Cuts target homeland security
Budget cuts may be the only thing that the Alabama Department of Homeland Security can't defend. [The Huntsville Times]
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Archive of Stateline.org RSS - State by State Roundup on Saturday March 19, 2005
Cuts target homeland security
Budget cuts may be the only thing that the Alabama Department of Homeland Security can't defend. [The Huntsville Times] Read More
Bonner: No interest in revisiting farm bill
WASHINGTON - Despite President Bush's attempts to cut farm aid programs for coming years, Congress isn't inclined to revisit the 2002 law that set the ground rules for those programs, U.S. Rep. Jo Bonner told a small group of South Alabama farmers at a Thursday breakfast. [Mobile Register] Read More
Bonuses could cost GOP aides
"Bonus-gate" is headed out of the state Capitol and into the courts. [Anchorage Daily News] Read More
Teacher licensing may get overhaul
The state Board of Education is floating a proposal to require teachers to take content tests and submit videotapes of their teaching prior to receiving a professional license in Alaska. [Daily News-Miner (Fairbanks)] Read More
Wilken backs down from borough formation to support head tax
State Sen. Gary Wilken, the Legislature's most vocal advocate for mandatory borough formation in recent years, said he is backing off on those efforts for now and instead lending his support to a colleague's proposal to charge residents in unorganized areas a head tax. [Daily News-Miner (Fairbanks)] Read More
Meningitis rumors are raging after death at Unalaska clinic
Health officials are trying to allay fears and correct rumors that flared in Unalaska after a man suddenly died there last weekend from bacterial meningitis. [Anchorage Daily News] Read More
Legislature OKs Republicans' budget
The Republican-led Legislature early Friday approved an $8.2 billion state budget that includes a new school-choice initiative and business tax cuts that supporters say will help economic development. [The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)] Read More
Spending limit rejected
The House on Wednesday rejected proposed constitutional changes to limit growth in state spending and to give legislators new flexibility to reduce voter-mandated spending. [The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)] Read More
Theme-park plan pushed as a boost for tourism
An investment group is seeking the Legislature's help to reclaim Grand Canyon tourism from Nevada with a $3 billion venture including a 1,000-acre theme park in Williams. [The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)] Read More
Businesses to help fund kindergarten under bill
A Senate panel voted Thursday to provide more funding for full-day kindergarten programs statewide - but only if Arizona businesses pony up the money. [Arizona Daily Star (Tucson)] Read More
Feds' antitrust inquiry targets Ariz. builders, telecom firms
The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating whether exclusive agreements between Arizona developers and communications companies, such as Cox and Qwest, violate antitrust laws. [The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)] Read More
Multi-species conservation program - Authority agrees to protect habitat
The Southern Nevada Water Authority board has signed on to a multistate agreement designed to protect habitat between Lake Mead and the U.S.-Mexico border while ensuring continued use of the river for water and power generation. [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Read More
'Historic' facilities bills pass Senate
Four bills that would redefine how public schools are built in Arkansas passed the Senate on Thursday almost unanimously, with one dissenting vote on one of the bills. [Arkansas News Bureau] Read More
Bill eliminates conflict of interest
Members of the University of Central Arkansas Board of Trustees can now legally do business with the university. [The Log Cabin Democrat (Conway)] Read More
Baker details issues of legislative session
State Sen. Gilbert Baker updated the Conway Kiwanis Club on Wednesday about issues in the legislative session. [The Log Cabin Democrat (Conway)] Read More
House votes to extend mixed drink tax
A 4 percent tax on mixed drinks should continue indefinitely, the Arkansas House of Representatives agreed Thursday. [Arkansas News Bureau] Read More
Bill giving school boards power to hold secret expulsion hearings rejected
A House of Representatives panel stopped a bill Thursday that would have allowed local school boards to make student expulsion hearings private. [Arkansas News Bureau] Read More
Hutchinson names campaign manager
Republican Asa Hutchinson announced Wednesday he has named longtime aide Chris Battle as his campaign manager in his bid for the governor's post. [The Log Cabin Democrat (Conway)] Read More
Court rejects Gov.'s decree
Striking down a recent dictate of the Schwarzenegger administration, a judge ruled Thursday that political appointees can work from their homes instead of at government headquarters. [Los Angeles Times (registration)] Read More
Court tosses lawsuit seeking public judge vetting
SAN FRANCISCO - A federal appeals court on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit seeking to make public the internal machinations of an influential committee which recommends to the president which Californians should be nominated to a federal judgeship. [The San Diego Union-Tribune] Read More
Angelides jabs governor in Orinda appearance
ORINDA, Calif. - State Treasurer Phil Angelides blasted Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's educational and financial priorities Thursday during a speech at Orinda Masonic Lodge, marking his East Bay debut since becoming the first candidate to enter next year's gubernatorial race. [The Contra Costa Times] Read More
Multi-species conservation program - Authority agrees to protect habitat
The Southern Nevada Water Authority board has signed on to a multistate agreement designed to protect habitat between Lake Mead and the U.S.-Mexico border while ensuring continued use of the river for water and power generation. [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Read More
State budget picture brightens for UC, CSU
LOS ANGELES - The state budget outlook for California's four-year public colleges and universities appears to be brightening after several years of deep cuts and student fee increases, and system leaders are optimistic about the funding deal struck a year ago with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. [The San Diego Union-Tribune] Read More
State's codes reviewed
After four years of review, the state's Building Standards Commission has begun the process of adopting new California building and fire codes. [The Sacramento Bee] Read More
Counties offer up own pension reform plan
Hoping lawmakers will reform rather than gut the state's pension system, county leaders have proposed sweeping measures to reduce retirement costs and limit abuse. [The Contra Costa Times] Read More
Experts to examine beleaguered prisons
An expert panel will review security and employee safety at all California's adult and youth prisons in the wake of scathing reports of failures that resulted in the first inmate murder of a prison guard since 1985, correctional officials said Thursday. [The Contra Costa Times] Read More
Frowns on state promo video
A video commissioned by California labor administrators didn't generate the kind of positive publicity that officials wanted for their proposed changes to employee meal break rules, according to documents obtained by The Bee. [The Sacramento Bee] Read More
School ad war grows pricey
A special election has yet to be called and not a single initiative has qualified for the ballot, but supporters and foes of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's education proposals are on the airwaves with expensive statewide ad campaigns. [The Sacramento Bee] Read More
Senate OKs nominee
For Bruce McPherson, it's one house down, one to go, as the governor's choice for secretary of state won easy Senate confirmation Thursday but received a chillier reception in the Assembly. [The Sacramento Bee] Read More
States, private firms get tough with Internet cigarette vendors
Attorneys general from 10 states, major credit-card companies and a federal agency agreed Thursday on a plan to prevent the illegal sale of tobacco products over the Internet. [The Wall Street Journal (subscription)] Read More
Dead squid wash up in California again
DANA POINT, Calif. - Dead jumbo squid are again mysteriously washing up along Orange County's coastline, baffling scientists who are trying to find out why. [The Washington Post (registration)] Read More
Owens, Democrats urge approval of budget deal
Republican Gov. Bill Owens and Democratic legislative leaders stood together Thursday and asked voters to approve a budget reform measure they said would help solve the state's money problems. [Denver Post] Read More
Conservative Republicans peeved as Owens perceived as waffling on tax increase
Gov. Bill Owens stood in the bipartisan light of a news conference at the state Capitol on Thursday when he and lawmakers from both parties announced their budget deal. [Denver Post] Read More
Counties bite nails awaiting state funds
The state agencies that oversee welfare benefits got an extra $8.4 million Thursday to cover costs caused by problems with a new computer system. [Rocky Mountain News (Denver)] Read More
Experts differ on impact of Taxpayer's Bill of Rights
Carol Hedges, a native Kansan and Kansas University law school graduate, returned home Thursday to warn Kansans about what the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights has done to Colorado. [Lawrence Journal-World] Read More
Proposal dividing taxpayers
Some Coloradans don't want to give up a dime of any state refund they have coming. [Rocky Mountain News (Denver)] Read More
Analysis - How money is spent crucial to budget bill
So it comes back to this: What's in it for you? Lawmakers will try hard to answer that question in the next eight months, as they push their budget-balancing plan to the ballot. [Rocky Mountain News (Denver)] Read More
Stalking defies boundaries, court decides
A former prison guard who stalked his wife from Idaho to Colorado - after threatening to kill her and wear her teeth as a necklace - had his conviction upheld Thursday as the Court of Appeals ruled that stalking incidents can be legally recognized across state lines. [Denver Post] Read More
Focus on the Family opposes job-bias bill
Focus on the Family is marshaling its forces against a Senate bill that would add "sexual orientation" and "gender variance" to the list of groups protected from discrimination on the job. [Denver Post] Read More
Business leaders laud pact, gird for campaign
Local business leaders - many of whom have been pressuring state officials to come up with a fix for Colorado's fiscal problems - applauded Wednesday's bipartisan agreement to revise the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights. [Denver Post] Read More
Plan could rein in higher ed tuition
The legislature's budget deal won't ground skyrocketing tuition costs for Colorado's public college students, but it could slow their climb considerably, school and state officials say. [Rocky Mountain News (Denver)] Read More
Schools would get balance of suit settlement
The budget deal forged by Gov. Bill Owens and Democratic leaders would pay off the balance of the $190 million the state agreed in court to spend to fix the state's most dilapidated school buildings. [Denver Post] Read More
CU finishes new rules for Greeks, delays rush
