Senate OKs higher ed funding formulas
Funding formulas for state colleges and universities based on need, not uniformity, were approved Monday by the Arkansas Senate. [The Log Cabin Democrat (Conway)]
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Archive of Stateline.org RSS - State by State Roundup on Wednesday March 23, 2005
Senate OKs higher ed funding formulas
Funding formulas for state colleges and universities based on need, not uniformity, were approved Monday by the Arkansas Senate. [The Log Cabin Democrat (Conway)] Read More
Chief justice extols value of rule of law
Judges are the ultimate guardians of the rule of law, which is the underpinning of American society, said Drayton Nabers Jr., chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. [The Huntsville Times] Read More
Liquor license OK'd for The Furnace
The state Alcoholic Beverage Control Board on Tuesday narrowly approved a liquor license for The Furnace, a proposed topless club in downtown Birmingham. [The Birmingham News] Read More
GOP leaders want budget changes list
Republican leaders sent Gov. Janet Napolitano a letter Tuesday asking her to specify what she wants changed in their nearly $8.2 billion budget. [Arizona Daily Star (Tucson)] Read More
Resources limited to fight Ariz. fires
PRESCOTT, Ariz. - Forest-fire fighters were in agreement Tuesday on at least one thing at the Governor's Forest Health and Safety Conference. It's a darn good thing that the state has had an abundance of snow and rain the past six months, because firefighting resources are likely to be few and far between this summer. [Arizona Daily Star (Tucson)] Read More
Tsunami-relief deduction in limbo after tax bill veto
Arizonans who donated money in January to tsunami relief may have to file their state taxes this year without knowing if they're going to get a promised deduction. [Arizona Daily Star (Tucson)] Read More
Governor, lawmakers spar over child care
Gov. Janet Napolitano and lawmakers are sparring over next year's budget, with one of the sticking points being how much to spend on state subsidies that help low-income workers pay for child care. [Arizona Daily Star (Tucson)] Read More
Lawmakers approve retirement benefit for themselves
The House on Tuesday passed a bill that would allow legislators to qualify for state retirement benefits after five years of service instead of 10. [Arkansas News Bureau] Read More
Panel to consider bond program speeding up road projects
The state would spend $242 million on four proposed Northwest Arkansas road projects if legislators and voters approve a $1.3 billion road improvement program, estimates show. [NW Source] Read More
Water fight escalates
Central Arkansas Water, a utility that has demanded local control of water supplies in its conflict with the developer of Chenal Valley, would like to take over local water systems throughout the state without bids, appraisals or public notice, that developer said Tuesday. [Arkansas News Bureau] Read More
House panel recommends school building bills
The Arkansas Legislature appeared ready Tuesday to make bigger strides toward concluding its session than in the previous 10 weeks. [Arkansas News Bureau] Read More
Arkansans in Congress torn over brain-damaged woman's fate
Rep. Vic Snyder looked back Monday on a whirlwind 18 hours and a midnight emergency vote over a brain-damaged Florida woman's feeding tube, and he isn't sure he voted the right way. [The Log Cabin Democrat (Conway)] Read More
Schwarzenegger is accused of hypocrisy over his fund-raising
Shortly before he was elected governor in 2003, Arnold Schwarzenegger stood in the state's railroad museum, which he called a monument to the special interest that dominated California politics for decades until it was finally curbed in the early 1900s. [Mercury News (San Jose)] Read More
Medi-Cal proposals prompt outrage
To the outrage of advocates for the elderly and disabled, the Schwarzenegger administration is trying to declare an emergency so the state can immediately start collecting more of the assets of Medi-Cal recipients after they die. [The Sacramento Bee] Read More
State banks on big return in tax amnesty
California officials are counting on a bunch of tax cheats, backsliders and procrastinators to earn a place in history. [The Contra Costa Times] Read More
State's promotion of cargo transit carries concerns
In a fast-moving new initiative, the Schwarzenegger administration is attempting to promote cargo transportation statewide, garnering strong support from the rapidly growing industry but stirring skepticism among residents and environmentalists who fear air quality and public health will suffer. [Los Angeles Times (registration)] Read More
Gov.'s Irvine stop draws cast of 2,000 irked by his policies
Braving heavy rain that drenched coats, hats and umbrellas, an estimated 2,000 protesters gathered outside an Irvine hotel Tuesday to express their opposition to a variety of proposals by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was attending a fundraiser inside. [Los Angeles Times (registration)] Read More
Chairman rejects stem cell changes
LOS ANGELES - The chairman of the state stem cell agency's oversight board rejected every point in a petition seeking more open meetings, stricter conflict-of-interest rules and salary caps at California's new research institute. [The Sacramento Bee] Read More
Battle over cheaper drugs may hit ballot
A battle between consumer groups and the pharmaceutical industry over cheaper prescription drugs is threatening to escape the confines of the Legislature and escalate into a full-scale ballot war in the fall. [The San Diego Union-Tribune] Read More
Project set aside for study
To the raucous applause of hundreds, the state Senate Transportation Committee on Tuesday night effectively killed a bill that would have allowed the state to set toll rates, an action sought by the developer of a controversial toll road proposed for the plains east of Interstate 25. [Denver Post] Read More
Stengel pulls out of budget proposal
House Minority Leader Joe Stengel, R-Littleton, told civic groups and reporters he can't support the bipartisan budget plan, which would cover an estimated $500 million shortfall by asking voters to give up five years of state tax refunds, because it takes too much from taxpayers. [Rocky Mountain News (Denver)] Read More
State weighs safety of mighty minis
LAKEWOOD, Colo. - Mark LaBarbara's red 1976 Yamaha Chappy is missing a headlight, and the seat cushion is held together with a piece of tape, but the Green Mountain High School student loves it nonetheless. [Denver Post] Read More
Salazar stirs up guv race
WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar jostled the Colorado governor's race from halfway around the world Tuesday, saying he would not rule out a candidacy in 2006. [Rocky Mountain News (Denver)] Read More
RTD land-buying measure advances
House members approved a bill Tuesday that would give RTD the same right as the state highway department to save money when buying land from property owners. [Rocky Mountain News (Denver)] Read More
Regents to mull tenure plan
University of Colorado regents plan to discuss a new tenure proposal Thursday in the wake of controversy over ethnic studies professor Ward Churchill. [Rocky Mountain News (Denver)] Read More
P.R. firm managed Hoffman departure
The Friday before University of Colorado president Betsy Hoffman announced her resignation, she discussed her decision with a high-priced public relations consultant, then dictated her resignation letter to that same firm. [Denver Post] Read More
Smoking ban may be snuffed
Republicans in the Colorado Senate have stalled - at least temporarily - the effort to ban smoking in public places statewide. [Denver Post] Read More
State AG will seek action against surgeon in Pueblo
The state attorney general will seek action against a well-known Pueblo neurosurgeon's medical license after state investigators alleged 17 cases of substandard medical care since 1997. [Denver Post] Read More
Hoffman defends tenure system
University of Colorado president Betsy Hoffman defended the tenure system that protects professors' jobs at a Tuesday lunch with Senate Republicans. [Denver Post] Read More
Election reform plan headed for full Senate
A package of election reforms that would make it easier to vote won approval of a Senate committee Tuesday. [Denver Post] Read More
States consider obesity surgery coverage
HARTFORD, Conn. - A proposal before Connecticut lawmakers would require insurance companies to cover the surgery for people with a body-mass index of 30 or more if a doctor deems the surgery medically necessary. [The Washington Post (registration)] Read More
Trooper suspended for remark during 911 call
LISBON, Conn. - A state trooper was suspended for 15 days without pay after he was recorded on a 911 tape saying "too bad" to a caller seeking help for a man injured in a motorcycle accident. [USA Today] Read More
Bill challenges dog `blacklists'
Connecticut legislators are considering putting insurance companies on a leash to help homeowners with dogs. [The Hartford Courant (registration)] Read More
Rowland pals throw farewell bash
WATERTOWN, Conn. - Ten days before former Gov. John G. Rowland is scheduled to begin a one-year prison sentence for corruption, his friends threw him a party Tuesday night to show their support and offer donations to help him pay his legal bills. Read More
Tax breaks, aid package proposed for defense industry
State lawmakers are proposing tax breaks and $40 million in state energy assistance as part of a bill designed to help Connecticut's defense industry and keep the Naval Submarine Base in Groton off the Pentagon?s closure list. [New Haven Register (registration)] Read More
Rell presses for ethics, campaign reform
TORRINGTON, Conn. - Gov. M. Jodi Rell drove 28 miles from the Capitol Tuesday to nudge legislators toward passing ethics and campaign finance reforms. [The Hartford Courant (registration)] Read More
Minner seeks higher tax on cigarettes
It could cost more to pick up a pack of smokes in Delaware if Gov. Ruth Ann Minner gets her way. [Delaware State News (Dover)] Read More
Security at Del. schools tightened
By wiring their school with more than 100 Web-based cameras and launching a hot line to encourage anonymous tips, Delaware's Newark High School is becoming a state model for campus safety. [The News Journal (New Castle-Wilmington)] Read More
House votes to delay Medicaid list
The state House of Representatives quickly passed legislation Tuesday to stop the preferred drug list for Medicaid recipients from going into effect April 1. [Delaware State News (Dover)] Read More
Schiavo law fuels state rights debate
States should handle right-to-die issues without interference from the federal government, say Delaware's congressman and a local medical law expert. But two Delaware political leaders who normally advocate states' rights and are leery of federal intervention say Congress was right to act in the case of Terri Schiavo. [The News Journal (New Castle-Wilmington)] Read More
Minner wants to let Wilmington grow
Gov. Ruth Ann Minner said Tuesday she wants to give Wilmington the same authority as other towns to annex adjoining land, something city officials have long said they need to grow, bring in jobs and remain solvent. [Delaware State News (Dover)] Read More
Schiavo appeal struck down
A federal appeals court refused early today to restore a feeding tube to brain-damaged Terri Schiavo. [USA Today] Read More
Schiavo case puts face on rising medical costs
