• Nevada Reconsidering Its Gay Marriage Ban
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Nevada   |   April 23, 2013
• Following more than an hour of riveting and personal floor speeches -- during which one state senator publicly announced for the first time he is gay -- the Nevada Senate voted 12-9 to begin the process of repealing the gay marriage ban from the state constitution.

• Florida Enacts Sweeping Education Changes
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Florida   |   April 23, 2013
• Gov. Rick Scott signed a sweeping education bill that will revamp the state's high school graduation requirements and place new emphasis on coursework that prepares students for high-tech careers.

• California Carbon Market Linked to Quebec's
• BY: McClatchy News   |   California   |   April 23, 2013
• The California Air Resources Board has linked its program for cutting greenhouse gas emissions and curbing climate change with one in the Canadian province of Quebec.

• Feds Eye State, Local Pension Transparency Reform
• BY: Liz Farmer   |   Nation   |   April 23, 2013
• In a move that’s expected to stir up staunch resistance from public pension managers, some Capitol Hill lawmakers have proposed new pension transparency regulations for local and state governments.
• 5 Comments

• Coca-Cola Helping Chicago Go Green
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Chicago   |   April 23, 2013
• The soft drink giant will pay for 50,000 blue recycling carts for Chicago homes and in return gets to put images of Coke products on the lids of the familiar bins. The city will save $2.59 million thanks to the partnership.

• Online Sales Tax Bill Could Give Washington State a $184M Boost
• Source: Seattle Times   |   Washington state   |   April 23, 2013
• After years of talk, Congress is moving toward possibly ending a loophole that has prevented states from collecting sales taxes on many Internet purchases.
• 1 Comments

• Stoned-Driving Standard Fails in Colorado
• Source: AP/Denver Post   |   Colorado   |   April 23, 2013
• A marijuana blood limit for drivers was rejected for a fourth time in the Colorado Senate, where bipartisan skepticism on the pot analogy to blood-alcohol limits helped sink the measure even in a weaker form.

• New York City Seeks to Raise the Legal Age to Buy Cigarettes to 21
• Source: New York Times   |   New York City   |   April 23, 2013
• The proposal would make the age for buying cigarettes and other tobacco products the same as for purchasing liquor, but it would not prohibit people under 21 from possessing or even smoking cigarettes.

• After Boston Bombings, Chicago to Review Its Emergency Medical Plan
• Source: Chicago Tribune   |   Chicago   |   April 23, 2013
• Mayor Rahm Emanuel has ordered his administration to review its medical plan to deal with mass injuries in light of the Boston Marathon bombing.

• State Sen. Melvin to Run for Arizona Governor
• Source: Arizona Republic   |   Arizona   |   April 23, 2013
• The Republican said his campaign will focus largely on two issues: school vouchers and limits on jury verdicts.

• A New Breed of Urban Republicans
• Source: Politico   |   Nation   |   April 23, 2013
• There are stirrings of a renewed effort by a handful of GOP candidates and activists to edge the party into being more competitive in America’s cities.

• Ex-Felons May Have to Wait 5 Years to Vote (If At All) in North Carolina
• Source: Raleigh News & Observer   |   North Carolina   |   April 23, 2013
• A bill would require people convicted of felony crimes to wait five years upon the completion of their sentence, probation or parole before they could attempt to re-register to vote. First, though, they would have to get affidavits from two registered voters attesting to their “upstanding moral character” and get the unanimous approval of their local board of elections.

• Medicaid Expansion Debate at a Standoff in Arizona
• Source: Arizona Republic   |   Arizona   |   April 23, 2013
• Three months after she stunned political observers and made her case for expanding Medicaid coverage in Arizona, Gov. Jan Brewer is no closer to reaching agreement with Republican legislative leaders on the issue.

• Water, Water Everywhere and Not a Drop to Waste
• BY: Bob Graves   |   April 22, 2013
• An engineering feat more than a century ago created a host of problems for communities that depend on Lake Michigan for their water. But those problems also present opportunities.
• 2 Comments

• America’s Broadband Is Not Broken
• BY: Richard Bennett   |   April 22, 2013
• The argument for a massive reorganization of America’s broadband markets depends on a set of facts that don’t exist.
• 13 Comments