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Archive of Stateline.org RSS - State by State Roundup on Tuesday April 05, 2005
Riley drops slavery language from proclamation, then restores it
Confederate heritage groups were initially excited when Gov. Bob Riley's annual proclamation designating April as Confederate History and Heritage Month in Alabama dropped a paragraph saying slavery was a cause of the Civil War. [Mobile Register] Read More
Report - State's health care mixed
Alabama ranks among the best in the country for effectiveness of dialysis treatment in kidney patients and for the small number of nursing home patients who are mobile but develop bed sores, according to a national report released Monday. [The Birmingham News] Read More
Bill would turn Governor's Mansion over to new board to run
For years, the governor and his spouse have decided how to decorate the Gov.'s Mansion and whether to open it to the public for tours. That could soon change. [Mobile Register] Read More
Lounge plan stirs zoning debate
Keel Mountain residents asked the Madison County Commission's help Monday to keep the Loose Booty Lounge out of their neighborhood. [The Huntsville Times] Read More
Riley tours flood-damaged coast
GULF SHORES, Ala. - Gov. Bob Riley and state emergency management officials took an aerial tour of flood-damaged coastal Alabama and may seek federal disaster assistance if damages qualify for it. [Mobile Register] Read More
State's AG gets involved in Givianpour water case
Alabama Attorney General Troy King has filed a motion to intervene in Bessemer Water Service's lawsuit against developer Charles Givianpour. [The Birmingham News] Read More
Bill would make peach Alabama's official "tree fruit"
How many official fruits does one state need? Alabama will have two if the Legislature passes a bill to make the peach the official state "tree fruit." The bill by Rep. Jimmy Martin, D-Clanton, is scheduled to be up for debate in the House Tuesday. [Mobile Register] Read More
Former Sen. Heflin celebrated as political giant
TUSCUMBIA, Ala. - A memorial Sunday attended by at least 1,000 people celebrated the life of former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice and retired three-term U.S. Sen. Howell Heflin who died Tuesday. He was 83. [Mobile Register] Read More
Governor wants to legislate quarantine power
The state could quarantine people who become infected with diseases under a proposal given preliminary approval Monday by the state House of Representatives. [Anchorage Daily News] Read More
School bill wins support
A plan to spend $337 million in Alaska Permanent Fund earnings on school construction projects is winning strong support in the state Senate. [Anchorage Daily News] Read More
House approves dividends for Peace Corps volunteers
The House on Friday approved a measure allowing Peace Corps volunteers and Olympic athletes to receive Alaska Permanent Fund dividends. [Anchorage Daily News] Read More
Bill allows mental health patients to choose nurse gender
Faith Myers, an Anchorage woman with schizophrenia, has been in and out of mental institutions since 2000. [The Juneau Empire] Read More
'A bona fide offer'
The Alaska Gasline Port Authority on Monday announced that it has made a formal offer to purchase North Slope natural gas from the companies holding leases to the gas, a proposal that is crucial to the group's plan for building an all-Alaska gas line. [Daily News-Miner (Fairbanks)] Read More
Panel hires outside analyst on PERS/TRS
A legislative panel has hired an outside financial analyst to review the state-run retirement systems that have been the subject of reform efforts this session by lawmakers who point to the most recent analysis to argue for change. [Daily News-Miner (Fairbanks)] Read More
House says kill AIMS test rule - Senate boss vows fight
The House on Monday passed a bill that would let many high school students get a diploma without passing the AIMS test. [The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)] Read More
Proposal back to limit cold-medication sales
A state lawmaker on Monday revived a proposal restricting the sale of over-the-counter cold medications used to make methamphetamine. [The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)] Read More
Female cons to fight blazes
Meet the "Firewalkers," Arizona's first and only all-female inmate wildland firefighting crew. The program, believed to be only the second of its type in the nation, was spearheaded this year by Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano in an effort to place more certified inmate firefighters on the front lines of the state's wildfires. [The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)] Read More
Arizona hospitals can recover costs in personal injury cases
In Arizona, a hospital can still go after a patient who has been in an accident and receives a financial settlement - especially if the settlement is based on the patient's total bill, said Greg Pivirotto, president and CEO of University Medical Center in Tucson and past chairman of the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association. [Arizona Daily Star (Tucson)] Read More
UA forum spotlights medical, law ethics
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Patients and families who face difficult medical decisions will be better served if they discuss directives ahead of time. But there is also room for doctors and lawyers to improve the system they must navigate, concluded attendees of an ethics forum Monday night. [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock)] Read More
Officials around state push anti-meth laws
Officials from Pima County and other parts of the state took part in a last-ditch effort Monday to put in place the kind of laws they say are needed to protect children and communities from the hazards of meth-amphetamine labs. [Arizona Daily Star (Tucson)] Read More
2 title firms questioned
LOS ANGELES - Two prominent insurance companies with ties to Arizona came under scrutiny here Monday as California became the latest state to crack down on title reinsurance. [The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)] Read More
Officials fight bill to lower cable fees
Elected officials from across Arizona stormed the Capitol on Monday to oppose legislation that could lower cable television bills but hurt city budgets. [The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)] Read More
House OKs bill letting Palo Verde guards kill
The Arizona Legislature on Monday sent Gov. Janet Napolitano a bill that would authorize private security guards to shoot and kill to protect the Palo Verde nuclear plant. [The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)] Read More
Dignity walk will highlight opposition to bills targeting undocumented immigrants
Immigrant advocates from around the Valley on Monday said they will march today against several proposed pieces of legislation that could deny work and other opportunities to undocumented immigrants in Arizona. [The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)] Read More
Colorado River species plan signed
With the curved wall of Hoover Dam towering above them Monday, top water officials and federal agency chiefs gathered to launch a new multistate program designed to protect habitat and ensure continued use of the Colorado River for water and power generation. [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Read More
In Ariz., 'Minutemen' start border patrols
BISBEE, Ariz. - Penny Magnotto and Gayle Nyberg stood at their post on a forbidding stretch of desert road, staring down the seven strands of barbed wire separating them from Mexico. [The Washington Post (registration)] Read More
Border watchers capture their prey - the media
PALOMINAS, Ariz. - Jim Gilchrist bounced into the Trading Post diner here Monday, ordered coffee and toast and began smoking vigorously. [Los Angeles Times (registration)] Read More
Big plans in closing week
Legislative leaders prepared to take a key step in bringing the 85th General Assembly to a close this week with the unveiling of a plan to set spending priorities for the next two years. [The Log Cabin Democrat (Conway)] Read More
House approves partial birth abortion bill
In its first double meeting of the session, the House Monday approved a bill that would ban a procedure popularly known as partial birth abortion, then broke for committee meetings before returning to conduct more business into the early evening. [Arkansas News Bureau] Read More
Bill on restaurants and obesity stuck in Senate committee
A bill asking Arkansas fast-food restaurants to include nutritional information on their menus -- and limiting when they could be sued over weight-related health problems -- was received unenthusiastically Monday in a Senate committee, despite doctors who joined its sponsor in extolling the health benefits that could result. [The Log Cabin Democrat (Conway)] Read More
Senate bills give shape to budget
Budget proposals laid out Monday for the next two fiscal years would set aside $104 million for school facilities, less than legislators initially planned and much less than consultants recommended. [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock)] Read More
Budget bills get first look
Arkansas state government's $7.8 billion budget the next two years would require no new taxes but a big assist from some healthy surpluses, according to proposals put forward late Monday. [Arkansas News Bureau] Read More
Testing schedule set by state, not district
BENTON COUNTY, Ark. - As emphasis on standardized test scores increases following recent education legislation; parents, students and schools are paying closer attention to how well a student is able to perform on standardized tests. Read More
School building bill's failure dims hopes for quick session end
A school building improvement bill was blocked by the Senate Education Committee on Monday, making it more difficult for legislative leaders to adjourn by week's end. [Arkansas News Bureau] Read More
Rightward tilting could cost support
As he shifts to the right, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is losing the bipartisan goodwill that ushered him into office. [The Contra Costa Times] Read More
Western governors push new power grid
SALT LAKE CITY - The governors of four western states said Monday they will set the stage for a more reliable power grid by pushing for the development of new transmission lines from the coal fields of Wyoming to Southern California. [Billings Gazette] Read More
Windfall for state - but maybe not
California received a stunning $3 billion more than expected in corporate tax receipts in March - $2 billion-plus of which came in a single day on the last day of a tax amnesty program for individuals and businesses - but Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's budget office cautioned Monday that the state likely will not get to keep much of it. [The Sacramento Bee] Read More
Schools' poverty funds cut
Despite educating growing numbers of students living in poverty, the Sacramento City Unified School District will see one of the nation's largest cuts next year in the amount of federal aid aimed at helping needy children. [The Sacramento Bee] Read More
Calif. justices protect patients from illegal hospital bills
