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
Washington Voters OK Sweeping Gun Control Measure Raising Age for Some Purchases
Washington voters approved a ballot initiative on Tuesday that will raise the age to purchase semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21 and impose a 10-day waiting period to purchase the firearms. According to the Seattle Times, Ballot Initiative 1639, or I-1639, passed with just over 60 percent of the vote at the time of reporting. The…Chuck Ross -
- Opinion
Education Savings Accounts Remain a Choice for Arizona Parents
Leading up to Tuesday’s election, Arizona’s teachers union and its allies were more bombastic than strategic. But despite the campaign against families’ ability to choose how and where children learn, hundreds of thousands of Arizona parents still can customize their children’s education. Arizonans’ “no” vote on Proposition 305—a position backed by the teachers union and…Jonathan Butcher -
- News
Mike Pence’s Brother Wins House Seat From Indiana the Vice President Once Held
The Pence family will soon have a second member serving in elective office in Washington. Greg Pence, the older brother of Vice President Mike Pence, on Tuesday won the House seat his brother first captured 18 years ago and held for six terms. With 80 percent of precincts reporting, Greg Pence, a Republican, was declared…Troy Worden -
- Opinion
New Jersey Flirts With Requiring Dog Groomers to Obtain a License
New Jersey lawmakers are moving to license pet groomers after several New Jerseyans’ canine companions sadly died, allegedly due to grooming at well-known pet stores. The legislation cleared a key hurdle last week when the New Jersey General Assembly approved Assembly Bill 3044, named “Bijou’s Law” after a Shih Tzu who died during a grooming….Amanda Botts -
- News
3 Residents Challenge Climate Change Rules at Delaware’s High Court
Delaware regulators have imposed costly and unlawful climate change regulations on industry in violation of legislative directives, according to three citizen activists who took their case to the state’s highest court. But before the Delaware Supreme Court can address the substantive questions raised in the residents’ lawsuit, it first must resolve a lower court ruling…Kevin Mooney -
- Opinion
Massachusetts Can Protect Women and Kids
This election cycle, there’s a question on the Massachusetts ballot on whether to keep in place a state law that poses a serious threat to the privacy and safety of women and children. Question 3 on the state ballot asks if residents of the state would like to keep in place the current law, which…Monica Burke -
- News
Trump Traveling to Pennsylvania, as White House Fends Off Media Blame
President Donald Trump will meet Tuesday in Pennsylvania with family members of those murdered during the weekend massacre at a Pittsburgh synagogue, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced. “The American people reject hatred, bigotry, prejudice, and violence,” Sanders said. “We are a nation that believes in religious liberty, tolerance, and respect. We are…Fred Lucas -
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Judge Bans Enforcement of California Law Requiring Pro-Life Groups to Promote Abortion
A federal judge in San Diego has permanently barred enforcement of California’s Reproductive FACT Act, which requires pro-life crisis pregnancy centers to disseminate information about abortion. The Friday order follows a June 26 Supreme Court decision that found that the FACT Act likely violates the First Amendment. “The government has no business forcing anyone to express a…Kevin Daley -
- Opinion
Planned Parenthood Says It Puts Women First. This Missouri Clinic Proves Otherwise.
