HICKENLOOPER SIGNS CO BROADBAND TAX BILLS : Seeking to bolster broadband buildout in the Centennial State, COLORADO Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) signed SB 2 , which allocates $115 million in state funds toward extending high-speed broadband service to...
VT Legislature Endorses SB 55 The VERMONT Legislature endorses SB 55 , legislation that would raise the minimum age to purchase a gun to 21, limit the capacity of gun magazines that retailers may sell, ban bump stocks – devices that allow semiautomatic...
LA House Endorses HB 78 The LOUISIANA House unanimously endorses HB 78 , which would ban hazing at Pelican State schools and universities. Individual violators would face felony charges, while schools, fraternities and other organizations could be...
IA Governor Signs SF 2349 IOWA Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) signs SF 2349 , which allows health insurers Wellmark Blue Cross & Blue Shield to partner with the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation to sell policies defined as not technically being health insurance...
HI Senate Approves HB 2739 The HAWAII Senate gives final approval to HB 2739 , a bill that would allow Aloha State doctors to help terminally ill patients to end their own lives. It is now with Gov. David Ige (D), who has said he will sign it into...
WA City Council Votes The SEATTLE City Council votes to expand the areas within the Emerald City where developers can build housing without off-street parking and permit landlords to rent their parking spaces to people who don’t live in the building...
Whether you’re a data scientist or an insurance industry analyst, data is a critical part of your life. There are more and more data sources to choose from; simultaneously, organizations are demanding more from their data. It’s not enough...
During his State of the Union speech in February, President Donald Trump declared his intention to address what he called “the injustice of high drug prices.” He repeated the promise last month in New Hampshire during a press conference on...
As of March 22, at least 27 states had introduced bills this year prohibiting pharmaceutical benefit manager (PBM) or health insurer contracts that prevent pharmacists from informing customers about alternatives to medications they’ve been prescribed...
The point of this column is to poke fun at the odd, pretentious or absurd things that happen in politics. But this week we will be straight for just a moment to honor the untimely passing of California Gov. Jerry Brown’s esteemed chief of staff...
If you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it’s yours. If not, it never was. Or so said author Richard Bach, anyway. Now it appears Utah is ready to give his words some legal muscle. As NBC affiliate KHQ-TV reports , Gov. Gary Herbert...
As a native of South Lake Tahoe, California I know firsthand that it is one of the loveliest places in the world. But as the Sacramento Bee reports , the community is feeling under siege these days from an influx of two entirely different kinds of visitors...
Well, when it comes to winning the state lottery...everything. Which is why Charlie McIntyre, executive director of the New Hampshire Lottery, thought the marketing slogan “Luck yeah!” was a real winner. Alas, as reported by the New Hampshire...
In the wake of the deadly school shootings around the nation, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) signed a $100 million school safety package last week that will allow Badger State school districts to apply for grants to pay for safety upgrades. Walker...
After years of debate, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert (R) signed legislation that could allow 70,000 low income Beehive State residents to become eligible for Medicaid. But when or even if that ever happens remains very much in doubt. The measure Herbert...
INSLEE SIGNS QUARTET OF WA #METOO BILLS : Saying “We must do better to make sure employers understand there is no place for these behaviors in the workplace,” WASHINGTON Gov. Jay Inslee (D) signed four bills last month that address sexual...
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) called for a special election on June 12 to fill vacancies in the state Legislature created when two GOP lawmakers joined his administration in December. That action only came after three separate court rulings in a single...
STATES CHALLENGE CENSUS CITIZENSHIP QUESTION: At least a dozen states have filed suit to block the Trump administration from adding a question to the 2020 Census asking about citizenship status. The Trump administration says the question is necessary...
Last month, President Trump proposed several policies to fight the opioid crisis, including making drug dealers subject to the death penalty . A few states are advocating going after the drug makers instead and imposing a somewhat milder sentence: a tax...
AZ BANS LOCAL SODA TAXES: ARIZONA Gov. Doug Ducey (R) signed HB 2484 , prohibiting local governments in the state from imposing extra taxes on sodas or other sugary beverages, as some left-leaning cities in other states, including San Francisco and...
SD Governor Signs SB 62 SOUTH DAKOTA Gov. Dennis Daugaard (R) signs SB 62 , which among several things requires businesses and other data holders to notify consumers of a breach within 45 days of being informed of the breach occurring. The law leaves...
WA Governor Signs SB 5064 WASHINGTON Gov. Jay Inslee (D) signs SB 5064 , which bars school administrators from censoring the work of student journalists. The measure goes into effect in June (SEATTLE TIMES). IDAHO Gov. Butch Otter (R) signs HB...
CO Governor Signs SB 9 COLORADO Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) signs SB 9 , which allows Centennial State residents to store energy gleaned from renewable sources like solar power without discrimination in rates or excessive barriers in connecting to the...
IA Senate Approves SF 2349 The IOWA Senate gives final approval to SF 2349 , which would allow insurance carriers to resume selling small-employer policies that don’t meet Affordable Care Act rules, such as those requiring coverage for maternity...
MS Federal Court Blocks HS 1510 A federal court temporarily blocks HB 1510 , a bill signed into law by MISSISSIPPPI Gov. Phil Bryant (R) that would bar Magnolia State doctors from performing abortions after a woman’s 15 th week of pregnancy....