Lawmakers Return News Today

“They’re still sending the signal that they wanted to send last year that trans Kansans are not welcome and so we just have to keep fighting,” a transgender Lawrence resident said.

The new year will bring new challenges for lawmakers who must confront crises at home and abroad as the 2024 elections take center stage and threaten to deepen partisan divisions on Capitol Hill.

After a tumultuous year of Capitol protests and a chaotic special legislative session, Tennessee has seen little action on gun control.

Gun safety advocates are asking for feedback from Tennessee residents on several gun safety initiatives that will be publicized as lawmakers returned for their legislative session in January.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy faces a daunting task when lawmakers return from their Independence Day recess next week: passing a dozen appropriations bills for 2024 with a small and fractious House majority, while under threat of yet another government shutdown at the end of September if he fails to do so. Conservative House Republicans are pushing for McCarthy to take a harder line in the budget process. They want to see spending in 2024 rolled back to 2022 levels, as McCarthy originally sought

Fire breaks out at an unsanctioned homeless camp in Lawrence... a child was killed when a car crashed into a gas pump in Derby... a teenager gets probation for shooting at pedestrians in downtown Lawrence... and another train derails in Kansas, this time in Woodson County. Those stories and more... here.

Democratic Governor Laura Kelly vetoes a GOP tax plan... lawmakers return to work Wednesday to work on wrapping-up the session... and officials confirm eight tornadoes touched down in Chase County last week. Those headlines and more... here.

State lawmakers are set to return on Monday, Jan. 3 as they head into an election year full of uncertainty due to the redrawing of legislative districts.

Alabama News One of the most pressing issues Monday is final approval of the general fund budget. Another bill that could be addressed is a ban on gender-affirming treatments for transgender minors. Lawmakers are weighing a pause in an upcoming requirement for third-graders to pass a reading test before moving to the fourth grade. House leaders said they are doubtful a gambling bill will get a vote as lawmakers face a ticking clock and continued divisions on the matter. (Copyright 2021 The Asso...