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Archive of Politics on Thursday March 31, 2005
Death penalty survives
The state House of Representatives rejected a proposal Wednesday to abolish the death penalty and spare the lives of serial killer Michael Ross and six others on Connecticut's death row. [The Hartford Courant (registration)] Read More
Gay rights to become law as opponents mobilize
Maine's House and Senate gave final approval to an anti-discrimination bill Wednesday, capping a whirlwind week of activity after nearly 30 years of frustration for gay and lesbian Mainers. But the real fight may have just begun. [Portland Press Herald] Read More
Same-sex unions -- a constitutional race
Spurred by Massachusetts' 2003 ruling to legalize same-sex marriages, states are racing to pass constitutional amendments prohibiting courts from issuing rulings in favor of gay unions. The drive builds on the legislative backlash from last year's elections, when voters in 13 states overwhelmingly approved amendments codifying marriage as an exclusively heterosexual institution. Stateline.org offers a complete rundown on state same-sex marriage laws. Read More
Sen. Murkowski- ANWR no done deal
The fight to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling is not over yet, U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, told members of the Alaska Legislature on Wednesday. [Anchorage Daily News] Read More
Panel OKs 6% raises in budget
Teachers and other employees of public schools and two-year colleges would get raises of 6 percent starting Oct. 1, under a spending plan proposed Wednesday by the Senate's education budget committee. [The Birmingham News] Read More
Foster parents, kids criticize DHR
Former foster mother Vickie Newell choked back sobs Wednesday as she held up the photograph of three smiling brothers standing in front of a tree. [The Birmingham News] Read More
House committee passes phone deregulation bill
Lobbyists and others complained Wednesday about heavy-handed action by state Rep. Oliver Robinson, D-Birmingham, after the review committee he chairs passed by voice vote a phone deregulation bill pushed by BellSouth Corp. [The Birmingham News] Read More
Bill to help isolated schools passed
Legislation designed to bring additional state funding to help some isolated schools won approval of the House Wednesday. [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock)] Read More
Immigration bill embraced by Senate panel
A bill that would give undocumented immigrants eligibility for in-state tuition and scholarships was recommended Wednesday by the Senate Education Committee. [Arkansas News Bureau] Read More
School building bill debate goes private in Senate
Arkansas Senate leaders chose to talk privately Wednesday rather than publicly about a school building proposal that wasn't well received by their colleagues the previous day. [Arkansas News Bureau] Read More
Hispanic legislators to monitor monitors
A group of Hispanic state lawmakers is going to Cochise County on Friday, at least in part to confront volunteers from the Minuteman Project. [Arizona Daily Star (Tucson)] Read More
Panel would give DEQ 2 more years
A House panel on Wednesday voted to continue the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality for two more years. [The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)] Read More
California's first lady builds a different role
There are 16 million women in California, and Maria Shriver is only one of them. [The New York Times (registration)] Read More
Senate probes 'irregularities' in troubled purchasing contract
State officials improperly handled bid documents concerning a multimillion dollar purchasing contract that eventually went to a Virginia company with no experience in the field, according to testimony before a Senate panel. [The San Diego Union-Tribune] Read More
Governor defends link to annual fitness expo
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Faced with growing criticism over his connections to the dietary supplement industry that sponsors his Arnold Fitness Weekend, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says the annual expo is a private enterprise -- not a public endorsement of products sold there. [The Contra Costa Times] Read More
McPherson is sworn in as secretary of state
Bruce McPherson was confirmed as California's secretary of state and immediately sworn into office Wednesday, marking a new start for an agency rocked by scandal and uncertainty. [The Sacramento Bee] Read More
Governor takes heat for absences
Every time Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger leaves the state, he must relinquish his powers to Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante under a law written in the days before the telephone was invented. [The Sacramento Bee] Read More
Legislators confirm secretary of state
California lawmakers confirmed a new secretary of state Wednesday but delayed voting on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's nominee for the teachers retirement board. [Los Angeles Times (registration)] Read More
Emergency rules called overused
Since taking office, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared dozens of public emergencies that allowed him to change state regulations, angering Democratic lawmakers and a California judge who say the governor has overstepped his authority on several important laws. [Los Angeles Times (registration)] Read More
Marriage resolution draws fire
A group of lawmakers wants Coloradans to vote next November on a constitutional amendment that would define marriage as a union between one man and one woman. [Rocky Mountain News (Denver)] Read More
Owens assured of state input at Summit on Indian Gaming
Gov. Bill Owens won assurances from top Indian gaming officials Wednesday that they oppose lobbying Congress to create new casino sites without involving state officials - a gambit tried more than a year ago by backers of a tribal casino near Denver International Airport. [Denver Post] Read More
State e-mail touts budget fix
