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
Why Federal Law Enforcement Is Taking a ‘Wait and See’ Approach to the Oregon Protesters
Americans remembering the deadly confrontations at Waco, Texas, and Ruby Ridge, Idaho, in the early 1990s are likely to see a different response from law enforcement officers monitoring protesters at a federal building in Oregon, former federal officials say. On Saturday, a group of militants took over an empty building on the Malheur National Wildlife… -
news
Washington Quietly Adopts New Transgender Bathroom, Locker Room Policies
One day after Christmas, Washington state quietly adopted a set of new policies regarding transgender individuals using sex-specific facilities. The rules, adopted by the state Human Rights Commission, make it illegal for business owners to limit sex-specific facilities such as bathrooms, showers, and locker rooms to persons with the anatomical parts of one sex. “To my… -
news
Oregon Bakers Pay $135K Fine After Refusing to Bake Cake for Lesbian Wedding
The Oregon bakers who refused to bake a same-sex couple’s wedding cake have paid over $135,000 in fines. Aaron and Melissa Klein, former owners of Portland-area Sweet Cakes by Melissa, paid state-ordered damage fees and interest totaling $136,927.07 to the Bureau of Labor and Industries on Monday, reported KOIN 6 News. The bureau “was attempting… -
news
Why These Women Want to Repeal an LGBT Law in Alaska’s Biggest City
A gender identity law in Anchorage, Alaska, has met with opposition from a dozen women who say they are concerned about safety and privacy in bathrooms and locker rooms. The group—made up of mothers, sisters, aunts, grandmothers, and wives—submitted an application to Anchorage officials for a ballot question to repeal the law, which grants protected status to those… -
news
Oregon Bakers Read Mean Tweets
Aaron and Melissa Klein, the Oregon bakers who were ordered to pay $135,000 for refusing to make a cake for a same-sex wedding, are no strangers to online backlash. https://twitter.com/PoliticalRiff/status/632216048536678404 On Twitter, Facebook and other social media, critics comment regularly on the Kleins’ story, calling them “bigots” and “homophobes” for abiding by their biblical belief that marriage is… -
news
Virginia Severs Concealed Carry Agreements With 25 States
Virginia will stop honoring concealed carry permits from more than two dozen other states that currently have reciprocity privileges with the commonwealth. Attorney General Mark Herring, a Democrat, announced the change Tuesday after a state audit determined that gun laws in 25 states failed to meet Virginia’s requirements for concealed handguns. The shift will take effect Feb…. -
news
Why Uber May Leave This Texas City
Waving off pleas from the Austin chief of police and Travis County sheriff, the Austin City Council voted 9-2 on Friday morning to require drivers for ridesharing companies like Uber and Lyft be fingerprinted beginning Feb. 1. Unless something changes between now and then, Uber, which has stood firm in opposing fingerprint requirements, will leave… -
news
Colorado Medicaid Rolls Double After Expansion
Colorado’s Medicaid caseload nearly doubled in the past two years after the state expanded coverage, surprising state budget officials and putting more pressure on state coffers. And in 2017, the federal government will start decreasing the percentage of the expanded population it funds, raising concerns about a budget crunch caused by hospital provider fee income… -
news
Ohio Teachers Union Officials Paid Twice as Much as Teachers
Ohio’s largest labor union is in the business of selling worker “solidarity,” and for union bosses, business is good. Ohio Education Association president Becky Higgins was paid $209,039 to preside over a union that took member dues and mandatory fees from 121,625 teachers during the fiscal year ending Aug. 31. Regular OEA dues for full-time teachers are… -
news
California Governor Hails ‘Coercive Power of Government’
California Gov. Jerry Brown raised some eyebrows while attending the U.N. Climate Summit in Paris this month, proclaiming that the “coercive power of the central state” is needed to promote good public policy, specifically when it comes to a cleaner environment. Taking part in an onstage presentation with billionaire and climate activist Tom Steyer, Brown said… -
news
How Texas Became America’s No. 1 Speed-Trap State
Texas is infested with more speed traps than any other state, according to a new study by the National Motorists Association. The NMA compiled five years’ worth of data from a website it maintains, The National Speed Trap Exchange, and found Texas had far and away the highest speed trap count, with 1,383 locations. The… -
opinion
California Close Encounter Shows Why Drone Registry Will Be Ineffective
Last week, a drone and a California Highway Patrol helicopter nearly collided 700 feet above the California city of Martinez. Shortly thereafter, the reckless drone pilot was apprehended by police. The man, a Chinese exchange student, was questioned but ultimately not arrested. This is exactly the sort of situation the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is… -
news
Ohio Attorney General Talks Allegations That Planned Parenthood Disposed of Aborted Babies in Landfills
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine discussed on Fox News Tuesday his office’s allegation that Planned Parenthood has disposed of aborted babies in landfills, which has prompted a lawsuit from Planned Parenthood. Asked to respond to Planned Parenthood’s statement that the allegations were “flat-out false,” DeWine said, “It’s rather strange, because Planned Parenthood’s own lawyers told… -
opinion
Government Report Highlights EPA’s Involvement in Colorado River Spill
The Environmental Protection Agency recently commissioned an analysis of how EPA contractors and officials, on August 5, caused a deluge of 3 million gallons of water containing toxic heavy metals into the Animas River, which serves as a drinking water source for thousands of residents in Colorado and other states. The EPA activity that produced… -
opinion
An Insider’s Take on Two Supreme Court Cases That Could Affect the Makeup of Your State Legislature
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in two important voting rights cases. How the Court rules could have a huge impact on the composition of state legislatures across the country. Both cases involve the “one person, one vote” guarantee embodied in the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. This guiding principle requires that all… -
opinion
Liberalizing Crude Oil Exports Should Be a Given, Not Washington Horse Trading
The United States is awash in crude oil and technology, which is allowing the oil industry to find more oil at less expense. Allowing exports of this oil would yield economic and national security benefits and remove an outdated barrier to the free market, helping to advance the cause of liberty in the U.S. According… -
news
Why a Catholic Priest Called Planned Parenthood After the Colorado Springs Shootings
A Catholic priest in Colorado Springs, Colo., says he is determined to show that the pro-life movement values all life—including the lives of those who work in abortion clinics. Father Bill Carmody is director of the Respect Life Office run by the Diocese of Colorado Springs. He has protested abortion outside the Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado… -
opinion
What the New York Daily News Got Wrong About God, Reality
The New York Daily News’ cover in the aftermath of the tragic San Bernardino, Calif., shootings is being heralded as provocative and challenging. “God Isn’t Fixing This,” blares the cover, which features tweets from Republicans urging prayer after the shooting and then launches into a lecture: “As the latest batch of innocent Americans are left… -
news
‘We Are Heartbroken’: Pro-Life Groups Condemn Shootings at Colorado Planned Parenthood
Pro-life leaders denounced the actions of the gunman who took the lives of three—a police officer and two civilians—and wounded nine others Friday in Colorado Springs, Colo. Police said Robert Dear, 57, gave up inside a Planned Parenthood clinic after a standoff that lasted hours. Here’s what leaders of pro-life organizations said in formal statements about Dear’s alleged… -
news
Charter Schools Go Back to the Drawing Board in Washington State
Charter schools in Washington state face an uncertain future, leaving roughly 1,300 children and their families wondering what to do. As eight of nine new charter schools in the state navigate their first school year, the Washington Supreme Court upheld a decision that deemed the state’s charter school law unconstitutional. Liv Finne, director of education…