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Archive of Politics on Sunday March 20, 2005
Offbeat bills - the lighter side of legislating
Late-night comics such as David Letterman and Jay Leno are getting some free material from state lawmakers this year. As many statehouses hit the halfway point in their sessions, legislators are tackling weighty issues such as taxes, school finance and health care. But they apparently saved the sillier side of lawmaking for last. 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Gov. Daniels appoints 3 to gaming commission
Gov. Mitch Daniels appointed three people Thursday to the Indiana Gaming Commission. [The Indianapolis Star] 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Taxpayers' Bill of Rights is pushed beyond Colorado
Colorado's 13-year-old experiment with writing strict tax and spending limits into its state Constitution is running into trouble at the same time its governor and anti-tax activists are trying to sell the idea to other states. Proposals to adopt a Colorado-like Taxpayers' Bill of Rights have been introduced this session in 16 states. Read More
Medicare drug plan a headache for states
Why do state budget writers this year have to worry about next year's new drug benefit for participants of Medicare, a federal program in which states traditionally have had no role? The fear is hidden costs. Read More
Can states ever have too many official symbols?
The roster of official state symbols is swooning under the weight of more and more oddball categories. This legislative season alone, several bills would designate such things as the mythical "jackalope," Venus flytrap and hot air balloon to be the official state ... something. Read More
State-paid aides to the elderly get $5 an hour
State-paid aides to the elderly make less than the $5.15-an-hour federal minimum wage in Read More
Anti-lying laws give political Pinocchios little to fear
If you're sick of politicians lying, well, so are they. Eighteen states have some type of law against lying about a candidate. Yet come election season, untruths about opponents run rampant and few politicians are ever punished. Read More
Report: States getting stuck with $30 billion federal tab
The federal government will force states to pick up an extra $30 billion in expenses in fiscal 2006, mostly for education programs that Congress passed without providing enough resources to pay for them, the National Conference of State Legislatures predicted in a report released today (March 8). NCSL estimates states could face at least $300 billion in costs handed down by the federal government over the next decade. Read More
In their own words: Govs name greatest challenges
March 3 - Fixing the Medicaid mess is a top priority for America's governors, but job creation and affordable housing also emerged as concerns when Stateline.org recently questioned governors about the biggest challenges facing their states. Read More
GOP governors trim state employees' bargaining clout
Feb. 25 - State employees in Indiana and Missouri will have less clout the next time they seek a pay raise or try to alter their working conditions. As a first order of business, newly inaugurated Republican Govs. Mitch Daniels of Indiana and Matt Blunt of Missouri each rescinded the collective bargaining rights of state workers. Read More |
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