This month, a herd of goats was placed in a fenced area of a roundabout in Olympia, Washington. The goats, rented from Rent-A-Ruminant of Vashon Island, are part of a pilot project being undertaken by Washington’s Department of Transportation to...
NY Seeks Tax Credits for Education NEW YORK Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) is seeking $150 million to provide tax credits for individuals and businesses that support public education, families with incomes of less than $60,000 per year that have children in...
Washington gridlock has evidently taken a toll on lobbying at the federal level. After peaking at $3.52 billion in 2010, federal lobbyist spending dropped to $3.24 billion in 2014, according to data from the Center for Responsive Politics. Lobbyist spending...
Last week, laws took effect in Utah that among other things institute gay-rights protections and mandate treatment instead of prison for drug offenders. And tax hikes for transportation and education will take effect in July. But those laws were passed...
Vulnerable incumbents in the U.S. House are bolstering their campaign accounts in anticipation of an impending Supreme Court decision that could force state legislatures to redraw congressional districts in 13 states or more, possibly before elections...
VT Assembly Approves Election Day Registration The VERMONT General Assembly has given final approval for a bill that would allow Vermonters to register to vote on Election Day. If Gov. Peter Shumlin (D) signs SB 29 -- and a spokesman said he supports...
At least four governors have signed bills in recent weeks to help prevent suicide among school-age kids. The first came on May 5 when Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal (R) signed HB 198, a measure that requires school personnel to undergo yearly training in suicide...
MA Denied Federal Money For Storm Recovery The Obama administration denied a request from MASSACHUSETTS Gov. Charlie Baker (R) for additional federal money to help the Bay State cover the estimated $350 million incurred clearing snow, repairing damaged...
CA Assembly Approves AB 202 The CALIFORNIA Assembly approves AB 202, legislation that would make cheerleaders for professional sports teams employees of those franchises. It moves to the Senate (SACRAMENTO BEE). Also in CALIFORNIA , the Assembly approves...
TX Senate Approves SB 1697 The TEXAS Senate approves SB 1697, a bill that allows the state to keep the names of execution drug providers from the public. It moves to the House (TEXAS TRIBUNE). WA Signs HB 1068 WASHINGTON Gov. Jay Inslee (D) signs...
NH Vetoes SB 101 NEW HAMPSHIRE Gov. Maggie Hassan (D) vetoes SB 101, which would have barred state education officials from implementing the Common Core curriculum standards in any Granite State public school (UNION LEADER [MANCHESTER]). TN Signs...
GEORGIA Gov. Nathan Deal (R) signs HB 57, which will allow home and business owners to use third party companies to finance and install solar panels on their property (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION).
The MISSOURI House approves an omnibus environmental bill that would, among several things, require oil and natural gas companies to obtain permits before using the extraction process known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. The state also would have...
CA Senate Approves SB 277 The CALIFORNIA Senate approves SB 277, a bill that would require all students but those with medical exemptions to be vaccinated in order to attend public schools in the Golden State. The bill, which would abolish the current...
TX Senate Approves SB 2065 The TEXAS Senate approves SB 2065, which would clarify that Lone Star State pastors can legally refuse to perform marriage ceremonies for same-sex couples. It moves to the House (TEXAS TRIBUNE). WI Assembly Approves AB...
IN Vetoes HB 1270 Gov. Mike Pence (R) vetoes HB 1270, a bill that would have allowed state residents to use advance deposit wagering to bet on horse races. Advance deposit wagering allows bettors to deposit funds into an account and then place pari...
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner hates how much money government workers are paid. Hate, hates, hates it! Well, except for when said worker works for him. In that case, all bets are off. As the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports, Rauner’s largesse there...
to sooth the savage ***, or so said 17 th Century English playwright William Congreve. But can it also cool the hyper-partisan fires that burn in most statehouses? That’s an open question but the folks in the Vermont Capitol are at least trying...
A lot of sports fans hate former Duke hoopster Christian Laettner. His detractors cite his perceived arrogance, etc., but folks in Kentucky have their own special reason to loathe Laettner – the amazing shot he hit to eliminate the Kentucky Wildcats...
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s ample girth has been the subject of more than a few jokes over the years, including by the governor himself. But we never knew just how much the governor likes food and drink...until now. As New Jersey Watchdog reports...
Editor: Rich Ehisen Associate Editor: Korey Clark Contributing Editor: Mary Peck, David Giusti Editorial Advisor: Lou Cannon Correspondents: Richard Cox (CA), Lauren Davis (MA), Steve Karas (CA) and Ben Livingood (PA), Cathy Santsche (CA), Dena Blodgett...
Last December, the SNCJ staff laid out its annual list of issues we felt would receive significant attention in statehouses across the nation in the year ahead. Although it is something we’ve done for many years now, no upcoming year had presented...
At least five states have enacted laws this year aimed at curbing the rise of prescription drug prices, including through increasing transparency of drug pricing by manufacturers. Drug price bills are also still pending in more than a dozen states, including...
KS Gov Signs Budget With Tax Increase KANSAS Gov. Sam Brownback(R)signed a $15.6 billion state budget last month that includes the $1.2 billion income tax increase approved by lawmakers. The governor vetoed that rollback of the income tax cuts he championed...
Back in January Iowa’s Department of Revenue announced that taxpayers’ refund checks would be delayed by several weeks this year because of efforts to prevent identity theft and fraud. But that may not have been the only reason for the holdup...