Michigan 1st state in decades to repeal ‘right-to-work’ law
March 24, 2023 GMTLANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan, long known as a mainstay of organized labor, on Friday became the first state in decades to repeal a union-restricting law known as “right-to-work” that was passed over a decade ago by a Republican-controlled Legislature.
New bill aims to outlaw caste discrimination in California
March 22, 2023 GMTCalifornia may become the first state in the nation to outlaw caste-based bias, a safeguard people of South Asian descent say is necessary to protect them from discrimination in housing, education and the tech sector where they hold key roles.
Tennessee law prevents local bans on natural gas stoves
March 21, 2023 GMTNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Republican Gov. Bill Lee has signed legislation that says local governments can't ban gas stoves, even though no current city in Tennessee is currently pursuing such actions.
Maryland lawmakers reach crossover deadline in session
March 20, 2023 GMTANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — The Maryland General Assembly headed into the last three weeks of its annual legislative session on Monday, advancing legislation on its deadline known as “crossover day." That's when bills need to be approved by one chamber and sent over to the next, or else face a greater challenge to passage.
Michigan House approves repeal of state’s right-to-work law
March 9, 2023 GMTLANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan's Democratic-led House approved legislation Wednesday that would repeal the state's “right-to-work” law that was passed more than a decade ago when Republicans controlled the Statehouse.
Democrats seek repeal or exemptions in state abortion ban
March 9, 2023 GMTMONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama's abortion ban that took effect this summer allows no exemptions for pregnancies resulting from rape and incest.
At Florida climate change summit, Harris stresses optimism
March 9, 2023 GMTMIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris said Wednesday there is renewed cause for optimism given major U.S. laws enacted recently to tackle the global problem of climate change on multiple fronts.
House votes down bill directing removal of troops from Syria
March 9, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Legislation directing President Joe Biden to remove some 900 U.S. troops from Syria within 180 days was soundly defeated in the House on Wednesday as opponents of the measure warned that it could allow a dismantled Islamic State group to reorganize and endanger the U.S.
DeSantis’ new Disney World board hints at future controversy
March 8, 2023 GMTLAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — The first meeting of the new board of Walt Disney World’s government — overhauled by sweeping legislation signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis as punishment for Disney publicly challenging Florida's so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill — dealt with the rote affairs any other municipal government would handle: calls for better firefighter equipment, lessons on public records requests and bond ratings.
Nonbinary Oklahoma lawmaker censured after protest arrest
March 8, 2023 GMTOKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma Republicans formally censured their nonbinary Democratic colleague Tuesday after state troopers said the lawmaker blocked them from questioning a transgender rights activist accused of assaulting a police officer during a protest over anti-trans legislation.
N. Carolina hotel guest rules bill approved, heads to Cooper
March 7, 2023 GMTRALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The North Carolina General Assembly gave final approval on Tuesday to legislation designed to help hoteliers and innkeepers remove longer-term guests determined to be violating establishment rules.
Massachusetts auditor announces rare review of Legislature
March 7, 2023 GMTBOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts Auditor Diana DiZoglio announced Tuesday that her office has launched an audit of the state Legislature — the first such review in a century.
The Democrat, who previously served as both a state representative and senator, had pledged to review the Democrat-controlled Legislature's operations during her campaign for the auditor's office last year.
Arkansas Senate OKs bathroom bill that critics call extreme
March 7, 2023 GMTLITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A bill that would criminalize transgender people using restrooms that match their gender identity won initial approval in the Arkansas Legislature on Tuesday, introducing a restriction critics said would be the most extreme in the country.
North Carolina Medicaid expansion consensus moves forward
March 7, 2023 GMTRALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The details of a consensus North Carolina Medicaid expansion deal reached last week by top Republican lawmakers cleared a Senate committee Tuesday.
Florida blogger registration bill ‘insane,’ Gingrich tweets
March 6, 2023 GMTTALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A Republican lawmaker in Florida wants bloggers who write about elected officials to register with the state, a proposal that's raised First Amendment concerns and the ire of GOP firebrand Newt Gingrich.
Tennessee GOP lawmaker apologizes over ‘hanging’ comment
March 2, 2023 GMTNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee Republican lawmaker on Thursday apologized after asking earlier this week if “hanging by a tree” could be added to the state's execution methods, a comment that has shocked Black lawmakers who point to the state's dark history of lynching.