A member of Gov. Bill Owens' Cabinet sent a memo to some state employees defending the bipartisan solution to Colorado's budget problems. [Denver Post] Read More
Flier takes 'ugly' shot at Owens, irks officials
A mean-spirited spoof about Gov. Bill Owens that was made to look like a missing-person flier landed in some Republican lawmakers' mailboxes this week. [Rocky Mountain News (Denver)] Read More
Loretto - Not just a prison town
LORETTO, Pa. - John G. Rowland will not have to feel like a stranger in a strange land when he reaches this village hidden in the forested ridges of the Alleghenies. [The Hartford Courant (registration)] Read More
Panel OKs same-sex civil unions
The General Assembly's finance committee voted 31-11 Wednesday to approve and send to the Senate a bill authorizing civil unions for same-sex couples. The approval came without debate. [The Hartford Courant (registration)] Read More
Dem leader criticizes Simmons, fund-raiser
WASHINGTON - The head of Connecticut?s Democratic Party slammed U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons, R-2, for attending a fund-raiser Wednesday night held by a key player in the Rowland administration's botched $220 million loan to fallen energy giant Enron. [New Haven Register (registration)] Read More
Bill proposes video meetings
Members of certain regulatory boards could attend meetings using videoconferencing and technology under a measure filed last month in the General Assembly. [Delaware State News (Dover)] Read More
Schiavo dies after feeding tube removed
PINELLAS PARK, Fla. - Terri Schiavo, the severely brain-damaged woman whose final years tethered to a feeding tube sparked a bitter feud over her fate that divided a family and a nation, died Thursday, her husband's attorney said. [The Palm Beach Post] Read More
Free-trade push could lose funds
Gov. Jeb Bush's high-profile push to make Miami the free-trade headquarters for 34 American nations has found an unexpected opponent in one of the Tampa Bay area's Republican legislators. [St. Petersburg Times] Read More
Terri Schiavo dies
PINELLAS PARK, Fla. - Theresa Marie Schindler Schiavo died today, ending an agonizing 15-year odyssey that divided a family and a nation over her right to die. She was 41. [The Orlando Sentinel (registration)] Read More
Federal judge condemns intervention in Schiavo case
PINELLAS PARK, Fla. - A federal appeals court in Atlanta refused Wednesday to reconsider the case of Terri Schiavo, with one of the judges rebuking President Bush and Congress for acting "in a manner demonstrably at odds with our founding fathers' blueprint for the governance of a free people." [The New York Times (registration)] Read More
Center may peel off Byrd name
Former House Speaker Johnnie Byrd was such a polarizing figure, even his name is still a liability in some circles. [St. Petersburg Times] Read More
For Schiavo, 'it's getting real late'
PINELLAS PARK, Fla. - Terri Schiavo's parents said Wednesday that she is fighting to stay alive, even as another court motion to reinsert her feeding tube was denied and some doctors began to say she probably is past the point of recovery. [St. Petersburg Times] Read More
Court rejects parents' potential 'last resort'
PINELLAS PARK, Fla. - The parents of Terri Schiavo were dealt perhaps a final legal blow late Wednesday when the U.S. Supreme Court refused to intervene in the case. [USA Today] Read More
Plea for Schiavo denied
WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court on Wednesday once again refused to order Terri Schiavo's feeding tube reinserted, dealing another blow to her parents' attempts to keep their severely brain-damaged daughter alive. [Los Angeles Times (registration)] Read More
Session will end in traditional trot
After gaveling this year's session to a close tonight, Richardson - who began the legislative session with a broken foot - will bow to each side of the House and dash out of the chamber. [The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (registration)] Read More
Key issues remain on Day 39
Today is Republicans' last chance to push key parts of their agenda through the legislative funnel at the state Capitol. [The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (registration)] Read More
States taking a new look at end-of-life legislation
ATLANTA - As Terri Schiavo lies dying in a Florida hospice, the fierce debate over end-of-life decisions has moved into statehouses across the country, bringing new scrutiny to who should make the decision to stop life support. [The New York Times (registration)] Read More
Lawmakers work toward early session wrap-up
One last flurry of legislative action was in store for Georgia lawmakers Thursday as they met in what was expected to be their last day in session this year. [The Macon Telegraph] Read More
House plays chicken over speed-limit bill
House Republican leaders vowed to debate speed limit legislation today despite Democratic threats to withhold crucial support for the measure. [Sioux City Journal] Read More
Prison proposal turns into 'political football'
House Republicans sought to make political hay Wednesday out of an e-mail exchange between lobbyists and lawmakers sparked by a group seeking to lift a cable TV ban in Iowa prisons. [Sioux City Journal] Read More
Early childhood education programs would be expanded under new plan
Early childhood education programs across Iowa would be expanded and restructured under a $12 million plan approved by the Iowa House. [Quad-City Times] Read More
War crimes prosecutor speaks to lawmakers
A former Cedar Valley lawmaker spoke Wednesday to a joint session of the Iowa General Assembly about the lessons he learned in the Statehouse and in his current post prosecuting war crimes. [Quad-City Times] Read More
Lawmakers head off seed regulation
Senate lawmakers have voted to head off any future attempt by local governments in Iowa to regulate the use of agricultural seeds -- including genetically modified varieties. [Quad-City Times] Read More
House OKs beefed-up sex offender registry laws