As Republican leaders in Congress move to trim billions of dollars from the Medicaid health program, they are simultaneously intervening to save the life of possibly the highest-profile Medicaid patient: Terri Schiavo. [The Washington Post (registration)] Read More
Schiavo's parents' appeal rejected
A federal appeals court early Wednesday morning denied a request to resume feeding a brain-damaged Florida woman, but her parents vowed to quickly seek relief from the Supreme Court in their efforts to keep their daughter alive. [The Washington Post (registration)] Read More
Rights groups for disabled join in fight
WASHINGTON - Prayers and references to a ''culture of life" have defined the public face of the emotionally-charged Save-Terri Schiavo movement dominating the airwaves this week. [The Boston Globe] Read More
Self-defense bill moves forward in Senate
Floridians could shoot violent home intruders and carjackers under a bill that cleared a key hurdle in the Senate on Tuesday. [Tallahassee Democrat] Read More
Reinsertion of Schiavo feeding tube denied
PINELLAS PARK, Fla. - After losing two consecutive appeals in federal court, Terri Schiavo's parents vowed Wednesday to take their fight to the U.S. Supreme Court as their severely brain-damaged daughter began her fifth full day without the feeding tube that has kept her alive for more than a decade. Read More
Records hint at political link to aid
As the second hurricane in less than a month bore down on Florida last fall, a federal consultant predicted a "huge mess" that could reflect poorly on President Bush and suggested that his re-election staff be brought in to minimize any political liability, records show. [The Orlando Sentinel (registration)] Read More
Parents lose appeal in Schiavo case
ATLANTA - By a 2-1 vote, the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals early today denied an emergency request to reinsert Terri Schiavo's feeding tube. [Los Angeles Times (registration)] Read More
State is home to 850,000 illegal immigrants
Florida is home to at least 850,000 undocumented immigrants, part of a national surge in people crossing U.S. borders illegally despite the tightening of homeland security since 2001, according to a study released Monday. [The Orlando Sentinel (registration)] Read More
The new trendsetter
NEW YORK - Congress' historic - some would say ill-advised - action in the Terri Schiavo case this week symbolizes one of the most important but least appreciated new political trends of the last decade - the emergence of Florida as a national harbinger of political trends and issues. [CNN.com] Read More
House bill returns power over university budgets to legislators
The fight over the purse strings of the state's university system will play out before a county judge next month, when the Florida Legislature will be pitted against the state Board of Governors in a Leon County courtroom. [The Palm Beach Post] Read More
Who speaks for Terri Schiavo?
WASHINGTON - Boiled down to its essence, the ongoing legal dispute over a severely brain-damaged Florida woman might well have been filed in court under the label Theresa Marie Schiavo v. Theresa Marie Schiavo. [The Christian Science Monitor] Read More
Girl's death inspires tracking bill
Outraged by the murder of 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford, state lawmakers are rushing to introduce legislation that would require sexual offenders to wear tracking devices. [St. Petersburg Times] Read More
Full Senate to debate use of guns for protection
A gun bill is headed for a final floor vote in the Senate. [St. Petersburg Times] Read More
Convergys' capability in question
Exasperated Senate Republicans said Tuesday they have lost confidence in Convergys' ability to run the state-employee personnel system and are ready to put a stop to Gov. Jeb Bush's biggest privatization project. [Tallahassee Democrat] Read More
Contract oversight would expand
Ten days after investigators said inside information may have influenced the awarding of a $126-million state contract, a Florida Senate committee passed a bill Tuesday prohibiting such relationships. Read More
Appeals court refuses to order Schiavo's feeding reinstated
PINELLAS PARK, Fla. - A federal appeals court panel in Atlanta refused early today to order that the feeding tube of the brain-damaged Terri Schiavo be reinserted, saying her parents had "failed to demonstrate a substantial case on the merits of any of their claims." [The New York Times (registration)] Read More
After jury award, battle lines drawn
Once, Mary Schindler spoke in glowing terms of her son-in-law, Michael Schiavo, and the way he cared for her invalid daughter, Terri. [St. Petersburg Times] Read More
A futile fight over Va. man
Six years after Hugh Finn died a very public death in a Manassas nursing home amid a bitter family dispute, his wife and his brother watch the developments in the Terri Schiavo case and see that their fight did not change anything. [The Washington Post (registration)] Read More
'Free Cuba Day' brings exile groups to Capitol
While legislators are consumed this week by talk of the right-to-die case of Terri Schiavo, some Cuban exile groups and South Florida lawmakers are hoping to turn political attention to another issue -- the plight of children in communist-led Cuba. [The Orlando Sentinel (registration)] Read More
House panel OKs photo ID at polls
A House committee approved a Senate bill Monday to require voters to present photo identification at the polls. [The Macon Telegraph] Read More
Top state lawmakers: Smoking ban certain to pass in some form
Georgia is certain to have a statewide smoking ban in some form, top lawmakers from both parties said as the House prepared for a vote today on the ban. [The Macon Telegraph] Read More
Senate charts new congressional map
The state Senate signed off on a new map for Georgia's congressional districts Monday - bringing majority Republicans within one step of replacing Georgia's current map. [The Macon Telegraph] Read More
Study finds fewer fatal teen crashes since 1997 law
A package of tough teen driving laws passed by the Georgia Legislature eight years ago has saved many young lives, according to a study released Tuesday. [Atlanta Journal-Constitution] Read More
House OKs using old logs
Logs that have rested at the bottom of two South Georgia rivers for the past century could be raised and turned into flooring and furniture under a bill narrowly approved Tuesday by the Georgia House. [Atlanta Journal-Constitution] Read More
Senate in full support of anti-meth lab bill
In an effort to fight meth labs, Sudafed and similar cold and sinus remedies soon could be sold only from behind the counter at stores statewide. [Atlanta Journal-Constitution] Read More
House OKs spaarklers on bill's second try
The Georgia House approved a proposal to legalize sparklers Tuesday, days after rejecting the same bill amid concerns over children's safety. [Atlanta Journal-Constitution] Read More
Drive for Sandy Springs cityhood shifts to high gear
Now begins the living room war for Sandy Springs. [Atlanta Journal-Constitution] Read More
House says yes to weaker smoking ban
Georgia moved one step closer to a statewide smoking ban Tuesday when the House approved a bill to prohibit smoking in most enclosed public places that allow minors. [Atlanta Journal-Constitution] Read More
The learning advantage
More students in Hawaii are signing up for free tutoring after school, but they are far outnumbered by classmates who aren't taking advantage of the federal effort to boost performance at public schools. [Honolulu Star-Bulletin] Read More
Threat moves lawmakers to advance tax hike for rail
Two state Senate committees approved a bill yesterday that would authorize the city to increase the general excise tax to 5 percent from 4 percent to fund rail transit. [Honolulu Star-Bulletin] Read More
Daughter of a patient on a feeding tube
Watching the courts and Congress debate Terri Schiavo's fate, Gov. Linda Lingle says she thinks of the issue as a daughter, not as a politician. [Honolulu Star-Bulletin] Read More
Senate panel OKs funding for Kapolei court complex
A Senate panel has restored a $95 million request by the state Judiciary for the design and construction of a Family Court complex and juvenile detention center in Kapolei. [Honolulu Star-Bulletin] Read More
Overhaul sought at land board
Several environmental and cultural groups said yesterday they want drastic changes at the Department of Land and Natural Resources in the next two months or they will seek the resignation of Land Board Chairman Peter Young. [Honolulu Advertiser] Read More
State order causes trash crisis on Maui
WAILUKU, Hawaii - Retirees Ben and Elsie Furtado are upset that they will have to hang on to their old oven once they buy a new one, because they have no place to dump the appliance on Maui. [Honolulu Star-Bulletin] Read More
Judge blames state's delay in dismissing charges
A state judge has dismissed a terroristic threatening charge against convicted robber Shaun Rodrigues because the state took too long to bring the case to trial. [Honolulu Star-Bulletin] Read More
Aquifer bills up for hearings
The first public hearings on the second major water discussion of the legislative session are scheduled for this afternoon. [The Idaho Statesman (Boise)] Read More
Legality delays District 21 choice
Republicans in southwest Ada County failed to submit the names of three qualified legislative candidates to Gov. Dirk Kempthorne as required by law, freeing the governor to pick his own person to fill a vacant Senate seat, the attorney general's office said Tuesday. [The Idaho Statesman (Boise)] Read More
Lawmakers give business incentive measures their ringing endorsement
Big business had a banner day in the Legislature Tuesday, with lawmakers endorsing ideas to help Micron Technology, Albertsons Inc. and other companies that could qualify for various tax breaks [The Idaho Statesman (Boise)] Read More
Lawsuit over an embryo fuels debate on when life begins
CHICAGO - When Alison Miller and Todd Parrish filed a wrongful-death suit for the destruction of their frozen embryos by a fertility clinic, they just wanted some compensation for their disappointed hopes. [The Christian Science Monitor] Read More
DuPage state's attorney questions no-bid tollway bond deal
An Illinois tollway decision to hand a $700 million bond deal to a firm with ties to a former aide of Gov. Blagojevich demonstrates the need to reform the way state bond contracts are handled, DuPage County State's Attorney Joseph Birkett said Tuesday. [Chicago Sun-Times] Read More
Some say state should butt out on smoking rules
While some states and even entire countries have severely restricted smoking, most Illinois cities are barred by state law from regulating tobacco use. [Northwest Indiana Times (Munster)] Read More
Bad guys dealing prescription drugs
Law enforcement's war on drugs goes beyond methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana. [Peoria Journal Star] Read More
Good chance Tamia is coming back
Six-month-old Baby Tamia -- who has spent half her life at the center of an interstate adoption battle -- is likely on her way back to Illinois. [Chicago Sun-Times] Read More
Schools gear up for state achievement tests
The annual spring ritual of test-taking has arrived in Illinois and Missouri. Along with the high-stakes tests has come pressure to perform. [The Salt Lake Tribune] Read More
Tollway bond firm in spotlight
