If you think Donald Trump is the only fact-challenged political animal out there, think again. Case in point comes from the California Senate, where PolitiFact reports Sen. Richard Pan recently said during a committee hearing that the state Capitol –...
It wasn’t what he had wanted, but Utah lawmakers finally gave Gov. Gary Herbert (R) a form of the Medicaid expansion he has fought for over the last several years. The legislation, HB 437, would extend coverage to 16,000 Utahans currently without...
For the last two years, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) has watched proposed gas-tax increases tank in the state Legislature, leaving transportation projects languishing on the drawing board. But last week he pitched an alternative approach to help the...
WISCONSIN Gov. Scott Walker (R) signs SB 15, which bars the manufacture of personal care products containing small, non-biodegradable plastic particles known as microbeads. The law takes effect on December 31, 2017 (FOX6NOW.COM [GREEN BAY]).
The U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear a challenge to an ILLINOIS city’s ban on semiautomatic, high-capacity assault weapons. The city, Highland Park, is a suburb of Chicago. Seven states — MARYLAND, CALIFORNIA, CONNECTICUT, HAWAII, MASSACHUSETTS...
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...
In a 2-1 decision, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit invalidated three congressional districts drawn by Texas’ GOP-led Legislature in 2011 on the grounds that the Republican lawmakers intentionally curbed the influence...
For the last several years, New Jersey casino revenue has been declining by an average of 7.6 percent a year. But through April of this year, total casino gambling revenue was up 1.7 percent over the same period last year. The reason for the change of...
NC legislators call for session limits Three Democratic NORTH CAROLINA lawmakers, Rep. Charles Graham, Rep. Garland Pierce, and Sen. Jane Smith, are urging session limits, saying there’s no need for the state’s legislative sessions to run...
Severance tax exemption cost LA over $1B LOUISIANA’s severance tax exemption on horizontal oil and gas drilling cost the state over $1.1 billion in revenue between fiscal years 2010 and 2014, according to a report by the state’s legislative...
Taxes generally don’t have many fans. But a sales levy in Utah seems to be catching on. Known by a host of acronyms, including RAP (Recreational, Arts and Parks), ZAP (Zoo, Arts and Parks), and PARAT (Parks, Art, Recreation, Aquatics and Trails...
Speed and red-light cameras have generated millions of dollars for municipalities across the country. But a backlash against the cameras by motorists has led many of those municipalities and some states to abandon their use, leaving them with big budget...
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...
Rejoice, Minnesotans are one step closer to a whole new wave of serious burn injuries and unplanned fires. Whaaaaa? Yes, as Minnesota Public Radio reports , the Gopher State House passed legislation last week to legalize firecrackers, bottle rockets and...
Tax Collections From Wealthy Down in CT Estimated quarterly tax payments in January were down 9 percent from last year in CONNECTICUT , with 90 percent of that decline due to lower collections from the state’s wealthiest taxpayers, according...
California’s efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions will undoubtedly continue for the foreseeable future. But whether the Golden State’s cap-and-trade program survives past 2020 is far more in question. Last Monday, Brown quietly proposed...
Despite plunging oil prices in recent months, the state of Texas will likely have an extra $9 billion to $12 billion to spend this year. Local governments in the state, on the other hand, are deep in debt. According to the Texas Bond Review Board...
ND LAWMAKERS ROLL BACK SPENDING NORTH DAKOTA’s Republican-led Legislative Assembly passed a budget for the 2017-19 biennium last month that reduces general fund spending to 2011-13 budget levels. The $4.3 billion in general fund spending included...
Last week states received official word from the Obama administration that without Congressional action, federal transportation funding will expire on May 31. “Unless Congress acts prior to this date, the Federal Highway Administration will...
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 last month that states can prohibit judicial candidates from personally soliciting campaign donations. The decision (in Williams-Yulee v. Florida Bar) , upholding a Florida law similar to those in 29 other states, rejected...
Feuding between centrist Republicans and Tea Party and Libertarian activists in Virginia could cost the GOP the crucial swing state and possibly the White House in 2016, some prominent members of the party fear. A principal source of the conflict is the...
The initial feedback from a four-month pilot program by the Colorado Department of Transportation exploring the prospect of charging drivers by-the-mile instead of by-the-gallon to provide funding for transportation was mostly positive. Over 90 percent...
In January, nearly every Oklahoma taxpayer earning more than $9,000 a year will receive a break on their state income taxes, thanks to a tax cut “trigger” the state instituted two years ago. Unfortunately, due largely to plummeting oil prices...
More than 230,000 Oregonians have automatically registered to vote since their state became the first to adopt an automatic voter registration system last year. The automatic registration of those who visited a Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) office...
On virtually straight party-line votes West Virginia’s Republican-led House and Senate passed a 2016-17 state budget during a special session this month that closes a $270 million hole primarily with $183 million in Rainy Day funds and $62 million...