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
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 -
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What 14 Republican Presidential Candidates Said at New Hampshire Forum
Republican presidential candidates gathered at Saint Anselm’s college in Manchester, N.H., Monday night for the Voters First Forum. The forum took place only days before the first national debate. Participants included Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Ohio Gov. John Kasich,…Kate Scanlon -
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Miracle Preemie Released From Hospital After Nearly a Year in North Dakota NICU
For Becky and Bo Frolek, August 12th represents a milestone they hardly could have imagined this time last year. The couple, who live in Fargo, North Dakota, will celebrate their son Trevor’s first birthday–and the long way he’s come. Born at just 23 weeks, Trevor spent 345 days in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)…Leah Jessen -
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On the Trail in Iowa, Mike Huckabee Prioritizes Economy, National Security
ROCKWELL CITY, Iowa—Shaping his message around the economy and national security, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee spoke in small-town Iowa at the library and community center Thursday evening. “Jobs are the single most important thing we have to get underway for people to see an economic recovery,” he said. “There’s nothing that we need more…Leah Jessen -
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How Overcrowding Has Forced Alabama to Confront Its Prison Problem
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Inside a maximum-security prison hidden in a nowhere part of Alabama, nearly 1,300 inmates live for the past, most incarcerated for violent crimes they can’t ever leave behind. A wall lining the entryway to St. Clair Correctional Facility is inscribed with a hopeful quotation: “Envy is a waste of time. You already…Josh Siegel -
- Opinion
A California Judge Needs a Lesson in the First Amendment
Late Wednesday, the Los Angeles Superior Court issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) banning the Center for Medical Progress from releasing video of a meeting with three StemExpress employees at a restaurant last May, potentially violating fundamental First Amendment precedents that bar prior restraints on speech. The Center for Medical Progress (CMP), a group of…Hans von Spakovsky -
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The Taxpayer-Funded Louisiana Co-Op Created Under Obamacare Has Collapsed
Just two years after Obamacare’s implementation, a Louisiana nonprofit insurer that received nearly $66 million in taxpayer-funded loans is closing its doors. On Friday, the Louisiana Department of Insurance announced that the state’s consumer operated and oriented plan, or co-op, would be discontinuing its operations at the end of 2015. Louisiana’s is the second co-op…Melissa Quinn -
- Opinion
The So-Called Republican Majority Is Advancing Only Washington’s Priorities
The American people elected a Republican majority to the U.S. Senate believing that a Republican majority would be somehow different from a Democratic majority. Unfortunately, the way the current Senate operates, there is one party, the Washington party. Senate leadership consists of the Mitch McConnell-Harry Reid leadership team. They operate as a team. They support…Ted Cruz -
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Martin O’Malley at Iowa Caucus Forum Series: Wants an ‘Inclusive’ Economy
DES MOINES, Iowa—Former governor of Maryland Martin O’Malley spoke at the Iowa Caucus Consortium 2016 Candidate Series in Des Moines Friday afternoon. O’Malley said he votes for the “sensible rebalancing” of the economy. “Together we have to choose to make a more inclusive economy that works for all of our people,” O’Malley said. The Caucus…Leah Jessen -
- Opinion
What the New York Times Got Wrong About the Planned Parenthood Videos
According to the folks at the New York Times, this whole Planned Parenthood story is not a story. And if anybody needs to be investigated, says the Times, it’s certainly not the country’s largest abortion provider, which we’ve now learned is possibly also in the business of selling aborted babies’ livers, hearts and other body…Genevieve Wood -
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Florida Family Indicted for Defrauding Export-Import Bank, Costing Government $2 Million
A Florida family has been indicted by the Justice Department for defrauding the Export-Import Bank and other private lenders, which cost the U.S. government close to $2 million. According to the Department of Justice, Guillermo Sanchez, Isabel Sanchez and Gustavo Giral allegedly created fake invoices and shipping documents to obtain a loan from the Export-Import…Melissa Quinn -
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Texas Mother Arrested Because Her Children Sat ‘30 Feet’ Away From Her in a Food Court
A Texas mother has been charged with abandoning her children after they were found sitting about 30 feet away from her in a food court, according to Houston’s KHOU. Laura Browder was asked to meet a potential employer for a job interview in the food court at Memorial City Mall. Browder was unable to find…Kate Scanlon -
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Cuban Embassy in Washington Reopens to Fanfare, Anger
The Cuban Embassy in Washington, D.C., reopened Monday morning, marking the official end to 61 years of hostility between the Cuban and American governments. Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla was on hand in Washington to raise the Cuban flag as the Cuban and American National Anthems played in sequence. The event was…Madaline Donnelly -
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What 10 Republican Presidential Candidates Said in Iowa This Weekend
AMES, Iowa—“How many of you by show of hands are better off today than your parents were when they were your age?” Frank Luntz, a national political consultant, polled the audience at the Family Leadership Summit on Saturday. “It’s almost everybody.” Luntz, who moderated discussions with 10 Republican 2016 presidential candidates while onstage at Stephens…Leah Jessen -
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Kicking off Iowa Bus Tour, Scott Walker Declares Biggest Threat as ‘Radical Islamic Terrorism’
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – With a goal of hitting all 99 counties here traveling by Winnebago bus, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker introduced himself Sunday to Iowans. “The rest of the world needs to know that there is no greater friend and no worse enemy than the United States of America,” Walker told voters here, who…Leah Jessen -
- Opinion
Oregon’s War on the Christian Bakers’ Free Speech
My parents immigrated to the United States in 1951, after surviving the tyranny of Nazi Germany and Soviet Communism. It never would have occurred to them that any American, such as Aaron and Melissa Klein of Oregon, would have their freedom to speak, their right to live their lives according to their religious beliefs and…Hans von Spakovsky -
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Here’s What 5 Democratic Presidential Candidates Told Their Party Faithful in Iowa
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa—All five 2016 presidential candidates on the Democratic ticket spoke from the same stage Friday evening in the first-in-the-nation caucus state. Lincoln Chafee, Hillary Clinton, Martin O’Malley, Bernie Sanders and Jim Webb addressed more than 1,200 Iowa Democrats during a dinner celebration honoring hall of fame inductees into the Iowa Democratic Party. The…Leah Jessen -
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Alaska Governor Expanding Medicaid Despite Objections From Legislature
Alaska’s governor said Thursday he was using his executive authority to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act after failing to get the state legislature to sign off on providing the coverage. Independent Gov. Bill Walker’s announcement seats Alaska as the 30th state to expand Medicaid coverage. The independent governor said his state could not…Natalie Johnson -
- Opinion
Government Persecution of Wisconsin Conservatives Finally Comes to an End
In a lengthy decision issued on July 16, the Wisconsin Supreme Court has finally put an end to the secret, unconstitutional, “John Doe” investigation of conservative nonprofits in Wisconsin, such as Wisconsin Club for Growth. This legal harassment was engineered by a Democratic local prosecutor, John Chisholm, and the head of the state’s “Government Accountability…Hans von Spakovsky