• Washington May Shift Public Workers onto Health Exchange
• Source: AP/Oregonian   |   Washington state   |   April 26, 2013
• Washington state appears to be the first major government to seriously explore the possibility of pushing public employees into the exchange, but it probably won't be the last.

• Feds' Medicaid Announcement Could be Game-Changer in Arizona
• Source: Arizona Republic   |   Arizona   |   April 26, 2013
• Federal health officials dealt a blow to opponents of Medicaid expansion, saying they’re unlikely to fund a slimmed-down version of the state’s indigent-health-care program as the political battle over the issue intensified.

• Court Says Marijuana Use is Grounds for Firing in Colorado
• Source: AP/Denver Post   |   Colorado   |   April 26, 2013
• Medical and recreational marijuana may be legal in Colorado, but employers in the state can lawfully fire workers who test positive for the drug, even if it was used off duty, according to a court ruling.
• 1 Comments

• Gun-Control Package in New Jersey Senate May Not Get Consideration
• Source: Newark Star-Ledger   |   New Jersey   |   April 26, 2013
• Senate President Stephen Sweeney’s push to stiffen the state’s gun laws got off to a rocky start as the Assembly majority leader warned the package of measures was dead on arrival because it wasn’t tough enough, and a national group of mayors abruptly put off its endorsement.

• The 5 States Facing Gay Marriage Battles Next
• Source: USA Today   |   Nation   |   April 26, 2013
• As Rhode Island is set to become the 10th state to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry, gay marriage supporters are shifting their focus to other states.

• Prison Gang Scandal Leaves Maryland Lawmakers Asking How, Why
• Source: Baltimore Sun   |   Maryland   |   April 26, 2013
• Maryland lawmakers called for a sweeping inquiry into the state prison system, amid allegations that a gang effectively took over the Baltimore City Detention Center, orchestrating crimes from behind bars and impregnating female correctional officers who helped smuggle in contraband.

• Vote on Online Sales Tax Bill Delayed
• Source: AP/USA Today   |   Nation   |   April 26, 2013
• A final vote was delayed until May after senators return from a weeklong vacation.

• Christie Vetoes Bill to Create Oversight of Sandy Aid
• Source: Newark Star-Ledger   |   New Jersey   |   April 26, 2013
• Gov. Chris Christie vetoed a bill requiring oversight of billions of dollars in federal aid for Hurricane Sandy, despite Democratic objections, calling the measure redundant and wasteful.

• Indiana Gov. Pence Wins 5% Income Tax Cut
• Source: Indianapolis Star   |   Indiana   |   April 26, 2013
• After months of arm-twisting and campaigning, Gov. Mike Pence will get half the tax cut he wanted from the Indiana General Assembly — a 5 percent reduction in the individual income tax that he’s calling a great victory.

• Texas-Oklahoma Water War Could Have National Implications
• BY: Stateline   |   Nation   |   April 25, 2013
• A decision in a case before the U.S. Supreme Court could unleash a flood of litigation asking courts to crack open some of the more than 30 compacts that determine how states share water.

• Boston Bomber Case Must Balance State and Federal Roles
• BY: Stateline   |   Massachusetts   |   April 25, 2013
• The accused Boston bomber may face the death penalty as a result of federal charges filed against him, even though his crimes were committed in a state where the death penalty is outlawed.

• Before Health Reform Kicks In, Maryland Insurer Requests 25% Premium Hike
• Source: Washington Post   |   Maryland   |   April 25, 2013
• Maryland’s biggest health insurer proposed raising premiums for individual policies by an average of 25 percent next year, saying that President Obama’s health law would require it to accept even the sickest applicants, driving up costs.

• Why Didn't 2,400 Tons of Ammonium Nitrate at Texas Plant Raise Regulatory Concerns?
• Source: Dallas Morning News   |   Texas   |   April 25, 2013
• How a fire caused the ammonium nitrate to detonate is the focus of federal and state investigations into the explosion.
• 1 Comments

• Washington's Marijuana Law Impairs All Pot Prosecutions
• Source: AP/Seattle Times   |   Washington state   |   April 25, 2013
• Prosecutors and crime-lab scientists say a little-noticed provision in Washington’s new law legalizing recreational marijuana has jeopardized their ability to go after any pot crimes at all, and they’re calling for an immediate fix in the Legislature.

• Study: Marijuana Legalization May Not Pay for Itself in Colorado
• Source: Denver Post   |   Colorado   |   April 25, 2013
• Legal marijuana in Colorado may not bring in enough money to cover the societal costs of legalization, a new study from a Colorado State University think tank concludes.
• 2 Comments

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