The New York financial firm picked to manage a $700 million Illinois tollway bond sale this spring hired one of Gov. Rod Blagojevich's oldest and most trusted political advisers as a consultant on the deal, records show. [Chicago Tribune (registration)] Read More
Indiana House OKs gay-marriage ban
The first chapter in the controversial effort to change Indiana's Constitution to ban same-sex marriage ended Tuesday with the state House of Representatives voting overwhelmingly in favor of the amendment. [The Indianapolis Star] Read More
NFL players may not back stadium
The National Football League Players Association threatened Tuesday to withhold support for a $34 million Colts stadium loan if Senate Republicans move ahead with an unprecedented surtax on players' salaries. [The Indianapolis Star] Read More
Open-container bill advances as amended
Drivers would be held responsible for open containers of alcohol found in the passenger sections of their automobiles under House Bill 1057, an amended proposal that a Senate committee advanced Tuesday. [The Indianapolis Star] Read More
Hotline would handle all child-abuse calls
Indiana's child welfare director is proposing that all abuse and neglect reports be handled at a single call center to prevent tragedies like that of a Lafayette girl who died after calls went uninvestigated. [The Indianapolis Star] Read More
State ban on gay marriage has long way to go
Gays and lesbians have lost the first round against a state constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, but many plan to intensify their fight against the proposal becoming an amendment to the document. [Journal and Courier (Lafayette)] Read More
Vilsack signs law to battle meth
An anti-meth law proclaimed to be the toughest in the nation - and certain to bring changes to the sale of certain medicines in Iowa stores - was signed Tuesday by Gov. Tom Vilsack. [The Des Moines Register] Read More
Iowa's tougher meth law may send makers packing to other states
DES MOINES, Iowa - Gov. Tom Vilsack on Tuesday signed a bill that he said gives Iowa the toughest restrictions in the nation on pseudoephedrine, a common decongestant used as an ingredient in methamphetamine. [Omaha World-Herald] Read More
House OKs raising cap on environmental penalties
The Iowa House on Tuesday approved legislation allowing more environmental violations to be dealt with by state regulators instead of being turned over to the state attorney general for legal action. [The Des Moines Register] Read More
State of Iowa hears pitches for new casinos
JOHNSTON, Iowa - Four community groups desperately hoping to pump new economic life into their regions by building a casino presented their detailed plans to state regulators Tuesday. [Omaha World-Herald] Read More
Senate approves deer-hunting bill
Iowans could see the state's deer herd shrink by as much as 135,000 next year under a Senate-approved bill to encourage more deer hunting. [The Des Moines Register] Read More
Lawyers see claims dropping, malpractice rates growing
While malpractice claims paid in Iowa shrank in 2003, insurance rates paid by doctors continued to grow, according to a study released Tuesday by the Iowa Trial Lawyers Association. [Sioux City Journal] Read More
State health officials predict 15,800 cancer cases in Iowa
State health officials on Tuesday estimated 15,800 cancer cases among Iowans this year, including 6,500 cancer deaths. The estimates are based on data from the Iowa Department of Public Health and the Iowa Cancer Registry. [Sioux City Journal] Read More
Training pays off
In the past five years, associations of governments and schools have offered more than 20 sessions to local officials wanting to better understand Iowa's public-records and open-meetings laws. [Sioux City Journal] Read More
Stores transfer cold medicines
The shelves at Walgreens near Drake University in Des Moines are mostly Sudafed-free, and in the decongestant's place are look-alike signs with tags reading "Iowa Meth Watch Program" and "Available at Front Counter." [The Des Moines Register] Read More
New law limits access to drug ingredient
Gov. Tom Vilsack signed a bill in Des Moines restricting access to pseudoephedrine, an ingredient in common cold medicine that's also used to produce the highly addictive drug methamphetamine. [Los Angeles Times (registration)] Read More
Money pours into Kansas ahead of gay-marriage vote
Johnson County residents pledged more money than other Kansans to support the April 5 same-sex marriage ban vote, but the contributions were dwarfed by a few large out-of-state donors. [Kansas City Star (registration)] Read More
Workers' comp bill on drug, alcohol use goes to Sebelius
A bill designed to keep businesses from paying workers' compensation benefits to employees for drug or alcohol-related accidents won Senate approval Tuesday and is going to Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. [Lawrence Journal-World] Read More
Senate panel endorses bill to regulate abortion clinics
A bill pushed by anti-abortion groups to impose tougher regulations on abortion clinics cleared another hurdle on its path to legislative approval -- and a likely veto by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. [Lawrence Journal-World] Read More
Senate panel approves measure allowing Sunday alcohol sales
A measure that would allow Sunday alcohol sales has made it past its first hurdle and now heads to a full Senate, which deadlocked last year on the issue. [Lawrence Journal-World] Read More
State education chief will join faculty at KU
State Education Commissioner Andy Tompkins will join the education faculty at the University of Kansas after he leaves his post in June. [Wichita Eagle (registration)] Read More
Hispanics rally at Statehouse
When Cindy Perez moved to Olathe from Mexico 11 years ago, she expected to return there to attend college, but now she's hoping to attend Pittsburg State University. [Lawrence Journal-World] Read More
Gay marriage issue heats up
Gay rights opponents have raised four times as much money as gay rights supporters to sway voters April 5. [Kansas City Star (registration)] Read More
Arena tax bill goes to Sebelius
The House passed legislation Tuesday authorizing a one-cent sales tax increase to raise money for a downtown Wichita arena. [Wichita Eagle (registration)] Read More
Fletcher signs health-reform package
Gov. Ernie Fletcher signed into law yesterday five health measures, ranging from electronic sharing of medical information to curbing abuse of older people. [Lexington Herald-Leader] Read More
Ky. gambling issue takes a turn
FLORENCE, Ohio - The debate over casino gambling is heating up on both sides of the Ohio River. Kentucky's horseracing industry is encouraged by a fresh legal opinion indicating that statewide voter approval is not needed to legalize casino gambling. [The Cincinnati Enquirer] Read More
Panel proposes penalties for horses, trainers in new drug policy
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Horse trainers could be banned from racing in Kentucky for life for a fourth offense of the state's new racehorse drug policy under proposals being studied. Read More
Senate measure aimed at illegal meth labs
Legislation aimed at cracking down on illegal methamphetamine manufacturing labs by making it harder to obtain over-the-counter sinus medication and ammonia, two of the main ingredients used in making the drug, was filed Tuesday by Sen. James David Cain, R-Dry Creek. [The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)] Read More
La. setup to fund hospitals criticized
Federal health officials question a 2004 state law that allows a private trade organization to decide which rural hospitals get access to a special pot of government money for taking care of uninsured patients. [The Advocate (Baton Rouge)] Read More
Blanco, senators tour military bases
With a fifth round of military base closures looming, Gov. Kathleen Blanco and the state's two U.S. senators started a tour of Louisiana bases Tuesday in a public show of unity in support of the bases. [The Advocate (Baton Rouge)] Read More
Lawyer: Blanco must deal on casino
An attorney for Louisiana's Jena Band of Choctaws said Tuesday that Gov. Kathleen Blanco has no option but to negotiate a compact with the tribe for a new casino in central Louisiana. [The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)] Read More
States consider obesity surgery coverage
HARTFORD, Conn. - A proposal before Connecticut lawmakers would require insurance companies to cover the surgery for people with a body-mass index of 30 or more if a doctor deems the surgery medically necessary. [The Washington Post (registration)] Read More
Bangor center fails Medicaid survey
The state's only residential facility for severely mentally disabled children has failed its annual Medicaid survey and faces the potential loss of crucial public funding. [Bangor Daily News] Read More
House Dems divided over kayaker fees
For most of the House Democrats who met Tuesday evening at the state armory, concerns over their party's state budget proposal tended to focus on the understandable as opposed to the incomprehensible. While a proposed $450 million state revenue bond represents one of the largest single components of the Democratic majority's $5.8 billion budget, it was the plan to charge canoeists and kayakers a $10 registration fee that generated the most discussion. [Bangor Daily News] Read More
Bishop neutral on gay-rights bill
Maine's Roman Catholic bishop will neither support nor oppose Gov. John Baldacci's gay-rights bill, the Portland diocese announced Tuesday as debate heated up in the Legislature. [Portland Press Herald] Read More
Activists - Delay Moosehead plan
A group that includes a former Maine attorney general is seeking a moratorium on construction near Moosehead Lake, potentially delaying a huge proposal to build nearly 1,000 homes and two resorts in the remote region. [Kennebec Journal] Read More
State urged to support legal aid
Maine's legal community joined social service groups Tuesday to ask lawmakers to help put money toward aid organizations that assist the state's low-income residents with legal work. [Portland Press Herald] Read More
Mandated park vote rejected
Lawmakers have rejected a proposal to require communities to vote on a national park in Maine before the idea moves forward. [Portland Press Herald] Read More
Md. legislators hit crunch time
The Maryland General Assembly has long tended to procrastinate like a typical college student, partying as much as working early on and then cramming as the end of the session draws near. [The Washington Post (registration)] Read More
Unleashing those mechanical-bull riders
Eastern Shore Sen. E.J. Pipkin wants freedom for two of Maryland's rather extreme party animals: a pair of mechanical bulls named Zeus and Hercules, who are bound by what he sees as bothersome state rules. Regulations require such rides to have a seat belt to protect riders -- a little-known fact until the bulls were shut down at a county fair two years ago. [The Sun (Baltimore) (registration)] Read More
Maryland schools neglecting computers
John Bryce is all too aware that the computers in his classroom at Maurice J. McDonough High School in Southern Maryland can be used for more than just learning how to program. [The Washington Post (registration)] Read More
Report - Public schools need tech help
Benefits of the state's investment in technology for public schools is not materializing, a new survey suggests, and officials of the Maryland Business Rountable for Education are asking for improvement. [Baltimore Business Journal (registration)] Read More
Bill to cut $20M from housing dept.
