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December 20, 2015

California county votes for secession from state, cites overregulation

Supervisors in a far Northern California county where residents are fed up with what they see as a lack of representation at the state capitol and overregulation have voted in favor of separating from the state.

December 20, 2015

Nashville taxpayers to put up $750G for Californian’s stick art

Nashville taxpayers will pay $750,000 so an abstract artist from California can construct large colored sticks and place them partially upright on display near the Music City Center downtown. 

December 20, 2015

GOP activists cheered by state successes

Republican activists are taking solace in success stories by governors and legislatures in GOP-leaning states as their party tries to regroup after the disappointments of a bruising presidential contest and a stalled agenda in Washington.

December 20, 2015

IRS extends tax benefits to married gay couples

Legally married same-sex couples will now be allowed to file federal joint tax returns, the IRS and Treasury Department announced Thursday.

December 20, 2015

Taxpayers foot half the cost of Nebraska outlet mall

When a new outlet mall opens in November between Nebraska's two largest cities -- Omaha and Lincoln -- shoppers can look around and thank the government for putting up more than half the money to build it. 

December 20, 2015

California pols could target tax status of Boy Scouts, youth groups over 'discrimination'

California lawmakers are cruising toward a final vote on a bill that could threaten the tax-exempt status of American-as-apple-pie groups, ranging from the Boy Scouts to Little League, if their membership policies are found to be discriminatory. 

December 20, 2015

Hundreds of private lobbyists earning public pensions in 20 states

As a lobbyist in New York's statehouse, Stephen Acquario is doing pretty well. He pulls down $204,000 a year, more than the governor makes, gets a Ford Explorer as his company car and is afforded another special perk:  Even though he's not a government employee, he is entitled to a full state pension.

December 20, 2015

Reefer Sadness: You can smoke it, but you can't buy it

Colorado and Washington state have both legalized the use and possession of small amounts of marijuana -- but there is currently no legal way to buy non-medical pot.

December 20, 2015

Florida food stamp agency ‘saves’ taxpayers $1.7M -- by stopping fraudulent payments

When the Florida Department of Children and Families claimed earlier this month to have saved taxpayers $1.7 million in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, or food stamps, what they really meant was they stopped subsidizing people who didn't qualify for the program. 

December 20, 2015

Study: Welfare pays more than minimum wage in most states

Welfare pays more than a minimum-wage job in 35 states, creating little incentive for Americans to take entry-level work and likely increasing their long-term dependency on government help, according to a new study by the libertarian think tank Cato Institute.