After decades of losing sales tax revenue to online and catalog retailers located outside their borders and years of trying to get Congress to do something about it, states may finally get federal action on the issue - from the U.S. Supreme Court. ...
Alaska’s economic dependence on the oil industry enabled it to fare better than most states during the recession. But with both global oil prices and in-state production way down, the state’s reliance on oil taxes and royalties for about 90...
The ALABAMA House rejects HB 85, legislation that would have required animal shelters to collect monthly reports on the number of animals they euthanize (LEXISNEXIS STATE NET, ANNISTON STAR). -- Compiled by RICH EHISEN
California Gov. Jerry Brown issued an executive order last week imposing statewide water use restrictions (See Governors in this issue). In talking about the steps Californians need to take to manage the historic ongoing drought, Brown tossed out a few...
The WYOMING House approves HB 114, a bill that would allow people with concealed carry weapons permits to bring guns onto public school campuses and into state and local government meetings. It moves to the Senate (REUTERS). * NEW JERSEY Gov. Chris Christie...
Battling a multi-million dollar campaign from oil companies and strong resistance from a large number of fellow Democrats, California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) dropped an effort to pass legislation aimed at cutting automotive petroleum use in the Golden State...
TEXAS Gov. Greg Abbot (R) signs SB 374, which requires state agencies, colleges and universities to use the federal electronic employment verification system known as E-Verify when screening job applicants. The bill codifies into law an executive order...
When it comes to the issue of transportation, California Gov. Jerry Brown’s (D) main focus - beginning with his first pass through the governor’s office a generation ago - has been the often-tough sell of a bullet train connecting Los Angeles...
CA Signs AB 1085 CALIFORNIA Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signs AB 1085, which creates legal recourse for adult children who are denied access to a parent by their parent’s current spouse or another family member. Under the law, Golden State judges will...
Earlier this month the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that the congressional district map drawn by the state’s Republican-controlled General Assembly in 2011 was gerrymandered to the point of “clearly, plainly and palpably” violating...
NY NEEDS $27B FOR BRIDGE REPAIRS NEW YORK state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli (D) said the state needs $27 billion to repair hundreds of locally owned bridges in the state. Nearly 13 percent of the roughly 8,500 bridges owned by local governments are...
Health In DC A federal court issues a ruling ending court supervision over the District of Columbia’s care for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Ellen S. Huvelle concludes a 40-year class...
With all the attention being paid to disease outbreaks, it’s hard to imagine anyone being against at least some basic hygiene. But then there is U.S. Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina. As Talking Points Memo reports, Tillis recently related...
Social Policy In Oklahoma An OKLAHOMA court strikes down a Sooner State law that required doctors prescribing abortion-inducing medications to follow a protocol established in 2000 rather than updated protocols offered by drug makers. District Judge...
A number of voting-rights measures are bound for states’ ballots this year. In Florida, for example, voters will weigh whether ex-felons should be allowed to vote. In Maryland, voters will decide whether people should be allowed to register to vote...
INSLEE ISSUES WA HEP C DIRECTIVE : WASHINGTON Gov. Jay Inslee (D) issued a directive that orders state agencies, tribal governments and other local public-health officials to coordinate a strategy to eradicate the hepatitis C virus (HCV) by 2030. State...
CA Court Rules A CALIFORNIA court rules that a BAKERSFIELD baker was within her rights to refuse to make a cake for a same-sex wedding ceremony. Superior Court Judge David R. Lampe called wedding cakes “artistic expression,” making it exempt...
A federal judge greatly increases the number of drivers who may join a class action lawsuit against the CALIFORNIA -based ridesharing company Uber. U.S. District Court Judge Edward Chen’s ruling allows drivers who previously agreed to use arbitration...
Hogan Expands Lead Testing MARYLAND Gov. Larry Hogan (R) announced the Old Line State will now test 1- and 2-year-olds statewide for lead poisoning. The testing previously was performed only on children living in “at risk” ZIP codes or...
NEW JERSEY Gov. Chris Christie (R) announces that the Garden State will furnish 1,000 State Police officers with body cameras. The governor also unveiled new guidelines that require county prosecutors’ offices to disclose the findings of a use-of...
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie hasn’t had the best last few years. Once considered a favorite for the GOP presidential nomination, Bridgegate, poor home approval ratings and an epic beatdown by and subsequent capitulation to presumptive nominee...
California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) wasted no time last week rejecting a plea from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to declare a state of emergency over the Golden State’s rapidly growing homelessness problem. The Board voted unanimously...
BROWN REACHES DEAL ON CA NATIONAL GUARD USE...OR DOES HE? After a week of jousting with the Trump administration, it is still unclear if CALIFORNIA Gov. Jerry Brown (D) will order the deployment of the California National Guard to the state’s...
Four states – Connecticut, Minnesota, Vermont, and Wisconsin – held primary elections on Aug. 14. In the Democratic primaries, one of the major Election Day themes was diversity. In Connecticut, Democrats nominated Jahana Hayes, a teacher...
Raw milk enthusiasts in several states have been pushing for years to legalize the unpasteurized cow juice for sale to humans. Well, they got their wish recently in West Virginia, where Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin signed just such a bill into law. To celebrate...