Rhode Island city settles ACLU suit over political signs
December 6, 2022 GMTPROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — The city of Pawtucket is lifting restrictions on political campaign signs under a settlement with the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island, officials said Tuesday.
EXPLAINER: How Supreme Court case could alter US House seats
December 6, 2022 GMTPartisan gerrymandering is back before the U.S. Supreme Court in a case stemming from the latest attempt by North Carolina's Republican-led legislature to draw U.S. House districts favoring GOP candidates.
California eyes penalties for oil companies’ big profits
December 6, 2022 GMTSACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California could become the first state to fine big oil companies for making too much money, a reaction to the industry's supersized profits following a summer of record-high gas prices in the nation's most populous state.
DeSantis 2024 prospects prompt Fla. lawmakers to review law
December 2, 2022 GMTMIAMI (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis may need some help from the state Legislature if he proceeds with a highly anticipated bid for the Republican presidential nomination.
W.Va. GOP increases majority as Dem lawmaker flips parties
December 1, 2022 GMTCHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — One of a shrinking number of Democrats in the West Virginia Legislature announced Thursday that he is changing his party affiliation to Republican.
Sen. Glenn Jeffries of Putnam County said he is leaving the Democratic party, increasing Republicans' control of the state Senate to 31 of its 34 seats come January.
Every vote counts: Connecticut race decided by 1 vote
November 30, 2022 GMTSOUTHINGTON, Conn. (AP) — They say every vote counts. In one Connecticut town, it really did. A race for a seat in the state Legislature has been decided by a single vote.
Nearly 10,600 ballots were cast in the race between Republican Tony Morrison and Democrat Christopher Poulos to represent the 81st Assembly District in Southington, a town about 20 miles (32 kilometers) southwest of Hartford.
Democratic lawmaker charged with stalking in New Hampshire
November 30, 2022 GMTCONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A Democratic state lawmaker convicted in August of repeatedly texting 911 during non-emergencies is now jailed on a stalking charge related to a Facebook post.
Rep. Stacie Laughton, 37, of Nashua, who was arrested Nov.
Big tobacco tries to stop California flavored tobacco ban
November 30, 2022 GMTSAN DIEGO (AP) — R.J. Reynolds and other tobacco companies filed a request Tuesday asking the U.S. Supreme Court to impose an emergency order to stop California from enforcing a ban on flavored tobacco products that was overwhelmingly approved by voters earlier this month.
S. Carolina’s US House maps under scrutiny because of race
November 29, 2022 GMTA trial to determine whether South Carolina’s congressional maps are legal closes Tuesday with arguments over whether the state Legislature diluted Black voting power by remaking the boundaries of the only U.S.
Wisconsin’s projected budget surplus grows to $6.6 billion
November 21, 2022 GMTMADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin's projected state budget surplus is now forecast to hit nearly $6.6 billion by July, up from earlier $5 billion estimates, according to a report released Monday by Gov.
Ohio GOP aims to change voting laws during lameduck session
November 17, 2022 GMTCOLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio's elections chief on Thursday championed a lameduck push to require a supermajority of voters in order to pass certain constitutional amendments, a move that came the same day further voter restrictions were added to a significant rewrite of Ohio's election laws.
King won’t seek 4th term on Mississippi transport commission
November 17, 2022 GMTHATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) — The southern district transportation commissioner in Mississippi says he will not seek reelection in 2023.
Republican Tom King of Hattiesburg made the announcement Wednesday on “The Extra Mile,” a podcast produced by the Mississippi Department of Transportation.
AG Wrigley wants funding boost for crime lab, investigators
November 16, 2022 GMTBISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Newly elected Attorney General Drew Wrigley said Wednesday that he will ask the North Dakota Legislature to boost his agency’s budget to expand the state crime lab and hire more officers to work with federal law enforcement on American Indian reservations.
Berlin court orders rerun of chaotic 2021 state election
November 16, 2022 GMTBERLIN (AP) — A Berlin court on Wednesday ordered a rerun of the German capital's 2021 state election because of severe election-day glitches at many polling stations.
The constitutional court of Berlin, one of three German cities that is also a state in its own right, declared the original vote invalid.
