State and Local Government

GOP Election Official Defends Voter ID

The Huffington Post | John Celock | Posted 06.02.2012

Read More: Election Administration, Ann Mah, Kansas Voter Id Laws, Voter ID, Video, Election Laws, Voter Identification, Kansas Politics, Kris Kobach, Voting Rights, State and Local Government, Sam Brownback, Steve Morris, Voter ID Laws, Voter Fraud, Kris Kobach Voter Id, Kansas Elections, Voting, Politics News

Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach (R) defended the state's new voter identification law as a way to prevent election fraud during a stop in Wichit...

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Hurdles Block Important Access Laws

State Integrity Investigation | Caitlin Ginley | Posted 06.01.2012

Read More: Iowa Politics, Rick Scott, State Public Records, Video, Public Records Laws, Freedom of Information Laws, Center for Public Integrity, State Integrity Investigation, Terry Branstad, Cpi, State and Local Government, Missouri Politics, Florida Politics, Freedom of Information, Public Records, Politics News

Early last month, lawmakers in Iowa completed work on a new open records statute. Senate File 430 creates the Iowa Public Information Board, a nine-me...

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Chris Christie Accuses Statehouse Dems Of 'Political Assassination'

HuffingtonPost.com | John Celock | Posted 06.01.2012

Read More: Video, Chris Christie, Phil Kwon, Nia Gill, Bruce Harris, New Jersey Legislature, State Courts, State and Local Government, Chris Christie Gay Marriage, New Jersey Senate, New Jersey Politics, Jaynee Lavecchia, New Jersey Supreme Court, Bruce Harris Gay Marriage, Politics News

Saying that Democratic New Jersey state senators conducted a "political assassination" while making "a mockery of the process," Gov. Chris Christie (R...

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Dems Deal Blow To Christie's Gay, Black Nominee

HuffingtonPost.com | John Celock | Posted 05.31.2012

Read More: Jennifer Beck, Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart Rabner, Chris Christie, Nia Gill, Chris Christie Gay Marriage, State Courts, New Jersey Senate, New Jersey Politics, Kevin O'toole, Bruce Harris Gay Marriage, Kip Bateman, Video, Bruce Harris, New Jersey Gay Marriage, State and Local Government, Same Sex Marriage, New Jersey Supreme Court, Gay Marriage, Politics News

Democratic state senators in New Jersey denied the nation's first gay, black, Republican mayor a chance to sit on the state's highest court, questioni...

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Legislators Reopen Nikki Haley Investigation

Summerville Patch | Lindsay Street | Posted 05.18.2012

Read More: South Carolina Legislature, Nikki Haley Ethics, State and Local Government, Ethics, Nikki Haley South Carolina Governor, Nikki Haley, Nikki Haley South Carolina, South Carolina Politics, Politics News

The alleged ethics violations of the governor 0 a matter thought to have been settled just weeks ago - has been reassessed and reopened by the Republi...

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GOP Lawmakers Writing Labor Bill, Called 'Ridiculous' By Opponent

HuffingtonPost.com | John Celock | Posted 05.17.2012

Read More: Video, Unemployment, Mike Slattery Kansas, Kansas Department of Labor, Kansas Politics, Karin Brownlee, Sam Brownback, Labor Department, Unemployment Insurance, State and Local Government, Sam Brownback Kansas, Labor Unions, Kansas Chamber of Commerce, Politics News

Kansas lawmakers are in the process of drafting a sweeping overhaul of the state's labor laws that opponents fear could hurt all non-white collar work...

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State Lawmakers Ban Sharia Law, Legalize Happy Hour

HuffingtonPost.com | John Celock | Posted 05.11.2012

Read More: Brett-Hildabrand, Video, Mike Slattery Kansas, Anti-Sharia Law, Kansas Legislature, Kansas Politics, Happy Hour, State and Local Government, State Alcohol Laws, Sharia Law, Sharia Law Courts, Politics News

A day after state lawmakers accused the United Nations of trying to "infiltrate" local governments, the Republican-controlled Kansas Senate adopted a ...

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Kansas Lawmakers Condemn U.N. Sustainability Plan

HuffingtonPost.com | John Celock | Posted 05.11.2012

Read More: Goldwater Institute, Un Agenda 21, Bill Otto, Video, Mike Slattery Kansas, Land Use, Kansas Politics, Charlotte O'hara, State and Local Government, Sustainability, Agenda 21, Dennis Hedke, Sean-Gatewood, Politics News

The Republican-controlled Kansas House of Representatives on Thursday adopted a resolution condemning the United Nations' Agenda 21 environmental acti...

