|
|
Archive of Stateline.org RSS - State by State Roundup on Thursday March 31, 2005
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
House blasts bill linking pensions, school funding
Calling the move extortion and even criminal, members of the state House of Representatives on Wednesday rejected a Senate plan to make $38 million of education funding dependent on an overhaul of the state-run retirement systems. [Daily News-Miner (Fairbanks)] Read More
Bill would distribute PFDs in quarterly payments
When Alaska Permanent Fund dividend checks are sent out every year, Alaskans are barraged with ads selling everything from cars to hot tubs to Hawaiian vacations. [The Juneau Empire] 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
State's tsunami alert passes test
PALMER, Alaska - Researchers testing a statewide tsunami warning system for the first time in the nation delivered a big wave warning via television and radio stations around Alaska at 9:45 a.m., but audiences waited nearly 10 minutes before they got word. [Anchorage Daily News] Read More
Retirement plan would cost public employees more
An overhaul of the state-managed public employee retirement system will ask existing workers to pay more into the fund, a proponent says. [The Juneau Empire] Read More
Lawmaker: $50 cruise tax is no big deal
The cruise ship industry and its clients could easily shrug off a $50 per passenger state tax, a Palmer legislator said Tuesday. [The Juneau Empire] 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
Colleges bill gains steam in Senate
A bill that would reorganize the state's higher education system by giving thousands of students a chance to receive four-year degrees from community colleges passed its Senate committee Wednesday on a 5-1 vote. [The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)] Read More
House panel likes credits, all-day K
The state House K-12 Education Committee approved a bill Wednesday that would pay to expand voluntary all-day kindergarten programs while also expanding tax credits for private and parochial school scholarships. [The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)] Read More
"Minutemen" plan to patrol Mexican border
TOMBSTONE, Ariz. - Hundreds of volunteers, some of them armed, are expected to take up positions along the Mexican border Friday and begin patrolling for illegal immigrants -- an exercise some fear could attract racist crackpots and lead to vigilante violence. [New Mexican (Santa Fe) (registration)] Read More
Navajo college aid may end
Five years ago, Arizona began sending $1.75 million a year to the Navajo Nation's college as part of a 10-year deal. [Arizona Daily Star (Tucson)] Read More
Legislators won't act on kindergarten age
State lawmakers refused Wednesday to further restrict whom schools can enroll in kindergarten. [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
Bill paves way for football title game at Glendale site
Officials at the Fiesta Bowl and the state Sports and Tourism Authority shook hands on a deal Wednesday that satisfies the agency's financial concerns and keeps Arizona on track to host college football's first "Super Bowl" in January 2007. [The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)] Read More
Senate chief urged to free up AIMS bill
Republican lawmakers who want to derail the AIMS test as a high school graduation requirement beseeched Senate President Ken Bennett on Wednesday to let their bill get a Senate floor vote. [The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)] Read More
Deadline for river sharing pact near
Colorado and six other Western states have yet to reach agreement on new drought rules for the Colorado River even as an April deadline looms. [Rocky Mountain News (Denver)] Read More
Ariz. border 'weakest spot'
TUCSON, Ariz. - Calling Arizona the weakest portion of the Southwestern border and warning that terrorists may try to exploit its vulnerability, top Homeland Security officials on Wednesday pledged to add 534 Border Patrol agents and to more than double the number of aircraft within six months. [The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)] Read More
Western states to miss drought plan deadline
The seven Western states that depend on water from the Colorado River will not have a drought management proposal in hand by the Friday deadline set by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Nevada's top water official said. [Las Vegas Review-Journal] 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
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
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
Western states to miss drought plan deadline
The seven Western states that depend on water from the Colorado River will not have a drought management proposal in hand by the Friday deadline set by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Nevada's top water official said. [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Read More
Parole system faulted as a revolving door
WASHINGTON - The parole system is ineffective in helping convicts avoid being arrested after they are released, according to an Urban Institute study questioning whether parole supervision helps reduce crime. [Los Angeles Times (registration)] Read More
Calif. judge stays own ruling favoring gay marriage
SAN FRANCISCO - The California judge who two weeks ago ruled same-sex couples should be allowed to marry stayed his ruling Wednesday pending the outcome of anticipated appeals. [The San Diego Union-Tribune] 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
ChoicePoint to allow people access to personal records
LOS ANGELES - An executive of embattled data broker ChoicePoint Inc. said the company is developing a system that would allow people to review their personal information that is sold to law enforcement agencies, employers, landlords and businesses. [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
Plan to reorganize prisons would keep youth system chief
Aides to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger have agreed to give juvenile offenders a higher profile within the state correctional system, in a concession that appears likely to win legislative support for the governor's bid to reorganize California's troubled prison bureaucracy. [Mercury News (San Jose)] Read More
Cosmetics' dangerous wrinkle
Assemblywoman Judy Chu believes some shampoos, deodorants and other everyday cosmetics are hazardous to your health. [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
Deadline for river sharing pact near
Colorado and six other Western states have yet to reach agreement on new drought rules for the Colorado River even as an April deadline looms. [Rocky Mountain News (Denver)] 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
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
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
Drilling bill's death riles lawmakers
Rural lawmakers clashed Wednesday over the death of a controversial oil-and-gas bill that could have forced companies to pay more for harming private property where they drill. [Denver Post] Read More
Lynx on rebound, roam into Utah
DENVER - Three decades after Colorado?s native lynx disappeared, scores of the tufted-eared, long-haired cats are prowling across the western part of the state and roaming into Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico. [The Salt Lake Tribune] Read More
