Updates – Page 484

Chris Fitzsimon: Voter ID not the only push to make voting more difficult

Republicans in North Carolina are determined to do everything they can to make it more difficult for you to vote, especially if you are a member of a demographic group likely to support their political opponents. It is one of their key priorities this legislative session, to change the state’s voting laws to keep themselves…

Will the GOP’s plan to fight Obamacare in the states backfire?

By: Ezra Klein, Washington Post Obama’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act celebrated its third birthday last weekend. This particular anniversary was a big deal, because it was often unclear whether the law would reach it. In the first place, it was imperiled by the Supreme Court; in the second, by the Republican Party’s promise…

Top Republican Charges That Obamacare Form Might [gasp] Encourage People to Vote

By Sahil Kapur, Talking Points Memo A senior Republican congressman is seeking answers from the Obama administration on why the draft application form for Obamacare benefits asks if the applicant wants to register to vote. The White House has said it’s simply following a 1993 law called the National Voter Registration Act, which seeks to…

State Legislatures Gone Wild, Cont.

By ThinkProgress War Room 7 Terrible State Bills Recently, we discussed some of the terrible bills floating around out there in state legislatures. Here’s another look at some of the worst proposals, including a couple that were signed into law this week: NORTH DAKOTA: The state’s Republican governor signed a trifecta of terrible anti-abortion bills,…

Gov. Steve Beshear, legislative leaders of both parties worked together to overhaul pensions

By ROGER ALFORD Associated Press FRANKFORT, Kentucky — With a Republican-controlled Senate and a Democratic-led House, the Kentucky Legislature had been mired in political gridlock through most of the past decade. Frankfort political leaders believe passage of a complicated pension overhaul Tuesday is a clear indication that things have changed. Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear and Republican Senate…

Supreme Court skeptical of DOMA

By: Jillian Rayfield During oral arguments on Wednesday, five of the Supreme Court justices, including Anthony Kennedy, expressed skepticism at the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act, the law preventing same-sex couples from receiving federal benefits. Read it at: http://www.salon.com/2013/03/27/supreme_court_skeptical_of_doma/

Virginia Voters Know Little About VA-Gov Candidates, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds

Virginia State Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is viewed as having better experience while voters see Terry McAuliffe as slightly less ideological, but neither is well-known to voters who are divided on who should be the next governor, with 40 percent for Republican Cuccinelli and 38 percent for Democrat McAuliffe according to a Quinnipiac University poll…

Rick Perry's $487 Million Slush Fund Doesn't Need Your Stinkin' Audit

By Dana Liebelson Watchdog groups have long argued that the Texas Enterprise Fund, a taxpayer-funded program that has awarded more than $487 million to big businesses that set up shop in the Lone Star State since 2004, is a slush fund that allows Gov. Rick Perry to reward allies and political donors. Despite the criticisms, the Texas State Auditor’s Office hasn’t examined…

Gov. Quinn Announces $486 Million Spring Construction Program for Roads and Bridges

Investment Will Put Thousands to Work Across Illinois With One of the Largest Spring Construction Programs in State History CHICAGO – Governor Pat Quinn today announced $486 million in road and bridge projects that will be started this spring – one of the largest early-season construction programs in the state’s history. Today’s announcement is part of…

Patrick launches $2m in scholarships for needed degrees

By Peter Schworm In a renewed effort to boost the number of college graduates in fast-growing fields, Massachusetts has awarded $2 million in scholarships to public college students pursuing degrees in science, business, and health care. The initiative, the first time the state has broadly encouraged career choices through financial aid, seeks to help students complete…

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