Health
Millions of kids could lose health coverage as states purge Medicaid rolls
Millions of parents who take their children to the doctor this year will hear devastating news: “Your Medicaid coverage has been canceled.” That’s because all 50 states are undertaking the biggest reshuffling of health insurance coverage since the Affordable Care Act took effect in 2010. But instead of adding insurance options for people with low […]
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 […]
We’re not kitten: States could move to ban declawing of cats
Lawmakers in more than a dozen states have filed legislation this year to outlaw the declawing of cats, which many animal advocates and some veterinarians say is a cruel deforming of felines’ bodies and impedes their natural instincts to climb and scratch. Maryland last year joined New York, which prohibited declawing in 2019, as the […]
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 […]
Gun Deaths Drive Historic Spike in Child Mortality Rates
After decades of steady improvement, the death rate of America’s children and teens shot up between 2019 and 2021 — and COVID-19 wasn’t the reason. Gun-related deaths represented the largest share of the increase — by far. According to an analysis of the most recent death certificate data from the federal Centers for Disease Control […]
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 […]
After Nashville Shooting, Democratic States Push for New Gun Restrictions
After a shooter killed three elementary school children and three faculty members in Nashville last month, hundreds of student activists flooded the Tennessee state Capitol to demand new gun restrictions. On the state House floor, three Democratic members disrupted proceedings by shouting through bullhorns, calling for a debate on firearm access. But those calls went […]