SAN FRANCISCO - California hospitals can no longer recover from insured patients the difference between a hospital's actual costs and what insurance companies pay for medical services, the state Supreme Court ruled. [Mercury News (San Jose)] Read More
'Team Arnold' to lose political adviser Miner
The chief architect of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's unfulfilled plan to "blow up" bureaucratic boxes is leaving the administration as Team Arnold gears up for a critical battle. [The Contra Costa Times] Read More
Nurses - Major protest against Schwarzenegger set for Tuesday
SAN FRANCISCO - On the eve of a major protest against Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, representatives of the state's largest nurses union vowed to step up their demonstrations against the Republican governor and his "cynical agenda of brainwashing." [The San Diego Union-Tribune] Read More
Cal high court rules cost not a reason to skirt Clean Water Act
LOS ANGELES - The California Supreme Court on Monday ruled that the cities of Burbank and Los Angeles cannot use cost as a reason for not meeting federal clean water requirements in treating sewage. [The San Diego Union-Tribune] Read More
Assembly to hear campaign finance reform bills
Three campaign finance reform measures -- two with the backing of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration, and one probably without it -- will get their first hearing today. [The Contra Costa Times] Read More
Lockyer takes money from casino he opposed
When a Sonoma County Indian tribe started building a casino in June 2002, Attorney General Bill Lockyer said it might be illegal and vowed to fight it. [The San Diego Union-Tribune] Read More
Despite GOP tilt, firefighters and police bask pension plan
Democrats have battled Arnold Schwarzenegger over his government overhaul agenda for months, but now the Republican governor is under assault from traditional GOP supporters: law enforcement and firefighters. [Mercury News (San Jose)] Read More
Bill spotlights natural asbestos
The state Legislature has taken its first step toward regulating construction in areas with naturally occurring asbestos, a toxic air contaminant of growing concern in developing Sierra foothill communities. [The Sacramento Bee] Read More
Californians can sign up to become organ donors
Until now, the only way Californians could identify themselves as organ donors was by placing small pink stickers on their driver's licenses. [The Sacramento Bee] Read More
Drug firms pull initiative to cap attorney fees
In the first deal of California's off-season election year, the nation's biggest drug companies announced Monday they are withdrawing their initiative that would have capped trial lawyers' contingency fees. [The Sacramento Bee] Read More
2 title firms questioned
LOS ANGELES - Two prominent insurance companies with ties to Arizona came under scrutiny here Monday as California became the latest state to crack down on title reinsurance. [The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)] Read More
Partners law passes court test
Another attack on California's new domestic partners act was defeated Monday when a state appeals court upheld a lower court's ruling refusing to declare the controversial law unconstitutional. [The Sacramento Bee] Read More
Coastal panel's power in high court's hands
Rodolphe Streichenberger didn't set out to sink the California Coastal Commission. His goal was more ambitious. [The Sacramento Bee] Read More
Democrats to unveil roadway funds plan
Assembly Democrats will unveil a package of bills today whose linchpin would be $10 billion in borrowing for new roadway construction, including perhaps the Bay Bridge project. [The Sacramento Bee] Read More
Colorado River species plan signed
With the curved wall of Hoover Dam towering above them Monday, top water officials and federal agency chiefs gathered to launch a new multistate program designed to protect habitat and ensure continued use of the Colorado River for water and power generation. [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Read More
Court denies challenge to domestic partners law
A state appellate court Monday denied a challenge to the state's sweeping domestic partners benefits law, ruling that the rights it confers fall short of those offered by marriage and were therefore properly enacted by the Legislature. [Los Angeles Times (registration)] Read More
State high court backs clean water standards
Cities must comply with strict state regulations to reduce water pollution regardless of the costs, as long as the rules are necessary to comply with the federal Clean Water Act, the California Supreme Court ruled Monday. [Los Angeles Times (registration)] Read More
Bills target pharmacists who say 'no'
With drugstores now a battleground in the war over reproductive rights, California lawmakers today will consider whether to create the nation's first law requiring pharmacists to fill emergency contraception prescriptions and other medications even if they find them immoral. [Los Angeles Times (registration)] Read More
Windfall to state may be fleeting
Corporations scurrying to meet a tax amnesty deadline deposited at least $2.3 billion into the state treasury over the weekend - enough to erase a substantial portion of California's budget shortfall. [Los Angeles Times (registration)] Read More
Lawmakers unveil budget
Colorado legislators Monday proposed a $15.2 billion state budget, a spending plan its drafters called "conservative" but a leading House Republican said misleads taxpayers about the state's financial health. [Rocky Mountain News (Denver)] Read More
Dem's error sets back bill
A Democratic lawmaker accidentally helped kill a workers' compensation bill she intended to support Monday, to the delight of Republicans who had vigorously fought the legislation. [Denver Post] Read More
'Average' wildfire season predicted
Above-average snowpack will ease the threat of wildfires as the high country greens up, Colorado fire experts said Monday. [Rocky Mountain News (Denver)] Read More
Wind farm proposed east of DIA
ADAMS COUNTY, Colo. - A steady wind howls along U.S. 36 in eastern Adams County, kicking a tumbleweed across the highway and pressing it hard against a fence line. [Rocky Mountain News (Denver)] Read More
Anti-Jewish incidents surge 22% in Colo.
The Anti-Defamation League reports that anti-Semitic incidents in Colorado have risen 22 percent since 2003, the fourth year in a row the state saw an increase. [Denver Post] Read More
Churchill assails call to defend heritage
An attorney for University of Colorado professor Ward Churchill has accused the university of "the grossest violation of due process and fundamental fairness" in the handling of Churchill's case and asked that the complaint against him be dismissed. [Denver Post] Read More
Senators score on lobbyists' ticket pitch
It's a tradition for elected officials to skip out of the Capitol for the season's first game. Many attend the event with tickets provided by lobbyists. [Denver Post] Read More
Budget goes to lawmakers
The state's $14.9 billion spending plan landed on lawmakers' desks Monday, and members of both parties agree the tight budget leaves little room for major changes. [Denver Post] Read More
$626 million to protect wildlife along Colorado River
BOULDER CITY, Nev. - Federal and state officials on Monday committed $626 million over the next 50 years to protect some of the Colorado River's most imperiled wildlife. [The New York Times (registration)] Read More
State gets high marks in terror attack drill
NEW LONDON, Conn. ? A simulated explosion at Fort Trumbull on Monday afternoon set off a terrorism response drill that rallied everyone from firefighters in New London to government agencies in London, England. [New Haven Register (registration)] Read More
Twin 'terror attacks'
Two simulated strikes -- one chemical in Conn. and the other biological in N.J. -- were part of a $16M terrorism response drill staged Monday by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and state and local agencies. [Newsday] Read More
Two states are 'attacked' in a major terrorism drill
NEW LONDON, CONN. - Hundreds of actors writhed in simulated pain in Connecticut after staged terrorist attacks on Monday, and thousands more went to New Jersey hospitals complaining of mysterious flulike symptoms, as the Department of Homeland Security began the largest terrorism drill ever conducted in the United States. [The New York Times (registration)] Read More
Put to the test
NEW LONDON, Conn. - The first day of an international drill showed Monday that victims in a Connecticut terrorist attack might face a significant delay before receiving medical treatment. [The Hartford Courant (registration)] Read More
Court rejects rental car fines
HARTFORD, Conn. - The state Supreme Court upheld a ban Monday on a car rental company's use of a global positioning satellite system to track customers and fine them $150 for speeding. [Los Angeles Times (registration)] Read More
High marks for state on dental mercury
Connecticut earned high marks for its efforts to curb mercury disposed of by dental offices, but the authors of a regional report card urged the state to do more. [The Hartford Courant (registration)] Read More
Ellef seeks change of venue
STAMFORD, Conn. - A top aide to former Gov. John G. Rowland sought to have his trial on federal corruption charges moved outside Connecticut on Monday, saying he can't get a fair trial in the state due to the "unprecedented" publicity surrounding Rowland's guilty plea and imprisonment. [The Hartford Courant (registration)] Read More
Figures in scandal want charges dismissed
Key defendants in the corruption scandal that helped topple ex-Gov. John G. Rowland?s administration asked a federal judge Monday to dismiss all charges against them, calling the case "fundamentally flawed." [New Haven Register (registration)] Read More
Ethics panel to probe cars deal
The state ethics commission plans to look into an outside endorsement contract under which University of Connecticut Athletic Director Jeff Hathaway and his wife receive free cars from a dealership that does business with his department. [The Hartford Courant (registration)] Read More
Group wants registration of rifles, shotguns
Gun-control advocates are after the General Assembly to require that rifles and shotguns be registered just as handguns are now, saying criminals are beginning to use more "long guns" in their crimes. [New Haven Register (registration)] Read More
Stem cell, cloning bills clear panel
Legislation to provide $20 million in state funds for stem cell research and to make human cloning and the sale of human embryos felonies has won approval from the General Assembly?s Judiciary Committee. [New Haven Register (registration)] Read More
Bill addresses vets' fears of uranium ammo
Legislation to tackle the potential health problems faced by Connecticut veterans exposed to depleted uranium ammunition in recent wars were approved by the legislature's Public Health Committee Monday. [New Haven Register (registration)] Read More
Lawmakers urged to raise juvenile status to age 18
Between mental hospitals and detention centers, Sara Goddard says she spent a year of her life in institutions "for no other reason than family problems." [New Haven Register (registration)] Read More
