Tuesday was the first working day that gays in the military could apply for benefits after the Pentagon announced it would recognize same-sex marriages.
For the second time in two months, a Cincinnati federal judge granted an order allowing the out-of-state marriage of a gay couple to be recognized in Ohio even though the state bans same-sex marriages.
When the Justice Department announced Thursday that it would not interfere with the enforcement of voter-approved laws that allow recreational pot use in Washington state and Colorado, leaders on both sides of the issue had the same thought: The policy will probably encourage other states to consider similar laws.
As the recall elections — the first of their kind in Colorado’s history — draw closer, the race has swelled from a local scuffle into a proxy battle in the nation’s wrenching fight over gun control.
Gov. Steve Beshear’s all-out support for President Barack Obama’s health care reform law puts him starkly at odds with Kentucky’s senators — McConnell and Rand Paul — who argue that neither the country nor the state can afford a new entitlement program that they say has already raised premiums and kicked people off their existing plans.
Two Lexington County women who were legally married in Washington, D.C., have filed a federal lawsuit in Columbia challenging South Carolina’s Defense of Marriage Law and a 2006 amendment to the state Constitution that expressly banned same-sex marriages.
Even though Walmart threatened to pull the plug on plans for D.C. stores if the City Council passed a bill to force it to pay more than the minimum wage, they passed it anyway. Labor advocates are hoping more cities will follow.
Congress is back, but don’t expect the players in this sad comedy to know or care much about how any pieces of legislation they pass will affect our states, regions or metros.
The California Republican Party’s willingness to embrace unconventional leadership may provide insights into what the GOP will need to do to win elections nationally in the coming era of the white minority.
Indiana’s governor and D.C.’s transit agency got caught up in controversies after removing comments off their social media accounts. The takeaway? Public officials need to learn to keep their fingers off the delete button.
One minute, states are complaining about the federal government meddling in their business. The next, they're imposing dictatorial mandates on localities.
All same-sex couples who are legally married will be recognized as such for federal tax purposes, even if the state where they live does not recognize their union.
Want to keep up with the latest news, policies and practices that impact state and local governments? Get Governing's free, daily newsletter in your inbox. View Sample
Twitter
Facebook
LinkedIn
YouTube
Flickr
RSS
© 2011 e.Republic, Inc. All Rights reserved. |