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
Missouri Democrat Tried to Restrict Public Information on Police Shootings Last Year
Much of the nation’s attention has been turned on the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson, Mo., this week as protesters continue to lash out at the circumstances surrounding the death of a local teen. One Democrat wants to prevent the public from having “any records … pertaining to police shootings.” The protests began after a…Eric Boehm -
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‘Secretive’ Government Move Relocates a Bit of the Border Crisis to a Virginia Suburb
BRISTOW, Va. — Corey Stewart, who made his name in politics by implementing what he calls the nation’s “toughest” crackdown on illegal immigration, lives in a house steeped in history. The top elected official in Virginia’s second-largest locality, Stewart resides in the oldest house in Prince William County, located abruptly off a road lined with…Josh Siegel -
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Here’s How New Mexico Made the Leap Into Top 5 Oil-Rich States
Move over, Oklahoma. New Mexico has regained its position as the fifth-highest state in terms of oil production in the country. In an annual report of the top 10 oil states put together by the financial website 24/7 Wall St., New Mexico supplanted Oklahoma with 965 million barrels of proven oil reserves. That’s an 11.4 percent increase…Rob Nikolewski -
- Opinion
Cyberbullying Law Struck Down in New York
A state court in New York recently struck down that state’s cyberbullying law as violating the First Amendment. The case arose when a 15-year-old Albany County high school student, Marquan Mackey-Meggs, created an anonymous Facebook page called “Cohoes Flame,” from which he created posts about other teens, including pictures. The posts were graphic and often…Blake Willis -
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Traffic Fatalities of Marijuana-Positive Drivers On Rise In Colorado
On Tuesday, the Washington Post published an op-ed by pro-pot author Radley Balko headlined, “Since Marijuana Legalization, Highway Fatalities in Colorado Are at Near-Historic Lows.” The piece leaves the reader with the impression that legalizing marijuana may have something to do with traffic fatalities going down in Colorado. He does admit that the fatality figures…Cully Stimson -
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Florida Mom Could Face 5 Years in Prison for Allowing Son to Play Unsupervised
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Florida law enforcement came down hard on a single mother last week for the crime of letting her 7-year-old son play at a neighborhood park by himself. Police arrested Nicole Gainey, 34, of Port St. Lucie and charged her with child abuse. If convicted, she could go to prison for up to five years,…William Patrick -
- Opinion
Ohio Could Be Next State to Buck Common Core
The Buckeye State could become the next state to buck Common Core. Leadership in the Ohio House announced hearings on the national standards and tests are slated to begin Aug. 12, and the state could consider a potential withdrawal from Common Core later this year. Rep. Matt Huffman, R-Lima, told the Columbus Dispatch the August…Lindsey Burke -
- Opinion
Unions Lose and the Public Wins Big in Wisconsin
Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin had quite a good day on July 31 when the state supreme court upheld not only Wisconsin’s voter ID law, but also the 2011 budget legislation that severely curtailed the power of public unions to control the lives and salaries of state and municipal government employees. In Madison Teachers, Inc. v….Hans von Spakovsky -
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Wisconsin Supreme Court Upholds Scott Walker’s Labor Reforms
MADISON, Wis.—After three years of legal battles, the war for Gov. Scott Walker’s cornerstone public-sector collective bargaining reforms ended Thursday with the state Supreme Court upholding Act 10 in its entirety. The Supreme Court, in a 5-2 decision, with even liberal Judge Patrick Crooks agreeing Act 10 is constitutional, gave its approval to the public…M.D. Kittle -
- Opinion
Voter ID Wins Another Round in Wisconsin
In a victory for election integrity, the Wisconsin Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the state’s voter ID law against separate challenges by the NAACP and the League of Women Voters. The justices joined the state supreme courts of Georgia, Indiana and Tennessee—as well as the U.S. Supreme Court—in finding laws requiring photo IDs to vote…Hans von Spakovsky -
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Taxpayers Cover Cost of Flying Immigrant Children to Hawaii
HONOLULU—Although 2,500 miles from the continental United States, Hawaii has joined the list of states temporarily housing unaccompanied minors from Central America who have illegally crossed into America through the U.S.-Mexico border. Who’s paying to transport the minors to Hawaii? You, the taxpayer. Some 60,000 Central American youths fleeing their home countries have come to the…Malia Zimmerman -
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Terry McAuliffe Underestimates Child Immigrants in Virginia
Gov. Terry McAuliffe said the border crisis is a federal problem, not Virginia’s, and that undocumented children are only being housed at one location in the state—even though news outlets have confirmed more. During a Wednesday radio interview on WTOP, a caller asked the Democratic governor how he is going to handle the border crisis now that it has…Kathryn Watson -
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Did New Jersey School’s Anti-Bullying Policy Go Too Far?
