State Politics & News
Coverage of state politics, elections, and conservative policy battles across all 50 states shaping America’s future.
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- News
Missouri Abortion Clinic Licensing Fight Due Back in Court
Planned Parenthood and the state of Missouri are still at odds over whether or not the state’s only remaining abortion clinic will be allowed to stay open. The state of Missouri says that it won’t renew the license of the St. Louis abortion clinic after three failed abortions that resulted in “additional surgeries and another…Rachel del Guidice -
- Opinion
This New York Man Got Arrested After Defending His Own Home
All too often, advocates of strict gun control promise that more complex and convoluted laws will save lives without imposing a serious burden on the right of law-abiding citizens to exercise their constitutional rights. Their argument simply doesn’t hold up. Their gun control laws fail not only to address how actual criminals get their firearms,…Amy Swearer -
- News
19 Arrests Later, a Texas Town Is Torn Apart Over Voter Fraud
EDINBURG, Texas—The story that thrust a Rio Grande Valley city into the national spotlight is hardly a new anomaly, say residents such as Richard Monte. “Down here, voter fraud is not all that unusual,” says Monte, a city planning consultant in a brown suit jacket, sitting with other activists at a table in Coffee Zone…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
How Racial Quotas Are Hurting Minority Kids in Connecticut
Connecticut has put in place diversity quotas for certain magnet schools, meaning the racial breakdown of those schools has to stay relatively fixed. That policy is backfiring on the state, which is now being sued by parents—largely African American—saying that it adversely affects their kids. I recently sat down with Gwen Samuel, the plaintiff in…Daniel Davis -
- News
Texas Town Outlaws Abortion, Declares Sanctuary City for the Unborn
A city council in Waskom, Texas, outlawed abortion procedures Wednesday and declared the city a sanctuary for the unborn. The move was pushed by Right to Life of East Texas and precedes another bill Texas lawmakers are pushing, which would require doctors to care for babies born alive following botched abortions. Abortions are not permitted in the state of…Mary Margaret Olohan -
- News
Texas Governor Signs Bill Defending Chick-Fil-A
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law Monday state legislation to protect the fast-food chain Chick-fil-A from discrimination. The legislation—Senate Bill 1978, dubbed the “Save Chick-fil-A” bill—specifically prohibits local governments in the state “from retaliating against anyone based on their affiliation or support of a religious organization,” according to KEYE-TV, the CBS affiliate in Austin,…Rachel del Guidice -
- News
Maine Will Allow Non-Doctors to Perform Abortions
Gov. Janet Mills signed a bill Monday permitting non-doctors to perform abortions in Maine. The law will allow physician assistants and advanced practice registered nurses to perform abortions, according to a press release from Mills’ office. “Allowing qualified and licensed medical professionals to perform abortions will ensure that Maine women, especially those in rural areas,…Mary Margaret Olohan -
- Opinion
Washington State May Have Triggered the Next Major Religious Liberty Case
One year ago last week, in a major religious liberty case, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Christian cake artist Jack Phillips. Yet just one year later, a floral artist in Washington state now finds herself in similar circumstances to Jack. Her case could prompt the U.S. Supreme Court to revisit the matter. In…John Bursch -
- News
A Michigan Hotel Wants to Help Out-of-State Women Get Abortions
The manager of a small-town Michigan hotel is offering a free room for women looking to get abortions, particularly from states that have recently restricted or banned access. Shelley O’Brien, the manager of the Yale Hotel in Yale, Michigan, posted the offer on Facebook in May. The post offers several free nights at the hotel plus a…Shelby Talcott -
- Opinion
We Hear You: Visiting the Border Patrol in Laredo, Texas
Editor’s note: The Daily Signal’s audience responded to the reporting our Fred Lucas did from the U.S.-Mexico border at Laredo, Texas. Here’s a sampling. Write us at [email protected].—Ken McIntyre Dear Daily Signal: I live on Social Security and do not have funds to donate, but I read and appreciate the information The Daily Signal publishes….Ken McIntyre -