Protection for lynx chafes in Colorado
DENVER - Three decades after Colorado's native lynx disappeared, scores of the tufted-eared, long-haired cats are prowling across the western part of the state and roaming into Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico. [Arizona Daily Star (Tucson)] 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
Deadline for river sharing pact near
Colorado and six other Western states have yet to reach agreement on new drought rules for the Colorado River even as an April deadline looms. [Rocky Mountain News (Denver)] 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
Snowpack buoys southern Colorado, but Front Range has sinking feeling
Runoff from deep snowpack in southwestern Colorado will come close to breaking the region's six-year drought, but residents of major Front Range cities are looking at another year of watering restrictions. [Denver Post] Read More
CSU-Pueblo won't fire prof accused of racist tirade
A professor accused of a classroom tirade against Mexicans will keep his job at the Pueblo campus of Colorado State University. [Denver Post] Read More
CU prof plans tough defense
BOULDER, Colo. - Ward Churchill is unapologetic. He didn't plagiarize anyone's work, he says. He didn't misrepresent himself as an American Indian. And he didn't untruthfully accuse the U.S. Army of intentionally spreading smallpox to Indians in 1837. [Denver Post] Read More
Western states to miss drought plan deadline
The seven Western states that depend on water from the Colorado River will not have a drought management proposal in hand by the Friday deadline set by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Nevada's top water official said. [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Read More
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
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
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
State faces hurdles in road-funding search
WASHINGTON - Connecticut has a rough road ahead this spring as it tries to get enough state and federal money to maintain and expand its highway system. [The Hartford Courant (registration)] Read More
High court denies tribe on taxes
WASHINGTON - An Indian tribe cannot expand its tax-exempt holdings by buying up property that has been outside its reservation for generations, the Supreme Court ruled Tuesday. [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
Committee drowns 5-cent deposit on water bottles
A General Assembly committee voted Wednesday effectively to gut legislation requiring a 5-cent deposit on water bottles sold in Connecticut. [New Haven Register (registration)] Read More
As gambling grows, states depend on their cut
DOVER, Del. - Gambling revenues, once a mere trickle, have become a critical stream of income in a number of states, in some cases surpassing traditional sources like the corporate income tax and helping states lower personal income or property taxes. [The New York Times (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
Board backs state on gas pier
A state appeals board on Wednesday upheld Delaware's refusal to consider a permit for a liquefied natural gas delivery pier along the Delaware River opposite Claymont. [The News Journal (New Castle-Wilmington)] Read More
Del. vacation among most expensive
Don't expect to get off cheap when you tour tiny Delaware this summer. The state ranked as the ninth most expensive U.S. tourist destination according to a new survey by AAA Mid-Atlantic. [The News Journal (New Castle-Wilmington)] 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
For 22 years in jail, panel offers $200,000
A Brevard County man who spent 22 years in prison for a rape he did not commit could get no more than $200,000 in compensation under a proposal approved by a House committee Wednesday. [St. Petersburg Times] 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
Schiavo obit mistakenly appears on Web
TAMPA, Fla. - A draft of CBSNews.com's obituary for Terri Schiavo mistakenly appeared on the Internet for a few hours, a network official said Wednesday. [USA Today] 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
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
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
Two abortion measures win committee approval
Parents would have to be told when their daughters under 18 seek an abortion under one of two abortion measures approved Wednesday by legislative committees. [St. Petersburg Times] Read More
Sex offenders would be tracked
Two former sheriffs unveiled their proposal Wednesday for the Jessica Lunsford Act, which would require sex offenders to wear tracking units while on probation. [St. Petersburg Times] 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
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
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
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
More isle youths try suicide
Hawaii students have higher rates than the national average in self-directed violence, including suicide attempts, and youth reports on fear of going to school, according to a study released by the state Department of Health. [Honolulu Star-Bulletin] Read More
Lawmaker presses state on Kema
State Rep. Dennis Arakaki says he is making progress in opening state Department of Human Services records about missing Big Island child "Peter Boy" Kema Jr. [Honolulu Star-Bulletin] Read More
Committee puts highway bill on hold, but 'it's not over yet'
Gov. Dirk Kempthorne and legislative leaders are scrambling this morning to keep alive a plan to borrow $1.6 billion to build and fix roads around the state. [The Idaho Statesman (Boise)] Read More
Senators dismiss 'promise,' vote to extend cigarette tax indefinitely
Idaho senators say they made no promise in 2003 that the increased cigarette tax would expire this summer, and the chamber voted 29-6 Wednesday to hold the tax at 57 cents a pack indefinitely. [The Idaho Statesman (Boise)] Read More
Lynx on rebound, roam into Utah
DENVER - Three decades after Colorado?s native lynx disappeared, scores of the tufted-eared, long-haired cats are prowling across the western part of the state and roaming into Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico. [The Salt Lake Tribune] 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
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
State cameras on guard for speeders
This summer, vans equipped with radar-activated cameras will be deployed in roadwork zones to catch speeders, who will get $375 tickets in the mail, state officials said at a Wednesday press conference promoting safe driving in construction zones. [Chicago Sun-Times] Read More
Gov hopes new law boosts organ donations
On Wednesday, Gov. Blagojevich highlighted a new law requiring hospitals to inform families of their organ donation options, including a free transfer to another hospital if the original hospital is unable to perform the donation. [Chicago Sun-Times] 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
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
DCFS fears for 2 runaway girls' safety