Missouri lawmakers back ban on Chinese ownership of land
March 2, 2023 GMTJEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Missouri House voted Thursday to ban entities from China and four other perceived adversarial countries from purchasing land in the state, citing a need to protect farms from the possibility of falling under hostile control.
McCarthy, GOP introduce measure to protect ‘parents’ rights’
March 2, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans pressed ahead Wednesday with one of the central planks of their midterm election campaign, introducing legislation to give parents more of a say in school curriculum.
Ohio senators introduce rail safety bill after fiery crash
March 1, 2023 GMTCOLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Railroads including the one whose train derailed and caught fire in Ohio would have to follow new safety rules under bipartisan legislation introduced Wednesday by the state’s two U.S.
Tennessee pushes to define ‘sex,’ could risk federal funding
March 1, 2023 GMTNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee Republican lawmakers on Wednesday advanced legislation that would prevent transgender people from changing their driver's licenses and birth certificates, a move that officials warn could cost the state millions in federal funding.
Ugandan lawmaker introduces new anti-LGBTQ legislation
February 28, 2023 GMTKAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — A Ugandan lawmaker on Tuesday introduced draft legislation that he said seeks to prohibit homosexuality in the East African country, voicing widespread anti-gay sentiment that has peaked in recent days.
Bill that could let Buckhead split from Atlanta advances
February 27, 2023 GMTATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia Senate committee has approved two bills that could allow the Buckhead neighborhood to secede from the city of Atlanta, the first time that an issue freighted with fears about crime and racial and economic division has moved forward in the General Assembly.
Lawmakers pass energy bill, ‘skinny’ budget as session ends
February 26, 2023 GMTRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The politically divided Virginia General Assembly worked through dozens of pieces of legislation, including a major energy bill and stop-gap budget bill, on Saturday as lawmakers reached the end of their regularly scheduled session without a deal on the entire state spending plan.
Cars to campus safety: A look at bills headed to Youngkin
February 24, 2023 GMTRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — As Virginia lawmakers near the end of a short legislative session marked by partisan debates over guns, abortion and other contentious issues, they are also running behind on efforts to come to an agreement on the state budget.
Child sex abuse lawsuit window again gets Pa. lawmakers’ OK
February 24, 2023 GMTHARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Victims would be able to sue over otherwise outdated claims of child sexual abuse under two pieces of legislation passed Friday by the Pennsylvania House, but it's unclear whether the state Senate will take them up.
Trans youth care ban headed to Tennessee governor’s desk
February 23, 2023 GMTNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Transgender youth in Tennessee would be banned from receiving gender-affirming care under legislation currently headed to the desk of Republican Gov. Bill Lee, who has voiced support for the bill.
Ohio plan aims to boost trust by standardizing election data
February 23, 2023 GMTCOLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose unveiled legislation Wednesday that would clarify and standardize the way election data is organized, stored and shared across the state, a proposal that the Republican says can serve as a national model in addressing the “crisis of confidence” in American elections.
States look to remove legal protections for gun industry
February 23, 2023 GMTDENVER (AP) — Mass shootings in America invariably raise questions of fault. The police's delayed response outside an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.
Clarified rules for N. Carolina hotel guests OK’d by House
February 22, 2023 GMTRALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Legislation that passed in North Carolina's House on Wednesday would make clear that longer-term hotel guests cannot receive the stronger legal protections usually reserved for home and apartment renters until they've stayed for three months.
Pennsylvania House nears vote on child-abuse lawsuit window
February 21, 2023 GMTHARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania House Democrats put their freshly minted majority status to work Tuesday in shutting down Republican efforts to make changes to legislation designed to let victims of childhood sexual abuse file otherwise outdated lawsuits.
Israel president urges consensus after judicial changes pass
February 21, 2023 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's president Tuesday called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition to seek dialogue and compromise after it pushed ahead with a controversial judicial overhaul in a turbulent parliamentary session overnight.
California and Nevada may ban forced prison labor, servitude
February 16, 2023 GMTSACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Lawmakers in Nevada and California are advancing legislation to remove “involuntary servitude” from their states' constitutions, a move that follows four states' bans on forced labor that passed in ballot measures last fall.
Spain approves menstrual leave, teen abortion and trans laws
February 16, 2023 GMTMADRID (AP) — The Spanish parliament on Thursday approved legislation expanding abortion and transgender rights for teenagers, while making Spain the first country in Europe that will entitle workers to paid menstrual leave.
