For months, conservative strategists and pundits have publicly ruminated on the need to turn their focus away from "divisive" social issues — things like the war on women's health that dominated statehouses in 2011 and 2012, when states passed an astounding 135 restrictions on abortion. But if this is the national strategy, word has apparently not yet filtered down to the states just yet. Here's just some of the anti-women's health bills that have been proposed and passed in statehouses over the past week as the war on women continues unabated:
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The same week that both President Obama and a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators released proposals for comprehensive federal immigration reform, pro-immigrant policies continued to gain traction in the states on issues including tuition equity and driver's licenses for DREAMers. Nearly three years after Arizona passed SB 1070, anti-immigrant forces are clearly finding themselves increasingly isolated at both the state and federal level in 2013:
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Virginia's Senate leadership chose the occasion of Martin Luther King Day on Monday to push through a partisan redistricting bill, taking advantage of the absence of a legislator attending President Obama's inauguration. A separate effort in Virginia to change the way the state awards electoral votes in presidential elections ran into bipartisan opposition, even as lawmakers in other states were considering doing the same:
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In the furor surrounding the Obama Administration’s decision this month that contraceptive coverage be provided to women by their employer or insurer, the leadership provided by states in the debate about women’s health has often been overlooked. States have been on the forefront of the fight to ensure that women have access to contraceptives, with 28 states having laws on the books requiring access.
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The 2010 General Assembly adjourned March 14th, one day later than
scheduled, and was dominated by a single overriding issue:
unprecedented cuts to state spending and core services once thought to
be untouchable.
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Recent reports have raised serious concerns about program failures,
secret deportation quotas and the high costs of the Department of
Homeland Security (DHS)'s controversial 287(g) program, which trains and
authorizes state and local police departments to enforce federal
immigration law.
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Even as right-wing state legislators and attorneys general from various
states unleash a barrage of attacks in an attempt to halt federal health
reform before it starts, progressive state legislators and officials
have been pushing back, highlighting the benefits that states will
receive and the increased provision of quality and affordable care for
families through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
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States and local governments may now use federal E-rate funds to
provide the general public access to schools’ and public libraries’
Internet facilities, according to a recent Federal Communications Commission order.
Schools receiving funding under the E-rate program may extend their
services to the general public during non-operating hours, that is,
after school, weekends, holidays, and summer vacation.
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Last week the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of disenfranchised felons in Washington, holding in a summary judgment order
that the state's practice of denying the vote to felons violates the
federal Voting Rights Act (VRA). Notably, instead of basing their
argument on the nature of the felon disenfranchisement law at issue,
the case centered on the interaction between felon disenfranchisement
and the discrimination in the criminal justice system itself.
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The FCC has been holding a series of workshops in an effort to collect information that will be useful in the creation of a National BroadbandPlan. On September 1st, state and local telecommunications officialsparticipated in a workshop entitled State and Local Governments: Toolkits and Best Practices,at which the FCC aimed to learn from the experiences of state and localgovernments that have proactively addressed broadband deployment andadoption issues in their communities.
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Virginia made steady gains in the environment and clean energy, actedto further clean up payday lending practices, and used federal stimulusfunds to ward off deeper cuts to vital programs like health care,education and public safety. However, the conservative-dominated Houseblocked a measure to expand the state's unemployment benefits- which are among the most meager in the country - and cost the statean additional $125 million in federal stimulus funds to the state.
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Last year we saw the incredible wave of voter ID legislation promoted
nationwide by rightwing activists seem to peter out. High profile
campaigns for restrictive photo ID and proof-of-citizenship
requirements, which limit the voting of many legal citizens were met with defeat. But the proponents of voter ID have apparently not been deterred.
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Now that the party nominating conventions have passed and the
presidential race has reached its final leg, voter suppression efforts
are shifting into high gear around the country. As each campaign
assembles an army of lawyers to protect their interests leading to and
on election day, state and local partisans are engaging in a wide
variety of tactics to prevent their opponents' supporters from casting
a ballot. Once again these underhanded tactics, which we've highlighted before,
are predominantly coming from right wing operatives, and the targets
are overwhelmingly groups that tend to vote for progressive candidates.
Since the beginning of this month the following voters suppression
campaigns have been reported:
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Common Cause and The Century Foundation have released the new version
of their joint biennial report on election administration in 10 swing
states and the findings are not very encouraging: while voters' desire
to participate is growing, states have only made fitful progress
improving the voting process, and in many instances things have moved
backward since the last federal election in 2006. Examining the most
recent election experiences of Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Colorado, New Mexico, and Virginia
the report details serious problems in every major aspect of the voting
process, along with a handful of bright spots where individual states
are moving important reforms.
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The benefits of a post-secondary degree are plentiful. For example, an employee with a four year college degree earns 60 percent more than a worker with only a high school diploma. Paying for college, however, has become a daunting task and strain for many American students and families. The cost of higher education across the country is rapidly increasing, at almost double the rate of inflation, outpacing increases in financial aid and many families ability to pay. The combination of these factors result in too many students being unable to earn or complete their degrees due to financial constraints.
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By one estimate, the federal government spent over $367 billion in 2005 aloneon subsidizing Americans' retirement savings and tax breaks to build upother assets like buying a home. Unfortunately, those subsidies gooverwhelmingly to those Americans who already have high-incomes; almostnone of it goes to the poorest Americans who need the most helpbuilding the financial assets that can lead to long-term economicopportunities and security.
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For
the first time in modern history the two houses of the legislature were
controlled by different political parties, leading to gridlock on a
number of issues and resulting in a relatively unproductive legislative
session. In fact, the majority of time clocked by legislators this
year was in special session. The regular session has been over since
the middle of March, but lawmakers kept coming back to try to reach
agreements on crucial issues.
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With gas prices now topping $4 per gallon and rising concern over global warming, the public policies that accommodated and often subsidized wasteful driving habits in the past need to change.
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Voter suppression is growing rapidly in America today. Over half of states now have voter ID requirements more stringent than that required for first time voters in federal elections. Several states are clamping down on voter registration drives or are considering proof of citizenship requirements.
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Showing the frustration over abusive lending practices by even many right-leaning legislators, the Ohio legislature has taken a huge step to protect its citizens against predatory lenders by passing HB 545.
The bill slashes the payday-lending interest rate from a sky-high 391
annual percentage rate to 28 percent. In real terms, instead of having
to pay $15 interest for every $100 loaned, borrowers will now pay no
more than $1.08 per $100 borrowed. The bill also limits borrowers to
four loans per year, requires that loan terms be at least 31 days
(instead of the current average of 14 days), and bans internet payday
lending. HB 545 is now before Governor Strickland, who is expected to
sign the bill into law.
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