Those of us of a certain age well remember Boston Red Sox pitcher Bill Lee, a stereotypical southpaw from the 1970s with enough of the goof in him to earn the nickname “Spaceman.” But while Lee, now 70, is still active on the mound as a pitcher...
LA Approves HB 266 The LOUISIANA Senate approves HB 266 , so-called “ban the box” legislation that would ban government agencies from asking job applicants about their criminal history until they have been granted an interview for an open...
In a stark reversal of policy from his predecessor, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R) announced last Thursday that State Police will now routinely check with the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency about the status of suspects...
California looks to be headed for another busy and expensive campaign season. More initiatives have already qualified for the state’s November ballot than in the last two decades. “We’re expecting at least 15, maybe as high as...
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 –...
Alaska lawmakers reached a budget agreement in special session last week just in time to prevent layoff notices from being sent out to state employees. The $4.26 billion deal would close a projected $3.2 billion budget hole using funds from an $8 billion...
Thirty-eight states have considered legislation this year aimed at either protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals from discrimination or denying such protection, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. The majority of the...
Crime & Punishment in CT The CONNECTICUT Supreme Court upholds its own earlier ruling that it would be unconstitutional to execute inmates on the state’s death row given the state abolished the death penalty in 2012. The court’s decision...
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan’s (R) recent veto of a half dozen bills, most of which he deemed unwarranted, “sophomoric,” or “legislative ‘logrolling,’” has likely set up a contentious override session next spring...
Most Montana lawmakers disapprove of the term limits law approved by voters in 1992, arguing it has drained the Legislature of institutional knowledge and shifted power to the governor, lobbyists and bureaucrats. Secretary of State Linda McCulloch, likewise...
Some people might have presumed the Supreme Court’s 2015 ruling legalizing same-sex marriage would have settled or at least diminished the nation’s long culture war over civil rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. It did...
In addition to approving a state budget last week, the Alaska House also passed HB 374 , calling for $55 million in subsidization for some health insurance plans in the state. The action came after Lori Wing-Heier, the director of the Alaska Division...
CA Rejects SB 1457 The CALIFORNIA Senate rejects SB 1457 , which would have allowed Golden State students to take unlimited time off from school and still obtain two elective credits for private religious or moral training (SACRAMENTO BEE). VA Gov...
IL Gov. Rauner, Lawmakers Expand Medical Pot ILLINOIS Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) and legislative leaders agreed to a compromise to extend and expand the Prairie State’s pilot medical marijuana program. Under the agreement, the program will continue...
Last year, Millward Brown , a global brand strategy and advertising organization, predicted a “mind shift in focus from ‘big’ data to streamlined ‘intelligent’ data.” Of course, that’s easier said than done, especially...
With cigarette smoking rates in the U.S. dropping, and cigarette tax revenues dropping along with them - from $17.1 billion in 2011 to $16.3 billion in 2014 - states have begun turning to cigarettes’ unlit and mostly unregulated counterparts, e...
No Smoking on NJ & CA Beaches The NEW JERSEY Assembly and Senate endorse AB 893 , which would ban smoking at all Garden State public parks and beaches. It is now with Gov. Chris Christie (R), who vetoed similar legislation in 2014 (NJ.COM). The...
Virginia’s Republican legislative leaders have filed suit to block Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s executive order in April restoring voting rights and the ability to seek public office to more than 200,000 felons who have completed their...
And on the subject of less than honest politicos, we give you U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah. As the Washington Post reports , the Deseret News of Salt Lake City published an op-ed from Hatch last week in which the longtime senator recounted his meeting...
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) signed a bill into law last month legalizing games “involving wagering” in residents’ homes as long as those games aren’t held more than once a week, aren’t advertised and don’t involve...
GOP Lawmakers Want Special Session on Campaign Finance in MT Ten Republican MONTANA lawmakers have taken the rare step of calling for a special session to address what they say are “defects” in state campaign finance law and close a “loophole”...
As far as Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan was concerned, it was well past time to do a little gubernatorial housecleaning. So as the Baltimore Business Journal reports , Hogan wiped away 72 previous executive orders, some dating back to 1970 and the administration...
OH Approves HB 523 The OHIO House and Senate approve HB 523 , which would make the Buckeye State the 25 th to legalize marijuana use for medicinal purposes. It is now with Gov. John Kasich (R) for consideration (CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER). Health In...
California Senator Bob Hertzberg was understandably happy last week when his colleagues unanimously endorsed his legislation to criminalize someone installing ransomware, which takes over a person’s computer until the owner pays off a hefty ransom...
AK Gov Signs Highway Funding Bill ARKANSAS Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) signed a bill that will tap the state’s budget surplus, investment returns and other funds to provide nearly $50 million for highway projects in the coming fiscal year (ARKANSAS...