Iowa Approves SF 499 The IOWA Senate approves SF 499 , which would bar the use of video cameras in bathrooms and locker rooms in state and local government buildings. It moves to the House (DES MOINES REGISTER). -- Compiled by RICH EHISEN
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...
BRIDGE CLOSURE CONTROVERSY COMES TO HEAD IN NJ: The controversy over lane closures on the George Washington Bridge that has been brewing in New Jersey for months reached a crisis point last Wednesday with the release of a cache of email messages linking...
CO Gov Signs HB 1260 COLORADO Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) signs HB 1260 , which doubles the statute of limitations on sexual assault to 20 years (DENVER POST). LA Gov Signs SB 324 LOUISIANA Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) signs SB 324 , which requires...
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said he stuck to his plan to not cast a vote for president last week. As the Boston Herald reports, it was a first for Baker, which he noted left him “disappointed.” Here’s guessing it wasn’t half...
A bill that would make it tougher to get an initiative on the Maine ballot is on the verge of passage in the state’s Legislature. As amended, SB 272 (LD 742) would require sponsors of initiative campaigns to collect signatures from at least 10 percent...
VOTING SYSTEM OVERHAUL BILL ADVANCING IN GA: GEORGIA’s Senate has passed a bill ( SB 403 ) requiring the state to overhaul its voting system before the 2020 presidential election. Georgia is one of only five states that use electronic voting...
New Jersey Signs AB 3896 NEW JERSEY Gov. Chris Christie (R) signs AB 3896 , which makes it illegal to sell unsafe used tires in the Garden State. Violators face a fine of $500 (NEW BRUNSWICK TODAY). Oregon Signs SB 828 OREGON Gov. Kate Brown...
Hickenlooper Orders Oil & Gas Inspections In the aftermath of an explosion caused by a gas leak, COLORADO Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) ordered oil and gas companies statewide to inspect and pressure-test oil and gas flowlines within 1,000 feet of...
A bill spiritedly debated before the Texas Senate’s Business and Commerce Committee last week would prohibit cities from passing laws forcing landlords to accept federal housing vouchers. Opponents of the bill, SB 267, which was spurred by a local...
Twenty-five states ended the 2016 fiscal year with revenue collections that were below projections, and nearly that many were already forecasting shortfalls for the current fiscal year only months after it had begun, according to the National Association...
Massachusetts Approves SB 2473 The MASSACHUSETTS House and Senate each gives final approval to SB 2473 , which would impose new safety requirements on so-called “duck boats,” amphibious sight-seeing vehicles commonly used for tourist excursions...
Twenty-two states have filed or introduced bills or resolutions this session related to “biologics” or “biosimilars,” medical drugs generally derived from living cells. Three of the bills have been signed into law -- Utah’s...
The ongoing battle of wills between Maine lawmakers and Gov. Paul LePage (R) took another strange twist last week as the two sides reached an impasse over 71 bills awaiting gubernatorial action. Lawmakers contend that the 10-day period for LePage to act...
Republicans who control Arizona’s Legislature are planning to consider several bills this session dealing with the state’s initiative process. One would set higher standards for supporters of initiatives and those who collect signatures to...
Budgets often contain lots of pet projects or other things not likely to get through the legislature on their own. A prime sampling this year comes from Massachusetts, where, as the Boston Globe reports , tucked away into the recently signed $39 billion...
Bentley Impeachment Effort Moves Forward As expected, Rep. Ed Henry (R) filed articles of impeachment against ALABAMA Gov. Robert Bentley (R) last week. Those articles accuse the governor of, among several things, “willful neglect of duty,”...
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...
Over the past few years, late state budgets have become increasingly common. In 2013 five states had to call special sessions to pass their FY 2014 budgets, although all five managed to do so before the 2014 fiscal year actually began. But 11 states started...
In the information age, data serves as the ultimate currency. Advertisers pay for it, platforms build empires on top of it, and researchers devote significant resources to find it. Yet much like currency, not all data holds equal value. Instead of using...
This month the U.S. Justice Department petitioned the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to take no further action against the voter ID law passed in that state in 2011 - SB 14, which has faced numerous legal challenges - because the...
As of mid-June at least 41 states had introduced over 240 bills and resolutions related to cybersecurity this year, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Sixteen of those states have enacted legislation, and two have adopted resolutions...
Common sense ought to dictate that lawmakers actually read the bills and resolutions they endorse. Alas, as Voltaire once said, “Common sense is not so common.” Today’s example comes from the South Carolina House, which recently endorsed...
Phrases that might have no meaning to your grandchildren: having a “fat wallet,” offering “a penny for your thoughts,” and the notion of “stacking paper.” The question “can you change a dollar?” one day...
Coordinating a global PR strategy can sometimes seem like a Sisyphean struggle. When cornerstone ideas of your company's (or client's) brand don't cross international borders, there's a temptation to either limit your reach or cook up...