GOP Sen. John Kennedy considers bid for Louisiana governor
November 14, 2022 GMTBATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A week after securing his reelection to the U.S. Senate, Republican Sen.
Indiana governor pitching state at UN climate conference
November 11, 2022 GMTINDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb said Friday he has been focused on business while spending this week at the U.N.
Pennsylvania Democrats kept suburbs, gained rural voters
November 9, 2022 GMTHARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — After Joe Biden eked out victory in Pennsylvania in 2020, Democrats in hugely consequential races for governor and U.S. Senate scored blowout wins by comparison in Tuesday's election.
Maryland’s longest-serving woman in state legislature dies
November 7, 2022 GMTANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Sheila Hixson, who served more than four decades in the Maryland General Assembly, has died. She was 89.
U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, along with state Sen. Will Smith and Dels.
Kentucky candidates make final pitches ahead of election
November 7, 2022 GMTRepublican U.S. Sen. Rand Paul reaffirmed his faith in a “hands off” federal government in a final burst of campaigning across Kentucky on Monday, as he approached the finish line of his reelection bid against Democratic challenger Charles Booker.
Exodus of incumbents brings change to state legislatures
November 6, 2022 GMTMore than one-quarter of state lawmakers whose seats are up for election across the U.S. are guaranteed to be gone from office next year — a statistic certain to grow when the votes are counted from the November general election.
California: What to expect on election night
November 2, 2022 GMTDemocrats dominate California politics. The party controls all statewide elected offices, has super majorities in both houses of the state Legislature and controls 80% of the state’s congressional seats.
Pennsylvania court: Ballots in undated envelopes won’t count
November 1, 2022 GMTHARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania officials cannot count votes from mail-in or absentee ballots that lack accurate, handwritten dates on their return envelopes, the state Supreme Court ruled unanimously Tuesday, a week before tabulation will begin in races for governor, the U.S.
Ohio seeks to become latest state to ban noncitizen voting
October 31, 2022 GMTCOLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Republicans in Ohio are promoting a measure on the Nov.
Black church tradition survives Georgia’s voting changes
October 31, 2022 GMTATLANTA (AP) — Black church leaders and activists in Georgia rallied Sunday in a push to get congregants to vote — a longstanding tradition known as “souls to the polls” that is taking on greater meaning this year amid new obstacles to casting a ballot in the midterm elections.
Colorado House Minority Leader Hugh McKean dies at 55
October 30, 2022 GMTDENVER (AP) — Colorado House Minority Leader Hugh McKean, known for his warm personality, wicked sense of humor and for reaching across the aisle to build legislative consensus, has died. He was 55.
GOP aims to flip Washington House seat back in key race
October 27, 2022 GMTSEATTLE (AP) — The Republican mayor of Wenatchee, a small city in central Washington’s orchard country, didn’t support Democrat Kim Schrier when she was first elected to Congress in 2018. Since then, though, he’s been impressed.
Minnesota regent resigns leadership over diversity question
October 25, 2022 GMTMINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A former Minnesota House speaker is stepping down as vice chairman of the University of Minnesota Board of Regents following increased criticism over his question about whether the Morris campus is “too diverse.”
Newsom to call special legislative session over gas prices
October 8, 2022 GMTSACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday he will call a special session of the state Legislature in December to pass a new tax on oil company profits to punish them for what he called “rank price gouging."
Arizona abortion rights backers sue to overturn old ban
October 4, 2022 GMTPHOENIX (AP) — Supporters of abortion rights on Tuesday sued to block an old Arizona law that criminalizes nearly all abortions, arguing that laws passed by the state Legislature after 1973's Roe v.
W.Va. Supreme Court hears arguments in school voucher case
October 4, 2022 GMTCHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A voucher program that would provide West Virginia parents state money to pull their children out of K-12 public schools is blatantly unconstitutional and would disproportionately impact poor children and those with disabilities, a lawyer representing parents who sued the state argued Tuesday in West Virginia's Supreme Court.
Minority women reaching for office in Brazil’s elections
September 30, 2022 GMTSAO PAULO (AP) — Women make up more than half of Brazil's electorate, but one wouldn't know it from the nation's halls of power. They represent less than one-sixth of Congress, and an even smaller fraction are also Black or Indigenous.