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Lawmaker Calls For End Of 'Archaic' Tradition

Mount Pleasant Patch | Adam Crisp | Posted 05.10.2012

Read More: Confederacy, South Carolina Legislature, South Carolina Confederate Flag, Confederate Memorial Day, Boyd Brown, State and Local Government, South Carolina Politics, Politics News

Today, public schools remain in session, municipal employees are at work, no stores are closed, but the S.C. General Assembly and thousands of state e...

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Nikki Haley Cleared

Mauldin Patch | Shawn Drury and Carolyn Farr Smith | Posted 05.02.2012

Read More: South-Carolina-Ethics-Committee, Nikki Haley Ethics, State and Local Government, Ethics, Governor Nikki Haley, Nikki Haley, Nikki Haley South Carolina, South Carolina Politics, Politics News

Gov. Nikki Haley has been cleared of ethics violations by a six-member committee chaired by Rep. Roland Smith (R-Aiken). The vote was along party line...

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Governors To Congress: Don't Cut 'The A-Team'

HuffingtonPost.com | John Celock | Posted 04.27.2012

Read More: National Guard, Video, Christine Gregoire, Council-of-Governors, Air National Guard, Terry Branstad, State and Local Government, National Governors Association, Air Force, Leon Panetta, Defense Department, Dave Heineman, Jack Markell, Politics News

The nations' governors are asking Congress to restore funding for the Air National Guard, saying that talks with the U.S. Department of Defense have f...

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GOP Governors Blame Obama For State Economic Woes

HuffingtonPost.com | John Celock | Posted 04.24.2012

Read More: Video, Small Business, Economy, Terry Branstad, State and Local Government, Economic Development, State Economies, National Governors Association, Higher Education, STEM Education, Dave Heineman, Rick Snyder, Politics News

Three Republican governors used a Tuesday morning press conference at a regional summit of the National Governors Association to blame President Barac...

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The War on Public Sector Workers

Dean Baker | Posted 04.16.2012

Read More: Pensions, Deficit, Public Employees, Stock Market, State and Local Government, Entitlements, Retirement, Social Security, Retirement Cuts, Business News

Welcome to the latest episode in the long-running battle to redistribute ever more income to the rich. Having already achieved great success in depressing the pay of workers throughout the private sector, the call is to cut the pay and benefits of workers in the public sector. Won't you join the cause?

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Participatory Budgeting Lets Citizens Experiment With Economic Democracy

Michelle Chen | Posted 04.16.2012

Read More: Civic Participation, Participatory Democracy, Brazil, Urban Planning, Budget, State and Local Government, Community, Community Organizing, Local Government, New York, New York City, Fiscal Policy, Porto Alegre, Politics News

Who'd have thought that voting to add trash cans on the street or renovate public housing could be a democratic milestone?

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Walker's GOP Foe Says He's Legit

Caledonia Patch | Denise Lockwood | Posted 04.14.2012

Read More: Video, Scott Walker Recall, Arthur Kohl-Riggs, Wisconsin Recall, State and Local Government, Wisconsin Politics, Scott Walker, Rebecca Kleefisch Recall, Governor Scott Walker, Wisconsin Recall Elections, Recall, Politics News

Arthur Kohl-Riggs, a scruffy-haired 23-year-old political activist who used to serve pizza at the Children’s Museum in Madison until a few weeks ago...

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School District Considers Shutting Down Every Other Monday

The Huffington Post | Jillian Berman | Posted 04.19.2012

Read More: Video, Minnesota Schools, Federal Education Funding, State Budget Crisis, State and Local Government, Business News, Burnesville Minnesota, Burnesville Minnesota School District, Budget Crisis, Education Funding, Education Funding Cuts, Business News

Snow days are so passé. Now it's all about budget cut days. Yes, faced with budget woes, the Burnsville School district is considering giving its ...

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Josh Mandel Released Ohio Payroll In Response To Resume Request

HuffingtonPost.com | John Celock | Posted 04.11.2012

Read More: Josh Mandel 2012, Joe Aquilino, Seth Unger, Josh Mandel, Sherrod Brown, 2012 Election, Dana Wasserman, State and Local Government, Elections 2012, Andrew Zucker, Ohio Democrats, Election 2012, Josh Mandel Ohio, Sherrod Brown Josh Mandel, Politics News

Democrats have filed their seventh request for Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel to release the resumes of 60 top appointees, a request his office has altern...

