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
Maryland Might Ban Fracking for 2 Years
Legislation that would prohibit hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” in Maryland for two years was recently sent to the governor’s desk. The Senate approved the bill in a 45-2 vote earlier this month. If signed into law, it would institute a moratorium on fracking in the state through October 2017. The Maryland House of Delegates passed…Kate Scanlon -
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Should Transgender Students Be Able to Use the Bathroom of Their Choice? Nevada Debates.
Should transgender students attending public schools be allowed to use the bathroom aligned to their asserted gender? That’s the question Nevada lawmakers are debating this week, as they consider a bill that would ban transgender students from using a bathroom, locker room or shower different from their biological sex. The legislation, Assembly Bill 375, is popularly known…Kelsey Bolar -
- Opinion
Why Do We Need Louisiana’s Marriage and Conscience Act? Ask Indiana Pizza Owners.
Recent nationwide polling shows that 81 percent of Americans agree that the government should leave people free to live and work in accordance with their belief that marriage is between a man and a woman. Nevertheless, such people are increasingly being ostracized, fired and facing death threats simply because of such beliefs. All of this…Travis Weber -
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Public Citizen Earned Four Pinocchios from The Washington Post’s Fact Checker
We all know the story Pinocchio: Every time he told a lie, his nose grew. The same thing has happened to Public Citizen, which is often considered “influential on the left in the trade debate.” A March 13 press release on trade-related job-loss statistics by Public Citizen failed the Washington Post’s famous Pinocchio test. The…Anthony B. Kim -
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Texas Attorney General: ‘If the Law Matters,’ Courts Will Side With States in Fight Over Obama Immigration Policy
As a federal appeals court considers whether to keep or rescind a hold on President Obama’s immigration program, the attorney general of the state leading the charge against the president’s executive actions “is very confident” the plaintiffs will win out. “All I can tell you is, based on the law, I feel very confident,” said…Josh Siegel -
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Amidst Drought, California Struggles to Find Solution to #SaveOurWater
Yesterday, California Gov. Jerry Brown met with water, agricultural, and environmental leaders to collaborate and discuss solutions to address the state’s worsening drought. .@JerryBrownGov meets w/water, agricultural & environmental leaders from across CA to talk #CADrought. #SaveOurWater pic.twitter.com/KloExvGQtm — Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) April 8, 2015 Brown came under criticism last week for an…Alex Anderson -
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How a Bystander’s Video of the Deadly South Carolina Police Shooting Reignited Debate Over Body Cameras
The stark visual of watching a white policeman fire eight shots at the back of a fleeing black man in North Charleston, S.C. this weekend would not have been known to America if not for a bystander capturing the scene on video. Those precise details as shown in the video allowed the state to charge…Josh Siegel -
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Abortion Procedure Extracting Unborn Child ‘One Piece at a Time’ Triggers Controversy in Kansas
Mary Spaulding Balch has been fighting against what she calls “dismemberment abortion” since she was 17 years old. Now, at 60, she’s breathing a sigh of relief. “It’s been a long time. Too long,” Balch told The Daily Signal in a phone interview. “I was naïve enough to think back in the 70s, we would…Kelsey Bolar -
- Opinion
Florida Taking the Lead on Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform
Florida is poised to become the new front in the civil asset forfeiture reform movement. State Sen. Jeff Brandes, a Republican from the Tampa area, has filed reform legislation, which the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal and Civil Justice discussed in a hearing today. >>> The Heritage Foundation will co-host of an event next week…Andrew Kloster -
- Opinion
Texas Judge Delivers Blistering Rebuke of Obama Administration Immigration Lawyers’ Misbehavior
In an order issued late Tuesday, federal district court Judge Andrew Hanen refused to lift the preliminary injunction he had previously issued stopping the implementation of the immigration amnesty plan announced by President Obama last November. And in a second order, an obviously infuriated Judge Hanen said that the “attorneys for the Government misrepresented the…Hans von Spakovsky -
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Rand Paul Assails Corrupt ‘Washington Machine’ as He Opens White House Bid
Sen. Rand Paul today entered the race for president by urging voters to join him in fighting for “restrained” government and “maximized” freedom. “Too often Republicans have squandered our victory by becoming part of the Washington machine,” @RandPaul says. Asking help from God and “lovers of liberty,” the Kentucky Republican pledged if elected to shut down “the…Ken McIntyre -
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Ohio Bill Would Ban Abortion Based on a Fetal Down Syndrome Diagnosis
A bill has been introduced in the Ohio legislature that would prohibit abortion based on a fetal diagnosis of Down syndrome. House Bill 135, titled “The Down Syndrome Non-Discrimination Act,” would prohibit abortion because of “a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome in an unborn child.” The legislation was introduced by Reps. Sarah LaTourette, R-Bainbridge, and…Kate Scanlon -
- Opinion
What Would the Founders Think About Religious Liberty and Indiana?
