Red Carpet edition

Unlike me, you've probably seen some Oscar-nominated movies this year outside of the "Best Visual Effects" category, so maybe you're going to pay attention to who gets those little golden dude statues on Sunday. Me, I'll be watching Johnny Weir, then zombies.

But all the world's a stage, and all the lawmakers merely players (42 legislatures are currently in session).  

• Shakespeare In Love (with whomever he pleases): Arizona Governor Jan Brewer has vetoed that hateful bill I mentioned last week that would have allowed businesses to refuse service to same-sex couples. Similar measures are languishing in Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Ohio, South Dakota and Tennessee, but others remain alive in Missouri, Georgia, and Oklahoma, while voters in Oregon may be faced with a pro-discrimination ballot measure this fall. (h/t Amanda Terkel for a great roundup of these proposals on HuffPo.)
• Speaking of Arizona, Gov. Jan Brewer has compared her contemplation of whether or not to challenge the state's Constitution (does a term-and-a-half bump up against the two-term limit?) and run for reelection to considering "letting go of your baby." Weird. Anyway, Brewer's decision could come any day now, as she's said she'll announce around March 1. 
• Meanwhile, also in Arizona, a Democrat is pushing a measure that would allow 16-year-olds to vote.

• Raging Bully: Maine Gov. Paul LePage is being called out in a federal report for pressuring state Department of Labor staff to render more employer-friendly decisions in unemployment claims appeals. 
• Gov. LePage and his administration are otherwise continuing to be paragons of sound policy and leadership in the state, as they have most recently demonstrated by refusing to work with the legislature to craft a budget, lying about the impact expanding Medicaid would have on state agency funding, and pretending that the governor's epic 2011 income tax cut (the largest in state history) isn't actually impacting the finances of those state agencies. 
• Also, I know my talk of "crazy legislators" is a rather tired refrain, but if you're bored, here's a little light reading about a freshman lawmaker in the state House (89 D/58 R/2 I/2 U) with a... colorful past. (He seems to think that crying Russian Olympic bear drinks blood, or something.)

• How The West Was Won (or lost?): The filing deadline for legislative candidates in New Mexico is less than two weeks away, and both Democrats and Republicans want to come out of 2014 with a majority in the state House (37 D/33 R). A slew of retirements is adding a wrinkle to both parties' plans; so far, four Democrats and two Republicans are calling it quits this year. 

• The English(-only) Patient: A law making English the official state language of Georgia has been on the books for almost two decades, but one lawmaker wants to enshrine that edict in the state Constitution as well as mandate that all official state business be conducted in English. 

• (Right next to) Fargo: The Minnesota legislative session just got under way this week, and hearings began today on what the House (73 D/61 R) Speaker calls a top priority -- if not the top priority -- this year: raising the state's hourly minimum wage from $6.15 to $9.50 by 2015. (If you're interested, you can totally watch members debate this and other measure in their fabulous Minnesota accents.)

• A Patch of Blue(grass): The GOP-controlled Kentucky Senate (14 D/23 R/1 I) has passed a bill that would amend the state Constitution to restore voting rights to most felons. A similar measure has already passed the Democratic-majority House (54 D/46 R), and after the differences are worked out in conference committee, it's headed to the ballot this fall for voters' ratification or rejection.

• Green Dolphin Street: Instead of begging for money to build a new stadium, the Miami Dolphins are approaching the Florida legislature with a different sort of proposal: legislation designed to combat bullying in athletics. The Safe Athletics and Training Education Act of 2014 is based on study "suggested" by Dolphins owner Stephen Ross after last year's bullying and abuse scandal.

• (Not so) Sweet Home Alabama: Lawmakers in Alabama are going after baby hosts (known to some as "women" or "mothers" or "people") and folks in need of financial assistance hard this session. The raft of anti-choice legislation I mentioned last week is moving forward, and most observers expect all the measures will pass. The legislature is also considering a welfare drug-testing bill, one that would only test those with drug convictions in the past five years.

Oh, and if any lawmakers supporting those LGBT discrimination laws head out to Hollywood this weekend for the festivities, they won't be welcome at The Abbey.

