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
Vermont Schools Ban Brownies, Replace Them With Kale
It’s a best-seller at bake sales, a king of American confections, even a mandatory munchie of marijuana users. But the iconic chocolate brownie, that perfect blend of cake and cookie, is banned in Vermont schools. In its place are new hoped-for kid favorites such as fruit shish kabob, kale and even gluten-free paleo lemon bars…. -
opinion
Federal Court: Ohio Can’t Ban Saying Lies About Candidates
On Thursday, a federal court in Ohio struck down a state criminal law banning “false statements” about candidates for office. Under the law, anyone could lodge a complaint with the Ohio Elections Commission (the “truth squad”) alleging someone made a false statement during the course of an election. If the commission found probable cause, then… -
news
Bishop Who Led Prayer After Cruz Heckling Says Texas Senator ‘Came Out Slugging’
After Sen. Ted Cruz was booed off the stage at a gathering of Middle Eastern Christians for making pro-Israel comments, a New York bishop stood before the frantic audience to lead a prayer for him. In an interview with The Daily Signal today, Bishop Gregory Mansour of the Maronite Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn said he… -
news
Controversial Sex Education Program Reinstated in Hawaii Public Schools
HONOLULU — Hawaii’s State Department of Education will reinstate the controversial “Pono Choices” sex education curriculum, but the program for middle school students will include some key revisions after pressure from parents and lawmakers. The curriculum, developed by the University of Hawaii Center on Disability Studies, set off a firestorm over the last year. Some… -
news
Obamacare Premiums in Nebraska to Rise by 11 Percent
LINCOLN, Neb. — Premiums for Obamacare health insurance plans sold in Nebraska will go up nearly 11 percent next year — one of the biggest hikes in the nation — according to preliminary rates released by the state’s insurance department. Nebraska experienced some of the biggest premium hikes in the nation for people buying their… -
news
How an Anti-Religion Group Convinced a Florida School District to Ban Team Chaplains
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Florida’s fourth-largest public school district is cracking down on religious expression at sporting events. Orange County Public Schools in Orlando has banned team chaplains, signs with Bible references and religious-oriented phrases from appearing on student-athlete clothing. It also prohibited religious music on game tapes. The new policies aren’t a response to complaints from parents… -
news
Government’s ‘Secret’ Land-Use Restriction Threatens Florida Couple’s Seafood Restaurant
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—For Robert and Anita Breinig, the Flash Beach Grille is more than a building. To them, the seafood restaurant and catering business in Hobe Sound, Fla., is the culmination of years of hard work and represents their slice of the American dream. “We started as a mobile caterer. We used garages as kitchens for… -
news
Report: Virginia Taxpayers Will Pay $20,000 Per Undocumented Student
RICHMOND, Va.— Virginia classrooms this school year will include as many as 2,800 new undocumented children, who will cost state taxpayers $54 million. The cost for school-eligible children who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border and have been released in Virginia—often to extended family members—is among the highest per-capita in the nation, according to the Federation for… -
news
‘Horrific, Hellish and Awful’: Ohio Man Treats Ebola in Africa, Helps Save U.S. Aid Workers
Dr. Kent Brantly, the American doctor infected with Ebola while working in West Africa, only saw Tim Mosher’s eyes. As part of his mission in Liberia with the nonprofit aid group Samaritan’s Purse, Mosher treated Brantly, a colleague whom he had never formally met but whose life he was now helping save. With six or… -
opinion
It’s Time to End Cronyism in Washington. Let’s Begin With the Export-Import Bank.
It’s unfortunate that while we’re faced with so many critical issues like ISIS terrorists and unsecure borders, Washington is instead focused on delivering special favors to Wall Street lobbyists. The Export-Import Bank is an unfair corporate welfare bank that helps a privileged few at the expense of other American businesses. Americans are tired of politicians taking… -
news
State Supreme Court to Decide if Washington Will Allow Charter Schools
Washington state’s Supreme Court will determine whether charter schools will be allowed in the state. A hearing is scheduled in October. The charter school law, approved by Washington state voters in 2012, allows for about 40 charter schools to open during the next five years. This fall, the private school First Place will be the… -
news
Iowa Not Sure How Many People Got Extra Unemployment Benefits by Accident
DES MOINES, Iowa — Bureaucrats at Iowa Workforce Development admit they don’t know how many people were paid extra unemployment benefits in March, nor can they say whether any of the overpayments were handed back to the state. Exactly 85 people contacted the agency to report receiving extra unemployment benefits, so IWD officials claim the… -
opinion
How New York’s New Gun Control Law Is Working Out (Hint: Not Great)
Which state has the largest National Rifle Association chapter in the nation? No, it’s not Texas. As a matter of fact, it’s not located anywhere near the Wild West or the south. The answer is New York. In just one year, the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association saw its membership almost double –… -
news
California to Triple Tax Credits to Hollywood
In an effort to revive a struggling entertainment industry, California Gov. Jerry Brown and state legislative leaders announced a five-year expansion to the state’s film and television tax credit program. According to the Los Angeles Times, the governor approved a bipartisan plan to raise the annual allocated tax credits to $330 million, over three times the… -
news
Bobby Jindal Suit Says Obama ‘Scheme’ Forced Common Core Education Standards on Louisiana, Other States
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal today sued the Obama administration over Common Core, contending that federal officials unlawfully coerced Louisiana and other states into adopting the increasingly unpopular national education standards. “The federal government has hijacked and destroyed the Common Core initiative,” Jindal said in a prepared statement. The lawsuit, filed this morning by the Republican governor… -
news
In Wisconsin, Democrats Launched Investigation of Conservatives
MADISON, Wis. – Conservative targets of a Democrat-launched John Doe investigation have described the secret probe as a witch hunt. That might not be a big enough descriptor, based on records released Friday by a federal appeals court as part of a massive document dump. Attorneys for conservative activist Eric O’Keefe and the Wisconsin Club… -
news
California Requires Insurers to Cover Abortion Services
A California state regulatory agency has issued a health care directive requiring health insurers to cover the costs of elective abortions, according to the Associated Press. Last week, California’s Department of Managed Health Care informed seven insurance companies that they must comply with the Knox Keene Act, a state provision passed in 1975 that guarantees… -
opinion
There Is No California Comeback
News media from coast to coast are celebrating a “California comeback” after a near-decade-long Golden State economic collapse. But even this latest recovery may be much more fragile than has been reported, and the state’s structural defects still imperil the left-coast economy. Certainly there are reasons for optimism. Tax collections were way up last year,… -
opinion
No Joke: Florida City Makes It Illegal to Wear Your Pants Too Low
Do we really need to make this illegal? A city in Florida passed an ordinance “prohibiting pants more than two inches below the waistline,” according to Fox News’ Orlando affiliate. Those who keep their pants slung a little too low face a “penalty of up to a $500 fine or up to 60 days in…