• U.S. Lawmakers Quietly Drafting Bills to Legalize Marijuana
• Source: AP/Newark Star-Ledger   |   Nation   |   February 5, 2013
• While passage this year could be a longshot, lawmakers from both parties have been quietly working on several bills to legalize the industrial production of hemp and establish a hefty federal pot tax.
• 3 Comments

• North Carolina GOP Lawmakers Vote to Block Medicaid Expansion, Health Exchanges
• Source: Raleigh News & Observer   |   North Carolina   |   February 5, 2013
• Despite last-minute objections from Gov. Pat McCrory, the Republican-led state Senate pushed through legislation that will prevent nearly 650,000 residents from getting health insurance and block the state from establishing a health care exchange.

• Florida Doctors Fight for Right to Discuss Gun Safety
• Source: Orlando Sentinel   |   Florida   |   February 5, 2013
• A 2011 state law promoted by gun lobbyists prohibits doctors from asking about gun ownership unless it serves a clear medical purpose. And some doctors were surprised by a provision tucked into the Affordable Care Act that they say could discourage discussions with patients about gun safety.

• Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett's 2013 State of the State Speech
• BY: Gov. Tom Corbett   |   Pennsylvania   |   February 5, 2013
• Read the full text and view which words were uttered most.

• Most States Lack Consumer Protection Laws in Line with Federal Health Law
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Nation   |   February 4, 2013
• If the 39 states that have not enacted their own laws codifying these protections don't do so, the federal government could step in to guarantee them.

• Republicans Rethinking Strategy for Social Issues
• BY: Stateline   |   Nation   |   February 4, 2013
• In state capitols all across the country, Republicans are coming to terms with a 2012 election in which social and cultural issues worked decisively against them.

• Lessons from Immigration Reform in 1986
• Source: Washington Post   |   Nation   |   February 4, 2013
• As President Obama and lawmakers from both parties begin to take their first tentative steps toward again rewriting the nation’s immigration laws, opponents warn that they are repeating the mistakes of the 1986 act, which failed to solve the problems that it set out to address.

• Bills That Take on Federal Government Highlight Political Divide in Indiana
• Source: Indianapolis Star   |   Indiana   |   February 4, 2013
• A handful of bills aimed at asserting Indiana's sovereignty in a variety of ways are languishing with no likelihood of getting a hearing, much less a vote.

• Seattle City Council Weighs Public Financing of Campaigns
• Source: The Seattle Times   |   Seattle, Wash.   |   February 1, 2013
• To counter the influence of money in city politics and open the door to more challengers, the Seattle City Council is considering adopting a public-financing program for city elections.

• Gay Rights Bill Moves Forward in Wyoming
• Source: The Los Angeles Times   |   Wyoming   |   February 1, 2013
• In an action hailed by gay rights activists as a turning point in a solidly conservative state, a bill that would allow same-sex couples most of the legal rights of heterosexual couples cleared a Wyoming subcommittee by a 7-2 vote and is headed to consideration in the full House.

• Utah Considers Bill to Bar Sex Offenders from School Boards
• Source: The Salt Lake Tribune   |   Utah   |   February 1, 2013
• Lawmakers are debating a bill that would prohibit sex offenders from running for school boards -- a piece of legislation authored after a registered sex offender ran for a seat on the Granite Board of Education last year.

• The Income Tax Rebellion: Can It Work?
• BY: Liz Farmer   |   January 31, 2013
• The loudest collective rallying cry from governors this year is not over the usual themes of growing jobs and having a more competitive economy. This year, the buzz is all about the race to zero.
• 13 Comments

• Giving Immigrants In-State Tuition Has GOP Support in Colorado
• Source: Denver Post   |   Colorado   |   January 31, 2013
• A handful of Republicans who acknowledge they may support Senate Bill 33, this year's measure that would grant the in-state tuition rate to any high school graduate who has attended a Colorado high school for three years, regardless of immigration status.
• 1 Comments

• Iceland Writes the World's 1st Crowdsourced Constitution
• BY: Liz Farmer   |   February 2013
• Some U.S. cities have dabbled in crowdsourcing -- asking citizens to help solve problems via the Internet -- but replicating Iceland’s approach on such a large scale may be hard.

• Local Pot Laws Conflict with National Policies Worldwide
• BY: Donald F. Kettl   |   February 2013
• The United States isn't the only place where local marijuana policies clash with national laws. Even Amsterdam and the Dutch government have struggled with this tension. Read the rest of Governing's first-ever International Issue here.