Latest Legislation News
South Africa to host US trade forum as diplomatic tensions subside
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa will host a meeting in November of nations participating in the U.S. Africa Growth and Opportunity Act despite earlier calls to exclude the country from the forum due to its ties to Russia and the docking of a sanctioned Russian vessel near Cape Town last year. ...
Iran's parliament passes a stricter headscarf law days after protest anniversary
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran's parliament on Wednesday approved a bill to impose heavier penalties on women who refuse to wear the mandatory Islamic headscarf in public and those who support them. The move came just days after the anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini,...
Bill for preserving site of Wounded Knee massacre in South Dakota passes U.S. House
WASHINGTON (AP) — A bill to preserve the site of the Wounded Knee massacre — one of the deadliest massacres in U.S. history — cleared the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday. The Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act, introduced by Republican U.S. Rep....
Swiss parliament approves ban on full-face coverings like burqas, and sets fine for violators
GENEVA (AP) — The lower house of Switzerland's parliament voted Wednesday to give final legislative passage to a ban on face coverings, such as the burqas worn by some Muslim women. The National Council voted 151-29 for the legislation, which was already approved by the upper...
Seattle City Council OKs law to prosecute for having and using drugs such as fentanyl in public
SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle City Council on Tuesday adopted a controlled substance law after rejecting it earlier this summer, making the possession and public use of drugs such as fentanyl a gross misdemeanor. The council voted to approve the measure by a 6-3 vote on Tuesday,...
India moves toward reserving 33% of the seats in Parliament and state legislatures for women
NEW DELHI (AP) — India's Parliament on Wednesday took a major step toward reserving 33% of the seats in its powerful lower house and in state legislatures for women to ensure more equal representation, an issue that had languished for nearly three decades because of a lack of consensus among...
California truck drivers ask Gov. Newsom to sign job-saving bill as self-driving big rigs are tested
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California lawmakers, union leaders and truck drivers are trying to steer Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom toward signing into law a proposal that could save jobs as self-driving trucks are tested for their safety on the roads. The legislation would ban...
Thai king's estranged son urges open discussion of monarchy, in rejection of anti-defamation law
BANGKOK (AP) — An estranged son of Thailand’s king who has spent almost all his adult life away from his homeland has unexpectedly gone public with his belief that open discussions about the country's monarchy should be allowed, in a rejection of a harsh royal anti-defamation law. ...
California law restricting companies' use of information from kids online is halted by federal judge
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — A federal judge has halted implementation of a California law intended to restrict companies’ use of information gathered from young internet users in order to protect the privacy of minors. U.S. District Judge Beth Labson Freeman on Monday granted a...
Families upended by school shootings share trauma in push for gun law changes, but get mixed results
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — For nearly a week, families whose lives were upended by a Nashville elementary school shooting took turns sharing dark details to Tennessee lawmakers. Their children thought they were going to die. A teacher told students to race each other, knowing they...
