Since the passing of former First Dog and national celebrity Sutter Brown in 2016, current First Dog Colusa has been a tad lonely. But no more! California Gov. Jerry Brown reported last week that Colusa has a new buddy, a poodle and Border collie mix...
A federal judge who has been weighing a challenge to Wisconsin’s Voter ID law harshly criticized state officials at a hearing last week for failing to provide DMV workers adequate training about the proper procedures for obtaining alternative voting...
In The Hopper Number of 2015 Prefiles last week: 424 Number of Intros last week: 8,820 Number of Enacted/Adopted last week: 1,391 Number of 2015 Prefiles to date: 17,968 Number of 2015 Intros to date: 93,989 Number...
No question the advancement of California Assemblymember Toni Atkins to the position of Speaker was a noteworthy event. Atkins is only the third woman to ever hold that job in the Golden State, is the first Speaker who represents the fine city of San...
The United States Supreme Court declines to hear a challenge to an appeals court ruling that blocked an ARIZONA law that prohibited women from taking the abortion-inducing drug mifepristone after the seventh week of pregnancy. The court declined to overrule...
The UTAH Senate unanimously approves SB 184, which would require unauthorized immigrants seeking a “driving privilege” card to first undergo a nationwide FBI background check. The measure moves to the House (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE).
Special Session in TN to Remove Lawmakers Up In Air Petitions to convene an extraordinary legislative session in TENNESSEE on Aug. 15 to expel state Reps. Jeremy Durham (R), accused of engaging in inappropriate sexual conduct with 22 women, and Joe...
A whopping 84 GOP freshmen were elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2010, many of them part of the historic Tea Party wave that promised to change how things were done in stodgy old, gridlocked D.C. Well, a little over five years down the...
Utah legislators are pondering doing away with the Beehive State’s so-called “porn czar,” officially known as the “obscenity and pornography complaints ombudsman.” The state made big news in 2000 when it created the position...
Across the nation, prison inmates or their families have been suing states for the heat conditions in their un-air-conditioned cells that they say violate the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. States have argued...
Los Angeles City Council Unanimously Approves Statute The LOS ANGELES City Council unanimously approves a statute that makes the City of Angeles the first to require companies that have contracts with the city to disclose under affidavit any contracts...
OK House Approves HB 2591 The OKLAHOMA House approves HB 2591 , which would strip Medicaid eligibility from providers of “services relating to pregnancy or termination of pregnancy” who do not report evidence of the rape of a minor. It...
UT Governor Signs SB 96 UTAH Gov. Gary Herbert (R) signs SB 96 , which implements only a partial expansion of Medicaid, a lesser expansion than what voters endorsed via ballot measure in Nov. 2018. See Governors in this issue for more details (SALT...
NY Assembly and Senate Approve AB 2572 The NEW YORK Assembly and Senate approve AB 2572 , which would bar the state from granting permits for drilling or oil or gas exploration in offshore areas controlled by the state. It moves to Gov. Andrew Cuomo...
Train crews CALIFORNIA Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signs SB 730, a bill that requires a train or light engine used in connection with the movement of freight to have at least two operators at all times. Violators face fines up to $1,000 for a first violation...
TN Federal Court Rules A federal court rules that TENNESSEE may no longer revoke a person’s driver’s license over their inability to pay a traffic ticket. U.S. District Judge Aleta Trauger’s ruling included a preliminary injunction...
LA Governor Vetoes SB 462 LOUISIANA Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) vetoes SB 462 , legislation that would have barred local governments from adopting so-called “inclusionary” zoning policies that require developers to include affordable housing...
California Signs SB 31 CALIFORNIA Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signs SB 31 , which bars state and local governments from releasing personal information to the federal government for the creation of any religious list, registry or database, or from using state...
It’s now the thick of primary season, aka prime endorsement gathering time. Which is kind of like mating season in the animal world, just with even crazier behavior. Case in point this week comes from the California Lieutenant Governor’s race...
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...
WI Senate Approves AB 547 The WISCONSIN Senate approves AB 547 , which would limit regulations designed to avoid or minimize construction on wetlands. It moves to Gov. Scott Walker (R), who is expected to sign it into law (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL-SENTINEL...
California Signs AB 1158 CALIFORNIA Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signs AB 1158 , which requires manufacturers to increase carpet recycling from 11 percent now to 24 percent by 2020 (SACRAMENTO BEE). California Vetoes SB 51 Also in CALIFORNIA , Gov. Brown...
One of the highlights of this year’s DEFCON - one of the world’s largest hacker conferences, held each summer in Las Vegas - was a Voting Machine Hacking Village, where attendees were invited to infiltrate more than 25 different voting machines...
President Trump abruptly dissolved his Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity this month. The commission had been tasked with investigating voter fraud, which Trump has repeatedly insisted was responsible for Hillary Clinton’s popular...
WA Governor Signs SB 5116 WASHINGTON Gov. Jay Inslee (D) signs SB 5116 , a bill that establishes a mandate for Evergreen State utilities to eliminate coal as an energy source by the end of 2025, with the ultimate goal of providing carbon-free electricity...