IL Governor Signs SB 25 ILLINOIS Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) signs SB 25 , which codifies that women in the Prairie State have the “fundamental right” to have an abortion, and that a “fertilized egg, embryo, or fetus does not have independent...
CA Palo Alto City Council Approves Ordinance The Palo Alto, CALIFORNIA City Council approves an ordinance that bans retail outlets from supplying customers with plastic straws, utensils, produce bags and other single-use items. The Council said it...
After a nasty intra-party battle, California Republican Brian Dahle is now able to claim victory in the race against fellow Reep Kevin Kiley to fill a vacant Senate seat. But the sweet taste of victory after one of the most venomous races in recent memory...
Get ready for a shocker – no state is more fun than California! According to a new Wallet Hub survey , based on 26 different metrics the Golden State tops the other 49 when it comes to having fun, be it indoors or out. Some of those include weather...
Let the lemonade flow! As the Texas Tribune reports , Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill last week that bars local governments from imposing harsh regulations on the kind of lemonade stands once imagined to be ubiquitous in this country. The law grew...
When Massachusetts state Sen. Joan Lovely needed a mascot for the diaper donation drive she and a few fellow lawmakers were putting on last week, she knew the perfect fit. As State House News Service reports, Lovely brought in Drake, one of her four pet...
While most organizations and their leaders value efficiency, maximizing time and dollars is a categorical imperative for nonprofits. Not only do these organizations often operate with razor thin budgets and incredibly lean staffing, they also must spend...
Nursing homes in Illinois have been among the most understaffed in the nation, according to an investigation last year by Kaiser Health News and the Chicago Tribune . But that could change as a result of legislation passed by state lawmakers this month...
If a hair stylist learns their craft and is licensed in Las Vegas and then moves across the state line to Arizona, does what they learned in Vegas stay in Vegas? Probably not. But their ability to work might. Or at least it used to. Presumably,...
At least 28 states have considered legislation this session addressing reciprocity with other states in occupational licensing, according to LexisNexis State Net’s legislative tracking system . Such measures have been enacted in half of those states...
A bipartisan group of Oregon lawmakers has proposed a general exemption for agricultural businesses from the multibillion-dollar business tax and education spending law signed by Gov. Kate Brown (D) last month. HB 3445 would exempt sales of “agricultural...
IL LAWMAKERS PASS REVENUE GENERATING MEASURES In overtime after the scheduled adjournment of their regular session on May 31, ILLINOIS lawmakers passed legislation that among other things would allow a casino in Chicago, double the state’s motor...
The U.S. Department of Energy is looking into whether 10,000 gallons of wastewater at a Cold War nuclear weapon production site in South Carolina can be reclassified from high-level waste to low-level waste and moved to low-level waste disposal sites...
LA VOTERS TO WEIGH ABORTION RIGHTS IN 2020 LOUISIANA lawmakers gave final approval last week for a proposed constitutional amendment that would stipulate there is no right to an abortion in the state. The action, part of a wave of recent anti-abortion...
Saying that “Maine people value their privacy, online and off,” Gov. Janet Mills (D) signed one of the toughest data privacy measures in the nation last week. Under SB 275 , which Mills signed last Thursday, Pine Tree State Internet...
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed measures last week that address human trafficking, the state’s enormous backlog of rape kits, and providing increased resources for survivors of sexual assault. Abbott lauded the trafficking bills –...
NV GOV WILL SIGN WAGE, PAID LEAVE BILLS In a statement issued last week, NEVADA Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) said he would sign legislation ( AB 456 ) on his desk that will incrementally raise the Silver State minimum wage to $12 per hour by July, 2024....
CT Senate Approves HB 7200 The CONNECTICUT Senate approves HB 7200 , which would raise the Constitution State smoking age to 21. The measure moves to Gov. Ned Lamont (D), who has pledged to sign it into law (CONNECTICUT MIRROR [HARTFORD]). CT house...
WV Senate Approves SB 1039 The WEST VIRGINIA Senate approves SB 1039 , which would, among other things, legalize charter schools, raise public school worker pay, increase public school funding, ban county superintendents from closing schools in anticipation...
ME Senate Approves HB 1115 The MAINE Senate approves to HB 1115 , which would ban retailers from offering single-use plastic bags. Each chamber must endorse the bill again for it to go to Gov. Janet Mills (D) for consideration (BANGOR DAILY NEWS).
TX Legislature Gives Approval to HB 2041 The TEXAS Legislature gives final approval to HB 2041 , which would require freestanding emergency rooms to clearly disclose the in-network health plans they accept and the fees patients may be charged. It moves...
OR Senate Approves HB 3216 The OREGON Senate approves HB 3216 , which would allow victims of unjustified calls to the police to sue the caller for $250. It returns to the House (PORTLAND OREGONIAN). ME Legislature Gives Final Approval to HB 948...
Beverly Hills City Council Approves an Ordinance The BEVERLY HILLS City Council approves an ordinance making it the fist city in America to fully ban the sale of all tobacco products. The measure, which takes effect in 2021, allows cigar lounges to...
School cafeterias are generally not in danger of earning a Michelin star. But this being the era of ubiquitous smartphones and app-based food delivery services, modern students are no longer slaves to the school lunch menu. Enterprising kids are now as...
After much tussling back and forth, California regulators have decided once and for all that coffee does not pose a major risk of causing cancer. This is very good news to coffee giants like Starbucks, which contended that the benefits of drinking a cup...