an effort to bypass the Electoral College has been picking up momentum in blue states. Eleven that have consistently voted for the Democratic...
REPUBLICAN WON’T RUN IN NC CONGRESSIONAL RACE DO-OVER Republican Mark Harris said last week he will not run in NORTH CAROLINA’s new election for the 9th Congressional District due to health concerns. The GOP candidate in that race will...
Saying a lack of affordable housing is becoming a drag on the state economy, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker filed legislation earlier this month that would relax zoning controls in Bay State cities and towns. Baker said a lack of housing is driving...