Education officials in New Jersey are being sued for allegedly infringing on a student’s free-speech rights when he was accused of bullying another student. According to a lawsuit filed by the Rutherford Institute, a school nurse sent a letter to parents informing them a student had head lice. While fourth-grade students were working in small groups, one student…Mary Tillotson -
- Opinion
How Should Washington Address the Border Crisis?
Join us at 9:30 a.m. ET for a discussion with representatives from Heritage Action and The Daily Signal on today’s border crisis vote in the House of Representatives and where the debate goes from here.Genevieve Wood -
- Opinion
New York Times Reporter: ‘Some People Are Deserving of Incivility’
As I recounted Monday at The Daily Signal, The New York Times reporter Josh Barro thinks some people are “unworthy of respect.” Yesterday Barro doubled-down and tweeted back at me that “some people are deserving of incivility.” He argued that I am such a person because of my views about marriage policy. You can see…Ryan T. Anderson -
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Michigan Union Tricks Teachers Into Prolonging Membership
Rob Wiersema teaches high school economics, and he knows the merits of a simple cost-benefit analysis. Leaving the Michigan Education Association, he surmised, made economic sense. He had found another professional association that offered better benefits at a lower cost. But his simple economics become complicated. The union didn’t want him to go. In December…Mary Tillotson -
- Opinion
My Exchange with Two New York Times Writers on Marriage Equality and Civility
Can people respect each other and treat one another civilly even while disagreeing about marriage? No, according to New York Times domestic correspondent Josh Barro. As The Daily Signal reported, on viewpoints that Barro considers “anti-LGBT”, he thinks that “we need to stamp them out, ruthlessly.” The problem is that much of what Barro considers…Ryan T. Anderson -
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Virginia Senate Candidates Spar Over Reauthorizing Export-Import Bank
As Virginia’s race for the U.S. Senate heats up, the Export-Import Bank has emerged as a key difference between incumbent Democratic Sen. Mark Warner and his Republican challenger, Ed Gillespie. The candidates faced off for a debate Saturday covering a myriad of topics, including the Export-Import Bank. Warner, who supports the bank’s reauthorization, came under…Melissa Quinn -
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Oklahoma Congressman Fights Plan to House Illegal Immigrants at Military Bases
Rep. Jim Bridenstine, a freshman congressman and Navy pilot whose military awards decorate his Capitol Hill office, holds a special affection for fellow servicemen. The Oklahoma Republican also is sympathetic to Central American children who are being smuggled into the United States from Mexico to reunite with family. Bridenstine witnessed the intersection of those two…Josh Siegel -
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Rahm Emanuel Seeks to Quell Controversy Over Red-Light Cameras in Chicago
CHICAGO—A substantial city revenue source is under fire as Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced 9,000 drivers would be allowed to contest tickets they received from red-light cameras. Since 2007, the city of Chicago has issued more than 4 million tickets via red-light cameras, bringing in more than $400 million, according to the Chicago Tribune. Questions over the…Brady Cremeens