The day after a slain 10-year-old girl from Cedar Rapids was buried, state legislators broke into a political fight over whether they have appropriated enough money to protect the state's children from sex abusers. [The Des Moines Register] Read More
Spammers targeted by Iowa lawmakers
Sending e-mail spam would be made a crime in Iowa under legislation approved Wednesday by the Iowa House. Someone who sends too many unsolicited e-mails could face court action under House File 610, one of several bills dealing with computer use to receive overwhelming support from lawmakers Wednesday. [The Des Moines Register] Read More
New station for licenses clears panel
The state's plans to move a driver's license station in Des Moines to an Ankeny site easily cleared another hurdle in the Legislature on Wednesday. [The Des Moines Register] Read More
Lawmakers square off on education
They all agreed early childhood education is important, but lawmakers in the Iowa House differed Wednesday evening over how much extra money programs helping young children should receive. [The Des Moines Register] Read More
Governor's office defends pay raises
Two of Gov. Rod Blagojevich's top press aides are collecting thousands of dollars in raises doled out even as the administration was cutting jobs and about to unveil another tight budget. [The Daily Herald (Arlington)] Read More
School building put on hold
About $220 million in Chicago school construction projects has been postponed indefinitely because of state funding cuts, officials announced at a City Council meeting Wednesday. [Chicago Tribune (registration)] Read More
Blago aboard the Illinois train
The color of politics these days is red or blue, depending on how a state voted in the presidential election. But the only color that matters right now to Gov. Rod Blagojevich is Fighting Illini orange. [Daily Southtown (Tinley Park)] Read More
Gambling watchdog wants off state's leash
Following a string of run-ins between the Illinois Gaming Board and Gov. Rod Blagojevich's administration, the board's new chairman said Wednesday he has become dismayed by intrusions on the board's authority and he's going to push for legislation ensuring its independence. [Chicago Tribune (registration)] Read More
Raising the speed limit
Legislation to raise the speed limit on interstates to 70 mph advanced Wednesday. [The Indianapolis Star] Read More
Senate budget would increase spending, reduce deficit
State spending would increase by about $291 million in the next fiscal year and $164 million more the year after according to a two-year budget proposal Senate Republicans planned to present Thursday. [Journal and Courier (Lafayette)] Read More
Amended tax bill hits House floor
With little discussion, House Ways and Means members amended and passed a complex bill Wednesday that could bring with it major property tax increases. [The Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne)] Read More
Stadium issue picking up steam
As the General Assembly enters the final month of its 2005 session, lawmakers said Wednesday there is increasing movement toward a deal to finance a new Colts stadium and Convention Center expansion. [The Indianapolis Star] Read More
Lawmaker - Compensate women for embryos
A bill making it a felony for Hoosiers to sell or buy human embryos is expected to be voted on soon in the Indiana House. But Rep. David Orentlicher, D-Indianapolis, said Wednesday he would propose an amendment allowing women to receive "other compensation" for providing their embryos or eggs, as long as they are used for reproductive purposes. [The Indianapolis Star] Read More
The time to change is June 5, bill says
Hoosiers would change their clocks June 5 this year in observance of daylight-saving time under legislation approved Wednesday by a House committee. [The Indianapolis Star] Read More
Educators, parents call for more school funds
About a dozen yellow school buses lined Washington Street by the Statehouse during the lunch hour on Wednesday as an estimated 700 teachers, parents, school administrators and others rallied for increased school spending. [The Indianapolis Star] Read More
Panel gives Indy Works 2nd chance
Lawmakers resurrected the mayor's stalled government consolidation plan Wednesday, a surprise twist to one of the session's most heated debates. [The Indianapolis Star] Read More
Some clergy oppose marriage amendment
A Christian vote on the proposed amendment to ban same-sex marriages and civil unions is not necessarily a yes vote, a group of Wichita clergy who oppose the amendment said Wednesday. [Wichita Eagle (registration)] Read More
Funding plan headed to court
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius on Wednesday said she would hold her nose and give the Kansas Supreme Court a Republican school finance plan that could increase funding by $125.2 million and signal a rush for local property tax increases. [Lawrence Journal-World] Read More
Fletcher's NCAA travel tab on state
Gov. Ernie Fletcher, his wife, Glenna, and deputy chief of staff Dick Murgatroyd have been displaying 'Unbridled Spirit' cheering on the state's basketball teams in the NCAA tournament. But the cost of these particular cheerleaders is being paid by the state. [Lexington Herald-Leader] Read More
Senators take aim at education again
Northern Kentucky senators plan to revive efforts to change Kentucky's public education system, despite the failure of such initiatives in the just-completed 2005 session. [The Kentucky Post (Covington)] Read More
Tuition-plan sign-ups may be suspended
Gov. Ernie Fletcher's finance secretary has called for suspending new enrollments in the state's prepaid college tuition program until its financial integrity becomes clearer. [The Courier-Journal (Louisville)] Read More
State preschools may face service cuts
Some of Kentucky's neediest 3- and 4-year-olds won't receive dental screenings. Others could lose their bus rides to school when the state Board of Education next week reduces the amount of money districts receive for each preschool child. [The Courier-Journal (Louisville)] Read More