For the Week of February 27, 2014   The following 42 state legislatures are in session this week: ALABAMA, ALASKA, ARKANSAS, ARIZONA, CALIFORNIA, CONNECTICUT, COLORADO, DELAWARE, GEORGIA, HAWAII, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, KANSAS, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSISSIPPI, MISSOURI, NEBRASKA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, OKLAHOMA, OREGON, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA, SOUTH DAKOTA, TENNESSEE, UTAH, VERMONT, VIRGINIA, WASHINGTON, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN and WYOMING. Also meeting:  DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, PUERTO RICO.

GROUPS  The Democratic Governors Association will hold its Annual Winter Policy Conference February 28-March 1, in San Juan, Puerto Rico.     The National Association of Counties will hold its Annual Legislative Conference March 1-5 at The Washington Hilton Hotel, in Washington, DC.     ALABAMA The House Education Policy Committee met February 26 to discuss H.B. 507, which relates to climate change and its impact on the state.  CALIFORNIA    The Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Banking and Financial Institutions Committee met February 25 to discuss an agenda titled "Beyond the Breach: Protecting Consumers' Personal Information in the Retail Environment." COLORADO The House Education Committee met February 24 to discuss H.B. 1131, which addresses online harassment. CONNECTICUT    The General Law Committee met February 25 to discuss H.B. 5258 relating to food safety standards.  ILLINOIS The Pollution Control Board accepted comments through February 24 regarding proposed amendments to drinking water regulations related to laboratory testing of drinking water samples.     INDIANA The Senate Commerce, Economic Development and Technology Committee met February 24 to discuss H.B. 1139, which would prohibit a person from selling, leasing or renting a hearing aid unless the hearing aid has been fitted and adjusted by a hearing aid dealer who has been issued a certificate of registration or is a licensed audiologist.     The Senate Pensions and Labor Committee met February 26 to discuss H.B. 1242, which prohibits discrimination against a prospective employee based on their veteran status.

MARYLAND The House Economic Matters Committee met February 25 to discuss H.B. 949, which establishes a training wage of $7.25 per hour for an employee hired by an employer for the first time and applies to employers with 100 or fewer employees.     The Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee met February 25 to discuss S.B. 707, which would require a store to charge a $0.05 fee for each disposable carryout bag the store provides a customer.  MINNESOTA The Legislature convened its 2014 Legislative Session February 25.  MISSOURI Voter ID bill HB 1073 passed the House Rules Committee. This bill would require all voters to show government-issued photo ID to vote. It would become effective upon voter approval of a constitutional amendment that authorizes the General Assembly to enact photo voter ID requirements.  Voter ID bill HJR 47 passed the House Rules Committee. This bill submits to the qualified voters of Missouri an amendment to article VIII of the Constitution of Missouri to require photo ID to vote. NEBRASKA Voter Registration bill LB 661 is adopted by Government, Military, and Veterans Affairs Committee. This bill requires the secretary of state and the Department of Motor Vehicles to develop and implement a registration application process to allow citizens to register to vote or update voter registration records electronically through the secretary's Web site. Citizens with a valid Nebraska driver's license or state ID may use the application process to register to vote using their signature on file with the DMV. Anyone who knowingly submits a false application is guilty of a Class IV felony. NEW YORK The Assembly Labor Committee met February 25 to discuss A.B. 443, which prohibits an employer from requesting that an employee or applicant disclose any means for accessing an electronic personal account or service.  OHIO Early Voting bill SB 238 was signed by the governor. This bill shortens the availability of early voting from the 35th day before the election to the first day after the close of voter registration, effectively ending "Golden Week," during which citizens may register to vote and cast an early ballot. The bill also shortens the availability of mail-in absentee ballots to the same time period, except for military and overseas voters. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee met February 25 to discuss S.C.R. 25, a measure to urge state agencies to use green building rating systems for their new buildings.  RHODE ISLAND A special election was held February 25 for House District 49, vacated by Lisa Baldelli-Hunt (D). Democrat Michael Morin defeated any number of write-in candidates to win the seat. TENNESSEE  The Senate State and Local Government Committee held a hearing February 25 to discuss S.B. 1759, which encourages the purchase of energy efficient alternative fuel state vehicles.  The House Transportation Subcommittee met February 26 to discuss H.B. 2301, which relates to texting and driving.  UTAH  Election Day Registration bill HB 156 was first read and introduced. This bill amends provisions of the Election Code by establishing a pilot project to test the advisability of implementing election day voter registration in Utah.

via Stateside Associates, Project Vote. 

