Latest State legislature News
Lawmakers OK bill creating database of violent offenders
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio lawmakers have approved the creation of a statewide database of violent offenders under legislation named for a college student who disappeared while bicycling and was abducted and slain. The bill named for Sierah Joughin and known as "Sierah's Law" was approved recently and will...
Evers not optimistic Wisconsin Gov. Walker will veto bills
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin's Democratic Gov.-elect Tony Evers said Sunday he's not optimistic that outgoing governor Scott Walker will veto bills approved by the Republican-dominated Legislature that would limit the new governor's power. Speaking on NBC's "Meet the Press," Evers said he talked by...
US states to meet at deadline on Colorado River drought plan
LAS VEGAS (AP) — With drought entering a second decade and reservoirs continuing to shrink, seven Southwestern U.S. states that depend on the overtaxed Colorado River for crop irrigation and drinking water had been expected to ink a crucial share-the-pain contingency plan by the end of 2018. They're not...
Nebraska lawmakers seek warning system for city budget woes
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Local governments saddled with costly pension obligations, state mandates and aging roads could face tough financial times over the next few decades, and some Nebraska lawmakers want to make sure they're ready for it. Sen. John Stinner of Gering, chairman of the budget-writing...
Blumenthal seeks new alert system for missing adults
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal is urging the House of Representatives to pass legislation that would create a new federal alert system for missing adults. The Ashanti Alert Act, approved unanimously Sept. 6 by the Senate, is named for Ashanti Billie. She's the 19-year-old cousin of...
Snyder promises 'nerd-like' review of controversial bills
DETROIT (AP) — Gov. Rick Snyder says he hasn't decided if he'll sign or reject controversial bills from the Republican Legislature in the days before Democrats get control of major statewide offices in Michigan. Snyder, a Republican, appeared on WDIV-TV's "Flashpoint" show Sunday. He says, "I'm not going...
Daugaard leaves governor's office proud of fiscal strength
PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — In the newly unveiled portrait of Dennis Daugaard hanging in the Capitol, the outgoing governor stands before the building's granite cornerstone, a background chosen to emphasize Daugaard's relentless focus on maintaining state buildings and strengthening South Dakota's finances in his...
Senate's residency fight drags out tension of election
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — For the Pennsylvania Senate, the election didn't necessarily end at 8 p.m. on Nov. 6. The chamber's Republican majority is questioning the residency qualifications of a newly elected Democrat who flipped a Republican-held Pittsburgh-area seat by a mere 793 votes, injecting tension...
Kansas faces new fight over taxes after years of turmoil
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas' new Democratic governor promised not to raise taxes to meet her goals of boosting spending on public schools and social services. Republicans who control the Legislature argue that a tax increase is coming even if state politicians do nothing. One of the first big political...
He used to be lounge singer, now he's gotten 3 men pardoned
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Step into a local nightclub in the 1970s or '80s, and chances are you'd see John Cog. He was the guy just beyond the dance floor, behind the keyboards and amplifiers. He'd play the organ, the electric harpsichord, the castanets — even a slide whistle and kazoo — sometimes...
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