US Supreme Court Rules Against Doctors Suing Medicaid The U.S. Supreme Court rules that doctors and other medical providers can’t sue state Medicaid agencies for higher pay . The High Court ruled that the U.S. Constitution doesn’t grant...
The GEORGIA Senate rejects SB 6, a proposal to ban giving driver’s licenses to unauthorized immigrants granted deferred action status by the federal government (LEXISNEXIS STATE NET, WABE.ORG [ATLANTA]).
AR Approves SB 600 The ARKANSAS House approves SB 600, which would create a two-year pilot program to drug test welfare recipients. It returns to the Senate (ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE [LITTLE ROCK]). MT Rejects HB 477 The MONTANA Senate Judiciary...
The ALABAMA House rejects HB 85, legislation that would have required animal shelters to collect monthly reports on the number of animals they euthanize (LEXISNEXIS STATE NET, ANNISTON STAR). -- Compiled by RICH EHISEN
She didn’t say it that way but you have to think New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan was thinking that last week when she visited a Hampton Falls elementary school. As reported by Seacoastonline.com, Hassan went to the class to make amends for the...
Maine Gov. Paul LePage has a reputation as a “Ready, fire, aim!” kind of guy. The gov did nothing to ease that view recently when he publicly called out horror author Stephen King for moving away from the Pine Tree State to avoid paying state...
This was a doozy for Indiana Gov. Mike Pence. After signing a so-called “religious freedom” bill that pretty much gave homophobic Hoosiers the official okie dokie to refuse to do business with anyone from the LGBT community, the gov seemed...
California Gov. Jerry Brown issued an executive order last week imposing statewide water use restrictions (See Governors in this issue). In talking about the steps Californians need to take to manage the historic ongoing drought, Brown tossed out a few...
In late February the Federal Communications Commission issued new rules aimed at preventing Internet providers from designating fast and slow lanes for Web traffic. Internet advocates declared victory. But others have taken issue with -- and action against...
The Federal Communications Commission issued a ruling in February preempting laws in North Carolina and Texas that restricted municipalities from developing their own broadband networks. As of January 2014, 20 states had such restrictions in place, according...
State lottery sales topped $70 billion last year in the 43 states that have them, according to the American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries. That sum represents more than 10 percent of the states’ total revenues for the year. But that...
Kansas House Bill 2258, passed by the Sunflower State Legislature this month, would prohibit recipients of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families from spending those funds on a long list of items including alcohol, cigarettes, lottery tickets, concerts...
Tax collections from oil and natural gas companies in OKLAHOMA fell to $39.6 million in March, a 48 percent decline from March of last year and the lowest level since September 2002 (OKLAHOMAN [OKLAHOMA CITY]). * GEORGIA’s General Assembly passed...
Last Tuesday, Wisconsin voters overwhelming re-elected state Supreme Court Justice, Ann Walsh Bradley, a member of the court’s liberal minority, over her conservative challenger, Judge James Daley. But at the same time they passed a constitutional...
Still simmering from a failed ballot measure in November backed by the Humane Society and aimed at banning the use of bait, dogs and traps for hunting bears in the state, Maine lawmakers are seeking to block another such attempt by amending the Constitution...
Election-Related Bills Introduced in NH More than a dozen election-related bills have been introduced this session in premiere presidential primary state NEW HAMPSHIRE . The proposals include unsuccessful measures that would have expanded voting eligibility...
Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) renewed a previously-rejected call last week to dramatically overhaul the state’s welfare program. Elements of his plan are not official but have previously included requiring applicants to the Temporary Assistance for...
After lawmakers failed to come up with their own “ban-the-box” measure this session, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) issued an executive order last week that bars Old Dominion state agencies from asking most job seekers about their criminal...
OR Declares Drought Emergency Citing an ongoing lack of rainfall and snowpack, OREGON Gov. Kate Brown (D) declared a drought emergency in three southern and central Beaver State counties. Similar declarations have been made by governors in CALIFORNIA...
IA Says NO Min Wage Hike The IOWA House kills legislation that would have raised the Hawkeye State minimum wage to $8.75 by 2016 (IOWASTATEDAILY.COM). ME Vetoes SB 55 MAINE Gov. Paul LePage (R) vetoes SB 55, which would have required pints of...
RI Approves SB 625 The RHODE ISLAND Senate approves SB 625, so-called “revenge porn” legislation that would make it a crime to post nude or sexually explicit photos or videos of someone online without their permission. Violators would face...
The IOWA Senate gives final approval to SB 462, which would allow school officials and volunteers to use epinephrine auto-injectors, commonly known as EpiPens, when they believe a student is suffering a severe allergic reaction that has cut off their...
The MARYLAND Senate approves SB 409, a bill that would impose a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, until October, 2017. Fracking is the oil and gas extraction process that uses chemically-treated water injected deep into underground shale...
ID Approves SB 1146 The IDAHO House approves SB 1146, a bill that allows the use of cannabis oil to treat children suffering from seizure disorders. The measure is now with Gov. Butch Otter (R) for review (BOISE WEEKLY). SC Approves SB 426 The...
ID Signs 189 IDAHO Gov. Butch Otter (R) signs HB 189, which requires doctors to be present when giving women abortion-inducing drugs. The measure effectively bars women from receiving those medications via telemedicine (IDAHO STATESMAN [BOISE]). ...