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Maine gets Health Care Law Waiver
Last Updated on Thursday, 10 March 2011 08:22 Written by rslcpol Wednesday, 9 March 2011 04:49
From CNBC:
The federal government Tuesday granted Maine a waiver of a key provision in President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul, citing the likelihood that enforcement could destabilize the state’s market for individual health insurance.
The U.S. Health and Human Services department said in a letter it would waive the requirement that insurers spend 80 cents to 85 cents of every premium dollar on medical care and quality improvement. Instead, the letter said, the state could maintain its 65 percent standard for three years, with the caveat that HHS intends to review the figures after two years.
The decision makes Maine the first state to receive a waiver of the requirement. Similar requests are pending from Kentucky, Nevada and New Hampshire.
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Ohio: Governor Pledges Change; Unions Boo
Last Updated on Wednesday, 23 March 2011 01:37 Written by rslcpol Wednesday, 9 March 2011 02:56
From the Marietta Times:
Amid pro-labor protests Tuesday, Gov. John Kasich said in his first State of the State address that big changes are ahead for Ohio and that lawmakers should not be scared off by the conflict that will arise from shaking things up.
“If you’ve seen a lot of change in these first seven weeks, you ain’t seen nothing yet,” Kasich said, as the crowd erupted, some in cheer, others in boos.
Touting the advantages of the state’s many cities, the new Republican governor said he is willing to risk criticism in order to stop Ohio from hemorrhaging any more residents and jobs to other states. Seeing Ohio lose two congressional seats because of population loss was a punishing blow, the former congressman said.
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IN: GOP Speaker Optimistic Democrats will return to work Soon
Last Updated on Wednesday, 23 March 2011 01:38 Written by rslcpol Wednesday, 9 March 2011 02:30
From IndyStar.com:
House Speaker Brian Bosma said this morning he is optimistic that the nearly three-week-old standoff in the Indiana House is nearing a close, now that the Democrat leader has both called and written him to discuss some of the issues.
House Minority Leader B. Patrick Bauer, who is in Urbana, Ill., with most of the 40 House Democrats, called Bosma this morning, and sent him a letter Tuesday. While the conversations did not break any new ground, as Bauer sought clarification on how bills that passed committees but have died due to the impasse will be handled, Bosma called it a positive step.
Tags: Indiana | Posted under State Legislature News | No Comments
NC: GOP Looks to Override Veto of Health Care Bill
Last Updated on Wednesday, 23 March 2011 01:38 Written by rslcpol Wednesday, 9 March 2011 02:23
The bill aims to block part of the federal health care law that requires people to buy health insurance.
From WTVD-TV:
Republican legislators are doing what they can to find enough votes to override Governor Perdue’s veto of House Bill number 2.
The bill would block part of the federal health care law that requires people to buy health insurance or face a penalty.
Governor Perdue said she believes this is all politics at play.
“I actually continue to believe this bill is a political distraction,” Governor Perdue said. “It’s been a political distraction from the start.”
Perdue believes the issue of requiring Americans to buy health insurance or face a fine will end up in the Supreme Court.
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Republican Wins Special Election in Tennessee
Last Updated on Thursday, 10 March 2011 08:22 Written by rslcpol Wednesday, 9 March 2011 02:15
From the Tennessean.com:
Republican Kerry Roberts, of Robertson County, handily won the special election for Tennessee’s 18th District senate seat last night.
Roberts, who recorded a nearly two-to-one margin over Democrat Ken Wilber, said he believes the voters have spoken clearly on three issues.
“First, voters agree that job growth and economic development come through lower taxes, less government regulation, and better education,” he said in a news release. “Second, voters want a Senator who will consistently stand up for the conservative values of protecting the right to life, the right to keep and bear arms, and who believes in and supports the Constitution. And third, voters resoundingly rejected negative campaign advertising and personal attacks. We remained positive and the voters overwhelmingly responded.”
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Tennessee Senate Votes to Ban Income Tax
Last Updated on Thursday, 10 March 2011 08:23 Written by rslcpol Wednesday, 9 March 2011 01:40
From the City Paper:
Recalling political protests that roiled the legislature a decade ago, senators voted Wednesday to amend the Tennessee constitution to ban the state income tax.
The Senate voted 28-5 for the Republican-backed resolution. If it also passes the House by a majority in this General Assembly and then by a two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate in the next, it would go on the ballot for voter approval in the 2014 elections.
In 2002, a state income tax won 45 votes in the House and drew rowdy protests to the Capitol. The state Supreme Court has ruled three times — most recently in 1964 — that the constitution already prohibits an income tax. But the state attorney general issued an opinion in 1999 saying the tax was permissible. Sen. Brian Kelsey, R-Germantown, said his resolution is needed to resolve the issue.
