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
Virginia Woman Admits to $7.2 Million Child-Credit Tax Scam
More than a year after it was reported the IRS sent thousands of refunds to the tiny town of Parksley, Va., a woman has pleaded guilty to conspiracy and mail fraud. Linda Avila admitted to obtaining more than $7.2 million in refunds by exploiting the federal government’s child tax credit program. Avila filed more than…Kenric Ward -
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How a Former Governor’s Conviction Is Reverberating in Virginia
A Virginia Republican’s forthcoming retirement after three-and-a-half decades in the General Assembly could give Democrats a better shot at regaining control of the state Senate next year. Earlier this year, Republicans took control of the Virginia Senate and halted hopes of Medicaid expansion when Democratic state Sen. Phil Puckett abruptly resigned. Now, moderate Republican state Sen. John Watkins has announced…Kathryn Watson -
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Disbelief as New York Times Publishes Details on Where Newlywed Ferguson Officer Lives
Angering fellow journalists and the public alike, The New York Times published details on the residence of Darren Wilson, the Ferguson, Mo., police officer whom a grand jury declined to indict for the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown. The newspaper posted an article Monday on Wilson’s marriage to a fellow Ferguson police officer, Barbara…Melissa Quinn -
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After Debate, Massachusetts Town Won’t Ban All Sales of Tobacco
Smokers and nonsmokers alike in Westminster, Mass., came together to push back against a move by the town’s board of health to ban the sale of all tobacco and nicotine products within the city limits. This community of about 7,700 residents in north-central Massachusetts took on the Nanny State and won. “This really wasn’t just…M.D. Kittle -
- News
Undaunted by District Attorney’s Investigation, Republicans Found a Way to Win in Wisconsin
MADISON, Wis.—Even after a wave of Republican victories in this month’s elections, targets of a Milwaukee County district attorney's investigation say the probe effectively chilled conservative donors and volunteers. Critics say the Democrat district attorney's investigation, launched in 2012, was aimed at disrupting the campaigns of Gov. Scott Walker and other state Republicans. “We spent, but we didn’t spend like…M.D. Kittle -
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Maryland Questions Its Taxpayer Subsidy for ‘House of Cards’
Maryland politicians cast their film incentives program as the only way to lure productions such as “House of Cards” and boost the state’s economy. Yet, a new report suggests, it could be that star-struck politicians and Hollywood producers are deceiving taxpayers just like the characters do in the popular fictional television show, which dramatizes the cunning…Kathryn Watson -
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Minnesota School Boards Can–and Often Do–Raise Taxes Without Voter Approval
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesotans faced 39 school operating levy referendums on the ballot this fall, fewer than in any election since 1996. And they nixed one of every four proposals at the polls. Chalk one up for taxpayers? Not exactly. Many school boards already had raised school levies on their own long before Election…Tom Steward -
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Vermont Halts Payments to Obamacare Architect Jonathan Gruber
MONTPELIER, Vt. — Vermont’s state government has stopped payment on the contract of Jonathan Gruber following a series of video statements showing the Obamacare architect repeatedly insulting voters and intentionally misleading the public in the crafting of the Affordable Care Act. On Wednesday, Lawrence Miller, chief of health care reform for the Gov. Peter Shumlin…Bruce Parker -
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‘I Love ISIS!’ Was This Virginia Mom Helping Terrorists?
A Virginia woman has been arrested for allegedly attempting to provide material support to the terrorist group ISIS. Heather Coffman, 29, began exchanging messages with an undercover FBI official in July. Coffman allegedly believed the undercover agent was a fellow ISIS sympathizer and offered to put him in touch with her contacts, according to an affidavit…Kate Scanlon -
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How Many Permits Does It Take for One Company to Build a New Plant in Pennsylvania?
PITTSBURGH — News earlier this month that Shell Chemicals would buy an industrial site in Beaver County is a major step in the company’s plans to bring thousands of jobs to western Pennsylvania. The purchase is necessary for some of the many, many permits that will be required before the project becomes a reality. The…Rachel Martin -
- Opinion
Why Does Washington Want to Hide Science Data From the Public?
