• New Jersey Appeals Sports Betting Decision
• Source: Newark Star-Ledger   |   New Jersey   |   March 14, 2013
• New Jersey officials appealed a federal judge’s decision to block legal sports betting in the state, a move that was expected in a high-stakes case that could end up before the nation’s highest court.

• 'Safe Harbor' Gun Bill Sent to Utah Governor
• Source: Salt Lake Tribune   |   Utah   |   March 14, 2013
• The measure would allow people under emotional duress to voluntarily store their firearms at local police stations as a way to diffuse potentially volatile situations in a home.
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• Arizona Gov. Brewer Unveils Medicaid Expansion Bill
• Source: Arizona Republic   |   Arizona   |   March 13, 2013
• Gov. Jan Brewer unveiled draft legislation detailing her plans for expanding Medicaid, while putting a human face on the contentious issue in hopes of convincing skeptical GOP lawmakers whose votes she needs to get it approved.

• Study: Voter ID Laws Hurt Young Minorities
• Source: Politico   |   Nation   |   March 13, 2013
• As a handful of state legislatures around the country consider enacting stricter voter ID laws, a new study finds that young people – and especially young minorities – are disproportionately affected by those laws when they go into effect.
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• Advancing the Debate: Should Teachers Carry Guns?
• BY: J.B. Wogan   |   March 13, 2013
• South Dakota is the first state to explicitly allow school employees to carry guns. Critics fear accidents, while supporters view the law as a way to give districts more autonomy.
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• Florida Lawmakers Reject Medicaid Expansion Despite Governor's Approval
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Florida   |   March 12, 2013
• A Florida Senate committee voted against Medicaid expansion, joining the House in rejecting Gov. Rick Scott's proposal for a three-year trial covered entirely by federal funding.

• Wisconsin Governor Signs Iron Mining Law
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Wisconsin   |   March 12, 2013
• Gov. Scott Walker has signed into law the controversial bill that relaxes permitting requirements for iron mining in the state. Lawsuits are expected to be filed against the state over the changes.

• Federal Agency Refuses to Comply with Part of New York's Gun Law
• Source: Albany Times-Union   |   New York   |   March 12, 2013
• The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs said it will not comply with the provision of New York's new gun control law requiring mental health providers to report potentially dangerous individuals to state authorities.

• Judge Sides with State on Law Banning Ethnic Studies
• Source: Arizona Republic   |   Arizona   |   March 12, 2013
• State officials have won a significant legal battle in a long-running saga over a controversial Tucson schools ethnic-studies program, with a federal judge ruling that a law designed to ban it is constitutional.

• States Crack Down on Third-Graders' Reading Abilities
• Source: Washington Post   |   Nation   |   March 12, 2013
• Thirteen states last year adopted laws that require schools to identify, intervene and, in many cases, retain students who fail a reading proficiency test by the end of third grade. Lawmakers in several other states and the District are debating similar measures.

• Gun Bills Pass Colorado Senate, Head to House
• Source: Denver Post   |   Colorado   |   March 12, 2013
• The Senate passed five bills Monday — two House bills that must go back to the House, two Senate bills that must go to the House and a House bill that now goes to Gov. John Hickenlooper's desk.

• Education Reform Leaves Florida Governor Stuck Between a Rock and Republicans
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Florida   |   March 11, 2013
• Opposing certain bills will land Gov. Rick Scott in the doghouse with Republicans and put him at odds with former Gov. Jeb Bush, whose nonprofit foundation has driven Florida's education agenda for more than a decade.

• South Dakota OKs Law to Allow Guns in Schools
• Source: Christian Science Monitor   |   Nation   |   March 11, 2013
• A day after the Georgia legislature ended bans on guns in bars, churches, and college classrooms, South Dakota passed the first law in the nation aimed expressly at allowing school districts to arm teachers.

• Some States Use 'Dental Therapists' to Fill Care Gaps
• Source: Politico   |   Nation   |   March 11, 2013
• Dental therapists don’t receive as much training as a dentist. But they can perform some of the same basic services under the supervision of a dentist.

• California's Environmental Law Polluted with Abuse
• Source: Los Angeles Times   |   California   |   March 11, 2013
• The California Environmental Quality Act, signed into law by Gov. Ronald Reagan, is being used for unintended purposes and needs fixing.