Assisted suicide defense backed
The state filed court papers Monday agreeing with defense arguments that Huntington Williams, accused of aiding in the suicide of a friend suffering from advanced prostate cancer, should be allowed to apply for a special form of probation known as accelerated rehabilitation. [The Hartford Courant (registration)] Read More
Contractor in Rowland graft case seeks dismissal of most charges
Lawyers for a contractor who reaped millions in state contracts while doing favors for then-Gov. John G. Rowland of Connecticut, asked a federal judge yesterday to dismiss 12 out of the 14 counts against their client, saying prosecutors had overreached. [The New York Times (registration)] Read More
Diploma issues far from resolved
The House voted to do away with it, the Senate agrees and the governor proclaims it dead. Parents who hated the three-tiered high school diploma can now rest easy. Or can they? [The News Journal (New Castle-Wilmington)] Read More
Tuition bill's 'chance' hailed: Would fund schooling at DelTech
Students who keep their noses clean and graduate from a Delaware high school would qualify for free community college tuition under legislation filed last month that lays out the details of Gov. Ruth Ann Minner's scholarship initiative. [Delaware State News (Dover)] Read More
Lawmakers raise concerns about DSU
A state legislator and a New Castle County representative have expressed "grave concerns" about the well-being of faculty, staff and students at Delaware State University under President Allen L. Sessoms. [The News Journal (New Castle-Wilmington)] Read More
Del. gets mixed review on health care
The first congressionally mandated study of national health care quality shows Delaware is doing admirably in some preventive efforts, miserably in some treatment categories. [The News Journal (New Castle-Wilmington)] Read More
Worst Delaware flooding in 50 years
Residents along the Delaware River began to gauge the damage yesterday as the worst flooding in 50 years swept through the region, forcing the evacuation of thousands and inundating the Statehouse in Trenton. It was the second time in seven months that the river has swallowed houses, businesses and roads along its banks. [The Inquirer (Philadelphia) (registration)] Read More
High cost for bill to get tough on probation violators
Republican lawmakers are promoting a new bill to get tough on violent felons who violate probation, but five-year cost estimates range from $355 million to $630 million. [Tallahassee Democrat] Read More
Senate bill would ban religious bias by voucher takers
Private schools taking tax dollars for tuition would not be allowed to discriminate on the basis of religion under a bill that attempts to add more accountability to Florida's school voucher programs. [The Palm Beach Post] Read More
State plan charges more for 'extra' college classes
Convinced that some college students are lingering on campus longer than they should, some state lawmakers want to make slowpokes pay to stay. [The Orlando Sentinel (registration)] Read More
Anti-Semitic crimes rise in Florida
The number of anti-Semitic hate crimes in Florida increased again last year, according to a study released Monday by the Jewish Anti-Defamation League. [The Orlando Sentinel (registration)] Read More
House budget calls for help from trust funds
A House budget panel unanimously approved a $63 billion state spending plan Friday but set up likely clashes with the Senate and Gov. Jeb Bush by tapping trust funds and including dozens of hometown projects sought by lawmakers. [The Orlando Sentinel (registration)] Read More
Girl - 'I want to be independent'
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - For 11-year-old Marisselle Quinones with spina bifida, Gov. Jeb Bush's plan to switch 2.2 million vulnerable, disabled and elderly Floridians on Medicaid to privately run managed health care plans is personal. [Tallahassee Democrat] Read More
Lobbyists push to weaken state's drug-tracking system
A Florida law that could be a national model for how to keep tainted and counterfeit drugs from reaching customers is at risk of being weakened by the state Legislature. [The Orlando Sentinel (registration)] Read More
State parole commission could be dissolved
For 64 years, the Florida Parole Commission has supervised parolees, ruled on inmate release, assisted victims and investigated applications for restoration of felons' civil rights. [Tallahassee Democrat] Read More
Teachers flock to pre-K program
It's been 26 years since Debi Bazemore earned a bachelor's degree in business administration. Now she's back in college. [Tallahassee Democrat] Read More
Child fitness an idle issue
Like a dieter gobbling chocolate cake, Florida isn't acting too serious about better physical fitness for school students. [Tallahassee Democrat] Read More
Florida scores high on cancer awareness
Floridians do a better job than people in many other states of getting screened for some types of cancer, according to a new study that also reveals that the state's cancer death rate is lower than the national average. [The Orlando Sentinel (registration)] Read More
Broward gets its day in Florida's capital
Seven years ago, when the first group of Broward community leaders and government officials convened in Tallahassee for an empowerment convention dubbed Broward Days, it was viewed as an ambitious pipe dream, even by those who participated. [The Miami Herald (registration)] Read More
Voter ID bill denounced at King ceremony
Speakers at a wreath-laying ceremony Monday at the tomb of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. used the forum to rail against controversial legislation that would require voters to present specific types of photo identification at the polls. [The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (registration)] Read More
Georgia loses its spot on base panel
WASHINGTON - Georgia lost its seat Monday on a commission that will oversee the closing of military bases this year. [The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (registration)] Read More
Hit count spiking at GBI sex offender Web site
Visits to the GBI's sex offender registry Web site has reached record highs following the recent slaying of a Florida girl, a GBI official said. The site, which began in 1998, lists about 9,600 Georgia sex offenders, provides their addresses and, in many cases, their pictures. [The Macon Telegraph] Read More
Organ givers and getters honor life at Capitol
Six years ago, Wendell Sheffield needed a new heart to live. [The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (registration)] Read More
Death row killer gets new trial
A state court judge has overturned the murder conviction of death row inmate Willie Palmer after finding that the concealment of a $500 payoff to a key prosecution witness corrupted Palmer's trial. [The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (registration)] Read More
Senate bills ban anti-gay bias
State senators passed two bills yesterday that would prohibit Hawaii's landlords and employers from discriminating against gays, lesbians or transsexuals. [Honolulu Star-Bulletin] Read More
California vies for Hawai'i's highest gas prices title
Hawai'i is on the verge of losing its dubious title of having the highest gasoline prices, as the cost at the pump soars to record levels across the nation. [Honolulu Advertiser] Read More
Hawaii to list its endangered species
HONOLULU - The state plans to compile a list of Hawaii's native endangered species to secure wildlife conservation funding from Congress. [The Washington Post (registration)] Read More
Senate move could hurt plans for Superferry
The state Senate Ways and Means Committee has blockaded a plan to provide $40 million in state harbor improvements, raising questions about support for the Hawaii Superferry. [Honolulu Star-Bulletin] Read More
Western governors push new power grid
SALT LAKE CITY - The governors of four western states said Monday they will set the stage for a more reliable power grid by pushing for the development of new transmission lines from the coal fields of Wyoming to Southern California. [Billings Gazette] Read More
Attempt to give raises falls flat in Legislature
Another Democrat attempt to give state employees and teachers more money this year failed on the Senate floor Monday. [The Idaho Statesman (Boise)] Read More
Kempthorne says he'll settle for cap on federal highway money
Gov. Dirk Kempthorne offered a concession to lawmakers Monday in an attempt to end a stalemate with those still resisting his plan to borrow federal money and start building $1.6 billion in highways. [The Idaho Statesman (Boise)] Read More
Legislators hold off on applauding tax surplus
After a disappointing February erased nearly all of the state's surplus tax collections, March has restored the state's savings and then some. [The Idaho Statesman (Boise)] Read More
Illinois lags on medical care
Illinois received a disappointing report card from the federal government Monday on the quality of medical care provided to state residents. [Chicago Tribune (registration)] Read More
Politicians from Illinois, North Carolina bet food on basketball game
Pride and belly-busting food were on the line for Monday night's NCAA championship game as politicians from Illinois and North Carolina wagered delicacies from barbecue to cheesecake on the outcome. North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley wagered two pounds of barbecue against Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who put up a pizza from PapaDel's in Champaign, Ill., and a six-pack of Orange Crush. [The News & Observer (Raleigh) (registration)] Read More
Ill. lawmaker says he'll rebut rule on pharmacies
A Metro East lawmaker wants to allow pharmacists and other medical professionals to opt out of filling prescriptions or performing other procedures that would compromise their personal beliefs. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch] Read More
How Illinois saved millions by consolidating the election
Since Illinois consolidated its local elections in 1999, the state has saved millions of dollars and boosted voter participation in school board elections, said Cook County Clerk David Orr. [The Daily Herald (Arlington)] Read More
Police unlikely to stake out video-game law violators
Police throughout Illinois say enforcing a proposed law to criminalize the sale of violent video games to minors will be low on their priority lists. [Chicago Tribune (registration)] Read More
Big increase is sought in education funding
An advisory panel called Monday for a 29 percent increase in Illinois' basic level of spending for each student, a move that would cost $2.3 billion a year. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch] Read More
Big hike in pupil funding urged
Illinois should contribute $6,405 per student to educate its schoolchildren next school year--almost $1,500 more than it spends now--an influential group of state education advisers recommended Monday. [Chicago Tribune (registration)] Read More
Panel calls for 29% more for schools
