December 20, 2015 Utah gov signs bill allowing firing squad Utah became the only state to allow firing squads for executions Monday when Gov. Gary Herbert signed a law approving the controversial method's use when no lethal-injection drugs are available.
December 20, 2015 Stephen King not backing down on demand for LePage apology Horror writer Stephen King is proving to be as tenacious as some of his more sinister characters in seeking an apology from Maine Gov. Paul LePage.
December 20, 2015 Highway robbery? Bill seeks probe of New Jersey road costs Why does New Jersey spend more on its highway system than any other state? On the heels of reports by New Jersey Watchdog, a state senator is introducing legislation Monday to create a task force to address that question.
December 20, 2015 Ohio bill would allow patients to get STD meds for partners A bill in Ohio seeks to expand access to treatment for certain sexually transmitted diseases by allowing doctors to prescribe medication to their patients' partners without first examining them.
December 20, 2015 Nebraska lawmakers approve bill abolishing death penalty Nebraska lawmakers gave final approval on Wednesday to a bill abolishing the death penalty with enough votes to override a promised veto from Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts.
December 20, 2015 DOJ announces investigation into Baltimore police practices Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced Friday the Department of Justice will launch a federal civil rights investigation into the practices of the Baltimore Police Department.
December 20, 2015 Colorado lawmakers approve medical marijuana for students in school A first-in-the-nation bill that would allow students to have medical marijuana in school is heading to the Colorado governor’s desk after passing the state legislature late Monday night.
December 20, 2015 Alabama pol threatens to out lawmakers' alleged affairs, over gay marriage criticism Alabama’s only openly gay lawmaker says if her colleagues don’t stop calling same-sex marriage immoral, she'll publicly out her heterosexual colleagues she claims are having extramarital affairs.
December 20, 2015 Chinese spend thousands persuading US schools to promote their language, culture In the past decade, the Chinese have opened hundreds of institutes and classrooms in universities, high schools and even elementary schools in the United States and around the world in an attempt to teach Chinese language, culture and to increase cultural understanding. But, as Watchdog.org reported in October, a growing number of academics caution the institutes are propaganda arms of the Chinese government.
December 20, 2015 Federal judge says Florida clerks have duty to issue same-sex marriage licenses A federal judge says that Florida's county court clerks have a legal duty to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, but he has stopped short of ordering them to do so.
