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Editor’s Picks From Around the Web
MD: Maryland House votes to excludes pot as a parole violation
People on parole or probation in Maryland who use or possess small amounts of marijuana would no longer be in violation of their sentences under a bill that was narrowly approved by the House of Delegates.
WI: Wisconsin lawmakers to vote on allowing officers to carry guns in schools
Current or former law enforcement officers in Wisconsin would be allowed to carry firearms ono public school grounds, under a proposal heading to the state’s Assembly.
CO: Colorado Senate OKs tax credits for private schools
A plan to give parents tax credits for private schools or home-schooling has won initial approval in the Colorado Senate after a spirited partisan debate.
TX: Fracking bills in Texas fuel city-control debate
Two bills in the Texas House would prevent cities from passing oil and gas ordinances that are not “commercially reasonable” and require them to make up tax revenue lost because of oil and gas restrictions. The measures are in response to a hydraulic fracturing ban Denton voters overwhelmingly approved in November.
MS: Mississippi governor signs bill banning texting while driving
Republican Gov. Phil Bryant made Mississippi the 45th state to ban texting while driving,
NV: Bill would impose privacy restrictions on drones in Nevada
A bill setting privacy restrictions on private and police use of drones won the endorsement of law enforcement. But drone makers say it would stifle the emerging industry in Nevada.
CA: California lawmakers to vote on $1 billion water plan
Facing pressure to address an ongoing drought, California lawmakers are expected to vote Wednesday on a plan to speed up more than $1 billion in water spending.
NY: Cuomo drops Dream Act from New York budget
Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo has dropped a measure from his budget that would allow high school graduates who are undocumented immigrants to apply for state financial aid for college, disappointing some immigrant advocates who believed the measure stood a better chance of passing this time than it has in the past.
FL: Tax cut battle lines drawn in Florida Legislature
On one side is the House, which wants $690 million worth of cuts on everything from cellphones and cable TV to textbooks and gun club memberships. On the other is the Florida Senate, which is holding off details of its tax-cut plan until it helps the state salvage $2.2 billion in a federally funded program known as the Low Income Pool for hospitals that treat uninsured, underinsured and Medicaid patients. Republican Gov. Rick Scott is somewhere in the middle.
ME: Food stamps rolls down in Maine
Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s administration says more than 9,000 Maine residents have been removed from the food stamps program since it began enforcing work requirements last year. Advocates for the poor say they fear it’s forcing more residents to rely on food pantries.
LA: Louisiana spending more on entertainment tax credits than it’s making
A new study by a Baton Rouge consulting firm found that the entertainment tax programs cost Louisiana $4.48 for every $1 of state revenue they created.
ID: Idaho Senate approves decriminalization of marijuana oil
Idaho senators approved legalizing oil extracted from cannabis plants to treat children with severe forms of epilepsy after lengthy and sometimes tearful debate from some lawmakers urging the bill’s passage.
HI: Hawaii lawmakers push plans for voting by mail
A Senate committee approved a plan that would phase in mailing absentee ballots to all Hawaii voters. The proposal aims to boost Hawaii’s low voter turnout and increase voter participation.
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