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
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 -
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Beyond Washington, Republicans Seize Control of State Capitals
The Republican takeover of the U.S. Senate may have been the biggest election news. But the most consequential storyline resonates beyond Washington and into the heart of the country, as Americans delivered Republicans firm control of the nation’s state capitals. Republicans picked up Democratic-held governorships in traditionally liberal states such as Massachusetts, Maryland and Illinois,…Josh Siegel -
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Oregon Voters Reject Giving Driver’s Licenses to Illegal Immigrants
At the polls Tuesday, Oregon voters overwhelmingly rejected a law passed by the state legislature last April that granted driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants residing in the state. The measure was put to voters after Oregonians for Immigration Reform, an immigration enforcement group opposed to the driver’s license benefit, initiated a citizen’s referendum and successfully…Gabriella Morrongiello -
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Voters in D.C., Oregon, Alaska Just Legalized Recreational Marijuana
Residents of Washington, D.C., overwhelmingly voted to legalize recreational marijuana for adults tonight. Late into the evening, Oregon and Alaska followed suit. The District of Columbia’s measure to legalize pot was backed by nearly 70 percent of voters. The referendum makes it legal for those 21 and older to grow and possess marijuana in the…Kelsey Bolar -
- News
Is This Redskins Ad the Reason the Virginia Senate Race Is Shockingly Close?
U.S. Senate candidate Ed Gillespie ran this ad last week during Monday night football—and some are speculating it’s the reason the Virginia Republican, who was lagging significantly behind incumbent Sen. Mark Warner in the polls, is doing so much better than expected. .@BretBaier speculates that Gillespie’s pro-Redskins ad was effective. #vasen — Kevin W. Glass (@KevinWGlass) November 5,…Daily Signal Staff -
- Opinion
This Blind Cuban Dissident Tells the New York Times What They Have Wrong on Cuba
On the day when millions of Americans were exercising their sovereign right to elect their leaders, a blind Cuban dissident who’s never been able to cast a vote in his life was in Washington with a simple message for The New York Times. “If you end the embargo now like The New York Times wants,…Mike Gonzalez -
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Watch This Virginia Voting Machine Select the Candidate This Voter Didn’t Vote For
An anonymous Virginia voter has posted a YouTube video of a voting machine selecting the wrong candidate. In the video, the voter attempts to select Rep. Scott Rigell, R-Va., but the box next to his opponent, Democrat Suzanne Patrick, is selected instead. The YouTube user, VaBeach23451, wrote in the video’s description: “The voting machine cast…Kate Scanlon -
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Hawaii Taxpayers Would Spend Millions on Private Preschools if Amendment Passes
HONOLULU — Hawaii is the only state that prohibits government funding of private preschools, but that may change tomorrow. Hawaii’s voters will be asked whether the state constitution should be amended so taxpayers can subsidize private preschool education. Amendment 4, “The Hawaii State Funding for Private Early Childhood Education Programs,” asks: “Shall the appropriation of…Malia Zimmerman -
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Will Burke Victory Mean a Higher Minimum Wage in Wisconsin? Not Necessarily.
MADISON, Wis. — If Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke defeats Republican Gov. Scott Walker on Tuesday, she’ll owe tremendous thanks to a union group fighting for an increase in the state minimum wage. But some political and legal experts say there’s no guarantee Wisconsin will see a higher minimum wage if Burke is elected. Although…Adam Tobias -
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Maryland Republicans on Lookout for Voting Machines That ‘Flip’ Democrat
Kerry August can debunk any excuse an election judge may have for why her votes switched from Republican to Democrat right before her eyes: Her hands are tiny, her nails aren’t long and she definitely didn’t vote with an elbow. Still, while voting early last week in Montgomery County, Md., August watched as three…Melissa Quinn -
- Opinion
The Washington Post Misses the Point on Immigration Enforcement
Last week, The Washington Post’s editorial board criticized the GOP for trying to “frighten” voters about a wide-open border. The Post points to substantial increases in border security in the past decade as an indicator that the U.S. is already doing a great deal to stop illegal immigration. Yet, the article misses the real issues…David Inserra -
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New Jersey Has Therapists, Hawaii Has Tour Guides. Find Out the Unusually Popular Job in Your State.
What job is most heavily concentrated in your state? A new map from Business Insider uses the newly released May 2013 Occupational Employment Statistics to illustrate “the most over-represented job in each state.” Each of the jobs depicted has a higher per-capita rate in the individual state than in the rest of the nation. For…Kate Scanlon -
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Billionaire Steyer Spends $15M Pushing Low-Priority Climate Change Message in Florida
In an effort to oust Gov. Rick Scott, billionaire activist Tom Steyer has underwritten a nearly $15 million campaign focusing on climate change, an issue one poll says few Florida voters care about. Steyer’s advocacy group, NextGen Climate Action, set up shop in Miami this year, targeting Scott as oblivious to global warming disasters, a…Tori Richards -
- Opinion
How a New York Times Story Upset the ‘Bush Lied, People Died’ Narrative
Iraq’s chemical weapons are back in the news. The New York Times reported that American troops found roughly 5,000 chemical warheads, shells and aviation bombs since the Iraq War began. Then last week The Washington Post reported the Islamic State terrorist group had used chlorine gas against Iraqi police officers. What’s going on? We’ve been…Kim Holmes -
- News
Virginia Braces for Aftershocks from Wallops Rocket Explosion
The failed launch and fiery explosion at the Wallops Island spaceport could blow up Virginia’s projected financial windfall at the commercial site. The state invested $26 million in 2009 to bring privately operated space flights to the Eastern Shore. The Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport was estimated to generate $4.25 billion for Virginia’s economy through 2020. After the…Kenric Ward -
- News
Is an Ohio School District Using Public Money to Campaign?
Brad Reynolds received a text message, Oct. 24, from Maumee City Schools: “Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser tonight at Maumee High School. 5 – 6:30. $6 adults. $4 seniors/students. Students performing throughout” The text came from the School Messenger alert system — the one that’s supposed to be used to notify parents of an emergency or about…Maggie Thurber -
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Grammy Museum in Mississippi Gives U.S. Taxpayers More Blues
Mississippi is cornering the market on taxpayer-funded music museums. First there was a state-funded museum dedicated to country legend Tammy Wynette. Now the state is going to have a museum for the Grammy Foundation in Cleveland, Miss., and it’s going to be built with federal and state taxpayer dollars. U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., in…Steve Wilson -
- News
How a ‘Crazy’ Runoff Vote in Georgia Could Decide Control of the Senate
The U.S. Senate race in Georgia was supposed to be a gimme for Republicans. After all, it’s a reliably red state in the Deep South. Instead, polling now suggests an extremely tight contest, raising the possibility of a runoff election in January if neither candidate can get 50 percent of the vote a week from today–and…Josh Siegel -
- News
A Massachusetts Town May Ban All Tobacco Sales
A Massachusetts town might become the first in the nation to ban all tobacco sales, according to the Boston Globe. Westminster, Mass. is a town of 7,765 located northwest of Boston. The city’s website describes the community as “a small New England village.” The Westminster Board of Health has recently issued a proposal that would…Kate Scanlon -
- News
Jimmy Carter: ‘If Texas Doesn’t Want to Have Gay Marriage, Then That’s a Right for Texas People to Have’
Jimmy Carter doesn’t think marriage laws should be decided at the federal level. “I’m kind of inclined to let the states decide individually,” the former president told WFAA, an ABC affiliate, in an interview that aired Sunday. “As you see, more and more states are deciding on gay marriage every year,” Carter said. “If Texas…Daily Signal Staff