CA Court Rules A CALIFORNIA court rules that a BAKERSFIELD baker was within her rights to refuse to make a cake for a same-sex wedding ceremony. Superior Court Judge David R. Lampe called wedding cakes “artistic expression,” making it exempt...
VA Senate Approves SB 168 The VIRGINIA Senate approves SB 168 , legislation that allows Old Dominion prosecutors the option to charge minors who share nude or sexually explicit photos via a cell phone, or “sexting,” as a misdemeanor rather...
GA Senate Approves HB 159 The GEORGIA Senate approves HB 159 , which among several things shortens the time allowed for a birth mother to change her mind after giving up her child, allows adoptive parents to reimburse birth mothers’ living expenses...
NM House Approves House Memorial 9 The NEW MEXICO House approves House Memorial 9 , a measure that would authorize a study on allowing residents to buy in to the state Medicaid system. The measure moves to the Senate (U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT)...
SC House Approves HB 3529 The SOUTH CAROLINA House approves HB 3529 , a bill that would bar local municipalities from enacting bans on the use of plastic bags. It moves to the Senate [POST & COURIER [CHARLESTON]).
NY Assembly Endorses AB 9605 The NEW YORK Assembly endorses AB 9605 , legislation that allows unauthorized immigrants to pay in-state tuition rates at Empire State colleges and universities, and be eligible for receiving tuition aid. It is the eighth...
Happening In CO The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City conditionally grants a master account to The Fourth Corner Credit Union, a COLORADO credit union created to exclusively serve the legal marijuana industry. The approval lists a number of conditions...
It is probably hard for most folks to imagine an idea too ridiculous for California, but gubernatorial candidate John Cox has found it. Yes, as the Sacramento Bee reports , Cox failed in his mission to get a measure on the November ballot that would have...
The late Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead once said, “You don’t want to be the best of the best. You want to be the only one that does what you do.” California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom loves that quote – loves it! So much so that...
It’s been almost 30 years since Utah sent a statue of one of its favorite sons – globally renowned inventor of the television Philo Farnsworth - to stand in the U.S. Capitol’s National Statuary Hall. But Philo’s time may be winding...
An old adage says the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. The same can sometimes be said of the road to legislation. Today’s example comes from California, where Assemblymember Ian Calderon has sponsored a bill aimed at reducing the number...
Before social media—and even in its early days—word of mouth advertising (WOMA) relied heavily on family and friend networks, but the rise of social media influencers has changed the WOMA game. Now, popular YouTubers, Instagrammers and bloggers...
Ready to remove the roadblocks to real results in 2018? It’s simpler than you think. As you plan for this year, you know that your customers are going to want financial insights that help them grow. But how do you ensure you’re giving them...
CA City Council Votes The BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA City Council unanimously votes to become the nation’s first sanctuary city for adult recreational marijuana use. The ordinance bars city agencies and employees from turning over information on legal...
TN House Approves HB 108 The TENNESSEE House approves HB 108 , which would require doctors who perform abortions to provide women with an ultrasound prior to having the procedure. It moves to the Senate (TENNESSEAN [NASHVILLE]). MD Governor Signs...
NY Judge Issues Injunction A federal judge in NEW YORK issues an injunction ordering the Trump administration to continue the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals program (DACA), which defers deportation actions on unauthorized immigrants who were...
OR House Approves HJR 203 The OREGON House approves HJR 203 , which would change the state constitution to ensure every citizen has the right to affordable health care. The measure moves to the Senate. If approved there it would need to be approved...
Going On In AL ALABAMA officials announce they are banning the importation of deer carcasses from MISSISSIPPI to stop the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease, a neurological disease which affects deer, moose and elk and is always fatal (ASSOCIATED PRESS...
WA Senate Approves SB 5407 and House Approves HB 2578 The WASHINGTON Senate approves SB 5407 , which would bar Evergreen State landlords from discriminating against tenants who use government vouchers to pay for all or part of their rent. The House...
POT SALES SET ANOTHER RECORD IN CO: Marijuana sales reached a record $1.5 billion in COLORADO in 2017, topping the previous record of $1.3 billion set in 2016. About $1.09 billion came from sales of the drug for recreational use and the rest came from...
At a news conference last week, Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton (DFL) and a bipartisan group of lawmakers called for a tax on prescription opioids. The $20 million per year that the proposed levy of a penny per pill would potentially generate would go toward...
President Trump unveiled his long-awaited infrastructure plan last week. In broad terms the plan calls for using $200 billion in federal funding to stimulate $1.5 trillion in infrastructure investment over the next decade. The $200 billion includes $100...
FL CONSIDERING RESTRICTING ACCESS TO VOTER INFORMATION: A bill introduced by FLORIDA Rep. Cyndi Stevenson (R) would restrict voter information that has been publicly available for decades to election officials, voters inquiring about their own information...
Seattle, Washington may be about to become the first city to enforce campaign disclosure laws on a social media company. In December Facebook and Google refused to turn over information about online ad sales for the city’s 2017 elections to a local...
This month Pennsylvania’s top Republican lawmakers, House Speaker Mike Turzai and Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, submitted a new congressional district map for approval by Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf. The map was drawn in accordance with...