Latest Politics Headlines
All the headlines from our Politics Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Okla. Dems Oppose Bill Calling for Senate Approval of Work Comp Judges
Mar 13 2009 // State Senate confirmation of judges in Oklahoma’s workers’ compensation system would be required under legislation approved by the state House of Representatives that was quickly condemned by a spokesman for...
Oklahoma GOP Squeezing Opponents of Lawsuit Reform
Mar 10 2009 // Republicans lawmakers eager for new civil justice guidelines that would change the way Oklahomans file and litigate lawsuits are putting the squeeze on their opponents with a flurry of legislation that offers a variety of...
New York Insurance Chief Dinallo’s U.S. Senate Testimony on AIG
Mar 5 2009 // Testimony by New York Insurance Superintendent Eric Dinallo to the United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Hearing on “American International Group: Examining What Went Wrong, Government...
Oklahoma Democrats: GOP Is Protecting Insurance Companies
Mar 2 2009 // Oklahoma Senate Democrats are charging that Republicans are taking the side of insurance companies over the needs of their constituents. Democratic leaders held a news conference Feb. 26 to decry decisions by GOP leaders...
Wyo. Senate Kills Bill to Make Small Business Fund
Feb 27 2009 // The Wyoming Senate has voted down a bill to create a multimillion dollar investment fund to foster small business growth. House Bill 291 would have created a $20 million fund with contributions from insurance companies,...
U.S. Senate Panel Sets March 5 Hearing on AIG
Feb 26 2009 // The U.S. Senate Banking Committee has scheduled a hearing on March 5 to examine government aid to insurer American International Group Inc, a source familiar with the hearing said Wednesday. Federal Reserve Board Vice...
Texting While Driving Ban Passes Virginia Senate
Feb 26 2009 // OMG! Texting your BFF while driving could soon cost you. The Senate voted 33-6 Tuesday to pass Del. John Cosgrove’s bill to ban sending or reading text messages or e-mail while driving. The House passed the...
Arkansas Senate OKs Restricting Crash Report Access
Feb 23 2009 // A proposal to temporarily restrict access to traffic-accident reports that’s working its way through Arkansas’ Legislature has raised concerns from at least one opponent that it could open the state up to a...
Oklahoma Boating Under the Influence Measure Goes to Full Senate
Feb 20 2009 // The Oklahoma Senate Appropriations Committee has approved legislation that would lower the legal blood alcohol concentration limit for the offense of boating under the influence from 0.10 percent to 0.08 percent. Senate...
Okla. Bill Requiring Senate to OK Work Comp Judges Moves Ahead
Feb 20 2009 // A resolution calling for a vote of the people to determine if gubernatorial Workers’ Compensation Court appointments in Oklahoma should require Senate confirmation passed a House Committee, the state House of...
Insurance Coverage for Autism Passes Montana Senate Panel
Feb 18 2009 // A bill requiring insurance companies to cover autism treatments has been approved by a Montana Senate committee and sent to the Senate floor for debate. Senate Bill 234 passed out of the Business, Labor and Economic...
Washington Senate Democrats Want More Transparency in Rebates
Feb 18 2009 // Senate Democrats proposed increasing oversight of a Washington State business insurance rebate program, citing rebate overpayments of at least $150 million. Last week, the state Department of Labor & Industries...
Oregon Senate Panel Approves Higher Liability Caps
Feb 17 2009 // Lawsuits against Oregon state and local governments could get bigger under a bill approved by the Oregon Senate Judiciary Committee. The proposal, Senate Bill 311, would increase government liability caps to boost the...
Georgia Senate Panel Advances Food Safety Measure
Feb 13 2009 // A sweeping new food safety measure proposed in the wake of the salmonella outbreak easily passed its first key legislative hurdle this week as Georgia lawmakers sought to reassure antsy residents. The Senate Agriculture...
Georgia Senate Panel Considers Changes to Food Safety Rules
Feb 11 2009 // State lawmakers are considering new food safety rules in Georgia, where a peanut plant has been linked to a salmonella outbreak that has sickened hundreds of people nationwide. The Senate Agriculture Committee is to...
Michigan Governor Expected to Veto Senate Bill Halting Ergonomics Rule
Feb 9 2009 // A divided Michigan Senate has voted to stop Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s administration from instituting mandatory workplace ergonomics rules in the state. But the 20-16 vote is unlikely to change much. The Democratic...
North Dakota Senate Kills Bill to Ban Credit Scoring in Insurance
Feb 9 2009 // The North Dakota Senate last week killed legislation (SB 2330) that would have banned insurers from using credit information in underwriting and rating. On Feb. 2, the Senate Industry, Business and Labor Committee voted do...
U.S. Senate Rejects Cutting Company Repatriation Tax Rate
Feb 4 2009 // The U.S. Senate Tuesday defeated a provision to slash the tax rate on profits that companies bring into the United States from overseas, voting not to include it in the economic stimulus package. The measure would have...
Michigan Senate Republicans Could Block Workplace Ergonomics Rule
Jan 29 2009 // Michigan Republicans are again trying to stop Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s administration from instituting mandatory workplace ergonomics rules in the state. The Democratic governor has previously vetoed similar...
Montana Senate Advances Fire Bills
Jan 27 2009 // The Montana Senate advanced a plan to identify and map the so-called wildland-urban interface — where homes or other development meet woodlands — despite worries the proposal eventually could harm...