An education funding panel called Monday for a 29 percent increase in Illinois' basic level of spending for each student, a move that would cost $2.3 billion a year at a time when the state continues to struggle with a tight budget. [The Daily Herald (Arlington)] Read More
Time-change bill takes surprise turn
The drive to put all of Indiana on daylight-saving time hit another snag Monday, with an amendment adopted in the House that would let some counties opt out. [The Indianapolis Star] Read More
Education officials support proposed law
A bill requiring the American flag to wave, the Pledge of Allegiance to be recited and a moment of silence to be observed each day in Indiana's classrooms has reached Gov. Mitch Daniels' desk. [South Bend Tribune] Read More
Wide-reaching tax measure clears Senate committee
Local income and state cigarette and alcoholic-beverage taxes would go up under legislation a Republican-dominated Senate panel approved 8-4 on Monday along party lines. [The Indianapolis Star] Read More
Nappanee annexation bill advances; higher speed limits, DNA database also given boost
Indiana could collect DNA samples from thousands more offenders each year if a House bill supported by Sen. Joe Zakas, R-Granger, becomes law. [South Bend Tribune] Read More
ID fraud probe's key figure sentenced
A federal judge Monday sentenced the alleged ringleader in a scheme to provide foreign nationals with Indiana driver's licenses to 27 months in prison. [The Indianapolis Star] Read More
Stadium financing gallops forward
A plan to pay for a new Colts stadium leapt ahead Monday when a Senate committee voted to have restaurant diners, hotel guests and car renters help pick up the tab. [The Indianapolis Star] Read More
Speed limit legislation grows to cover many more miles of road
State lawmakers significantly have broadened a bill aimed at raising some interstate speed limits to 70 mph to now include higher limits on noninterstate freeways and four-lane divided highways. [The Indianapolis Star] Read More
Panel amends tax bill before Senate debate
The physical weight of a bill passed by the Senate Tax and Fiscal Policy Committee on Monday is almost equal to the political weight of the legislation, which would have Hoosiers pay more in income, cigarette and alcohol taxes. [The Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne)] Read More
Vilsack says he would consider life sentence for repeat sex offenders
Gov. Tom Vilsack said Monday he?s willing consider a legislative proposal to slap a life prison term on sex offenders who strike a second time, but he also repeated his opposition to reinstating the death penalty in Iowa. [Quad-City Times] Read More
Hormone therapy for offenders rarely used
A controversial drug treatment for child molesters, approved by Iowa lawmakers seven years ago, is rarely used. [The Des Moines Register] Read More
UI women lag in salaries
The top University of Iowa employees going home with the largest paychecks this year are men. [Iowa City Press-Citizen] Read More
Plan to aid teachers has drawn complaints
Sally Hansen was happy for her son - but also a bit envious - when he landed an engineering job right out of college that paid more than she was making as a Marshalltown special education teacher with 31 years of experience. But like other Iowa teachers, Hansen was hopeful that a new, "landmark" teacher-pay plan approved by the 2001 Legislature at an initial yearly cost of $40 million would give their salaries a boost. [The Des Moines Register] Read More
Oversight of ISU grant programs questioned in audit
Poor oversight of grant programs at Iowa State University led to improper payments of $141,000, said a report released Monday by Iowa Auditor David Vaudt. [Sioux City Journal] Read More
Seeing what their vote got them: Dozens attend local forum, bend the ears of their elected officials
MUSCATINE, Iowa -- Regional legislators and about 65 area residents packed a lot of conversation into a 90-minute forum at Muscatine Community College Saturday. [The Muscatine Journal] Read More
Vilsack questions Newton tax idea
A fast-moving measure to allow a proposed speedway in Newton to keep state sales tax generated at the facility hit its first patch of rough road on Monday. [The Des Moines Register] Read More
Iowa governor open to harsher law for sexual abuse
DES MOINES, Iowa - Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack said Monday that he would consider a measure calling for life in prison without parole for second-offense sexual abuse but that the Legislature would have to provide funding for whatever changes it made. [Omaha World-Herald] Read More
A.G. says prescription program OK
A program allowing Kansans to buy prescription drugs from Canada and Europe is legal under state statutes but "comes perilously close" to violating federal law, Atty. Gen. Phill Kline says. [Lawrence Journal-World] Read More
Bill places new rules on group homes
A bill drafted in response to the case of a Newton couple accused of physically and sexually abusing mentally ill adults in their care is headed to Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. [Lawrence Journal-World] Read More
Health care survey puts state near norms
WASHINGTON - Kansas does well in treating HIV and some forms of cancer but could use more work to improve its infant mortality rate and some areas of nursing home care, according to a comprehensive federal study of health care practices released Monday. [Wichita Eagle (registration)] Read More
Amendment proposal expected to draw large turnout
Kansas' proposed amendment to ban same-sex marriage and civil unions is expected to draw national attention and a relatively high number of voters to the polls for the April 5 election. [Wichita Eagle (registration)] Read More
Kentucky health care falls short
Prenatal care is a bright spot in a report card on Kentucky's health care released yesterday by the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The state ranked 12th in the nation for the percentage of mothers receiving prenatal care in the first three months of pregnancy. But Kentucky scored worse than the national average on numerous measures, including deaths from lung cancer, colorectal cancer and cancers overall. [The Courier-Journal (Louisville)] Read More
Cuts have districts digging deeper for preschool
School districts? preschool funding woes will likely grow worse after the Kentucky Department of Education meets this week. [Bowling Green Daily News] Read More
Bill would expand gambling on river
Legislation that would allow gambling aboard cruise ships that sail the Mississippi River from New Orleans to other locations in Louisiana or the United States has been filed by an East Jefferson lawmaker for debate at the April 25 legislative session. [The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)] Read More
Agency to seek changes
State officials have had to stay mum about their knowledge of child-abuse cases that have hit the headlines. But that would change under a proposed state law that child welfare officials plan to push during the upcoming legislative session. [The Advocate (Baton Rouge)] Read More
Prosecution of the poor can be postponed
The state Supreme Court ruled in Baton Rouge that judges can halt prosecution of poor defendants until money is available to pay for their lawyers. [Los Angeles Times (registration)] Read More
Churches take on coastline
NEW ORLEANS -- Louisianians have a moral responsibility to be good stewards of the state's natural resources, a statewide group of churches said Monday in urging residents to back current and future efforts to fund and implement coastal restoration and water quality projects. [The Advocate (Baton Rouge)] Read More
Activists' ally snared in security net
For 27 years, Willie Fontenot has had a unique job in the office of the Louisiana attorney general. [The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)] Read More
Agency pushes for transparency
The Legislature will be asked to liberalize laws that prevent the Department of Social Services from discussing child abuse and neglect cases with those outside the agency, the agency's chief official said Monday. [The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)] Read More
Bill closes loophole in smoking law
State health officials and several lawmakers are pushing to close loopholes that allow smoking in clubs and workplaces. [Kennebec Journal] Read More
Law ties hands of UMS trustees
The University of Maine System Board of Trustees once hoped to implement a far-reaching reorganization of the state's seven public universities. [Portland Press Herald] Read More
Neurological condition affects children
FAIRFIELD, Maine - Nancy Intrieri, executive director of the Autism Society of Maine, repeatedly referred to NT's Saturday during her talk at the Maine Autism Resource Fair. [Morning Sentinel] Read More
Vaporizing alcohol may be banned
A new machine that lets people consume alcohol by inhaling vapors should be banned in Maine, witnesses told a legislative committee Monday. [Portland Press Herald] Read More
Marriage in Maryland of cousins draw fire
In the United States, 26 states and the District of Columbia allow first cousins to wed, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. [USA Today] Read More
Bills expanding health care likely to pass Assembly
With a week remaining in this year's legislative session, lawmakers seem likely to pass several bills expanding access to health care. [The Sun (Baltimore) (registration)] Read More
Md. school cafeterias in a bind over junk food
Annie Emberland bounded into the blue-and-white cafeteria at Calvert County's Huntingtown High School and immediately reached for a pack of three chocolate chip cookies. [The Washington Post (registration)] Read More
Ehrlich urges veterans to push tax cut
Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. urged a group of veterans yesterday to lobby in support of his bill to exempt about 46,000 military retirees from paying state tax on their military retirement income. [The Sun (Baltimore) (registration)] Read More
Stalemate on state property tax cut viewed as a possible opening for a slots-bill solution
Maryland Senate leaders are refusing to accept a House of Delegates plan for a statewide property tax cut, leading some lawmakers to question whether a budget stalemate has been artificially created so that slot machine revenue can emerge as the solution. [The Sun (Baltimore) (registration)] Read More
Legislators seeking change in law to assist prosecutors
Maryland lawmakers have moved to change a quirk in state law that has prevented prosecutors from trying a teenage murder suspect who police said admitted to a role in a fatal carjacking in Annapolis in 2002. [The Sun (Baltimore) (registration)] Read More
Md. foster care study lists problems
More than a third of the children in Maryland's foster care system were not attending school last year, and nearly as many did not meet at least once a month with caseworkers, according to a report released yesterday by the state's Office of Legislative Audits. [The Washington Post (registration)] Read More
Aide to pay $20,000 for missed days
Governor Mitt Romney yesterday ordered Angelo R. Buonopane, the director of the state Department of Labor, to pay $20,000 in restitution to the state for unauthorized time off taken by Buonopane since January 2004, in response to a Globe report Sunday that showed Buonopane worked less than three hours a day. [The Boston Globe] Read More