BOULDER, Colo. - The University of Colorado on Thursday finalized a set of expectations and guidelines for Greek organizations, including a contentious plan to delay rush until spring. [Denver Post] Read More
TABOR author calls Owens GOP "impostor"
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Douglas Bruce, author of the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, on Thursday called Gov. Bill Owens "a Republican impostor who is trying to win the hearts of liberal voters as he heads out of office." [Denver Post] Read More
States, private firms get tough with Internet cigarette vendors
Attorneys general from 10 states, major credit-card companies and a federal agency agreed Thursday on a plan to prevent the illegal sale of tobacco products over the Internet. [The Wall Street Journal (subscription)] Read More
Judgment day
On the eve of John G. Rowland's scheduled sentencing, federal prosecutors Thursday made unexpected new allegations that the former governor concealed more than $416,000 in assets in hopes of winning a lighter jail term. [The Hartford Courant (registration)] Read More
Prosecutors want lengthier prison term for Rowland
Federal prosecutors are asking a judge to sentence former Gov. John G. Rowland to prison for 30 to 37 months, claiming Rowland failed to accept responsibility for his actions and recently attempted to conceal $416,525 in assets. [New Haven Register (registration)] Read More
Rowland sentencing is warning to others
Connecticut's "culture of corruption" is on the wane and a federal prison term for former Gov. John G. Rowland when he is sentenced today would send a warning that could last for years, experts say. [New Haven Register (registration)] Read More
Health-benefit bill aired
Amy Briggs, who said she earns $8.69 an hour working full-time for Wal-Mart, told lawmakers Thursday she's a "prime example" why the state needs to require employers to offer decent and affordable health insurance to workers. [The Hartford Courant (registration)] Read More
Director of FOI panel to step down
The state Freedom of Information Commission will lose its executive director at the end of the year. [The Hartford Courant (registration)] Read More
Ousted Connecticut governor awaits fate
NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Once one of the nation's brightest political stars, former Gov. John G. Rowland will try to convince a federal judge that he deserves leniency despite selling access to his office for personal gain. [USA Today] Read More
Prosecutors say Rowland should get a longer sentence because he hid some assets
Federal prosecutors said Thursday that former Gov. John G. Rowland should serve at least 30 months in prison, twice what they had originally suggested, because he deceived a probation officer about his financial condition since resigning from office. [The New York Times (registration)] Read More
Conn. ex-Gov. Rowland gets year in prison
John G. Rowland, the charismatic former governor who once boldly predicted that a federal corruption investigation would never touch him, was sentenced Friday to a year in prison, completing the collapse of one of Connecticut's most popular political figures. [ABCNews.com] Read More
Rights bill vote delayed; Action expected Tuesday
Planned action in the House of Representatives on a bill to outlaw discrimination based on person's sexual orientation fizzled out Thursday, but a vote on the measure is atop the chamber's agenda for Tuesday. [Delaware State News (Dover)] Read More
House bill would end 3-tier diploma
The House hurriedly passed a bill Thursday that kills the three-tiered high school diploma, but requires students to pass state tests to graduate as of next year. [The News Journal (New Castle-Wilmington)] Read More
Senate - Let voters decide issue
Wilmington residents will have the final say on a plan to change residency requirements for police and other city workers, if the state Senate has its way. [The News Journal (New Castle-Wilmington)] Read More
Charter schools praised in report
Middle- and high-school students at Delaware's charter schools are performing slightly better than their counterparts at traditional public schools, but results are mixed at the elementary level, according to a report released Thursday. [The News Journal (New Castle-Wilmington)] Read More
Flooding panel preparing proposals
A special state task force created this winter to address flooding issues continued its trek Thursday toward creating a surface water advisory council and three stormwater utilities that would fund drainage, stormwater and flooding projects in each county. [The News Journal (New Castle-Wilmington)] Read More
Del. introduces septic system rules
The first standardized rules for inspecting Delaware's more than 75,000 septic systems will take effect April 11, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control said Thursday. [The News Journal (New Castle-Wilmington)] Read More
Feeding tube case roils Washington and Florida
MIAMI - Despite last-ditch efforts by Republicans in Washington and Tallahassee, Congress and the Florida Legislature failed to pass measures Thursday to halt the removal of a feeding tube from Terri Schiavo, a critically brain-damaged woman, on Friday. [The New York Times (registration)] Read More
House to issue subpoenas to keep Terry Schiavo alive
WASHINGTON - Working against the clock, House lawmakers tried to prevent doctors in Florida from removing the feeding tube Friday from a severely brain-damaged woman. [USA Today] Read More
Lawmaker may propose repeat of gas tax break
With gas prices over $2 a gallon in Florida, a Democratic lawmaker said Thursday he may push for a repeat of the monthlong break on the gas tax. [St. Petersburg Times] Read More
Court rejects wording in land-use measure
A campaign to give Florida voters final say over where new homes, shopping malls and roads are built in their communities ran into a brick wall Thursday in the state Supreme Court. [St. Petersburg Times] Read More
School official clashes with senator over slot tax
The divisiveness of the recent ballot approving slot machines at Broward County gambling parlors erupted in a Senate committee discussing the issue Wednesday, pitting a Broward school board member against a state senator. [The Palm Beach Post] Read More
Proposal imposes fiscal foresight
When state lawmakers put together a budget each spring, they are not required to look any further than the end of the coming budget year. [The Palm Beach Post] Read More
Supreme Court rules on Broward case
People who plead no contest still have criminal records that can bring harsher punishment if they go before a judge for future crimes, the state Supreme Court ruled Thursday. [The Miami Herald (registration)] Read More
Open records help shed light on problems
Deadly roads. Poorly trained teachers. Child abuse. These are the some of the community problems that the Orlando Sentinel told you about during the past year -- something the newspaper couldn't have done without public records. [The Orlando Sentinel (registration)] Read More
Lawmakers can't agree on a way to save Schiavo
WASHINGTON - Lawmakers in Washington and Florida failed Thursday to agree on legislation to block the court-ordered removal today of the feeding tube that has kept a severely brain-damaged woman alive for 15 years. [Los Angeles Times (registration)] Read More
Lawmakers scramble to tackle Schiavo case
On Capitol Hill and in the state House in Tallahassee, lawmakers trying to stop the removal of a feeding tube from a brain-damaged Florida woman struggled to keep her alive yesterday. [The Washington Post (registration)] Read More
One by one, options sink
It was an extraordinary day by any measure: Lawmakers in Washington and Tallahassee wrangling over the fate of a single woman who lies incapacitated in a Pinellas Park hospice. [St. Petersburg Times] Read More
Activists rail against ID bill
A coalition of civil rights groups plans to rally Thursday at the Capitol to protest a proposed photo ID requirement for voting in Georgia. [The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (registration)] Read More
Bill aims to catch speeders on film
Red light runners in some Georgia communities are already being nailed by traffic cameras. Speeders may be next. [The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (registration)] Read More
House extinguishes bill to make sparklers legal
A bill to legalize sparklers fizzled Thursday in the Georgia House after an outcry from lawmakers about the potential dangers to children. [The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (registration)] Read More
Bill thwarts Atlanta ordinance
The state Legislature has voted to block Atlanta's attempt to penalize private organizations that don't offer gay and lesbian couples the same benefits as married couples. [The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (registration)] Read More
Lingle calls for tax of B&Bs
Gov. Linda Lingle is asking the state Tax Department to make sure bed-and-breakfast vacation rentals are paying their fair share of taxes. [Honolulu Star-Bulletin] Read More
Lawmakers likely to increase minimum wage
The Legislature appears nearly certain to approve an increase in the minimum wage, but what happens once it gets to the governor's desk is another matter. [Honolulu Advertiser] Read More
Mid-Pac to start drug tests
Mid-Pacific Institute has announced that it will implement a controversial drug testing program for students during the next academic year, making it the first school in the state to do so. [Honolulu Advertiser] Read More
Senate passes anti-smoking program cuts
A bill that would cut state-supported anti-smoking programs is on its way to Gov. Dirk Kempthorne's desk, despite objections from some lawmakers who say the Legislature could do better. [The Idaho Statesman (Boise)] Read More
Some landowners could lose ag property tax exemption
Lawmakers are going to try to pass a complex and controversial property tax bill, but to do it, they're going to have to rewrite the measure on the Senate floor. [The Idaho Statesman (Boise)] Read More
Refunds may be coming to Remeron patients
As part of a $36 million national settlement over the cost of the antidepressant drug Remeron, Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden on Thursday joined other states in a campaign to tell consumers about possible refunds. [The Idaho Statesman (Boise)] Read More
Stalking defies boundaries, court decides
A former prison guard who stalked his wife from Idaho to Colorado - after threatening to kill her and wear her teeth as a necklace - had his conviction upheld Thursday as the Court of Appeals ruled that stalking incidents can be legally recognized across state lines. [Denver Post] Read More
States, private firms get tough with Internet cigarette vendors
Attorneys general from 10 states, major credit-card companies and a federal agency agreed Thursday on a plan to prevent the illegal sale of tobacco products over the Internet. [The Wall Street Journal (subscription)] Read More
Stem cell bill closer to getting on ballot
Two days of legislative debate ended Thursday with a victory for proponents of stem cell research. [The State Journal-Register (Springfield)] Read More
Senate shuts down early over malpractice spat
Senate Democrats backed out of plans to consider Republican medical malpractice legislation Thursday, triggering a furor that led to the Senate shutting down early. [Peoria Journal Star] Read More
Daley urges gov to fix education funding problem
Presidents, governors and mayors are elected "to lead," Mayor Daley said Thursday, urging Gov. Blagojevich and his "financial whiz kids" to find a way to boost education funding immediately, then tackle the long-term problem of school funding reform. [Chicago Sun-Times] Read More
