Outside donations outlawed in Tennessee elections

By Jon Sty | The Center Square contributor, May 13, 2021 (The Center Square) – Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee recently signed into law a bill that ends allowing donations to be accepted for use in elections. The bill originated after what its sponsors said was a $475,000 donation that one unidentified Tennessee county accepted related to the

Sununu says New Hampshire will be ‘back to normal’ by summer

By Christian Wade | The Center Square contributor May 7, 2021 (The Center Square) – Gov. Chris Sununu said he expects New Hampshire to be “back to normal” by summer as the state’s public health metrics continue to improve. On Thursday, Sununu said he expects COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths to “plummet” in the next

Indiana legislature votes to override Gov. Holcomb’s veto to limit power of local health departments

By Margaret Menge | The Center Square contributor, May 10, 2021 (The Center Square) – The Indiana General Assembly voted to override Gov. Eric Holcomb’s veto of a bill that gives county commissioners the ability to stop a local health department from closing a local business or church, or imposing some other punishment. With the override

North Carolina House approves bill enhancing riot penalties

By Nyamekye Daniel | The Center Square, May 10, 2021 (The Center Square) – The North Carolina House approved a bill Monday that legislators said would prevent riots and civil disorder. House Bill 805 would harshen penalties for rioting and inciting a deadly riot. It also lets owners of property damaged during a riot sue for damages,

Weld County reaffirms its Second Amendment sanctuary status amid flurry of anti-gun bills in state legislature

By Robert Davis | The Center Square contributor, May 10, 2021 (The Center Square) — The Weld County Board of Commissioners reaffirmed the county’s Second Amendment sanctuary status on Friday in response to several anti-gun bills meandering through the state legislature. The move means the board stands by its 2019 decision not to adopt any

Advocates, opponents of Illinois bill regulating retail pet stores push their position

By Greg Bishop | The Center Square, May 10, 2021 (The Center Square) – Passions are pouring out on both sides of the issue of a measure to regulate retail pet stores. House Bill 1711 would change state law to allow the sale of dogs and cats only if they come from an animal control facility or

Illinois to send vaccination teams to office buildings around the state

By Kevin Bessler | The Center Square, May 10, 2021 (The Center Square) – Vaccination teams will soon be dispatched to workplaces across Illinois. The effort will begin this month with 10 sites in Chicago, Rockford and Schaumburg in the first wave of the program before branching out throughout Illinois. The state is partnering with the

Judge rejects ag comissioner’s challenge to Texas Senate’s COVID-19 test requirements

Bethany Blankley | The Center Square contributor, May 10, 2021 (The Center Square) – A district judge rejected a lawsuit filed against Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and the state Senate over a requirement for individuals to receive a negative COVID-19 test before entering the Senate. The state House imposes no such policy. Texas Agricultural

Gas shortage and price hike expected this summer

Bethany Blankley | The Center Square contributor (The Center Square) – A gas shortage is expected this summer not because there won’t be enough fuel but because there aren’t enough highly trained and licensed tanker drivers to transport it. Many tanker drivers retired last year after demand for oil and gas plummeted because fewer people

Kemp signs citizen’s arrest overhaul in Georgia

By Nyamekye Daniel | The Center Square, May 10, 20211 (The Center Square) – Georgia enacted a historic piece of legislation Monday, becoming the first state to repeal its citizen’s arrest law. House Bill 479 was signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp, making it illegal for most private citizens to detain others. The measure received unanimous

Montana to exit federal unemployment program next month

The Center Square , May 10,2021 (The Center Square) – With the state’s businesses having difficulty hiring workers, Gov. Greg Gianforte is ending Montana’s participation in a federal program that provides enhanced benefits to individuals on unemployment. “Montana is open for business again, but I hear from too many employers throughout our state who can’t

Biden goes on offensive after attacks over struggling economy

By Casey Harper | The Center Square, May 10, 2021 (The Center Square) – President Joe Biden unveiled a series of new measures Monday in an attempt to boost hiring after economic data from the month of April showed a spike in unemployment filings. Data from March gave Americans hope of a post-COVID recovery, but that

North Carolina Senate approves government transparency bill

By Nyamekye Daniel | The Center Square May 6, 2021 (The Center Square) – The North Carolina Senate approved a bill Thursday to increase government transparency and the penalty for corruption. Senate Bill 473 creates a new felony offense for public officials who personally benefit financially from their position. It requires local governments to garnish a public

Business Fairness Act would allow Ohio businesses to stay open during emergencies

By J.D. Davidson | The Center Square May 7, 2021 (The Center Square) – Ohio businesses would be able to continue to operate during a public health emergency if a bill passed by the Ohio House clears the Senate and is signed by Gov. Mike DeWine. House Bill 215 would require businesses to comply with safety standards

Indiana town brands itself as a First Amendment sanctuary; no town money to be used to cancel anyone

By Margaret Menge | The Center Square contributor May 7, 2021 (The Center Square) – Upset at what it sees as eroding rights of Americans to speak their minds, one town in Indiana is taking things into its own hands, and has declared itself a First Amendment sanctuary. It’s the first town in Indiana to do

Kemp signs bill blocking local efforts to reduce police funding

By Nyamekye Daniel | The Center Square May 7, 2021 (The Center Square) – Gov. Brian Kemp signed a bill Friday that bans counties and municipalities in Georgia from reducing their police department budgets by more than 5% in absence of revenue loss. Legislative Republicans who pushed House Bill 286 said it was a response to local efforts

Michigan House approves plan to protect whistleblowers

By Scott McClallen | The Center Square 21 hrs ago (The Center Square) – The Michigan House Wednesday approved a plan to bolster government accountability by protecting state employees who blow the whistle on potential problems and waste of taxpayer money within their departments. House Bill (HB) 4064 – approved by an 87-21 bipartisan vote — seeks

Arizona lawmakers seek to ban taxpayer funding of critical race theory

By Cole Lauterbach | The Center Square 4 hrs ago (The Center Square) – The Arizona Legislature is looking to curb an effort by President Joe Biden’s administration to incorporate controversial lessons on the history of race in the U.S. Biden proposed in April to give preference in federal grants to schools that use the 1619 Project in

Federal judge sides with landlords, vacates CDC’s eviction moratorium

Bethany Blankley | The Center Square contributor 8 hrs ago (The Center Square) – A federal judge Wednesday vacated a national moratorium on evictions imposed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, following a trend of rulings issued by other federal judges in other states. U.S. District Court Judge Dabney Friedrich ruled in an

Churches settle with Gov. Walz’s administration over COVID-19 restrictions

By Scott McClallen | The Center Square 1 hr ago (The Center Square) – Gov. Tim Walz’s administration has agreed to settle a lawsuit from Northland Baptist Church and Living Word Christian Center claiming discriminatory treatment of houses of worship. The agreement says any future COVID-19 order would treat all houses of worship the same as