Latest Bills News
Indiana bill approved to ban government vaccine passports
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — State or local governments in Indiana will be prohibited from issuing or requiring COVID-19 vaccine passports under a bill approved by state lawmakers. The Republican-dominated House and Senate voted Thursday by wide margins to approve a wide-ranging...
Database would track officer complaints, disciplinary action
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama could soon have a database that would track disciplinary actions and excessive force complaints against law enforcement officers, a measure aimed at weeding out “bad apples” in the profession. The Alabama Legislature last week...
New Hampshire advances some police, racial justice reforms
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Nearly a year after George Floyd's killing, efforts to enact police and racial justice reforms in New Hampshire are moving forward, with some exceptions. Republican Gov. Chris Sununu created a law enforcement accountability commission last summer,...
Mississippi gov to decide on expanding possibility of parole
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves faces a Thursday deadline to act on a bill that could make more inmates eligible for the possibility of parole in a state with one of the highest incarceration rates in the nation. The Republican governor could sign or...
Alabama committee backs ban on vaccine requirements
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama lawmakers inched closer to approving a ban on so-called vaccine passports that would require proof of coronavirus vaccination to access services from a business or state agency. The House Health Committee voted Wednesday to send the bill...
Floyd killing has prompted state reforms, but not everywhere
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — George Floyd's killing last year and the protests that followed led to a wave of police reforms in dozens of states, from changes in use-of-force policies to greater accountability for officers. At the same time, lawmakers in a handful of states have had success...
North Dakota Gov. Burgum vetoes transgender sports measure
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Republican North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum vetoed legislation Wednesday restricting transgender students from participating in public elementary and secondary school sports. Burgum said in his veto message that the state “has a level playing field...
Arkansas reports 352 new coronavirus cases, 2 more deaths
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas on Wednesday reported its biggest daily increase in coronavirus cases in more than a month and two more deaths from the illness caused by the virus. The Department of Health said the state's virus cases rose by 352 to 334,061 total...
Burgum vetoes bill barring mask mandates by state officials
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Republican Gov. Doug Burgum and the GOP-controlled Legislature renewed their longstanding power struggle Wednesday, with the second-term governor vetoing a bill that would prohibit state officials from mandating face coverings. In his veto message,...
Oklahoma governor signs bill to crack down on protesters
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a bill Wednesday to crack down on protesters by increasing penalties for blocking roadways and granting immunity to motorists who kill or injure rioters. The bill was one of 44 bills signed into law by the Republican...
