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TX: Texas wins $300 million ‘Obamacare’ ruling
The IRS could hand Texas more than $300 million, after a federal court in North Texas ruled that the federal government improperly charged a handful of states millions in state Medicaid program fees that help fund the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.
CA: California bill banning sale of animal-tested cosmetics goes to governor
The measure would make California the first state to outlaw the sale of cosmetics tested on animals. The ban applies to animal testing of a cosmetic or its ingredients conducted after 2019, but would allow exceptions to comply with Food and Drug Administration or foreign agency requirements.
MD: Maryland governor again pitches $1 billion ‘aspirational’ tax cut for retirees
On the campaign trail, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, often talks about how he wants lower taxes for retirees — including exempting 100 percent of retirement income from Maryland taxes.
GA: Georgia lawmakers to take new look at hospital regulation
Georgia hospitals say they’re in danger. Private health care givers say they’re being held back. And the clash between the two is coming to a head. The years-long battle over the state’s regulation of hospital growth is due for a showdown this year, and state lawmakers are laying the groundwork this month.
NJ: Some New Jersey restaurants banning cellphones (laptops, too)
A number of New Jersey eateries are now restricting patrons’ use of technology. Some managers cite cash-flow problems from customers lingering too long at a table as they cruise the internet, while others say yakking on the phone or posting to Instagram is just plain annoying.
NE: Nebraska driver’s manual going online; DMV to discontinue printing booklet
Not long after the 2018 edition of the Nebraska Driver’s Manual came off the press, it was rendered obsolete by changes to the state highway speed. The DMV decided to discontinue printing the 88-page manual. It will instead maintain an updated version complete with an explanation of the state’s traffic laws, rules of the road and practice exams on the agency’s website.
IA: Iowa voter with no ID mistakenly turned away from the polls in special election
An Iowa woman was told by a poll worker that she needed to present identification, which she didn’t have with her. But she shouldn’t have needed it. As part of a gradual rollout of the 2017 voter identification law, voters without IDs in 2018 are allowed to sign an “Oath of Identification” attesting that they are who they claim to be.
NY: Audit finds broken security rules at New York prisons
Not all of New York’s prisons have embraced the emphasis on heightened security following the high-profile escape of two inmates in Dannemora three years ago. Some correction officers are still not following proper procedures in at least a handful of upstate facilities, according to an audit released by the state Inspector General’s Office.
PA: Charles Koch Institute to fund criminal justice initiative in Pennsylvania
Funding from the Charles Koch Institute will allow Pennsylvanians returning home from prison in Allegheny, Fayette and Washington counties to participate in a national re-entry initiative that aims to help them succeed after incarceration.
RI: Providence, Rhode Island, has again found lead in its water
According to the water supply board, no lead has been detected in the supply as it leaves the treatment plant in Scituate, Rhode Island. Instead, Providence Water says the problem is due to an abundance of older homes with lead service pipes and plumbing fixtures.
NC: North Carolina governor loses in effort to stop Constitutional amendments; will appeal
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, lost his lawsuit against the Republican-controlled General Assembly, which means two controversial constitutional amendments will appear on the ballot this November — unless an appeals court rules for Cooper.
HI: Opportunity to revise Hawaii Constitution on horizon
Hawaii voters will have the opportunity in November to decide whether to revise the state constitution for the first time in 40 years, but ongoing fears about what those changes might bring and the potential influence of money and special interests on the process continue to worry some.
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