Brown to Run OREGON Gov. Kate Brown (D) announced she will seek to retain her job in next fall’s election to select someone to fill the remaining two years in the term of Gov. John Kitzhaber (D), who resigned in February amid corruption charges (KLCC.ORG [EUGNE]). Cuomo Adopts Recommendations...

CO Gov Issues Mascot Order COLORADO Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) issued Executive Order B 2015 006, which will create a commission to discuss American Indian high school mascots. Commission members will include tribes, local community members and state agencies (DENVER POST). Brown Ushers OR Shooting...

Brown Seeks OR Education Innovation OREGON Gov. Kate Brown (D) announced the creation of an education innovation officer position on her staff. The position, which will not be an executive appointment, will be tasked with helping Brown better assess best practices through the Beaver State’s...

Bowing to pressure from business leaders, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) released a revised minimum wage plan Friday that scales back proposed increases but offers workers a raise as soon as this summer. Brown’s original proposal would have raised the minimum in Portland to $15.52 by 2022, with the...

Snyder Seeks Expanded Medicaid for Flint MICHIGAN Gov. Rick Snyder (R) is seeking federal approval to expand Medicaid benefits in the city of Flint to include residents up to 21 years old and pregnant women who have been receiving water from the city’s troubled system. Snyder sent a formal request...

Expressing concern that current state and federal programs don’t consider public health enough in regulating industrial air emissions, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) announced a major overhaul last week of the state’s air pollution regulations. That plan, dubbed “Cleaner Air Oregon...

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...

Oregon Elects First LGBTQ Governor OREGON Gov. Kate Brown’s (D) re-election marks the first time an openly LGBTQ person has been elected governor in any state. Brown is bi-sexual. She was looking to fill out the remainder of former Gov. John Kitzhaber’s (D) term after his resignation in...

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...

Nine more states last week joined the newly-created U.S. Climate Alliance, a coalition to uphold the tenets of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, an international coalition aimed at combatting the impacts of global climate change. The coalition was formed by Gov. Jerry Brown of California, Jay Inslee...

Cuomo, NY Lawmakers Reach ‘Buy American’ Deal After previous failures, NEW YORK Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) has reached a deal with Empire State legislative leaders on a bill that would require that certain state agencies require the use of American-made structural iron and structural steel...

VT GOV ISSUES CYBER SECURITY ORDER Saying his state needed to do more to address cyber security, VERMONT Gov. Phil Scott (R) issued Executive Order 18-17 to create the Governor's Cyber Security Advisory Team, a group tasked with developing a plan for protecting the state’s information and...

BROWN ISSUES OR CLEAN ENERGY ORDERS : Saying “economic development and environmental stewardship are not mutually exclusive goals,” OREGON Gov. Kate Brown (D) signed two executive orders that collectively take steps to increase the use of clean energy and direct state agencies to develop...

RAUNER SIGNS TWO IL ANTI-HARASSMENT BILLS : ILLINOIS Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) signed two measures last week aimed at curbing sexual harassment in the Prairie State statehouse. The measures require all lawmakers, lobbyists and state employees to undergo sexual harassment training every year, beginning...

Coastal states reacted with alarm last week when the Trump administration announced it was expanding oil drilling leases in waters previously protected under the Obama administration. But when U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke announced that after a plea from Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) he would be...

OR GOV CALLS ON GOP LAWMAKER TO RESIGN : OREGON Gov. Kate Brown (D) called on Sen. Jeff Kruse (R) to resign last week after an independent investigator determined he had repeatedly subjected women to uncomfortable hugging and unwanted touching even after repeated warnings. “Senator Kruse’s...

Decrying a lack of federal action, several Northeastern governors have formed a multi-state partnership to address gun violence. The “States for Gun Safety” coalition is the brainchild of New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, who was joined by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Connecticut Gov. Dannel...

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) signed legislation last week ( HB 4145 ) that bars anyone convicted of domestic abuse or under a domestic violence restraining order from buying or possessing a gun. Oregon law already banned domestic abusers who have been married to, are cohabitating with or had children...

REYNOLDS SAYS SHE ISN’T BEHOLDEN TO IA GOP PLATFORM : Saying the issue of same-sex marriage has been settled by the courts, IOWA Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) said last week she doesn’t have to abide by state GOP platform proposals that favor limiting marriage to one woman and one man. The state...

INSLEE ISSUES WA HEP C DIRECTIVE : WASHINGTON Gov. Jay Inslee (D) issued a directive that orders state agencies, tribal governments and other local public-health officials to coordinate a strategy to eradicate the hepatitis C virus (HCV) by 2030. State health officials estimate there are as many as...

FL GOV RACE HEADED TO RECALL As of last Thursday, Democrat Andrew Gillum had pulled to within enough votes of Republican Ron DeSantis to send the FLORIDA gubernatorial election to a mandatory recount. Gillum conceded defeat last Tuesday when it appeared DeSantis had enough of a margin to forestall...

The contentious cap-and-trade bill that caused Oregon Republicans to flee the state last month is dead, but the resolve of Democratic Gov. Kate Brown is anything but. In a press conference last week, Brown said she is exploring the possibility if implementing the program via executive order. “Working...

VA GOV VOWS END TO LAWSUITS AGAINST PATIENTS VIRGINIA Gov. Ralph Northam (D) said he would work with University of Virginia James Ryan to end the widespread practice of aggressively pursuing former patients for unpaid medical bills. A recent investigation by Kaiser Health News revealed that that UVA...

NH LAWMAKERS SUSTAIN VAST MAJORITY OF VETOES The NEW HAMPSHIRE Legislature upheld all but one of the 55 vetoes issued by Gov. Chris Sununu (R), including measures on gun control, renewable energy and paid family leave. The one successful veto override came on SB 88 , a measure that removes a three...

RAIMONDO NOT OKAY WITH RI DMV WAITING FEES RHODE ISLAND Gov. Gina Raimondo (D) said she is not in favor of a plan pitched by the Ocean State DMV to charge customers a $15 walk-in fee for conducting license or registration renewals that could be done online or by mail. Raimondo said she would not be...