Latest Politics Headlines
All the headlines from our Politics Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Republicans See ‘Obamacare’ Issues as Key to 2014
May 30 2013 // If Republicans were writing a movie script for next year’s congressional elections, the working title might be “2014: Apocalypse of Obamacare.” The plot: The rollout of President Barack Obama’s...
North Carolina’s Hagan Amends Senate Farm Bill to Address Crop Fraud
May 29 2013 // A measure championed by U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan adds $5 million in new funding to the 2013 farm bill to help root out crop insurance fraud. The Senate approved Hagan’s amendment last week by a vote of 94-0. The money...
Senate Votes to Cut Crop Insurance Subsidies to Wealthiest Farmers
May 23 2013 // The wealthiest 20,000 U.S. farmers should pay more for taxpayer subsidized crop insurance, the Senate voted on Thursday, adopting a measure that blended deficit reduction, populism and farm program reform. Senators...
U.S. Senate Passes Bill with Kansas River Levee Funding
May 23 2013 // The U.S. Senate has approved a bill that includes funding aimed at improving Topeka’s levee system along the Kansas River. The bill approved in the Senate would provide about $15.7 million in federal matching funds...
Michigan Democrats Lay Out Auto Insurance Bills
May 22 2013 // Detroit’s Democratic state House Caucus is laying out an effort to change Michigan’s auto insurance policies. The package of legislation was revealed during a news conference in Detroit. Republicans control the...
Nevada Senate Approves Driving Privilege Cards
May 22 2013 // The Nevada Senate has overwhelming approved a bill authorizing driving privilege cards for non-U.S. residents. Monday’s vote was 20-1. SB303 now goes to the Assembly where passage is expected. Republican Gov. Brian...
GOP Questions Fundraising for Obamacare
May 21 2013 // With the White House already reeling from three major controversies, some Republican lawmakers are zeroing in on what they perceive is another possible scandal tied to President Barack Obama’s landmark health reform...
White House Urges Senate to Cut Crop Insurance by $1 Billion
May 21 2013 // The U.S. Senate should cut crop insurance subsidies, the most expensive part of the farm safety net, by $1 billion a year before it passes the new farm bill, the White House said on Monday. The five-year farm bill would...
Missouri Senate Backs Bill to Bolster Second Injury Fund
May 17 2013 // More than a thousand disabled workers could finally begin receiving payments for their job-related injuries if the Missouri House gives final approval to legislation intended to replenish an insolvent state fund. SB 1,...
Obama Administration Releases Proposed Fracking Regulations
May 17 2013 // The Obama administration on Thursday unveiled a new proposal for regulating hydraulic fracturing on federal lands, rolling back some measures from its original, abandoned draft as it sought to ease concerns the rules would...
Senate to Hold Vote on Consumer Agency Director Next Week
May 16 2013 // U.S. Senate Democratic leaders plan to hold a vote next week on President Barack Obama’s choice to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a Senate Democratic aide said on Wednesday, but they are not expected...
State Senate OKs California Ski Safety Legislation
May 15 2013 // The state Senate passed a bill that would require California ski resorts to prepare an annual safety plan and post those reports on their websites. Lawmakers passed SB564 on a 24-8 partisan vote. The bill by Democratic...
Bill to Expand Crop Insurance Passes Senate Committee
May 14 2013 // The Senate Agriculture Committee approved a farm bill on Tuesday, costing $500 billion over a decade, that would expand the scope of the federally subsidized crop insurance program and modestly trim spending on food stamps...
New York Senate OKs Legislative Package to Fight Auto Insurance Fraud
May 10 2013 // The New York State Senate approved three bills that aim to cut down on auto insurance scams by increasing penalties for those who commit or assist in the fraud and by giving more flexibility to insurance companies to...
Republicans Renew Push for Repeal of Obamacare
May 10 2013 // The White House announced a new $150 million initiative on Thursday to get uninsured Americans covered under President Barack Obama’s healthcare reform law, as Republicans raised the volume on their calls for...
Senate Farm Bill Draft Boosts Southern Crop Subsidies
May 10 2013 // In a concession to Southern lawmakers, the new U.S. farm law would set sharply higher support prices for rice and peanut crops under a draft prepared for a Senate Agriculture Committee vote next week and released on...
Oklahoma Senate Sends Workers’ Comp Bill to Governor
May 2 2013 // The Oklahoma Senate has approved a Republican-backed plan to overhaul the state’s workers’ compensation system and to cut more than $100 million annually from injured worker benefits, sending the proposal to...
Senate Panel to Investigate Texas Fertilizer Plant Explosion
May 1 2013 // U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer said on Tuesday she plans to investigate the explosion at a Texas fertilizer plant earlier this month that killed 15 people and injured scores more. California’s Boxer, the head of the...
Florida Senate Approves Citizens Reform Bill; Path Ahead Remains Uncertain
Apr 26 2013 // Florida lawmakers have taken the first step towards reforming the state-backed property insurer, but not before significantly scaling back its impact on policyholders while the chances for final legislative approval remain...
North Carolina Senate Bill Aims to End Local Building Design Standards
Apr 25 2013 // Some North Carolina lawmakers are pushing legislation that forbids local governments from adopting their own building design standards in most cases. The Senate bill that passed the Commerce Committee on Tuesday says that...