Two developmentally disabled teenagers have been missing from Maryville's Bartlett campus for nearly two weeks, prompting the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services on Wednesday to ask for the public's help in finding the girls. [Chicago Sun-Times] Read More
Ethanol arrives in Springfield
Springfield motorists with compatible vehicles finally will have the choice of filling their tanks with E-85 next week when Qik-n-EZ begins phasing in the high-ethanol fuel at its local outlets, starting at 2800 Peoria Road. [The State Journal-Register (Springfield)] Read More
State fair scouts for free talent
If you're a performer who doesn't mind playing pro bono, the Illinois State Fair might have a gig for you. [Chicago Sun-Times] Read More
Cameras set to nab work zone speeders
PEORIA, Ill. - Motorists who speed through Illinois road construction zones could get pictures of themselves in the mail this summer, along with tickets packing fines of $375 or more, state transportation officials said Wednesday. . [Quad-City Times] 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
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
Raising the speed limit
Legislation to raise the speed limit on interstates to 70 mph advanced Wednesday. [The Indianapolis Star] 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Changes in Iowa sex-offender law advance
DES MOINES, Iowa - The Iowa House passed legislation Wednesday that would prohibit a convicted sex offender from living within 1,000 feet of a school or day care center. [Omaha World-Herald] 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
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
Lawmakers watching Kansas tuition lawsuit
With a legislative proposal pending to allow children of illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition while attending Nebraska's public colleges, lawmakers are watching a federal lawsuit challenging a similar law in Kansas. [Lincoln Journal Star] Read More
Casino bill moves to full Senate
A bill that would allow a casino to be built in Wichita is headed to the Senate floor. [Wichita Eagle (registration)] Read More
House to debate state budget
A top higher-education official Wednesday described a proposed $11.2 billion budget drafted by legislative negotiators as positive for state universities, but a union didn't like how it treats state employees. [Wichita Eagle (registration)] Read More
Plan likely to increase disparity among districts
An education finance plan headed to the Kansas Supreme Court will widen the gap between wealthy and poor school districts, critics say. [Lawrence Journal-World] Read More
Other business delays House vote on clinic bill
The House hasn't decided whether to send Gov. Kathleen Sebelius a bill strengthening state regulation of abortion clinics. [Lawrence Journal-World] Read More
Gambling, taxes still on Senate agenda
Taxes and gambling are still on the table in the Senate as possible ways to fund future increases in school funding. [Wichita Eagle (registration)] 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
Pay-for-performance plan for doctors draws national attention
CINCINNATI -- A program started in Ohio and Kentucky to give doctors financial incentives for improving patient care has become a model for similar pay-for-performance health care plans elsewhere. [The Courier-Journal (Louisville)] Read More
Stumbo encourages 'living wills'
Kentucky residents should consider signing so-called "living wills" to ensure there is no ambiguity about their wishes in case they become permanently incapacitated, Attorney General Greg Stumbo said Wednesday. [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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Pharmacists fault Maine drug reimportation plan
Maine pharmacists and their Canadian counterparts questioned prescription drug reimportation plans in Maine on Wednesday, saying they will hurt Canadian druggists and pose a safety threat to consumers. [Portland Press Herald] 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
Bill eases credit transfers between state campuses
Legislators are considering a bill to make course credits transferable among all University of Maine System campuses. The Legislature's Education and Cultural Affairs Committee heard testimony Wednesday on the bill sponsored by Rep. James Annis, R-Dover-Foxcroft. [Portland Press Herald] Read More
'Payday loan' chains look to expand Maine presence
In some states, places to stop for cash loans are almost as common as fast-food restaurants. But only a handful of these businesses have opened in Maine. [Portland Press 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
Governor lobbies chairman for witness intimidation bill
Gov. Robert Ehrlich on Wednesday called on the House Judiciary Committee chairman to advance his stalled measure to curb witness intimidation. [Capital News Service] Read More
Democrats chide Ehrlich for problems at juvenile jails
The two Democrats considered most likely to challenge Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. in next year's election blasted the administration yesterday for failing to improve conditions in Maryland's troubled juvenile jails, where an independent monitor once again has reported abuse. [The Sun (Baltimore) (registration)] Read More
Marylanders' commutes among longest in nation
Marylanders endure some of the nation's longest daily commutes, with more than one in 20 Baltimore residents willing to travel an hour and a half or more to far-flung jobs, according to figures released yesterday from the U.S. Census. [The Sun (Baltimore) (registration)] Read More
Senate OKs research on stem cells
State senators overwhelmingly approved a measure yesterday promoting embryonic stem cell research in Massachusetts, dealing a defeat to Governor Mitt Romney by endorsing a research technique that involves the cloning of human cells. [The Boston Globe] 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
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
Mitt - Toll zone `strangest and silliest' idea
Gov. Mitt Romney joined a chorus of angry business owners and commuters who blasted City Councilor Paul Scapicchio's idea of implementing a downtown toll system yesterday. [Boston Herald] Read More
Seniors confront governor as he offers tax-break plan
Governor Mitt Romney used a Mattapan retiree's front porch yesterday as a stage to unveil a series of proposed tax breaks for Massachusetts senior citizens and to smooth over recent comments on the subject by Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey. [The Boston Globe] 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
Report boosts charter schools
Charter schools can successfully coexist alongside traditional public schools, but only if lawmakers address a series of major problems, according to a report released yesterday by a state school superintendents' group. [The Boston Globe] Read More
Mass. Senate passes stem cell bill that may face governor's veto
BOSTON - The Massachusetts Senate voted overwhelmingly Wednesday in favor of a bill to promote stem cell research in the state while outlawing human reproductive cloning and imposing a series of new regulations on the cutting-edge field. [The Washington Post (registration)] Read More
Mass law would cost less for residents in new plan
