Latest Politics Headlines
All the headlines from our Politics Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Tennessee Senate Approves Guns-in-Parks Bill
Feb 14 2014 // A measure to do away with local government’s power to decide whether to allow firearms in public parks has passed the Senate. The measure sponsored by Republican Sen. Stacey Campfield of Knoxville was approved...
Kentucky Senate Passes Landlord Dog Bite Liability Protection Bill
Feb 12 2014 // Landlords who live on their own property would not be financially liable for a tenant’s dog if it attacks another person under a bill passed by the Kentucky Senate. Republican Sen. Chris Girdler of Somerset called...
Mississippi Senate Backs Fine for Texting While Driving
Feb 7 2014 // The Mississippi Senate has voted to make texting a driving a crime _ but not much of one. Senate Bill 2434 says anyone caught sending a text message or checking a social media site while driving can be charged with...
Senate to Take Up Chemical Safety Bill After West Virginia Spill
Feb 6 2014 // U.S. senators said they will take up a bill as soon as this week to require inspections and clean-up plans for chemical storage tanks, over the objection of industry, after a West Virginia spill tainted drinking...
Senate Joins House in Passing Farm, Crop Insurance Bill; President Says He Will Sign
Feb 4 2014 // The Senate passed and sent to President Barack Obama a measure that sets U.S. agricultural policy for five years, ending the toughest legislative battle on renewal of the farm bill in almost two decades with cuts to crop...
Key House Republicans Oppose Delaying Flood Insurance Increases
Feb 4 2014 // The effort to delay huge increases in insurance premiums for homeowners in flood-prone areas faces a skeptical House chairman who is largely standing behind the changes Congress oversaw in the nation’s flood...
Senate Clears Farm, Crop Insurance Bill for Final Vote
Feb 3 2014 // Long-delayed farm legislation easily cleared a procedural hurdle on Monday in the U.S. Senate, with final passage of the nearly $1 trillion bill expected as early as Tuesday. The House of Representatives last week...
Senate Passes Flood Insurance Delay, Agent Licensing Bill
Jan 30 2014 // The Senate passed a bill Thursday to delay certain flood insurance rate hikes and create a national registry for licensing insurance agents by a vote of 67-32. (See how senators voted at end of story.) The bill delays the...
Tennessee Senate to Vote on Guns-In-Parks Bill
Jan 30 2014 // A proposal that seeks to do away with local government’s power to decide whether to allow firearms in public parks in is headed for a full vote in the Tennessee Senate vote. The measure sponsored by Republican Sen....
Senate Begins Amending Bill to Halt Flood Insurance Rate Increases
Jan 30 2014 // The Senate has begun adopting amendments to the bill (S.1926) that seeks to delay flood insurance premium increases called for under the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012. The Senate bill would halt premium...
Senate Takes First Step on Flood Insurance, Agent Licensing Bill
Jan 27 2014 // The Senate voted 86-13 early Monday evening to proceed with debate on a bill to both delay some flood insurance premium increases and establish an optional national registry for insurance agent and broker licensing. That...
Republicans Vow to Develop Alternative to Obamacare
Jan 24 2014 // Top Republicans are saying they can no longer just be the party of “No” on Obamacare: They need to come up with an alternative healthcare policy. While many Americans are skeptical of President Barack...
Maryland Senate Approves Bill to Remedy Health Exchange Problems
Jan 23 2014 // The Maryland Senate has passed a measure to provide health insurance for people who tried to enroll online in the state’s health exchange, but couldn’t due to computer problems. The Senate voted 38-8 for the...
Senate Links Agent Licensing Reform with Flood Insurance Delay
Jan 21 2014 // There is a new political wrinkle in the attempt to stave off flood insurance rate hikes across the country. The Senate has attached an industry-supported bill to streamline agent and broker licensing to its bill to delay...
Senate Joins House in Approving Spending Bill with Narrow Flood Insurance Fix
Jan 17 2014 // The Senate (72-26) yesterday joined the House of Representatives (359-67) in passing a $1.1 trillion compromise omnibus spending bill that contains a delay for an estimated one quarter of those facing flood insurance...
Congressional Negotiations on Farm Bill Said Close to Deal
Jan 16 2014 // Negotiations in Congress on the long overdue U.S. farm bill could be completed this week after progress was stalled by a disagreement over a dairy price support program, a senator said on Wednesday. The five-year farm...
Senate Re-Election Politics Boosts Flood Insurance Delay Proposals
Jan 16 2014 // Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will do just about anything to help Louisiana’s Mary Landrieu. He arranged the chamber’s floor agenda this week so Landrieu could lead debate on a flood insurance rate reprieve...
Congressional Spending Plan Would Curb Some Flood Insurance Hikes
Jan 15 2014 // The $1.1 trillion government funding agreement unveiled by Congressional negotiators on Monday includes language to postpone for about eight months some of the flood insurance rate hikes triggered by reforms passed in...
Texas Insurance Executive Enters State Senate Race
Jan 8 2014 // Richard “Gordy” Bunch, founder, president and CEO of The Woodlands, Texas-based insurance agency, The Woodlands Financial Group (TWFG), has announced his candidacy for the state’s 4th Senate District. A...
Senate Bill Seeks More Disclosure of Government Settlements with Firms
Jan 8 2014 // Two U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday unveiled a new bill that would force enforcement agencies to provide more details about deals to resolve corporate misconduct by U.S. companies. Senators Elizabeth Warren, the Massachusetts...
