Australian state of Victoria to ban single use plastic bags
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has announced the government will ban single use plastic bags “as quickly as we can”.
States & provinces
This archive collects milestones and progress stories involving U.S. states, Canadian provinces, and subnational governments around the world. From landmark legislation to public health wins and environmental gains, these stories highlight the real-world impact of regional policy and governance.
California becomes first state to legally recognize a third gender
SB 179 helps people of all gender identities be their authentic selves.
California passes first cleaning product chemical disclosure law in U.S.
On Sunday, Governor Jerry Brown signed into law Senate Bill No. 258, otherwise known as the Cleaning Products Right to Know Act.
California DISCLOSE Act signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown to combat dark money
Today, Governor Jerry Brown signed into law the landmark California DISCLOSE Act (AB 249), the nation’s most comprehensive election disclosure law.
Oregon’s new motor voter law is registering more young people
Since registered voters skew older, Oregon’s automatic voter registration law is correcting the age bias and giving people of all ages access to the ballot.
Rhode Island becomes fourth U.S. state to make community college free
The Promise Scholarship will cover the cost of tuition and fees at the Community College of Rhode Island for new students starting this fall regardless of their income.
California lawmakers approve cap-and-trade extension through 2030
The vote came with bipartisan support, a significant shift from previous years where climate policies squeaked by along party lines or with only a handful of Republicans in favor.
Washington State will now alert survivors when domestic abusers try to buy a gun
This alert system will be the first of its kind in the country.
Qinghai province in China ran on 100% renewable energy for 7 days
For seven continuous days, over 5 million citizens living in the Qinghai Province in northwest China survived on 100 percent renewable energy, according to the State-run Xinhua News Agency.
111 terminally ill patients took their own lives in first 6 months of California right-to-die law
The End of Life Option Act made California the fifth state in the nation to allow patients with less than six months to live to request end-of-life drugs from their doctors.