U.S. declares Boston's Big Dig safe for motorists
BOSTON - Federal highway officials concluded in a report released on Monday that the leak-prone Big Dig tunnel project is structurally sound and safe for motorists. [The New York Times (registration)] Read More
Ex-Gov. Swift on hot seat
Former acting Gov. Jane Swift will be asked under oath today whether pressure from Big Dig contractor Bechtel/Parsons Brinckerhoff was a factor in her decision to fire two Turnpike Authority board members. [Boston Herald] Read More
Ad blitz targets school funding
The state's largest teachers' union is rolling out a television advertisement dramatizing the financial plight of Massachusetts schools, part of a six-month $1.3 billion multimedia campaign, designed to influence the legislative budget debate. [The Boston Globe] Read More
Joe K mocks 'out of place' Mitt at Dem bash
Former U.S. Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II last night mocked Gov. Mitt Romney as so disengaged at the State House that he ``kind of looks like the runner-up on `American Idol'. '' [Boston Herald] Read More
Mass. gets B- in mercury fight
Environmentalists who have long blamed mercury-releasing power plants for making it unhealthy for pregnant women and children to eat fish are turning their attention sharply inward -- to people's own mouths. [The Boston Globe] Read More
SJC backs Boston on firing of officer
The state's highest court yesterday ruled that the Boston Police Department had the right to fire an officer who arrested two people over a minor double-parking violation and lied to justify the arrests. [The Boston Globe] Read More
Big Dig tunnels sound, US says
The Big Dig's tunnels are structurally sound despite hundreds of roof leaks and dozens of wall defects, according to a Federal Highway Administration report released yesterday, but the state must develop an aggressive tunnel inspection program to ensure the roadway's future safety. [The Boston Globe] Read More
Anti-meth bill limits sales of cold pills
An everyday remedy for the common cold is the must-have ingredient in methamphetamine - a highly addictive narcotic cooked in houses, hotel rooms, even vehicles. That's why limiting the sale of decongestants such as Sudafed, Claritin-D and other medicines containing pseudoephedrine can drastically reduce the number of dangerous meth labs sprouting up across Michigan, state lawmakers and law enforcement officials say. [Lansing State Journal] Read More
Michigan good place for aspiring homeowners
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Thanks to a history of good wages and a culture of homeownership, Michigan residents are more likely to live in homes they own than residents in all but one other state. [Booth Newspapers (Lansing)] Read More
State solicits lumberjacks for fight against ash borers
PETOSKEY, Mich. - Nine-hundred tree-cutters and others in the lumber industry have received a state request to pitch in and try to limit an ash borer infestation in the northern Lower Peninsula. [Lansing State Journal] Read More
Panel rejects casino plan
ST. PAUL, Minn. - A Senate committee rejected three northern Minnesota American Indian tribes' request to open a Twin Cities casino, but after the Monday night vote, supporters are looking for other ways to pass the proposal. [The Forum (Fargo)] Read More
Gas at $2.17 and rising
Get used to griping about gasoline prices this summer. [St. Paul Pioneer Press (registration)] Read More
Ventura gets big ovation at St. Olaf
NORTHFIELD, Minn. - Former Gov. Jesse Ventura brought his high-priced national road show back to Minnesota and to St. Olaf College Monday night, where he delivered a vintage speech punctuated with familiar attacks on political parties and the news media, and harsh criticisms of the war in Iraq as well as efforts in Minnesota to ban gay marriage and expand gambling. [Minneapolis Star Tribune (registration)] Read More
Senate dismisses House budget but keeps its own ideas secret
Senate leaders have been calling for state spending cuts all year to reach a balanced budget - but when the House made an offer with cuts on Monday, senators scoffed. [The Sun Herald (Biloxi)] Read More
Funding uncertainty forces school districts to delay hiring decisions
Many of the state's 149 school districts are postponing hiring decisions until just before the April 15 teacher contract deadline. By then, district administrators should know how much money they'll receive in state funding. By state law, teachers who don't have a job for the next school year must be notified by the contract deadline. [The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson)] Read More
Money for special sessions tight
While seeking funds to run state government, lawmakers may also need to find money to cover their sessions if budget negotiations continue for an extended period. [The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson)] Read More
Small clique writes Mississippi state budget
Mississippi has 174 legislators, but only a select few get to shape the most important product of the year: The state budget. [The Sun Herald (Biloxi)] Read More
Delta lawmaker falls ill in Senate chamber
Sen. Willie Simmons, D-Cleveland, was taken by ambulance to the University of Mississippi Medical Center on Monday after falling ill in the chamber. [The Sun Herald (Biloxi)] Read More
Taylor - Base closings stupid
GULFPORT, Miss. - Congressman Gene Taylor believes it is a "very distinct possibility" that Naval Station Pascagoula will be closed in the next round of base closures. [The Sun Herald (Biloxi)] Read More
Session could end today with no budget
Tension mounts at the state Capitol as the budget stalemate frustrates lawmakers. They face the possibility of leaving today without funding state government beginning July 1. [The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson)] Read More
Think tank takes governor to task
WASHINGTON - A liberal budget think tank says that Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt justified his deep cuts in the state's Medicaid program on misleading information. [Kansas City Star (registration)] Read More
'Urgent need' for Head Start investigation
Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt is calling for investigations into spending by an embattled Head Start agency. [Kansas City Star (registration)] Read More
Bill seeks to protect 'mail-order brides'
Missouri men seeking a "mail-order bride" from a foreign country might soon have to disclose their criminal records and previous marriages to the prospective fiancee. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch] Read More
Mo. House budget restores funds for gifted kids
House budget writers began Monday to slog through the latest Republican plan for balancing the state's $19.1 billion operating budget. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch] Read More
Senate gives initial approval to measure targeting movie piracy
The Missouri Senate gave first-round approval to legislation Monday that targets people who videotape movies in theaters. [Jefferson City News Tribune] Read More
Missouri legislative races highlight Tuesday's election
Voters will fill three empty legislative seats and decide numerous local issues in Tuesday's election. [Jefferson City News Tribune] Read More
Driver's license offices close without required notice
Some Missourians wanting to renew their driver's license may find their local license office has closed. [Jefferson City News Tribune] Read More
Tax break proposal ignites criticism
Legislation pending in the Missouri Senate proposes that state residents get tax breaks for investing in other states' college savings plans. [Kansas City Star (registration)] Read More
Legislative tasks for school funding
The 2005 Legislature must complete four tasks to solve the school funding problem. First, the body must define the kind of quality education students are entitled to. Second, it must asses the education needs of the state. Third, it must build an equitable school funding formula that accounts for the state's needs, and fourth, it must fund whatever it determines to be its "fair share" of public education. [Billings Gazette] Read More
Money to pay for utility bills used elsewhere
Millions of dollars earmarked to help low-income Montanans pay their utility bills has been redirected to help pay for the increasing numbers of people on Medicaid, a Missoula lawmaker said Monday. [Billings Gazette] Read More
Tax bill passes Senate by narrow margin
With a little lobbying help from the governor's office, the Montana Senate on Monday narrowly approved two bills aimed at cracking down on corporate and individual tax cheats and imposing an alternative minimum corporate income tax. [Billings Gazette] Read More
Some schools will lose under temporary funding formula fix
The Legislature's temporary solution to the school funding problem will actually decrease state aid at more than 20 schools across the state next year, while other schools will see increases topping out at 149 percent. [Billings Gazette] Read More
House OKs bill requiring adoption of anti-bullying policies
A bill requiring school districts to adopt anti-bullying policies passed the House by a slim margin Monday, despite objections by some lawmakers that kids will be kids. [Missoulian] Read More
Lawmakers adjust to Helena
Cramped apartments, constant cramming, no time to cook: it's not college. It's life in the Montana Legislature. [Billings Gazette] Read More
Law tops Indian ed agenda
When the Montana Senate's majority leader told educators on Tuesday that every dollar marked for Indian education would be thoroughly examined, one man felt the pressure. [Billings Gazette] Read More
Ed funding panel seeks OK to expand
A special legislative committee working to build a new school funding formula seeks to expand and continue its work after the session adjourns later this month and present its solution to the full Legislature by Dec. 1. [Billings Gazette] Read More
Philosopher says intelligent design theory can't be put to test
Fans of creationism and "intelligent design" theory would do well to leave evolution alone until they get their own ideas in order, a noted philosopher argued Monday. [Missoulian] Read More
House committee approves tracking devices for sex offenders
A measure requiring "sexually violent predators" to wear electronic tracking devices as a condition of release from prison has found unanimous support in the Senate and a House committee. [Missoulian] Read More
Lawmaker wants change in spending growth limit
A Senate Republican said Monday he will propose a way for the Legislature to avoid breaking a law that limits increases in spending from one budget to the next. [Missoulian] Read More
Governor, legislative chairs recommend meth study
Gov. Dave Heineman and the chairs of two legislative committees are pushing for an independent, comprehensive study of methamphetamine use and treatment in Nebraska. [Lincoln Journal Star] Read More
Battle looming over Medicaid reform
A proposed study of how to control the spiraling costs of Medicaid has drawn the ire of advocates who fear cuts will be made to services for poor people in need of medical care. [Lincoln Journal Star] Read More