The Maryland House Appropriations Committee has passed "budget bill language'' that would eliminate more than $20 million in funds within the State Department of Housing and Community Development. [Baltimore Business Journal (registration)] Read More
Civil rights concerns doom House measure
Minority lawmakers and civil rights groups claimed victory yesterday after blocking a bill that would have made it a crime for people to refuse to identify themselves to police. [The Sun (Baltimore) (registration)] Read More
Balancing politics and the port
Legislative hearings begin today that will examine the best oversight structure for the port of Baltimore. [The Sun (Baltimore) (registration)] Read More
Bipartisan reproof for partisan note
The partisan bickering in Annapolis was interrupted yesterday when a leading Democratic legislator accused the Motor Vehicle Administration of inappropriate politicking - and the Republican transportation secretary agreed. [The Sun (Baltimore) (registration)] Read More
Lawyer at Justice front-runner for Md. post
Rod J. Rosenstein, a Justice Department official untethered to the state's political power structure, has emerged as the leading contender to become the next U.S. attorney in Maryland, sources confirmed this week. [The Sun (Baltimore) (registration)] Read More
Pols pitch driver's licenses for illegal immigrants
Bay State lawmakers pushing to allow illegal immigrants to get driver's licenses say the move will not only help them get to their jobs but will improve government efforts to track them. [Boston Herald] Read More
BU breaks $40G tuition barrier with new rate hike
Boston University has become the latest to join the $40G club after the school recently pegged next year's student charges at $41,610. [Boston Herald] Read More
SJC ruling may bring retrial in stabbing
Alexander Pring-Wilson, the Harvard graduate student found guilty last fall of fatally stabbing a teenage cook in a street fight in Cambridge, could be granted a new trial next month if a Superior Court judge agrees that a recent Supreme Judicial Court decision throws his conviction in doubt. [The Boston Globe] Read More
Lawmaker - Adultery should end right to make life decisions
State Rep. Joel Sheltrown thinks adulterous husbands or wives shouldn't be allowed to keep food or medical treatment from a spouse who's unable to make those decisions. [Detroit Free Press] Read More
Lawmakers should back off, say those with similar stories
They've watched the videotape and know that bright, wide eyes and the seeming smile of Terri Schiavo could be just a cruel, mocking reminder of a vibrant life. [Detroit Free Press] Read More
ACLU sues over ban on gay job benefits
A lawsuit challenging a recent attorney general's opinion that bans public employers from offering benefits to same-sex couples in future contracts was filed Monday by the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan. [The Detroit News] Read More
Law could triple organ donation
Legislation approved Tuesday by the Michigan Senate would require that potential organ donors be identified by a heart symbol on the front of their driver's license or state ID card. [Detroit Free Press] Read More
Cox backing bills on Medicaid fraud, prescription drugs
Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox is getting behind new legislation aimed at cracking down on Medicaid fraud and helping people without insurance save money on prescription drugs. [Lansing State Journal] Read More
Ohio, Michigan laws allow choice
Ohio and Michigan residents can direct, in advance, what type of care they would like to receive - or not receive - in the event they become incapacitated. These instructions are often referred to as "advance directives." [Toledo Blade] Read More
Granholm backs Flanagan for state superintendent
Gov. Jennifer Granholm wants longtime Michigan educator Mike Flanagan for the state's top education job, the governor's spokeswoman said. [The Ann Arbor News] Read More
Bill could pull state out of 'No Child' law
A bill that could drop Minnesota out of the No Child Left Behind law passed its last Senate committee hurdle Tuesday, winning unanimous approval from the Finance Committee. [Minneapolis Star Tribune (registration)] Read More
Panel OKs $12 billion transportation plan
A transportation funding package that would pump $12 billion into roads and transit over the next decade was approved on a mostly party-line vote Tuesday in the Senate Transportation Committee. [Minneapolis Star Tribune (registration)] Read More
Senate DFL tables vote on deficit proposal
After meeting in a closed-door caucus, Democratic-Farmer-Labor leaders in the Senate on Tuesday postponed a vote on a controversial $466 million deficit-reduction plan. [St. Paul Pioneer Press (registration)] Read More
Attempts at compromise on bonding bill unravel
Negotiations on a construction projects bill - a task that bedeviled legislators last year - fell apart late Tuesday after both sides made offers that were rejected. [St. Paul Pioneer Press (registration)] Read More
FBI digs deeper into what drives "school shooters"
RED LAKE, Minn. - As FBI agents piece together the tragedy of the Red Lake school shootings, they will compile a psychological post-mortem of Jeffrey Weise, the assailant, to see how similar he was to "school shooters" before him. [NW Source] Read More
Youth job program supporters testify
Ricky Whitmore was told he could never achieve his dream of working with children because brain damage he suffered as an infant left him learning disabled. [St. Paul Pioneer Press (registration)] Read More
Legislator tries to legalize ticket scalping
Vikings coach Mike Tice's admission that he sold Super Bowl tickets this year for more than their face value has prompted a Minneapolis legislator to renew her long campaign to legalize ticket scalping in Minnesota. [Minneapolis Star Tribune (registration)] Read More
Proposed coal-fired ethanol plant avoids rigorous review
A Minnesota House bill that would double the state's consumption of ethanol was amended Tuesday to allow a proposed coal-powered ethanol plant in Heron Lake to be built without receiving a stringent environmental review. [St. Paul Pioneer Press (registration)] Read More
Budget resolutions stalled
Thin and shaky majorities in the Republican-controlled House and the DFL-controlled Senate prevented their leaders on Tuesday from passing 2006-07 budget blueprints, which would serve as basic state spending plans for legislators to refine during the rest of the session. [Minneapolis Star Tribune (registration)] Read More
Runoff required in special House election
LEAKESVILLE, Miss. - Paul D. Walley of Richton is headed to an April 5 runoff to fill the Mississippi House post once held by his former law partner, Randy "Bubba" Pierce. [The Sun Herald (Biloxi)] Read More
MDOT fears another budget raid
A wall of trees crowds the edge of U.S. 49 near Camp Shelby, limiting drivers' view of those darting across lanes in rural south Mississippi. [The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson)] Read More
Barksdale pledges $50M for students
The former chief executive of Netscape Communications stunned Mississippi lawmakers Tuesday by pledging $50 million for students as long as the state's educational system is fully funded. [The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson)] Read More
Schools gear up for state achievement tests
The annual spring ritual of test-taking has arrived in Illinois and Missouri. Along with the high-stakes tests has come pressure to perform. [The Salt Lake Tribune] Read More
Missouri to receive $1.2 million grant for displaced airline employees
WASHINGTON - Missouri will get another $1.2 million in federal emergency funds to help its laid-off airline workers, the state's senators said Monday. [Jefferson City News Tribune] Read More
Deuschle named to lead Labor Department
Tom Deuschle, a former state unemployment benefits director, was appointed Tuesday by Gov. Matt Blunt to head the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. [Kansas City Star (registration)] Read More
Republicans table school funding bill
Republicans drew a line in the ideological sand Tuesday when the GOP members of the House Select Education Committee stuck together to table a bill that would have bumped state spending on schools by $72 million over the next two years. [Billings Gazette] Read More
Movie tax break bill advances
The House, by a large margin, gave preliminary approval Tuesday to a bill to offer tax breaks to lure the motion picture and television production companies back into Montana to film movies, TV shows and commercials. [Billings Gazette] Read More
High court- Ed system 'deficient'
Expanding on its preliminary order last fall, the Montana Supreme Court on Tuesday detailed why it upheld a year-old District Court decision declaring the state's public school funding system unconstitutional. [Billings Gazette] Read More
High court to open meeting
For the first time in its history, the state Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed members of the public to attend one of its formal meetings. [Billings Gazette] Read More
Governor vows to veto school insurance bill
Gov. Brian Schweitzer will veto the bill that seeks to create a statewide health insurance plan for school district employees if it makes it out of the Legislature and reach his desk, his spokeswoman said Tuesday. [Billings Gazette] Read More
Bill would change database of living wills
As the nation witnesses a family dispute over whether Terri Schiavo of Florida should live or die, Montana lawmakers took up a bill Tuesday on document end-of-life instructions. [Billings Gazette] Read More
Witnesses divided over ethanol bill
Requiring the addition of ethanol to gasoline in Montana would help the environment, supporters said Tuesday, but opponents argued it would raise the price of fuel. [Billings Gazette] Read More
Statewide police radio plan falters
Momentum is building in the Legislature to scuttle plans to spend $150 million or more on a statewide police radio system and to rely instead on less expensive regional networks. [Omaha World-Herald] Read More
Counties don't want state's gravel highways
The state Roads Department would like to give away the remaining 44 miles of gravel road still in the state highway system. But the six counties -- Otoe, Cass, Pawnee, Gosper, Frontier and York -- that would take over these short stretches of gravel highway are not cheering the prospect. [Lincoln Journal Star] Read More