Governor revamps Gaming Board
Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Thursday announced a long-awaited revamp of the Illinois Gaming Board as an Illinois House committee set the stage for a floor debate over whether riverboat gambling is an overall drain on public resources and should be abolished. [Chicago Tribune (registration)] Read More
Quick action on Rosemont possible
The Illinois Gaming Board is back in business and could be ready to consider a controversial plan to give Rosemont the state's last available casino license by mid-summer. [Chicago Sun-Times] Read More
Senators urged to keep education costs steady
A united front of parents, students and school leaders packed a Statehouse meeting room Thursday to urge a Senate finance committee to keep education spending steady. [The Indianapolis Star] Read More
Republicans reject Democrat changes to voter-ID bill
A bill that would require voters to show government-issued photo identification before casting ballots in elections is now eligible for passage in the House. [Journal and Courier (Lafayette)] Read More
Seat-belt evidence bill OK'd
Two seat-belt bills met different fates Thursday: one changing civil law to allow evidence of seat-belt usage in jury trials received a narrow passing vote in committee, while another requiring more Hoosiers to buckle up met a stone wall. [The Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne)] Read More
Senators searching caves for new revenue
They are only gambling ideas, for now, being discussed privately among Republicans who control the Indiana Senate. [Journal and Courier (Lafayette)] Read More
Gov. Daniels appoints 3 to gaming commission
Gov. Mitch Daniels appointed three people Thursday to the Indiana Gaming Commission. [The Indianapolis Star] Read More
House Republicans propose Medicaid increase in budget
Hospitals, doctors and nursing homes would see a 3 percent increase in Medicaid reimbursement rates and disabled Iowans would get services sooner under a budget plan backed by House Republicans. [The Des Moines Register] Read More
Senate steams over ethanol mandate
Frustration boiled over in the Iowa Senate Thursday as lawmakers lobbed accusations about why an ethanol-mandate bill is being blocked. [Sioux City Journal] Read More
Customers, grocers worry over impact of meth bill
Gay Moffit suffers from hay fever and occasionally pops a cold pill to remedy her stuffy sinuses. [Sioux City Journal] Read More
Higher ed gets boost in House
State universities would receive extra money -- but not as much as some legislators want -- under a proposed state budget that received first-round House approval Thursday. [Wichita Eagle (registration)] Read More
Experts differ on impact of Taxpayer's Bill of Rights
Carol Hedges, a native Kansan and Kansas University law school graduate, returned home Thursday to warn Kansans about what the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights has done to Colorado. [Lawrence Journal-World] Read More
Senate rejects proposal to cut back on state coverage for Viagra
Senators on Thursday rejected a proposal to reduce the number of doses of Viagra and other drugs that treat impotence that needy Kansas residents can receive through the state's Medicaid program. [Lawrence Journal-World] Read More
Census - Kansas school spending below average, but taxpayers pay more
LAWRENCE, Kan. - A U.S. Census Bureau report that says Kansas spends less than the national average on public education, while the burden on taxpayers is higher than average, has given fuel to the arguments of both sides of the school funding debate in the state. [Kansas City Star (registration)] Read More
Bill to allow private prisons gets Kansas Senate's OK
The Kansas Senate endorsed a plan Thursday to allow the construction of private prisons in the state. [Kansas City Star (registration)] Read More
Senator stalls bill to sell land
The bill setting up the sale of Shawnee Indian Mission land to the city of Fairway won't be considered this year, according to the state senator representing that area. [Kansas City Star (registration)] Read More
Sen. Allen faces treatment for cancer
Sen. Barbara Allen, a veteran lawmaker from Overland Park, has been diagnosed with breast cancer and absent from the Kansas Senate, undergoing tests and looking at treatment options. [Kansas City Star (registration)] Read More
More data sought on stem cells
After a committee chairman said he needed more information about embryonic stem-cell research, groups on both sides of the debate said Thursday they were ready to provide it. [Kansas City Star (registration)] Read More
House moves to cut KU's proposed budget
House budget writers Thursday paid tribute to Kansas University's basketball team -- then voted to reduce the school's proposed budget and delay a state employee pay raise. [Lawrence Journal-World] Read More
Official - Kline's meetings did not violate state law
Private meetings between Attorney General Phill Kline and State Board of Education members didn't violate Kansas law, Shawnee County District Attorney Robert Hecht said Thursday. [Wichita Eagle (registration)] Read More
Senators seek to restore health funding for kids
Eight senators are urging their leaders to join a House commitment to restore state money for a program that helps pay for medicine, therapy, co-pays and other uninsured expenses for children with extraordinary health needs. [The Kentucky Post (Covington)] Read More
High court - Privacy isn't paramount in HIV case
A divided Kentucky Supreme Court ruled yesterday that disclosure required by a workers' compensation claim filed by an HIV-positive employee trumps privacy considerations. [Lexington Herald-Leader] Read More
Gun law might undergo revision
For the first time since Ohioans have been permitted to carry hidden guns, legislators want to revisit the year-old law to address complaints that rules about guns in cars are too strict and that journalists should not have access to lists of permit-holders. [The Cincinnati Enquirer] Read More
Senate seat challenger wins round
The Kentucky Supreme Court yesterday upheld a temporary injunction that prohibits Republican Dana Seum Stephenson from serving as a state senator, but took pains not to suggest any resolution in the disputed Jefferson County election. [Lexington Herald-Leader] Read More
Budget includes money for developing shrimp operations
LEXINGTON, Ky. - The state budget recently approved by the General Assembly included $2.8 million to help a British company develop saltwater shrimp breeding operations in Kentucky. [The Courier-Journal (Louisville)] Read More
Court reinforces law about nepotism in school systems
Nepotism rules for schools, even if they seem to treat some relatives differently from others, are still valid, the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled yesterday in a case that originated in Garrard County. [Lexington Herald-Leader] Read More
Blanco wants to shift money
Gov. Kathleen Blanco will ask lawmakers to start shifting money from nursing homes to community and home services this year. [The Advocate (Baton Rouge)] Read More
16-year legislative fiscal officer quits
Legislative Fiscal Officer Johnny Rombach, whose fiery criticism of state tax and spending practices for the past 16 years frequently rankled lawmakers and governors, resigned Thursday as a legislative committee was probing retroactive pay and a car allowance he gave himself. [The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)] Read More
Bill bans 'form of slavery' in state
Legislation that would outlaw the trafficking of people for sexual purposes or as work slaves was filed Thursday by a north Louisiana lawmaker. [The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)] Read More
Program aims to benefit state's college dropouts
A new program could help hundreds of Louisiana residents who never finished college finally earn degrees and certifications, the head of the community college system said Thursday. [The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)] Read More
Bomb kills La. Guardsman on patrol
A Louisiana National Guard soldier was killed by a bomb while on patrol in Iraq on Tuesday, the Guard announced. [The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)] Read More
States, private firms get tough with Internet cigarette vendors
Attorneys general from 10 states, major credit-card companies and a federal agency agreed Thursday on a plan to prevent the illegal sale of tobacco products over the Internet. [The Wall Street Journal (subscription)] Read More
Bill would make libraries tell what kids read
Librarians and civil libertarians joined forces Thursday to condemn legislation that would force public libraries in Maine to tell parents what books their children have checked out. [Portland Press Herald] Read More
State budget talks break off
Legislative leaders met briefly one last time Thursday evening and said afterward extended state budget talks had failed to produce bipartisan agreement. [Portland Press Herald] Read More
Panel hears tales of bullying in schools
Two sixth-grade students told personal stories about being bullied Thursday as they testified in support of a bill that would require schools to put uniform definitions of bullying, harassment and sexual harassment into student conduct codes. [Kennebec Journal] Read More
Teen driving limits pass Md. House
Novice teenage drivers would be barred from using cell phones and carrying teenage passengers under legislation approved yesterday by the Maryland House of Delegates, responding to the recent rash of teenage road deaths in the Washington region. [The Washington Post (registration)] Read More
Accusations about firings are 'lies,' Ehrlich says
Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) yesterday dismissed as "lies" accusations that his administration has fired state workers for political reasons, and said he will embrace a legislative inquiry into his personnel practices only if he can dictate the ground rules. [The Washington Post (registration)] Read More
GOP accuses Democrats of politicizing hiring, firing
Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. and Republican legislators fought back yesterday against charges that the administration has politicized state hiring and firing, saying it is the Democrats who are guilty of abusing the patronage system. [The Sun (Baltimore) (registration)] Read More
Immigrant legislation debated
In one room of the House of Delegates building, a coalition of immigrant and religious groups assailed yesterday what they consider anti-immigrant legislation, centering criticism on a bill that would prevent undocumented residents from obtaining driver's licenses. [The Sun (Baltimore) (registration)] Read More
Regents see universities declining students for lack of funds
Nearly 4,000 well-qualified students may not be admitted to schools in the University System of Maryland next year if the system does not receive enough state funding, enrollment projections released Thursday show. [Capital News Service] Read More
Senate passes bill to slow timetable for introducing Asian oysters into bay
The Maryland Senate passed a bill yesterday intended to slow down the Ehrlich administration's timetable for deciding whether to put Asian oysters in the Chesapeake Bay. [The Sun (Baltimore) (registration)] Read More
Ehrlich appointee presided as agency bled qualified staff
On Election Day in 2002, Michael Richard stood in the rain outside Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville and urged everyone who would listen to vote for Bob Ehrlich. [The Washington Post (registration)] Read More
