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
New Hampshire Summit Seeks to Bring Innovation to Education
LONDONDERRY, N.H.—Parents, educators, and voters expressed concern over the role of the federal government in education during a summit today in New Hampshire. Attendees, panelists, and speakers said that parents, communities, and states need to have a larger role in solving what event organizers called the “education crisis” facing the nation. The 2015 Education Summit…Kate Scanlon -
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These 10 LGBTQ Organizations Are About to Receive a Special Delivery From the Oregon Bakers
The Oregon bakers who were ordered by the state to pay $135,000 for refusing to make a cake for a same-sex wedding have designed and baked custom cakes to send to a handful of the most powerful LGBTQ advocacy groups along the West Coast, The Daily Signal has exclusively learned. The effort is an attempt…Kelsey Bolar -
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Kentucky Clerk Allowed to Not Issue Gay Marriage Licenses as Legal Battle Continues
A Kentucky judge has granted a temporary stay to a county clerk so that she doesn’t have to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples while her case is appealed. The Daily Signal’s Ken McIntyre recently reported that Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis has objected to issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples following the Supreme Court’s…Kate Scanlon -
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One Iranian Family’s Fight to Keep a Colorado City From Taking Their Property
When Nasrin Kholghy opened the letter from the city of Glendale, Colo., in April, it transported her back to another country in another time. The letter notified Kholghy of an upcoming city council meeting. There, Glendale’s leaders would be voting to approve the use of a tool that would give them the power to take…Melissa Quinn -
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Arkansas, Utah Become the Latest States to Defund Planned Parenthood
Arkansas and Utah have become the fourth and fifth states to block or partially block taxpayer dollars from going to Planned Parenthood, following a series of undercover videos depicting senior executives discussing prices for fetal body parts. Planned Parenthood spokespersons have condemned the Center for Medical Progress, the pro-life organization behind the videos, as “anti-choice extremists” and…Kate Scanlon -
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What 4 Democrat Presidential Candidates Said At Iowa Wing Ding Dinner
CLEAR LAKE, Iowa— Democratic presidential candidates spoke at a historic rock and roll landmark here Friday night, with each using the Iowa Wing Ding dinner to lay out their policies. #WingDing dinner 2015 pic.twitter.com/6XvHPLQvWO — Leah Jessen (@_LeahKay_) August 15, 2015 Guest speakers were former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Sen. Bernie Sanders, former Maryland…Leah Jessen -
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Pot Legalization Will Be on Ohio Ballot in November
Ohio residents will have the chance to vote on marijuana legalization this November after a petition secured enough signatures to get a spot on the upcoming election ballot. Pro-weed advocacy group ResponsibleOhio delivered 320,267 signatures to Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted Wednesday, surpassing the minimum needed by more than 14,000 signatures. The group spent more…Natalie Johnson -
- Opinion
Can You Oppose Gay Marriage and Be a Good Judge? The Chilling Opinion of Ohio Court’s Board
Are people who publicly affirm that marriage is the union of one man and one woman unfit to be judges? The Ohio Supreme Court’s Board of Professional Conduct came close to saying just that in a recent advisory opinion in the wake of the Supreme Court’s national redefinition of marriage. According to the Board, a…Roger Severino -
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After EPA Spills Toxic Waste in Colorado River, Nearby Residents Hope for Recovery
Days after a federal agency accidentally released millions of gallons of contaminated mine water into a major waterway, neighboring local businesses are speaking out about how the incident impacted them. On August 5, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency mistakenly discharged more than 3 million gallons of polluted water from an abandoned mine into the Animas…Alex Anderson -
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New Mexico Appeals Court Rules Assisted Suicide ‘Is Not a Fundamental Liberty’
The New Mexico Court of Appeals reversed a lower court ruling on Tuesday that had created a right for doctors to help terminally ill patients die. Siding with the state’s attorney general, the appeals court ruled against physician-assisted suicide, and said, “[A]id in dying is not a fundamental liberty interest under the New Mexico Constitution.”…Kelsey Bolar -
