Outside the Beltway

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal enters the Presidential race today, but it’s hard to see how he even manages to become a plausible candidate.

A 19 year old from Indiana faces a quarter century as a registered sex offender because he met a girl who lied about her age.

A new Michigan law allows religious-affiliated adoption agencies to turn away parents for religious reasons, and it seems fairly obvious what the target is in this case.

A new North Carolina law allows government employees to decline to perform their jobs by claiming it violates their “religious liberty.”

Republicans running for President need to tread carefully in their responses if the Supreme Court legalizes same-sex marriage nationwide.

Marco Rubio seems to be in lockstep with the extreme social conservatives when it comes to same-sex marriage.

Robert Gates, the former Defense Secretary who now serves as head of the Boy Scouts Of America, has called for an end to that organizations ban on gay Scout Leaders.

Thwarted by the legislature, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal used his executive power to take action that seems directed more toward evangelicals in Iowa than anything happening in his home state.

Once again, only six or seven states are likely to matter.

The sources of new immigrants to the United States are changing, but it’s unclear if that will have any impact on the political debate over immigration reform.

Another poll shows that Republicans are largely out of step with public opinion on the question of whether businesses should be free to refuse to provide services for same-sex weddings.

A new poll suggests that the American public does not support laws that give religious exemptions to businesses that want to discriminate based on sexual orientation.

A bill pending in Louisiana seems likely to become the next national focus in the debate between marriage equality and claims of ‘religious freedom.’

The political media is breathlessly reporting on every event in a campaign that is just beginning, and voters aren’t really paying attention to it at this point.

Indiana’s RFRA will be amended to address most of the concerns of its opponents. That counts as a victory.

Some Republicans are trying to move their party in the right direction on marriage equality, but it’s unclear if they will succeed in the short term.

We’re down to debating whether bigots should have to sell cakes to gay people.

Arkansas, North Carolina, and Virginia may soon see the same battle over RFRA laws that is playing itself out in Indiana

The devil is in the details of what the legislature passes, but Indiana’s Governor has essentially conceded defeat in the battle over his state’s controversial new “religious freedom” law.

Indiana is about to become the latest state to grants special rights to religious business owners.

Another setback for those opposed to Voter ID laws.

Alec MacGillis argues for Slate that “Veterans Should Pay Taxes Like Everyone Else.” I agree!

Wisconsin has become the 25th “right to work” state.

Once again, the Supreme Court appears to be sharply divided on the latest challenge to the Affordable Care Act.

By refusing to stay the legalization of same-sex marriage in Alabama, the Supreme Court has sent the strongest signal yet that it is ready to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide.

Scott Walker surged to the top of a new poll of Iowa Republicans, but Iowa is not a very good predictor of success in the race for the GOP nomination.

Indiana Governor Mike Pence is supposed to be a champion of limited government. So why is he starting up a state run news agency?

Texas has joined with 16 other states in a lawsuit against the Obama Administration over the President’s executive action on immigration. At first glance, it doesn’t appear to have much legal merit.

Fresh off his third statewide win in four years, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker appears to be getting ready to run for President.

On substance, the President’s immigration actions aren’t very objectionable. How he is implementing them, though, is problematic and seems needlessly confrontational.

An adviser close to Hillary Clinton is talking about expanding the Electoral College map in 2016, but even without such an expansion the GOP faces an uphill battle.

A 69-year-old former polygraph examiner for the Oklahoma City police department has been indicted for coaching people to thwart the machines.

The process that seems likely to lead to a Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage has begun.

Voter Turnout was lower this year than in any midterm since the one held eleven months after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Scott Walker argues that Governors tend to make the best Presidents. He’s largely correct, but he’s not the only Republican who fits that bill.

An unsurprising ruling from the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals that only seems to bring closer the day when same-sex marriage will be legal nationwide.

The Supreme Court’s expansion of same-sex marriage seems to be sitting well with the American public.

A victory for opponents of Voter ID in Texas, but it’s not likely to stand up on appeal.

Opponents of Voter ID laws should not get too excited over the fact that the Supreme Court has stayed Wisconsin’s law from going into effect for now.

In the space of one week, we’ve gone from 19 states that recognize same-sex marriage to 29. Soon, it will be 35.

The death of the Tea Party is greatly exaggerated.

The die is cast.

An unsurprising decision from the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

By failing to act, the Supreme Court has effectively legalized same-sex marriage in eleven more states.