Md. looks into Va.'s birth-injury program
ANNAPOLIS, MD - Maryland legislators are considering a bill fashioned after Virginia's birth-injury program, but the Virginia version is serving more as a warning than an example. [Richmond Times-Dispatch] Read More
States, private firms get tough with Internet cigarette vendors
Attorneys general from 10 states, major credit-card companies and a federal agency agreed Thursday on a plan to prevent the illegal sale of tobacco products over the Internet. [The Wall Street Journal (subscription)] Read More
11 more defects cited at Big Dig
Big Dig managers announced yesterday the discovery of 11 more sections of the Interstate 93 tunnel walls that contain construction defects, but said the problems do not constitute a safety threat. [The Boston Globe] Read More
Speaker no evil - DiMasi backs Amorello
Turnpike Authority Chairman Matthew J. Amorello yesterday won the public support of another key Beacon Hill power broker, House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi, who said he is standing by the embattled Big Dig boss. [Boston Herald] Read More
DiMasi to seek tax breaks for job creation
House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi yesterday unveiled Beacon Hill's latest plan to create jobs, telling a group of business leaders that the state should give tax breaks and lease its surplus land to companies that pledge to hire at least 100 workers. [The Boston Globe] Read More
Measure would zone waters off Mass. coast
Frustrated in part by the state's lack of control over a proposed offshore wind farm, Governor Mitt Romney will unveil legislation today to begin zoning state waters much like private land. [The Boston Globe] Read More
No-helmet cycle bill rumbles forward
Michigan's law requiring motorcyclists to wear helmets moved closer to repeal Thursday, as the state Senate voted to lift the 36-year-old decree that bikers protect their heads. [Detroit Free Press] Read More
New state budget goes to lawmakers on Wed.
Republican legislative leaders and Gov. Jennifer Granholm are close to a deal to balance this year's budget, a month after a Senate committee rejected the Democratic governor's first attempt. [Lansing State Journal] Read More
GM faces cost-cutting challenges to survive into future
DETROIT ? After forecasting a hefty first-quarter loss because of deep difficulties in North America, General Motors Corp. says it will not reduce spending on new models. That leaves the question of how it can cut costs and increase revenue until those new launches have the chance to boost sales. [The Ann Arbor News] Read More
Senate approves bill to change work week of minors
The state Senate passed a bill Thursday that would let Michigan teenagers work 20 hours a week regardless of the number of hours they're in school. [The Ann Arbor News] Read More
Rates still too high for some, state's insurance chief says
Insurance rates paid by motorists and homeowners in Michigan generally aren't excessive under state law, a new study concludes, thanks to a reasonably competitive property and casualty market. [The Ann Arbor News] Read More
YOUR RIGHT TO KNOW - Public info often isn't easy to get
Unless you're reading this from behind bars, Michigan law says you're entitled to "full and complete information regarding the affairs of government." [Detroit Free Press] Read More
RxConnect to go beyond Canada
Minnesotans soon will be offered low-cost prescription drugs from Great Britain through a state-sponsored website. [Minneapolis Star Tribune (registration)] Read More
Bills back drug-abuse treatment
Momentum may be building at the State Capitol for the often-controversial notion that drug offenders should spend more time in chemical dependency treatment and less time in prison. [Minneapolis Star Tribune (registration)] Read More
Celebrity poker player to testify on Minnesota Hold'em proposal
ST. CLOUD, Minn. - A bill to legalize Texas Hold'em tournaments in Minnesota will get some help from a top professional poker player. [Minneapolis Star Tribune (registration)] Read More
Siefert backs off on welfare penalties
A nonsmoking legislator who wanted to penalize welfare recipients for smoking backed off the toughest parts of his plan Thursday. [Minneapolis Star Tribune (registration)] Read More
Bill would expand use of renewable fuel
Minnesota farmers who are investing heavily in the ethanol industry moved one step closer Thursday to securing a bigger market for their gasoline substitute. [Minneapolis Star Tribune (registration)] Read More
NWA cuts spark Capitol backlash
Northwest Airlines' plan to eliminate as many as 900 mechanics' jobs in Minnesota has stiffened some legislative opposition to the airline's proposed $862 million expansion of the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. [Minneapolis Star Tribune (registration)] Read More
Taking a health idea to task
Tax-sheltered health savings accounts being promoted by President Bush and Gov. Tim Pawlenty could leave some Minnesotans with poorer health and higher debts, according to a report released Thursday by the Minnesota State Council of the Service Employees International Union. [Minneapolis Star Tribune (registration)] Read More
Bill on longer safety zone gains
Siding with a state aviation official over the wishes of his boss, the Senate Transportation Committee on Thursday approved a longer safety zone restricting development off a new runway at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. [Minneapolis Star Tribune (registration)] Read More
State high court declines to hear Eibensteiner appeal
Ron Eibensteiner could find himself running for reelection as chairman of the state Republican Party as he defends himself against charges that he helped a Florida company make an illegal campaign contribution in the last gubernatorial election. [Minneapolis Star Tribune (registration)] Read More
House rejects compromise on Medicaid; negotiations to begin again
Negotiations on cuts in Medicaid services and spending will begin again after the House rejected a compromise bill worked out by negotiators in the House and Senate [The Sun Herald (Biloxi)] Read More
More school districts on deficit list
State officials have changed their January estimate from 23 to 37 districts that might not have enough money to meet expenses the next fiscal year. [The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson)] Read More
Tax collector told to repay thousands she embezzled
JACKSON, Miss. - The state auditor's office is demanding the repayment of $164,178 that former Sunflower County tax collector-assessor Anna Addison Langston embezzled from the county. [The Commercial Appeal (Memphis) (registration)] Read More
University presidents to report to higher ed chief after change
Mississippi's eight university presidents no longer will report directly to the state College Board, members decided Thursday. [The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson)] Read More
Advocacy groups speak out against proposed child-protection reporting laws
Child advocacy groups say proposed changes to the state's child-protection laws could decrease the number of neglect and abuse cases reported in Missouri by making the criteria for reporting such crimes too specific. [Kansas City Star (registration)] Read More
Medicaid plan heads to House in Missouri
The Missouri Senate gave final approval Thursday to a plan that would shrink the state Medicaid program and eliminate coverage for more than 40,000 people [Kansas City Star (registration)] Read More
State bows to outcry on child support fee
Missouri's plan to take $25 out of some parents' overdue child-support payments was short-lived. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch] Read More
Bill could require officials to report sexually active teens
Teachers, doctors and other professionals who work with children would be required to report any knowledge of young teens having sex, consensual or not, to the state's child abuse hot line under legislation pending in the Missouri House. [Jefferson City News Tribune] Read More
Blunt signs bill creating MSU
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Gov. Matt Blunt has signed legislation bestowing the name of Missouri State University on the Springfield school currently known as Southwest Missouri State University. [Jefferson City News Tribune] Read More
State budget process slow-going
At the traditional midway mark of the legislative session, Missouri House budget writers plan to use their week off to find ways to cut about $240 million for the next fiscal year. [Jefferson City News Tribune] Read More
Democrats, Republicans agree budget needs trimming
House Democrats and Republicans agreed on one thing as they began least two days of budget debate Thursday: The $7 billion spending bill is bloated and cuts are needed. [Missoulian] Read More
Big-box-store bill moves to Senate floor for debate
The Senate Taxation Committee on Thursday endorsed a bill to impose a first-in-the-nation gross receipts tax on "big box stores" that would raise more than $30 million over the next two years. [Billings Gazette] Read More
Panel kills bill on birth control coverage
Lawmakers this week tabled a bill requiring insurance companies to cover costs for prescription birth control in all policies also offering drug benefits. [Billings Gazette] Read More
Baucus, Burns split on Amtrak fund vote
WASHINGTON - Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., on Wednesday voted in favor of an effort in the Senate to increase federal subsidies for the beleaguered Amtrak system, while Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., voted against it. [Billings Gazette] Read More
Panel endorses bill on insurance conversions
A House committee has unanimously approved a bill to protect public assets as charitable trusts if either of Montana's two major health insurers converts from a nonprofit to a for-profit entity. [Billings Gazette] Read More
Regents tackle U-System credit transfer problems
In the wake of a December legislative audit that found the University System's transfer process unpredictable and inconsistent, the state Board of Regents took its first definitive step Thursday toward solving credit and grade transfer problems. [Billings Gazette] Read More
Concealed guns bill may have a shot
Nebraskans wishing to carry concealed weapons legally were preaching to the converted at a legislative hearing Thursday. [Omaha World-Herald] Read More
Nebraska unemployment increases in January
Nebraska's unemployment rate increased to 4.0 percent in January from 3.8 percent in December, according to a report released Thursday by the state Department of Labor. [Lincoln Journal Star] Read More
Nebraskans may be able to benefit under drug settlement
Nebraskans who purchased the prescription anti-depressant drug Remeron within the past four years may be able to benefit under a nationwide settlement, Attorney General Jon Bruning said Thursday. [Lincoln Journal Star] Read More
4 percent cap - Hybrid tax relief plan proposed
A new hybrid plan for property tax relief, one that would limit annual tax bill increases for most homeowners to 4 percent per year, was unveiled Thursday and is the preliminary favorite of Assembly Democrats. [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Read More
Reid, Ensign pursue inquiry into Yucca project allegations
Nevada senators Thursday petitioned the Justice Department to launch their own investigation into allegations that government employees fabricated work relating to the Yucca Mountain Project. [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Read More
'Train wreck' seen for elderly
