Minnesota, Delaware, and Rhode Island Gain Approval

The Department of Health and Human Services has granted conditional approval to three more health insurance exchanges. Those states are Rhode Island, Minnesota, and Delaware. This brings the grand total of health insurance exchanges that have been approved to 12. As you may be aware of by now, the Affordable Care Act requires every state to have a functioning health insurance exchange by January 1, 2014. Individuals and small businesses will use the exchanges in order to find affordable health insurance coverage. There were three options that a state could choose for its health insurance exchange. One option is a … Continue reading

The Complicated Fact of Bottle Laws

While some places are in the news for banning water bottles altogether, states her in the USA have been wrestling with a different kind of bottle law, one that doesn’t ban bottles but places a deposit fee on them. Yes, it is the old five or ten or more cents extra that you pay when you purchase a bottle or a can of beverage. When you return that bottle or can, you get your deposit back. I remember years ago as part of a group of kids who would hunt for bottles and turn them in at the local convenience … Continue reading

More Ways to Save Money on Weird and Wacky Travel

Why book a trip to an overpriced amusement park when you can visit the world’s largest ball of yarn for much less? Seriously, there is an entire nation filled with quirky travel attractions just waiting to be discovered. Just thumb though a copy of “Weird U.S.: Your Travel Guide to America’s Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets” by Mark Moran and Mark Sceurman and you’ll see what I mean. The travel guide has inspired a slew of hotel deals that are being offered to families looking to spice up their traditional vacations with a trip to a weird and wacky … Continue reading

Marriage Laws – Delaware & The Age of Consent

As you know I’ve been writing a series on Marriage Laws in the 50 United States and I’ve discovered that the laws are changing all the time, even on pieces that I wrote just a couple of weeks ago. So what’s happening in Delaware? Because the state’s laws allowing under-age pregnant brides to marry without consent conflicts with laws governing statutory rape – a new law now requires all minors under the age of 18 to petition Family Court for permission to marry. Until recently, pregnancy offered minors an exclusion and reason to marry under the state’s laws, but no … Continue reading

Marriage Laws: New Jersey & Delaware

We’re continuing our series of looking at the various marriage laws from the 50 different states within the United States. June is a hot month for weddings and thousands of people will be exchanging their vows in wedding ceremonies taking place in backyards, Churches, temples, gardens and more. Not every state has the same laws governing marriage and marriage licenses, as we continue our trek through New England down the Atlantic coastline, we’re taking a look at New Jersey and Delaware. New Jersey New Jersey does not have a residency requirement. However, there are some specific requirements that brides and … Continue reading