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
Five Years Later, How Much Gov. Walker’s Union Legislation Saved Wisconsin
Residents of one state continue to reap the benefits of a budget bill passed five years ago that has saved taxpayers over $5 billion, researchers say. As a $3.6 billion deficit threatened to hit his state, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican, championed the legislation in February 2011. Walker and the Republican-held legislature successfully balanced the budget, primarily through curbs…Natalie Johnson -
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Hold the Lobster. This New York Legislator Wants to Prevent ‘Luxury’ Purchases With Food Stamps
Food stamp recipients in New York could be barred from using their benefits to purchase “luxury” items like steaks and lobsters if a bill makes it through the state legislature. State Sen. Patty Ritchie, R-Oswegatchie, introduced legislation last week that would impose restrictions on enrollees in New York’s food stamps program to ensure they purchase only food and…Natalie Johnson -
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Transgender Bathroom Bill Heads to South Dakota Governor
Citing student privacy rights, the South Dakota Senate this week passed a bill that would prohibit students at public elementary and secondary schools from using bathrooms, lockers, and shower rooms that don’t match their biological sex. The bill, however, also requires reasonable accommodation of students who identify as transgender through the provision of alternate facilities…Mariana Barillas -
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Report Exposes EPA’s ‘Pattern of Deception’ in Colorado Mine Spill
Two federal agencies put out misinformation and inconsistent explanations of the government’s role in the Gold King Mine blowout and water contamination in Colorado last summer, a congressional report says. The report specifically faults the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of the Interior for their actions related to the Aug. 5 incident, in which 3 million gallons of water…Kristiana Mork -
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Over Governor’s Veto, West Virginia Becomes 26th State to Pass Right-to-Work
West Virginia Republicans overrode a veto by Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin on Friday, successfully passing right-to-work. Tomblin, a Democrat, vetoed the measure Thursday after expressing concern that it would not help stimulate the economy as some claimed. The policy outlaws mandatory union dues or fees as a condition of employment. Republicans argued that it could…Connor D. Wolf -
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Since the Release of Undercover Videos, 8 States Have Defunded Planned Parenthood. Ohio Makes It 9.
Ohio Gov. John Kasich is expected to sign a bill defunding Planned Parenthood, making Ohio the ninth state to do so since undercover videos exposed the abortion provider’s apparent role in harvesting the body parts of aborted babies. The bill, H.B. 294, ensures that state and certain federal funds are not used to perform or promote…Leah Jessen -
- Opinion
George Washington Deserves His Own Day, Not Presidents Day
Poor George Washington. His birthday, spontaneously celebrated since the revolution and formally declared a holiday in 1879, has slowly morphed into the insipid Presidents Day you’ll hear about Monday. Washington, the “indispensable man” of the revolution who was rightly extolled for being “first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his…David Azerrad -
- Opinion
New California Law Forces Pro-Life Pregnancy Centers to Advertise Abortions
Did you hear about the new bill that California Gov. Jerry Brown has signed into law? Under penalty of whopping fines, the new law orders the abortion giant Planned Parenthood and every other abortion facility in the Golden State to post a prominent notice in their waiting rooms, or give the mothers written or digital…Chuck Donovan -
- Opinion
What This New York Times Writer Got Wrong on Supreme Court Case Challenging Obama’s Executive Actions
In a recent New York Times op-ed, Linda Greenhouse takes the Supreme Court justices to task for the “startling” action of asking the Obama administration to address whether its deferred-action immigration program violates the Take Care Clause of the Constitution. The Take Care Clause is the president’s duty to “take Care that the Laws be…Elizabeth Slattery -
- Opinion
Finally, New Jersey Stopped Requiring People to Get a License to Shovel Snow
After a year of debate in the New Jersey state legislature, young entrepreneurs in the state finally have the right to shovel snow without fear of legal consequences. Right before the historic blizzard of 2016, Gov. Chris Christie signed a bill into law removing the need for, of all things, a license to shovel snow….Jason Snead -
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Want to Give a Tour of Washington, DC? You’ll Need a License for That
Bill Main knows a lot about history, but at one time he faced arrest if he shared what he knows in Washington, D.C. The owner of Segs In The City, Main started a tour guide business in nearby Annapolis, Md., in 2004. After having some initial success, he tried to expand his operation into the nation’s capital, where…Eric Boehm -
- Opinion
Maine Required Childless Adults to Work to Get Food Stamps. Here’s What Happened.