Nevada lawmakers and welfare advocates are concerned that a new federal act shifting some prescription-drug responsibilities from Medicaid to Medicare will leave seniors waiting in long lines to apply for the benefits. [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Read More
Theme-park plan pushed as a boost for tourism
An investment group is seeking the Legislature's help to reclaim Grand Canyon tourism from Nevada with a $3 billion venture including a 1,000-acre theme park in Williams. [The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)] Read More
Multi-species conservation program - Authority agrees to protect habitat
The Southern Nevada Water Authority board has signed on to a multistate agreement designed to protect habitat between Lake Mead and the U.S.-Mexico border while ensuring continued use of the river for water and power generation. [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Read More
Senate OKs bill to up hit-and-run penalties
The Nevada Senate voted 20-1 Thursday to approve a bill that would increase penalties for those who leave behind people injured or dead in an accident. [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Read More
Bill proposed to add seven more judges
A bill was introduced in the Senate on Thursday that would add seven new judges to the Clark County District Court beginning Jan. 1, 2007, bringing the total to 40 jurists. [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Read More
Nevada gains ally in fight to keep land sale revenue
WASHINGTON - Nevada lawmakers gained an influential ally this week in their bid to block a Bush administration plan to take millions of dollars raised by federal land sales in Clark County. [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Read More
Women describe fear caused by peeping Tom
Two Henderson women told lawmakers Thursday their neighborhood has been terrorized by a peeping Tom who operates largely unfettered because the state's prowler law has been declared unconstitutional. [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Read More
Welfare division urged to get out the word on food stamps
There are 122,000 people in Nevada drawing food stamps but the state's participation rate in the program is the second lowest in the nation, a legislative budget committee was told today. [Las Vegas Sun] Read More
Tougher condemnation rules proposed
A bill that would give landowners more rights and make it harder for community redevelopment agencies to condemn property is headed for more discussion before a subcommittee of the Assembly Judiciary Committee. [Las Vegas Sun] Read More
Utah factions torn over Yucca discoveries
SALT LAKE CITY - The utility consortium proposing to temporarily store nuclear waste in Utah sees the allegation of falsified data regarding the planned Nevada storage as advancing the need for the Utah facility. [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Read More
Committee limits nursing home funds
County property taxpayers won't be asked to pay $24 million for services the state now funds, but they did not escape the state budget ax totally yesterday. [Concord Monitor] Read More
Lynch promises state assistance to Celestica workers
SALEM, N.H. - Gov. John Lynch visited workers and management at the Celestica Inc., plant yesterday, which announced Monday it will close its manufacturing plant and lay off 420 workers within nine months to a year. [The Union Leader (Manchester)] Read More
Corrections lawyer rips union tactics
A lawyer for the Department of Corrections wants state labor officials to stop the State Employees Association from airing grievances in the media, circulating petitions and holding pickets because he believes the union is using those "tactics" to manipulate contract negotiations. [Concord Monitor] Read More
Bill would give joint custody
The Children and Family Law Committee heard testimony yesterday on a measure that would automatically award joint custody to parents except in cases where it was shown that the children would not benefit from equal parenting. [Concord Monitor] Read More
Emissions bill subject to changes
The state Senate took the first official step Thursday in trying to soften the blow to consumers resulting from a controversial emissions test that?s still on track to go live statewide April 1. [The Telegraph (Nashua)] Read More
Codey's approval rating slips
Acting Gov. Richard J. Codey's job-approval rating has slipped 9 percentage points since January, according to a poll released yesterday. [The Inquirer (Philadelphia) (registration)] Read More
Disaster drill to simulate bio attack
A fake biological agent is expected to be unleashed in Union or Middlesex counties in two weeks as part of an international training exercise designed to test how thousands of New Jersey law enforcement and health workers would respond to a full-scale terrorist event. [The Star-Ledger (Newark)] Read More
Most residents say keep tax rebates
By nearly a 2-to-1 ratio, New Jersey taxpayers want to keep those rebate checks coming, according to a new poll by Quinnipiac University released yesterday. [The Star-Ledger (Newark)] Read More
Budget to cut 9% from funds for charity care in hospitals
When New Jersey hospitals received a record increase in their state charity care funding last year, Senate President Richard Codey couldn't have been more pleased. [The Star-Ledger (Newark)] Read More
School district expenditures are detailed
New Jersey's 2005 Comparative Spending Guide for schools was released yesterday, with rankings of school districts on what they pay for everything from classroom instruction to food services. [The Star-Ledger (Newark)] Read More
School spending highlights disparities
The state Department of Education's annual comparative spending guide was originally devised to let parents know how effectively school districts manage their tax dollars. But with suburban districts in an uproar over another year of frozen state aid while urban districts continue to see court-mandated increases, the document also serves as a guide to the financial tensions gripping New Jersey schools. [The Times (Trenton)] Read More
Richardson OKs $4.7 billion budget
Gov. Bill Richardson signed into law on Thursday a $4.7 billion budget measure, but he continued to threaten a special legislative session to pressure lawmakers to approve his initiatives, including tax cuts. [New Mexican (Santa Fe) (registration)] Read More
Politics stall progress of medical marijuana
A bill that would legalize marijuana to treat certain medical conditions has stalled on the floor of the House of Representatives because of a dispute involving an unrelated bill dealing with developer impact fees in Albuquerque. [New Mexican (Santa Fe) (registration)] Read More
Bill promoting umbilical cord donation goes to governor
Pregnant women would be able to learn about the option of donating their umbilical cord blood stem cells under a measure sent to Gov. Bill Richardson. [New Mexican (Santa Fe) (registration)] Read More
State plans barriers for falling rock
In September 1988, a boulder slid off the steep side of the Rio Grande Gorge near Embudo and smashed into a southbound Greyhound bus, killing six people and injuring 14 others. [New Mexican (Santa Fe) (registration)] Read More
Federal aid puts twist in talks
The state Legislature might refuse to consider a plan to bring $1.5 billion in federal funds to New York's health care system until after the current budget process is finished, state leaders said Thursday. [Times Union (Albany)] Read More
Budget hopes flickering
For the Rochester Educational Opportunity Center, the outcome of this year's state budget carries more significance than usual. [Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester)] Read More
In appeal, court says state law on lobbying is constitutional
In a judgment that paves the way for New York State to renew its regulation of the $144 million lobbying industry, an appeals court ruled on Thursday that the state's lobbying law is constitutional after all. [The New York Times (registration)] Read More
FOIL legal-fee fight headed to top court
New York's highest court is poised to hear a case about when attorneys fees should be awarded to those who sue the state over its refusal to release documents sought under the state Freedom of Information Law. [Times Union (Albany)] Read More
Credit cards prohibit use in Internet smokes sales
Major credit card companies will refuse to participate in Internet sales of cigarettes nationwide under a government agreement reached Thursday. [Times Union (Albany)] Read More
Cig-ban challenge is snuffed
A federal judge yesterday rejected an attempt by tavern owners to gut the state's indoor-smoking ban. [New York Post] Read More
Bush names state official to federal post
State Transportation Commissioner Joseph Boardman has been nominated by President Bush to head the Federal Rail Administration. [The Business Review (Albany) (registration)] Read More
33% of city's kids could be left behind
Nearly one in three of the city's 1.1 million public-school students are in jeopardy of being held back, according to new city Department of Education figures. [New York Post] Read More
Budget stalls on health care, school aid
Progress on a state budget all but ground to a halt Thursday with no movement on two contentious issues: school aid and health care. [Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester)] Read More
State lobby law, panel upheld by appeals court
The state's lobbying law is constitutional, an appeals panel ruled Thursday, reversing an August state Supreme Court decision that says it isn't. [Times Union (Albany)] Read More
State loses bid to terminate lawsuit
A state Supreme Court justice ruled Thursday that there is sufficient evidence to support a claim of "hostile work environment" in the state Assembly and that Speaker Sheldon Silver and the state of New York could be held responsible for it, civilly. [Times Union (Albany)] Read More
States, private firms get tough with Internet cigarette vendors
Attorneys general from 10 states, major credit-card companies and a federal agency agreed Thursday on a plan to prevent the illegal sale of tobacco products over the Internet. [The Wall Street Journal (subscription)] Read More
New York official to head U.S. rail agency
President Bush intends to nominate Joseph H. Boardman, the head of the New York State Department of Transportation, to be the federal railroad administrator, the White House said yesterday. [The New York Times (registration)] Read More
State mulls Medicaid bills
North Carolina legislators seeking ways to trim a $1 billion shortfall in the upcoming state budget started hearings Thursday on whether to take on skyrocketing Medicaid bills now shouldered by counties. [The News & Observer (Raleigh) (registration)] Read More
Phipps is asking for a reduced sentence
Former N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Meg Scott Phipps, serving a four-year prison term for her role as the ringleader of a campaign-finance scandal, wants a federal judge to reduce her sentence. [The Winston-Salem Journal (registration)] Read More
Legislators take heat on grant money
State Senate leader Marc Basnight said yesterday that he and other legislators were wrong to approve millions of dollars in grants the last two years without specifying what the money would be used for. [The Winston-Salem Journal (registration)] Read More
Judge - Legislature to decide race
A Superior Court Judge ruled Thursday that the legislature should decide a disputed election for the state's top public school official. [The Charlotte Observer (registration)] Read More
Is that a spreadsheet on your screen - or solitaire?