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Nikki Haley Faces Ethics Investigation

Easley Patch | Carolyn Farr Smith | Posted 04.10.2012

Read More: South Carolina Ethics Commission, Nikki Haley Ethics, Ethics, State and Local Government, Governor Nikki Haley, Nikki Haley, Nikki Haley South Carolina, South Carolina Politics, Politics News

The State Ethics Commission has opened a public inquiry into Gov. Nikki Haley's campaign finances, according to a story reported by the Associated Pre...

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Nikki Haley Dismisses 'Naysayers'

West Ashley Patch | Jonathan Allen | Posted 04.10.2012

Read More: Nikki Haley Book Tour, State and Local Government, Nikki Haley Book, Governor Nikki Haley, Book Tours, Nikki Haley, Nikki Haley South Carolina, South Carolina Politics, Politics News

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley brought her national book tour back to the Palmetto State Monday. About a dozen protesters lined up outside Blue Bi...

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Election Official Ordered Out Of Recall Following Troubles

Menomonee Falls Patch | Carl Engelking | Posted 04.05.2012

Read More: Kathy-Nickolaus-Waukesha, Election Administration, Scott Walker Recall Election, Scott Walker Recall, State and Local Government, Wisconsin Politics, Scott Walker, Kathy Nickolaus, Governor Scott Walker, Wisconsin Recall Elections, Waukesha County, Kathy Nickolaus Error, Politics News

It's two strikes and out for Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus, whose latest Election Day pickle led County Executive Dan Vrakas to relieve her of...

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State Budget Crisis Closes Courts

HuffingtonPost.com | John Celock | Posted 04.04.2012

Read More: Ron Keefover, State Budgets, Video, Kansas Supreme Court, Kansas Courts, Kansas Politics, Kansas Budget, State and Local Government, Sam Brownback, Sam Brownback Kansas, Budgets, Laura Kelly, Lawton Nuss, Budget Crisis, Politics News

Kansas state courts will shut down for five Fridays this spring to save money in a state budget crisis that includes a $1.4 million hole in the court ...

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Haley Comments Called 'Idiotic,' 'Out Of Touch'

St. Andrews Patch | Tiffany Barkley | Posted 05.29.2012

Read More: Birth Control Pill, Women's Health, Nikki Haley Birth Control, State and Local Government, Nikki Haley Contraception, Contraception, The View, Birth Control, Joy Behar, Nikki Haley, Nikki Haley South Carolina, South Carolina Politics, Politics News

Drucilla Barker, director of the women's and gender studies program at the University of South Carolina, said Gov. Nikki Haley's remarks were contradi...

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Mark Sanford's Ex-Wife Heads To Court

Mount Pleasant Patch | Adam Crisp | Posted 06.03.2012

Read More: Mark Sanford, State and Local Government, Court Fines, Jenny Sanford, Jenny Sanford Dog, First Lady Jenny Sanford, S.C. Governor Mark Sanford, Unleashed Dogs, Dogs, South Carolina Politics, Politics News

Jenny Sanford's divorce from former S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford was settled in court more than two years ago, but now it's another male in her household th...

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Nikki Haley Not Under Federal Investigation

West Ashley Patch | Jonathan Allen | Posted 05.30.2012

Read More: Nikki Haley Irs, Irs, U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Internal Revenue Service, State and Local Government, Ethics, Nikki Haley Investigation, Department of Justice, Nikki Haley, Nikki Haley South Carolina, South Carolina Politics, Politics News

S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley released a copy of a letter she received from the IRS stating it determined an investigation into the Sikh Society of South Caro...

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GOP Leader Denies Comparing Women To Farm Animals

HuffingtonPost.com | John Celock | Posted 03.29.2012

Read More: Birth Control Pill, Abortion, Rush Limbaugh Sandra Fluke, Missouri-Abortion-Law, Steve Tilley, Missouri Legislature, Rush Limbaugh, Women's Health, State and Local Government, Sandra Fluke, Missouri Politics, Tim Jones, Birth Control, Medicine, Politics News

The Republican-controlled Missouri House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a bill Wednesday afternoon that would allow the denial of certain ...

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