Planned Parenthood claims to put women first, yet the atrocious health code violations found at a Missouri clinic earlier this month suggest otherwise. The abortion giant was campaigning against newly proposed regulations on Missouri abortion clinics when state inspectors discovered a clinic in Columbia, Missouri, was already in violation of existing state regulations. The clinic’s…Monica Burke -
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Florida Man Held, Van Searched in Case of 12 Suspicious Packages Sent to Public Figures
Law enforcement officials on Friday arrested a Florida man identified as Cesar Sayoc Jr. in connection with 12 suspected mail bombs sent to Democratic politicians and other public officials in the past few days. Sayoc, who resides in Aventura, Florida, north of Miami, is suspected of sending at least 12 potential explosive devices to Democrats…Chuck Ross -
- News
Rep. Steve Scalise Calls for New York Times to Remove Trump Assassination Short Story
The New York Times should take down and apologize for a short story about assassinating President Donald Trump, House Majority Whip Steve Scalise told The Daily Caller News Foundation. “The media needs to take accountability for the role they are playing in promoting dangerous rhetoric and division in this country, particularly against President Trump and…Evie Fordham -
- News
Second Suspicious Package Addressed to Joe Biden Found at Delaware Postal Facility
A second suspicious package addressed to former Vice President Joe Biden turned up Thursday morning at a Wilmington, Delaware, postal facility. The package is similar to others containing pipe bombs that were sent to high-profile figures, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a source told The Associated Press. Postal supervisor Sherina Dawson told WPVI-TV in Philadelphia that an…Evie Fordham -
- Opinion
How California Became Exhibit A for a Self-Inflicted Housing Crisis
The California tech boom should have been the engine for widely shared prosperity and renewal. Instead, contrary to the state’s uber-progressive reputation, California has the highest real poverty rate in the nation. One-fifth of the population of the state falls below the poverty line when the cost of living is taken into account. That dire…Jonathan Wood -
- Opinion
Former Missouri Law, Which Required 1,000 Hours of Training to Legally Braid, Shows Problem With Occupational Licensing
The U.S. Supreme Court wrote a fitting conclusion last week to a four-year challenge to Missouri’s licensing requirements for braiding hair. The high court’s order, in the case of Niang v. Tomblinson, directed the district court to dismiss the case, recognizing that the Missouri General Assembly effectively resolved the challenge when it passed new, less…John-Michael Seibler -
- Opinion
With Free Markets at Work in Mississippi, Magnolia State’s Economy Blooms
History is full of reasons to love free markets. They reward hard work and catalyze innovation, providing technology and comforts previously unimaginable to the ordinary person. A new report by Anthony Kim and one of us (Patrick Tyrrell) of The Heritage Foundation shows just how Mississippi workers benefit from increased economic freedom when trade barriers…Amanda Snell -
- Opinion
The California-Wide Web? Why Sacramento Can’t Go Its Own Way on Net Neutrality
California is quickly becoming the regulation capital of the world. At a time when Washington is trying to rein in its quarter-million regulators, Sacramento is busy imposing new restrictions and mandates faster than ever. Last month, Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law perhaps the costliest regulations of all; namely, network neutrality rules on California broadband…James Gattuso -
- Opinion
Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Are a Role Model for School Choice
Who would you rather have choose your child’s school—a politician or a bureaucrat? If you answered “neither,” you’re in good company with the conservatives in Arizona who passed a law last year that allows any of the state’s K-12 students to apply for an Empowerment Scholarship Account. In so doing, Arizona policymakers put parents in…Emily Maxson -
- News
Idaho Voters Ponder Ballot Question on Expanding Medicaid
Idaho Republicans have made it clear to voters: Reject a proposition on the ballot that would expand eligibility for Medicaid as part of Obamacare. Nearly 30 Republican members of the Idaho House of Representatives and legislative candidates announced their opposition to Proposition 2, citing concerns that the ballot initiative would take away funding from other…Troy Worden -
- Opinion
Hurricane Michael Strengthening as It Approaches Florida Panhandle
Hurricane Michael, as of now, is a very strong Category 2 storm with 110 mph winds, and is expected to become a Category 3 before it makes landfall sometime Wednesday. Florida Gov. Rick Scott has declared a state of emergency for at least 35 counties, and mandatory evacuations are under way for 120,000 residents of…David Inserra -
- News
California Admits DMV Error Added Noncitizens to Voter Rolls
An error at California’s Department of Motor Vehicles caused more than a thousand people, including some who were not U.S. citizens, to be incorrectly registered to vote, state officials said Monday. The DMV admitted that a “processing error” at agency field offices resulted in as many as 1,500 people being added to voter rolls between…Will Racke