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Editor’s Picks From Around the Web
TX: U.S. Supreme Court: Texas doesn’t have to allow Confederate flag license plates
The court said that messages displayed on state-issued special license plates are a form of government speech and Texas is free to reject a design that features the Confederate flag. All 50 states and the District of Columbia issue specialized tags with various messages.
NH: New Hampshire governor, lawmakers at impasse on budget
Lawmakers are seeking a continuing resolution that will keep New Hampshire state government functioning over the summer and possibly beyond. The Republican-controlled legislature and Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan are far apart on business tax cuts, raises for state employees and Medicaid expansion.
HI: Hawaii’s Supreme Court considers whether police misconduct should be public
At issue is whether officers who are suspended for serious misconduct, such as assault, drunken driving or lying to investigators, should have their names and disciplinary records released under Hawaii’s public records law.
DE: Delaware Senate passes opt-out bill on school testing
Senators approved a measure that would let Delaware parents pull their children out of standardized testing, after adding an amendment that would allow students to skip district-wide exams as well as the state’s new test.
NJ: New Jersey law would ban ‘dead people’ from driving
A proposed New Jersey law would require the state’s Motor Vehicle Commission check records against Social Security rolls to ensure drivers licenses and other documents are not issued to dead people. In March an audit revealed the MVC had issued documents to 300 people who were listed as deceased.
VT: ‘Revenge porn’ criminalized under new Vermont law
Democratic Gov. Peter Shumlin signed a bill to crack down on the Internet distribution of sexually explicit images without the subject’s consent. The practice, known as “revenge porn” because it’s usually designed to humiliate someone out of spite, becomes illegal July 1 in Vermont.
NY: New York Legislature votes to require meningitis vaccine for seventh graders
Seventh graders in New York state would be required to be vaccinated for meningitis, a deadly disease spread by saliva droplets, and could be excluded from school if they are not, starting in September 2016.
MI: Michigan Legislature lowers curtain on incentives for film industry
The Senate voted to end incentives for the film industry and phase out funding for the state’s film office. The House quickly concurred to cutting off state subsidies to film movies or television programs in Michigan by Oct. 1, 2016.
TX: Deep fat fryers can return to Texas school kitchens
Saying past efforts to reduce childhood obesity have failed, Texas’s agriculture commissioner removed restrictions on the sale of sugary drinks and the use of deep fryers in schools. In their place: a campaign to promote relationships between farmers and schools to offer more fresh and local meal options.
MD: HBO’s ‘Veep’ leaves Maryland for more lucrative Los Angeles
The decision by the cable network to move production of the television series from the Washington, D.C., area was a coup for California, which has been trying to woo TV productions back to Hollywood through tax incentives.
TN: Tennessee’s $46,000 logo fails to get trademark
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office refused to accept Tennessee’s attempt to register its controversial new state logo for a trademark, essentially saying the simple logo based on the state’s white “TN” abbreviation in a red box was too generic.
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