As the loud opposition to Indiana’s religious freedom law subsides, plenty of confusion needs to be cleared up. We need to explain to our friends what religious liberty is, why it matters, and what the consequences are of undermining it or, as is the case with the “fix” enacted in Indiana, restricting its protections. Now is…Ryan T. Anderson -
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How to Talk About the Indiana Law With Your Liberal Relatives at Easter
Editor’s note: Amid the discussion about the religious liberty laws in Indiana and Arkansas this week, there’s been a lot of misinformation—and a lot of thoughtful concerns about what religious freedom laws actually allow and what they ban. We talked to Heritage Foundation’s William E. Simon Fellow Dr. Ryan T. Anderson to get the facts—and…Ryan T. Anderson -
- Opinion
Should Government Give Settlement Money to Groups, Not Taxpayers? New Mexico Takes Action.
For more than a decade, the U.S. Justice Department has engaged in the dubious practice of giving away the public’s money when it settles a criminal or civil case. Occasionally, the Justice Department has made a settlement offer contingent on a company agreeing to donate money to a cause or charity—sometimes one chosen by the…Paul J. Larkin -
- Opinion
Indiana Has Changed Its Religious Liberty Law. Here Is What That Means.
Editor's Note: The Indiana Legislature passed a bill Thursday after facing backlash over the state's Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Gov. Mike Pence quickly signed the bill into law before leaving for a European vacation. Earlier Thursday, The Heritage Foundation's Ryan T. Anderson explained why the so-called "fix" is bad policy. — • — At a press conference in the Indiana Statehouse Thursday morning, Senate President…Ryan T. Anderson -
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The Misplaced Outrage Against Indiana
Despite the frenzied protests of critics, Indiana’s recent Religious Freedom Restoration Act is not the imposition of Jim Crow and is not going to lead to a kind of Selma for the gay rights movement. Indiana has simply passed a law that enshrines the First Amendment values that we hold dear and have taken for…Hans von Spakovsky -
- Opinion
Q&A on Indiana: Would Restaurants Be Allowed to Turn Away LGBT Customers?
Does the Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act allow business owners to put their beliefs above the rights of their employees or customers? No, the Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act protects the rights of all citizens. This law treats all American citizens equally. It ensures that people of all faiths have the right to live out…Ryan T. Anderson -
- Opinion
MSNBC Cuts Ryan T. Anderson’s Mic as He Defends Indiana Law
MSNBC host Ed Schultz cut Heritage Foundation’s Ryan T. Anderson’s mic off during a heated discussion about Indiana’s religious freedom law. >>> Download the ebook version of “Truth Overruled: The Future of Marriage and Religious Freedom” today! (Paperback will be available end of August, but can be preordered.) Schultz did bring Anderson back for a…Daily Signal Staff -
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The Indiana Law Treats All Americans Equally
The Heritage Foundation’s Ryan T. Anderson defended the Indiana religious liberty law on MSNBC last night with guest host Ari Melber on “All In With Chris Matthews.”Ryan T. Anderson