Vote 44-0 to outlaw private reprimands of judges
Errant judges no longer could be reprimanded privately under a bill given final approval Tuesday on a 44-0 vote of Nebraska lawmakers. [Omaha World-Herald] Read More
Deal would boost fund for jobless
Nebraska lawmakers appear headed for an agreement about how much businesses should pay and workers should give up to protect the state's unemployment benefits. [Omaha World-Herald] Read More
Bill passes to fingerprint new doctors
The Nebraska Legislature gave final approval Tuesday to a measure requiring doctors and dentists to submit fingerprints for a criminal history check before getting a Nebraska license. [Omaha World-Herald] Read More
Anti-smoking petition panned for lacking enforcement funds
Opponents of a strict anti-smoking petition argued Tuesday in court that the petition must be removed from the 2006 ballot because it provides no money for police to enforce its smoking restrictions. [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Read More
Senate's child custody bill debated
In a third day of testimony on a bill that would alter how child custody is determined, both supporters and opponents said the change would have dramatic effects on families. [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Read More
Bill for smaller schools criticized
There appears to be no dispute that building smaller schools will produce better students, higher achievement levels, fewer dropouts and a host of other benefits -- but it will mean more money, a lot more money. [Las Vegas Sun] Read More
Senate votes to allow closed medical review sessions
A bill authorizing a medical review committee of the Clark County Health District to hold closed sessions to investigate actions by trauma room doctors narrowly passed the state Senate on Tuesday. [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Read More
Motorcyclists work for no-helmet bill
Motorcyclists showed up in force on Tuesday at the Legislature to back a bill that would let them ride without helmets if they're at least 21 years old. [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Read More
Data on property tax plans delayed
With the days dwindling before a March 31 deadline for action, lawmakers looking for answers to the state's property tax crisis were handed another delay Tuesday. [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Read More
Amendments introduced to lower property taxes
Proposed constitutional amendments to allow homeowners to pay lower property rates and to restrict government spending were introduced Monday in the Senate. [Las Vegas Sun] Read More
Shared child custody legislation aired in the N.H. House
Divorced fathers and their advocates urged lawmakers to treat parents as equals when it comes to rights to their children. [Foster's Daily Democrat (Dover)] Read More
House committee backs revised Medicaid plan
Health and Human Services Commissioner John Stephen has had few reasons to celebrate success of his ambitious GraniteCare plan to control the future cost of Medicaid, so he can be forgiven for celebrating an incremental one on Tuesday. [The Telegraph (Nashua)] Read More
Tax proposal removed from aid plan
Gov. John Lynch, a Democrat, and House Speaker Douglas Scamman Jr., a Republican, helped make a proposed statewide property tax disappear from an education aid compromise Tuesday. [The Telegraph (Nashua)] Read More
Lawmakers send budget to printers
Welfare families would have to pay a fee to get Medicaid. Some disabled residents would have to wait much longer for services. Money for land conservation would grow, but not by as much as supporters wanted. [The Telegraph (Nashua)] Read More
Court - NH can oversee audit of diocese
Ending a hard-fought dispute between the state and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester, a judge yesterday ruled state oversight of the effectiveness of the church's child protection policies is permissible under the agreement both sides reached in 2002. [The Union Leader (Manchester)] Read More
Codey signs bill to put an end to 'pay to play' on state bids
Saying that New Jersey needs drastic campaign finance restrictions to restore public trust, Acting Gov. Richard J. Codey signed a bill into law on Tuesday that bans campaign contributions by companies that hold or seek large state contracts. [The New York Times (registration)] Read More
Codey enacts ban on 'pay-to-play' amid applause
After years of campaign finance scandals and political debate, New Jersey's "pay-to-play" ban for state government became law yesterday as acting Gov. Richard Codey signed a bill barring political donors from getting certain lucrative state contracts. [The Star-Ledger (Newark)] Read More
Corzine vows to take sharp knife to state budget
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jon Corzine said yesterday he would use business skills he honed while running a global firm to slash state spending, minimize new taxes and avoid new debt. [The Star-Ledger (Newark)] Read More
Democrats have trouble pinning Wilson down
WASHINGTON - Majority Whip Roy Blunt, the Missouri Republican in charge of rounding up GOP votes in the U.S. House, says there are days when Rep. Heather Wilson can be "a little obstinate." [Albuquerque Tribune] Read More
Heavy lifting - NM lawmakers fund fitness equipment for Capitol
Arnold, take note. New Mexico may soon be exercising some legislative muscle. Tucked away in legislation to finance capital improvements across the state is $85,000 to "purchase and install exercise equipment at the state Capitol." [New Mexican (Santa Fe) (registration)] Read More
Deadline near for budget, and fingers begin to point
Neither the governor nor the two top legislative leaders in Albany have abandoned a pledge to strike a state budget deal by the April 1 deadline for the first time in two decades. [The New York Times (registration)] Read More
Budget talks grow tense
Lawmakers publicly displayed a stack of documents Tuesday to prove they have printed some budget bills, but Gov. George Pataki suggested the reams of spending plans may be a waste of paper. [Times Union (Albany)] Read More
NYCLU refuses to let reporters cover deposition
The state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union refused Tuesday to open a deposition being taken from an official of the state Lobbying Commission in a suit accusing the commission of infringing on the ACLU's free-speech rights. [Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester)] Read More
Pol to state - Cut delay and cut our tax checks
An influential state senator yesterday sent a letter to state taxation officials demanding that they either stop holding back New Yorkers' refund checks or give a better reason for the delay. [New York Post] Read More
Panel rejects lobbyist contract
A subcommittee of the state Legislature on Tuesday refused to approve a proposal by Gov. George Pataki to continue to pay a lobbyist $1 million a year to try to influence a military base-closing commission. [Times Union (Albany)] Read More
12 new Empire Zones approved
The state will create 12 new Empire Zones designed to encourage job growth and extend the life of the 72 existing ones to 2015, under a plan agreed to by the Senate and Assembly on Tuesday. Read More
Group proposes $8.6B education aid increase
The group that won a landmark school funding lawsuit against the state is attempting to move its cause from the courts to the Legislature by offering a bill that would allocate even more money for education statewide. [Times Union (Albany)] Read More
Black rejects call to quit
N.C. House Speaker Jim Black has no plans to leave his post, despite a call by political opponents Wednesday for him to step down while the N.C. auditor examines a $5 million state fund controlled by the speaker's office. [The Charlotte Observer (registration)] Read More
State might create first U.S. panel to probe innocence claims
North Carolina would break legal ground if the state created a panel to be known as the N.C. Innocence Inquiry Commission. [The Sun Herald (Biloxi)] Read More
State board says surgeon lied
On Tuesday, the N.C. Medical Board accused a Wilmington doctor who performed hundreds of weight-loss surgeries of defrauding patients and their insurance companies. [The News & Observer (Raleigh) (registration)] Read More
Voices sought on smoking ban
Mecklenburg County commissioners must heavily back a bill giving them authority to ban smoking in bars and restaurants if it is to pass the state legislature, several local legislators said. [The Charlotte Observer (registration)] Read More
N.C. slips in ranking of road maintenance
A new university study reports road woes that N.C. drivers see every day: Congestion is worsening and the state is seeing only slow progress in maintaining its roads. [The Charlotte Observer (registration)] Read More
Landing field faces a bump
In a state that prides itself on military friendliness, the federal government could lose its free hand over land it acquires for a Navy landing field. [The News & Observer (Raleigh) (registration)] Read More
Schools facing crucial vote
Opponents of a bill forcing 33 small school districts to consolidate with larger ones gained a small victory Tuesday, setting up a crucial vote in the House. [The Bismarck Tribune] Read More
House OKs hunting changes on reservations
A new state law will end some hunters' obligation to buy a state hunting license to hunt on tribal land on North Dakota's American Indian reservations. Supporters say the change will help foster better tribal-state relationships. [The Forum (Fargo)] Read More
Bars get more breaks in amendment to bill
Bars won't have to go smoke-free two years from now - or ever - under an amendment added to the Legislature's smoke-free workplace bill on Tuesday. [The Forum (Fargo)] Read More
Don't believe gambling industry's 'empty' promises, opponents in Ohio say
As lawmakers prepared a closed-door meeting with horse track owners and representatives of the Eastern Shawnee tribe, casino gambling opponents attacked the industry Tuesday for making false promises and creating social ills. [Dayton Daily News] Read More
Ohio, Michigan laws allow choice