Activists rally behind Missouri lawmaker cut off in debate
February 15, 2023 GMTJEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri faith leaders, activists and elected officials on Wednesday decried the Republican-led House for shutting down a Black lawmaker’s speech and passing a bill that could strip power from the Black woman elected as St.
GOP’s intraparty power battle roiling lawmaking in Ohio
February 14, 2023 GMTCOLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A battle for political control of the Ohio House has laid bare the risks the Republican Party faces as factions of its legislative supermajority square off more over tactics and the willingness to thwart long held institutional norms than policy.
North Carolina GOP again seeking to ease gun restrictions
February 14, 2023 GMTRALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Both chambers of North Carolina's General Assembly are once again advancing previously vetoed gun legislation in light of Republicans' midterm election gains that landed them within one seat of a veto-proof supermajority.
Panel quashes bill allowing murder charges for drug dealers
February 13, 2023 GMTRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Senate Democrats on Monday defeated legislation for a second time this session that would have allowed prosecutors to charge drug dealers with second-degree murder if a user dies of an overdose.
DeSantis to run Disney district after ‘Don’t Say Gay’ feud
February 10, 2023 GMTTALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will soon take control of Walt Disney World's self-governing district after Senate Republicans approved a bill Friday punishing the company over its opposition to the law critics call “Don't Say Gay.”
New Mexico House passes gun storage measure
February 10, 2023 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A bill that would make it a crime to store a firearm in a way that allows a child to access it has narrowly passed the New Mexico House of Representatives, with rural Democrats joining Republicans in voting against the measure.
Black lawmakers cite racism as Missouri House OKs crime bill
February 9, 2023 GMTJEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Racial tensions in Mississippi echoed in Missouri Thursday, as Black Democratic lawmakers accused the state's Republican House leadership of racism for shutting down a Black lawmaker's speech and passing a bill that could strip power from the Black woman elected as prosecutor in St.
Senate OKs bill addressing North Carolina hotel guest rights
February 9, 2023 GMTRALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Legislation that sets a three-month window before long-term hotel and inn guests in North Carolina obtain legal protections commonly reserved for home and apartment renters was approved by the state Senate on Thursday.
DeSantis nears takeover of Disney government in Florida
February 9, 2023 GMTTALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis moved closer to taking over Walt Disney World's self-governing district Thursday after House Republicans approved legislation meant to punish the company over its opposition to the law critics have dubbed “Don't Say Gay."
Bill that could have unseated mayors fails in Mississippi
February 9, 2023 GMTJACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Legislation that would have allowed special elections for the removal of municipal officials from office in Mississippi was defeated in the state House Thursday.
The bill was defeated in a bipartisan 60-53 vote after Democratic legislators said the bill was targeted at Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, a Democrat who leads the 80% Black city.
Bill that would restrict drag shows passes Tennessee Senate
February 9, 2023 GMTNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Legislation designed to restrict where certain drag shows can take place passed the Tennessee Senate on Thursday, the latest bill state Republican leaders have advanced targeting LGBTQ people.
Florida GOP advances Disney district, migrant flight bills
February 9, 2023 GMTTALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida lawmakers advanced proposals on Wednesday to strip Disney of its self-governing status, expand a controversial migrant transportation program and strengthen prosecutions tied to the state’s election police unit.
Bill raising riot penalties in North Carolina clears House
February 8, 2023 GMTRALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A bill increasing punishments for violent protests following the 2020 demonstrations over George Floyd's murder passed the North Carolina House on Wednesday despite harsh criticism from social justice advocates.
New Zealand’s new leader Hipkins cuts many contentious plans
February 8, 2023 GMTWELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand's new Prime Minister Chris Hipkins on Wednesday said he was axing or delaying many of his government's more contentious policy plans as he looked to refocus on priorities like the rising cost of living.
Virginia Senate passes competing energy legislation
February 7, 2023 GMTRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The Democrat-controlled Virginia Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would adjust the way state regulators set and oversee Dominion Energy's electric rates and profitability.
Renewed hotel guest rules bill clears state Senate committee
February 7, 2023 GMTRALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Legislation sought by North Carolina’s lodging industry that attempts to declare when long-term hotel guests qualify for tenant protections more associated with houses or apartments cleared a Senate committee Tuesday.
Mississippi House pushes blueberry and opal as state symbols
February 7, 2023 GMTJACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The Mississippi House has voted to recognize two new symbols — the blueberry as the state fruit and the opal as the state gemstone.