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New California AG now an Obama Ally in Health Care Fight
Last Updated on Wednesday, 23 March 2011 03:03 Written by rslcpol Wednesday, 9 March 2011 01:37
From LegalNewsLine.com:
First, President Barack Obama supported Kamala Harris’ campaign for California attorney general. Now, she’s defending Obama’s federal health care reform package that has twice been ruled unconstitutional.
Harris led a group of state attorneys general in an amicus brief filed Monday with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, which is hearing the federal government’s appeal of a ruling in favor of the state of Virginia. A federal judge ruled in December that the health care law is unconstitutional.
Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli argued in his lawsuit challenging the law that a mandate requiring citizens to purchase health insurance or face a $695 annual penalty is unconstitutional and flies in the face of Virginia law.
Harris and nine other attorneys general disagree with Cuccinelli, who has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the appeal instead of the Fourth Circuit in the interest of a quick resolution.
Tags: California | Posted under Attorney General News | No Comments
EPA’s Decision could cost Oklahoma
Last Updated on Wednesday, 23 March 2011 03:03 Written by rslcpol Tuesday, 8 March 2011 02:42
From NewsOn6.com:
A decision by the EPA could end up costing Oklahomans a lot of money. The EPA has rejected part of Oklahoma’s plan to clean up the air.
OG&E officials told the Oklahoma Impact Team during an investigation last year that to make the kinds of changes the federal government proposed Monday, it could increase customer’s electric bills by 20 percent.
A year ago the state presented it’s plan to reduce pollution in the state, and specifically return the Wichita mountains to it’s “natural state.”
Tags: Oklahoma | Posted under Attorney General News, State Legislature News | No Comments
OK AG Puts EPA on Notice
Last Updated on Wednesday, 23 March 2011 03:03 Written by rslcpol Tuesday, 8 March 2011 02:23
From Attorney General Scott Pruitt:
Attorney General E. Scott Pruitt, while at a National Attorneys General Summit in Washington D.C., today responded to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s announcement they will reject Oklahoma’s State Implementation Plan, crafted to address the EPA rules on Regional Haze.
“The State Implementation Plan was a thoughtful and well-crafted plan that will achieve greater visibility within the timeline than was mandated by the Regional Haze rule,” said Pruitt.
“The action taken today by the EPA inappropriately usurps the state’s authority to dictate our own energy and environmental policies. The appropriate stakeholders to address Oklahoma’s energy and environmental needs are Oklahoma’s citizens, energy producers, industry consumers and policymakers.
“Let the EPA be put on notice, as Attorney General, I plan to do all that I can to protect and preserve the state’s authority and responsibility under the Clean Air Act to craft and implement solutions for our state,” said Pruitt.
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RSLC: Record Number of Republican Attorneys General Caucus to Discuss State Protections
Last Updated on Monday, 7 March 2011 01:34 Written by rslcpol Monday, 7 March 2011 01:34
Alexandria, Va. (March 7, 2011) – A record number of Republican attorneys general are gathering this morning readying to debate a number of issues at the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) regarding the continued overreach by the Obama Administration into areas reserved for state regulation and to defend unwarranted federal intrusion into the private sector.
The Republican State Leadership Committee welcomed 24 Republican attorneys general to the Republican Attorneys General Association Winter meeting this morning, as they gather as a caucus prior to this week’s NAAG meeting.
On Election Day 2010, Republicans won 16 of 30 races for attorney general including five that were previously held by Democrats (AZ, OK, GA, OH and KS). Since then, Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell joined several office-holders from his state and joined the Republican Party.
Caldwell addressed his Republican colleagues saying, “It is great to be here with my fellow Republicans and I look forward to actively working with them through RAGA. In too many cases, this Administration, with his party’s support, has proposed legislation or regulations that are hastily passed, legally flawed and hurt the very people they are intended to help. I will continue to join what I believe are correct legal fights for Louisiana.”
The Republican attorneys general will address numerous issues including Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt holding a roundtable to discuss attempts by the FDIC to regulate outside of the normal rulemaking process.
“From healthcare to unions, we have seen few issues on which the Obama Administration is not willing to move,” said RSLC President Chris Jankowski. “Attorneys general are on the front lines in protecting their states from the federal government’s continued overreach which makes this week’s debates crucial to how these issues play out across the country.”
About the RSLC
The RSLC is the largest caucus of Republican state leaders and the only national organization whose mission is to elect down ballot, state-level Republican office-holders. Since 2002, the RSLC has been working to elect candidates for the office of attorney general, lieutenant governor, secretary of state and state legislator. The RSLC has more than 100,000 donors in all 50 states. The RSLC raised more than $30 million for the 2009-2010 cycle as part of an effort that picked up 20 legislative chambers, six Attorneys General, three Lieutenant Governors and seven Secretaries of State.
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