Tag: State Legislatures

What College Applicants Really Think About Republicans’ Campus Panic

The moral panic about “woke” campuses has metastasized into actual legislation, and not just in the swampy idylls of Florida. Last week the governor of Alabama signed a bill that purports to limit the teaching of “divisive” topics in its colleges and universities. The bill is similar to Florida’s ban on diversity, equity and inclusion […]

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Bill Seeks Reparations for Families Displaced From Site of Dodger Stadium

A bill introduced in the California Legislature on Friday will seek reparations for the families of people who were displaced from their homes in Los Angeles in the 1950s on land that eventually became the site of Dodger Stadium. The bill, introduced by Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo, Democrat of Los Angeles, came after years of calls […]

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Minnesota Republican Opposes Gun-Safety Bill Because Murderous Cows

But in a bizarre rant on his social media platform last week, the GOP presidential pick admitted that he actually has half a billion dollars in cash, which he decided would be better used to fund his presidential campaign than pay back the state of New York for defrauding its taxpayers, banks, and businesses. “THROUGH […]

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​Should Wildlife Advocates Help Set Hunting Rules in Vermont?

Legislators in Vermont are considering shaking up the state board that drafts hunting and fishing rules — by adding members who don’t hunt or fish. The proposal has touched off fierce disagreement between hunters and wildlife protection advocates in a state known for both its progressive politics and its traditional rural culture, steeped for generations […]

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States Have Spent $25 Billion to Woo Hollywood. Is It Worth It?

Michigan desperately wanted a Hollywood makeover. And for $500 million, studios were more than happy to help. When the state started writing checks in 2008 from one of the nation’s most generous film incentive programs, productions flocked there, making box-office hits like Clint Eastwood’s “Gran Torino,” Sam Raimi’s “Oz the Great and Powerful” and Zack […]

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Republican States Eye Immigration Legislation Similar to Texas

On Tuesday, the same day that Texas was briefly allowed to enforce a new law empowering police officers to arrest unauthorized migrants, Iowa lawmakers passed a bill that would make it a crime to enter their state after having been deported or denied entry into the United States. At least seven states, all controlled by […]

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A Nebraska Lawmaker Incites Outrage Over the Reading of a Book’s Rape Scene

A Republican state lawmaker in Nebraska wanted to make a point about explicit content in school-sanctioned books. But his decision to name two Democrats during his reading of a graphic rape scene has led to calls for his resignation. During a debate on Monday about legislation that would tighten restrictions on the content of books […]

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Taxing the Rich, School Funding, Housing: N.Y. Budget Battle Begins

What do free bus rides, new taxes on the wealthy and a stiff drink in a movie theater have in common? All three have the support of lawmakers in the New York State Legislature. These ideas and thousands of others were tucked into the Senate and Assembly budget proposals released this week, offering a glimpse […]

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It’s Getting Harder to Sue Pesticide Companies for Making People Sick

The EPA’s pesticides office seems to suffer from a severe case of regulatory capture. One EPA official reportedly told a Monsanto lobbyist in 2015 that he was trying to stop another agency’s investigation into glyphosate, and added, “If I can kill this I should get a medal.” And a retired EPA scientist told Al Jazeera […]

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Sick Because of Roundup? These Bills Could Make Suing Impossible.

The EPA’s pesticides office seems to suffer from a severe case of regulatory capture. One EPA official reportedly told a Monsanto lobbyist in 2015 that he was trying to stop another agency’s investigation into glyphosate, and added, “If I can kill this I should get a medal.” And a retired EPA scientist told Al Jazeera […]

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The Billionaires’ Secret Plan to Solve California’s Housing Crisis

Fact-checking by Susan Lee. The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Mike Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle […]

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NY Senate Democrats Propose a Plan to Fix the Housing Crisis

To address a growing housing crisis, leaders in New York’s State Senate are set to propose sweeping legislation on Monday that would encourage new construction, establish new tenant protections and also revive some older ideas for building affordable housing. Among them: the creation of a new public benefit corporation that would finance housing construction on […]

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Takeaways From the Texas Primary: Ken Paxton Ousts Some of His Enemies

The primary election in Texas on Tuesday was among the most expensive and hard-fought in state history, as factions of the Republican Party battled for control. It was in large part a referendum on the fate of moderate Republicans in the Texas House, which impeached the Republican attorney general and blocked some hard-right priorities last […]

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Alabama IVF Protection Bill Will Reopen Clinics but Curb Patient Rights

The Alabama legislature on Wednesday is expected to pass legislation that will make it possible for fertility clinics in the state to reopen without the specter of crippling lawsuits. But the measure, hastily written and expected to pass by a huge bipartisan margin, does not address the legal question that led to clinic closings and […]

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With Sweeping New Laws, Louisiana Embraces Tough-on-Crime Approach

In 2017, Louisiana overhauled its criminal justice system with broad bipartisan support, all in an effort to lose the distinction of having the nation’s highest incarceration rate. Sentences were reduced. Opportunities for parole were expanded. Alternatives to prison were introduced. But seven years later, the state is sending a very different message: Those days are […]

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Paid Family Caregivers in Indiana Face Steep Cutbacks

