Perhaps seeking to avoid the raucous protests and rowdy crowds that dogged vaccination bill SB 277 throughout the legislative process, California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signed the controversial measure that makes California the third state in the nation...
In the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris on Nov. 13 that claimed 129 lives and left hundreds more critically injured, a majority of America’s governors now vigorously oppose allowing refugees escaping Syria’s civil war to relocate in...
MI Signs SB 103 MICHIGAN Gov. Rick Snyder (R) signs SB 103, which requires school districts to set in place performance evaluation systems for all teachers and administrators that take into account student growth and assessment data (MICHIGAN GOVERNOR’S...
The nation’s economy is in its sixth consecutive year of recovery from the Great Recession. But many states are still dealing with major budget problems. Kansas is facing a $400 million budget gap, Louisiana is grappling with a $1.6 billion shortfall...
Environment In California The CALIFORNIA Supreme Court rules that publicly-owned railroads are not exempt from adhering to the California Environmental Quality Act, which requires officials to consider a project’s environmental impact before...
The OKLAHOMA Supreme Court rejects an appeal by state officials to reconsider its June 30 ruling that calls for the removal of a monument to the Ten Commandments from Capitol grounds. The court said the presence of the monument violates a section of the...
Utah Governor Gary Herbert’s (R) proposed private-option Medicaid expansion (SB 164) got a major boost last week when the Republican-controlled Beehive State Senate gave the plan its endorsement. The two-year pilot program, dubbed “Healthy...
Baker Starts MA Justice Selection Process MASSACHUSETTS Gov. Charlie Baker (R) announced last Tuesday that the 12-member state Supreme Judicial Court Nominating Commission will start screening applicants to replace soon-retiring Justices Margot Botsford...
And then there is this: the campaign video from Texas County Commissioner Gerald Daugherty. In an election season most people will desperately be trying to forget, this is one you will want to remember and maybe even share with your friends...who actually...
Colorado Signs HB 1035 COLORADO Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) signs HB 1035 , which allows sexual assault and stalking victims to break a residential lease to better elude their tormentors (DENVER POST).
AK Lawmakers Vote To End Oil Subsidies ALASKA’s Senate has approved a House proposal eliminating cash subsidies for oil companies. But there’s still a wide gap between the two chambers over what to do about subsidies owed but not yet paid...
Primary elections were held in three states on Aug. 28. And a few of the results suggest that the energy of the Democratic and Republican parties is moving to the left and the right, respectively. In Florida’s gubernatorial primaries, Democrats...
The older a state is, the more likely it is to have fiscal problems. That’s one of the findings of an analysis of state fiscal health by William Bergman, director of research for Truth in Accounting, a nonprofit that advocates for transparency in...
Health & Science In The US The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9 th Circuit rules that the U.S. Department of Justice cannot prosecute those who grow, supply or use marijuana for medical purposes in states that have legalized such use. The court...
Auto Voter Registration Comes to VT VERMONT Gov. Peter Shumlin (D) signed legislation that will automatically register eligible residents to vote when they apply for a driver’s license. The law, which will take effect in 2017, makes Vermont the...
There’s a good chance term-limited Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) will make a run for the White House in 2016. And last year he signed a law to move the date of the state’s presidential primaries up two weeks to draw more national attention...
Environment In CA CALIFORNIA Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signs a suite of bills that collectively “strengthen penalties for repeat violations of hazardous waste laws and assist the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) with the recovery...
LA Signs Common Core Bills LOUISIANA Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) signs a trio of bills related to common Core: HB 373, which requires public hearings to discuss Common Core standards in the state’s six congressional districts; SB 43, which adds legislative...
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...
After decades of unabashed and yet unrequited love, Chris Christie is finally moving on. Yes, as NJ.com reports, Christie has finally conceded that his longtime fanboy crush on Jersey rocker Bruce Springsteen is never going to be reciprocated, and so...
Last September the Washington Supreme Court held the state’s Legislature in contempt for failing to obey the court’s order in 2012 ( McCleary v. Washington ) to adequately fund K-12 education. Last week the court handed down the punishment...
The COLORADO House approves HB 1259, which would overturn the Centennial State’s ban on backyard rain barrels. The bill, which would allow residents to collect up to 110 gallons of rainwater, moves to the Senate (DENVERCBSLOCAL.COM).
Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) issued an executive order last month that will allow more than 200,000 convicted felons to run for public office and to vote in the swing state in the November presidential election. The governor said restoring felons’...
According to Alaska Sen. President Kevin Meyer (R), he and his fellow lawmakers know “we need to do something and we need to do something major” about the state budget. The global collapse of oil prices has left the state with a multibillion...
SCOTUS Upholds Firearm Law The U.S. Supreme Court upholds a federal law barring those convicted of domestic abuse from possessing firearms. The ruling allows similar laws in 34 states and the District of Columbia to remain in place (NPR.ORG). HI...