Speaker leads in legislature absences
State Sen. Kermit Brashear of Omaha, the Nebraska Legislature's new speaker, has missed nine of 55 days so far this session, according to the Legislature's daily record of events. [Omaha World-Herald] Read More
Bill would reign in bureaucracy rule making power
Sometimes bureaucracy goes too far. Last summer the state fire marshal banned charcoal and gas grills from apartment balconies with a new regulation. But the agency backed away from the ban after the public (and Omaha Sen. Pat Bourne) complained. [Lincoln Journal Star] Read More
Pollution council may get biologist
State lawmakers moved closer Monday to adding a biologist and a minority group representative to the council that regulates Nebraska's air, water and land quality. [Omaha World-Herald] Read More
Planning urged for Medicaid changes
State lawmakers owe it to Nebraskans to deal now with the steady rise in Medicaid costs, before the program eats up nearly half of the state budget. [Omaha World-Herald] Read More
Water conservation program a hit
Western Nebraska farmers led the charge in signing up Monday for a new federal and state program to take irrigated land out of production to help save water. [Omaha World-Herald] Read More
Runoff forecast remains low on Platte
Another year on the drought roller coaster is shaping up for western Nebraskans who rely on the North Platte River for water. [Omaha World-Herald] Read More
Western governors push new power grid
SALT LAKE CITY - The governors of four western states said Monday they will set the stage for a more reliable power grid by pushing for the development of new transmission lines from the coal fields of Wyoming to Southern California. [Billings Gazette] Read More
Titus calls Guinn's vehicle rebate plan a 'pipe dream'
Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas says Gov. Kenny Guinn's $300 million rebate plan to taxpayers is a "pipe dream" because of changes and new demands on the budget. [Las Vegas Sun] Read More
Pay increase for hurt officers considered
An advocate of a bill to increase disability retirement pay for police officers and firefighters severely hurt while on duty said Monday that cost-related criticism of the plan amounted to "baloney." [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Read More
Colorado River species plan signed
With the curved wall of Hoover Dam towering above them Monday, top water officials and federal agency chiefs gathered to launch a new multistate program designed to protect habitat and ensure continued use of the Colorado River for water and power generation. [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Read More
Assembly panel likely to let Daylight Saving Time bill die
Despite groaning by legislators that they needed another hour of sleep, an Assembly committee chairman said Monday he likely will let a bill to take Nevada off Daylight Saving Time die without a vote. [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Read More
Halfway point of session marked
The Nevada Legislature reaches its halfway point this week with a mountain of work still to be done. [Las Vegas Sun] Read More
Bill targets long waits in emergency room
A bill that would require Las Vegas area hospital emergency rooms to start providing care to emergency patients within half an hour after they arrive by ambulance won approval Monday in a key Senate committee. [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Read More
Bill exempts some from paying license fee
Nevadans who own four or fewer rental properties would be exempted from paying a business license fee under a bill approved by the Assembly Monday. [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Read More
Panel approves anti-pimp bill
The Assembly Judiciary Committee voted unanimously Monday to make it easier for Nevada law enforcement to arrest and prosecute pimps. [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Read More
Senate committee weighs bills on open meeting law
A state Senate panel waded through a half-dozen bills intended to strengthen and clarify the state's open meeting law on Monday, with lawmakers and those testifying wrestling with numerous issues during three hours of discussion. [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Read More
Retired professor creating center on public ethics
UNLV professor emeritus Craig Walton is out to teach Nevadans how to be good. The expert on public ethics is building the Nevada Center for Public Ethics, mainly out of his study at his home near Ann Road and Jones Boulevard. [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Read More
$626 million to protect wildlife along Colorado River
BOULDER CITY, Nev. - Federal and state officials on Monday committed $626 million over the next 50 years to protect some of the Colorado River's most imperiled wildlife. [The New York Times (registration)] Read More
Same-sex marriage commission gets to work
Gay marriage proponents told a state commission Monday that legalizing same-sex unions would bring equality, efficiency, and economic relief to New Hampshire. [Foster's Daily Democrat (Dover)] Read More
Report finds gains, gaps in health care
New Hampshire takes good care of babies and children, but has room to improve in protecting the elderly, according to government data on health care quality released Monday. [The Telegraph (Nashua)] Read More
Richardson plans appearances in New Hampshire
SANTA FE, N.M. - Gov. Bill Richardson is traveling to New Hampshire in June, but he says it's not to lay the groundwork for a presidential bid in 2008. [Foster's Daily Democrat (Dover)] Read More
State mulls $30 million bond for non-profit elderly housing
A Laconia non-profit operator of elderly housing facilities is asking the state to authorize $30 million in bonds to pay for new construction at two sites and a refinancing plan. [The Union Leader (Manchester)] Read More
Some refugees find new culture overwhelming
MANCHESTER, N.H. - The odd sight of an African mother and child standing for hours on the sidewalk outside his upper Elm Street office prompted Edward Kanu to investigate. [The Union Leader (Manchester)] Read More
High court backs PSNH plan
The state?s largest electric utility can convert one of its power plants in Portsmouth to burn wood, the state Supreme Court ruled Monday. [The Telegraph (Nashua)] Read More
City argues against cut to ed funds
Nashua city and school officials appealed to House budget writers Monday for better treatment from a controversial education-aid compromise that would deliver the city $2.6 million less than it gets this year. [The Telegraph (Nashua)] Read More
Court backs mobile home expansion
WARNER, N.H. - The Supreme Court yesterday upheld the town zoning board's 2002 decision to allow the owner of Pleasant Lake Estates to expand the mobile home park by 25 units. [Concord Monitor] Read More
Ethics hearing for Chandler set
The Legislative Ethics Committeehave set a hearing on the fundraising activities of former House speaker Gene Chandler for May 20. [Concord Monitor] Read More
Rising floodwaters close large sections of state government
A large portion of state government in Trenton was shut down yesterday as the Delaware River rose above its banks, flooding a portion of the State House complex that sits near the river's banks. [The Star-Ledger (Newark)] Read More
Virtual plague draws a vigorous, real response
An elaborate drill designed to test how well federal, state and local authorities respond to a multi-pronged terrorism attack began yesterday morning with the simplest of police routines: Checking the license plates of a vehicle found abandoned at Kean University. [The Star-Ledger (Newark)] Read More
Massive anti-terror drill gets underway
HILLSIDE, N.J. -The largest anti-terror drill ever undertaken in the United States started Monday morning with police officers investigating a fake car accident on a college campus and health officials on the lookout for a mock biological attack. [USA Today] Read More
Twin 'terror attacks'
Two simulated strikes -- one chemical in Conn. and the other biological in N.J. -- were part of a $16M terrorism response drill staged Monday by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and state and local agencies. [Newsday] Read More
Worst Delaware flooding in 50 years
Residents along the Delaware River began to gauge the damage yesterday as the worst flooding in 50 years swept through the region, forcing the evacuation of thousands and inundating the Statehouse in Trenton. It was the second time in seven months that the river has swallowed houses, businesses and roads along its banks. [The Inquirer (Philadelphia) (registration)] Read More
State's longtime mental health chief to step down July 1
Alan Kaufman, the state's mental health chief for 17 years, announced his retirement yesterday at a time when the state has made mental health care a fiscal and social priority. [The Star-Ledger (Newark)] Read More
State gets high marks in terror attack drill
NEW LONDON, Conn. ? A simulated explosion at Fort Trumbull on Monday afternoon set off a terrorism response drill that rallied everyone from firefighters in New London to government agencies in London, England. [New Haven Register (registration)] Read More
Prison officers picket for pay hike
Correctional officers, denied a raise in the legislative session that ended last month, picketed the New Mexico Capitol on Monday and called for the resignation of Corrections Secretary Joe Williams. [New Mexican (Santa Fe) (registration)] Read More
Richardson plans appearances in New Hampshire
SANTA FE, N.M. - Gov. Bill Richardson is traveling to New Hampshire in June, but he says it's not to lay the groundwork for a presidential bid in 2008. [Foster's Daily Democrat (Dover)] Read More
N.Y. chases modem hijackers with 1st-of-its-kind bill
ALBANY, N.Y. - State lawmakers unveiled a bill Monday that is believed to be the first in the nation to target modem hijacking, a practice in which thieves tap into people's computer modems to make international phone calls. [Chicago Sun-Times] Read More
Democrats say death penalty is likely to fail
Top Democrats in the State Assembly said on Monday that they expect a bill to reinstitute the death penalty in New York State to fail when it gets to a legislative committee for a vote next week. [The New York Times (registration)] Read More
State university chancellor, a Pataki friend, to leave post
Ending a public drama over his leadership, Robert L. King, the chancellor of the State University of New York, has told the trustees that he will step down on June 1. [The New York Times (registration)] Read More
Aide says Giuliani unlikely to seek office
Republican Rudolph Giuliani can't run for governor or challenge Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's re-election bid next year, the former New York City mayor's top political aide said Monday. [Times Union (Albany)] Read More
State commission censures judge for grabbing lawyer in court
Brooklyn judge who grabbed a Legal Aid lawyer in his courtroom while yelling at him about his handling of a traffic case has been publicly censured by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, which rejected a recommendation to remove him from the bench. [The New York Times (registration)] Read More