FEMA says flood grants misspent
WASHINGTON - The Federal Emergency Management Agency has demanded that Louisiana repay $30.4 million in flood and hazard mitigation grants it says was misspent. [The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)] Read More
Legislator urges tax freeze for disabled
A St. Tammany Parish lawmaker has filed a proposed change to the state Constitution that would freeze property taxes for homeowners with disabilities. [The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)] Read More
Saints talks ready to be passed to star players
The fate of a new long-term deal between the New Orleans Saints and state rests in the hands of Gov. Kathleen Blanco and team owner Tom Benson. Negotiators for the two sides left a two-and-a-half-hour meeting Wednesday at the Superdome saying there's little to gain from future sessions. [The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)] Read More
Transportation chief resigns
State Transportation Secretary Daniel A. Grabauskas resigned yesterday, saying he is becoming a candidate for the top job at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. [The Boston Globe] Read More
Residents grill Healey on senior housing
A group of Mattapan residents confronted Gov. Mitt Romney and Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey yesterday, demanding an explanation for comments Healey made earlier this month suggesting ``overhoused'' elders should move to smaller homes in urban centers [Boston Herald] Read More
Speaker tries hard cell - Wants stem bill to be veto-proof
House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi faces his first major Beacon Hill test today as he works to marshal support among skittish lawmakers to veto-proof a controversial stem cell bill before it hits Gov. Mitt Romney's desk. [Boston Herald] Read More
Stem cell bill waits for votes to stop filibuster in Md. Senate
Maryland Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. said yesterday that he will not allow legislation authorizing state money for embryonic stem cell research to come to the Senate floor unless supporters show they have enough votes to break a threatened filibuster. [The Washington Post (registration)] Read More
Md. rejects birth-injury plan
After hearing warnings about a similar program in Virginia, Maryland legislators have rejected an effort to create a no-fault birth-injury program in that state that would have barred malpractice suits against obstetricians and hospitals. [Richmond Times-Dispatch] Read More
Maine Senate advances gay rights bill exempt of marriage
AUGUSTA, Maine - A gay rights bill moved closer to enactment yesterday when the state Senate agreed with the House to make it clear that the measure does not authorize gay marriages. [The Boston Globe] Read More
GOP students want bill of rights
College-age Republicans told lawmakers Wednesday that Maine needs a law to make sure divergent political viewpoints are welcome on the campuses of the state's colleges and universities. Supporters of the bill - An Act to Create an Academic Bill of Rights - said such a document would free students and faculty at state-funded schools to express their political or philosophical views without fear of retaliation. [Portland Press Herald] Read More
Legislators pass $5.7 billion budget
The Legislature capped two days of debate Wednesday night by passing a $5.7 billion budget for the two years starting July 1. Final votes in the House of Representatives and the Senate ended a sometimes bitter face-off between Democratic supporters of the package and its Republican opponents. [Portland Press Herald] Read More
Voters support pledge, Ten Commandments, but not as top concerns
Three-fourths of Michigan voters support legislation requiring students to say the Pledge of Allegiance each day and 60 percent favor requiring that the Ten Commandments be displayed at the state Capitol, according to a new poll. [The Detroit News] Read More
Crohn's sufferers urge lawmakers to make store bathrooms available
People suffering from conditions that create an urgent need to go to the restroom are lining up behind a bill they hope will provide some relief when they're away from home. [The Ann Arbor News] Read More
State House GOP looking to crack down on steroids in high school
Michigan House Republicans want school boards and charter schools across the state to have a policy on steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs in their athletic eligibility requirements. [The Ann Arbor News] Read More
Democratic lawmakers to hit road promoting Granholm's jobs plan
Democrats in the Michigan House and Senate said Wednesday they are going on a statewide tour to promote Gov. Jennifer Granholm's proposals to boost the state's stagnant economy. [The Ann Arbor News] Read More
Federal, state budget cuts stand to hurt farm workers
Migrant workers in Michigan could have a harder time getting training for permanent jobs under President Bush's proposed budget cuts, farm workers' advocates say. [Lansing State Journal] Read More
Water main break leaves Capitol tourists high, dry
Workers punched through a downtown Lansing water main Wednesday morning, forcing the Capitol to turn away tourists and businesses to close for several hours. [Lansing State Journal] Read More
Agreement reached on bonding bill
Public works deal reached State leaders pave way for $945 million building program. Gov. Tim Pawlenty and legislative leaders hammered out a tentative spending agreement Wednesday that is expected to launch a $945 million state construction program this spring. [St. Paul Pioneer Press (registration)] Read More
State seeks delay in work on 5 Superfund sites
The cleanup of 14 former landfills and five contaminated Superfund sites in Minnesota may be delayed to save money. [Minneapolis Star Tribune (registration)] Read More
Harness site backer interested in casino
The casino company executive seeking state approval for a harness track and poker club south of Forest Lake reluctantly acknowledged to Minnesota lawmakers Wednesday he would be interested in building a casino there. [St. Paul Pioneer Press (registration)] Read More
