• Sen. Lautenberg's Death Puts Gov. Christie in Difficult Spot
• 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.
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• Connecticut May Label Genetically Modified Food if Other States do
• 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.

• Police Dogs Not Sniffing for Marijuana Anymore Where It's Legal
• 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.

• D.C. Officials at Odds with Carefirst over Health Exchange
• 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.

• Education Reforms Become Iowa Law
• Source: Des Moines Register   |   Iowa   |   June 4, 2013
• 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.

• Public Will be Excluded from Some Meetings if California Gov. Brown Signs Bill
• 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.

• U.S. Supreme Court: Police Can Take Post-Arrest DNA Samples
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Nation   |   June 3, 2013
• 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.

• Boston Fire Chief Resigns Amid Bombing Bombings Controversy
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Boston   |   June 3, 2013
• Steve Abraira has come under fire from his underlings after he refused to take charge at the Boston Marathon bombing scene.

• Bruce Katz on "The Metropolitan Revolution"
• BY: Bruce J. Katz   |   June 3, 2013
• 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.

• Marijuana Regulation Bill Fails in California Legislature
• BY: McClatchy News   |   California   |   June 3, 2013
• The California Assembly quashed a bill that would have created a state agency to tax and regulate the state's overgrown medical marijuana landscape.

• Court Rules Against California's Execution Method
• BY: McClatchy News   |   California   |   June 3, 2013
• Death penalty supporters want Gov. Brown to challenge a court decision that lethal-injection protocol was not properly reviewed, but other technical hurdles remain.
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• Bankrupt Insurance Companies Cost Florida Taxpayers
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Florida   |   June 3, 2013
• 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.

• Illinois Lawmakers Fail to Pass Pension Reform, Gay Marriage Bills
• Source: Chicago Tribune   |   Illinois   |   June 3, 2013
• But lawmakers did pass measures to expand Medicaid, make Illinois the last state to allow concealed carry, and legalize medical marijuana.

• States' Mental Health Overhaul Concern Advocates
• Source: Politico   |   Nation   |   June 3, 2013
• 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.

• Major Democratic Donors Flock to Gov. Christie
• Source: Newark Star-Ledger   |   New Jersey   |   June 3, 2013
• The checks are flying into the Republican governor’s war chest from all sorts of unlikely places.