• Minnesota Passes Same-Sex Marriage
• Source: The Minneapolis Star-Tribune   |   Minnesota   |   May 14, 2013
• The Minnesota Senate voted 37-30 to legalize same-sex marriage. The measure next moves to Gov. Mark Dayton, who will sign it in a ceremony at 5 p.m. today on the south steps of the Capitol.

• Arizona Governor Refuses to Sign Bills Over Medicaid Expansion Delays
• Source: The Arizona Republic   |   Arizona   |   May 14, 2013
• Gov. Jan Brewer has told lawmakers she's done signing bills until they get moving on Medicaid expansion and the state budget.

• HHS Secretary Criticized Over Private Fundraising for Health Law Implementation
• Source: The Tennessean   |   Nation   |   May 14, 2013
• U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander is taking aim at Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, saying her fundraising efforts and coordination with private entities to implement President Barack Obama's new health care law "may be illegal."

• California Struggles With Experiment to Shift Inmates
• Source: AP/The Fresno Bee   |   California   |   May 14, 2013
• The shift in California's penal system, referred to as "realignment," is one of the nation's largest criminal justice experiments and has done its job in at least one respect: The population in the state's 33 adult prisons has dropped so much that the system now ranks second to Texas in the number of inmates.

• Baltimore City Council Approves Bill Requiring Contractors to Hire Residents
• Source: The Baltimore Sun   |   Baltimore, Md.   |   May 14, 2013
• In a unanimous vote, the City Council gave preliminary approval Monday to a bill that would require businesses getting large city contracts or financial support to hire 51 percent of new workers from Baltimore.

• California Creates Cybersecurity Task Force
• BY: Government Technology   |   California   |   May 13, 2013
• California government officials and private-sector leaders are collaborating on a comprehensive cybersecurity plan for the state -- the California Cybersecurity Task Force. It will be the first state-led collaboration of its kind.

• Cities Fight States Over Mandatory Sick Leave Policies
• BY: Stateline   |   Nation   |   May 13, 2013
• Mandatory sick leave is being championed by several localities across the nation. At the same time the progressive public health measure is sparking fierce opposition in several state legislatures.

• GOP-Controlled Wisconsin Legislature Targets Milwaukee
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Wisconsin   |   May 13, 2013
• Recent moves by the republican-controlled legislature that could hurt the city's finances has raised speculation that it being targeted as part of a political vendetta.
• 6 Comments

• Which States Saw Voter Turnout Jump, Decline Most Last Year?
• BY: Mike Maciag   |   May 13, 2013
• Thirty-eight states saw voter turnout drop last year, driven in large part by young adults and non-Hispanic whites heading to the polls at lower rates.
• 7 Comments

• Counties Worried About Potential Costs of Immigration Reform
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Nation   |   May 13, 2013
• Local and state officials believe the immigration overhaul bill will encourage those in the country illegally to come out of the shadows and turn to local services during the proposed 13-year-long pathway to citizenship.

• Report: Detroit Has Negative Cash Flow of $162M
• Source: AP/Yahoo   |   Detroit, Mich.   |   May 13, 2013
• Detroit is broke and faces a bleak future given the precarious financial path it's on, according to a new report out by the city's state-appointed emergency manager.

• San Diego Mayor Building Economic Bridges to Tijuana
• Source: The New York Times   |   San Diego, Calif.   |   May 13, 2013
• Satellite city offices are not uncommon for large cities, but San Diego Mayor Bob Filner’s newest outpost is in another country. By opening San Diego’s Tijuana office this year, the mayor hopes to promote cross-border relations and foster economic partnerships.

• Amtrak Unveils Locomotives to Replace Aging Fleet
• Source: AP/The Philadelphia Inquirer   |   Nation   |   May 13, 2013
• When Amtrak unveils the first of 70 new locomotives Monday at a plant in California, it will mark what the national passenger railroad service hopes will be a new era of better reliability, streamlined maintenance and better energy efficiency.

• Tracking the Carbon Footprints of Cities
• Source: AP/Yahoo   |   Nation   |   May 13, 2013
• Scientists have found that urban hubs with over 10 million people are increasingly responsible for human-caused global warming, prompting closer study of cities across the country and around the globe.

• Report: IRS Targeted Groups Critical of Government
• Source: The Washington Post   |   Nation   |   May 13, 2013
• At various points over the past two years, Internal Revenue Service officials targeted nonprofit groups that criticized the government and sought to educate Americans about the U.S. Constitution, according to documents in an audit conducted by the agency’s inspector general.