Justice
Top State Stories 4/10
NC: Will North Carolina be the ‘beginning of the end’ of the Medicaid expansion fight? nytimes.com Intense patient advocacy, shifting politics, a determined Democratic governor and a handful of maverick Republicans led North Carolina to join 39 other states that have expanded Medicaid. ID: Idaho AG walks back opinion on prohibiting referrals for out-of-state abortions idahostatesman.com […]
Top State Stories 4/6
IN: Indiana governor signs bill banning gender-affirming care for minors indystar.com Indiana Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb signed the bill banning gender-affirming health care procedures for transgender minors. Almost immediately, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit to stop it from being implemented. MD: State report shows ‘astonishing’ depravity in child sexual abuse at Maryland archdiocese baltimoresun.com […]
More States Allow Residents With Felony Convictions to Vote
Last week, thousands of people with felony convictions regained the right to vote in New Mexico, the latest in a growing number of states seeking to reintegrate residents into society by allowing them to participate in elections upon leaving prison. New Mexico Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed a wide-reaching voting rights package into law […]
Top State Stories 4/3
MN: Federal judge rules Minnesota’s age limit for carrying handguns unconstitutional startribune.com A federal judge has moved to strike down the Minnesota law barring 18- to 20-year-olds from obtaining permits to carry handguns in public. The decision comes nearly two years after three young adults teamed up with three gun rights advocacy groups to file […]
Top State Stories 3/31
TX, US: Federal judge in Texas strikes down key Affordable Care Act provision regarding preventive care texastribune.org A federal judge in Texas struck down a key provision in the Affordable Care Act that mandates that insurers provide preventive services, including cancer screenings, for free. The judge rules that preventive care recommendations issued by a volunteer […]
Top State Stories 3/30
TN: Tennessee lawmakers delay gun bills after Nashville shooting as advocates demand action tennessean.com Tennessee lawmakers chose to delay hearing a number of proposed bills related to firearms, a decision some gun safety advocates criticized as inaction in the wake of the deadliest school shooting in state history. Prior to Monday’s shooting at The Covenant […]
Top State Stories 3/28
NC: North Carolina expands Medicaid after Republicans drop opposition newsobserver.com North Carolina Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper signed a new law after the Republican-led House and Senate agreed to pass Medicaid expansion, reaching a breakthrough after years of debate. North Carolina is one of just 11 states that has not adopted Medicaid expansion under the federal […]
Top State Stories 3/27
FL: Florida House passes permitless carry bill floridaphoenix.com The Florida House approved legislation along party lines that would allow people to carry guns without being required to obtain a concealed-weapons license, which includes undergoing a training and safety course as well as an additional background check. The measure still needs to clear the state Senate […]
Republicans Try to Rein in ‘Rogue’ Progressive Prosecutors
Vowing to rein in so-called progressive prosecutors, Republican lawmakers in at least half a dozen states are pushing bills that would curb the discretion that local district attorneys have in deciding which crimes to prosecute — and, in some cases, make it easier to remove those elected officials from office. GOP backers say the legislation […]
Top State Stories 3/21
SD: South Dakota governor signs bills for stricter sentences, more prisons argusleader.com South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem signed bills into law that will allow more prisons to be built, change the definitions for rape and force longer sentences for some crimes before parole eligibility kicks in. MN: Minnesota House passes bill to shield abortion providers, out-of-state […]
Top State Stories 3/13
AK: Biden to approve huge Alaska oil project today, two officials say nytimes.com The Biden administration will formally approve a huge oil drilling project in Alaska known as Willow, according to two people familiar with the decision, despite widespread opposition because of its likely environmental and climate impacts. The president also will impose sweeping restrictions […]
Top State Stories 3/10
FL: Proposed Florida abortion ban would require rape victims to show proof to get exception orlandosentinel.com Floridians who are raped would need to show evidence of that crime if they want an exception under the legislature’s proposed six-week abortion ban, a requirement that advocates say would traumatize victims of sexual violence even more. AR: Arkansas […]