Latest Politics Headlines
All the headlines from our Politics Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Senate Unveils Flood Program Bill
May 26 2006 // With its chairman proclaiming the program is at a “crossroads,” the U.S. Senate Banking Committee this week advanced bipartisan legislation to bolster the nation’s debt-ridden flood insurance...
Insurance Verification Bill Passes Okla. House, Heads to Senate
May 26 2006 // Hoping to drive down Oklahoma’s high automobile insurance rates, the Oklahoma House of Representatives voted May 25 to crack down on uninsured drivers. House Bill 3115, by state Rep. Ron Peterson, would create an...
R.I. Senate Wants to Raise Liability Limits for Taxis, Shuttles
May 25 2006 // The Rhode Island Senate has approved legislation to require taxis and transport vehicles such as airport shuttles to carry $300,000 worth of personal injury and property damage insurance. The bill, introduced by Sen....
Senate Republicans fail again in efforts to cap medical malpractice awards
May 22 2006 // News Currents Senate Republican leaders have again failed in their efforts to place limits on medical malpractice pain and suffering awards. Senate Democrats successfully stymied two Republican bills, one a broad bill...
GOP Alters Cover Tennessee Bill to Eliminate Risk
May 17 2006 // The Senate has approved a change to Gov. Phil Bredesen’s Cover Tennessee health care proposal to eliminate all risk for the state, a move administration officials said could eliminate any private insurers from...
Wage Audit of New Mexico Republican Party Finds No Discrepancies
May 15 2006 // A New Mexico Department of Labor audit of the state Republican Party’s payroll records found no discrepancies in wages reported by the party. The GOP also complied with reporting requirements under laws covering...
State-Exempt Small Group Health Measure Falters In Senate
May 14 2006 // A bill to give small businesses a cheaper option when providing health insurance stalled in the U.S. Senate last week. Under the proposal endorsed by President Bush, businesses could buy insurance through regional or...
Democrats Vow to Block Bill Freeing Health Policies from State Mandates
May 11 2006 // Senate Democrats pledged this week to fight provisions in Republican-backed legislation that they said would reduce health insurance coverage for millions. The bill would let small businesses join across state lines to buy...
Michigan Senate Votes to Tie Health Insurance to Behavior
May 11 2006 // Health insurers and HMOs in Michigan could offer financial incentives to smaller employers that want to reward workers for healthy behavior under legislation passed unanimously May 9 in the state Senate. Supporters of the...
Texas Senate Approves Tax and Education Reform Bill
May 11 2006 // The Texas Senate passed a measure late on May 10 that would cut local school property taxes by one-third over the next two years, put more money into Texas schools, increase equity between districts, and raise teacher...
La. Senate Approves Bill Extending Hurricane Claims Deadline
May 10 2006 // The Louisiana Senate approved a bill that would extend the deadline for victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to file claims with their insurance companies. Sen. Julie Quinn’s bill would give policyholders through...
Senate Republicans Fail Again in Efforts to Cap Medical Malpractice Awards
May 8 2006 // Senate Republican leaders have again failed in their efforts to place limits on medical malpractice pain and suffering awards. Senate Democrats successfully stymied two Republican bills, one a broad bill affecting medical...
lll. Attorney General, 38 others, oppose health plan pending in U.S. Senate
May 8 2006 // Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan sent a letter at the end of April to U.S. Senate members urging them to oppose a bill that would dramatically change the health insurance marketplace by preempting state-mandated...
U.S. Senate panel advises scrapping, then rebuilding, FEMA
May 8 2006 // The United States’ disaster response agency should be abolished and rebuilt from scratch to avoid a repeat of government failures exposed by Hurricane Katrina, a Senate inquiry has concluded. Crippled by years of...
lll. Attorney General, 38 others, oppose health plan pending in U.S. Senate
May 8 2006 // Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan sent a letter at the end of April to U.S. Senate members urging them to oppose a bill that would dramatically change the health insurance marketplace by preempting state-mandated...
U.S. Senate panel advises scrapping, then rebuilding, FEMA
May 8 2006 // News Currents The United States’ disaster response agency should be abolished and rebuilt from scratch to avoid a repeat of government failures exposed by Hurricane Katrina, a Senate inquiry has concluded. Crippled...
Vt. Gov. Douglas Rejects Democrats’ Health Reform Plan
May 7 2006 // Gov. Jim Douglas declared Friday that the health reform compromise signed by legislative Democrats on Friday was unacceptable and would not become law. “I will not,” Douglas said when asked directly whether he...
La. Senate: Rating Commission Should Approve Rate Changes
May 3 2006 // All insurance rate hikes in Louisiana should get approval first from the state’s Insurance Rating Commission before being enacted, the Senate has decided. Senate Bill 693, backed 21-15, would reverse a law pushed by...
Senate Halts Return of 57,000 to TennCare; Advances Cover Tenn.
May 3 2006 // A health insurance proposal that Gov. Phil Bredesen has been labeled as fiscally reckless failed to advance out of a Senate committee in Nashville, Tenn. after four Democrats and one Republican declined to vote on the...
Bulk of Texas Tax Reform Package Passes Senate
May 3 2006 // The Texas Senate has given final approval to House Bills 2, 3, and 4, which propose to change the way the state pays for its public school system. These bills would broaden the business tax, taxing gross receipts of most...