When federal bureaucrats drive up costs for American families and businesses through heavy-handed regulation, it shouldn’t be too much to ask for a solid scientific underpinning for that regulation. And it shouldn’t be too big of a burden for the federal government to make its data available to the public. Congressman David Schweikert’s, R-Ariz., Secret…Nicolas Loris -
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Meet Bill Flores, the Texas Congressman Who Wants to Be ‘Consensus Leader’ for Conservatives
Bill Flores could be one of the friendliest faces in Congress. True to his Aggie roots, his Capitol Hill office parades pride for both his country and home state of Texas. Talk to Flores for five minutes, and you’ll feel a special allegiance to the Lone Star state. Flores touts himself as a congressman who…Kelsey Bolar -
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Maryland School District Removes Religious Holidays From Its Calendar
A school board in Maryland this week voted to remove the names of Christian, Jewish and Muslim holidays from its school calendar. According to the Washington Times, the Montgomery County Public Schools “still will be closed on the holidays, but the board voted 7-1 to move the religious references from the calendar.” The newspaper reports the Montgomery County Board…Kate Scanlon -
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Minnesota Wind-Solar Mandate Would Mean Costly Grid Upgrade
A new report released by the Minnesota Commerce Department lays the technical groundwork for ramping up one of the nation’s highest state renewable energy mandates from 30 to 40 percent by 2030. One technicality left out of the $750,000 study underwritten by Minnesota utility ratepayers: Who pays for what in a potentially massive upgrade of…Tom Steward -
- Opinion
Texas Race-Based College Admissions Case May be Heading Back to Supreme Court
Today, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals announced that the full court will not rehear an appeal brought by Abigail Fisher challenging the University of Texas at Austin’s admissions policy that uses racial and ethnic preferences to achieve “diversity” on campus. Students who graduate in the top 10 percent of Texas high schools are automatically…Elizabeth Slattery -
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Maine Senator in Spat With ‘Fox & Friends’ Hosts Over Obamacare: ‘Don’t Lecture Me’
Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, and the hosts of “Fox & Friends” engaged in a contentious debate about Obamacare yesterday as comments from the law’s architect reverberated on Capitol Hill. As previously reported on The Daily Signal, Jonathan Gruber credited the Affordable Care Act’s passage to “a lack of transparency” and “the stupidity of the American…Kate Scanlon -
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In Florida, You Can’t Buy 64 Ounces of Beer
In Florida, you can buy beer that comes in cans. You can buy beer that comes in bottles. You can even buy beer that comes in kegs, in cases, in six-packs and in fancy bottles with cork-stoppers. You can buy beer that is poured from a tap at a bar. But if you buy beer…Eric Boehm -
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After Minimum Wage Hike Success, Nebraska Democrats Want Voters, Not Lawmakers, Deciding on Key Issues
LINCOLN, Neb. — Fresh off a rousing success getting Nebraska voters to approve a minimum wage hike, Democratic leaders may take other issues to the ballot box, too. Medicaid expansion, for example, has been a hot potato in the legislature for the past two years. A bill to expand the program — a key provision…Deena Winter -
- Opinion
Fracking Has Amazing Benefits. So Why Did This Texas Town Just Ban It?
Conservatives tend to champion state and local government over big federal government. But that doesn’t always mean state and local governments protect American freedoms. Such is the case with Denton, Texas, and its recent ban on fracking. Last week, residents of Denton passed a ballot measure to ban hydraulic fracturing (fracking), the process used to…Nicolas Loris -
- News
This West Virginia Teen Ran for Office … and Won
On Tuesday, Saira Blair of West Virginia became the youngest state lawmaker-elect in the nation. Blair is an 18-year-old freshman at West Virginia University. According to the Wall Street Journal, she is an economics major and “hopes to become a financial planner.” She ran as a Republican on what she calls a “fiscally conservative platform,”…Kate Scanlon