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
Reporter Calls Colorado’s Obamacare Website ‘Clunky, Counterintuitive and Confusing’
Colorado journalist Brandon Rittiman called the state’s Obamacare exchange website “clunky, counterintuitive and confusing” after reviewing the website for a TV news story. Colorado received $179 million in federal grants for the state’s healthcare exchange, a portion of which was dedicated to building the site. -
news
Watch Your Step: Hawaii Taxpayers Will Pay $81,000 for ‘Fall-Prevention Coordinator’
HONOLULU—Take careful steps. When possible, stay in your seat and, by all means, grab hold of that railing. Simple advice, apparently from much simpler times. These days, however, Hawaii seems compelled to pay someone to offer such ubiquitous and common-sense advice. Taxpayers will spend $81,000 in 2015 on a new government position—”fall-prevention coordinator,” who will… -
news
Nevada Woman Dies After Suing Over Delayed Obamacare Coverage
A woman with a brain tumor who sued Nevada’s Obamacare exchange contractor for delayed coverage died earlier this week. Linda Rolain was among 150 Nevadans suing the contractor Xerox for lack of coverage. She is the first to die of complications from an illness, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “We are worried that this is… -
news
Iowa Banned Most Fireworks 76 Years Ago. Now One Lawmaker Is Trying to Change That.
Jerri Andersen wasn’t impressed by the Fourth of July fireworks display at her local Hy-Vee in Urbandale, Iowa. “Of course, it’s not their fault,” she said. And it isn’t. The supermarket was displaying the only types of fireworks people can buy or possess in Iowa without a special permit: sparklers and snakes. All other consumer… -
news
1,100 Illegal Immigrants Are Living at an Oklahoma Army Base. Why Can’t This Congressman Visit?
Rep. Jim Bridenstine, R-Okla., was denied access July 1 to the Department of Health and Human Services facility at Fort Sill, Okla., which houses more than 1,100 illegal immigrant children. Bridenstine, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said that he was told to return July 21 if he wanted to gain access. Skeptical of the… -
opinion
New York State Will Allow Towns to Ban Fracking
The New York State Court of Appeals recently issued a landmark ruling affirming the “home rule authority” of towns. In the 5-2 decision, the court upheld 2011 ordinances that prohibited Marcellus Shale gas drilling in the towns of Middlefield and Dryden. Under the new ruling, towns and local communities may use zoning laws to ban… -
opinion
Florida Veteran Fights Foreclosure Over American Flag
Each year, the Fourth of July means millions of flags, hung from houses and adorning the tops of flag poles, will be fluttering in the breeze. But this Fourth of July, one veteran who once wore the flag on his uniform sleeve will face foreclosure for trying to display an American flag in front of… -
news
Can Chris Christie Fix New Jersey’s Budget ‘Disaster’?
New Jersey’s budget mess is so bad a judge last week ruled it a “disaster.” It could be even worse in the new fiscal year that began Tuesday. At stake is a financial future of New Jersey, struggling under the weight of a $51 billion shortfall in the state retirement system. Gov. Chris Christie on… -
news
Protesters Block Busloads of Illegal Immigrants in California
Busloads of illegal immigrants attempting to reach a Border Patrol processing station in Murrieta, Calif., were met with backlash from locals yesterday. Three buses with about 140 detainees were forced to turn around and return to a San Diego-area Border Patrol facility after 100 to 150 protesters blocked the buses from coming through, according to… -
news
Mississippi Working to Erase ‘Corruption’ Label
A recent study labeled Mississippi as the nation’s most corrupt state, but state auditor Stacey Pickering says it should get credit for its efforts in fighting corruption. The study by researchers Cheol Liu from the City University of Hong Kong and Indiana University’s John L. Mikesell found corruption in Mississippi was tops among the states… -
news
If I Had $1,000,000: Texas Congressmen Propose Reward for Lois Lerner’s Emails
Frustrated with the IRS’ inability to produce Lois Lerner’s emails, two Texas congressmen have opted for the “carrot and stick” approach—a $1 million reward for the recovery of those messages. Rep. Bill Flores and Louie Gohmert proposed the bill to track down Lerner’s emails, which were sent at the time of the IRS’ tea party… -
opinion
On the Texas-Mexico Border: The View From the Front Line
• Drug cartels are helping would-be immigrants cross the border. • Border officials: 3 of 4 people crossing the border are from countries other than Mexico. • State lawmaker: “Texas is not waiting for Washington to act.” Last weekend, I visited McAllen, Texas, a hotbed of activity in the recent immigration surge on the U.S. – Mexico… -
news
New York Lawmakers Make It Illegal to Touch a Tiger
The New York State Legislature doesn’t want you touching tigers. State Rep. Linda Rosenthal, a Manhattan Democrat who sponsored a bill that passed this week, pointed to New York’s history of tiger attacks—seven over the past 15 years, according to her office—as evidence the ban is in the public’s best interest. “There is no safe… -
news
New Mexico Shoots Down Drones for Hunting
SANTA FE, N.M.—New Mexico is a no-drone zone. This week, the state’s Game Commission, in a 6-0 vote, passed “a prohibition against the use drones to harass wildlife and a prohibition against using drones to take or assist in hunting protected wildlife.” “It was a growing problem,” said Bill Montoya, the vice chairman of the… -
news
Florida Moves to Protect Unborn Children
Florida Governor Rick Scott signed H.B. 59, the “Unborn Victims of Violence Act,” into law last week. With the bill’s passage, Florida joins twenty-nine other states with laws that criminalize the deliberate harm or murder of an unborn child. Previously, Florida’s statute of limitations reserved criminal charges until a child reached viability outside of the… -
news
New York City’s Soda Ban Struck Down
New York City’s “soda ban,” which prohibited merchants from selling most sugary drinks that were more than sixteen ounces, has met its end. The state’s highest court ruled the ban was illegal today, overturning an attempt to reinstate the law. Former mayor Michael Bloomberg tried to restore the controversial ban after lower courts struck it… -
news
Tennessee ‘Pork Report’ Finds Government Waste at All-Time High
NASHVILLE—Tennessee officials wasted $609 million in taxpayer money last year, according to the 2014 “Pork Report,” which a free-market think tank released Wednesday. Beacon Center of Tennessee President Justin Owen said this year’s report reveals the highest amount of taxpayer waste in the publication’s nine-year history, which places blame on a large variety of state… -
news
Pennsylvania Plan Measures Teachers on Performance, Not Seniority
Pennsylvania lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow school administrators to base layoff decisions in part on teachers’ performance, as measured by the state’s new evaluation system. “My goal is to protect our high-quality educators, regardless of seniority,” said state Rep. Ryan Aument, the bill’s co-sponsor. “Seniority should not be the primary way decisions are… -
news
New Mexico Officials Question Border Holding Facility
SANTA FE, N.M. — Trying to deal with a tide of thousands of undocumented immigrants, as many of 50,000 of them children, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is about to convert a training center for the U.S. Border Patrol in the southern New Mexico town of Artesia into a detention center. But Gov. Susana… -
opinion
More Pushback: Tennessee Quits Common Core Aligned Test
Tennessee has removed itself from the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers testing consortium aligned to the Common Core national education standards, joining the ranks of 18 other states pushing back against Common Core. Gov. Bill Haslam, Commissioner of Education Kevin Huffman and the chair of the state board of education, Fielding…