Employment

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida, bills to prohibit taking minors across state lines in circumvention of laws requiring the involvement of parents in abortion decisions. Others: A bill to ensure the safe use of cosmetics and a program of research regarding the risks posed by the presence of dioxin, synthetic fibers, and other additives in feminine hygiene products more »

In Alabama lawmakers passed an immigration crackdown that goes even further than last year’s lightning-rod measure in Arizona. Republicans required voters to show photo ID in Alabama, Kansas, South Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin, with dozens of similar measures being debated around the country. more »

The housing sector typically plays an important role in economic recoveries; the depressed state of housing in the United States is a big reason that the current recovery is less vigorous than we would like... Overall inflation measures reflect these [commodity] price increases: ... over the six months through April, the price index for personal consumption expenditures has risen at an annual rate of about 3-1/2 percent, compared with an average of less than 1 percent over the preceding two years. more »

The math behind any big change in pension rules doesn’t look the same when state employees and teachers sit outside the Social Security system. The bulk of uncovered public sector employees reside in 14 states; do you know which they are? more »