Many states already bar workplace discrimination against gays
Workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and/or gender identity is banned in 22 states (including the District of Columbia).
As Americans head to the polls, state and local governments viewed favorably
More than half of Americans express a favorable view of their state government.
In Brief: Supreme Court Revisits Legislative Prayer in Town of Greece v. Galloway
The U.S. Supreme Court will revisit the issue of legislative prayer when it hears oral arguments on Nov. 6 in Town of Greece v. Galloway, a case involving a challenge to a municipality’s practice of beginning each town board meeting with an invocation.
After political and legal battle in Texas, a state-by-state fight over abortion still ahead
The legal battle over Texas' newly-enacted law putting restrictions on abortions is part of a scenarioplaying out around the country, as abortion opponents have pushed new restrictions through state legislatures and abortion-rights supporters have challenged them in court.
Supreme Court’s DOMA decision driving same-sex marriage efforts in states
Same-sex couples were able to get married in New Jersey starting today when a court order went into effect ordering the state to recognize them. Gay rights advocates have stepped up their efforts to end prohibitions on gay marriage in at least 20 states.
Most uninsured Americans live in states that won’t run their own Obamacare exchanges
Almost six-in-ten uninsured Americans live in states that haven't set up their own health-insurance exchanges under the Affordable Care Act.
Majority of Americans say government should not force federal marijuana laws on states
Six-in-ten Americans say that the federal government should not enforce its marijuana laws in states that permit use.
Widening Regional Divide over Abortion Laws
Overview While the balance of opinion toward abortion nationwide has remained largely steady over the past 20 years, there are widening disparities in public attitudes on the issue across different regions of the country. Opposition to legal abortion is highest in parts of the South – including Texas, which recently passed sweeping new abortion restrictions. […]
For states, gambling on casinos may be a bad bet
When casinos come to town, an increase in public corruption is likely to follow. Or so claim two economists who studied federal corruption conviction rates in states before and after they legalized casino gambling. They focused on the years 1985 to 2000, a period of intense efforts by the casino industry to legalize casinos in […]
High Court Strikes Down DOMA but Leaves Fate of Proposition 8 Uncertain
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled the federal Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional. The high court declined to rule on Proposition 8, leaving the legal status of same-sex marriage in California unclear. Read our legal analysis of the two major decisions.
