Latest News
Friday, 12 April 2013 10:05
Bill Banning Internet Cafes Becomes Law in Florida
Governor Rick Scott has signed a bill to give law enforcement authorities better tools to put an end to illegal gambling devices in strip malls and arcades throughout the state. The measure, HB 155, was approved in response to a three-year federal and state investigation into illegal gambling at Internet cafes.
Friday, 12 April 2013 09:25
States moved beyond budget crises in 2012: Census
The worst of the budget crunch that afflicted state governments after the 2008 financial crisis appears over, data from the Census showed on Thursday. The Census reported that state tax collections last year surpassed their previous peak, and all but three states registered a surge in receipts.
Friday, 12 April 2013 09:22
Texas considers backtracking on testing
In a state that spawned test-based accountability in public schools and spearheaded one of the nation’s toughest high school curriculums, lawmakers are now considering a reversal that would cut back both graduation requirements and standardized testing.
Friday, 12 April 2013 09:20
Firefighters cite study in stand against job cuts
A study by the U.S. Commerce Department, the national firefighters union and other organizations found that crews of five or six firefighters put out fires and conducted search-and-rescue operations "significantly faster" than three-person or four-person teams. The news comes in light of possible cuts to the Chicago Fire Department’s budget.
Friday, 12 April 2013 09:18
North Carolina legislators offer driving permits and new restrictions for immigrants here illegally
Thousands of North Carolina immigrants who are in the United States illegally would have a chance to become legal drivers under sweeping legislation proposed Wednesday in the General Assembly – but the state also could make their lives harder with new restrictions, stepped-up immigration enforcement and tougher treatment in the jails and the courts.
Thursday, 04 April 2013 10:44
Legislators in Connecticut agree on broad new gun laws
More than three months after the massacre of 26 people at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., state legislative leaders announced on Monday that they had agreed on what they called the most far-reaching gun-legislation package in the country.
Thursday, 04 April 2013 10:42
North Dakota lawmakers pass Voter ID bill
North Dakota voters may have to present identification before they can cast a ballot at the next election. Senate lawmakers on Wednesday passed House Bill 1332 by a 30-16 vote, which will eliminate the voter affidavit process that allows a voter to cast a ballot without proof of eligibility.
Thursday, 04 April 2013 10:40
TN overpaid $73 million in jobless benefits
A series of failures in the operation of the state’s unemployment insurance program has resulted in the overpayment of more than $73 million in benefits and created a backlog so long that Tennesseans have had to face unreasonable delays before receiving aid, according to a state audit report released Thursday.
Thursday, 04 April 2013 10:38
U.S. Department of Justice accuses Oregon of segregating disabled in sheltered workshops
Oregon unlawfully segregates people with disabilities in sheltered workshops instead of providing them more work opportunities in the public midst, federal authorities allege. In a news conference Monday, officials with the U.S. Justice Department said they have joined a class-action lawsuit filed by people with disabilities against Governor John Kitzhaber and the state of Oregon last year.
Thursday, 04 April 2013 10:37
Arizona gun proponents launch free gun program
A campaign promising free shotguns for people in Tucson's most troubled neighborhoods has divided some residents in a community still reeling from a shooting rampage in 2011 that killed six people, left a congresswoman and several others wounded, and made the city a symbol of gun violence in America. The nonprofit Armed Citizen Project is part of a national campaign to give shotguns to single women and homeowners in neighborhoods with high-crime rates.