Latest Politics Headlines
All the headlines from our Politics Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Congressional Report Finds Civilians Working in War Zones Encounter Claims Hurdles
May 19 2008 // Civilians deployed to war zones often encounter problems receiving medical treatment and are hesitant to seek help for emotional stress caused by their deployment, a new U.S. congressional report finds. Federal policies on...
Report: Bush Administration Rulemaking Limits Consumer Lawsuits
May 15 2008 // Faced with an unfriendly Congress, the Bush administration has found another, quieter way to make it more difficult for consumers to sue businesses over faulty products. It’s rewriting the bureaucratic...
House, Senate Must Work Out Differences in Flood Insurance Bills
May 14 2008 // The Senate voted Tuesday to extend until 2013 a federal program that insures millions of U.S. homes against floods and to forgive $17 billion in debt that the program built up during Hurricane Katrina. In an issue of...
Senate Rejects Adding Wind Coverage to Flood Insurance Program, 73-19
May 12 2008 // The U.S. Senate last week officially rejected a bid by Gulf state senators to add wind coverage to a financially strapped federal program that provides flood insurance. Lawmakers from Louisiana and Mississippi cited...
Senate Advances Renewal of Flood Insurance without Wind Coverage
May 7 2008 // A bill to renew the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) passed a key test vote in the U.S. Senate Tuesday, with aides saying they expected final action on the legislation before the end of the week. The Senate agreed...
House, Senate to Confer on Differing Product Safety Bills
May 5 2008 // U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor will head a conference committee on legislation to strengthen consumer product safety efforts, and says the group will meet soon. The Democrat from Arkansas, who chairs the committee, said the group...
Alabama Coastal Insurance Bill Opposed by Alfa Passes in Senate
May 5 2008 // Legislation aimed at expanding insurance pool coverage for coastal residents in Alabama and opposed by insurance giant Alfa passed in the state Senate after appearing to be doomed. The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Ben...
Colorado Senate OKs Requiring Car Insurers to Offer Medical Coverage
May 2 2008 // Colorado drivers would be nudged into buying medical coverage on their car insurance policies under a proposal backed by the state Senate on April 29. Under the bill, insurance companies would have to include $5,000 in...
La. Senate OKs Regional Deductibles for Homeowners Policies
May 2 2008 // The Louisiana Senate voted to allow insurance companies to set different, “named storm” deductibles on homeowner policies depending on how far a property is from the hurricane-prone Gulf of Mexico. Louisiana is...
Minnesota Senate Approves Tougher Standards for Pools
Apr 25 2008 // Just ahead of swimming season, the Minnesota Senate on Wednesday, April 23rd, embraced new safety standards for more than 4,000 pools at health clubs, parks, apartment buildings and hotels. It is a response to an...
Senate Expected to Pass Genetic Anti-Discrimination Bill
Apr 25 2008 // People seeking genetic testing to learn if they are predisposed to serious diseases would not have to fear losing their jobs or their health insurance under anti-discrimination legislation the Senate was to vote on...
Tennessee Senate Measure would Ban Lawyers from Impaired Driving Ads
Apr 24 2008 // Tennessee defense attorneys would be banned from advertising their expertise with drunken driving cases under a bill advancing in the Senate. Sen. Rosalind Kurita, a Clarksville Democrat, successfully added the provision...
Louisiana Senate Approves Bill to Extend Insurance Incentive Program
Apr 24 2008 // The Louisiana Senate has voted to allow the state to continue offering millions in taxpayer dollars to private insurance firms that agree to begin writing homeowners policies along the hurricane-vulnerable coast. Senators...
Democrat Vying for Delaware Insurance Post Defends Funds
Apr 16 2008 // A Democrat running for insurance commissioner says contributions listed in his campaign finance report from a state contractor aren’t unethical. INS Regulatory Services Inc. — which has received $60 million from...
New York Senate Tweaks Medical Malpractice Insurance Requirements
Apr 16 2008 // The New York State Senate has passed a bill that lowers the required level of primary medical malpractice coverage that a doctor must have to qualify for the state’s Excess Medical Malpractice Liability Insurance...
Okla. Democrats Express Frustration Over Death of Insurance Bills
Apr 16 2008 // Democrats in the Oklahoma Legislature have expressed frustration over their lack of success in getting insurance mandate bills heard in the Republican-controlled state House. Democratic legislators said insurance measures...
Florida Senate Property Insurance Bill Pleases Regulators, Angers Insurers
Apr 16 2008 // As insurers and other interested parties criticized a Florida property insurance bill that passed through the state Senate this week on a 32-7 vote, Florida’s insurance commissioner lauded the action. Sponsored by...
Okla. Senate Republicans: Dems Blocked Vote on Work Comp Reform
Apr 15 2008 // Oklahoma Senate Republicans say their Democratic peers have blocked consideration of an amendment on workers’ compensation reform. Democrat Lt. Gov. Jari Askins recently broke a tie to help Senate Democrats block...
Illinois Senate Votes to Expand Health Care, Add Spending
Apr 8 2008 // The Illinois Senate voted last week to expand Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s health care program, add money to the budget to pay for it and close an expected budget gap. The Democratic-controlled chamber closed out its week...
Montana Republican Criticizes Bush Administration Proposal
Apr 4 2008 // The Republican candidate for Montana state auditor and insurance commissioner is criticizing plans by the Bush Administration for the federal government to take over regulation of the insurance industry. Duane Grimes says...