Both bills passed Monday, and they will move to the Senate for more work.
Florida lawmakers to meet next week on Disney, immigration
February 4, 2023 GMTTALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida lawmakers will meet next week to complete a state takeover of Walt Disney World's self-governing district and debate proposals on immigration and election crimes, as Republican Gov.
Dominion-backed rates bill whittled down in House committee
February 3, 2023 GMTRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Dominion Energy's ongoing push for yet another year of legislative tinkering with the way its rates are regulated took a surprise turn this week, when a Virginia House committee whittled down a company-backed bill ratepayer advocates have fiercely opposed.
Senate Democrats kill Youngkin-backed bill on school awards
February 3, 2023 GMTRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Senate Democrats this week voted down a priority measure for Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin that would have required student and parental notification about certain scholastic awards.
West Virginia House passes gender-affirming treatment ban
February 3, 2023 GMTCHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia's Republican supermajority House of Delegates passed a bill Friday banning gender-affirming surgery and hormone therapy for minors, a day after crowds descended on the state Capitol to decry the proposal.
Bill Clinton back at White House to push paid family leave
February 2, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Three decades after Bill Clinton signed the nation’s family and medical leave law, he was back at the White House on Thursday to hold forth on what it’s meant to the country, unspooling his trademark blend of storytelling and wonkiness.
10 states mull cross-border rules to tackle teacher shortage
February 2, 2023 GMTDENVER (AP) — Every Colorado school district, like many across the country, began 2023 understaffed. That's caused classes to be crammed together, school bus routes to shrink, Spanish language courses to get cut from curriculums, and field trips to be nixed.
Idaho bill would move state audit agency under GOP control
February 2, 2023 GMTBOISE, Idaho (AP) — Lawmakers introduced a bill Wednesday that would eliminate Idaho's only bipartisan legislative committee and place the state's independent auditing agency under Republican control.
Through tears, outgoing top White House aide says goodbye
February 1, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Outgoing White House chief of staff Ron Klain burst into tears Wednesday as he talked about his boss, President Joe Biden, and his decades of work with him.
“This is the best job I've ever had,” said Klain, immediately crying after he said he couldn't promise a tear-free speech.
Arkansas House passes school bathroom bill, heads to Senate
February 1, 2023 GMTLITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — The Arkansas House on Wednesday approved legislation preventing transgender people at public schools from using bathrooms that match their gender identity, while a legislative panel endorsed a measure restricting drag performances in the state.
GOP-led panel again defeats campaign finance reform
February 1, 2023 GMTRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A Republican-led Virginia House panel voted down legislation early Wednesday that would prohibit lawmakers from using campaign funds for personal expenses such as a vacation, mortgage or country club membership.
Tennessee advances legislation to ban trans youth care
January 31, 2023 GMTNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee's Republican-dominant Legislature on Tuesday advanced a handful of proposals that would ban gender-affirming care for transgender youth and severely limit where drag shows can take place.
Advocates warn House rule change could undermine voters
January 31, 2023 GMTRALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina civil rights advocates denounced a House rule change Tuesday that could allow Republicans to override vetoes on contentious bills with little notice, saying it subverts democracy and the will of voters.
Arkansas House panel advances school gendered bathroom bill
January 31, 2023 GMTLITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Transgender people at Arkansas public schools would not be able to use the restrooms matching their gender identity under a bill advanced by a state House committee on Tuesday.
Top Rhode Island officials call for ban on assault weapons
January 31, 2023 GMTPROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Rhode Island's Democratic governor and top officials urged the state legislature Tuesday to pass a bill banning assault weapons.
Gov. Dan McKee, Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos, Secretary of State Gregg Amore, Attorney General Peter Neronha and General Treasurer James Diossa say they want to ban the sale of assault-style weapons in Rhode Island to help keep communities safe.
Calif. climate bill would make companies disclose emissions
January 31, 2023 GMTSACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Democratic lawmakers in California introduced a package of climate bills Monday aimed at holding corporations accountable for their greenhouse gas emissions.
The bills include legislation to require companies to disclose their greenhouse gas emissions to the public, ban the state's public pension funds from investing in major fossil fuel companies, and create a group to analyze climate-caused financial risks for corporations.
