Latest Politics Headlines
All the headlines from our Politics Topic Page, ordered by recency.
White House Urges Senate to Cut Crop Insurance by $1 Billion
May 21 2013 // The U.S. Senate should cut crop insurance subsidies, the most expensive part of the farm safety net, by $1 billion a year before it passes the new farm bill, the White House said on Monday. The five-year farm bill would...
Missouri Senate Backs Bill to Bolster Second Injury Fund
May 17 2013 // More than a thousand disabled workers could finally begin receiving payments for their job-related injuries if the Missouri House gives final approval to legislation intended to replenish an insolvent state fund. SB 1,...
Obama Administration Releases Proposed Fracking Regulations
May 17 2013 // The Obama administration on Thursday unveiled a new proposal for regulating hydraulic fracturing on federal lands, rolling back some measures from its original, abandoned draft as it sought to ease concerns the rules would...
Senate to Hold Vote on Consumer Agency Director Next Week
May 16 2013 // U.S. Senate Democratic leaders plan to hold a vote next week on President Barack Obama’s choice to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a Senate Democratic aide said on Wednesday, but they are not expected...
State Senate OKs California Ski Safety Legislation
May 15 2013 // The state Senate passed a bill that would require California ski resorts to prepare an annual safety plan and post those reports on their websites. Lawmakers passed SB564 on a 24-8 partisan vote. The bill by Democratic...
Bill to Expand Crop Insurance Passes Senate Committee
May 14 2013 // The Senate Agriculture Committee approved a farm bill on Tuesday, costing $500 billion over a decade, that would expand the scope of the federally subsidized crop insurance program and modestly trim spending on food stamps...
New York Senate OKs Legislative Package to Fight Auto Insurance Fraud
May 10 2013 // The New York State Senate approved three bills that aim to cut down on auto insurance scams by increasing penalties for those who commit or assist in the fraud and by giving more flexibility to insurance companies to...
Republicans Renew Push for Repeal of Obamacare
May 10 2013 // The White House announced a new $150 million initiative on Thursday to get uninsured Americans covered under President Barack Obama’s healthcare reform law, as Republicans raised the volume on their calls for...
Senate Farm Bill Draft Boosts Southern Crop Subsidies
May 10 2013 // In a concession to Southern lawmakers, the new U.S. farm law would set sharply higher support prices for rice and peanut crops under a draft prepared for a Senate Agriculture Committee vote next week and released on...
Oklahoma Senate Sends Workers’ Comp Bill to Governor
May 2 2013 // The Oklahoma Senate has approved a Republican-backed plan to overhaul the state’s workers’ compensation system and to cut more than $100 million annually from injured worker benefits, sending the proposal to...
Senate Panel to Investigate Texas Fertilizer Plant Explosion
May 1 2013 // U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer said on Tuesday she plans to investigate the explosion at a Texas fertilizer plant earlier this month that killed 15 people and injured scores more. California’s Boxer, the head of the...
Florida Senate Approves Citizens Reform Bill; Path Ahead Remains Uncertain
Apr 26 2013 // Florida lawmakers have taken the first step towards reforming the state-backed property insurer, but not before significantly scaling back its impact on policyholders while the chances for final legislative approval remain...
North Carolina Senate Bill Aims to End Local Building Design Standards
Apr 25 2013 // Some North Carolina lawmakers are pushing legislation that forbids local governments from adopting their own building design standards in most cases. The Senate bill that passed the Commerce Committee on Tuesday says that...
North Carolina Senate OKs Insurance Laws That Could Mean Savings
Apr 23 2013 // A pair of automobile insurance bills doesn’t overhaul how premiums are set in North Carolina but could provide some cost savings for consumers. The North Carolina Senate approved the legislation by wide margins last...
Nevada Senate Approves Cellphone Tracking Bill
Apr 22 2013 // The Nevada Senate has approved a bill designed to give law enforcement quicker access to cellphone locations in times of emergency. SB268 gives cellphone carriers protections for providing information during certain...
Senate Bill Would Require Approval of Large Louisiana Citizens Rate Hikes
Apr 18 2013 // Large rate hikes for customers of Louisiana’s property insurer of last resort would require legislative approval, under a bill that received Senate Insurance Committee backing. St. Mary Parish Sen. Bret Allain...
Missouri Senate Backs $15M of Aid After Joplin Tornado
Apr 18 2013 // Missouri senators have backed a plan that could provide $15 million to Joplin to rebuild street curbs and gutters damaged as a result of a deadly 2011 tornado. The legislation given initial approval would create a disaster...
Senate Democrat Criticizes Healthcare Law Education; Sebelius Cites Lack of Funding
Apr 18 2013 // A Democratic senator who helped craft President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law gave the administration “a failing grade” on Wednesday for its efforts to educate the public and small employers...
Obama Administration Vows Veto of Cybersecurity Bill Over Privacy Provisions
Apr 17 2013 // The White House on Tuesday threatened to veto a House of Representatives bill aimed at improving U.S. cybersecurity, citing among other things concerns about privacy protections. In a repeat of last year’s events,...
Analysis: Private Health Plan Option Tough Sell for Arkansas GOP Voters
Apr 15 2013 // For Arkansas Republicans elected on a vow to defeat the federal health care overhaul, a proposal to expand subsidized insurance relying on a key part of that law has been far from an easy pitch. Here comes the toughest...