Saying taxpayers would be "outraged" to know how much work time is frittered away by insurance-commission secretaries and DMV employees honing their solitaire and Mine Sweeper skills on the state's 50,000 computers, Catawba County Republican Sen. Austin Allran has sponsored what may be the country's first anti- solitaire legislation. [The Christian Science Monitor] Read More
Bill filed to limit sales of meth ingredients
Buying certain cold medicines would require showing a photo identification to a licensed pharmacist, and no one without a prescription could buy more than 9 grams of certain medicines within a 30-day period, under a bill filed yesterday. [The Winston-Salem Journal (registration)] Read More
Investigator in Gell case blames prosecutors
A year after former death row inmate Alan Gell was retried and acquitted, the state's legal profession is still trying to figure out why didn't Gell get key witness statements that could have proved his innocence at his 1998 trial. [The News & Observer (Raleigh) (registration)] Read More
Later last call OK'd
Fargo bars will have to wait until August to stay open until 2 a.m., but that's a lot better than the alternative a day earlier. [The Forum (Fargo)] Read More
Board cancels $6.5M
A war of wills ended Thursday morning when a legislative subcommittee scratched $6.5 million from the higher education budget, less than 48 hours after it had been added. [The Forum (Fargo)] Read More
Bill would establish feedlot 'setbacks'
Animal feedlots should include half-mile cushions to lessen the stink for their neighbors, even if their county has no zoning restrictions, a rural lawmaker and state officials say. [The Bismarck Tribune] Read More
Legislator warns of shift in tax load
After each local government predicts how many police officers, firefighters, and other staff they'll have to lay off because of proposed state budget cuts, the chairman of the House Finance Committee begins the calculations. In most cases, Rep. Chuck Calvert (R., Medina) tells them the proposed state cut in revenue sharing funds amounts to about 1.5 percent of their total budgets. [Toledo Blade] Read More
Nursing homes see changes
The percentage of Ohio nursing home residents who are younger than age 65 doubled from 1994 to 2004, from 7 percent to 14 percent, according to a report to be released today by Miami University's Scripps Gerontology Center. [The Beacon Journal (Akron)(registration)] Read More
House backs $500 million college bond bill
A $500 million higher education bond issue was approved Thursday by the House, despite black caucus members objecting to language in the bill they say could close Langston University. Read More
House OKs bill limiting AG's power
Legislation aimed at stopping Oklahoma's top attorney from what some say is using his power to create public policy passed the House on Thursday. [The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) (registration)] Read More
Tort reform legislation dies in Senate
Gov. Brad Henry's tort reform legislation died Thursday in the Oklahoma Senate, reducing chances for lawsuit reform this session. [The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) (registration)] Read More
Lottery funding clears Senate
Legislative leaders agreed Thursday to provide the Oklahoma Education Lottery Commission with $500,000 to begin operations this year. [The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) (registration)] Read More
Casino rules OK'd for horse tracks
The Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission approved casino gaming rules for three tracks Thursday -- heading down the home stretch to offering games that voters supported in November. [The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) (registration)] Read More
Capitol rally supports disability programs
More than 300 people rallied at the state Capitol on Thursday to lobby legislators to increase funding for programs benefiting Oklahomans with developmental disabilities. [The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) (registration)] Read More
State's dropout rate continues to decline
More students are staying in school, continuing a decline in dropout rates from Oklahoma public schools, education officials said Thursday. [The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) (registration)] Read More
Power council told drought will increase electricity prices
PORTLAND - Drought may be threatening the Pacific Northwest and its hydroelectric capacity but there will be no repeat of the 2000-01 Western energy crisis despite predictions of higher prices, officials said Thursday. [Corvallis Gazette-Times] Read More
State workers rally for help with rising health costs
For now, Linda Ingham's state-employee health-care plan is working. But if Ingham's 8-year-old son, Kenny, develops an infection from his chronic cystic fibrosis or if the enzymes he needs continue to spiral higher in cost, things could fall apart. [Statesman Journal (Salem)] Read More
Witnesses describe meth's impact
PENDLETON, Ore. - After almost six hours of testimony on how to combat the spread of methamphetamine in Oregon, a 60-year-old great-grandmother put the issue in the most powerful human terms. [The Oregonian (Portland)] Read More
Governor gives educators assignment
Gov. Ted Kulongoski met with the Oregon Board of Education on Thursday to share his vision of blending high schools and colleges. [Statesman Journal (Salem)] Read More
Driver's license safeguards urged
The smiling mug of Marion County Sheriff Raul Ramirez emblazoned on a driver's license issued to Sen. Kate Brown was the exhibit. [Statesman Journal (Salem)] Read More
Children flex their voting muscles
GERVAIS, Ore. - They cannot vote for five or six more years. But the two dozen seventh- and eighth-graders at Sacred Heart School were not shy Thursday when speaking their minds about a variety of issues that affect them directly: [Statesman Journal (Salem)] Read More
State school board suggests ban on corporal punishment
The state board of education voted overwhelming yesterday to recommend a ban on corporal punishment in public schools. It now will be up to the state Legislature to decide whether to outlaw the practice, which is illegal in 28 states and the District of Columbia. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette] Read More
Cable TV promotes tourism in the region
With so many choices available on cable television these days, it really helps to have someone pitching your show. And that's exactly what Gov. Ed Rendell aims to do during a visit to Pittsburgh this morning. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette] Read More
States, private firms get tough with Internet cigarette vendors
Attorneys general from 10 states, major credit-card companies and a federal agency agreed Thursday on a plan to prevent the illegal sale of tobacco products over the Internet. [The Wall Street Journal (subscription)] Read More
Montalbano submits bill to expand Lincoln Park
Senate President Joseph A. Montalbano yesterday introduced a much-awaited bill setting the stage for BLB Investors, an investment group with ties to the Mohegan Sun, to buy Lincoln Park and to pump $125 million into modernizing and expanding the 1940s-era track to make room for 1,750 more video slots. [The Providence Journal (registration)] Read More
Carcieri changes bill on teachers
Governor Carcieri has scrapped plans this year to create a statewide system to evaluate teachers, instead focusing on creating a system of standards that could be applied to teachers. [The Providence Journal (registration)] Read More
R.I. officials make LNG feelings known
A Providence energy developer must bring a waterfront shipping facility into compliance with modern safety standards before the company can receive liquefied natural gas from tanker ships at the site, the U.S. government's top energy regulator told Governor Carcieri, Mayor David Cicilline and other Rhode Island officials yesterday. [The Providence Journal (registration)] Read More
House voices concern over funds for salt ponds
Few things are more precious to Rhode Islanders than the quality of the state's beaches and shoreline. Federal budget cuts that threaten those areas are "deeply troubling." [The Providence Journal (registration)] Read More
Senate frames filmmaker incentives
A big Hollywood production and a network television series could be headed to the Lowcountry after the state Senate on Thursday enhanced tax breaks available to filmmakers who use the Palmetto State as their backdrop. [The Post and Courier (Charleston) (registration)] Read More
Governor backs more funding for preventive health care
Gov. Mark Sanford touted increased spending on prevention to combat the state's health care ills during a visit to the Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina on Thursday. [The Post and Courier (Charleston) (registration)] Read More
Foe of gay-union ban outflanked
COLUMBIA, S.C. - Chances were looking better Thursday that the politically volatile issue of same-sex marriage will go before S.C. voters in November 2006 -- the same time as the election for governor and a slew of other statewide offices. [The Charlotte Observer (registration)] Read More
Busy hurricane season taught valuable lessons
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. - Officials should be better prepared for lane reversals, shelter needs and evacuation response after the state weathered one of the busiest hurricane seasons in recent memory, a state hurricane program manager says. [The Post and Courier (Charleston) (registration)] Read More
A commitment to Allendale?