Tulsa prosecutor recovering after being stabbed by daughter
September 28, 2022 GMTAn Oklahoma prosecutor who police said was stabbed by his adult daughter, on Wednesday called for more state funding for mental illness programs.
“(Tuesday) my family endured one of the toughest days in our lives,” Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler said in an approximately nine-minute statement to reporters before leaving without taking questions.
Smoking ban talk nixed, but workers get loud outside casino
September 22, 2022 GMTATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Irate that a session to discuss a proposed smoking ban during a major casino industry conference was snuffed out, casino workers and patrons opposed to smoking in the gambling halls held a noisy protest outside the meeting Thursday.
GOP nominee for Nevada gov. says he’ll fight US abortion ban
September 16, 2022 GMTRENO, Nev. (AP) — The GOP's nominee for Nevada governor said Thursday he would fight against a national abortion ban if Congress were to pass one.
“It’s the vote of the people within the state of Nevada, and I will support that,” Joe Lombardo, who is generally anti-abortion, told reporters while campaigning in the state with Virginia Gov.
Panel discussion on Atlantic City casino smoking is scrapped
September 13, 2022 GMTATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Whether casinos should continue to allow smoking is a contentious issue in numerous states, particularly New Jersey, where the governor and more than half the state Legislature supports a bill to ban indoor smoking in gambling halls.
Former Alaska lawmaker Kohring dies in vehicle crash
September 7, 2022 GMTJUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Victor Kohring, a former Alaska lawmaker who was caught up in a corruption scandal that roiled the state Legislature more than 15 years ago, has died in a vehicle crash.
Alaska State Troopers said Kohring, 64, of Wasilla, was driving a van that collided head-on with a semi-truck “after crossing the center line for unknown reasons” on the Glenn Highway north of Palmer on Tuesday evening.
Unaffiliated gubernatorial candidate Johnson gets on ballot
August 25, 2022 GMTSALEM, Ore. (AP) — Oregon election officials notified unaffiliated candidate for governor Betsy Johnson on Thursday that she has qualified for the November ballot.
That puts Johnson, a former legislator, officially in a three-way race against the Democratic and Republican nominees.
$1.5 billion Port of Long Beach bridge finally has a name
August 24, 2022 GMTLONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) — The Port of Long Beach’s new $1.5 billion bridge finally has a name following approval by the California Senate.
The massive cable-stayed span was designated as the Long Beach International Gateway Bridge, the port said Wednesday.
GOP asks judge to toss lawsuit challenging abortion ban
August 23, 2022 GMTMADISON, Wis. (AP) — Republicans who control the state Legislature asked a judge Tuesday to dismiss Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul's lawsuit challenging Wisconsin's 173-year-old abortion ban.
Ohio ballot board advances bail, noncitizen voting measures
August 22, 2022 GMTCOLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Two Ohio constitutional amendments cleared their last big hurdle before heading to November ballots — one seeking bail reform, the other prohibiting non-citizens from voting.
Judge: Legislature can intervene a little in abortion case
August 15, 2022 GMTBOISE, Idaho (AP) — A federal judge says the Idaho Legislature can intervene in the U.S. Department of Justice's lawsuit targeting Idaho’s total abortion ban, but only to present evidence about emergency abortions performed in Medicaid-funded emergency rooms.
Kentucky governor says flood relief session ‘will happen’
August 15, 2022 GMTFRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said Monday he hopes to call a special session of the state legislature in the next few weeks to work on flood relief.
“Everybody is committed to it,” Beshear said at a Monday news conference.
Could outdoor gambling satisfy smokers and casino workers?
August 5, 2022 GMTATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Could outdoor gambling be at least a partial solution to an impasse between Atlantic City casino workers who want smoking banned indoors, and gambling executives who fear a smoking ban would hurt business and cost jobs?
Wolf sues to stop GOP-backed amendments on abortion, voting
July 29, 2022 GMTHARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania's Democratic governor sued the state Legislature on Thursday over a package of proposed constitutional amendments that Republican lawmakers are pursuing, including one that would say the state constitution does not guarantee any rights relating to abortion or public funding of abortions.