Going for the Gold edition

The Olympic excitement may be winding down in Sochi, but the action in state legislatures continues to heat up. (Also like Sochi, I guess.)

• Speaking of warming... A lawmaker in Utah has introduced a bill that would limit the state's authority to regulate carbon dioxide emissions. Not only does Rep. Jerry Anderson feel that the greenhouse gas is a "natural component[] of the atmosphere" and consequently couldn't possibly be a pollutant, but he also thinks we actually need more of it. Rep. Anderson fears that we're actually 'short of carbon dioxide for the needs of plants,' since concentrations of the gas were far higher 'at the time of the dinosaurs, and they did quite well.' 
• Fun fact! The dinosaurs died. 
• Fun fact 2! Rep. Anderson is a retired science teacher. Maybe he taught... chemistry...? 

• Short track: Just a few hours ago, the Ohio House (39 D/60 R) finally pushed through the state's most recent attempt at voter suppression. Senate Bill 238 -- which passed on party-line votes in both the House and the Senate (10 D/23 R) -- will shorten the early voting period to eliminate the "golden week," during which voters can register and cast ballots at the same time. The House also passed Senate Bill 205, which ends the practice of local election boards sending out unsolicited absentee ballot applications. Both bills will almost certainly be signed into law by Gov. Kasich.

• Medicaid expansion slalom: While lawmakers in the GOP-controlled New Hampshire state Senate (11 D/13 R) are moving towards an agreement on Medicaid expansion with the the Democratic House (217 D/178 R) and governor, lawmakers in Arkansas are fighting to reauthorize the "private option" expansion that the GOP-controlled legislature already supported last year. Without supermajority support in both chambers (the holdup is in the House [48 D/51 R/1 G]), funding for state's private option to Medicaid expansion will get yanked, and over 100,000 low-income Arkansans would lose their newly-attained coverage.
• Fun fact! While Arkansas requires three-fourths of both legislative chambers to approve all appropriations, a simple majority can override a gubernatorial veto.

• Cross-country bigotry: Even as a Kansas state Senate Republican single-handedly killed that state's bill to allow businesses to refuse service to same-sex couples, the Arizona Senate (13 D/17 R) passed a similar bill on a party-line vote. A Tennessee lawmaker abandoned his own same-sex couple service refusal legislation on Tuesday.

• Men's and women's doubles: On Monday, the Indiana state Senate (13 D/37 R) passed HJR 3, the proposed constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. However, because of some changes to the measure and procedural quirks, the amendment is ineligible to appear on the ballot before 2016, and only then after it re-passes both chambers of the legislature in its current form. 

• District line-drawing: The Indiana state Senate has yet to schedule a committee hearing on legislation that would take redistricting out of the legislature's hands and deliver it to a bipartisan commission. (The bill passed the House in late January.) Surely Arnold Schwarzenegger's support of the measure -- though tepid -- will propel it forward.

• Choice stealing: Lawmakers in Alabama are pushing a raft of anti-choice legislation, including one bill that would prohibit abortions after about six weeks and another that would make felons out of doctors performing abortions after the detection of a fetal heartbeat. Yet another would increase the waiting period between seeing a doctor and the performance of the procedure from 24 to 48 hours.

• Tank tanking: A state legislator in New Hampshire has introduced a bill that would prohibit law enforcement agencies from obtaining -- even for free -- "military style equipment" for police use. 
• Related: The Keene police department has a tank. (Have you been to Keene? This is terrifying.)

