State News

WASHINGTON - Sen. Johnny Isakson, D-Ga., announced Wednesday that he will step down from the Senate at the end of the year, adding a competitive seat to the highly anticipated 2020 battle for control of the chamber. "After much prayer... Read More

A new commission tasked with reforming how New York State runs and finances it elections got off to a rancorous start this week, with members struggling to deal with even the most mundane organizational matters and a fight erupting over... Read More

WASHINGTON — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee ended his climate change-focused 2020 presidential bid Wednesday night, announcing Thursday that he'll seek a third term as governor instead. Inslee revealed he was ending his run for the White House on MSNBC's "The... Read More

A federal appeals court on Tuesday ruled that three presidential electors from Colorado were unconstitutionally forced to cast their Electoral College votes for Hillary Clinton in 2016. The ruling by a divided 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is a... Read More

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper vetoed a bill Wednesday that would have required the state's sheriffs to honor detention requests from federal immigration standards. The veto came a day after the Republican-controlled North Carolina House voted along party lines to... Read More

A ruling last week by Maryland’s highest court is likely to help redefine the criminal law of marijuana possession as states nationwide search for new legal standards. A unanimous Maryland Court of Appeals ruled that police who smell marijuana can... Read More

WASHINGTON — New York State, Connecticut, Vermont and the City of New York sued the Trump administration Tuesday over its new Public Charge Rule, which aims to deny green cards and visas to immigrants that use or have used government... Read More

The attorneys general from 13 states filed a lawsuit this week to block a new Trump administration rule that makes it harder for immigrants receiving public assistance to get green cards for permanent residency. The lawsuit is pending in federal... Read More

WASHINGTON - Representatives John Katko and Anthony Brindisi have launched a bipartisan effort to hold the international commission that manages outflows from Lake Ontario accountable for recent historic flooding. Katko, a Republican, and Brindisi, a Democrat, have gotten the Government... Read More

A federal judge on Thursday ordered Georgia to stop using its "unsecure ... and grossly outdated" voting machines after this year and to have hand-marked paper ballots at the ready if new, more secure machines aren't in place by the... Read More

New Hampshire's Republican governor, Chris Sununu vetoed a bipartisan bill Friday that would have created an independent redistricting commission to draw the state's legislative and congressional district maps following the 2020 elections. In a letter explaining his veto, Sununu said... Read More

North Charleston Police Chief Reggie Burgess knew he had to do something. In 2016, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced South Carolina led the nation in drunk driving fatalities, with 44% of all auto accident deaths involving at least... Read More

PHILADELPHIA — In a stark illustration of the depths of Philadelphia’s opioid crisis, a new survey of city residents found that nearly a third — 29% — know someone who has died from opioid use. The survey, conducted by the... Read More

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously adopted the Our County Sustainability Plan, which they are calling “the most comprehensive regional approach to sustainability ever issued by a county in the United States.” The plan was drafted... Read More

Jim Hood, Mississippi's four-term attorney general, beat seven rivals Tuesday night to become the Democratic nominee for Mississippi governor, while on the Republican side, second-term Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves faces a runoff in three weeks against former state Supreme Court... Read More

The Trump campaign and the Republican Party sued California on Tuesday over a new law requiring presidential candidates to release their tax returns to run in the state’s primary. "Today we have taken decisive action in federal court challenging California’s... Read More

WASHINGTON - With a week to go before the filing deadline, more than 10,300 Californians have applied to serve on the state's 14-member Citizens Redistricting Commission. "This is great news for direct democracy," said Elaine M. Howle, California's state auditor,... Read More

WASHINGTON - More than 155,367 Oklahomans had their voting status changes to "inactive" this week after they failed to respond to an address confirmation notice sent to them by the state election board. "Oklahoma has very few incidents of voter... Read More

WASHINGTON - California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law Tuesday that would require President Trump -- or any other candidate -- to disclose their tax returns in order to appear on California's primary ballot. The law, which was introduced by... Read More

Clearly concerned about what will happen if a federal appeals court upholds a lower court ruling overturning the Affordable Care Act, Democrats at the National Governors Association summer meeting said Thursday that rolling back the health care law would be... Read More

A federal judge approved a legal settlement Tuesday affirming transgender people's right to use restrooms matching their gender identity in many North Carolina public buildings. The consent decree between the state's Democratic governor, Roy Cooper, and transgender plaintiffs covers a... Read More

Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a bill Tuesday outlawing the “dissemination or publication of an intimate image” intended to cause emotional or other harm to the person captured in the photo or video. The law not only makes it a Class... Read More

Hawaii’s Lieutenant governor said Monday that talks to end a protest over the construction of a 14th observatory atop a sacred Hawaiian mountain are at an impasse, and he’s not sure a compromise will ever be reached. Lt. Governor Josh... Read More

Controversy continues to roil Alaska, a week after the state legislature failed to overturn $444 million in budget cuts by Governor Mike Dunleavy. The latest dispute, resolved only Wednesday, concerned the location for a special session of the legislature that... Read More

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed the state's new spending plan this week, a plan that closes the $3.7 billion deficit he inherited when he took office in January without raising taxes. “For years, instability in the state’s finances has resulted... Read More

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed several pieces of legislation this past week, including bills that expand patient access to medical marijuana, ensure the health benefits and compensation to 9/11 responders, and prohibit utilities from cutting the power off on... Read More

A bill with bipartisan support in the Wisconsin legislature could expand the eligibility for loan forgiveness for participants in a program aimed at growing the number of minority teachers in the state. Assembly Bill 51 has already received the unanimous... Read More

When California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the state budget into law this week, he also extended health care coverage to low-income, undocumented young adults through the state's Medicaid program. Since 2016, California has allowed children under 18 to receive taxpayer-backed... Read More

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo celebrated the World Cup champion U.S. women's national soccer team Wednesday by signing legislation guaranteeing women equal pay for equal work in New York State moments before the star athletes were honored with a ticker-tape... Read More

Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy cut $444 million from the state’s operating budget  last week, a move he said was critical to moving closer to a balanced budget without raising taxes or reducing the annual Permanent Fund dividend paid to every... Read More