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Christian Judge’s Objection Prompts Ohio Supreme Court’s Board to Tell All Judges to Perform Gay Marriages
A Toledo judge who cited his religious faith in declining to perform same-sex marriages has agreed to follow an advisory body’s decision that he—and all judges in Ohio—must do so to remain impartial. “I will abide by that opinion. In other words, I will perform same-sex marriages if requested,” Judge C. Allen McConnell told an…Ken McIntyre -
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What These Veterans Are Doing to Protect Children in Chicago
Veterans are leaving one combat zone for another. Leave No Veteran Behind is a Chicago-based organization that relieves the burden of student debt on veterans in exchange for their dedication to community service. Veterans enrolled in the program are given retroactive scholarships if they meet the criteria of having an economic hardship in which their…Samantha Reinis -
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Why 3 Men With All the Power Will Soon Parole More Prisoners in Alabama
MONTGOMERY, Ala.—The three men holding all the power ask the prisoner’s biggest supporters why he deserves to rejoin the free world. “Tell us why this young man is prepared to make changes,” implores Parole Board Chairman Cliff Walker, his spectacles lower than his eyes as he peers down at the file for Alabama prisoner No….Josh Siegel -
- Opinion
How Virginia Is Making It Easier for Felons and Noncitizens to Vote
Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe and his appointees to the Virginia State Board of Elections seem determined to ensure that felons and noncitizens can illegally register and vote in elections without getting caught. In April 2015, Governor McAuliffe vetoed House Bill 1315, which would have required jury commissioners to retain information from individuals not qualified to…Hans von Spakovsky -
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What Democratic Presidential Candidates Said at Iowa Presidential Forum
ALTOONA, Iowa—While many 2016 presidential candidates are in Ohio tonight for the first Republican national debate, Democratic presidential candidates gathered in Iowa this afternoon at a presidential forum to show their support for workers and labor unions. Candidates were given three minutes to make opening remarks, answered a series of questions posed by a panel…Leah Jessen -
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At This Ohio County Fair, Contempt for Washington
LISBON, Ohio—Prize-winning cattle are more popular than politicians at the Columbiana County Fair. “Government is broken from the very bottom to the very top,” says Theresa Bosel of Lisbon, Ohio. At least that was the case on this overcast Thursday afternoon, hours before 17 Republicans were preparing for two debates 90 minutes north in Cleveland. En route…Robert B. Bluey -
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Domestic Sex Trafficking Survivors Find Hope in Small-Town Iowa Halfway Home
DES MOINES, Iowa–At the intersection of two of the nation’s largest highways, I-35 and I-80, sits the Des Moines, Iowa metro area, known for its small-town feel, farmer’s markets and frequent visits from presidential campaign hopefuls. Less well-known is the fact that the area has become a crossroads for domestic sex trafficking—an industry that claims…Leah Jessen -
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Federal Court Strikes Down ‘Discriminatory’ Texas Voter ID Law
A federal court has struck down Texas’ voter identification law due to what the judges call its “discriminatory effect.” The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit in New Orleans ruled that the Texas law is in violation of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. “We affirm the district court’s finding that SB 14…Kate Scanlon -
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Ohio Lawmakers Push to Drug-Test Welfare Recipients
Ohio lawmakers are expected to formally introduce legislation Wednesday that will require welfare recipients to pass a drug test before receiving benefits. Republican State Representatives Tim Schaffer and Rob Maag are sponsoring the bill that, if passed, will implement a two-year pilot program in three counties within the Ohio Works First (OWF) cash assistance program….Chelsea Scism -
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Why Alabama Lets More Convicted Felons Serve Their Time in the Community
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—Lawrence Posey has been there, done that. No, he’s been there, done worse. “Believe it or not, all of us are wired up wrong,” Posey tells his pupils, as a gold necklace with a Tweety Bird pendant dangles above his chest. “I had some loose screws and all that stuff. I still have a…Josh Siegel