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• Citing Obamacare, Local Governments Cut Workers' Hours Across the Nation
• Aug. 23, 2013
• Many cash-strapped cities and counties facing the prospect of shelling out hundreds of thousands of dollars in new health-care costs under the Affordable Care Act are opting instead to reduce the number of hours their part-time employees work.

• 3 States Link Health Exchanges to Voter Registration
• Aug. 22, 2013
• So far, just three states have officially said they’ll link the health exchanges and voter registration. But whether the rest will – or will be required to under federal law – is an open question that will likely lead to court battles and at least a temporary patchwork approach nationwide.

• 'Hot Air' Balloon Rides Part of Michigan's Heated Medicaid Expansion Debate
• Aug. 22, 2013
• Americans For Prosperity-Michigan, meanwhile, will offer free hot air balloon rides on Thursday in Kalamazoo and Caledonia. The Medicaid expansion opponents say the balloon rides will highlight the preponderance of "hot air" in the ongoing debate.

• N.J. Town Cuts Public Workers' Hours to Avoid Insuring Them Under Obamacare
• Aug. 21, 2013
• The law, often called Obamacare, requires that employers, including schools and municipalities, offer health care coverage for these workers or face an annual penalty of anywhere from $2,000 to up to $3,000 per employee.

• One of Obamacare's Biggest Critics, Texas Gov. Perry Seeks Cash from Law
• Aug. 21, 2013
• Gov. Rick Perry wants to kill Obamacare dead, but Texas health officials are in talks with the Obama administration about accepting an estimated $100 million available through the health law to care for the elderly and disabled, POLITICO has learned.

• Citizens, Public Officials Urge Florida Lawmakers to Reform DCF in Wake of 20 Child Deaths
• Aug. 21, 2013
• Since mid-April, at least 20 children known to the Department of Children & Families have died, mostly from abuse or neglect, some of them in particularly brutal ways.

• Christie Bans Gay Conversion Therapy for Minors
• Aug. 20, 2013
• Governor Christie signed a law banning the use of a practice known as gay conversion therapy on minors Monday, using the opportunity to once again detail his position on homosexuality and draw a distinction between himself and conservative Republicans.

• Judge Blocks Oklahoma's Morning-After Pill Law That's Contrary to U.S. Law
• Aug. 20, 2013
• The federal government removed restrictions on the purchase of emergency contraceptives in June. The Oklahoma Legislature subsequently passed a law that required purchasers to show identification and, if age 17 or under, to have a prescription.

• Christie OKs Medical Marijuana for Kids But Conditionally Vetoes Bill
• Aug. 19, 2013
• Gov. Chris Christie agreed today to make it easier for severely ill children to participate in the medical marijuana program, but said he would not go along with one provision of the measure and sent it back to the state Legislature.

• Rapid Rehousing: A New Way to Head Off Homelessness
• Aug. 19, 2013
• Officials in Washington and across the country are pushing rapid rehousing as the most promising way to help homeless families move out of shelters and motels and become self-sufficient.

• Auditor Says California Not Watching Mental Health Funds
• Aug. 16, 2013
• Nearly a decade after California voters approved a multibillion-dollar tax increase to improve mental health services, the state has failed to provide proper oversight of county programs funded by the measure, a state audit concluded. Critics say many severely ill people aren't getting help. State Auditor Elaine Howle looked at the last six years, during which almost $7.4 billion from the Mental Health Services Act was directed to counties for mental health programs.

• $67 Million Awarded to Groups Helping With Health Law
• Aug. 16, 2013
• The Obama administration awarded $67 million to 105 groups around the country that will serve as "navigators" to help the uninsured understand their options under the new health-care law and sign up for coverage. The administration had initially planned to spend less — $54 million — but Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of health and human services, said that she had no choice but to tap a $13 million prevention fund because Congress refused to provide money for outreach and education activities.

• Court Allows Oklahoma’s Obamacare Challenge to Proceed
• Aug. 14, 2013
• Oklahoma won court approval to proceed with a federal lawsuit challenging tax aspects of President Barack Obama’s 2010 health-care legislation.

• Agencies Taking a Second Look at Kinship Care
• Aug. 13, 2013
• In many children and families agencies, placing foster care children with their relatives was previously taboo.

• New Illinois Law Seizes Gambling Winnings from Deadbeat Dads
• Aug. 13, 2013
• Gov. Pat Quinn has signed into law a bill that allows gambling winnings to be seized to pay past-due child support. The bill is effective immediately.