For the Week of February 19, 2014   The following 38 state legislatures are meeting actively this week: ALABAMA, ALASKA, ARKANSAS, ARIZONA,CALIFORNIA, CONNECTICUT, COLORADO, GEORGIA, HAWAII, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, KANSAS, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MISSISSIPPI, MISSOURI, NEBRASKA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW MEXICO, OHIO, OKLAHOMA, OREGON, SOUTH CAROLINA, SOUTH DAKOTA, TENNESSEE, UTAH, VERMONT, VIRGINIA, WASHINGTON, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN and WYOMING. Also meeting:  DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, PUERTO RICO. GROUPS The National Governors Association will hold their Annual Winter Meeting February 21-24, in Washington, DC.  The Republican Governors Association will hold their Annual Winter Meeting February 21-23, in Washington, DC.  The Democratic Governors Association will hold the Taste of America Gala February 22 at The Mayflower Hotel, in Washington, DC.  The Republican Attorneys General Association will hold their Annual Winter National Meeting February 23-24 at The Capitol Hill Club & Park Hyatt, in Washington, DC. The Democratic Attorneys General Association will hold a Pre-NAAG Reception & Dinner February 23, in Washington, DC. CALIFORNIA The Energy Commission held a public hearing February 18 to discuss proposed amendments to the Appliance Efficiency Regulations. The Commission is establishing efficiency standards, test procedures, labeling requirements and other regulations for a variety of appliances that consume a significant amount of energy or water.  The Senate Agriculture Committee met February 18 to discuss A.B. 1414, which pertains to labeling on egg cartons. CONNECTICUT The Joint Committee on Public Safety and Security met February 18 to discuss the licensing of hookah lounges.  The Joint Committee on Labor and Public Employees met February 18 to discuss H.B. 5069, which would require employers to pay a fee for each employee that receives wages below a standard rate, and S.B. 32, which would increase the minimum wage.  The Joint Committee on Environment will meet February 20 to discuss H.B. 5117, which relates to the definition of "clean alternative fuel" when used as a motor vehicle fuel.

LOUISIANA The House and Senate Committees on Transportation, Highways and Public Works met jointly February 17 to consider Design-Build as a construction method for major transportation projects throughout the state.  MARYLAND The House Environmental Matters Committee will meet February 21 to discuss H.B. 718, which would create a $0.05 disposable plastic bag fee for customers.  MISSOURI The Senate General Laws Committee held a hearing February 18 to discuss S.B. 750 which protects employees from being required to disclose their user names or passwords for social networking accounts.  NORTH CAROLINA The Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Mining and Energy Commission met February 18. The Commission is tasked with developing and implementing a regulatory program for the management of oil and gas exploration and development activities.  SOUTH DAKOTA The House Education Committee will hold a hearing February 19 to consider H.B. 1214, which requires the Department of Education to provide for an independent study and analysis of the potential financial, fiscal and economic impacts of the implementation of the Common Core State Standards to be completed.   TENNESSEE The House Finance, Ways and Means Committee will meet February 19 on H.B. 1743, which encourages the acquisition of energy efficient and alternative fuel state vehicles.  VIRGINIA The Senate Courts of Justice Committee held a hearing February 17 to consider H.B. 17, which specifies that a provider of an electronic communication service or remote computing service must disclose a record or other information pertaining to a customer, including real-time location data, to an investigative or law enforcement officer when issued an administrative subpoena during a criminal investigation.

via Stateside Associates, Project Vote. 

Head Over Heels edition

Roses are red

Violets are blue

I love statehouse action

And maybe you do, too!

Or maybe not. Maybe you didn't open the email. Maybe you got bored at 'Violets.'

But if you like your love notes scribbled on the back of floor calendars and your sweet nothings in Joint Resolution form, you've come to the right place! 

• You give love a bad name: Colorado state Senator Bernie Herpin doesn't seem to care who was shot through the heart (or elsewhere) in the 2012 Aurora theater shooting -- or at least he didn't seem to at a Wednesday hearing on a bill to overturn the state's new ban on magazines of 15 rounds or more. Sen. Herpin, elected in last summer in an ultra-low turnout recall election, claimed that it might have been "a good thing" that the theater shooter had a 100-round magazine when he opened fire and murdered 12 people.

• Let them eat chocolates! Or maybe Maine Gov. Paul LePage thought the kids could stand to lose a few. On Tuesday, the state Senate overrode Gov. LePage's veto of a bill that would require schools in low-income communities to run summer nutrition programs for students who qualify for free or reduced lunches. (He probably thinks those kids should be working, not eating.)