Sex-offender bills differ in approach
Dru Sjodin's father and her boyfriend listened for more than two hours at the State Capitol on Wednesday as a Senate committee hashed over markedly different visions for handling sex offenders like the one accused of killing the 22-year-old college student. [Minneapolis Star Tribune (registration)] Read More
Pawlenty to get a boost from Karl Rove
Karl Rove, President Bush's top political adviser and a favorite headliner among Republican activists, will be the main celebrity and speaker at an April 8 fundraiser for Gov. Tim Pawlenty's 2006 reelection campaign at the Minneapolis Convention Center. [Minneapolis Star Tribune (registration)] Read More
Bill aims at worst sex offenders
Not all sex offenders should be locked up for life, two leading senators on crime issues said Wednesday. [St. Paul Pioneer Press (registration)] Read More
Hatch - Casino would need voters' OK
Gov. Tim Pawlenty's proposed state-tribal casino plan is unconstitutional, Attorney General Mike Hatch said Wednesday in a legal opinion requested by a Senate committee. [St. Paul Pioneer Press (registration)] Read More
Confirm life, parents say
On a June day five years ago, a pregnant Susan Lacek was getting ready for her baby shower. But instead of celebrating the upcoming birth at a party, Lacek and her husband, Mark, went to Fairview Southdale Hospital and learned that the child, Faith, had died while still in the womb. [St. Paul Pioneer Press (registration)] Read More
Missouri GOP leaders vacationed on lobbyists' dime
Lobbyists helped cover lodging and meals for nine Republican House members who vacationed at a tourist spot in Arkansas during their week off. [Jefferson City News Tribune] Read More
Charter school proposal rejected
Lawmakers rejected a proposal Wednesday that would have allowed two residential high schools to become the state's newest charter schools. [The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson)] Read More
House, Senate pass proof of insurance bill
Motorists would have to show proof of automobile insurance at roadblocks under a bill awaiting Gov. Haley Barbour's signature. [The Sun Herald (Biloxi)] Read More
Budget negotiations grind to a halt again
House and Senate leaders swapped education-funding ultimatums on Wednesday and state budget negotiations appeared to again grind to a halt. [The Sun Herald (Biloxi)] Read More
GOP accused of 'poor fiscal management'
Senate President Jon Tester said Wednesday that Republicans in Montana and Washington, D.C., are to blame for some of the big increase in the state's proposed budget. [Billings Gazette] Read More
Initiative amendments ruled unconstitutional
A federal judge on Wednesday declared unconstitutional the state of Montana's requirements for signatures gathered to put initiatives and constitutional amendments on the ballot. [Missoulian] Read More
Lobbyists seek death-penalty moratorium
Patricia Parker doesn't know if she wants her brother's killer punished by death. [The Winston-Salem Journal (registration)] Read More
Gov. Easley pledges more money for failing children
For 30 years, Gov. Mike Easley has carried with him the memory of one family's violence, when a father brutally abused his two young sons, who later went to prison for killing their father. [The Winston-Salem Journal (registration)] Read More
Lottery foes ready to fight
Opponents of a state lottery said yesterday that as the N.C. House moves toward a vote on a lottery, they will tell legislators and their constituents how a lottery would hurt the poor most and require heavy advertising to entice citizens to gamble. [The Winston-Salem Journal (registration)] Read More
Add voting to shopping list
Nebraskans could cast ballots at supermarkets, shopping malls, community centers and other nontraditional locations under a bill advanced by state lawmakers Wednesday. [Omaha World-Herald] Read More
Fewer signatures proposed to force bond election
Citizens should have a little easier time challenging local governments over decisions to issue bonds without voter approval, state lawmakers decided Tuesday. [Omaha World-Herald] Read More
Bill would allow rural voters to cast mail ballots
Last year, Duane Kimes did not have to clean out his garage before election day, and he didn't have to set up the portable election booth for his neighbors. Instead, all 20 registered voters in his Cherry County precinct, agreed to vote by mail rather than drive to his garage on election day. [Lincoln Journal Star] Read More
Judge dismisses rest of state pension fund lawsuit
A judge has dismissed the remaining claims in a lawsuit against the Nebraska Investment Council over the loss of millions of dollars from the state's pension fund. [Lincoln Journal Star] Read More
Opening bid for governor, Corzine vows ethics reform
JERSEY CITY, N.J. - Pledging to use his business expertise to bring economic prosperity and higher ethical standards to New Jersey, Senator Jon S. Corzine formally began his campaign for governor on Wednesday. [The New York Times (registration)] Read More
Religion embraced in race for N.J. governor
On a rainy Sunday afternoon, Republican gubernatorial candidate Bret Schundler made his way to the Praise Dome, a tent erected behind the Columbus Baptist Church in rural Mansfield Township, Burlington County, to talk to 100 people - the bedrock of a voter base he sorely needs to win the primary. He is not the only gubernatorial candidate pitching religious groups, even though political experts argue that New Jersey voters aren't terribly moved by religious appeals. And analysts warn that playing the God card is a tricky prospect. [The Inquirer (Philadelphia) (registration)] Read More
Codey weighs in on tale of Norcross tapes
Acting Gov. Richard Codey yesterday urged the Attorney General's Office to release secret recordings from an aborted South Jersey public corruption investigation, raising the ante in a legal dispute that now pits state government's two most powerful offices against each other. [The Star-Ledger (Newark)] Read More
