CA Budget Surplus Could Grow to $26B by 2021 A report from CALIFORNIA’s nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office indicates the state’s cash reserves could reach a record $26 billion by 2021. Over a quarter of that sum would be unrestricted...
Speaking of the late Mike Royko, it’s no secret that part of his indifference toward Jerry Brown was his even more pronounced disdain for California and what he saw as its goofy politics. Royko was nothing if not a grouch, the living embodiment...
By now we all know that former California Gov. Jerry Brown received his famous (or infamous if you ask Brown) nickname “Governor Moonbeam” from the equally notable – and equally curmudgeonly – Chicago newspaper columnist Mike Royko...
California Governor Vetoes SB 127 CALIFORNIA Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) vetoes SB 127 , which would have required state transportation agencies to create safer and better sidewalks, bike lanes and cross walks on state highways that run through communities...
If you wonder how important football is in certain parts of the country, I submit the recent razor thin re-election of Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards. Some folks credit that win to a general sense of good feeling in the Pelican State over the ascension...
Massachusetts House and Senate Approve SB 2412 The MASSACHUSETTS House and Senate approve SB 2412 , a bill that would reformulate how Bay State school districts receive state money by directing more to those serving students living in poverty or with...
MASSACHUSETTS Senate Approves SB 2410 The MASSACHUSETTS Senate approves SB 2410 , a bill that would prohibit the distribution of single-use plastic bags and require customers to pay a fee of at least 10 cents for recyclable or reusable bags. The ban...
Raimondo Will Seek Legal RI Pot in 2020 Calling it “the next logical step” after legalizing medical use, RHODE ISLAND Gov. Gina Raimondo (D) said she will make another attempt to legalize adult recreational marijuana use in the Ocean State...
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) issued an executive order last week to more than double the Garden State’s goal for offshore wind power production. Under Executive Order No. 92 , the state will seek to produce 7,500 megawatts of wind power by 2035...
It’s not news that our political and social discourse has taken a turn toward the crude, rude and – in years past anyway – socially unacceptable. It’s easy to blame he who shall not be named, but he’s hardly the only one...
Baltimore City Council Approves New Regulation The BALTIMORE City Council approves a new regulation that bans retailers from offering plastic bags to customers at checkout. The new law allows retailers to use small plastic bags to wrap deli products...
California Governor Imposes A Moratorium CALIFORNIA Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) imposes a moratorium on new hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and steam-injected oil drilling in the Golden State until the permits for those projects can be reviewed by an independent...
Massachusetts House and Senate Approve HB 4203 The MASSACHUSETTS House and Senate overwhelmingly approve HB 4203 , which would ban Bay State drivers from talking on a handheld device while behind the wheel. It moves to Gov. Charlie Baker (R), who is...
‘OPPORTUNITY ZONE’ PROGRAM NOT HAVING DESIRED EFFECT IN PA A program included in the 2017 federal tax overhaul, granting a tax break for investing in economically distressed areas designated as “opportunity zones,” was supposed...
Judge Upholds Baker’s MA Vaping Ban A Suffolk Superior Court judge rejected a plea from vape retailers to overturn upheld MASSACHUSETTS Gov. Charlie Baker’s (R) emergency ban on vaping. The ruling came hours after health officials announced...
The Wisconsin Supreme Court heard oral arguments last month in a case stemming from laws Republicans passed after losing control of the state’s government in last November’s election but before Democrats took office in January. Those laws...
Pennsylvania’s General Assembly approved legislation last week that will bring the biggest changes to the state’s election laws in decades. The election reform bill, negotiated by Gov. Tom Wolf (D) and leaders of the Republican-controlled...
CA City LA Temporarily Suspends The City of LOS ANGELES temporarily suspends rideshare company Uber’s permit to rent electric scooters and bicycles on city streets and sidewalks. The suspension comes over a dispute between the city and Uber over...
Many states found 2013 to be a year of living dangerously as they struggled with increased pension debts of their own making and unresolved issues dumped in their laps by the federal government. In case you missed it, the story can be found on our...
Memo to anyone and everyone that is not African-American: using the N-word is strictly forbidden at all times and in any context. Just don’t do it. And yes, we’re looking right at you, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who, as the New York Daily...
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) inked his name to five bills to further amend the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) before the law takes effect next January. Although lawmakers weighed numerous proposals to dramatically change the CCPA this...
NY TAKES AIM AT TRUMP’S PARDON POWERS NEW YORK Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) signed legislation amending the state’s double jeopardy laws to allow state and local prosecutors to pursue cases involving individuals pardoned by the president. The...
Colorado has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear a case concerning whether those selected to cast Electoral College votes must vote in accordance with the state’s electorate. The case stems from 2016, when three Democratic Party electors...
Oregon Liquor Control Commission Imposes Six-Month Moratorium The OREGON Liquor Control Commission imposes a six-month moratorium on the sale of flavored nicotine and cannabis vaping products. The ban comes in the wake of a national outbreak of vaping...
California Governor Signs AB 342 CALIFORNIA Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signs AB 342 , which prohibits new pipelines and other infrastructure on state lands that would support new oil and gas production (LEXISNEXIS STATE NET). California Governor Signs...