• Love in the time of elections: On Wednesday, a federal judge struck down Kentucky's constitutional ban on recognizing same-sex marriages legally performed in other states. Will this become an election issue as Democrats seek to hold on to their majority in the state House (54 D/46 R)? A recent poll found that 55% of voters in the state oppose same-sex marriage -- down 10% from a PPP poll from last spring. If opinions are shifting this quickly on the issue, it could cut either way in the fall.

• Love is a battlefield: South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is publicly backing a state Senate bill that would do away with all permits and training currently required to carry a firearm. Anyone not forbidden by law from possessing a gun would be able to carry one, concealed or openly, without a lick of training or experience. Oh, and they could carry their guns into bars, too. Killer idea.

• Can't buy me love: Republicans in the Michigan legislature have shocked no one by scoffing at the notion of raising the state's $7.40/hour minimum wage. Voters may, however, get decide for themselves on a hike to $9.50/hour via a ballot measure this fall... which may also boost turnout as Democrats work to take back the the state House (50 D/59 R/1 I).

• Commitment issues: Despite the fact that both chambers of the Missouri legislature have significant GOP majorities, famous birther and House Speaker Tim Jones is struggling to consolidate Republican support for his pet issue in this year's session: putting a so-called "right to work" measure on the ballot this fall (passing legislation is a non-starter -- Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon is sure to veto it). Republican members' view range from "is it worth the bloody battle?" to "I might as well not run." Speaker Jones' own Speaker Pro Tem isn't with him, citing a desire to "focus on the areas where there is more agreement and we can carry a message together as a party." 

• Paradise by the dashboard light: Workers at a Volkswagen plant in Tennessee are in the final days of a two-year organization campaign, and state Republicans are going all-in to attack... the company. Volkswagen has opted to stay neutral as the plant's workers seek to form a union, prompting everyone from GOP Gov. Bill Haslam and Sen. Bob Corker to Grover Norquist to Republican state lawmakers to attack the carmaker. GOP legislators are accusing Volkswagen of actively promoting the unionization campaign (because that makes sense... wait, no.) and are threatening to block the kinds of tax incentives for future expansion that have benefited the job-creating, tax base-strengthening, economy-boosting plant over the past three years.

• Lust for life: Looks like death row inmates in Wyoming won't be facing down a firing squad, after all. Executionees in Missouri, however, might still get their chance. Meanwhile, Washington's governor has declared a moratorium on the death penalty. 

• Choice in the matter: Ohio Republicans are still trying to get rid of the state's "golden week," that magical span of time in which folks can register to vote and cast their ballot on the same day. The most recent attempt passed a House committee on Tuesday. 

For the Week of February 12, 2014   The following 41 state legislatures are actively meeting this week: ALABAMA, ALASKA, ARKANSAS, ARIZONA,CALIFORNIA, CONNECTICUT, COLORADO, GEORGIA, HAWAII, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, KANSAS, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MISSISSIPPI, MISSOURI, NEBRASKA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW MEXICO, NEW YORK, OHIO, OKLAHOMA, OREGON, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA, SOUTH DAKOTA, TENNESSEE, UTAH, VERMONT, VIRGINIA, WASHINGTON, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN and WYOMING. Also meeting:  DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, PUERTO RICO

GROUPS    The National Association of Secretaries of State will hold their Annual Winter Conference February 12-15 at The JW Marriott, in Washington, D.C.  The National Association of State Election Directors will hold their Annual Winter Meeting February 13-15 at The JW Marriott, in Washington, D.C.  ARKANSAS    The State Legislature convened a 30-day Fiscal Session on February 10.   CALIFORNIA  Same Day Registration bill AB 843 was filed with the Chief Clerk. This bill would additionally require that a registrant provide proof of residency in order for a conditional voter registration to be deemed effective. Driver's license, student ID, tribal ID, or signed oaths from a fellow registered voter are considered sufficient proof of residency. COLORADO    The House Judiciary Committee met February 11 to discuss H.B. 1127, which addresses credit report use.  FLORIDA    The Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee met February 10 during an interim committee week to discuss S.B. 638, which would prohibit organizations that have broken charitable-solicitation laws in other states from a presence in the state.  GEORGIA Voter Registration bill HB 942 was first read in the House. This bill would provide online voter registration through the secretary of state's Web site. An applicant would be able to register to vote online by executing a computerized mark in the signature field or on and after July 1, 2015, submitting an electronic copy of his or her signature. HAWAII The House Labor and Public Employment Committee met February 11 to discuss several measures concerning raising the minimum wage.  MARYLAND The Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee will meet February 12 to discuss the expungement of court and criminal records and to what extent an employer can utilize a criminal record in the hiring decision making process.  The Senate Finance Committee will meet February 13 to discuss several measures concerning raising the minimum wage.