Corzine puts campaign officially in motion
Four months after announcing his candidacy, Sen. Jon Corzine formally launched his campaign for governor at two rallies yesterday, saying he would be "independent, fiscally responsible, socially progressive and effective." [The Star-Ledger (Newark)] Read More
Lawyer criticizes judicial panel over withholding of hearing notes
A Las Vegas lawyer is questioning why state officials have prevented her from obtaining transcripts of a meeting that featured the testimony of two prominent judges. [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Read More
Giunchigliani pushes change to ethics law
Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani said Wednesday that she expects the Legislature will back her bill to remove unconstitutional portions of an ethics law. [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Read More
Parties spar over Gibbons
In the opening salvo of next year's race for governor, the Democrats last week placed three billboards around the state attacking presumptive Republican candidate for governor Jim Gibbons. [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Read More
Assemblyman's donation link on Web site is shut down
A Web site for Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins, a potential candidate for governor, was set up to allow donations until Tuesday, despite a state law that bans legislators from taking contributions during the legislative session. [Las Vegas Sun] Read More
Donors with Albany tied gave to Pataki's national PAC
When Gov. George E. Pataki traveled to Florida earlier this month to raise money for his national political action committee, he collected three $10,000 donations from contributors with business ties to New York State government. [The New York Times (registration)] Read More
Budget deal close, Pataki says
Gov. George Pataki disclosed Wednesday the Legislature may produce both an on-time and "good" budget if some technical problems can be ironed out. [Times Union (Albany)] Read More
Taft signs bill aiding education
Gov. Bob Taft yesterday signed a bill into law to eliminate a projected $295 million shortfall in the state's primary and secondary education budget that ends June 30. [Toledo Blade] Read More
Judge halts law on union dues spending
A Franklin County Common Pleas Court judge yesterday halted implementation of part of a new state law prohibiting the union spending of members' dues on political campaigns. [Toledo Blade] Read More
Taft touts tax reform in Findlay
FINDLAY, Ohio - During a visit yesterday to one of Hancock County's largest employers, Gov. Bob Taft said the Whirlpool Corp. is the type of business that could thrive under his plan to revamp Ohio's tax code. [Toledo Blade] Read More
State senator says he should not face criminal charges
A state senator who has acknowledged using a state-paid employee to work for the senator's private get-out-the-vote organization on government time said he should not face criminal charges. [The Beacon Journal (Akron)(registration)] Read More
House Republicans want to scuttle parking fees at state parks
A proposed parking fee at Ohio's state parks would be scrapped under the House version of the state budget and the funding replaced with money from a recycling and litter-control program. [The Beacon Journal (Akron)(registration)] Read More
House GOP would make all Medicaid managed care
House Republicans estimate that their plan to place nearly all Medicaid consumers in managed care would trim costs of the program by $360 million annually. [The Cincinnati Enquirer] Read More
Budget changes may boost schools
Southwest Ohio schools, in general, should fare better under alternative funding plans under discussion by Ohio House Republicans, area lawmakers said. [The Cincinnati Enquirer] Read More
Gov. Henry may block base closures
If Oklahoma's Air and Army National Guard bases face closure, Gov. Brad Henry might consider using a federal law to block the move, a spokesman said. [The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) (registration)] Read More
State lawmakers nix privatizing Social Security
Democratic state lawmakers called on Oklahoma's congressional delegation Wednesday to oppose the Bush administration's plan to privatize Social Security, an idea they described as risky. [Shawnee News-Star] Read More
Records measure goes to full Senate
A bill designed to make it easier to obtain records from state agencies under the Open Records Act passed a Senate budget subcommittee Wednesday. [The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) (registration)] Read More
GOP legislators defend fiscal oversight board
Republican legislators support the Pittsburgh oversight board's effort to nullify the city's new "budget-busting" firefighter contract, but still hope that a nasty courtroom showdown between the board and city officials can be avoided. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette] Read More
Mayor and guv won't testify
At one point, it looked as though the jury in the City Hall corruption trial would hear from 15 years worth of Philadelphia mayors. Now neither Gov. Rendell nor Mayor Street will grace the witness stand in the courtroom where former City Treasurer Corey Kemp and four other defendants are on trial for allegedly ripping off the city. [The Daily News (Philadelphia)] Read More
Rallying Democrats, Dean blasts Santorum
Democratic National Chairman Howard Dean ripped into U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum at a party fund-raiser in Old City last night. [The Inquirer (Philadelphia) (registration)] Read More
Habay faces list of charges on harassing political foes
The Allegheny County district attorney has filed a 20-count complaint against state Rep. Jeffrey E. Habay, R-Shaler, charging him, among others things, with falsely claiming to police that a political opponent had sent him an envelope containing suspicious white powder. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette] Read More
Lawmaker charged in anthrax scare
