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NV: Protection for pre-existing health conditions passes in Nevada
Nevada stands to become the fifth state to fully incorporate the federal Affordable Care Act’s protections for patients with pre-existing conditions into state law after unanimous passage of a bill in the state Senate. The bill also sets up a procedure to help health care consumers navigate and resolve problems with insurers.
OR: Vaccination-boosting bill passes Oregon House
The bill to eliminate loopholes in the state’s vaccination law passed the Oregon House and is on its way to the Senate. Democratic Gov. Kate Brown has already said she plans to sign the bill, whose vote fell largely along party lines.
GA: Georgia governor signs anti-abortion ‘heartbeat’ legislation, sets up legal fight
Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp signed one of the nation’s strictest anti-abortion bills into law, making good on a campaign promise, but also setting the stage for a legal battle that the legislation’s critics hope will spill over to the polls in 2020.
CA: In Trump vs. California, the state is winning nearly all its environmental cases
More than two years into the Donald Trump presidency, California has embraced its role as chief antagonist — already suing the administration more times than Texas took President Barack Obama to court during his eight years in office. It’s having an effect.
ME: Maine House passes bill requiring MaineCare to pay for abortions
State house lawmakers gave initial approval to a bill that would require Maine’s Medicaid program and private insurance companies to pay for abortion services. The 79-63 vote fell largely along party lines on a bill that would add Maine to the 15 states that allow taxpayer dollars to be used for abortions.
NY: New York lawmakers move closer to allowing release of Trump’s state tax returns
As the standoff over President Donald Trump’s federal tax returns deepens in Washington, New York state lawmakers say they intend to advance a bill to allow congressional committees to see his New York state returns.
TX: Texas House advances expanded medical marijuana measure
Currently only Texans diagnosed with intractable epilepsy may use cannabis that contains low levels of the psychoactive ingredient THC. The bipartisan bill the House approved would add autism, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, post-traumatic stress disorder and other allowable conditions.
WA: Can’t afford college? Starting in 2020, Washington state will pay your tuition
Under a bill passed by the state legislature this year, students from families earning less than around $50,000 a year can have their entire public college tuition paid by Washington state, whether they’re enrolling in a local two-year vocational program or a local four-year university.
MO: Undocumented immigrants poised to again receive in-state tuition in Missouri
Four years after the Missouri legislature directed public colleges and universities to charge undocumented immigrants out-of-state or international tuition rates, lawmakers reversed course.
AL: Alabama equal pay bill clears step in legislature
A bill to prohibit Alabama employers from paying workers differently based on gender or race advanced in the legislature after negotiations between the bill’s sponsor and an association representing small businesses.
ND: North Dakota begins campaign for accurate census count
North Dakota’s census effort was spurred by criticism that the federal government severely undercounted the population in 2010 amid a rise in oil workers. Lawmakers approved a $1 million budget to encourage participation in hard to count areas.
AZ: Arizona legislature declares porn a public health crisis
Blaming sexual images for “poisoning” the minds of Arizonans, Republican senators adopted a measure declaring pornography a public-health crisis. The largely symbolic measure spurred Democrats to oppose it, saying it was distracting officials from true public-health crises.
OH: Half-baked idea? Ohio lawmakers push to name an official state cookie
As state lawmakers sink their teeth into a state budget plan and other high-profile bills, they’ll also have a culinary controversy on their plate: should the sugar cookie become the state cookie of Ohio?
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