NEW HAMPSHIRE The House Science, Technology and Energy Committee met February 11 to discuss H.B. 1220, which would mandate 10% ethanol levels in gasoline.   The House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services Committee held a hearing February 11 to discuss H.B. 1403, which would raise the state's minimum wage to $9.00 over the next two years.  NEW MEXICO The House Voter and Elections Committee met February 11 to discuss H.J.R. 9, which proposes a constitutional amendment to increases the state's base minimum wage of $7.50 per hour based on yearly inflation.  OREGON The Senate Health Care and Human Services Committee met February 11 to discuss S.B. 1543, which prohibits employers from reducing a full-time employee's hours for the sole purpose of preventing the employee's eligibility for health coverage under the Affordable Care Act.  TENNESSEE The House Consumer and Human Resources Committee will meet February 12 to discuss H.B. 1694, which would increase minimum wage for employees to $8.25 per hour if they are not offered health benefits through their employer.  WYOMING Governor Matt Mead (R) delivered his State of the State address on February 10.   The State Legislature convened February 10 for a Budget Session.

via Stateside Associates, Project Vote. 

Batsignal edition

It's that bat-time of week again...

Oregon and Connecticut have joined the fray of statehouses in session at the moment. Next week, Wyoming will begin churning legislative fodder for our perusal (and, admittedly, potential entertainment). Of these chambers, however, only the Oregon Senate (16 D/14 R) is remotely competitive this fall.

But there's a veritable rogue's gallery of legislatures already compelling us to tune in! 

• Reruns already? In Colorado, Republicans are trying to undo the same-day voter registration law Democratic majorities passed through the legislature last year. GOPers claim they're concerned about "fraud." Yet somehow, same-day voter registration seems to be working out just fine in states like Maine, Idaho, Minnesota, Wyoming, and Wisconsin... and those are only the states that have been doing it for over 20 years. New Hampshire, Montana, Iowa, Connecticut, and California haven't had their same-day voter registration laws on the books for quite as long, but they seem to have avoided anarchy or monarchy or whatever whatever it is Colorado Republicans are so paranoid about. Maybe it's all that legal pot...

• Speaking of substances... Lawmakers in Georgia are debating measures that would allow bars more "freedom" when St. Patrick's Day falls on or near a Sunday. (By the by, I prefer my "freedom" neat.)

• Holy constitutional convention! Georgia has also just become the first state to pass a resolution calling for a Convention of the States... Because if it allows Obamacare to be constitutional, it clearly needs to be fixed, or something. And direct election of Senators is just so hackneyed. Yawn. 

• THIS is the weapon of the enemy. Kansas lawmakers rewrote their gun laws last year to make them some of the most... permissive in the country. In fact, the state enacted what's believed to be the first law in the nation banning the use of tax dollars on "publicity or propaganda" on gun issues. But now some legislators want to go a little further and strip cities and counties of any authority to regulate guns. 

• Holy time warp! Nixon impeached? Missouri Republicans must be nostalgic for headlines from 40 years ago. Republican Rep. Mike Moon plans to file an article of impeachment against Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon over his alleged failure to set special elections quickly enough to satisfy the lawmaker's tastes. Rep. Moon isn't alone in his retro craze -- last fall, another Republican lawmaker threatened to file articles of impeachment over Gov. Nixon's decision to allow same-sex couples legally married outside of the Show-Me State to file joint tax returns.

