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
Trump Demands California Pay Back Federal Government for Canceled Bullet Train Project
President Donald Trump demanded that California pay back the federal government for its abandoned high-speed rail project, in a tweet Wednesday evening. “California has been forced to cancel the massive bullet train project after having spent and wasted many billions of dollars,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “They owe the Federal Government three and a half billion dollars…. -
opinion
This K-12 Innovation Would Help Families in South Carolina Customize Learning
Cindie Smith is not one to shy away from a challenge. Having already raised two biological children, she adopted four children with special needs and is determined to help each of them succeed. Smith and her family live in Arizona, one of five states that offer education savings accounts to eligible students. With an account,… -
opinion
Shutdowns Show Why Airline Industry Shouldn’t Depend On Washington
When the border funding dispute between President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats led to a partial federal government shutdown, what followed was weeks of speculation on what would cause one side or the other to back down. As it turns out, just a handful of employees at an air traffic control center in Leesburg, Virginia,… -
news
Washington Post Calls Ocasio-Cortez’s Claim of ‘Doctored’ Green New Deal Documents ‘Misleading’
Washington Post fact-checkers ruled Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s claim of “doctored” Green New Deal FAQ documents floating around as “misleading,” but the outlet curiously did not give her any “Pinocchios.” “No one created ‘doctored’ versions of the Green New Deal that included these outlandish proposals,” Rizzo wrote in an article published Monday. Rizzo’s article… -
opinion
On Occupational Licensing, Texas Is Again the ‘Lodestar State’ for Legal Reforms
Texas has been at the forefront of state prison and criminal justice reform since 2007, but it isn’t resting on its laurels. By reforming its criminal justice system, Texas has sensibly and carefully reduced its prison population, cut state spending, and expanded prisoners’ access to drug and mental health treatment and to education programs—all of… -
opinion
Supreme Court Halts Louisiana Abortion Law—for Now
Late Thursday night, the Supreme Court put on hold a Louisiana law that would require abortion doctors to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of their clinic. The Louisiana law was introduced by state Rep. Katrina Jackson, a Democrat, and passed overwhelmingly in the state’s House of Representatives and Senate in 2014… -
news
Trump Has Authority to Declare Emergency for Border Wall, Arizona Lawmaker Says
President Donald Trump does have the authority to declare a national emergency in order to build his promised border barrier between the United States and Mexico if gridlock in Congress makes it necessary, a Republican lawmaker says. “He has the authority, and it’s not unique,” Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., said Wednesday at Conversations with Conservatives,… -
opinion
This New York Scientist Is Treating Human Beings Like Lab Rats
A Chinese scientist caused an international scandal late last year when he edited the genes of a pair of unborn twins, in what became known as the CRISPR scandal. But another scientist in New York is doing something quite similar, without incurring the international backlash. His research is rife with ethical concerns and has the… -
news
Florida Gov. DeSantis Issues 1-Year Deadline to Eliminate All ‘Vestiges’ of Common Core
The day before Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis introduced his $91.3 billion budget request for fiscal year 2020, which includes $21.7 billion for education programs, he issued an executive order to do away with “vestiges” of Common Core standards, “streamline” standardized testing, and revise the state’s educational curriculum. In a Jan. 31 press conference at a… -
news
New Jersey Becomes Second State Mandating Middle Schoolers Learn About LGBTQ Achievements
New Jersey will be the second state to mandate that middle and high school students learn about LGBTQ contributions. Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy signed Senate Bill 1569, which requires schools to adopt curriculums that “accurately portray political, economic, and social contributions of persons with disabilities and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.” “The Governor believes that ensuring students… -
news
Media’s Different Handling of Kavanaugh, Virginia Lieutenant Governor Accusations
The uncorroborated sexual assault allegation against Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, a Democrat, has drawn comparisons to the uncorroborated allegations against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Fairfax issued a statement early Monday morning disputing a report by the right-wing blog Big League Politics, which linked Fairfax to an accusation of sexual assault at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Fairfax… -
news
In Med School Yearbook, Virginia Gov. Northam’s Page Includes Photo of Men in Blackface, KKK Robe
A recently unearthed yearbook page for Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat who has been under fire this week for his comments about a late-term abortion bill, includes a photo featuring one man in blackface and another man in Ku Klux Klan attire. “Racism has no place in Virginia,” said Jack Wilson, chairman of the… -
news
Jewish Therapist Sues New York City Over Law Banning Faith-Based LGBT Counseling
Licensed psychotherapist Dr. Dovid Schwartz is suing the city of New York for infringing on his and his patients’ religious faith and freedom of speech by way of a new ordinance imposing limits on counseling services to LGBT patients that the city discredits. Schwartz is a member of the Chabad Lubavitch Orthodox Jewish Community in… -
opinion
California Restaurateur Compares MAGA Hats to White Hoods
Editor’s note: A California restaurateur tweeted this week that he wouldn’t serve anyone who came to his restaurant, Wursthall in San Mateo, if they wore a “Make America Great Again” hat. “It hasn’t happened yet, but if you come to my restaurant wearing a MAGA cap, you aren’t getting served, same as if you come… -
news
Virginia Governor’s Answer on Late-Term Abortion Hints at Support for Infanticide
Virginia Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam couldn’t precisely answer whether he supports abortion until birth and suggested an infant could be born and then the mother and doctor could discuss what should happen next, in a Wednesday morning interview. “If a mother is in labor, I can tell you exactly what would happen. The infant would… -
news
Virginia Democrat Proposes Bill Legalizing Abortion Until Birth
Virginia is considering a bill allowing women to abort their unborn child until the moment the baby is born. Democratic Delegate Kathy Tran introduced HB2491, or the Repeal Act, which seeks to repeal the state’s current restrictions on late-term abortions. If passed, the measure will do away with the state’s requirement that second- and third-trimester abortions be… -
opinion
What a Registration Surprise in Texas Tells Us About Voter Fraud
The man in charge of elections in Texas made a surprise announcement last week: As many as 95,000 noncitizens had registered to vote, and 58,000 of them may have voted in at least one election between 1996 and 2018. The finding announced by Texas Secretary of State David Whitley is serious, and almost immediately the… -
news
The Top 5 Nutty New California Laws
Americans should be thankful for federalism. Not only does this aspect of our Constitution allow states and localities to find the right mix of laws and policies that fit their needs, but it is often an essential barrier to the nuttiness of their neighbors. On that front, California is Exhibit A. Some of its new… -
news
New York Democrats Pass Bill to Fund College for Illegal Immigrants
New York state lawmakers approved a measure that aims to dole out millions in taxpayer-funded aid to "Dreamers"—who entered the country illegally—attending college. The now Democratic-controlled New York state Legislature on Wednesday passed the Dream Act, legislation that would make thousands of "Dreamers" eligible for financial aid to attend public colleges in the state. The bill, which… -
news
California State Senate Committee Bans Saying ‘He’ and ‘She’
Spiked Online editor Brendan O’Neill reacted to a California state Senate committee banning the words “he" and "she” during hearings and said it’s an example of political correctness run amok. “It’s crazy. It really shows how far the politically correct lobby are willing to go in terms of policing language,” O’Neill said on “Fox &…