December 15, 2011 by legitgov ShareThis Census data: Half of U.S. poor or low income 15 Dec 2011 Squeezed by rising living costs, a record number of Americans – nearly 1 in 2 – have fallen into poverty or are scraping by on earnings that classify them as low income. The latest census data depict [...]
Tag: gop
December 16, 2011
July 1, 2011
DREAM Act Could Stall in Maryland
A petition drive by Maryland GOP lawmakers to halt the state’s version of the DREAM Act appears to have succeeded in getting the measure on the November 2012 ballot. However, court challenges over online signature gathering methods could be on the way, The Washington Post reports. The Maryland law granted in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants [...]
June 29, 2011
Kansas Abortion Doctors Sue to Block State Rules
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Two doctors who perform abortions in Kansas filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday to block a new licensing law and regulations that abortion rights advocates fear will make Kansas the first state in the country without an abortion provider. Dr. Herbert Hodes and his daughter, Dr. Traci Nauser, argue that the new [...]
June 29, 2011
June 28, 2011
NC Gov Vetoes Bill on Abortion Restrictions
RALEIGH, N.C (AP) — North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue has vetoed a bill requiring women considering an abortion in the state to get an ultrasound and wait 24 hours after mandated counseling before they could undergo the procedure. The Democratic governor is an abortion-rights supporter and announced her decision on Monday. The GOP-led General Assembly [...]
June 27, 2011
June 26, 2011
NY Gay Marriages Can Begin as Early as End of July
ALBANY, N.Y. — After days of contentious negotiations and last-minute reversals by two Republican senators, New York became the sixth and largest state in the country to legalize gay marriage, breathing life into the national gay rights movement that had stalled over a nearly identical bill here two years ago. Pending any court challenges, legal [...]
June 24, 2011
2 House Members Want to End Federal Ban on Pot
WASHINGTON (AP) — Two House members have introduced a bill that would remove marijuana from the list of federal controlled substances and cede to the states enforcement of laws governing pot. The legislation would eliminate marijuana-specific penalties under federal law, but would maintain a ban on transporting marijuana across state lines. It would allow individuals [...]
June 21, 2011
Minnesota Shutdown Threatens Weddings, Much More
FORT SNELLING STATE PARK, Minn. (AP) — A looming state government shutdown in Minnesota is threatening everything from state workers’ paychecks to weddings. Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton and legislative Republicans are at an impasse on a state budget deficit of $5 billion. Dayton wants to raise taxes on high earners as part of his solution, [...]
June 19, 2011
June 18, 2011
GOP: Union Boss Should Resign over NJ Nazi Remarks
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — A New Jersey assemblyman is calling on a union leader to resign for comparing Republican Gov. Chris Christie to Adolf Hitler during a Statehouse rally. Communications Workers of America vice president Chris Shelton referred Thursday to the governor as “Adolf Christie” and to Democratic leaders of the Legislature as Nazi generals. [...]
June 18, 2011
NY Marriage Bill Hits Snags on Religion Questions
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Gov. Andrew Cuomo held more one-on-one negotiations Friday with Senate Republicans who worry his bill to legalize gay marriage doesn’t do enough to protect religious groups and churches that refuse to preside over same-sex weddings and other services. A third lengthy, closed-door meeting by the GOP majority brought the bill, widely [...]
June 17, 2011
Politics Slows Gay Marriage Vote in New York
ALBANY, N.Y. — Conflicting interests and political maneuvering threatened to stall a vote in New York on whether to legalize gay marriage, viewed by advocates and opponents alike as a pivotal moment in the years-long debate. The Republican leader of the state Senate, which controls the fate of the measure, emerged from yet another closed-door [...]
June 10, 2011
Alabama Passes Tough Illegal-immigration Law
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama vaulted past Arizona on Thursday with what is being called the most restrictive law in the nation against illegal immigration, requiring schools to find out if students are in the country lawfully and making it a crime to knowingly give an illegal immigrant a ride. Advocacy groups promised to challenge [...]