One trillion dollars—that’s how much the government spent last year on means-tested welfare aid, providing cash, food, housing, medical care, and social services to poor and low-income individuals. The food stamp program is the nation’s second largest welfare program. The number of food stamp recipients has risen dramatically, from 17.2 million in 2000 to 45.8…Robert Rector -
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Oklahoma Law Enforcement Use Outrageous Claims to Prevent Reform Legislation
Law enforcement agencies in Oklahoma are upset with attempts in their state legislature to reform the practice known as civil asset forfeiture, the legal tool that allows law enforcement officers to seize property suspected of being involved in, or derived from, illegal activity. These groups have laid out a parade of horribles so extreme that Oklahomans…Jason Snead -
- Opinion
The Biggest Loser in Iowa
One of the biggest losers in Iowa this week wasn’t officially on the presidential ballot. I’m talking about ethanol subsidies. Political wisdom has always said candidates must support government handouts to Iowa’s corn farmers in order to win elections in the state. The results of the Iowa caucus proved such “wisdom” wrong. Here’s the deal…Genevieve Wood -
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How West Virginia Is Leading the Charge Against Obama’s Environmental ‘Power Grab’
CHARLESTON, W.Va.—The Mountain State has its back against the wall, and time is running out. Leading a coalition of more than two dozen coal states, West Virginia is asking the Supreme Court for an emergency stay of President Obama’s new regulations governing the coal industry. West Virginia and 26 other states argue that the Environmental…Philip Wegmann -
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Oklahoma Law Enforcement Fights Effort to Make It Harder to Take People’s Cash, Property
Just days before the Oklahoma legislature kicked off this year’s session, three law enforcement groups began lobbying lawmakers to oppose a bill that would make it more difficult for police to take property from innocent Americans under the state’s civil asset forfeiture laws. The Oklahoma Sheriffs’ Association, Oklahoma City Police Department, and Oklahoma Association of…Melissa Quinn -
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Virginia Mom Takes Fight Against Sexually Explicit Books to State Lawmakers
After discovering what she considers over-the-top, sexually explicit material in her children’s high school reading assignments, a Northern Virginia mother is lobbying for greater transparency inside the classroom. “This happened four years ago, when I first became aware of the books that were being taught in schools,” Laura Murphy, a mother of four in Fairfax,…Kelsey Bolar -
- Opinion
New Maryland Reform Makes It Harder for Police to Unjustly Seize Property
Recently the Maryland legislature undertook a historic vote to override Gov. Larry Hogan’s veto of a modest civil asset forfeiture reform package (S.B. 528). On Jan. 21, having attained the necessary three-fifths majority in both the Maryland House and Senate, the reform became law, despite Hogan’s objections. Thanks to the veto override, Maryland citizens are better…Jason Snead -
- Opinion
Kentucky Should End All Ties to Obamacare
Newly elected Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin announced his plans to keep the Obamacare Medicaid expansion (and the extra federal money funding it) and to pursue waivers that will introduce reforms to Medicaid. The governor should rethink this decision. Not only will these efforts likely result in only modest reforms, but more importantly, they will put the…Nina Owcharenko Schaefer -
- Opinion
Chicago Regulations Could Mean Jail for Some Airbnb Users
It could be “one strike and you’re out” for Airbnb users in Chicago. In a series of new rules, Chicago officials recently outlined a plan to regulate the short-term rental market. Though city officials say the rules are meant to make it easier for people to rent out their homes using services like Airbnb, the…Eric Boehm