Self-driving semis focus of California rules, legislation
January 31, 2023 GMTSACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — As California regulators explore new rules to put self-driving semitrucks on the road, labor unions are rushing to the state Legislature to ask for a new law they say will protect their jobs — the start of a debate that could shape the future of the nation's nearly $900 billion trucking industry.
West Virginia lawmakers advance ban on gender-affirming care
January 31, 2023 GMTCHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia lawmakers in the House Judiciary Committee voted Monday to add a ban on hormone therapy to a bill prohibiting gender-affirming surgery for minors before advancing the legislation to the full House of Delegates.
South Dakota lawmakers advance Medicaid work requirement
January 30, 2023 GMTSIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota Republican lawmakers on Monday advanced a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow the state to try and force people on Medicaid to work despite federal policy prohibiting such requirements.
Florida GOP leaders want to get rid of gun permits
January 30, 2023 GMTTALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Saying gun owners don't need a government permission slip to protect their God-given rights, Florida's House speaker proposed legislation Monday to eliminate concealed weapons permits, a move Democrats argue would make a state with a history of horrific mass shootings less safe.
Senators push bill to specify lawmakers must meet in public
January 30, 2023 GMTJACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A group of lawmakers is backing legislation to specify the Mississippi Legislature is subject to the state’s open meetings law and essentially prohibit the House Republican Caucus from conducting closed-door meetings, the Daily Journal reported.
Michigan Democrats pass over $1 billion in spending
January 27, 2023 GMTLANSING, Mich. (AP) — The Michigan Legislature will set aside $200 million out of about $1 billion in spending for a paper mill in the Upper Peninsula, while also setting aside more money for the state's economic development fund.
NC Democrats pitch abortion safeguards despite GOP majority
January 26, 2023 GMTRALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Democrats, who narrowly held off a Republican supermajority in the General Assembly, have introduced legislation to codify abortion protections into state law as Republicans are discussing early prospects for further restrictions.
Gov. Whitmer plans tax cuts, stricter gun laws, free pre-K
January 26, 2023 GMTLANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer outlined an agenda Wednesday that will prioritize enacting stricter gun laws, repealing outdated laws that restrict abortion and who one can marry and providing pre-K education for all 4-year-olds in the state.
Idaho senator’s bill would make ballot initiatives tougher
January 25, 2023 GMTBOISE, Idaho (AP) — An Idaho lawmaker has introduced legislation that would ask voters to change the state’s constitution to make it harder to get initiatives on the ballot.
Republican Sen. Doug Okuniewicz introduced the joint resolution Wednesday in the Senate State Affairs Committee.
Arkansas Senate OKs drag show restrictions; heads to House
January 25, 2023 GMTLITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — The Arkansas Senate on Tuesday approved legislation restricting the locations of drag shows by classifying them the same way as strip clubs and adult theaters, despite criticism that the move was overly broad and discriminates against the LGBTQ community.
Drag queens speak against Missouri bills on transgender kids
January 25, 2023 GMTJEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Dozens of advocates, including drag queens in full makeup, rallied Tuesday at Missouri's Capitol against bills banning transgender athletes from participating on girls sports teams, gender-affirming treatment for transgender kids and public drag shows.
Colorado lawmakers to consider ban on semiautomatic weapons
January 24, 2023 GMTDENVER (AP) — Two decades after the 1999 Columbine High School massacre and two months after five people were killed at an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado lawmakers are drafting a sweeping ban on semiautomatic firearms.
Exec: Utility bled cash before alleged Ohio speaker bribes
January 24, 2023 GMTCINCINNATI (AP) — An arm of FirstEnergy Corp. was “bleeding cash” as it explored options for the two aging nuclear plants eventually rescued by Ohio House legislation that federal prosecutors say former Speaker Larry Householder championed in exchange for corporate bribes, a utility executive testified Tuesday.
Effort to legalize recreational weed in Delaware begins anew
January 24, 2023 GMTDOVER, Del. (AP) — A bill authorizing the creation of a state-licensed recreational marijuana industry in Delaware cleared a Democrat-led House committee on Tuesday.
The measure is one piece of a renewed effort by Democratic lawmakers to legalize recreational marijuana use by adults 21 and older and build a cannabis industry to compete neighboring states that have approved legalization.
Connecticut governor’s gun proposals include open carry ban
January 23, 2023 GMTHARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont announced a series of proposed gun laws Monday in a state already considered one of the strictest for firearms ownership, including a statewide ban on open carrying expected to draw strong opposition from gun rights supporters.