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Top State Stories: Washington bans sale of AR-15s and other semi-automatic rifles
WA: Washington bans sale of AR-15s and other semi-automatic rifles, effective immediately seattletimes.com Washington has become the 10th state to prohibit sales of AR-15s and dozens of other semi-automatic rifles, as Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee signed the ban into law, effective immediately. The state Capitol was closed to the public for the signing ceremony out […]
Top State Stories: Texas House passes first school safety bill in response to Uvalde shooting
TX: Texas House passes first school safety bill in response to Uvalde shooting texastribune.org The Texas House gave initial approval to a school safety bill that would require school districts to have an armed person at every campus and to conduct safety inspections at school buildings. It is still unclear whether lawmakers will listen to […]
Top State Stories: Tennessee governor calls in special legislative session on guns
TN: Tennessee governor calls in special legislative session on guns tennessean.com Less than two hours after the state legislature adjourned until 2024, Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee announced plans to call lawmakers back, probably within weeks, for a special legislative session focused on gun laws. In the final days of the legislative session, Lee made […]
Top State Stories: North Carolina Republicans are coalescing around a 12-week abortion ban
NC: North Carolina Republicans are coalescing around a 12-week abortion ban, House speaker says newsobserver.com North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore said he believes Republicans in the House and Senate are “really close” to reaching a consensus on what new abortion restrictions should look like. The state currently bans abortion after 20 weeks. FL: Florida governor signs […]
Top State Stories: No-permit concealed carry passes Nebraska legislature
NE: No-permit concealed carry passes Nebraska legislature journalstar.com If signed by GOP Gov. Jim Pillen as expected, the bill will allow Nebraskans 21 and older to carry concealed weapons without a permit statewide. It will apply statewide and invalidate any local ordinances limiting that ability. OH: Ohio Senate OKs plan to make it harder to amend state […]
Top State Stories: Missouri self-defense laws criticized in Ralph Yarl shooting
MO: Missouri self-defense laws criticized in Ralph Yarl shooting kansascity.com Anger among Missouri lawmakers has been building in the wake of the shooting, in part because of a sense among Democrats, gun control activists and some residents that the state’s gun laws have contributed to an atmosphere where residents feel too comfortable pulling the trigger. Republicans, […]
Top State Stories: New Tennessee survey finds strong bipartisan support for gun safety
TN: New Tennessee survey finds strong bipartisan support for gun safety, laws tennessean.com A survey of registered Tennessee voters taken after last month’s shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville finds strong bipartisan support for gun safety measures, including background checks and so-called red flag laws. The poll found that 88% of respondents support background checks for gun […]
Top State Stories: Ohio governor delays 3 inmates’ executions
OH: Ohio governor delays 3 inmates’ executions cleveland.com Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine issued three reprieves of execution, citing issues with obtaining drugs for lethal injection. DeWine has repeatedly expressed his concern that if pharmaceutical companies find that Ohio used its drugs to put people to death, they will refuse to sell any of its drugs […]
Top State Stories 4/14
FL: Florida governor signs 6-week abortion ban. Next step is up to state Supreme Court miamiherald.com Late Thursday night, in a private ceremony in his office, Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill to ban most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. The legislation prohibits abortion in most cases after six weeks, with exceptions […]
Top State Stories 4/13
WA: Amid post-Roe landscape, Washington state lawmakers pass abortion ‘shield law’ seattletimes.com The Washington state Senate passed a “shield law” that blocks local cooperation with out-of-state efforts to pursue criminal and civil cases related to abortion, sending the legislation to Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee. The bill, passed by the House in February, prevents abortion-related subpoenas, extradition […]
Top State Stories 4/12
US: After Texas ruling, Democratic states move to stockpile abortion pills nytimes.com A federal judge’s decision to invalidate the F.D.A.’s 23-year-old approval of mifepristone could affect availability even in states where abortion is legal. States led by Democrats have been scrambling to adjust to a possible future without it. Among the efforts, Massachusetts Democratic Gov. […]
Top State Stories 4/11
TN: Expelled Tennessee lawmaker returns to legislature after unanimous Nashville council appointment tennessean.com Democratic state Rep. Justin Jones left the Tennessee Capitol April 6, expelled from the House of Representatives for leading a gun-safety protest from the floor following a deadly Nashville school shooting. On Monday, hundreds of jubilant supporters marched alongside him as he walked up the […]