A decade ago, the U.N. General Assembly designated December 9 as International Anti-Corruption Day to bring awareness to a growing blight on social and economic development. In the years since, anti-bribery and corruption enforcement actions have also...
More than a few tweets, memes and pins have compared Black Friday to the Hunger Games, which is both funny and a little frightening, but let's dig in a bit deeper. Since we previously analyzed media coverage of Prime Day —Amazon’s mid...
The longstanding football rivalry between Ohio State and Michigan took on a new wrinkle this year. Or is that a pleat? As reported by Sports Illustrated , Ohio Gov. John Kasich issued a resolution last week before the big game that included not only his...
Business in TX The United State Supreme Court refuses to hear a challenge to a TEXAS law that requires veterinarians to examine an animal before offering advice or suggesting treatment. The law bars vets from giving advice online without first seeing...
Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley (R) opted to settle a lawsuit brought forth by Planned Parenthood Southeast rather than appeal a federal judge’s order to reinstate a contract with the organization. Bentley also agreed that the state will pay over $51...
Legislative terms in Florida are currently limited to a maximum of eight years. But a pair of lawmakers in the state - Sen. Rene Garcia (R) and Rep. Mark Pafford (D) - are looking to change that. They’ve proposed legislation to expand the state’s...
For the first time in a decade congressional leaders have agreed on a federal highway bill that provides funding for more than two years. If approved by the full House and Senate and signed by President Obama, the approximately $300 billion, 5-year plan...
Between 2007 and 2012, the number of annual suicide deaths rose by more than 30 percent in eight states, according to analysis of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by Governing . The largest increase, 69.3 percent, was in Wyoming...
Every December the SNCJ staff breaks out our crystal ball to foresee what issues might dominate legislative agendas in the coming year. Over the next two weeks Associate Editor Korey Clark and I will share thumbnails of what we think some of those issues...
Like so many cities and towns, the Connecticut burg of Norwalk was ready for its annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony this year. But when officials went to give the lights a test drive, several strands didn’t work. Was this yet another example...
MASSACHUSETTS Gov. Charlie Baker (R) signs HB 3798, which imposes a 20-year jail sentence for someone convicted of trafficking more than 10 grams of the drug fentanyl, an opioid known to be many times stronger than heroin (MASSLIVE.COM).
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam (R) unveiled a major overhaul of the Volunteer State’s higher education system last week, a plan that includes creating individual governing boards for the state’s six major universities. Those schools are currently...
As is the case in most states, voter turnout in Utah has plummeted in recent years. Only 28.8 percent of the state’s eligible voters participated in the 2014 general election. But a report released by the Utah Foundation this month said that...
Five years ago, the G20 Leaders created the Anti-Corruption Working Group (ACWG) to address the negative impact of corruption on economic development and trade. Yet, the latest Transparency International report suggests that the leaders of the world’s...
A few years ago, California was facing a $26 billion budget deficit. But a report from the Legislative Analyst’s Office last month said the state would end next fiscal year with an $11.5 billion surplus. And the report also projected surpluses for...
At LexisNexis, we are always looking for ways to enhance our market research tools to help you get your work done more efficiently. Here’s the scoop on the latest changes designed to do just that. This weekend, you’ll see several updates...
Speaking of small burgs, the little town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania recently marked the 152nd anniversary of the momentous battle there in 1863 that turned the tide of the Civil War in favor of the Union. Shortly thereafter, as ABC News reports, a bust...
Education in MA The University of MASSACHUSETTS Foundation, which manages charitable giving for the five-university UMASS system, announces it will divest itself of direct investments of its $770 million endowment in coal companies. The Foundation...
With a budget surplus of as much as $1 billion expected in Minnesota, consensus is building there for tax cuts in 2016. The state ranked 9th highest in the nation in tax collections in 2013, its highest position since 2000 when it ranked 8th, before...
The MAINE Department of Health and Human Services announces it will seek a federal waiver that allows it to ban food stamp recipients from using their benefits to purchase candy and soda. Pine Tree State lawmakers considered and rejected legislation to...
Pennsylvania lawmakers are expected to make a final push this weekend to hammer out the details of a budget that would increase spending by 6 percent, expand the sales tax base, reform public pensions, increase the availability of wine and liquor, and...
The HAWAII Dept. of Agriculture approves new rules that would define what constitutes a dangerous wild animal and bar the import of such animals “for exhibition or performance in public entertainment shows such as circuses, carnivals and state fairs...
LGBT Protection in LA LOUISIANA Gov.-elect John Bel Edwards (D) said he will issue an executive order to protect gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender state employees and government contractors from discrimination. His planned directive would protect...
Lobbying disclosure limited in AZ Over 86 percent of the roughly $333,000 spent lobbying ARIZONA lawmakers in the first half of 2015 failed to identify who the money went to, continuing a trend dating back years. Loopholes in the state’s disclosure...
IPERS still facing big shortfall Despite improving performance due to stock market gains and recent policy changes, IOWA ’s Public Employee Retirement System is still underfunded by $5.45 billion (DES MOINES REGISTER). WV lottery revenue...