At least 11 states have considered measures this session mimicking Hawaii’s newly implemented law that raises the minimum age for purchasing tobacco products to 21, according to LexisNexis State Net ’s legislative database. California’s...
Last month Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback (R) proposed three options for closing his state’s projected $290 million budget hole: borrow against expected future proceeds from the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement, delay making a $100 million payment...
Nearly 90 percent of the income tax revenue California collected in 2013 came from the top one-fifth of earners, those making $91,000 or more. And 45 percent of the state’s income tax revenue came from the top 1 percent of earners, those with an...
Since 2000, 20 states have raised their cigarette taxes, with Louisiana becoming the latest to do so on April 1. And over a dozen states have expanded gambling since the Great Recession. But as states have become more reliant on so-called “sin taxes”...
Internet Tax Bill Advances in OK The OKLAHOMA Senate passed an amended version of HB 2531 last month that will require out-of-state companies to provide Oklahoma customers a statement at the end of the year indicating the amount of their purchases...
The World Bank’s commitment to debarment against companies involved in World Bank-funded projects who commit financial crime remains strong, according to latest figures . When firms or individuals are found to have engaged in fraudulent, corrupt...
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’...
A federal judge has upheld a North Carolina voter ID law passed after the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2013 ruling in Shelby County v. Holder allowing states like North Carolina with a history of discrimination to make changes to their voting laws without...
The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously voted last month to uphold the legislative district map drawn by an independent commission in Arizona in 2012. Republicans had challenged that map, alleging it placed more voters in GOP districts than in Democratic ones...
ME Gov Vetoes Clean Election Fix MAINE Gov. Paul LePage (R) vetoed a bill approved by the Legislature last month that would have pumped $500,000 into the state’s Clean Election Fund, enough to support the clean election candidates already running...
Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin (R) signed a quartet of bills last week aimed at reducing the Sooner State’s burgeoning prison population. Oklahoma leads the nation in incarceration rate for women and is second nationally for men. The measures,...
AL Lawmakers Set Up Impeachment Process ALABAMA lawmakers set up the process by which the House will attempt to impeach Gov. Robert Bentley (R). House lawmakers overwhelmingly approved a resolution that requires at least 21 signatures by House members...
LA Approves HB 266 The LOUISIANA House approves, HB 266 so-called “ban the box” legislation that bars government job applications from requiring job seekers to disclose a felony conviction. Employers could still require that information...
CA Fails SB 966 A sufficient majority of the CALIFORNIA Senate fails to endorse SB 966 , which would have repealed mandatory sentencing enhancements for someone convicted of the sale, possession for sale, distribution or transportation of drugs such...
CA Approves AB 1594 The CALIFORNIA Assembly approves AB 1594 , which would bar the use of standard and electronic cigarettes on California State University and community college campuses. It moves to the Senate (SACRAMENTO BEE). MD Gov Signs SB...
WI Gov Signs SB 459 WISCONSIN Gov. Scott Walker (R) signs SB 459 , a bill that designates privately-held riverfront lands as specialized wetlands, allowing property owners to conduct more building activity in those areas. The law also requires disputes...
CT Approves HB 5053 The CONNECTICUT House approves HB 5053 , which would limit most initial prescriptions for opioids to a seven-day supply and require first-responders to carry the anti-overdose drug naloxone. The bill, which would also require the...
WI Gov Signs SB 533 WISCONSIN Gov. Scott Walker (R) signs SB 533 , which bars local governments from issuing their own photo IDs to the homeless, unauthorized immigrants or others struggling to obtain other forms of identification (WISCONSIN PUBLIC...
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...
LA Approves HB 539 The LOUISIANA House unanimously approves HB 539 , which would allow coroners to donate tissue or biological samples from abandoned or unclaimed bodies to people who train dogs for search and rescue missions. It moves to the Senate...
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards makes no bones about being a country boy at heart. Which is why it should come as no surprise that he recently installed a chicken coop on the front lawn of the Governor’s Mansion. As Edwards told WWTV in New Orleans...
With many male-dominated legislatures passing strict abortion restriction measures, one South Carolina lawmaker has decided it’s time the men see how it feels. As the Hilton Head Island Packet reports , Rep. Mia McLeod introduced legislation last...
Prince’s shocking and untimely death shook the entire world last month, spurring a tsunami of tributes and condolences from musicians, athletes, fans and even President Obama . A wealth of state and national lawmakers also weighed in, though none...
And from the sublime to the ridiculous, there’s this. As the Associated Press reports , Missouri Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal led a filibuster of a tax bill she opposed last week by reading for almost an hour from a self-help book co-written by rapper...
Guest-written by Mariangela Ferrara Recently, the Canadian Marketing Association held an event focused on how to use data to engage and persuade “both internal audiences and the marketplace.” It’s an ongoing juggling act for marketers...