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
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… -
news
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… -
news
‘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… -
news
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… -
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… -
news
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… -
news
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… -
news
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… -
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… -
news
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… -
news
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… -
news
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… -
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… -
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,”… -
news
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,… -
news
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… -
news
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… -
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,… -
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,… -
news
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…