Mike keeps option open on Spitzer
He might endorse Hillary Rodham Clinton for re-election, and now Mayor Bloomberg has opened the door to Eliot Spitzer for governor. [New York Post] Read More
Spitzer urged to shut Turning Stone
An Albany lawyer representing clients in central New York is calling for Attorney General Eliot Spitzer to shut down Turning Stone Casino. [Times Union (Albany)] Read More
Budget triumph rings hollow for lawmaker
Assemblyman Bill Reilich doesn't dismiss the state Legislature's victory in passing the first on-time budget in two decades. He just doesn't like everything that was approved. [Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester)] Read More
Tensions heighten between Democratic governor, Legislature
For years, North Carolina's Democrats have been skilled at keeping intraparty differences behind closed doors - in contrast to their seemingly ever-bickering GOP counterparts. [The News & Observer (Raleigh) (registration)] Read More
Politicians from Illinois, North Carolina bet food on basketball game
Pride and belly-busting food were on the line for Monday night's NCAA championship game as politicians from Illinois and North Carolina wagered delicacies from barbecue to cheesecake on the outcome. North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley wagered two pounds of barbecue against Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who put up a pizza from PapaDel's in Champaign, Ill., and a six-pack of Orange Crush. [The News & Observer (Raleigh) (registration)] Read More
N.C. legislators hear about potential education cuts
State educators laid out scenarios for additional budget cuts Monday, generating more than $700 million in potential reductions they said could lead to hundreds of lost teaching jobs and classes. [The News & Observer (Raleigh) (registration)] Read More
GOP senators back Bowles to head UNC system
Republicans in the state Senate, of all people, are lobbying to make Bill Clinton's former chief of staff, Erskine Bowles, the next president of the University of North Carolina system. [The News & Observer (Raleigh) (registration)] Read More
Bill divvies up lottery money
Half of the proceeds of a proposed state lottery would be directed to school construction efforts across North Carolina and yield an estimated $200 million for counties, according to leading lottery supporters who were preparing a bill on the lottery late Monday. [The News & Observer (Raleigh) (registration)] Read More
Tax chief still on hot seat over bills
Democratic county commissioners want answers from tax director Jenks Crayton on how his department came up with tax appraisals for properties owned by Republican counterparts. [The News & Record (Greensboro)] Read More
House approves asthma bill
Peanut butter sandwiches are a staple of elementary school lunches, but for Jonathan Mosley they can be life threatening. Exposure to peanuts or eggs triggers a reaction that makes it difficult or impossible for the 5-year-old kindergartner to breathe. Within minutes, his life could be in danger. [The News & Record (Greensboro)] Read More
N.C. regulators relax price rules on phone rates
Three of North Carolina's largest local telephone companies will be allowed to raise basic residential rates as much as 12 percent a year, twice as much as previously allowed. [The News & Observer (Raleigh) (registration)] Read More
Unmarried employees of city seek benefits for domestic partners
GREENSBORO, N.C. -- City officials in Greensboro have not yet offered benefits to its employees' unmarried domestic partners because the state's top legal official hasn't decided whether it is within the law. [The News & Observer (Raleigh) (registration)] Read More
Valand named new N.C. Democratic Party executive director
Caroline Valand, a Beaufort County native who has worked to help Democrats win state legislative seats nationwide, has been named the executive director for the North Carolina Democratic Party. [The News & Observer (Raleigh) (registration)] Read More
Bill would affect state workers' insurance
State employees would lose some of their coveted health insurance benefits but receive up to an 8 percent raise in two years under a proposal by a Fargo legislator. [The Bismarck Tribune] Read More
Number of minors served alcohol down in latest check
Local law enforcement officials were pleased Friday night after a compliance check of businesses showed fewer serving alcohol to minors. [The Bismarck Tribune] Read More
Budget changes help schools
Southwest Ohio schools squeezed hard by Gov. Bob Taft's proposed education budget would get significantly more money under a plan by House Republicans. [The Cincinnati Enquirer] Read More
State senator seeking public ethics hearing
A state senator concerned that his reputation is being sullied by a theft-in-office allegation wants to challenge Ohio's open meetings law to have his case opened for a public legislative hearing. [The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)] Read More
House offers an alternative to Taft's budget
Nursing home owners and ginseng tea producers rejoiced. Charter school operators quivered. And public schools awaited more details before commenting on the latest round of state budget proposals for primary and secondary education. [The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)] Read More
Legislators fail to kill municipal union law
A bill to repeal a 2004 law allowing nonuniformed employees of larger cities to form unions died in a Senate committee Monday. [The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) (registration)] Read More
Senate panel OKs bill on gift cards
A bill that would make it illegal to have an expiration date on a gift card or certificate is closer to becoming law after passing out of a Senate committee Monday. [The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) (registration)] Read More
'Lemon law' reform bill gets new life in Senate
A House-passed bill to strengthen Oklahoma's "lemon law" was revived by the Senate leadership Monday, just when it appeared to be dead for lack of a committee hearing. [The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) (registration)] Read More
Legislators promote better victim privacy
Two legislators called Monday for passage of their bills to protect victims of domestic violence and rape. [The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) (registration)] Read More
Committee recommends hiring lottery staff
The Oklahoma Lottery Commission should not wait for an executive director to be hired before selecting office space and hiring staff, an interim committee of the commission decided Monday. [The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) (registration)] Read More
Governor forms trust fund for restoration projects
Gov. Ted Kulongoski announced Monday the creation of a new environmental trust fund with $2 million in seed money. [Statesman Journal (Salem)] Read More
Cold-medicine-sale restrictions are effective, Kulongoski says
Citing a reduction in meth-lab seizures, Gov. Ted Kulongoski urged the state Board of Pharmacy to approve permanent rules to keep certain cold medicines away from methamphetamine cooks. [Statesman Journal (Salem)] Read More
Wyden- Don't alter assisted-suicide law
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden warned Monday that Congress should not trample the rights of Oregon and other states as some lawmakers push federal end-of-life legislation in the aftermath of the Terri Schiavo case. [Statesman Journal (Salem)] Read More
Leaders can't agree on school funding
House and Senate budget chiefs failed to reach an accord on a 2005-07 state spending blueprint on public schools by Monday's deadline, despite 20 hours of weekend negotiations. [Statesman Journal (Salem)] Read More
Graduation bill gets held back
The Oregon Department of Education on Monday opposed a measure to raise high school graduation requirements next year because the state doesn't have enough math teachers to require a third year of the subject for all students. [The Oregonian (Portland)] Read More
'L.A. Times' wins public service Pulitzer
Nigel Jaquiss of the Willamette Week of Portland, Ore., won for investigative reporting for revealing a former governor's sexual misconduct with a 14-year-old girl. [USA Today] Read More
New coke plant gets quick OK
The state has rushed through approval of a new coke plant near Ebensburg, Cambria County, that is allowed to emit 47 pounds of mercury into the air each year and enough soot and smog that managers of national forests and wilderness areas in nearby states have expressed concern. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette] Read More
Legislature expected to tweak new $52-a-year municipal tax
The state Legislature originally designed the new $52-a-year emergency and medical services tax as a way to help Pittsburgh dig out of its severe financial hole. But before the tax was approved in a flurry of legislative business during the lame-duck session in November, the levy was broadened beyond just Pittsburgh so that any of the state's 2,657 municipalities could enact it. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette] Read More
Pa. trade group warns of proposed budgets' impact
Care for nursing home patients will suffer and the communities where long-term health care centers are located will be hurt financially if proposed state and federal budgets are adopted, according to a Pennsylvania trade group. [Philadelphia Business Journal (registration)] Read More
Dual-school setups may get more aid
The Rendell administration wants to let more high school students earn college credits. [The Inquirer (Philadelphia) (registration)] Read More
Worst Delaware flooding in 50 years
Residents along the Delaware River began to gauge the damage yesterday as the worst flooding in 50 years swept through the region, forcing the evacuation of thousands and inundating the Statehouse in Trenton. It was the second time in seven months that the river has swallowed houses, businesses and roads along its banks. [The Inquirer (Philadelphia) (registration)] Read More
First rule for traffic flaggers - Stay alert, plan an escape route
INDIANA, Pa. -- Some of them use the wiggle. Others might catch the sun to give just a hint of reflection. Others simply stand square in the middle of the lane, hold out their hand for traffic to halt and hope for the best -- while at the same time planning for the worst. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette] Read More
Marriage in Maryland of cousins draw fire
In the United States, 26 states and the District of Columbia allow first cousins to wed, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. [USA Today] Read More
Carcieri to testify in D.C. before ocean panel
Governor Carcieri is scheduled to travel to Washington, D.C., today to testify before the special, top-level committee appointed by President Bush to coordinate all the country's ocean-related activities. [The Providence Journal (registration)] Read More
Speakers question if United is ready
Physical therapists, social workers, psychologists and a representative of a chain of private medical laboratories all asked lawmakers last night to put pressure on UnitedHealthcare to pay them more and treat them better. [The Providence Journal (registration)] Read More
