Visiting the state Capitol in Lincoln used to be a regular thing for Nebraska fourth-graders. But in these days of tight budgets those trips have become few and far between, particularly for schools located in the Cornhusker State’s far reaches...
New York Approves SB 3898 The NEW YORK Senate approves SB 3898 , which would legalize online poker in the Empire State. It moves to the Assembly (NEWSDAY). Nevada Signs SB 344 NEVADA Gov. Brian Sandoval (R) signs SB 344 , which requires edible...
Nevada Gov Vetoes AB303 & AB259 Citing his belief that the bill infringed upon executive branch authority, NEVADA Gov. Brian Sandoval (R) vetoes AB 303 , which would have barred the Silver State from utilizing private prisons (LAS VEGAS SUN...
Florida Signs SB 436 FLORIDA Gov. Rick Scott (R) signs SB 436 , a measure to ensure that students are able to express their religious views in class assignments, on their clothing or jewelry or by praying during the school day (ORLANDO SENTINEL). ...
Pennsylvania Approves HB 1071 The PENNSYLVANIA Senate gives final approval to HB 1071 , legislation that would prohibit cities, towns, and counties from banning or taxing recyclable plastic bags. It moves to Gov. Tom Wolf (D) for consideration (PHILADELPHIA...
Louisiana Signs A Trio Of Bills LOUISIANA Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) signs a trio of bills aimed at addressing the Pelican State’s severe opioid crisis. Those measures include: SB 55 , which requires doctors to check the state’s prescription...
Tennessee Signs SB 1260 TENNESSEE Gov. Bill Haslam (R) signs SB 1260 , which gives Volunteer State judges the power to enhance sentences for defendants in the country illegally at the time of their crimes (MEMPHIS DAILY NEWS).
Missouri Signs HB 151 MISSOURI Gov. Eric Greitens (R) signs HB 151 , legislation that brings the Show Me State into compliance with federal Real ID laws, which require state-issued driver’s licenses to have enhanced security protections (GOVERNMENT...
Calling it a way to help recovering drug addicts return to society and the workforce, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) announced a trio of bills last week aimed at making it easier for those convicted of drug offenses to clear their criminal records...
Scott Creates First VT Ethics Commission VERMONT Gov. Phil Scott (R) signed legislation last week that will create a five-member commission to review cases of unethical behavior and potentially forward appropriate cases to the attorney general’s...
In the months leading up to last year’s presidential election, news agencies reported that Russian hackers had targeted the election systems of more than 20 states, including Arizona and Illinois. Last week, a National Security Agency intelligence...
In 2014, spurred by a series of cyberattacks, including the unauthorized access of millions of records at retail giant Target, California passed a law requiring businesses responsible for a security breach involving Social Security or driver’s license...
By June 9 of last year, 213 bills had been passed by Rhode Island’s General Assembly and sent to Gov. Gina Raimondo (D). Sixty-one of those measures were substantive “public laws,” as opposed to routine “local acts and resolves”...
Duel Over Redistricting Special Session In NC NORTH CAROLINA Gov. Roy Cooper (D) announced this month that he would call the Republican-led General Assembly into a special session to redraw the state’s political districts in light of a unanimous...
The new 1.5-cent-per-ounce tax Philadelphia began levying on sugar-sweetened beverages in January has brought in $25.6 million so far. Unfortunately, that’s far short of the $46.2 million the “soda tax” was projected to generate in the...
Last week Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D) signed into law the pension reform bill passed by the state’s Republican-controlled General Assembly a week earlier. The bill ( SB 1 ) will shift state government workers hired on or after Jan. 1, 2019 and...
This month the Ohio House voted to renew over $1 billion in business tax cuts initially approved in 2013 and expanded in 2015. The Senate is expected to vote on the tax cuts before the end of the month. Many of the state’s lawmakers have something...
IL Gov Calls Special Budget Session ILLINOIS Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) has called a special session to try to end the state’s unprecedented budget impasse that has already drug on for two years and will enter its third on July 1. The special session...
Vermont is the “greenest” state in the country, and Wyoming is the least “green,” according to analysis by the personal finance website WalletHub. WalletHub’s analysts compared all 50 states on the basis of 20 measures of...
The day after President Donald Trump announced his withdrawal from the Paris climate accords California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) formed an alliance with other U.S. states to combat global warming and flew off to Beijing to discuss the issue with Chinese leaders...
2016 ended on a high note with $23 billion in charitable donations—a one percent increase over 2015’s record-breaking year. The slow, but steady, upward momentum is a positive sign for the nonprofit industry, but there is another emerging...
Recent changes to global sanctions regimes—along with some high-profile and costly sanctions violations—illustrate the importance of mitigating sanctions risks. With increased compliance focus on companies outside of the banking and financial...
How many people are seeing your PR messages? This is likely one of the first and most important metrics you check once a story with media analytics once your pitch reaches the masses. While this is a good start, however, it's premature to call a campaign...
Gov. Paul LePage isn’t the only easily agitated person in the state of Maine. As the Portland Press Herald reports , a man recently got very upset at city officials in the Augusta General Services office. Said man was apparently angry that 1) his...
The devil is always in the details, even with flags. As Columbia’s The State newspaper reports , South Carolina law is very specific about some details in the making of the state flag, while others are not so clear. Specifically, the law specifies...