June 4th, 2009:

Congress is currently working to re-authorize a big transportation funding bill, but Republicans have imperiled the process by proposing to stop using revenue from the fuel tax to pay for mass transit, instead restricting it to just highway spending. As an alternative, the GOP wants to make a one-time $40 billion allotment for mass transit. […]

Air sampling by NOAA over Colorado Finds 4% Methane Leakage, More Than Double Industry Claims Natural-gas operations could release far more methane into the atmosphere than previously thought. [Source: Nature] How much methane leaks during the entire lifecycle of unconventional gas has emerged as a key question in the fracking debate.  Natural gas is mostly […]

After defeating multiple amendments designed to derail the bill — including one that would require a referendum — the Washington state House of Representative has passed marriage equality with a vote of 55-43. The bill now goes to Gov. Chris Gregoire (D), who has promised to sign it. Opponents of marriage equality have already promised to challenge […]

A bill that would require all New Mexico voters to present certain forms of photo identification or be barred from voting died in committee today. The legislation was voted down along party lines — three Democrats opposed, two Republicans supported — in the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee. Though this was the fourth time […]

It’ll be very interesting to see the result of a lawsuit currently brewing in federal court that is trying to shut down ReDigi (a judge backed the service, but an appeal seems likely), a service that will let you resell music you purchased from iTunes after taking quite comprehensive efforts to keep owners from having […]