USApp Managing Editor, Chris Gilson, looks at the week in U.S. state bloggin

Gilson, Christopher

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blogs.lse.ac.ukhttp://blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/2015/06/20/georgias-far-reaching-abortion-law-nixon-donation-raises-questions-and-california-expands-healthcare-to-undocumented-children-us-state-blog-round-up-for-13-19-june/New Jersey Governor Chris Christie Credit: Gage Skidmore (CC-BY-SA-2.0)Georgia’s far-reaching abortion law, Nixon donation raisesquestions, and California expands healthcare to undocumentedchildren: US state blog round up for 13 – 19 JuneUSApp Managing Editor, Chris Gilson, looks at the week in U.S. state blogging. Click here for our weeklyroundup of national blogs. NortheastOn Wednesday, the Granite State’s NH Labor News reports that Governor Maggie Hassan is planning to issuethe budget recently sent to her by the Republican-controlled legislature. They say that Hassan has stated that theGOP’s budget is ‘fiscally irresponsible’ because of its proposals for unpaid tax cuts for big corporations.Moving south to the Bay State, Blue Mass Group says this week that the state’s Senate has won a ‘constitutionaltiff’ with the House over the question of whether its significant amendments to the House’s budget (which includesome tax changes) breach the origination clause in the state’s constitution which states that money bills mustoriginate in the House. The Senate won out in the state’s Supreme Judicial Court because the original House billcontained a tax provision.In Rhode Island this week, RIPR argues that it is time to consolidate the state’s ‘bloated’ public agencies. Theywrites that the small state has 77 fire departments, 155 separate pension systems, and more than 100 watersystems, all of which stem from an outdated system of government which favors local control.Legislators in the Empire State reached a compromise deal this week – State of Politics writes Friday that theAssembly and Senate leaders, along with Governor Andrew Cuomo, have announced a stop-gap measure whichwould extend existing rent control regulations, as well as a tax abatement measure, for five extra days. Theagreement buys time for a more comprehensive deal to be made.In the wake of a State SupremeCourt ruling that theadministration of New JerseyGovernor, Chris Christie did nothave to honor an agreement tofully fund the state’s pensionsystem, Blue Jersey calls onpublic employees to make toughchoices at the ballot box this yearto send a message to membersof the state legislature that theproblem needs to be fixed.Staying in New Jersey,Americablog writes this weekthat the state’s Democrats arepushing a slate of bills whichwould lead to the expansion ofvoting rights similar to thoserecently called for 2016presidential candidate, HillaryClinton. The bills are likely to come into conflict with Governor Christie, who has rejected Clinton’s calls for theexpansion of voting rights.SouthThis week, Virginia’s Bearing Drift argues that the Old Dominion State needs to retain its presidential primary in2016. They say that the current GOP Central State Committee is leaning towards a convention rather than aprimary, something that would not be good for the state, and would hurt its national credibility.Moving south The Progressive Pulse of North Carolina reports that the Supreme Court has refused to review aruling which struck down the state’s 2011 law which would require doctors to give a narrated ultrasound beforeundergoing an abortion. The law was enacted after the state legislature overrode a veto by Governor Perduenearly five years ago.South Carolina saw the tragic shooting of nine African-American churchgoers in Charleston this week. Daily Kossays that the state’s Governor, Nikki Haley is not interested in changing any part of the state’s gun laws in theaftermath of the deadly shooting, instead arguing that we should focus on the ‘one person’ who committed thecrime. The shooting was allegedly racially motivated, with the suspect, Dylann Roof apparently wanting to incite a‘civil war’. The Atlantic argues strongly that in light of the shooting the state’s Confederate flag, which flies on thegrounds of the state Capitol, should be taken down.Peach Pundit writes Friday that Georgia’s law which bans late-term abortions is actually having a trickle-downeffect in other states in the south. They say that the law has contributed to a lack of access to late-term abortionsin states in the Midwest and the Northeast.Florida’s state legislature recently came to an agreement on a near $79 billion budget for 2015-16. Despite thedeal, the state House’s budget chief, Richard Corcoran, has advised Governor Rick Scott to use his line-item vetoto remove portions of the budget’s spending plans., reports Saint Peters blog.Midwest In the Buckeye State, Ohio Daily writes on Thursday that the state’s Republican Party is using the annual budgetto continue its attacks on women. They write that as well as introducing additional regulations on abortion clinics,the Ohio GOP has also introduced a new bill in the state House which would further regulate abortion-inducingdrugs.Moving north, Michigan’s eclectablog reports that the state’s GOP are drafting a ‘RFRA for marriage’ law, whichwould end the state’s involvement in sanctioning marriage, ahead of the Supreme Court’s coming decision on theconstitutionality of same-sex marriage laws.Are you a fan of drinking alcohol in your porch? Well now you can in the Hawkeye State! Hit & Run says that theIowa Supreme Court has ruled that public intoxication on a person’s front porch is not a crime, as it is not a publicplace.PoliticMO has the story on Wednesday of a $50,000 donation to Governor Jay Nixon (who is term-limited) fromthe United Auto Workers Union last week. The donation has raised questions as it follows his veto of a ‘right-to-work’ bill which would have weakened the union’s strength.Wonkblog has a roundup of 11 often surprising facts about how Kansas treats the poor. These include the raisingof sales taxes, approved by Governor Sam Brownback, in 2012 and 2013 and putting a $25 limit on ATMwithdrawals of benefits.Meanwhile in North Dakota, Say Anything Blog reports that the state’s part-time legislature was due to reconvenethis week for the first time in the state’s history. They say the Senate Majority Leader has maintained that therenewed session will save money for taxpayers, as it will finish the budget for the state’s Public EmployeesRetirement System, which has yet to be reconciled by the state House and Senate. West and PacificCredit: Eric Peacock (Flickr, CC-BY-NC-SA-2.0 )On Monday, The Daily Signal has the story that Colorado’s Supreme Court has ruled that companies are able tofire employees for using marijuana, despite the fact that the drug is legal in the state (though illegal federally).Staying in the Centennial State, ColoradoPols looks at the ‘strange story’ of an attempted coup within the state’sRepublican Party, aimed at the chairman of the Colorado Republican Committee, Steve House.Heading over to Idaho, Eye on Boise reports that after 18 months of talks, the state has settled a children’smental health lawsuit that has spanned 35 years and 5 governors. They say much of how Idaho treats childrenwith mental health problems has changed because of the suit.Townhall comments on California’s recent law change which would allow the children of undocumentedimmigrants to enrol in Medicaid in the state. They say that the Golden State has made the move despitePresident Obama’s past comments that healthcare reforms would not insure illegal immigrants. Staying inCalifornia, The Daily Signal writes that a new ruling from the state’s Labor Commissioner’s Office which definesdrivers for the taxi company, Uber as employees threatens to destroy the company’s business model.Featured image credit: Phil Whitehouse (Flickr, CC-BY-2.0)Please read our comments policy before commenting .Note:  This article gives the viewsof the author, and not the positionof USApp– American Politics andPolicy, nor of the London Schoolof Economics.Shortened URL for thispost: http://bit.ly/1exF2o7CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 2014LSE USAPPCredit: Adam Fagen (Flickr, CC-BY-NC-SA-2.0 )

Georgia’s far-reaching abortion law, Nixon donation raisesquestions, and California expands healthcare to undocumentedchildren: US state blog round up for 13 – 19 June

Georgia’s far-reaching abortion law, Nixon donation raisesquestions, and California expands healthcare to undocumentedchildren: US state blog round up for 13 – 19 June

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