As the Board of Higher Education prepares today to decide the fate of the controversial UMass law school, the university has offered to lower in-state tuition in a bid to win approval, school officials said. [Boston Herald] Read More
Grabauskas seeks nod as MBTA chief
Gov. Mitt Romney's transportation chief resigned yesterday to seek appointment as general manager of the MBTA, an agency struggling to maintain services amid shaky finances. [Boston Herald] Read More
Funding urged to preserve ecology
Saying that the state's national reputation as an environmental leader is eroding at an alarming pace, more than 100 environmental lawyers urged legislative leaders yesterday to increase funding for protection and conservation programs ravaged by years of budget cuts. [The Boston Globe] Read More
State plans school construction probe
The state plans to investigate billions worth of school building construction across the state for budgets far beyond the amounts the state originally approved and extravagant spending on routine items. [The Boston Globe] 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
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
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
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
Slumping state economy hits Michigan's ex-soldiers hard
WAYNE, Mich. -- Everywhere he looks these days, Ron Johnson sees yellow ribbons bearing the words "Support Our Troops." And every time he sees them, he wonders which troops they refer to. [The Detroit 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Prosecutors say Blunt's budget cut will hurt cases against child abusers
Prosecutors across Missouri say a $1.9 million budget cut proposed by Gov. Matt Blunt could hurt their efforts to convict child sex offenders, while increasing the chance of traumatizing children during investigations. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch] 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
Workers' comp bill signed into law
Saying Missouri needs to be more competitive with other states, Gov. Matt Blunt on Wednesday signed into law a measure tightening the state's workers' compensation system. [Kansas City Star (registration)] Read More
Senate backs anti-racism amendment
Homeowner associations whose covenants contain language once banning minorities from owning or renting property will have to remove the restrictions under a bill passed Wednesday by the Missouri Senate. [Kansas City Star (registration)] Read More
Senate passes animal farm legislation
A day after rejecting it, the Missouri Senate reconsidered Wednesday and passed legislation that would lessen public notification requirements for all but the largest livestock producers. [Jefferson City News Tribune] Read More
Senate committee debates governor's jobs plan
As state senators consider Gov. Matt Blunt's plan to offer tax incentives for good jobs in Missouri, they're also looking at whether to go further. [Jefferson City News Tribune] Read More
Senate gives initial approval to housing dispute legislation
Legislation that would require homeowners to go through a series of steps before they could sue for home construction defects won first-round approval in the Missouri Senate on Wednesday. [Jefferson City News Tribune] 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
School funding changes could raise property taxes
Changes the Senate made to the state's school funding bill Wednesday could force local property taxpayers to pony up more money for schools than the state over the next two years. [Billings Gazette] Read More
Groups urge revival of birth control coverage bill
Several women and former state lawmakers called on the Legislature Wednesday to revive a bill requiring insurance companies that cover prescription drugs also pay for birth control. [Missoulian] Read More
Bill would help soldiers pay for life insurance
House lawmakers decided Tuesday that paying life insurance premiums for Montana's National Guard and Reserves members deployed in combat should be a top priority, even if it requires taking money away from other programs. [Billings Gazette] Read More
Schweitzer creates film advisory council
Seeking to raise Montana's profile as a place for the production of movies and TV shows, Gov. Brian Schweitzer has created the Montana Film and Television Advisory Council. [Missoulian] Read More
Alternative minimum business tax opposed
Business lobbyists on Wednesday opposed a bill that would impose a new alternative minimum corporation fee based on a corporation's book profits. [Billings Gazette] Read More
Lynx on rebound, roam into Utah
DENVER - Three decades after Colorado?s native lynx disappeared, scores of the tufted-eared, long-haired cats are prowling across the western part of the state and roaming into Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico. [The Salt Lake Tribune] Read More
Judith Gap wind farm OK'd
The state's first major wind-power project got the go-ahead Wednesday from state regulators, who approved a 20-year contract to sell the power to NorthWestern Energy and its Montana customers. [Great Falls Tribune] Read More
State control of school building projects proposed
The state would have centralized control over all local school renovation and construction projects under a proposal being considered by the special legislative committee working to build a new school funding formula. [Billings Gazette] Read More
First bison sent to quarantine facility
GARDINER, Mont. - Three young bison from Yellowstone National Park became the first shipped to a holding facility near here, the state Department of Livestock said Wednesday. [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
'Managerial differences' get court administrator fired
The Nebraska Supreme Court on Wednesday terminated the employment of State Court Administrator Frank E. Goodroe after less than 18 months on the job. [Omaha World-Herald] Read More
Lawmakers watching Kansas tuition lawsuit
With a legislative proposal pending to allow children of illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition while attending Nebraska's public colleges, lawmakers are watching a federal lawsuit challenging a similar law in Kansas. [Lincoln Journal Star] Read More
New laws affect judges, new doctors
Gov. Dave Heineman has signed into law measures requiring new doctors to be fingerprinted and errant judges to be reprimanded publicly. [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
Probable cause would be required for DNA sample
People could not be forced to provide a DNA sample for a criminal investigation if police lack legal cause to suspect them, under a bill advanced Wednesday in the Legislature. [Omaha World-Herald] Read More
Reservoir must be protected, Osborne says
OGALLALA, Neb. - Rep. Tom Osborne said Wednesday that he knows irrigators don't like the idea, but he wants to see a minimum pool of water established in drought-plagued Lake McConaughy. [Omaha World-Herald] Read More
Senate panel changes property tax plan
The Legislature's answer to rising tax bills underwent a transformation in the Senate on Wednesday, leaving a 3 percent increase in tax bills for most homeowners untouched but adding a fixed cap of 8 percent for all other property owners. [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Read More
Western states to miss drought plan deadline