Indiana GOP struggles over abortion amid national debate
July 26, 2022 GMTINDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana Republican lawmakers on Tuesday narrowly advanced a plan to ban nearly all abortions in the state, despite opposition from abortion-rights supporters, who say the bill goes too far, and anti-abortion activists, who say it doesn't go far enough.
Indiana abortion debate draws protest crowds, vice president
July 26, 2022 GMTINDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Thousands of people arguing the abortion issue surrounded the Indiana Statehouse and filled its corridors Monday as state lawmakers began consideration of a Republican proposal to ban nearly all abortions in the state and Vice President Kamala Harris denounced the effort during a meeting with Democratic legislators.
Massachusetts’ highest court upholds new mail-in voting law
July 11, 2022 GMTBOSTON (AP) — An effort led by Massachusetts Republicans to block election officials from putting into effect the state's new mail-in and early voting law was denied Monday by the state Supreme Judicial Court.
Judge blocks West Virginia school voucher law
July 6, 2022 GMTCHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A judge in West Virginia's capital struck down a law on Wednesday that would have funneled state money into a program that incentivized families to pull their children out of K-12 public schools.
State high court hears arguments in GOP mail-in voting suit
July 6, 2022 GMTBOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts’ highest court heard arguments Wednesday in a Republican challenge to the state’s new mail-in and early voting law, which is expected to take effect for September’s primary.
Abortion ruling puts spotlight on gerrymandered legislatures
July 3, 2022 GMTIn overturning a half-century of nationwide legal protection for abortion, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Roe v.
Supreme Court to hear case on state authority over elections
June 30, 2022 GMTThe U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear a case that could dramatically change the way elections for Congress and the presidency are conducted by handing more power to state legislatures and blocking state courts from reviewing challenges to the procedures and results.
Indiana police set as state handgun permit requirement ends
June 30, 2022 GMTINDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The repeal of Indiana’s requirement for a permit to carry a handgun in public has forced police agencies to change how they handle encounters with armed people.
Rhode Island sets ambitious target for 100% renewable energy
June 29, 2022 GMTRhode Island’s governor signed legislation Wednesday setting the most ambitious target in the nation to require the state to be powered completely by renewable energy.
The legislation accelerates plans for the electric grid to operate with 100% renewable energy, so the goal is achieved in 2033.
California budget won’t cover out-of-state abortion travel
June 29, 2022 GMTSACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — While Gov. Gavin Newsom has pledged to make California a sanctuary for women seeking abortions, his administration won't spend public money to help people from other states travel to California for the procedure.
New Mexico to pay feds more than $19M over SNAP mishandling
June 28, 2022 GMTALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico will pay the federal government more than $19 million to settle a claim by the Department of Agriculture that the state mishandled the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and overpaid some needy families in 2014 and 2016, a newspaper reported Tuesday.
Inslee seeks abortion rights amendment to state constitution
June 25, 2022 GMTOLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said he will push for a state constitutional amendment to protect abortion rights within his state's borders, as well as laws that will make it difficult for other states to investigate whether their own residents have visited Washington for abortion care.
Some sheriff’s candidates run on not enforcing certain laws
June 25, 2022 GMTDENVER (AP) — More than a dozen candidates campaigning to be top law enforcement officials in counties across Colorado are running on a unique platform: Not enforcing the law.
These candidates fit the profile of a loose movement sometimes referred to as “constitutional sheriffs” whose members promise to act as a bulwark against government overreach and laws passed by state legislatures that they deem illegal.
SC Republicans are set to further restrict abortion post Roe
June 25, 2022 GMTIn the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, lawmakers are poised to further restrict abortion rights in Republican-controlled South Carolina — which is not one of the 13 states with “trigger laws” banning abortion.
Tuition rates appear headed up at Iowa public universities
June 20, 2022 GMTDES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Students at Iowa's three public universities may be paying more for tuition starting in the fall.
The Des Moines Register reports that proposed tuition rates were presented at a virtual meeting of Iowa's Board of Regents on Monday.
Hawaii panel discusses proposals for legislative term limits
June 16, 2022 GMTHONOLULU (AP) — A panel created by the state House of Representatives to recommend reforms after two former lawmakers admitted taking bribes discussed proposals to establish term limits for legislators at a meeting Wednesday.