Labor
Expiration of Title 42 border rule prompts much rhetoric, less action
The end of a pandemic-era policy that allowed U.S. border authorities to quickly turn back some migrants has prompted a mixed reaction from state and local governments, including new restrictions on immigrant workers, beefed up border enforcement and entreaties for more federal help. But unlike the 2010s, when conservative states such as Alabama, Arizona and […]
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 […]
With fire departments struggling for volunteers, states respond to the alarm
When firefighters show up to a blaze or medical emergency across much of the United States, they most likely are volunteers. It’s also likely the department is understaffed, struggling to replace old equipment and facing uncertainty about its next generation of firefighters. “So much of our country relies on the volunteer fire service,” said Kimberly […]
Cities shrink but immigrants help stem population losses
Continuing a pandemic trend, Americans are moving to the South and Southwest and from cities to the suburbs in search of more space and homes they can afford, recent government data indicates. But immigration, which is starting to bounce back from pandemic lows, has helped mitigate population loss in major cities. A Stateline analysis of […]
With Workers Scarce, Some States Seek to Loosen Child Labor Laws
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — In the past two years, lawmakers in at least 11 states have sought to loosen child labor laws to help employers fill empty jobs, even as federal officials and news investigations suggest that many minors working in manufacturing, meatpacking and construction jobs are being exploited or hurt. The unemployment rate sits at […]
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 […]
States Feel Budget Pinch Amid Darkening Revenue Projections
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct a reference to personal income in Washington state. After two years of record tax collections, budget writers in some states are starting to feel a revenue pinch created by a slumping stock market, banking and tech layoffs, slower consumer spending and lower energy prices. Buoyed by […]
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 4/4
FL: Florida governor signs permitless carry gun bill into law tampabay.com Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law a bill that lets people carry guns without a permit and without any training. People who are otherwise prohibited from carrying a gun under state and federal law — such as people with felony records and certain disqualifying misdemeanors — […]
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 […]
A 4-Day Workweek Gains Lawmaker Support in Some States
The Original Oyster House, billed as Pittsburgh’s oldest restaurant, found itself in crisis during the pandemic. Down to seven employees — including owner Jen Grippo and her mother — the staff worked six or seven days a week to keep up with orders. Grippo closed the Oyster House entirely in January 2021, determined to give […]