GLENSHAW, Pa. - A state legislator was charged on Wednesday with lying about a white powder that he claimed was inside a letter from a critical constituent. [The New York Times (registration)] Read More
Lawmaker questions delay of inquiry into child's death
The state's assistant child advocate found herself in the cross hairs yesterday over her office's failure to convene a review of a 3-year-old's death in state custody. [The Providence Journal (registration)] Read More
Kennedy decides not to challenge Chafee for Senate
Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy's decision not to run for U.S. Senate next year, which he announced yesterday, makes it harder for Democrats to gain on the Republican U.S. Senate leadership and makes electoral life easier for incumbent Rhode Island Republican Lincoln D. Chafee. [The Providence Journal (registration)] Read More
Legislators expect Bush to visit Statehouse
President Bush's cross-country tour aimed at generating public support to restructure Social Security is expected to head to Columbia next week. [The Post and Courier (Charleston) (registration)] Read More
State officials suspended for critical memo
Gov. Mike Rounds suspended two of the top officials in the state Insurance Division for sending out a memo criticizing the state's handling of case against a Sioux Falls insurance agent. [Rapid City Journal] Read More
Sickest enrollees would be among first off TennCare
Among the first in line for TennCare cuts are hundreds of terminally ill or debilitated sick people whose in-home nursing care will be eliminated under Gov. Phil Bredesen's plan for changes, TennCare Director J.D. Hickey acknowledged in federal court here yesterday. [The Tennessean (Nashville)] Read More
Senate endorses 'One Nation Under God' license plate
The Senate endorsed a new license plate yesterday touting the country as ''One Nation Under God'' and another backing a religious group, above objections from one senator that the state could end up back in court over the program. [The Tennessean (Nashville)] Read More
Meth-abused cold pills now at drugstores only
If you awoke with the sniffles today, don't plan on making a midmorning run to the nearest convenience store for a supply of decongestant tablets. [The Tennessean (Nashville)] Read More
Flub flummoxes Senate into rare silence
The debate was supposed to be about chuck wagons, not cheerleaders. But before the Senate on Wednesday could vote to designate the frontier icon as the official state vehicle, a good-natured debate went just a tad off the trail. [The Austin American-Statesman (registration)] Read More
Craddick, GOP group promoted each other
State Rep. Tom Craddick and a Republican political committee shared extensive phone calls, fundraisers, campaign checks and mutual promotion while the Midland lawmaker was vying to become House speaker, civil court records show. [The San Antonio Express-News (registration)] Read More
Chuck wagon drive is rolling
Senators headed down the chuck wagon trail Wednesday. Like the pioneering days they sought to honor with a resolution naming the chuck wagon the official vehicle of Texas, the trip wasn't easy. [The San Antonio Express-News (registration)] Read More
Dewhurst takes a beating on ski slopes
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst has found something more difficult to handle than the Texas Senate -- an icy ski slope in Colorado. [The Houston Chronicle (registration)] Read More
New order of Catholic priests is forming to fight abortions
AMARILLO, Texas - The Roman Catholic Church plans to establish its first religious society devoted exclusively to fighting euthanasia and abortion, church leaders said this week. [Los Angeles Times (registration)] Read More
Voting technology impresses Utahns
SANDY, Utah - Lapreal Marriam had never voted on a computer before Wednesday. [The Salt Lake Tribune] Read More
Special session gets lawmakers thinking
The Legislature's special session next month was planned as a single-issue, one-day meeting. But some lawmakers are pushing a host of issues that could, if the governor agrees, lengthen the agenda and possibly spill over into a second day of debate. [The Salt Lake Tribune] Read More
Anti-holding therapy stand cost lawmaker job, he says
A former Utah lawmaker who tried to ban holding therapy says supporters of the controversial practice threatened him and cost him re-election in 2004. [The Salt Lake Tribune] Read More
Warner revises university autonomy bill
Gov. Mark R. Warner has rewritten portions of sweeping legislation that grants Virginia's public colleges unprecedented autonomy over operations and finances. [The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk) (registration)] Read More
Warner wants more for troopers, guardsmen
Gov. Mark R. Warner is recommending higher pay for veteran state troopers, Capitol police and deputy sheriffs, and money to pay insurance premiums for deployed troops of the Virginia National Guard. [Richmond Times-Dispatch] Read More
Senate OKs $26 billion state budget
A sharply divided state Senate approved the Democrats' $26 billion state budget plan yesterday despite partisan wrangling over the wisdom of jacking up taxes by nearly a half-billion dollars. [Seattle Post-Intelligencer] Read More
Partner benefits too costly for UW, 2 lawmakers say
The state doesn't have enough money to pay for domestic partner benefits for University of Wisconsin employees, say two top members of a powerful Legislative panel. [The Capital Times (Madison)] Read More
Schools race to get cash infusion
A large-scale blast of television advertising paid for by the state teachers union will sharply raise the profile of a so-far quiet race for state superintendent of schools as election day approaches. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] Read More
State prescription drug plan expanding
Starting today, Wisconsin residents who lack access to affordable prescription drugs can enroll in a state purchasing pool to buy medications at lower prices. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] Read More
Change in state gas tax law sought
