• As Maryland Votes on Capital Punishment, 5 Wait on Death Row
• Source: Washington Post   |   Maryland   |   February 26, 2013
• As the state Senate prepares to vote this week on whether Maryland should abolish capital punishment, the Evans case illustrates what can happen when the death penalty exists but is not enforced.

• School Gun Bill Passes North Dakota House
• Source: Bismarck Tribune   |   North Dakota   |   February 26, 2013
• The North Dakota House passed a bill that would allow people with concealed weapon permits to carry guns on school grounds.

• Fracking Debate Heating Up in States
• BY: Stateline   |   Nation   |   February 25, 2013
• Some lawmakers want to open up their states to fracking, while others hope to impose moratoriums.

• Supreme Court to Weigh States’ Rights vs. Voting Rights
• BY: Stateline   |   Nation   |   February 25, 2013
• At issue is Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, which requires all or part of 16 states to get any changes to election law pre-approved by the feds.
• 1 Comments

• Nevada Races to Pass Online Gaming Bill Before New Jersey
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Nevada   |   February 22, 2013
• The new law allows Nevada to move ahead with online poker in the absence of federal action and to join in interstate compacts that would expand the customer base for Nevada casinos.

• States Consider Requiring Gun Insurance
• Source: New York Times   |   Nation   |   February 22, 2013
• Lawmakers in at least half a dozen states, including California, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania, have proposed legislation this year that would require gun owners to buy liability insurance.
• 3 Comments

• 22 Gun Bills Pass New Jersey Assembly Despite Republicans' Objection
• Source: Newark Star-Ledger   |   New Jersey   |   February 22, 2013
• The bills have a long way to go, though. They have to be approved by the full Senate and signed by Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, who sounded a skeptical note.

• Wyoming Gov. Mead Vetoes Parts of Budget Bill
• Source: AP/Casper Star Tribune   |   Wyoming   |   February 22, 2013
• Saying he objected to requiring state agencies to prepare detailed plans for spending cuts in advance of revenue projections from state financial analysts, the governor vetoed language that would require state agencies to spell out a range of possible future budget cuts.

• Union Dues Bill Dies in Arizona
• Source: Arizona Republic   |   Arizona   |   February 22, 2013
• The defeat means the bill is dead, and could signal rough sailing for other anti-union bills.

• Municipal-Broadband Battle Spreads to Georgia
• BY: Government Technology   |   Georgia   |   February 21, 2013
• Georgia is the latest battleground in a conflict pitting big-name telecommunications providers against local governments looking to get into the Internet business to provide better connectivity for residents.
• 3 Comments

• Foster Parents Allowed to Unionize Under Oregon Bill
• Source: Oregonian   |   Oregon   |   February 21, 2013
• Foster parents would be considered public employees allowed to form, join and participate in unions.

• Bipartisan Immigration Plan Opposed by Arizona Republicans
• Source: Politico   |   Arizona   |   February 20, 2013
• All four Republican Arizona House members penned a letter voicing opposition to the bipartisan immigration proposal rolled out in the Senate by the Gang of Eight, a group led in part by Arizona Sen. John McCain.

• On Abortion, New York Gov. Cuomo Bucks Trend
• Source: New York Times   |   New York   |   February 20, 2013
• Bucking a trend in which states have been seeking to restrict abortion, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo is putting the finishing touches on legislation that would guarantee women in New York the right to late-term abortions when their health is in danger or the fetus is not viable.

• Maryland Gov. O’Malley Agrees to Tougher Gun Laws Aimed at Mentally Ill
• Source: Washington Post   |   Maryland   |   February 20, 2013
• Under the governor’s modified plan, Maryland would adopt a law similar to one passed in Virginia after the 2007 massacre at Virginia Tech that would prohibit anyone involuntarily committed to a public or private mental health facility for any length of time from purchasing a gun.
• 1 Comments

• 4 Gun Bills Clear Colorado House
• Source: Denver Post   |   Colorado   |   February 19, 2013
• A package of four Democratic gun-control bills cleared the Colorado House and is headed to the Democrat-led Senate, where the votes could be close.