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
Beyond Obamacare: Colorado Considers Single-Payer Model
As Republican policymakers nationwide continue debating ways to replace Obamacare with patient-centered solutions, a Colorado group has landed a plan implementing a single-payer model of health care on November’s ballot. Coloradans are already bracing for its impact. In the general election, Colorado residents will not only head to the polls to cast their votes for…Melissa Quinn -
- News
Missouri Attempts to Send Religious Liberty Bill Straight to the People
As religious liberty bills continue to draw ire from big businesses in North Carolina, Georgia, and Mississippi, another state is bracing for a similar battle: Missouri. Big businesses have already spoken out about a bill currently being debated at the state capitol, arguing that adopting a string of protections for individuals and businesses that don’t…Kelsey Bolar -
- Opinion
Mississippi Governor Explains Why He Signed Religious Liberty Law
In an interview with The Daily Signal, Gov. Phil Bryant, R-Miss, explains what his state’s new religious liberty law does and doesn’t do. While many opponents of the law say it will harm Mississippi’s economy, Bryant paints a different picture. He’s lowered taxes a whopping 50 times since taking office and says that, among other…Genevieve Wood -
- Opinion
Washington’s Bureaucracy Strikes Again
If you want to understand the corruption, deceit, and might-makes-right culture at the core of the federal government’s dysfunction and disgrace today, look no farther than the two big stories out of Washington last week. On Monday, President Barack Obama’s Treasury Department released sweeping new regulations effectively rewriting the tax code to make it even more…Sen. Mike Lee -
- Opinion
Green Subsidies Bill Perfectly Illustrates Washington’s Spending Addiction
Christmas came early last year for green companies looking for Washington handouts after Congress passed legislation extending massive subsides for wind, solar, and other renewable energy companies. Now the Senate is attempting to ensure that Christmas comes again for these same companies by expanding the qualifying sources for green goodies. Free enterprise, not the federal…Nicolas Loris -
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Under California’s Minimum Wage, This Bookstore Owner Is Struggling to Survive
After more than a decade at the helm of her bookstore, Ann Kinner faces an uncertain future because of new measures at the city and state level to raise the minimum wage. On June 7, San Diego residents will vote on a ballot measure to raise the city’s minimum wage to $11.50 an hour in…Melissa Quinn -
- Opinion
Mississippi Is on the Right Side of History
Lawmakers in Mississippi took a stand for the First Amendment this week, and the usual suspects aren’t happy. Liberal politicians, LGBT activists, and big business are all in a tizzy, claiming discrimination where absolutely none exists and completely misrepresenting this commonsense law in hopes of bullying the state to reverse its decision. Here’s the scenario:…Genevieve Wood -
- Opinion
8 Questions for PayPal on Its Decision to Boycott North Carolina
Mr. Schulman, On Tuesday, you announced that PayPal, where you are the president and CEO, was no longer going to open a new operations center in Charlotte, N.C., because “legislation has been abruptly enacted by the state of North Carolina that invalidates protections of the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender citizens and denies these…Katrina Trinko -
- News
Kyiv, Washington Agree: Russian Threat Isn’t Going Away
KYIV, Ukraine—The Ukraine war is going into its third year, and leaders in Washington and Kyiv are bracing for the possibility that Russian military brinkmanship may be the new status quo in Eastern Europe. In Ukraine, some worry the time soon may be ripe for an uptick in the Russian-backed war in the eastern part…Nolan Peterson -
- Opinion
University of Michigan Students Call for Police to Censor Classmates’ Political Messages
The University of Michigan is one of our nation’s premier institutions of higher learning. Young people from all over the country move to Ann Arbor every year to obtain an education and to have their ideas challenged by exposure to fellow students from many walks of life. Or maybe not. Last Thursday afternoon, a number of…Andrew Kloster -
- Opinion
Washington Politicians Aren’t Telling the Truth About Trade
One of the most persistent myths about international trade is that American manufacturing workers can’t compete with foreign workers who are paid much less. That pessimistic view seemed to be confirmed earlier this year, when Carrier announced plans to move 2,100 jobs from Indianapolis to Mexico. Every time a U.S. manufacturing facility closes, it’s headline…Bryan Riley -
- News
Illinois Town Among New Fronts on Nation’s Right-to-Work Map as Supreme Court Deadlocks
Despite the lack of a definitive ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court on the constitutionality of mandatory union dues, workers across the nation have ample opportunity to challenge why they’re forced to pay for political activism they don’t support. That’s clear from a state-by-state map that measures the current level of worker freedom in both…Kevin Mooney -
- Opinion
Setting the Record Straight: North Carolina Law Protects Everyone’s Bodily Privacy
The Charlotte City Council passed an ordinance Feb. 22 that was a direct attack on the long-acknowledged truth that maintaining sex-specific bathroom facilities preserves the privacy and safety of women and girls. If enacted, this ordinance would have allowed men to choose—based on feelings rather than biological facts—to enter restrooms reserved for women and girls….Kellie Fiedorek -
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Did Chicago Violate Its Own Laws When Issuing Red Light, Speed Camera Tickets?
Drivers in Chicago who received tickets from the city’s red light and speed camera systems might see refunds. City officials are currently embattled in a lawsuit with three motorists who charge that Chicago has failed to provide sufficient notice for individuals to contest or pay for tickets before deeming them liable. If Chicago loses the…Natalie Johnson -
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For California Teacher Taking on Unions, Supreme Court Ruling Isn’t the End of Her Case
Two years after California teacher Rebecca Friedrichs first mounted her challenge to public-sector unions, she’s hearing the same thing today that she’s heard from fellow teachers all along: Keep fighting. The Supreme Court ruled 4-4 Tuesday in the case that bears her name, Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association, leaving in place agency fees public employees pay…Melissa Quinn -
- News
Chicago Teachers to Walk Out Again on 400,000 Schoolchildren
Chicago teachers voted to approve a one-day strike this Friday in protest of “unfair” labor practices, an action that affects about 400,000 public school students as schools plan to shut down for the day. Administrators call the move illegal. “As you may have heard, the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) has declared a ‘Day of Action’…Leah Jessen -
- Opinion
NBA’s Threatening North Carolina Is Textbook Cultural Cronyism
Big business has stomped into another state, trying to impose the values of the cultural left. This time, a governor who dared to stand up for responsible policy is being targeted by big business’ bullying over bathrooms. At issue is H.B. 2, a bill North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory signed into law last week after it…Ryan T. Anderson -
- News
Indiana Governor Signs Bill Banning Abortions of Down Syndrome Babies
“Every life has value. Every life is a gift.” Carissa Carroll, a mother of a toddler with Down syndrome, told The Daily Signal she supports legislation in Indiana, signed Thursday by Republican Gov. Mike Pence, that put a statewide ban on aborting babies due to genetic causes like Down syndrome. “Our son has changed our…Leah Jessen -
- Opinion
Why Race Wasn’t Behind Virginia Redistricting Plan
The Supreme Court heard arguments Monday in a congressional redistricting case that involves the complicated issues that arise under the Voting Rights Act and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment when race intersects with politics. Experienced Supreme Court litigator Mike Carvin was up against Marc Elias, who is the attorney for Hillary Clinton’s…Hans von Spakovsky -
- News
Thanks to New Law, Nebraska Hair Braiders Can’t Be Jailed for Practicing Without a License
Just two weeks ago, Nebraskans who wanted to make money braiding hair had to undergo 2,100 hours of training to obtain a cosmetology license, which state officials say dedicates little time to natural hair braiding techniques. But now Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts, a Republican, has signed legislation into law that will lift arduous occupational licensing…Natalie Johnson