• Holy hand slap! It's amazing that Missouri lawmakers will have any time at all for impeachment proceedings, what with all the time they're spending with things like establishing the high-five as the official state greeting. 

• A shocking twist! I can't believe I'm the only one who was surprised that Maine Gov. Paul LePage's State of the State address last night wasn't just a dramatic reading of his enemies list. The GOP governor, up for reelection this year, declined to further push his child-labor proposals when he discussed economic development. He did, however, find common ground with Democratic majorities in the legislature when he discussed the state's drug epidemic, which probably means supporters of marijuana legalization should focus their efforts elsewhere for the time being.

• Tune in next week! An Indiana Senate committee will hold a hearing on the proposed constitutional ban on same-sex marriage next Monday, February 10. The ban passed the state House last week.

For the Week of February 5, 2014 The following 38 state legislatures are actively meeting this week: ALABAMA, ALASKA, ARIZONA, CALIFORNIA, CONNECTICUT, COLORADO, GEORGIA, HAWAII, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, KANSAS, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MISSISSIPPI, MISSOURI, NEBRASKA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW MEXICO, NEW YORK, OHIO, OREGON, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA, SOUTH DAKOTA, TENNESSEE, UTAH, VERMONT, VIRGINIA, WASHINGTON, WEST VIRGINIA and WISCONSIN. Also meeting:  DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, PUERTO RICO

GROUPS The National Association of State Energy Officials holds its 2014 Energy Outlook Conference February 4-7 at The Fairmont Hotel in Washington, D.C. The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners will hold its Winter Committee Meetings February 9-12 at The Renaissance Washington Hotel in Washington, D.C.  The National Association of Secretaries of State will hold its Winter Conference February 12-15 at the JW Marriott Hotel in Washington, D.C. CONNECTICUT The General Assembly is scheduled to convene its 2014 Legislative Session February 5.   Governor Dannel P. Malloy (D) will deliver his State of the State address February 5.   COLORADO The House Health, Insurance and Environment Committee will meet February 6 to discuss H.B. 1134, which concerns the registration of health care insurance navigators and H.B. 1126, which provides that a patient must be notified of their breast tissue classification.  GEORGIA The Human Relations and Aging Committee met February 3 to vote on H.B. 290, which would allow employees to use sick leave for the care of immediate family members.  A special run-off election was held February 4 for House Districts 2 and 22. House District 2 was vacated by Jay Neal (R) and House District 22 was vacated by Calvin Hill (R). Both seats remained in Republican hands. HAWAII The Senate Committee on Energy and the Senate Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection met February 4 to discuss S.B. 2932, which establishes energy storage portfolio standards and the reduction of fossil fuel usage.   The Senate Technology and the Arts and Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs Committees will meet February 6 to discuss S.B. 2474, which establishes the Hawaii Cybersecurity, Economic, Education and Infrastructure Security Council within the Office of Information Technology.  MAINE The Senate Judiciary Committee met February 4 to discuss L.D. 1660, which pertains to patent trolls.   MARYLAND The House Ways and Means Committee will meet February 5 to discuss H.B. 76 which prohibits the implementation of the Common Core State Standards and H.B. 117, which convenes a panel to discuss alternative education assessments.   The Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee will meet February 5 to discuss S.B. 251, which will ban the use of trans-fats in prepared food at public schools and universities.

NEW HAMPSHIRE The House Environment and Agriculture Committee held executive sessions February 4 to make recommendations on multiple bills which will exempt products made in the state from federal regulations as long as they remain in the state. The Committee also held an executive session on H.B. 1287, which requires mandatory deposits on beverage containers. OREGON The Legislature convened its 2014 Legislative Session February 3.  SOUTH CAROLINA The Senate Agricultural Subcommittee will meet February 6 to discuss H.B. 3987, which would increase the standards for labeling seafood products sold in the state.  TENNESSEE Governor Bill Haslam (R) delivered his State of the State Address February 3.  The Insurance and Banking Committee met February 4 to discuss H.B. 937, which would allow the state to expand Medicaid under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and H.B. 1265, which would require health insurance policies to cover screening, diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders.

via Stateside Associates, Project Vote.