Latest Politics Headlines
All the headlines from our Politics Topic Page, ordered by recency.
House Approves Patent Reform Bill Similar to Senate’s
Jun 24 2011 // Patent legislation that aims to clear a years-long backlog of applications and allows the patent office set its own fees was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday. Supporters say the bill will help the...
Texas Senate Passes Windstorm Bill
Jun 23 2011 // The Texas Senate has passed a bill intended to improve the state’s coastal windstorm insurance agency, clarifying the claims process and increasing transparency at the agency. The measure to reform the Texas...
Senate Panel to Hear Flood Insurance Reauthorization Bill
Jun 23 2011 // Insurers today will again urged federal lawmakers to reauthorize and reform the nation’s flood insurance program, which is slated to lapse on Sept. 30 if Congress does not act. At a hearing today, a Senate Banking...
North Carolina Senate Panel Drops Drug Firm Liability Shield
Jun 15 2011 // A North Carolina legislative committee has removed from a liability lawsuit measure a provision that would have given broad product protections for pharmaceutical companies. A Senate judiciary panel has deleted language...
Nevada Construction Defect Reform Bill Dies in Senate
Jun 9 2011 // Proposed Nevada construction defect lawsuit reforms that were criticized as “window dressing” by the building industry died in the Senate. AB401 sponsored by Democratic Assembly Speaker John Oceguera failed on...
Oregon Senate Passes Car Sharing Bill
Jun 7 2011 // In a seeming effort to encourage green behavior, Oregon senators have approved a bill that would remove some of the barriers to developing community car sharing programs. House Bill 3149 establishes standards for personal...
Senate-Approved Workers’ Comp Overhaul Rejected by Illinois House
Jun 6 2011 // A major overhaul of the state’s costly workers’ compensation system failed in the Illinois House on May 29, raising the possibility that lawmakers would push to entirely abolish a system that handles tens of...
South Carolina Senate Approves Limits on Lawsuits Damages
Jun 2 2011 // The South Carolina Senate has given approval to a bill limiting lawsuit punitive damages, but bucked South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley along the way. Haley wanted the Senate to go along with the House and approve a cap of...
Senate-Approved Workers’ Comp Overhaul Rejected by Illinois House
May 31 2011 // A major overhaul of the state’s costly workers compensation system failed in the Illinois House on May 29, raising the possibility that lawmakers would push to entirely abolish a system that handles tens of thousands...
Senate Bill Would Set Wind-Vs.-Water Insurance Claim Formula
May 31 2011 // A U.S. senator from Mississippi is introducing a bill that tries to resolve wind-versus-water insurance disputes for structures wiped out by hurricanes. Republican Roger Wicker said that his bill would establish a formula...
Workers’ Comp Reform Approved in Illinois Senate
May 31 2011 // A plan to overhaul workers’ compensation to cut business costs and curb corruption emerged May 28 and was approved by the Illinois Senate. The measure, which came after six months of negotiations and now heads to the...
Oregon Senate Passes Insurance Fraud Bill
May 27 2011 // The Oregon Senate has passed a bill that makes insurance fraud in claims a crime. According to the insurance fraud bill, SB 401, fraud warnings would be mandatory on policies, noting that presenting a fraudulent claim for...
Texas Senate Votes to Keep Texas Insurance Department
May 23 2011 // The Texas Senate has voted to renew the state Department of Insurance and give it stronger enforcement penalties when companies lose challenges to their rates. Lawmakers are considering competing bills to extend the life...
Oklahoma Senate Approves Massive Late-Session Work Comp Bill
May 19 2011 // The Oklahoma Senate has approved a more than 200-page bill that completely overhauls Oklahoma’s workers’ compensation laws. The proposal emerged in the Oklahoma House just three days before lawmakers are...
Missouri Senate Sends Governor New Bill on Farm Lawsuits
May 12 2011 // Responding to objections from Gov. Jay Nixon, Missouri lawmakers passed a revised bill that would restrict the ability of neighboring property owners to bring nuisance lawsuits against large, smelly hog farms. The...
Republicans Push to Repeal Healthcare Reform Funds
May 4 2011 // In a renewed attack against President Barack Obama’s healthcare overhaul program, House Republicans voted Tuesday to deny funding for a central element of the law that sets up marketplaces for people to shop for...
Florida Senate Passes Property Insurance Overhaul
Apr 29 2011 // The Florida Senate has passed a property insurance overhaul aimed at creating more competition in the private marketplace and also cut down on fraudulent sinkhole claims. The measure (SB 408) passed on a 25-12 vote after...
Tennessee Lawsuit Damages Bill Advances in Senate
Apr 28 2011 // Gov. Bill Haslam’s proposal to limit lawsuit damages is advancing in the Tennessee Legislature. The measure was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee 6-3 on Tuesday and will now be scheduled for a vote on the...
Illinois Senate Rejects Workers’ Compensation Changes
Apr 18 2011 // A Republican plan to overhaul the Illinois workers’ compensation system failed April 14 in the state Senate, largely over the question of whether workers should be required to prove injuries are...
Investors Suing Banks Gain Ammunition with Senate Report
Apr 15 2011 // Pigs. Unicorns. Money? A scathing U.S. Senate panel report faulting Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Deutsche Bank AG and others for contributing to the financial crisis may provide ammunition for investor lawsuits accusing the...
