CA Rejects SB 1457 The CALIFORNIA Senate rejects SB 1457 , which would have allowed Golden State students to take unlimited time off from school and still obtain two elective credits for private religious or moral training (SACRAMENTO BEE). VA Gov...
No Smoking on NJ & CA Beaches The NEW JERSEY Assembly and Senate endorse AB 893 , which would ban smoking at all Garden State public parks and beaches. It is now with Gov. Chris Christie (R), who vetoed similar legislation in 2014 (NJ.COM). The...
OH Approves HB 523 The OHIO House and Senate approve HB 523 , which would make the Buckeye State the 25 th to legalize marijuana use for medicinal purposes. It is now with Gov. John Kasich (R) for consideration (CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER). Health In...
The CALIFORNIA Assembly approves SB 10 , which would allow unauthorized immigrants to buy health insurance through the state’s health benefits exchange. Purchasers would not be eligible for federal subsidies to help them pay for their coverage....
SC Gov Signs HB 3114 SOUTH CAROLINA Gov. Nikki Haley (R) signs HB 3114 , which makes it illegal for a woman to get an abortion once her pregnancy reaches 20 weeks with no exceptions for rape or incest. Women will be able to obtain an abortion after...
The CALIFORNIA Assembly approves AB 1730 , which would create a pilot program to provide temporary housing and other services for sexually exploited children. It moves to the Senate (LEXISNEXIS STATE NET). -- Compiled by RICH EHISEN
Those of us of a certain age well remember Boston Red Sox pitcher Bill Lee, a stereotypical southpaw from the 1970s with enough of the goof in him to earn the nickname “Spaceman.” But while Lee, now 70, is still active on the mound as a pitcher...
If you think Donald Trump is the only fact-challenged political animal out there, think again. Case in point comes from the California Senate, where PolitiFact reports Sen. Richard Pan recently said during a committee hearing that the state Capitol –...
And on the subject of less than honest politicos, we give you U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah. As the Washington Post reports , the Deseret News of Salt Lake City published an op-ed from Hatch last week in which the longtime senator recounted his meeting...
As far as Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan was concerned, it was well past time to do a little gubernatorial housecleaning. So as the Baltimore Business Journal reports , Hogan wiped away 72 previous executive orders, some dating back to 1970 and the administration...
California Senator Bob Hertzberg was understandably happy last week when his colleagues unanimously endorsed his legislation to criminalize someone installing ransomware, which takes over a person’s computer until the owner pays off a hefty ransom...
Just last month, The Huffington Post featured an article written by Mike Walsh , Chief Executive Officer of LexisNexis Legal & Professional. The topic? The rule of law — a critical factor supporting economic and societal health. He wrote, “War...
Our ever-evolving world has little room for constants. Don’t believe me? Just ask those bell-bottomed jeans buried in your closet. Are you shaking your head “no” while planking on a park bench? I bet your Gameboy begs to differ. Nowadays...
The leak of 11.5 million documents from Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca has focused unprecedented attention on the use of tax havens and trails of secret companies to conceal the beneficiaries of undeclared and illegally obtained money. It emphasizes...
Today more than 168 million children aged 5-17 in work—most in horrible conditions— around the world. This Sunday, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) will be raising awareness of child labor hidden in supply chains during World Day...
Since Congress passed the Tariff Act of 1930, U.S. Customs and Border Protection had used its authority to impound and block shipments of goods generated by forced labor only 39 times. That could change soon. This year, President Obama signed a bill that...
As you may have noticed from past blog posts , we—like many others—have been closely following this year’s presidential campaign in the news, on blogs and across social media. We’ve analyzed media coverage of candidates, identified...
The Affordable Care Act, often called Obamacare, has provided health insurance for millions of Americans who previously lacked coverage and flocked to hospital emergency rooms in times of medical crisis. But six years after its enactment on a party-line...
Premium increases for the most popular category of health insurance plans under Obamacare will vary widely in 2017, based on analysis of proposed rate filings for eight states where complete data is available by Avalere Health. The average proposed rate...
On virtually straight party-line votes West Virginia’s Republican-led House and Senate passed a 2016-17 state budget during a special session this month that closes a $270 million hole primarily with $183 million in Rainy Day funds and $62 million...
Randy Dorn is the Superintendent of Public Instruction for the state of Washington. His constitutional duty is to supervise “all matters pertaining to public schools.” So it may seem a little strange that he has called for the state Supreme...
The New Jersey Supreme Court sided with the state last week in ruling that retired public workers have no contractual right to cost-of-living increases. “The ramifications of a contract of that sort are harsh” because it “surrenders...
OK Revenues Hit 6-Year Low OKLAHOMA Treasurer Ken Miller reported last week that state revenues fell to a six-year low in May, with collections in every major revenue category, including income taxes, sales taxes, motor vehicles taxes and taxes on...
Every state does periodic housekeeping on its voter rolls to keep them up to date. But only a few eliminate voters just for voting infrequently. And none of them is likely to have more of an impact on this year’s presidential election than Ohio...
In another Ohio election law case, a federal judge has thrown out provisions voiding absentee and provisional ballots with technical flaws. The Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless, the Columbus Coalition for the Homeless and the Ohio Democratic...