The seven Western states that depend on water from the Colorado River will not have a drought management proposal in hand by the Friday deadline set by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Nevada's top water official said. [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
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
Deadline for river sharing pact near
Colorado and six other Western states have yet to reach agreement on new drought rules for the Colorado River even as an April deadline looms. [Rocky Mountain News (Denver)] Read More
Assembly panel supports health insurance program
A bill to use existing tax revenue to fund health insurance policies for low-income pregnant women and employees of small companies won unanimous committee approval Wednesday. [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
Senate panel backs state program's use of fake addresses
School districts would be blocked from finding out addresses of students whose mothers are participants in the secretary of state's Confidential Address Program, a Senate panel decided Wednesday. [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Read More
Lawmaker seeks UNR bid probe
Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani wants Nevada's attorney general to investigate what she terms "criminal intent" in contract bidding procedures at the University of Nevada, Reno. [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Read More
Animal research policies probed
RENO, Nev. - More questions are being raised about the treatment and disposal of research animals at the University of Nevada, Reno. [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
Lynch touts EZ Pass but wants to also keep tokens
NASHUA, N.H. ? EZ Pass is coming to New Hampshire, Gov. John Lynch assured local business leaders yesterday. [The Union Leader (Manchester)] Read More
School funding bill gains support
A compromise education aid plan - one that would lower Nashua?s aid figure by $2.6 million next year - easily cleared its first hurdle Wednesday. [The Telegraph (Nashua)] Read More
Emissions testing still on hold
State officials are keeping the new emissions testing program on hold to see if lawmakers can agree on changes to the program. [The Union Leader (Manchester)] Read More
House votes to put lid on noise
Noise that can be heard 50 feet or more from a motor vehicle or home could result in fines or even jail time under legislation that easily passed the New Hampshire House yesterday. [The Union Leader (Manchester)] Read More
Probable cause would be required for DNA sample
People could not be forced to provide a DNA sample for a criminal investigation if police lack legal cause to suspect them, under a bill advanced Wednesday in the Legislature. [Omaha World-Herald] Read More
50 remedies for mental health care
Insurance companies would be required to cover a broader range of mental illnesses, including eating disorders and drug addiction. [The Star-Ledger (Newark)] 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
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
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
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
State told not to use fiscal plight as excuse in DYFS reform
The judge overseeing the reform of New Jersey's child welfare system warned lawmakers yesterday against using the state's budget crisis as an excuse for taking money away from the five-year, $320 million effort to fix the embattled agency. [The Star-Ledger (Newark)] Read More
New teacher recruits
Retired U.S. Navy Cmdr. Bob Doyle, 47, is teaching fifth grade in Rio Rancho, one of 95 participants in the state's new Transition to Teaching program. [Albuquerque Tribune] Read More
Survey - State police don?t trust top bosses
A majority of New Mexico State Police officers and employees trust their immediate supervisors but aren?t so sure about the agency's senior management, according to a recent survey. [New Mexican (Santa Fe) (registration)] Read More
Western states to miss drought plan deadline
The seven Western states that depend on water from the Colorado River will not have a drought management proposal in hand by the Friday deadline set by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Nevada's top water official said. [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Read More
Protection for lynx chafes in Colorado
DENVER - Three decades after Colorado's native lynx disappeared, scores of the tufted-eared, long-haired cats are prowling across the western part of the state and roaming into Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico. [Arizona Daily Star (Tucson)] Read More
"Minutemen" plan to patrol Mexican border
TOMBSTONE, Ariz. - Hundreds of volunteers, some of them armed, are expected to take up positions along the Mexican border Friday and begin patrolling for illegal immigrants -- an exercise some fear could attract racist crackpots and lead to vigilante violence. [New Mexican (Santa Fe) (registration)] Read More
Deadline for river sharing pact near
Colorado and six other Western states have yet to reach agreement on new drought rules for the Colorado River even as an April deadline looms. [Rocky Mountain News (Denver)] 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
Gaps in student success probed
School superintendents, college presidents, students and business leaders sat down together Wednesday to talk about solutions to achievement gaps in education. [Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester)] Read More
Price of serving country
When he got out of the Marines in 1993, Duane Croniser bought a dairy farm. A decade later, when he went to Iraq to serve with Army reservists, it cost him that farm. [Times Union (Albany)] Read More
Rhinos seek more state aid
The Rochester Rhinos want to go back to state taxpayers to help fund construction of their downtown soccer stadium, saying that the facility needs upgrades to lure interest from the sport's top league. [Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester)] Read More
In awkward budget dance, Medicaid may be last step
As Gov. George E. Pataki and state lawmakers lurched toward passing New York's first on-time budget in 21 years, one of the final hurdles remaining on Wednesday was how to deal with the state's colossal Medicaid program. [The New York Times (registration)] 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
The long and winding road, to work - Many travel 90 minutes or more, one way
If extreme commuting were an Olympic event, there would be no better place to train for it than in New York and northern New Jersey, a report released yesterday by the Census Bureau shows. [The New York Times (registration)] Read More
MTA expected to approve Jets' $720 million plan for stadium
The chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has thrown his support behind the Jets' $720 million bid for the rights to build a stadium over its railyards on the West Side of Manhattan, all but assuring that the authority's board will approve a sale to the team at its meeting this morning, according to two people who spoke yesterday with the chairman, Peter S. Kalikow. [The New York Times (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
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
