The U.S. Department of Justice told a federal court last week that Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal’s (R) order to cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood violates federal law because it denies enrollees in the state-federal health plan the right to choose their own medical providers. Jindal...

Investigation Into Planned Parenthood At least four Republican governors have ordered state health officials to investigate the operations of Planned Parenthood clinics in their states after a video surreptitiously captured by an anti-abortion group surfaced showing a PP executive discussing the selling...

LGBT Protection in LA LOUISIANA Gov.-elect John Bel Edwards (D) said he will issue an executive order to protect gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender state employees and government contractors from discrimination. His planned directive would protect those workers from firing, discrimination and...

On his first day in office, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) signed Executive Order NO. JBE 16-01, expanding Medicaid to cover an additional 300,000 Pelican State residents. Louisiana became the 31 st state overall – and the first in the deep South – to expand the joint federal-state health...

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) laid out his agenda for the year to lawmakers last week, a vision that includes narrowing eligibility standards for the Pelican State voucher program, making it harder to launch charter schools, increasing the minimum wage and expanding Medicaid. He also called on...

Edwards Issues LGBT Order LOUISIANA Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) issued Executive Order No. JBE 2016-11 , which protects LGBT state employees and contractors from being fired, discriminated against or harassed based on their gender identity or sexual orientation. The order exempts religious organizations...

AL Lawmakers Set Up Impeachment Process ALABAMA lawmakers set up the process by which the House will attempt to impeach Gov. Robert Bentley (R). House lawmakers overwhelmingly approved a resolution that requires at least 21 signatures by House members to present impeachment articles to the Judiciary...

NY Gov. Cuomo Cuts Off Groups Boycotting Israel Saying “If you boycott against Israel, New York will boycott you,” NEW YORK Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) directed state agencies under his control to divest themselves of companies and organizations aligned with a Palestinian-backed boycott movement...

NH Gov Bans Gender Discrimination NEW HAMPSHIRE Gov. Maggie Hassan (D) issued EO 2016-04, which bars discrimination against transgender workers in state government. The policy covers state government employment, administration of state programs, and all executive branch contracts and grants. (CONCORD...

LePage Wants Local Schools to Fund Themselves Saying that schools spend too much money on superintendents, MAINE Gov. Paul LePage (R) said on his weekly radio show that he will push to have Pine Tree State school districts consolidate administrations in the two-year state budget he will propose to...

LA Judge Rejects Edwards LGBT Directive Saying the law was unclear, a LOUISIANA judge rejected an attempt by Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) to force the state Attorney General Jeff Landry (R) to okay legal contracts that include anti-discrimination language to protect LGBT people. Edwards said he would...

Board Denies Funds for OR Women’s Prison The OREGON Emergency Board rejected a plea by state correction officials for $3.8 million to help re-open the Oregon State Penitentiary Minimum in Salem to augment the state’s only current women’s prison. Gov. Kate Brown (D) has also asked...

LA Seeking Private Help for Roads Transportation officials in LOUSIANA said last week they will for the first time seek help from private firms in fast tracking road congestion mitigation projects in the Pelican State. The work would take place along Interstate 10 in the Baton Rouge area, one of the...

The Louisiana Senate approved a trio of bills last week that form the backbone of Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) effort to reduce the Pelican State’s highest-in-the-world incarceration rate. Those measures – SBs 220 , 221 and 139 – would expand opportunities for parole and probation for...

Calling it “a solution in search of a problem,” Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) vetoed a bill that would have required Pelican State colleges and universities to do more to foster the appearance of controversial speakers and opinions on campus. The measure Edwards vetoed ( HB 269...

With Congress preparing to hold hearings to weigh reforming the Affordable Care Act, a small bipartisan group of governors has put together its own list of suggestions for lawmakers to consider. Led by Ohio Gov. John Kasich a Republican, and Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper of Colorado, the list of...

LEPAGE SIGNS REVISED ME FOOD SOVEREIGNTY LAW : MAINE Gov. Paul LePage (R) signed legislation last week that allows anyone living in or visiting one of 22 designated Pine Tree State communities to make a face-to-face purchase at a farmer’s or processor’s farm or home without state oversight...

EDWARDS TO CREATE LA HARASSMENT ASK FORCE : Weeks after his chief of staff resigned amidst sexual harassment allegations, LOUISIANA Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) said he would soon issue an executive order directing executive branch state agencies to review their sexual harassment policies and set up...

BAKER TO SEEK HARSHER PENALTIES FOR MA SEX OFFENDERS : With the release of a notorious convicted sex offender dominating headlines across the Bay State, MASSACHUSETTS Gov. Charlie Baker (R) said he plans to introduce legislation to increase penalties for serial sex offenders. Baker said the bill is...

WALKER DECLARES NATIVE LANGUAGE EMERGENCY Saying the government must support the “revitalization” of native languages, ALASKA Gov. Bill Walker (I) issued Administrative Order 300 last week calling for indigenous place names to be shown on public signs and directing the state Department...

HOLCOMB SIGNS INDIANA HATE CRIME BILL Saying that his state has “made progress and taken a strong stand against targeted violence,” INDIANA Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) signed a measure last week that for the first time gives the Hoosier State a hate crimes law. GEORGIA, SOUTH CAROLINA, WYOMING...