- News
Democratic Louisiana Lawmaker Defends State’s Abortion Ban
Bucking her party’s fervently pro-choice stance on abortion at the national level, a Democratic state lawmaker in Louisiana is hailing that state’s enactment of legislation that would prohibit abortion after detection of a fetal heartbeat. Appearing on “The Story with Martha MacCallum” Monday on the Fox News Channel, Louisiana state Rep. Katrina Jackson said a…Joshua Q. Nelson -
- News
California Lawmakers Move to Expand Medicaid for Illegal Immigrants
The California Assembly voted 44-11 in favor of a bill last week that broadens state Medicaid coverage to include illegal immigrants to the tune of more than $3 billion annually. Under federal law, Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program, provides health care to low-income citizens. Assembly Bill 4, if passed, would eliminate the existing citizenship…Kaylee Greenlee -
- Opinion
Why Gun Control Is Wrong Response to Tragic Virginia Shooting
In the wake of the tragic shooting in Virginia Beach, Virginia, that claimed the lives of 12 people, Gov. Ralph Northam has called for a special legislative session to address gun-related violence. Using the shooting as a call to action, he then proposed a variety of restrictions on lawful gun owners—not one of which would…Amy Swearer -
- Opinion
Idaho’s Spring Cleaning for Regulations an Idea Worth Replicating
Imagine if government rules had an expiration date. What if, each decade, every state law, regulation, or administrative rule ended by default unless lawmakers took specific action to keep it on the books? Idaho just did that — but not on purpose. The Idaho Legislature’s inaction in April allowed more than 8,000 pages of administrative…Phil Haunschild -
- News
Border Patrol Catches 116 Africans at Texas Border
The Border Patrol is seeing an increase in migrants from African countries who are blending in with the large numbers crossing the southern border illegally through Central America. Agents assigned to at the Del Rio, Texas, sector apprehended 116 individuals last week from African countries as they crossed the border from Mexico. Those caught around…Fred Lucas -
- News
Judge’s Decision Means Missouri’s Last Abortion Clinic Remains Open
A judge in St. Louis, Missouri, ruled to temporarily block the state from preventing the state’s only Planned Parenthood from performing abortions on Friday. Judge Michael F. Stelzer issued a temporary restraining order in favor of Planned Parenthood, according to NBC. The state would have been the first without one abortion clinic. The clinic would have closed…Henry Rodgers -
- News
These Are the Hollywood Studios Threatening to Boycott Georgia Over Pro-Life Law
A growing number of Hollywood studios said they will consider no longer conducting their filming business in Georgia should the heartbeat law take effect in 2020. The film industry adds about $9.5 billion to Georgia’s economy, but a variety of Hollywood studios said the heartbeat law violates Roe v. Wade and that they are considering…Mary Margaret Olohan -
- News
Disney Threatens to Boycott Georgia but Partners With China, Which Puts Muslims in Internment Camps
The Walt Disney Company is considering boycotting Georgia over its new abortion law, even as Disney profits from doing business in China, a notorious human rights violator that is putting Muslims in internment camps. Disney CEO Bob Iger told Reuters on Thursday the company is likely to cease filming in Georgia if the pro-life law…Peter Hasson -
- News
Missouri Could Become the First State Without an Abortion Clinic
Attorneys for the state of Missouri and Planned Parenthood met in court Thursday in a battle over whether or not Planned Parenthood’s only remaining abortion clinic in the state would be able to remain open. The license for Planned Parenthood’s last Missouri abortion clinic expires Friday, and in a press briefing on Wednesday, Missouri Gov….Rachel del Guidice -
- News
Illinois GOP Lawmakers Want to Cut off Chicago, Create New State
A group of Illinois Republicans are sponsoring legislation that would split the state in two: Chicago, and everywhere else. State Rep. Brad Halbrook, a Republican representing Shelbyville, Illinois, spoke with The Daily Signal about the effort to win better representation for the people of rural Illinois, whose traditional and economic values are affected by policies…Carmel Kookogey