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
Drunk driving record bill defeated
The state should keep records of drunken-driving violations, even if the affected driver is not convicted in criminal court, the North Dakota House has decided. [The Bismarck Tribune] Read More
Compromise found on 'zone buster' bill
A conference committee has reached a compromise on a bill that would allow nonresident waterfowl hunters to hunt statewide, providing they bought a higher-priced license. [The Bismarck Tribune] Read More
Students battle with credit debt
Kemi Oni didn't have time for a job during fall semester at Minnesota State University Moorhead, concentrating instead on an ambitious class schedule of 19 credits. [The Forum (Fargo)] Read More
Legislators give state child enforcement duties
The House on Wednesday approved a bill allowing the state to take over administration of regional child support offices - now run by counties or groups of counties - while a task force works on details for a long-range agreement on how such an arrangement will be finalized. [The Forum (Fargo)] Read More
Heritage Center expansion nixed
The House axed the North Dakota Heritage Center from a bill Wednesday that originally had $5.5 million designated for an expansion of storage space. [The Bismarck Tribune] Read More
Hoeven vetoes utilities bill
Gov. John Hoeven vetoed legislation to allow utilities to phase in higher electric rates for new power plants, saying the provision should apply only to facilities built in North Dakota [The Bismarck Tribune] 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
Pay-for-performance plan for doctors draws national attention
CINCINNATI -- A program started in Ohio and Kentucky to give doctors financial incentives for improving patient care has become a model for similar pay-for-performance health care plans elsewhere. [The Courier-Journal (Louisville)] 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
Ohio EPA seeks to raise fee for developers, mines
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has proposed that developers and coal mining companies - not taxpayers - pay the cost of reviewing projects that alter wetlands and other waterways. [The Cincinnati Enquirer] 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
Does Seattle group "teach controversy" or contribute to it?
Three years ago, the Ohio Board of Education invited a small but influential Seattle think tank to debate the way evolution is taught in Ohio schools. [The Seattle Times] 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
Study - Charter schools failing to make grade
Charter schools do not generate higher average student achievement than regular public schools and have not improved the educational performance of central city, low-income minority children, a new study reports. [Dayton Daily News] 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
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
Ohio defends 'supermax' prison transfer policy
WASHINGTON - Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro asked the U.S. Supreme Court yesterday to reverse two lower federal courts and uphold the state's procedures for transferring prisoners to a "super-maximum security" prison. [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
UC seeks $60M for med center
University of Cincinnati officials are seeking $60 million from the Army and other federal agencies to expand a surgical research center that could improve care for injured soldiers - and someday civilians - with the latest in robotic surgery and telemedicine. [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
Lottery startup funds approved
House lawmakers approved a $500,000 loan Wednesday to the Oklahoma Lottery Commission to pay start-up costs, despite objections the move could violate state law. [The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) (registration)] Read More
Chances dim for meeting deadline
Lawmakers likely will not meet their own Friday deadline to let schools know how much money they can expect for the 2005-06 fiscal year, budget leaders from the governor's office and the Legislature said Wednesday. [The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) (registration)] Read More
Senator says committee may pass reform bills
A Democratic senator predicted Wednesday his committee will pass tort and workers' compensation reform bills next week, but wouldn't say if they'll be different from their original versions which the House already approved. [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
Kulongoski ups ante for schools
Public schools heard good news Wednesday as the governor proposed adding $250 million to their financing pot. [Statesman Journal (Salem)] Read More
Despite Measure 37 rulings, some Marion County residents remain in a land-use limbo
When William and Janet Long bought a piece of land along Cordon Road NE outside of Salem in 1962, they thought of the property as an investment in their future. [Statesman Journal (Salem)] Read More
Court- Police can't search garbage cans
The right to privacy is not abandoned when people set out their garbage for collection, the state Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday. [Corvallis Gazette-Times] Read More
Plans would lift schools budget
Oregon schools got a double dose of hopeful news Wednesday: proposals to give them guaranteed state funding over the long run, and an extra $250 million to spend in the next state budget. [The Oregonian (Portland)] Read More
Lottery chief alters proposal
Oregon Lottery Director Dale Penn backed down Wednesday from his proposal to aggressively cut lottery retailers' profits once they offer new electronic slot-machine games. [Statesman Journal (Salem)] Read More
Portland delays FBI showdown
After weeks of tough talk and ultimatums, the Portland City Council agreed Wednesday to take three weeks and negotiate with federal law enforcement leaders over the city's role in a controversial anti-terrorism task force. [The Oregonian (Portland)] 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
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
Pa. high court upholds Rendell's veto of farm bill
The state Supreme Court upheld a veto by Gov. Rendell in 2003 that canceled legislation to restrict local farming ordinances. [The Inquirer (Philadelphia) (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
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
State court - Autopsy records private
County coroners are not required to include autopsy reports in the records they make public each year -- only the cause and manner of the deaths they investigate, a state appeals court ruled yesterday. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette] 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
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
Pension reform rally cry at State House
Sporting matching red-white-and-blue buttons, the governor joined a gaggle of legislators, school superintendents and other city and town officials at a State House rally yesterday for "Pension Reform Now." [The Providence Journal (registration)] Read More
AG suing Barrington for open records violations
Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch is suing the Town of Barrington and its Tax Assessment Review Board, accusing local officials of purposely violating state open records and meetings laws. [The Providence Journal (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
Strong school leaders keep teachers on job, survey says
Teachers who work at schools where there is a good working relationship between colleagues and strong leadership from the principal are more likely to stay on the job, according to results of a statewide survey. [The Post and Courier (Charleston) (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
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
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
College officials - '10 percent law' outdated
Top university officials told state senators Wednesday that the law guaranteeing college admission to students in the top 10 percent of their high schools is outdated now that administrators have the option of considering race in admissions. [The Dallas Morning News (registration)] Read More
TxDOT defends plans to delay road projects
Texas transportation officials defended plans to delay hundreds of road projects Wednesday in the face of withering criticism from Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, who accused the agency of trying to manufacture a sense of urgency to win approval of $1 billion in bonds. [The Houston Chronicle (registration)] Read More
House panel explores steroid use in sports
Major leaguers Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa weren't on hand to testify, but Texas lawmakers on Wednesday questioned education and athletic officials about steroid use in public schools and raised the possibility of testing more high school athletes. [The Houston Chronicle (registration)] Read More
Teachers feel pressure on evolution
Even teachers call it the E-word. Evolution is the cornerstone of modern biology, yet many teachers face disapproval and even anger for teaching it, more so than for any other lesson plan. Nearly one-third of science teachers say they feel pressured to teach creationism or other nonscience-based alternatives along with evolution in their classrooms, according to a new study by the National Science Teachers Association. [The Dallas Morning News (registration)] Read More
Perry looks to aid home values cap
An effort to curb higher property taxes caused by surging real estate values is faltering in the House, and Gov. Rick Perry has begun a personal lobbying effort to save it. [The Dallas Morning News (registration)] Read More
Dewhurst challenges prediction of slowed road work
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst is challenging the Texas Department of Transportation's assertion that hundreds of road projects statewide could be delayed because a vote on a bond sale was postponed. [The Dallas Morning News (registration)] 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
Workers' comp bill advances
The state's faltering workers' compensation system will be overhauled to include restricted physician networks regulated by insurance companies and an office protecting the interests of injured workers, under a bill tentatively approved by the House on Wednesday. [The San Antonio Express-News (registration)] Read More
Dewhurst looks to toll roads for school money
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, in a stinging three-page letter Wednesday, chastised the Department of Transportation for its doomsday reaction to a delayed decision to sell toll road bonds and all but demanded that $300 million in transportation dollars go to public schools instead. [The Austin American-Statesman (registration)] Read More
House committee approves Medicaid option
A House panel on Wednesday night sent to the House a bill that includes a way of providing managed health care for Medicaid recipients who need the most care while still enabling public hospitals to receive federal funds. [The Austin American-Statesman (registration)] Read More
Senate OKs pay increase for judges
Judges are the beneficiaries of a pay increase passed Wednesday by the Senate, but a long-standing law linking judicial salaries and legislative pensions means lawmakers will enjoy a sizable boost in retirement pay. [The Houston Chronicle (registration)] Read More
Admissions law gets another look
A law that guarantees college admission to students who rank in the top 10 percent of their high school class should be kept but improved, higher education officials told lawmakers Wednesday. [The Houston Chronicle (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
Top Democrats oppose widened gambling
Three Democratic leaders in the Texas House announced their opposition Wednesday to proposals that would expand gambling and asked the Republican leadership to remove that option from consideration as a state revenue-raiser. [The Houston Chronicle (registration)] Read More
House detours on Safe Clear - Senate at full speed
Houston's Safe Clear mandatory towing program got another reprieve from legislative attacks Wednesday, as the sponsor of a House bill targeting the program suspended a scheduled vote. [The Houston Chronicle (registration)] Read More
Katy Freeway project costing $300 million more, audit finds
The cost of expanding the Katy Freeway has gone up almost another $300 million, according to a state audit that faults the Texas Department of Transportation for failing to "take the necessary and appropriate steps to estimate total project costs." [The Houston Chronicle (registration)] Read More
State considers high school steroid tests
Texas lawmakers entered the debate about anabolic steroids in high schools Wednesday and said they might consider mandatory testing for athletes. [The Dallas Morning News (registration)] Read More
Why tolerance is fading for zero tolerance in schools
HOUSTON - Unaware it had turned cool overnight, Eddie Evans's 12-year-old son bolted out of the house in shirt sleeves. He was on his way to the bus stop when his mother called him back for a jacket. [The Christian Science Monitor] 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
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
Utah services may face cuts
As much as $135 million might have to be cut from Utah programs for the poor in the next five years if what local and national human services policy analysts call a "disastrous" U.S. House spending plan goes through. [Desert Morning News (Salt Lake City)] Read More
Utah is ranked good for commute times
With an average commute of 19.7 minutes, Utahns spend less time getting to work than commuters in most other states, according to a new report by the U.S. Census Bureau. [Desert Morning News (Salt Lake City)] Read More
Mountains High- Utah abounds with high peaks in all counties
Utah is a desert state, the second most arid of the 50 states, and yet it also has mountains located in all 29 of its counties. No other state has that kind of steady mountain geography. There are no vast plains or lowlands. Mountains pop up throughout the state -- Utah is mountain territory. [Desert Morning News (Salt Lake City)] Read More
Lynx on rebound, roam into Utah
DENVER - Three decades after Colorado?s native lynx disappeared, scores of the tufted-eared, long-haired cats are prowling across the western part of the state and roaming into Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico. [The Salt Lake Tribune] Read More