ALLENDALE, S.C. - A public school is an asset to any community, Gloria Fields said Thursday, but a tuition tax-credit program would be an asset only to some schools and some communities. [The State (Columbia)] Read More
SCE&G files for power rate hike
Electricity bills will rise for the second time this year as SCE&G seeks to recoup higher coal costs. [The State (Columbia)] Read More
Governor signs bill limiting abortions
Abortion restrictions in South Dakota will be tightened even more July 1. [Rapid City Journal] Read More
Tax breaks approved for biodiesel
Gov. Mike Rounds said Thursday that he signed a bill giving tax breaks to soybean plants that expand to produce biodiesel fuel. [Rapid City Journal] Read More
Court: Insurance can exclude weight surgery
The South Dakota Supreme Court unanimously ruled Thursday that an insurance company does not have to pay for stomach-reduction surgery if it is excluded in the company's coverage, even if the procedure is medically necessary. [Argus Leader (Sioux Falls)] Read More
South Dakota governor OKs abortion limits
PIERRE, S.D. - Gov. Michael Rounds signed a series of antiabortion bills, including one that requires doctors to tell women that the procedure ends the lives of humans, his office announced Thursday. [Los Angeles Times (registration)] Read More
TennCare judge vows a hard look at overhaul plan
A federal judge made it clear yesterday he intends to thoroughly scrutinize planned cuts to the TennCare program ? and will not balk at challenging the overhaul plan the governor has already set in motion. [The Tennessean (Nashville)] Read More
Next look at Ford ethics to be in public
Another state government agency took up the ethics of Sen. John Ford yesterday, but this one will discuss the matter in public. [The Tennessean (Nashville)] Read More
Environmental advocates question six senior management positions
After Betsy Child became TDEC's commissioner in 2003, she launched an effort to evaluate and reorganize the bureau of environment, which oversees law enforcement and criminal investigations. [The Tennessean (Nashville)] Read More
Tennessee to vote on ban on gay union
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee voters will decide next year whether to amend the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage after the state's House of Representatives on Thursday approved putting the question on the ballot. [Los Angeles Times (registration)] Read More
Committee defeats bill to ban gays from adopting children
A state House committee has voted down a bill to ban homosexuals from adopting children. [The Tennessean (Nashville)] Read More
State environmental commissioner resigns
State Environment and Conservation Commissioner Betsy Child is leaving the department after a sometimes rocky two years in which a few of her actions galled environmentalists who backed Gov. Phil Bredesen when he ran for office. [The Tennessean (Nashville)] Read More
Voters to get gay marriage question
Tennesseans will get a chance to vote on whether to amend the state Constitution to ban gay marriage after the House on Thursday overwhelmingly approved putting the question on the 2006 ballot. [The Commercial Appeal (Memphis) (registration)] Read More
Bills would limit tax appraisal hikes
House and Senate leaders are targeting stealth tax increases spawned by rapidly rising property values in many parts of Texas. [The Dallas Morning News (registration)] Read More
Hurricane plan urges mandatory evacuation
Gov. Rick Perry said Thursday that local officials should be given the legal authority to order coastal Texans out of their homes when a major hurricane threatens the state. [The Houston Chronicle (registration)] Read More
Legislator wants cheerleaders to keep their routines clean
Legislation filed by Rep. Al Edwards, D-Houston, would put an end to "sexually suggestive" performances at athletic events and other extracurricular competitions. [The Houston Chronicle (registration)] Read More
A wider death-penalty lawyer pool
Former prosecutors with no experience as defense attorneys could qualify for appointment to death penalty cases under a bill given preliminary House approval Thursday. [The Houston Chronicle (registration)] Read More
New guns law clears House
State Rep. Suzanna Gratia Hupp, R-Lampasas, doesn't think Texans should have to disclose that they are carrying a concealed handgun. [The Austin American-Statesman (registration)] Read More
GOP wants to make voters prove themselves
A House panel is considering toughening up identification requirements for voters at the polls, measures backed by the Republican Party but opposed by Hispanic rights groups, consumer advocates and Democrats. [The San Antonio Express-News (registration)] Read More
Panel OKs lower cap for property appraisals
Legislation to reduce the cap on annual increases in property appraisals from 10 percent to 5 percent was approved Thursday by the House Ways and Means Committee. [The Houston Chronicle (registration)] Read More
On Texas coast, a laboratory for private accounts
GALVESTON, Texas - As governor of Texas, George W. Bush had an up-close look at what many advocates of individual Social Security investment accounts consider a laboratory for how such a system might work: Galveston County's retirement system. [The New York Times (registration)] Read More
Testing denied for woman on death row
HOUSTON ? A judge on Thursday refused to approve additional scientific tests on evidence used to send a Houston woman to death row for the shooting deaths of her husband and two children. [The Dallas Morning News (registration)] Read More
House OKs privacy of concealed-gun list
The House took another shot at hiding the identities of concealed-handgun owners Thursday, handily passing legislation that would take permit holders out of the public spotlight. [The Dallas Morning News (registration)] Read More
Revenue panel OKs 2 bills
State motor fuel taxes would increase yearly, in step with inflation, and the state constitution would be amended to create a statewide school property tax under measures approved Thursday by the House's tax-writing panel. [The Dallas Morning News (registration)] Read More
Utah factions torn over Yucca discoveries
SALT LAKE CITY - The utility consortium proposing to temporarily store nuclear waste in Utah sees the allegation of falsified data regarding the planned Nevada storage as advancing the need for the Utah facility. [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Read More
Cannon resolute on nuke testing
Rep. Chris Cannon's support for resuming nuclear testing in Nevada has put him in a lonely place in Utah's political landscape - far from the views of his colleagues in Congress, a long way from the official state position, and enduring scorn from victims of Cold War weapons tests. [The Salt Lake Tribune] Read More
Rape bill boosts victim's hope
Jennifer Boone's childhood vanished in an instant. [The Salt Lake Tribune] Read More
Latino meet focuses on driving cards
Maria Carvajal might be able to use a Utah driving privilege card to get car insurance or cash a check, but she said she can't use it to work as a hotel housekeeper. [The Salt Lake Tribune] Read More
Bill to make biking safer
Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. is expected to sign legislation today that will force motorists to stay at least three feet or a safe, reasonable distance away from bicyclists. [The Salt Lake Tribune] Read More
Huntsman signs education bills at Orem elementary
With young students looking on, Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. cut the red ribbon to officially open a new wing of Orem's Northridge Elementary on Thursday, and after entering the building, he signed three recently passed education bills. [The Daily Herald (Provo)] Read More
Governor suggests new wrinkle for financing of stadium
Real Salt Lake is still looking for help from taxpayers to build a Major League Soccer stadium, but perhaps in a new form. [The Salt Lake Tribune] Read More
New-look SAT gets students worked up
The new SAT lasts four hours, but for some Utah students, that still wasn't long enough to . . . [The Salt Lake Tribune] Read More
Douglas vetoes plan to merge pensions
Gov. James Douglas vetoed a bill Thursday that would have combined three state pension funds and saved the state more than $1 million annually by some estimates. [Rutland Herald] Read More
Controversial justices are reappointed
Despite a steady drumbeat from critics, the Legislature voted Thursday to re-appoint all three -- Justices John Dooley, Denise Johnson and Marilyn Skoglund -- for new six year terms. Lawmakers also granted Chief Justice Paul Reiber his first full term. [Burlington Free Press] Read More
Minimum-wage boost gets early House approval
The House gave preliminary approval Thursday to a bill which would automatically increase the minimum wage in future years, and raise the state's base minimum wage. [Rutland Herald] Read More
Bill could reduce inmates' time served
The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously voted out a bill Thursday that could decrease the time well-behaved inmates serve for their crimes, a move criticized by victims' advocates and prosecutors who say it muddles the sentencing process. [Burlington Free Press] Read More
States, private firms get tough with Internet cigarette vendors
Attorneys general from 10 states, major credit-card companies and a federal agency agreed Thursday on a plan to prevent the illegal sale of tobacco products over the Internet. [The Wall Street Journal (subscription)] Read More
Warner: Students may need to spend more time in school
NORFOLK, Va. - High school students should be encouraged "to stretch a little bit" academically and may need to spend more time in school if the United States is to compete with other industrialized nations, Virginia Gov. Mark R. Warner said Thursday evening. [The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk) (registration)] Read More
State game agency kept buying, despite fiscal crisis
During the state?s budget crisis of 2002 to 2004, leaders at the Department of Game & Inland Fisher ies failed to follow the governor?s order to curb travel and spending. [The Roanoke Times] Read More
