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IN: Defiant Indiana attorney general refuses to resign
Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill, a Republican, said he would not resign amid allegations that he inappropriately touched four women at a bar, including a state representative and a Senate staffer. Three of Indiana’s top Republican leaders, including Gov. Eric Holcomb, released coordinated statements demanding that Hill step down.
FL: Florida investigators found bungling gun checks went deeper
When state investigators found that Florida failed to review results from a national background check for concealed weapons permits, one employee took the fall. But details from a 2017 Office of Inspector General investigation obtained by the Tampa Bay Times show issues extended beyond just one manager.
CA: California, long a holdout, adopts mass immigration hearings
California courts will try to curb immigration caseloads by holding large, group hearings that critics call assembly-line justice. The move puts California in line with other border states, and it captures the strain that zero tolerance has put on federal courts, particularly in the nation’s most populous state, which has long resisted mass hearings for illegal border crossing.
TX: Texas paid anti-abortion activists K
The Texas attorney general has drawn on a network of anti-abortion activists to defend the state’s abortion restrictions in federal court, spending half a million in taxpayer dollars for testimony that has done little or nothing to help the state make its case.
NY: New York Statehouse on display in federal trials, pension ruling
Alleged payoffs. A taxpayer-paid pension despite disgrace. Keeping donations from your sworn enemies. Recent headlines underscored the New York state capital’s reputation as a place where personal financial concerns often overshadow the work of government.
OK: Oklahoma cigarette tax hike expected to spur quitters
A smoking habit got more expensive for Oklahomans this month, and public health advocates are trying to make the most of a moment when quitting cigarettes might suddenly look more attractive. Thousands of smokers may try to quit after the sticker shock of paying an extra $1 a pack in taxes.
MI: Michigan state park officers want right to carry guns
Union officials say Michigan state park officers should be allowed to have guns and bulletproof vests to handle unruly visitors. Otherwise officers are not safe at work, the officials say.
CO: Colorado lacks training standards for armed teachers
Thirty school districts or charter schools in Colorado allow teachers to carry weapons in the classroom. But there is no statewide training standard for school employees who carry guns and little guidance for school districts.
SC: South Carolina deal fails on using tourism taxes on flooding projects
With sea levels rising, state lawmakers in South Carolina are seeking to use tourism-related taxes to help pay for projects that could reduce the number of flooded streets and damaged homes in Charleston and other coastal communities. State lawmakers came up short of passing a bill to do just that in the final days of this year’s legislative session.
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