Voting technology impresses Utahns
SANDY, Utah - Lapreal Marriam had never voted on a computer before Wednesday. [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
A kinder, wetter Utah: Spring keeps piling up
A federal expert is warning of the danger of huge snowpacks sending streams and rivers overflowing their banks in southwestern Utah, with the state calling for residents on or near a flood plain to buy insurance. [The Salt Lake Tribune] Read More
Protection for lynx chafes in Colorado
DENVER - Three decades after Colorado's native lynx disappeared, scores of the tufted-eared, long-haired cats are prowling across the western part of the state and roaming into Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico. [Arizona Daily Star (Tucson)] Read More
Deadline for river sharing pact near
Colorado and six other Western states have yet to reach agreement on new drought rules for the Colorado River even as an April deadline looms. [Rocky Mountain News (Denver)] Read More
Western states to miss drought plan deadline
The seven Western states that depend on water from the Colorado River will not have a drought management proposal in hand by the Friday deadline set by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Nevada's top water official said. [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Read More
State will seek new bids on mental care in prisons
The Department of Corrections will seek new bids for a contract to provide mental health services in the state's prisons, even though the current contract has nearly a year left before it expires. [Rutland Herald] Read More
UVM tuition could increase by 4 percent
University of Vermont students would see a 4 percent tuition increase in 2006 under a budget that will be presented to university trustees in May [Burlington Free Press] Read More
State ditches plan to merge highway zones
State transportation officials have settled their differences over how to reorganize the state's nine maintenance districts. [Rutland Herald] 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
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
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
Warner amends bill on colleges' autonomy
Gov. Mark R. Warner on Wednesday amended parts of a landmark measure passed by the General Assembly that grants Virginia's public colleges and universities more independence from government control. [The Washington Post (registration)] Read More
Senate looks to higher gas tax to replace viaduct, 520 bridge
Senate Democrats are looking at increasing gas taxes by as much as 15 cents a gallon over the next 12 years to provide billions of dollars for transportation projects including replacing the Alaskan Way Viaduct and the Highway 520 bridge. [The Seattle Times] Read More
Does Seattle group "teach controversy" or contribute to it?
Three years ago, the Ohio Board of Education invited a small but influential Seattle think tank to debate the way evolution is taught in Ohio schools. [The Seattle Times] Read More
Fewer kids find smoking appealing, survey says
The number of kids in Washington who smoke has dropped by half over the past five years, according to early results from a state survey. [The Seattle Times] Read More
Hard sell for Airbus begins
Gov. Christine Gregoire made it official this week: Washington will compete for an Airbus plant. [The News Tribune (Tacoma)] Read More
'Slander of a woman' law heads for repeal
A bill that would repeal a state law that criminalizes "slander of a woman" is headed to the governor. [Seattle Post-Intelligencer] 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
State's new tax target - Canned meat
Meet the secret ingredient in the state budget: spam. [Seattle Post-Intelligencer] Read More
Bid to toughen child abuse laws falters
In the past year, two babies starved in Kent with cans of food sitting in their mother's kitchen, a 4-year-old girl in Lake Stevens was killed by her stepmother and other children were shaken to death -- all by families long known to the state Department of Social and Health Services. [Seattle Post-Intelligencer] Read More
Youth smoking on decline in Wash. state
The percentage of young people smoking cigarettes in Washington has decreased by almost half since the state launched its tobacco prevention program in 2000, the governor says. [The Washington Post (registration)] 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Civil justice reform tops issues in chamber survey
Civil justice reform is the No. 1 issue on the minds of the members of the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce, according to an online survey conducted last week. [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
$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
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
'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
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
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
Court hears minimum wage debate
Madison overstepped its authority when the city unilaterally raised its minimum wage above the rest of the state, a coalition of businesses said in asking a judge to strike down the law. [The Post-Crescent (Appleton)] 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
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
Court - UW hospital not immune from lawsuits
The group that runs the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics can be sued under the Americans with Disabilities Act, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday. [The Post-Crescent (Appleton)] Read More
Lynx on rebound, roam into Utah
DENVER - Three decades after Colorado?s native lynx disappeared, scores of the tufted-eared, long-haired cats are prowling across the western part of the state and roaming into Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico. [The Salt Lake Tribune] Read More
Wyoming ranked 4th-most livable state
CHEYENNE, Wyo. - Wyoming is the fourth-most livable state in the nation, according to the latest annual list compiled by a reference book publishing firm. [Billings Gazette] Read More
Protection for lynx chafes in Colorado
DENVER - Three decades after Colorado's native lynx disappeared, scores of the tufted-eared, long-haired cats are prowling across the western part of the state and roaming into Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico. [Arizona Daily Star (Tucson)] Read More
Deadline for river sharing pact near
Colorado and six other Western states have yet to reach agreement on new drought rules for the Colorado River even as an April deadline looms. [Rocky Mountain News (Denver)] Read More
Western states to miss drought plan deadline
The seven Western states that depend on water from the Colorado River will not have a drought management proposal in hand by the Friday deadline set by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Nevada's top water official said. [Las Vegas Review-Journal] 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
Rising child obesity offsets gains
WASHINGTON - Child obesity has more than tripled in three decades, and the increased health risk associated with being fat has wiped out progress in other areas, according to a report issued Wednesday. [Los Angeles Business (registration)] Read More |
Powered by