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: The News Journal | Delaware |
April 18, 2013
Non-violent felons will now be able to vote immediately after discharging their criminal sentences according to an amendment passed by the Senate removing a constitutional provision barring felons from voting for five years after the fulfillment of their punishments.
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.
Pot backers took the first step toward getting the measure on the August 2014 primary ballot, presenting draft language and 100 signatures to the Alaska lieutenant governor's office.
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.
A little more than a month after the state’s Legislature made history by passing the earliest abortion ban in the nation, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Reproductive Rights filed suit in federal court against the ban — arguing it flies in the face of Roe v. Wade.
Source: Bloomberg News | New York City |
April 17, 2013
Anthony Weiner, the former U.S. congressman who resigned in 2011 after engaging in lewd online behavior, is running second among Democratic candidates for mayor of New York even though he hasn’t entered the race, a Marist College poll showed.
A new report shows that reducing penalties for prostitution and sending more defendants to diversion programs would decrease the practice and save the state money. A bill that would follow that recommendation is under consideration by the legislature.
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.
No longer in denial about its dwindling numbers and diminished political power, organized labor unions are exploring new, potentially risky approaches for growing their memberships.
Source: AP/Newark Star-Ledger | New Jersey |
April 15, 2013
At the end of a four-year phase-in, households earning up to $400,000 would receive an income tax credit equivalent to 10 percent of their property tax bill. Last year, New Jersey homeowners paid had the nation's highest average property tax bill of $7,900.
Source: Chicago Tribune | Illinois |
April 15, 2013
Illinois Republican Chairman Pat Brady survived a move to immediately oust him as party chairman over his support for same-sex marriage, but top state GOP leaders approved a succession strategy that could find him replaced within the next six weeks.
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.