While much focus was put on the major gubernatorial and mayoral races across the nation on Tuesday, Illinois lawmakers approved the legalization of same-sex marriage. The law will go before Governor Pat Quinn who is expected to make Illinois the fifteenth state to allow gay couples to wed.

Secession, a word common 150 years ago, is once again gaining steam in several states. In the quest for a government that is more representative of the people, groups of different ideologies want to break away from the majority.

However, this separatist movement is unlike the days leading up to the Civil War; it is bloodless and involves regions of states separating from the state itself. Rural areas want to disconnect from urban areas; conservative groups want to break away from governments they feel are too liberal.

After months of personal attacks and divisive rhetoric, Democrat Terry McAuliffe will become Virginia's 72nd Governor. According to the Virginia State board of elections the former Democratic Party Chairman defeated Republican Ken Cuccinelli and Libertarian Robert Sarvis, 48 percent to 45.5 percent and 6.6 percent, respectively.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CDohsX-slo

In a recent interview with City & State, Frank Barry, director of public affairs for New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and author of the book, "The Scandal of Reform: The Grand Failures of New York’s Political Crusaders and the Death of Nonpartisanship,” discussed the need for nonpartisan elections in the city. He responded to questions regarding an op-ed he wrote in the Daily News on Monday.

The budget conference committee convened its first meeting on Wednesday. The members struck a promising tone with their statements, but the real work is just beginning.

The opening session consisted solely of opening statements from the 29 committee members. There was a lot commonality in those statements. Here’s a look at common themes expressed by the conferees.

Election 2012 was marred by problems for voters nationwide. The northeast was beset by Superstorm Sandy, displacing hundreds of thousands of registered voters on Election Day. Across the country, millions of Americans stood in long lines at crowded polling stations to exercise their right to vote. Although most were ultimately able to cast a ballot, the long lines were a disgrace, prompting President Obama to note in his victory speech, “We have to fix that.”

http://youtu.be/-CDohsX-slo

Virginia's gubernatorial contest is the election to watch in 2013 Not only is it attracting more national media attention on the Democratic and Republican candidates, but the third party candidate, a Libertarian, is turning it into a more competitive campaign for the GOP. Virginia is not such a red and blue state anymore.

Among the more difficult challenges I faced when I was researching “The Wired City” was trying to figure out the influence — and thus the effectiveness — of the New Haven Independent, the nonprofit online-only news site that is the major focus of the book.

There is one group in Washington that believes it is in the best position to bridge the partisan divide hampering many of the decisions in Congress. No Labels is composed of lawmakers and policy leaders of both major political parties.

“A majority of Americans are so upset with all the gridlock that has stopped every sort of action that moves the country forward,” said Nancy Jacobson, a co-founder of No Labels.