Md. looks into Va.'s birth-injury program
ANNAPOLIS, MD - Maryland legislators are considering a bill fashioned after Virginia's birth-injury program, but the Virginia version is serving more as a warning than an example. [Richmond Times-Dispatch] Read More
Kaine urges 20 percent exemption to give Va. homeowners relief
Lt. Gov. Timothy M. Kaine unveiled a homeowner tax relief plan yesterday as one of the cornerstones of his Democratic gubernatorial campaign, calling for a state constitutional amendment to allow local governments to exempt as much as 20 percent of a home's value from real estate taxes. [The Washington Post (registration)] Read More
Fitch aims to give Kilgore competition
As Democratic gubernatorial candidate Timothy M. Kaine campaigned across Northern Virginia, trailed by supporters, aides and his own videographer, Warrenton Mayor George B. Fitch conducted a more modest affair yesterday. [The Washington Post (registration)] Read More
After anthrax scare, Virginia reflects
Although satisfied that a Pentagon mail facility is free of anthrax, the state's top doctor said his department wants to improve the response to such scares, the most recent of which threatened the health of several hundred government workers. [Richmond Times-Dispatch] Read More
Kaine offers sympathies in Fairfax
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Timothy M. Kaine presented himself to Fairfax County voters yesterday and immediately told them he shared their pain. [The Washington Post (registration)] Read More
Rosier budget forecast may ease need for cuts
State forecasters project a surging economy will bring in $739 million more in tax collections than expected. Although far more than lawmakers had hoped for, it's not nearly enough to erase a gaping hole in the state budget. [The Seattle Times] Read More
Democrats still looking for votes - just in case
Even as Republicans are ferreting out any illegal votes they can find in the 2004 governor's election, Democrats continue looking to add any ballots that were wrongfully excluded by elections officials. [Seattle Post-Intelligencer] Read More
Teacher turnover rate not so bad, study says
Washington state loses far fewer teachers to other states or professions than often believed, according to a new, in-depth study sponsored by the nonprofit Center for Strengthening the Teaching Profession. [The Seattle Times] Read More
Revenue forecast a boon for state budget
A $739 million boost to the state's revenue forecast yesterday was double what had been expected and should relieve some of the pressure for drastic cuts and tax increases to balance the budget. [Seattle Post-Intelligencer] Read More
Gregoire offers plan to combat drought
Water conservation in the state is a priority for Gov. Christine Gregoire, who will introduce a package of actions to address the state's drought today. [The Olympian] Read More
Anti-smoking legislation apparently dead for year
Anti-tobacco activists began this legislative session with high hopes of enacting a statewide smoking ban. But any chance of implementing new regulations in the Legislature this year was pretty well snuffed out this week. [The Seattle Times] Read More
State at fault for crash, couple says
Barbara Starkel remembers nothing of the crash that almost killed her. The memory of driving home from work and the one of waking from a 10-day coma, confused and desperate to see her husband, are bridged by "a long blank." [Seattle Post-Intelligencer] Read More
ANWR oil may create area jobs
Another big economic windfall could be in store for the Puget Sound region in the coming years after the U.S. Senate's slim approval on Wednesday of a plan to open Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling. [Seattle Post-Intelligencer] Read More
Senate Judiciary Committee approves Manchin tort reform
Gov. Joe Manchin's bid to virtually abandon third-party bad faith lawsuits, saddled with an instant pledge of $50 million premium savings, cleared another hurdle Thursday with approval by the Senate Judiciary Committee. [The Register-Herald (Beckley)(registration)] Read More
Clearinghouse to keep tabs on state agencies? phone bills
Legislation to make sure the state never again rolls up millions of dollars in unpaid telephone bills originated Thursday in the House Finance Committee. [Charleston Gazette (registration)] Read More
House puts off debate on ethics
A House of Delegates debate over pending ethics legislation expected Thursday was put off until today. [The Register-Herald (Beckley)(registration)] Read More
Red lights on, coyotes out, says howling Senate
You expect a meow, a growl or a howl when a bill targeting a specific animal hits the floor of the Senate. But on Thursday, the howl was real - no mimic this time of the one creature in mind, the marauding coyote. [The Register-Herald (Beckley)(registration)] Read More
Metro government and movie piracy measures passed
Moving at a dizzying pace Thursday, the Senate suspended its rules and passed bills opening the door to metro government, altering West Virginia "from the bottom up." [The Register-Herald (Beckley)(registration)] Read More
Senate OKs government consolidation bill
A bill that would let cities and counties consolidate their services -- or even form metro governments -- was passed by the Senate Thursday on a 28-6 vote, after changes made at the request of the state's county commissioners. [Charleston Gazette (registration)] Read More
E-mails show insurance rate negotiations
Several insurance companies have promised specific rate rollbacks in West Virginia, but only if certain tort reform bills are passed without significant changes, according to documents from the state Insurance Commission. [Charleston Gazette (registration)] Read More
Mahan wants money for state's firefighters
Volunteer firefighters across West Virginia are underfunded and undermanned, and the state should explore ways to bolster their bank accounts and their ranks, Delegate Virginia Mahan says. [The Register-Herald (Beckley)(registration)] Read More
Insurance panel keeps info secret
As lawmakers consider Gov. Joe Manchin's proposal to eliminate third-party bad-faith lawsuits, opponents say they don?t have the information they need to fight the bill. [Charleston Gazette (registration)] Read More
Secrecy hasn't risen, state agencies say
Despite a broad expansion of the exemptions to West Virginia?s open records law, state agencies say they are not withholding more information from the public. [Charleston Gazette (registration)] Read More
Groups praise children's cabinet
More than 100 people sat through more than two hours of a public hearing Thursday, hoping to influence lawmakers to eliminate parts of Gov. Joe Manchin's government reorganization proposal. [Charleston Gazette (registration)] Read More
GOP to look for funding for schools
The chairmen of the Legislature's finance committee said Thursday they will try to find state money to pay two-thirds of public school costs as they revise the governor?s two-year budget bill. [The Post-Crescent (Appleton)] Read More
Privatization of inmate care opposed
Legislators plan to kill Gov. Jim Doyle's plan to privatize health care in Wisconsin prisons, saying the governor has not proved that contracting for medical, dental and pharmacy care for inmates will save money. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] Read More
State law doesn't restrict remarks on closed sessions
It's a common excuse from elected officials: They can't talk about an issue because it was discussed in a closed session. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] Read More
Governor's veto on tax limits stands
The state Assembly failed to override Gov. Jim Doyle's veto of limits on property tax increases Wednesday, leading Republican lawmakers to make plans to insert the tax curbs in the budget they will send him in May or June. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] Read More
States, private firms get tough with Internet cigarette vendors
Attorneys general from 10 states, major credit-card companies and a federal agency agreed Thursday on a plan to prevent the illegal sale of tobacco products over the Internet. [The Wall Street Journal (subscription)] Read More
Mercury rule to drive Wyoming electric bills up
GILLETTE, Wyo. - New federal mercury rules will likely result in higher electric bills in Wyoming because nearly all of the state's consumer electricity comes from coal-fired generation. [Billings Gazette] Read More
In blow to Bush, senators reject cuts to Medicaid
WASHINGTON - The House and Senate passed competing versions of a $2.57 trillion budget for 2006 on Thursday night. The two chambers provided tens of billions of dollars to extend President Bush's tax cuts over the next five years, but differed sharply over cuts to Medicaid, the government insurance program for the poor. [The New York Times (registration)] Read More
Bipartisanship cruises on highway outlays
WASHINGTON - Bipartisanship is still alive in Congress, at least when it comes to highway spending. [The Wall Street Journal (subscription)] Read More
States, private firms get tough with Internet cigarette vendors
Attorneys general from 10 states, major credit-card companies and a federal agency agreed Thursday on a plan to prevent the illegal sale of tobacco products over the Internet. [The Wall Street Journal (subscription)] Read More
Government is criticized on oversight of Head Start
The government's efforts to weed out financial mismanagement in Head Start, the federal preschool program for poor children, are too spotty and ineffective to prevent blunders or abuse, even among providers known to be out of compliance with regulations, according to a new report by the Government Accountability Office. [The New York Times (registration)] Read More
Senate passes $2.6T budget without Medicaid cuts
WASHINGTON - The Senate approved a $2.6 trillion budget Thursday that delivered a slap at President Bush and Republican congressional leaders by erasing Bush's plans for cutting Medicaid, community development and school aid. [USA Today] Read More |
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