With Wisconsin?s gasoline tax set to increase by 0.8 cents per gallon Friday, a group of legislators say they will seek an annual legislative vote to change the tax. [The Post-Crescent (Appleton)] Read More
GOP aims to ease biz rules
Republican state legislators have introduced a bill that would continue the loosening and streamlining of environmental regulations begun last year. [The Capital Times (Madison)] Read More
Senator is sorry for drunk driving
State Sen. Russ Decker was arrested for drunken driving Tuesday night in Middleton after attending a function hosted by the Tavern League earlier in the day. [The Capital Times (Madison)] Read More
$1 million bailout for park project approved
Taking its cue from the House, the Senate agreed Wednesday to bail out a colleague's firm in a debt owed by Stonewall Resort State Park. [The Register-Herald (Beckley)(registration)] Read More
'Innocent prescribers act' passed by House
A bill being referred to as the "innocent prescribers act" passed the House of Delegates Wednesday after contentious debate on whether doctors should be allowed immunity from certain lawsuits. [The Register-Herald (Beckley)(registration)] Read More
Measure on exotic animals passes
Exotic animals - not domestic pets and those grazing on the farm - come under a special advisory board in a Senate bill passed Wednesday. [The Register-Herald (Beckley)(registration)] Read More
After spirited debate, Senate OKs use of crossbows by disabled
Don't expect to see mirror images of William Tell doing the famed apple shot in the forests, but the Senate gave its blessing Wednesday to disabled hunters stalking deer in West Virginia forests. [The Register-Herald (Beckley)(registration)] Read More
Senate OKs controversial infrastructure measure
Developers could skip the Public Service Commission process and install water and sewer lines in a controversial bill passed Wednesday by the Senate. [The Register-Herald (Beckley)(registration)] Read More
Trooper transfers among topics mulled in accelerated Senate bills
Troopers mired in extra-marital affairs or other acts of misconduct could be shipped off to a faraway detachment, their new constituencies likely unaware of such missteps, in a Senate bill passed Wednesday night. [The Register-Herald (Beckley)(registration)] Read More
House passes last-minute flurry of measures
A flurry of bills passed the House on third reading Wednesday, the last day possible for legislation that originated there. Future bills under consideration will be conference bills with the Senate. [The Register-Herald (Beckley)(registration)] Read More
Mahan stream effort derailed
An attempt by Delegate Virginia Mahan, D-Summers, to upgrade the protection status of a Preston County stream failed on a voice vote in the House Wednesday, despite being passed by her own rules committee. [The Register-Herald (Beckley)(registration)] Read More
Teacher pension bill has hurdles
Senate leaders and the governor's office are hesitant about accepting a bill that cleared the House of Delegates by a wide margin, even though actuaries project it could save the state more than $3 billion in the next 30 years. [Charleston Daily Mail] Read More
Groups find bad medicine in healthy schools bill
Legislation purporting to make West Virginia children healthier would actually harm their health, advocacy groups say. [Charleston Daily Mail] Read More
Doctor immunity bill passes House following debate
Legislation freeing doctors and other health-care providers from lawsuits for prescribing approved drugs or giving approved medical devices to patients that cause them harm was approved Wednesday following a House of Delegates debate. [Charleston Gazette (registration)] Read More
People with disabilities rally at Capitol
Sam and Ginny Gattlieb of Sissonville are scared about what proposed Medicaid cuts could do to their son and 3,000 West Virginia families like theirs. [Charleston Gazette (registration)] Read More
House passes bill to double 911 fee
The House of Delegates voted to double the E-911 charge for cell phone users, which if it passes the Senate could cause Kanawha County officials to raise taxes. [Charleston Gazette (registration)] Read More
Ohio to charge to "park at the park"
For the first time in Ohio history, visitors to state parks will soon have to pay a fee to bring their cars and trucks. The $5-a-day parking passes, which are projected to generate $3 million a year, are yet another indicator of the state's continuing budget problems. Read More
States limit teen driving to improve safety
State legislators in 48 of the 50 states believe they've curbed the leading cause of death among 15- to 20-year-olds and made their roads safer by restricting teen driving through "graduated drivers license" programs. The effort is so clearly working that the country's final holdouts - Wyoming and Montana - are moving to join it. Read More
States try to boost flagging Rx Web sites
States expected multitudes of eager customers when, with great fanfare, they launched Web sites to help people buy cheaper prescription drugs from Canada. It hasn't worked out quite that way, and now states are trying new strategies to boost interest in their sites. Read More
Test scores up, but some students still being left behind
In its first three years, the federal No Child Left Behind Act has succeeded in raising students' test scores in reading and math in 36 states and is narrowing the achievement gap between white and minority students in half the country, a new study finds. However, educators say they lack the money, tools and teachers to meet the needs of 6,000 of the nation's worst-performing schools. Read More
States end '04 with solid revenues, report says
State tax revenues grew by 7.8 percent in the last quarter of 2004 compared to the same period in 2003, marking the strongest end-of-the-year revenue growth since 1991, a new report from the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government shows. 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 |
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