Latest Politics Headlines
All the headlines from our Politics Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Mississippi House Sends Workers’ Comp Bill to Senate
Apr 2 2012 // Mississippi House members now favor changes to the state’s workers’ compensation system after previously voting against them. House members voted 60-56 last Thursday to pass Senate Bill 2576, which proponents...
Maryland House, Senate Pass Health Exchange Bill
Mar 28 2012 // The Maryland General Assembly has passed a measure to create a framework for a health insurance marketplace to provide coverage to the uninsured. The House of Delegates and state Senate voted 94-44 and 35-12, respectively,...
Missouri Republicans Ponder Next Move on Vetoed Business Bills
Mar 26 2012 // Republican lawmakers in Missouri are trying to decide what they will do next on two pieces of business legislation recently vetoed by Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon. One measure would require workers who bring wrongful...
N.Y. State Senate Passes Auto Insurance Fraud Measures
Mar 23 2012 // New York lawmakers want to slam the brakes on the auto insurance fraud. On Thursday, the state’s Senate passed three bills to fight auto insurance fraud. These measures will now move to the state Assembly for...
Measure Limiting Asbestos Liability Clears Idaho Senate
Mar 22 2012 // Bottle-cap maker Crown Holdings might want to pop the top off a celebratory bottle, after a bill to limit its asbestos liability in Idaho cleared the Senate and headed to Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter for...
4 GOP-Appointed Justices Control Obama Health Law’s Fate
Mar 20 2012 // Here’s a thought that can’t comfort President Barack Obama: The fate of his health care overhaul rests with four Republican-appointed Supreme Court justices. His most sweeping domestic achievement could be...
N.Y. Agents Tell Senate Panel of Flood Insurance Claims Hassles
Mar 16 2012 // A director of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of New York told lawmakers and regulators this week that New Yorkers are dealing with unnecessary hassles when they make flood insurance claims. William Oliver...
Maryland Senate Votes to Ban Smoking in Cars with Kids
Mar 16 2012 // The Maryland Senate wants to prohibit drivers from smoking in cars if a child under the age of 8 is a passenger. Senators signed off on the bill in a 27-19 vote Wednesday. Proponents of the legislation said they chose the...
Mississippi House, Senate Divided Over Workers’ Compensation Changes
Mar 16 2012 // The Mississippi Legislature is split on a bill that would make changes to the state’s workers’ compensation law. Opponents say it would tilt the scales against workers, but proponents say it would return...
Idaho Senate Votes to Ease Workers Comp For Firefighters
Mar 15 2012 // Senate lawmakers have endorsed a bill to better protect Idaho firefighters who contract cancer. The Senate voted 23-10 Monday to pass legislation that would help the state’s nearly 1,000 firefighters secure workers...
Oklahoma Senate Rejects Phone Ban for Teen Drivers
Mar 15 2012 // The Oklahoma Senate has rejected a proposal that would have prevented teenagers from using cell phones while driving. The Senate voted 22-20 for the bill by Tulsa Republican Brian Crain, falling short of the 25 votes...
Former Democratic Senate Candidate Seeks N.D. Insurance Post
Mar 14 2012 // A former North Dakota Democratic U.S. Senate candidate says he’s running instead for state insurance commissioner. Tom Potter is a former finance instructor at the University of North Dakota. He now serves as a...
Cost of Obama Healthcare Law Lowered Under Latest Congressional Analysis
Mar 14 2012 // The estimated net costs of expanding healthcare coverage under President Barack Obama’s landmark restructuring have been reduced by $48 billion through 2021, though fewer people would be covered under private...
Missouri Senate Passes Workplace Discrimination Measure
Mar 12 2012 // The Missouri Senate has given final approval to legislation aimed at changing the state’s rules for lawsuits that deal with workplace discrimination. Senators backed the bill in a 23-8 vote along party lines, sending...
Florida Gov. Scott, Insurance Chief McCarty Oppose Senate PIP Bill
Mar 9 2012 // Florida Gov. Rick Scott has blasted a Senate bill to reform the state’s personal injury protection (PIP) auto insurance system claiming the bill does not provide adequate reform and could make the system even more...
Florida House, Senate Differ on PIP Reform; Special Session Possible
Mar 8 2012 // The Florida Senate has rewritten the House’s bill aimed at reforming the state’s no-fault auto law, adding numerous provisions that are opposed by House lawmakers. As a result, there is a chance that the issue...
Oregon Senate Approves Health Insurance Exchange
Mar 7 2012 // The Oregon Senate has approved a measure implementing an online marketplace where individuals and small businesses can shop for health insurance coverage. The vote on Monday sends the measure to Gov. John Kitzhaber, who...
Senate Panel Advances Florida PIP Reform Bill
Mar 2 2012 // A Senate bill aimed at cracking down on the rampant personal injury protection insurance fraud that costs Florida drivers more than $1 billion annually in premiums is headed to the full floor for what promises to be a...
Driver Texting Ban Passes Alabama House, Moves to Senate
Feb 23 2012 // The Alabama House has voted to ban drivers from sending or reading text messages while operating a motor vehicle on Alabama roads. The bill passed the House on a 92-0 vote. It now goes to the Senate for debate. The traffic...
Florida Senate Leader Opposes Immunity for Lawmakers
Feb 22 2012 // The incoming Senate president is opposing a proposal that would allow state lawmakers to wrap themselves in absolute immunity from having to testify in lawsuits. The House Judiciary Committee cleared a Republican bill (PCB...