Ohio and Michigan residents can direct, in advance, what type of care they would like to receive - or not receive - in the event they become incapacitated. These instructions are often referred to as "advance directives." [Toledo Blade] Read More
Heimlich joins 'Petro for Governor' ticket
Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro named Phil Heimlich as his running mate for governor Tuesday, embracing the Hamilton County commissioner as a fellow reformer. [The Cincinnati Enquirer] Read More
Ohio House Democrats in E. Toledo to give ideas to balance state budget
Democrats from the Ohio House of Representatives presented ideas for balancing the state budget to two dozen local residents last night during a town hall meeting at VFW Post 4906 on Consaul Street in East Toledo, mixing in some partisan complaints about the Republicans who control state government. [Toledo Blade] Read More
State says death row moving to supermax prison in Youngstown
The state, having announced it will move Ohio's death row, is confident that transporting dozens of condemned killers 111 miles farther east can be accomplished easily and safely. [The Beacon Journal (Akron)(registration)] Read More
State EPA signs off on retail center atop old dump
GARFIELD HEIGHTS, Ohio - State regulators have signed off on the closely watched construction of a $100 million shopping complex atop an abandoned dump. [The Beacon Journal (Akron)(registration)] Read More
Ky. gambling issue takes a turn
FLORENCE, Ohio - The debate over casino gambling is heating up on both sides of the Ohio River. Kentucky's horseracing industry is encouraged by a fresh legal opinion indicating that statewide voter approval is not needed to legalize casino gambling. [The Cincinnati Enquirer] Read More
Gambling foes gird for new fight against casinos
Gambling opponents yesterday launched a pre-emptive strike against tomorrow's summit of gaming interests by vowing to counter predictions of casino-related jobs and tax dollars with images of broken families and empty promises. [Toledo Blade] Read More
Ohio gambling foes gird for fight
As the state's biggest gambling supporters prepare for a meeting in Columbus, opponents fired a pre-emptive strike Tuesday to show that they are once again ready for a fight. [The Cincinnati Enquirer] Read More
Hobson stepping down as pro tem, sources say
Senate President Pro Tem Cal Hobson, who has discussed his alcoholism with fellow lawmakers, plans to relinquish his leadership post during a meeting of House Democrats on Wednesday, sources told The Associated Press. [The Daily Ardmoreite (Ardmore)] Read More
Bulk of Oklahoma immigrants are undocumented
Nearly 40 percent of Oklahoma's foreign-born population are in the country illegally, according to a new study. [The Daily Ardmoreite (Ardmore)] Read More
Felony charges filed in university drinking death
NORMAN, Okla. - Prosecutors filed felony charges Tuesday against four University of Oklahoma fraternity members accused of providing alcohol to minors on the night a 19-year-old pledge died of alcohol poisoning. [The Daily Ardmoreite (Ardmore)] Read More
Petition goes to governor
An initiative petition for a statewide vote to raise fuel taxes has cleared the Oklahoma Supreme Court and is headed to the governor, who must decide when an election should be held. [The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) (registration)] Read More
Signs point to Democratic rift
Black lawmakers are refusing to say whether they will support Gov. Brad Henry's 2006 re-election bid, but comments made Tuesday point toward a growing disagreement in the Democratic Party. [The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) (registration)] Read More
Democrats to discuss Senate post
Senate Democrats will caucus at 9:30 a.m. today to prepare for picking a new Senate leader later today to replace Sen. Cal Hobson, Capitol and Senate sources said. [The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) (registration)] Read More
House panel backs plan to curb computer porn
A House committee gave approval Tuesday to a bill requiring computer technicians to notify authorities of any child pornography they find while working on computers. [The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) (registration)] Read More
Potter outlines conditions tied to terror force
Mayor Tom Potter will go public today with a plan that could get Portland out of a controversial anti-terrorism task force by putting the onus for keeping the city involved on the federal government. [The Oregonian (Portland)] Read More
Lottery retailers may see ante raised
High-stakes negotiations about how to divide state lottery profits from new slot-machine-style games are entering the final, crucial stage. [Statesman Journal (Salem)] Read More
Lawmakers consider ?fire safe' cigarettes
Tobacco companies are opposing a bill that would require all cigarettes sold in Oregon be "fire safe'' -- or self-extinguishing if not being smoked -- to reduce cigarette-caused fires. [Corvallis Gazette-Times] Read More
Kulongoski seeks rigorous schools
Gov. Ted Kulongoski wants the class of 2025 to be snapped up by employers and recruited by universities. [Statesman Journal (Salem)] Read More
Chemicals cling to dust in homes, study finds
Dust bunnies in Oregon homes contain more than just dirt. [Statesman Journal (Salem)] Read More
Case has Oregonians seeking a say on care
At dinner Saturday at her house, Diane Cullen says she'll sit down with eight family members and distribute copies of an advance directive -- a document that specifies what kind of medical care should be given if someone is too sick or injured to communicate. [The Oregonian (Portland)] Read More
Rendell says land deal was proper
Gov. Rendell said yesterday that the state did nothing wrong when it sold its interest in a 22-acre site along the Delaware River to a company owned in part by state Sen. Michael J. Stack 3d (D., Phila.). [The Philadelphia Inquirer (registration)] Read More
U.S. probe targets casino site
For the second time in four months, an investigation has begun into the purchase of land in Pennsylvania that could eventually become the site for a slot machine casino. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette] Read More
Unbuilt public health lab a linchpin in state's readiness for bioterrorism
Pennsylvania's ability to deal with a biological terror attack would be improved if Allegheny County's proposed public health lab is built, county Health Department Director Dr. Bruce Dixon said yesterday. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette] Read More
School boards may ask Act 72 delay
With about two months left for school boards to decide whether to opt into a property tax relief program with strings attached, the Pennsylvania School Boards Association has decided to ask the court for more time. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette] Read More
Santorum's return is No. 1 GOP goal
The Republican Party's top goal in the 2006 mid-term elections is to keep Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum in office, national party chairman Ken Mehlman said yesterday. [The Philadelphia Inquirer (registration)] Read More
Bill lets golf courses sell liquor from carts
Tonight, just in time for spring, the Senate Committee on Constitutional and Gaming issues will take up this pressing issue: Should the state legalize the sale of alcoholic beverages from "mobile wagons or carts" deployed on golf courses? [The Providence Journal (registration)] Read More
House committee trashes Carcieri's recycling-fee plan
Governor Carcieri's proposal to increase waste-disposal fees for communities that don't recycle enough got a cold reception last night from the House Finance Committee. [The Providence Journal (registration)] Read More
School financing system called in crisis
It's not just poor urban school districts feeling the pinch; this year, suburban communities are clamoring for more state money for education, Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline told lawmakers yesterday. [The Providence Journal (registration)] Read More
Ethics panel sets $25 lid on gifts to officials
The state Ethics Commission yesterday replaced its much-criticized gift allowance for public officials, after a hearing in which one speaker after another denounced the high-priced dinners, free rounds of golf, box seats to championship games and other perks that lobbyists shower on Rhode Island's public officials. [The Providence Journal (registration)] Read More
Ten Commandments on trial
The 2.5-ton granite monument of the Ten Commandments came and went outside the State House on Tuesday with little fanfare and scarce attention. [The State (Columbia)] Read More
Area schools stress safety issues every day
Events like Monday's school shootings in Minnesota cause a short-term increase in public concern about school safety, but Midlands officials say they focus on the issue every day. [The State (Columbia)] Read More
Conservatives wonder why no GOP push on Ford ethics
Capitol Hill is pulling its punches in not speaking more critically of Sen. John Ford, and the close relationships between the two parties may be the reason why, advocates for stronger ethics legislation say. [The Tennessean (Nashville)] Read More
Cigarette tax-hike bill stays in committee
Anti-smoking advocates had a brief moment to rejoice yesterday when they were told a cigarette tax increase had cleared the powerful Senate Finance Committee ? only to learn later that votes had been miscounted. [The Tennessean (Nashville)] Read More
Democrats must work in state to win it, Dean says
If the Democrats want to win in Tennessee, the first thing they have to do is campaign here, Howard Dean told a packed house at Vanderbilt University last night. [The Tennessean (Nashville)] Read More
Few voted early in Dist. 33
This was supposed to be an off-election year. But when veteran legislator Roscoe Dixon gave up his District 33 state Senate seat the ensuing special election immediately drew the interest of several veteran politicians and even more political novices looking for a change of scenery. [The Commercial Appeal (Memphis) (registration)] Read More
Strayhorn cites gap in tax bill
The tax-swap bill passed by the House last week falls billions short of the revenue needed to make up for its school property tax cuts, Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn warned Tuesday. [The Dallas Morning News (registration)] Read More
