Pregnant women, children, the elderly and the disabled have long made up the bulk of Medicaid beneficiaries. But as a result of the expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, younger and more able-bodied adults have been enrolling in the program...
California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) will target healthcare costs for retired state workers in his forthcoming budget proposal, a finance department spokesman said last week. That statement came shortly after the state's controller, John Chiang, announced...
A three-judge panel of the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals strikes down President Barack Obama’s executive order allowing up to 5 million unauthorized immigrants to live and work in America without threat of deportation. The panel ruled 2-1 that...
In January Kentucky became the first state to receive federal approval to impose a work requirement for Medicaid . But last month a federal judge blocked that plan, called Kentucky HEALTH. The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services...
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).
People not fortunate enough to live here in California often think we’re a freak show. Or an economic disaster. Or trying to steal their water. As a lifer born and bred, I can honestly say the freak show thing can be true, the economic shade is...
As part of a plan to address their state’s $2.8 billion budget deficit, members of the Alaska House voted 21-19 in favor of a bill ( HB 111 ) last week that would increase oil production taxes and reduce the state subsidy for new oil drilling. ...
When considering the great problems and injustices facing our world, the lack of availability of a good Mimosa before noon on Sunday is right up there. Or at least it has been for the good people of Georgia, where brunch patrons have just had to make...
According to Census Bureau data, there were about 7.5 million full-time equivalent state and local government employees, not including those who work in education, nationwide last year. That’s 3 percent fewer than there were before the Great Recession...
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...
For the first time since taking office three years ago, Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) approved a full state budget. Joined at a signing ceremony by both Democratic and Republican lawmakers, the governor said the $38.5 billion spending plan was the result...
IA Judge Grants Temporary Injunction An IOWA judge grants a temporary injunction on a new Hawkeye State law barring abortions as soon as a fetal heartbeat is detected. Polk County District Court Judge Michael Huppert halted implementation of the law...
There are currently three bills dealing with the collection of sales taxes from out-of-state sellers pending in Congress: the Marketplace Fairness Act of 2017 (SB 976) and the Remote Transactions Parity Act of 2017 (HR 2193) , both of which would allow...
The MONTANA Supreme Court upholds a lower court’s 2014 ruling in a lawsuit that the law denying unemployment benefits, university enrollment and other services to people who arrived in the country illegally was unconstitutional. The court also rejected...
You have to give Bell County High School valedictorian Ben Bowling straight A’s for both guts and cleverness. As the New York Times reports , the newly-minted Pineville, Kentucky student used his recent graduation address to share the following...
Well, when it comes to winning the state lottery...everything. Which is why Charlie McIntyre, executive director of the New Hampshire Lottery, thought the marketing slogan “Luck yeah!” was a real winner. Alas, as reported by the New Hampshire...
For decades, the Land Park Golf Course in Sacramento has been a place where many a politico has been able to escape to on a warm afternoon for a quick nine holes. Count current Sacramento Mayor and former California Senate pro Tem Darrell Steinberg among...
Federal Judge Issues Order A federal judge issues an order barring LOUISIANA from carrying out any executions for at least one more year while litigation over the state’s method of carrying out lethal injection sentences is being challenged in...
The NEW MEXICO House approves HB 29, which would allow local communities to impose curfews on teenagers under age 16. The measure moves to the Senate (KRQE.COM [ALBUQUERQUE]). -- Compiled by RICH EHISEN
In a 5-4 decision last month, the Supreme Court ruled that public-sector workers who opt out of joining unions can’t be forced to contribute to those unions’ collective bargaining efforts. In Abood v. Detroit Board of Education in 1977...
In Idaho, Republicans control both legislative chambers and the governor’s office. But while they are all theoretically on the same side, intra-party fighting last month led to lawmakers adjourning without settling a very significant issue –...
GA Governor Signs HB 213 GEORGIA Gov. Matt Kemp (R) signs HB 213 , which makes it legal to grow hemp in the Peach State. Hemp is used to make a number of consumer products, including rope and CBD oil (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION). IA Governor Signs...
West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Allen Loughry is more than a hallowed jurist. He is also the author of a book decrying political corruption in the Mountain State. Alas, as the Charleston Gazette reports , Loughry himself now stands accused of playing...
One of the first things I learned as a young scribe was that cops and reporters never say no to coffee. Given that my brother was a cop for 30 years and I’ve been kicking around this gig for almost as long, I know this to be as true today as it...
The NEW YORK Senate approves SB 1850, which would create a public database of violent felons similar to the state's sex offender registry. The measure, which would require all individuals convicted of a violent felony to register with the state Department...