Source: New York Times | New Jersey |
June 4, 2013
The death of Frank R. Lautenberg on Monday has left Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey with the kind of opportunity that politicians usually covet: the chance to give away a seat in the United States Senate. But the decision is fraught with pitfalls, none bigger than having to choose between improving his party’s fortunes in Washington and furthering his own political ambitions at home.
Source: AP/Businessweek | Connecticut |
June 4, 2013
Legislation requiring special labels on food sold in Connecticut that contains genetically modified ingredients, so long as other states pass similar legislation, is heading to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's desk for his signature.
Source: AP/Seattle Times | Washington state |
June 4, 2013
The newest drug-sniffing dog on a police force in Washington state is one of a few that are not trained to point out pot during searches. Other police departments are considering or in the midst of re-training their dogs to ignore pot as well, part of the new reality in a state where voters last fall legalized marijuana use.
Source: Washington Post | District of Columbia |
June 4, 2013
The city accused CareFirst -- the city’s dominant private health insurer -- of drastically cutting the number of small-business plans it will offer on the insurance exchange.
Gov. Terry Branstad called the education reform bill he signed into law Monday “a turning point in Iowa history,” but it lacks many of the provisions included in the administration’s initial pitch for improved schools.
Source: Los Angeles Times | California |
June 4, 2013
The measure was created in reaction to a legal opinion by a county prosecutor who said a private 2011 meeting between Jerry Brown and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors violated the public's right to see government business being conducted.
More than half of the states now require a DNA mouth swab when people are charged with a serious crime, and many of the others were awaiting a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the constitutionality of the practice.
The founding director of the Brookings Institution's Metropolitan Policy Program discusses how the roles and responsibilities of different levels of government are being irreparably resorted.
Death penalty supporters want Gov. Brown to challenge a court decision that lethal-injection protocol was not properly reviewed, but other technical hurdles remain.
Despite Florida having no major hurricanes in the last seven years, one-third of the insurance companies that have taken over policies previously held by Citizens Property Insurance Corp. have gone belly up -- and cost taxpayers $400 million.
There’s not much controversy among advocates when it comes to restoring funding that states had slashed during the economic lean years. But changing policies on involuntary commitment, or requiring therapists to report potentially dangerous patients, are stirring fears that well-intentioned policies could increase stigma and deter the very people who most need treatment from getting it.
Nationally, six straight years of revenue declines have put enormous pressure on state and local governments, nevertheless, some are thriving. Standard & Poor's, the credit-rating agency, reports that it issued more bond upgrades than downgrades in 2012.
The Medicaid expansion and the Affordable Care Act are in full swing. With the influx of people who will be applying for benefits and the ACA requirement for online enrollment, it is more important than ever to verify the identities of those accessing benefits up front.