Bill would cost highway fund a half billion dollars
Texas transportation officials have been so concerned about diversions from the state highway fund that they tallied up 20 years of them this month and shared the daunting $10 billion total with legislators. [The Austin American-Statesman (registration)] Read More
Texas sues Internet phone service over 911
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott filed suit Tuesday against the telephone service provider that failed to connect Joyce John to 911 last month when two men attacked and shot her parents at their southwest Houston home. [The Houston Chronicle (registration)] Read More
School safety gets Senate priority
Acting on the heels of the shooting massacre in Minnesota, the Senate on Tuesday approved one bill and touted another designed to improve safety in Texas' public schools. [The Houston Chronicle (registration)] Read More
Phone regulation bill faces House debate today
A proposal to overhaul the state's telecommunications law is headed for a showdown today, as state House lawmakers are poised to debate a bill that would substantially end the regulation of phone rates. [The Austin American-Statesman (registration)] Read More
Senate panel OKs bill that compensates wrongfully imprisoned
The Senate Criminal Justice Committee approved legislation Tuesday to make it easier for people who were wrongfully imprisoned to receive compensation from the state. [The Houston Chronicle (registration)] Read More
Legislative scrutiny sought for enterprise fund
One of Gov. Rick Perry's most favored programs, designed to attract business and jobs to Texas, isn't subject to the same accountability standards as other state programs, a House committee was told Tuesday. [The San Antonio Express-News (registration)] Read More
Strayhorn says tax bill falls short by $4 billion
Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn stunned lawmakers Tuesday by announcing that a sweeping tax plan passed by the House falls about $4 billion short of delivering its promised school property-tax relief. [The Houston Chronicle (registration)] Read More
Students may have to dance to beat of state drum
Warning to high school cheerleaders and dancers who like to "drop it like it's hot" at pep rallies and ballgames: That bumping and grinding might cost your school state funding. [The San Antonio Express-News (registration)] Read More
TEA plan would fail more schools
The number of "academically unacceptable" schools in Texas could grow by a factor of 10 under a tougher set of standards approved by a Texas Education Agency committee. [The Dallas Morning News (registration)] Read More
Transportation issues move on
Passed in the Senate and on their way to the House are two related measures prompted by increased truck traffic from Mexico into Texas: [The Houston Chronicle (registration)] Read More
HHSC leader defends how contract was handled
Texas Health and Human Services Commissioner Albert Hawkins, facing a lawsuit from IBM and legislative inquiries, is defending his agency against charges of conflicts of interest and favoritism in the handling of a $1 billion welfare privatization contract. [The Houston Chronicle (registration)] Read More
Youth safety key in alcohol proposals
Midnight birthday celebrations and those who help minors drink are the targets of legislation likely to pass a House committee next week, the panel's chairman said Tuesday. [The Dallas Morning News (registration)] Read More
Clinton-Hutchison meeting becomes e-mail fodder
As U.S. Sen. Kay Baily Hutchison was traveling through Central Texas on Tuesday to raise awareness of the oldest trails in the state, a video clip was being circulated via e-mail showing U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton telling a group she's "delighted that" Hutchison "is my partner on so many important fronts." [The Austin American-Statesman (registration)] Read More
Bill would limit public's input in TCEQ decisions
A House committee heard testimony Tuesday on a bill that could limit the public's right to participate in environmental permitting decisions at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. [The Houston Chronicle (registration)] Read More
A 10-lane road to the future
HOUSTON - For four generations, Clarence Friedrich's family has farmed the land in Fayette County, Texas. [The Christian Science Monitor] Read More
2 bills target underage, binge drinking
Michael Wagener hadn't planned a big 21st birthday blowout, but his friends kept buying him drinks. The Texas A&M University senior died after downing about eight shots within 45 minutes. [The Houston Chronicle (registration)] Read More
School meds bill gets vetoed
On his last day of bill signing, Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. killed a measure that would have prevented teachers and schools from recommending students take behavior modification drugs. [The Daily Herald (Provo)] Read More
Living will can bring peace near the end
Dana Barrutia lost her 41-year-old sister suddenly eight years ago from an illness. Last year, she buried her 80-year-old father, who suffered from dementia and other ailments for a decade. [The Salt Lake Tribune] Read More
Utah is urged to prepare for possible pandemic
If an influenza pandemic swept through the United States in the near future, tens of thousands would probably die and the economy could be hobbled as millions fell ill. [The Salt Lake Tribune] Read More
Utah to get 2nd chance before NRC
Utah officials will get another chance April 6 to argue that the Private Fuel Storage high-level radioactive waste storage facility planned for Tooele County is too risky. [The Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City)] Read More
Governor goes easy on using veto pen
On his last day to decide the fate of new legislation, Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. vetoed two bills and struck a few redundant lines from the state budget. [The Salt Lake Tribune] Read More
Utah no longer makes ends meet by raiding tobacco lawsuit money
WASHINGTON - Utah was slower than other states to kick the habit, but it has finally weaned itself away from using money from a big tobacco lawsuit to balance the state budget. [The Salt Lake Tribune] Read More
Teachers pension against Bush plan
The Vermont State Teachers' Retirement System on Tuesday became the first public pension board in the country to take formal action against President Bush's Social Security reforms. [Rutland Herald] Read More
Senate Dems vow override of pension veto
Senate Democrats vowed Tuesday to override Gov. James Douglas' veto of a bill combining three state pensions, but it was still a question whether the House could do the same. [Rutland Herald] Read More
Forest plan protects more wilderness, allows ATVs
A draft plan for the Green Mountain National Forest recommends additional wilderness protection and allows all-terrain vehicles to use some public land. [Rutland Herald] Read More
Leaders seek 'baby safe-haven' law in Vermont
Vermont's Republican lieutenant governor and Democratic secretary of state joined Tuesday to ask lawmakers to pass a bill granting immunity to mothers who abandon babies in safe places. [Rutland Herald] Read More
Sex offender registry doesn't reveal all
The arrest of a convicted sex offender in a Burlington murder reveals that Vermont's sex-offender registry doesn't alert the public to all offenders. [Burlington Free Press] Read More
DMV to look at changes to inspection stickers
The Senate Transportation Committee asked the Department of Motor Vehicles to look into some sort of change that would make it easier for drivers to see their own inspection stickers. [Burlington Free Press] Read More
Renewable energy compromise weighed
Up to now, the classic governmental strategy to "persuade" electric utilities to make greater use of renewable energy to power lights and toasters has been a mandate. Enter Scudder Parker, public policy coordinator for Vermont Businesses for Social Reponsibility who formerly worked on energy policy with the Department of Public Service. He has suggested that instead of a stick, why not offer utilities a carrot? [Burlington Free Press] Read More
State OKs 2 efforts to restock Bay with oysters
A state panel approved two projects Tuesday designed to restore oysters to the Chesapeake Bay -- one to help disappearing native stocks, the other to continue experiments with an Asian species. [The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk) (registration)] Read More
Governor's task force issues report on crime
The scene in Chesterfield Heights on Monday afternoon was all too familiar: a young black man gunned down, tearful family and friends hugging one another, police behind yellow crime scene tape seeking spent shells. [The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk) (registration)] Read More
Grocery tax falls on July 1
Gov. Mark R. Warner yesterday signed legislation that cuts the tax on groceries from 4 percent to 2.5 percent. It will take effect July 1. [Richmond Times-Dispatch] Read More
Va. voters promised a voice on taxes
Republican gubernatorial candidate Jerry W. Kilgore pledged yesterday to give Virginia voters a veto over plans to raise money for transportation and other state services by requiring a referendum for most tax increases. [The Washington Post (registration)] Read More
Maybe state should take over park, officials say
If Virginia's Explore Park ceases to be Explore Park or anything very much like it, the 1,155 acres Explore sits on would revert to the state. [The Roanoke Times] Read More
Economists - Property tax promises are ''bad policy''
The two front-runners in the governor's race hope to win votes by promising to give homeowners a break from rising real estate taxes. [The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk) (registration)] Read More
A futile fight over Va. man
Six years after Hugh Finn died a very public death in a Manassas nursing home amid a bitter family dispute, his wife and his brother watch the developments in the Terri Schiavo case and see that their fight did not change anything. [The Washington Post (registration)] Read More
Senate is said to be closely split on gay-rights bill
A gay-civil-rights bill is one or two votes shy of a majority in the Senate, Sen. Darlene Fairley said yesterday after a hearing on the measure. [The Seattle Times] Read More