Kacey Poynter doesn’t have to commute far to clock in for work. She’s a paid caregiver and simply rolls out of bed to tend to her charge: her 2-year-old son, who sleeps in a portable playpen right beside her. Sonny was born with a congenital malformation that impaired his brain development and needs near continuous […]

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Albany Should Pass Parole Reforms

Scientists have found that most cells in our bodies regenerate every seven to 10 years on average. This includes certain cells in the heart and brain. Can we assume, then, that our moral and emotional compasses are also capable of transforming over time? As a New York State parole commissioner for 12 years, I evaluated […]

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Why ‘Fetal Personhood’ Is Roiling the Right

In vitro fertilization creates life, in the most literal sense. The procedure offers a chance to make a baby, with eggs that are fertilized and develop into embryos in a lab. I.V.F. has helped countless people have children, including couples struggling with infertility and an increasing number of L.G.B.T.Q. parents. In a sense, it’s the […]

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In Texas Primary, a Brawl Among Republicans for Party Control

Rarely have intraparty battles between Republicans in Texas been as bitter, protracted and consequential as the primary contests culminating in Election Day on Tuesday. The fights have primarily focused on members of the Texas House who angered many conservative voters last year by impeaching the Republican attorney general, Ken Paxton, on charges of corruption and […]

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Alabama Lawmakers Advance Bills in a Race to Protect IVF

Alabama lawmakers overwhelmingly advanced legislation on Thursday that would shield doctors, clinics and hospitals offering in vitro fertilization treatment, clearing a major hurdle in their race to enshrine protections for reproductive medicine into law. The scramble comes after a State Supreme Court ruling this month found that, under Alabama law, frozen embryos should be considered […]

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New Wisconsin Legislative Maps Diminish G.O.P. Advantage

Gov. Tony Evers of Wisconsin signed into law on Monday new legislative maps that could drastically alter the state’s balance of power, giving Democrats a chance to win control of the state’s legislature for the first time in more than a decade. “When I promised I wanted fair maps — not maps that are better […]

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Utah School Board Member Is Censured After Questioning Student’s Gender

A Utah State Board of Education member was stripped of her committee assignments and asked to resign this week after she questioned the gender of a high school basketball player in a Facebook post. Natalie Cline, the board member, posted a flyer for a high school basketball team in Salt Lake County on Feb. 6 […]

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To Save San Francisco, a Democrat Wants to Scrap Environmental Reviews

Not long ago, it would have sounded preposterous: A San Francisco Democrat asking to peel back California’s treasured environmental protections in the heart of the city. It would have been like painting the Golden Gate Bridge gray or cheering on the Los Angeles Dodgers. It just would not have flown. But as California grows more […]

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$2.4 Billion Is Not Enough for New York’s Migrant Crisis, Adams Says

With the migrant crisis continuing to roil New York City, Mayor Eric Adams appeared to score a win last month when the governor vowed to commit $2.4 billion — more than double last year’s proposal — to cover the costs of caring for the tens of thousands of people who have arrived in New York […]

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Oregon’s Decriminalized Drugs Debate Is Full of High Stakes

In February 2021, Oregon decriminalized possession of small amounts of all drugs, via a ballot initiative known as Measure 110. The idea was to treat addiction as a public health problem, based on overwhelming evidence that jailing people for having small amounts of drugs for personal use is both ineffective and counterproductive. Since then, decriminalization […]

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​This Florida Mall Has Gucci, Prada … and Soon, Affordable Housing?

In Bal Harbour, Fla., an oceanside village north of Miami Beach, a luxury mall says it wants to help tackle one of the nation’s — and Florida’s — most intractable problems: a lack of affordable housing. It is an unexpected move for a retail temple where Gucci, Chanel and Rolex are on offer. Affordable? Here? […]

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Providence Officials Approve Overdose Prevention Center

More than two years ago, Rhode Island became the first state in the nation to authorize overdose prevention centers, facilities where people would be allowed to use illicit drugs under professional supervision. On Thursday, the Providence City Council approved the establishment of what will be the state’s first so-called safe injection site. Minnesota is the […]

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Anxiety, Mood Swings and Sleepless Nights: Life Near a Bitcoin Mine

On a sweltering July evening, the din from thousands of computers mining for Bitcoins pierced the night. Nearby, Matt Brown, a member of the Arkansas legislature, monitored the noise alongside a local magistrate. As the two men investigated complaints about the operation, Mr. Brown said, a security guard for the mine loaded rounds into an […]

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Tennessee’s Legislature Can’t Move Past the Bitter Clashes of 2023

When the Tennessee legislature convened on Thursday, custom dictated that Representative Justin Jones, the Nashville Democrat who was expelled last year, take his turn to lead the House in the Pledge of Allegiance. He quietly declined, and once again drew the ire of Republicans. Saying that Mr. Jones’s behavior was a “disgrace,” State Representative Jeremy […]

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Utah Bans D.E.I. Programs, Joining Other States

The News Gov. Spencer Cox of Utah signed a sweeping bill that pared back diversity, equity and inclusion programs at the state’s educational institutions and government offices — the latest state to take action amid the broader national backlash against such efforts. The law prohibits any program, office or initiative that has “diversity, equity and […]

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