- Compiled by KOREY CLARK This year more than a dozen states have passed new voting laws that supporters say were necessary to deter fraud and opponents say will dampen minority voter turnout in next year's elections. Last week the Obama administration placed itself squarely if circumspectly in...

It has usually been Democrats who have been accused, mostly by Republicans, of doing little to deter voter fraud - or worse. In a recent op-ed piece on CNN's Website, Reince Priebus, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, went as far as to say, "Democrats know they benefit from election...

For much of 2012, it seemed just about every major issue confronting states and the federal government was put on hold in anticipation of the impending election. With that process finally over, lawmakers will settle in to try and solve a myriad of thorny problems in 2013. Over the next few issues, SNCJ...

Last week, SNCJ took a look at some of the most pressing issues facing states in 2013. Here are a few more, some of which are either ongoing considerations for state lawmakers or matters likely placed square on their radars by last month's elections. VOTER ID - According to the National Conference...

In Connecticut, where less than four months ago Adam Lanza fired 154 shots in four minutes from a Bushmaster AR-15 semiautomatic rifle, killing 26 children and teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary School, lawmakers passed and Gov. Dannel Malloy (D) signed what some called the most comprehensive gun control...

Governors reacted somewhat predictably to the Supreme Court's historic decisions supporting same-sex marriage last Wednesday, with Democrats hailing the rulings and Republicans bemoaning them. But there is one thing both sides can agree on: the battle over gay marriage is sure to now shift back to...

By Lou Cannon The Supreme Court's momentous rulings last month on three issues shook up the country and the states. The court gave conservatives a victory on voting rights while moving the country in a liberal direction on marriage equality. Disappointing both sides, the court also kept affirmative...

The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit last month to block North Carolina's new voter ID law, which some critics have called the most sweeping of its kind. The law was signed by Gov. Pat McCrory (R) in August, just two months after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a key section of the...

In 1931 the Nevada Legislature passed "The Wide Open Gambling Bill," which helped turn a nascent industry into a cornerstone of the state's economy. This past June the state passed a law that could do the same for another budding industry: medical marijuana. "It exceeds our wildest...

By Rich Ehisen | When Lynne Kampel bought her small home on Long Island in 1990, its location across the road from Randall Bay's inlet waters, only blocks from the famed Nautical Mile, was a real selling point. So was its price tag, a steal at just $105,000, which made ponying up the monthly mortgage...

By Rich Ehisen | For most states, 2013 was a welcome respite from the usual election year political gridlock. That all changes next year, with 38 governorships, 46 legislative chambers, 33 United States Senate seats and all 435 House of Representatives seats up for grabs. But amidst all that politicking...