Proposed budget a boon for schools
The education-friendly budget released this week by Gov. Christine Gregoire helped bring out the kinder, gentler and grateful side of school advocates who met on the Capitol steps Tuesday morning. [The Olympian] Read More
Nazi victim offended by stem cell remark
A Holocaust survivor who endured Nazi medical experiments is demanding an apology from state lawmakers who compared embryonic stem cell research to Nazi atrocities. [Seattle Post-Intelligencer] Read More
Smokers say planned tax increase is a drag
On the butt-littered sidewalks and office doorways of downtown Seattle yesterday, smokers panned Gov. Christine Gregoire's proposed 20-cent-a-pack cigarette tax increase as ineffective and unfair. [Seattle Post-Intelligencer] Read More
Malpractice insurance plan ending
A state program designed to help doctors find medical malpractice insurance is being terminated because of lack of interest, the state insurance commissioner's office said yesterday. [Seattle Post-Intelligencer] Read More
Bill would require crime witnesses to call for help
At least 10 people saw 18-year-old Rachel Burkheimer bruised, bound and gagged, lying on the floor of a south Everett garage in September 2002. [Seattle Post-Intelligencer] Read More
$2.8 billion for construction in governor's budget package
Gov. Christine Gregoire is proposing a $2.8 billion construction boom and endorses her predecessor's proposal to let private investors build a new state prison. [The Seattle Times] Read More
Senate committee approves referendum on casino-style gaming
Refusing to let all West Virginia voters decide its fate, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved a four-county-only referendum Tuesday on casino-style gambling at horse and dog tracks. [The Register-Herald (Beckley)(registration)] Read More
Anti-meth bill approved, sent to House
Legislation aimed at slowing down the production of methamphetamine by limiting the sale of products with meth?s active ingredient unanimously passed the state Senate Tuesday and was sent to the House of Delegates. [Charleston Gazette (registration)] Read More
Court to rule on mental-health costs
When the state Department of Health and Human Resources was grasping for a way to cap the skyrocketing budgets of Mountain State's two mental-health hospitals, it turned to the state Supreme Court. [Charleston Gazette (registration)] Read More
Two bills aimed at helping marriages
Longer marriages are the aim of two bills seeking an "I do" from legislators. Both measures would prescribe a dose of counseling before and during marriages to keep couples together. [Charleston Daily Mail] Read More
School TB testing may be dropped
Despite not finding a single case of tuberculosis in at least 20 years of routine school employee testing, state law requires it, which costs about $500,000 a year. [Charleston Daily Mail] Read More
Senate panel approves request for turnpike coal truck waiver
Bucking an engineer's advice, the Senate Transportation Committee agreed Tuesday to ask Congress to consider a waiver so coal trucks can haul maximum loads on a 4-mile stretch of the West Virginia Turnpike. [The Register-Herald (Beckley)(registration)] Read More
Senate panel OKs table games bill
The state's four racetracks won the first round of the table games sweepstakes Tuesday, as the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced the bill to legalize casino-style games at the tracks on a 10-7 vote. [Charleston Gazette (registration)] Read More
Mezzatesta given deadline to pay fine
The state Ethics Commission has given former House of Delegates Education Committee Chairman Jerry Mezzatesta until April 10 to pay a $2,000 fine. [Charleston Gazette (registration)] Read More
WVU, Marshall seek local control
It doesn?t make sense to ask the Legislature to micromanage a billion-dollar entity with more than 10,000 employees, West Virginia University President David Hardesty told members of Senate Education Committee. [Charleston Gazette (registration)] Read More
The Capitol Report - Interim panel recommended no water changes
An interim committee studying the way West Virginia writes water pollution rules issued a final report after all. [Charleston Gazette (registration)] Read More
State gets less security funding
Because of President Bush's emphasis on protecting metropolitan areas of the country, West Virginia is receiving millions less in homeland security funding this year. [Charleston Daily Mail] Read More
Governor makes U.S. 35 priority
Gov. Joe Manchin and state transportation officials say a new U.S. 35 through Mason and Putnam counties is a state priority and something the new governor would like to see built during his administration. [Charleston Gazette (registration)] Read More
State schools chief may retire early
State schools Superintendent David Stewart might retire early. On Tuesday, he acknowledged widespread rumors that he may leave before June 2006, the end of a two-year term he agreed to postpone his retirement to last year. [Charleston Gazette (registration)] Read More
Budget calls for $23M in new sales tax collections
New taxes on chocolate chips? Tea? And cloth diapers? Yes, yes and yes. Changes in state tax laws under Gov. Jim Doyle's budget proposal could cost Wisconsin residents up to $23.1 million more in sales and use taxes, according to a report the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau released Tuesday. [The Post-Crescent (Appleton)] Read More
Do budget cutbacks imperil war on meth?
APPLETON, Wis. - Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager warned Tuesday that progress in the fight against the proliferation of methamphetamine could be endangered by budget cuts even as she gave support to some proposals currently in the Legislature intended to curb the spread of the addictive stimulant. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] Read More
Bills spark most cell complaints
When William Schuh of Kaukauna signed up for a new cell phone plan last year he got more than he bargained for. More than $150 in yearly charges were tagged onto his bill. [The Post-Crescent (Appleton)] Read More
With crisis past, 50,000 doses of flu vaccine go to waste
Despite a nationwide shortage of flu vaccine, the state has nearly 50,000 doses of the vaccine that will expire in June. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] Read More
Doyle proposes cuts to lottery jobs
The state would cut half the Wisconsin Lottery's employees by contracting their work to private companies under Gov. Jim Doyle's plan to restructure dramatically the 17-year-old program. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] Read More
Doyle to discuss W-2, child welfare
Governor Jim Doyle will discuss the idea of whether two state programs - Wisconsin Works and child welfare - should be integrated, during Wednesday's Alianza Hispanic forum. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] Read More
A push for equal prosperity
Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton's effort to raise the economic status of Wisconsin women entered a new phase Tuesday, as more than 800 participants left a statewide conference armed with recommendations to change the business and social environment. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] Read More
State should wait to increase perch limits on Green Bay, DNR says
MADISON, Wis. - The state should wait to increase the commercial fishing limit on yellow perch in Green Bay until the middle of next year to give the fish more time to boost its population, according to a state report. [Duluth News Tribune] Read More
Doyle opposes hospital moratorium
BROOKFIELD, Wis. - Gov. Jim Doyle said Tuesday that he could not support a moratorium on hospital construction in Wisconsin but said rules of a state authority used by health care organizations to get favorable building loan rates may need to be changed to consider the need for new medical facilities. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] Read More
Voter list lacks key element
Although at least 82 felons voted illegally Nov. 2 in Milwaukee alone, state election officials are constructing a new voter list that could leave the door open to fraud when a simple step would close it. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] Read More
Several may be eyeing auditor post
In the August 2006 primary election, Wyoming Republican voters may see two Cubins on the ballot. Or two Thomases, for that matter. [Casper Star-Tribune] Read More
Wildlife trust board appointed
CHEYENNE, Wyo. - Gov. Dave Freudenthal on Tuesday appointed nine residents with a wide variety of backgrounds to oversee the newly created Wyoming wildlife trust fund. [Billings Gazette] Read More
DEQ begins to regulate 'flaring'
Oil and gas companies will soon have to obtain state permits to use "flaring" in the completion of wells in Wyoming. [Casper Star-Tribune] Read More
Medicare starts covering smoking cessation programs
WASHINGTON - You're never to old to quit smoking, government officials said Tuesday, announcing that Medicare will immediately start covering the cost of counseling for certain beneficiaries who want to quit tobacco. [Los Angeles Times (registration)] Read More
U.S. rule on women's sports may ease college compliance
In a move that could make it easier for colleges to show that their sports offerings for women comply with law, the Education Department has quietly issued a new clarification of the regulations interpreting Title IX, the statute barring sex discrimination at institutions that receive federal financing. [The New York Times (registration)] Read More
GOP right is splintered on Schiavo intervention
WASHINGTON - The vote by Congress to allow the federal courts to take over the Terri Schiavo case has created distress among some conservatives who say that lawmakers violated a cornerstone of conservative philosophy by intervening in the ruling of a state court. [The New York Times (registration)] Read More
Army eases age limit for Guard, Reserve
The Army is tapping into a new pool of potential recruits for the National Guard and the Army Reserve by raising the maximum enlistment age from 34 to 39, officials said yesterday. [The Washington Post (registration)] Read More |
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