The federal government's failure to pass comprehensive federal immigration reform has put the onus on state lawmakers to tackle legislation on matters they can control such as granting in-state tuition and driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants.
Source: New York Times | New York |
April 19, 2013
As New York this week became one of the first states to unveil a set of exams grounded in new curricular standards, education leaders are finding that rallying the public behind tougher tests may be more difficult than they expected.
Since 9/11, law enforcement agencies have used federal grants to buy surveillance cameras for areas across the country plagued by crime or potentially targeted for terrorism.
Western Governors Association wants the U.S. Forest Service to do more to protect millions of acres of federal forests ravaged in recent years by invasive pests and wildfires by expanding its use of public-private partnerships.
President Obama’s ambitious effort to overhaul the nation’s gun laws in response to December’s school massacre in Connecticut suffered a resounding defeat Wednesday, when every major proposal he championed fell apart on the Senate floor.
Source: Kansas City Star | Missouri |
April 18, 2013
More than 30 other states and the Obama administration had joined Missouri in asking justices to give officers almost complete discretion in drawing blood samples without a warrant.
A new report by the Congressional Research Service finds that the Federal government may face an uphill legal battle if it wishes to enforce Federal laws banning Marijuana in states that have legalized it.
With no requirements for background checks on most private transactions, sites selling guns function as unregulated bazaars, where the essential anonymity of the Internet allows unlicensed sellers to advertise and people legally barred from gun ownership to buy.
Source: Washington Post | Florida |
April 17, 2013
The lawsuit — backed by local teachers unions and their parent organization, the National Education Association — marks the first time teachers have brought a legal challenge to new evaluation systems that base compensation and job security on student scores.
Sharp partisan disagreement over the cause of last fall’s meningitis outbreak became apparent as House Republicans accused the U.S. Food and Drug Administration of ignoring numerous warning signs about compounding pharmacies.
Source: Chicago Tribune | Illinois |
April 16, 2013
Gov. Pat Quinn and Attorney General Lisa Madigan both suggested that the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to turn down an appeal of New York's tough gun law could boost Illinois lawmakers' attempts to set strict limits on who gets to carry concealed weapons.
Source: Clarion-Ledger | Mississippi |
April 16, 2013
The ruling prevents the state from closing the clinic while it has a federal lawsuit pending to challenge a 2012 law requiring the clinic’s physicians to have hospital privileges.
Is your state ready for Marketplace open enrollment in October 2013?
In a few short months, millions of uninsured Americans will qualify for affordable healthcare coverage either through Medicaid, CHIP or tax subsidies.