Latest Politics Headlines

All the headlines from our Politics Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Obama Administration Under Fire for Delay on Chemical Plant Safety

Jul 16 2013 // The Obama administration’s lack of action to impose recommended changes to make refineries, chemical factories and sugar plants safer is set to get a public rebuke from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board.The independent...

House Passes Republican Farm Bill Without Food Stamps

Jul 11 2013 // House Republicans passed a five-year U.S. farm-policy bill that retains subsidies to farmers and strips out food-stamp spending, costing it Democratic support.The plan was approved today 216-208, with no Democrats in...

Bipartisan Senate Megabank Bill Would Split Banking from Insurance, Other Risks

Jul 11 2013 // A small bipartisan group of U.S. senators on Thursday introduced legislation that would break up Wall Street’s megabanks by separating traditional banking activity from riskier financial services.The bill, called the...

Republicans Press for Delay in Obamacare Individual Mandate

Jul 11 2013 // Framing a new argument against President Barack Obama’s health care law, congressional GOP leaders called this week for a delay in the law’s requirement that individual Americans carry health insurance.If the...

Obama Administration Issues Contraceptive Rule For Faith-Based Employers

Jun 28 2013 // The Obama administration on Friday issued its final rule requiring health insurance coverage of contraceptives for the employees of religiously affiliated universities, hospitals and other institutions, just as the new...

Kansas Insurance Commissioner Out of Step with Today’s GOP

Jun 26 2013 // Sandy Praeger was always the team player and never the black sheep.As mayor of Lawrence, state representative, state senator and now Kansas’ three-term insurance commissioner, Praeger was mainstream Republican all...

Senate Leader Reid Rules Out Extending Current Farm Law

Jun 25 2013 // The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives needs to solve its farm bill impasse by enacting the Senate’s bipartisan bill, Majority Leader Harry Reid said on Monday, warning that the Democrat-run Senate...

U.S. House Strikes Down Republican Farm Bill

Jun 21 2013 // Republican budget-cutters joined Democratic defenders of food stamps on Thursday to deal a shocking defeat to the $500 billion farm bill backed by Republican leaders in the House of Representatives, undermining hopes of...

Kansas City-Area Insurance Exec Seeks GOP Nod for Commissioner Post

Jun 14 2013 // A certified public accountant from Leawood who’s also an insurance industry executive has launched a campaign for the Republican nomination for Kansas insurance commissioner.Ken Selzer announced that he’s...

Republican Hill, Insurance Agent, Wins Florida House Seat

Jun 13 2013 // Republican Mike Hill has defeated Democrat Jeremy Lau for the vacant state House District 2 seat.The Miami Herald reported that Hill carried about 58 percent of the vote in the Northwest Florida district, which includes...

Senate Passes Crop Insurance Bill; House Fight Over Food Stamps Next

Jun 10 2013 // The Democratic-run U.S. Senate passed a $500 billion, five-year farm bill on Monday that expands a taxpayer-subsidized crop insurance program and rejects sweeping cuts in food stamps for the poor being pursued in the House...

Senate Committee Advances National Producer Licensing Reform Bill

Jun 6 2013 // The Senate Banking Committee today voted to send an insurance producer licensing reform measure to the full Senate for consideration.The bipartisan bill — S. 534, the National Association of Registered Agents and Brokers...

Oregon Senate Oks Workplace Protections For Interns

Jun 6 2013 // The Oregon Legislature has agreed to extend workplace protections against harassment and discrimination to unpaid interns.The Senate unanimously passed HB 2669, sending it to Gov. John Kitzhaber, who intends to sign it....

R.I. GOP Chair: Default on 38 Studios Bonds, Insurers Will Pay Bondholders

Jun 5 2013 // Rhode Island’s Republican Party chairman has joined the call for the state to default on the money it owes for its failed investment in former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling’s bankrupt video game company.Mark...

Conn. Senate Approves Driver’s Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants

May 31 2013 // Connecticut’s state Senate approved legislation early Thursday that would allow immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses regardless of their legal statuses.Immigrants would be able to obtain driver’s...

Group Applauds N.Y. Senate Passage of Certificates of Insurance Bill

May 30 2013 // The Professional Insurance Agents of New York State Inc. applauded the New York State Senate for passing a bill, S.3084-A/A.3107-B, on Wednesday, which has long been advocated by the association. The bill now moves to the...

Republicans See ‘Obamacare’ Issues as Key to 2014

May 30 2013 // If Republicans were writing a movie script for next year’s congressional elections, the working title might be “2014: Apocalypse of Obamacare.”The plot: The rollout of President Barack Obama’s...

North Carolina’s Hagan Amends Senate Farm Bill to Address Crop Fraud

May 29 2013 // A measure championed by U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan adds $5 million in new funding to the 2013 farm bill to help root out crop insurance fraud. The Senate approved Hagan’s amendment last week by a vote of 94-0. The money...

Senate Votes to Cut Crop Insurance Subsidies to Wealthiest Farmers

May 23 2013 // The wealthiest 20,000 U.S. farmers should pay more for taxpayer subsidized crop insurance, the Senate voted on Thursday, adopting a measure that blended deficit reduction, populism and farm program reform.Senators approved...

U.S. Senate Passes Bill with Kansas River Levee Funding

May 23 2013 // The U.S. Senate has approved a bill that includes funding aimed at improving Topeka’s levee system along the Kansas River.The bill approved in the Senate would provide about $15.7 million in federal matching funds...