Whitehouse declares bid for Chafee's Senate seat
Citing the need for another Democrat in Washington to "fight back" against the Republican political juggernaut, former Attorney General Sheldon Whitehouse formally announced his candidacy yesterday for the U.S. Senate seat held by Rhode Island Republican Lincoln D. Chafee. [The Providence Journal (registration)] Read More
Medical suit cap signed
Gov. Mark Sanford on Monday signed into law a bill limiting the amount of money victims of medical mistakes can be awarded in malpractice lawsuits. [The Post and Courier (Charleston) (registration)] Read More
Agencies say they need more money
As the S.C. Senate gears up today to review the House's much-lauded $5.8 billion state budget proposal, the bloom is already off the rose for some public safety agencies. [The State (Columbia)] Read More
Some fear school tax credits will strain agency
Some lawmakers worry that giving tax credits to parents whose children transfer from public schools could create unexpected burdens for the state Department of Revenue, but agency officials say they expect few problems if current legislation is passed. [The Post and Courier (Charleston) (registration)] Read More
S.C. to get $2 million from shipper in oil-dumping case
A Panamanian shipping company will pay a $25 million fine for illegally dumping waste oil and trying to cover up the misdeeds at major U.S. ports, including Charleston. [The State (Columbia)] Read More
Ruling apparently goes against doctor's appeal
A South Carolina administrative law judge apparently turned down Dr. James Shortt's appeal of a state medical board disciplinary hearing. [The Post and Courier (Charleston) (registration)] Read More
Doctor to pen steroid tell-all
The West Columbia, S.C., doctor at the center of a steroids investigation involving current and former Carolina Panthers is writing a book about the drugs and his involvement with professional football players, his agent says. [The Charlotte Observer (registration)] Read More
Officials ponder lack of candidates for local office
As South Dakota communities prepare for local elections this spring, many face the same problem: finding candidates to fill out the ballot. [Rapid City Journal] Read More
S.D. 3rd in income growth rate
South Dakota had the nation's third-highest percentage jump in per capita personal income last year, largely because of growth in farm earnings. [Argus Leader (Sioux Falls)] Read More
$3.2 million raised for schools
South Dakota's public schools will see a bigger check this year from the state-owned land. [Rapid City Journal] Read More
City, state prepare drivers for delays, detours
With 23 street projects planned inside the city of Sioux Falls and a handful slated for major routes into the city, drivers will be seeking new ways to get where they're going. [Argus Leader (Sioux Falls)] Read More
Tenn. lawmaker's sex scandals now the least of his problems
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Over three decades in the Tennessee Senate, John Ford has lost paternity lawsuits, given a political job to a girlfriend and been successfully sued for sexual harassment. [Chicago Sun-Times] Read More
House to look into creation of state ethics commission
House lawmakers have announced a plan that could remove Tennessee from the list of 27 states that don't have an independent ethics commission. [The Tennessean (Nashville)] Read More
Lobbyists get seats at table as senators debate ethics
A panel of state senators voted yesterday against a bill that would have toughened rules governing lobbyists, after lobbyists argued against it in front of them. [The Tennessean (Nashville)] Read More
Panel OK'd on school funding
The Legislature has given the green light for a commission to study funding of public education. [The Commercial Appeal (Memphis) (registration)] Read More
Records blackouts criticized
When Lee and Paulette Albright asked for travel and expense-account records for nine members of the Virginia game department last year, they were told to hand over $3,000. [The Commercial Appeal (Memphis) (registration)] Read More
Proposal for driver's license testing stations in schools hits snag
Legislative wrangling over a pilot program for school-based driver's license testing stations might doom the project. If the bill doesn't make it out of a subcommittee meeting today, that opens the door for an alternative plan from the state Department of Safety to administer a part of the test on school grounds. But that will still require students to visit regular driver's license testing stations. [The Tennessean (Nashville)] Read More
Hearing on TennCare delayed until Thursday
A TennCare hearing expected to resume for a second week in federal court yesterday will instead reconvene Thursday when closing arguments are expected. [The Tennessean (Nashville)] Read More
Senate expands Ford investigation
The state Senate Ethics Committee voted unanimously today to expand its inquiry into Sen. John Ford's consulting activities and to retain a special counsel to lead its investigation. [The Commercial Appeal (Memphis) (registration)] Read More
State lawmakers press ethics reforms
Ethics reforms aimed at cleaning up the legislature's image and tightening relationships between lawmakers, lobbyists and companies doing business with the state are stacking up in the General Assembly. [The Commercial Appeal (Memphis) (registration)] Read More
Coalition furiously fights vouchers
Opponents of tax-funded private school vouchers accused supporters Monday of leading an "assault" on Dallas and other urban school districts by pushing legislation that could take hundreds of millions of dollars from the state's largest school systems. [The Dallas Morning News (registration)] Read More
Gay marriage targeted in bill
The state already has a law banning gay marriages, but many lawmakers support making it an amendment. The resolution was filed by Rep. Warren Chisum, R-Pampa. Before Monday's meeting, he proposed a substitute that also would prohibit the state from recognizing any legal status similar to marriage. [The Houston Chronicle (registration)] Read More
Hunting by remote control draws fire from all quarters
HOUSTON - Sliding his computer mouse around until he locates a moving target, the hunter sets the animal in his sites and pulls the rifle's trigger with a click of his finger. [The Christian Science Monitor] Read More
Coalition says vouchers bad for schools
A series of bills expanding the use of vouchers would cost public schools more than $2.2 billion over the next two years, according to a coalition of educators, trustees and administrators opposed to vouchers. [The San Antonio Express-News (registration)] Read More
Texans endorse Bush's recess move to advance BRAC
WASHINGTON - President Bush's recess appointment of a base closure commission and the selection of another member with San Antonio ties were applauded Monday by Texas officials preparing for the Pentagon cuts. [The San Antonio Express-News (registration)] Read More
Bill to ban gay marriage stirs fires at panel hearing
In Texas, when couples say "I do" during a legal marriage it's always between a man and a woman. At a hearing Monday, Rep. Warren Chisum, R-Pampa, told the State Affairs Committee that he filed a resolution calling for a constitutional amendment to protect that union. [The San Antonio Express-News (registration)] Read More
Senate water bill includes tap tax, conservation rules
Legislation that would make major changes in state water policy - and impose a new fee on some of the tap water that Texans drink, flush or splash in the shower - was unveiled by Senate leaders on Monday. [The Houston Chronicle (registration)] Read More
Voucher bills could cost HISD up to $900 million
The Houston school district could lose up to $900 million over the first two years under various private school voucher bills being considered by the Texas Legislature, according to an organization that opposes the proposals. [The Houston Chronicle (registration)] Read More
Worst-case projection puts 1,200 schools under par
The number of Texas schools failing to meet state accountability standards could increase dramatically in 2006 under tougher passing requirements put in place Monday by Education Commissioner Shirley Neeley. [The Houston Chronicle (registration)] Read More
Measure adds bite to leash law
Houston pet owners whose dogs run loose and kill or maim people could serve up to 10 years in prison under a bill given preliminary approval Monday by the House. [The Houston Chronicle (registration)] Read More
Panel close to ban on gay unions
A proposed constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage and civil unions neared passage Monday in the House Committee on State Affairs. [The Dallas Morning News (registration)] Read More
Tracks don't add to state tax revenue
After 14 years of gambling at horse and greyhound tracks, live racing in Texas creates no tax revenue for state government. [The Dallas Morning News (registration)] Read More
Huntsman aides will meet with ex-nanny
Representatives of Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. will meet with an undocumented worker who says she was employed by the governor's choice to head a new department. [The Salt Lake Tribune] Read More
Utah tops on colon cancer, abysmal on prenatal care
About 60,000 Americans die each year from colorectal cancer. New cases top 150,000 per year. [Desert Morning News (Salt Lake City)] Read More
Hatch- Don't move N-waste
WASHINGTON - Sen. Orrin Hatch says he would be "elated" if the Bush administration decided to keep nuclear waste at the reactors that produced it. [The Salt Lake Tribune] Read More
Senator- More bills needed in session
Senate President John Valentine, R-Orem, would like to see the state Legislature consider at least seven bills during a special session later this month, but so far the governor has only put one of them on the session's agenda. [The Daily Herald (Provo)] Read More
Suit over porn law possible
The American Civil Liberties Union of Utah is "seriously considering" a lawsuit against the state's new Internet porn law, while the law's sponsor is working to spread the legislation to other states. [The Daily Herald (Provo)] Read More
Western governors push new power grid
SALT LAKE CITY - The governors of four western states said Monday they will set the stage for a more reliable power grid by pushing for the development of new transmission lines from the coal fields of Wyoming to Southern California. [Billings Gazette] Read More
Medicaid funding gap left by deal
The price for Gov. James Douglas' unprecedented flexibility in a tentative Medicaid agreement with the federal government is about $120 million, administration officials acknowledged Monday. [Rutland Herald] Read More
Wildlife benefit from taxpayers
State income tax allows for people to donate to nongame and natural heritage program. [Burlington Free Press] Read More
Consensus on hospital sought
The new secretary of the Agency of Human Services pressed members of an advisory group on the future of the Vermont State Hospital on Monday to rally around a plan to replace the facility -- but they weren't ready to agree. [Burlington Free Press] Read More
Kilgore ad calls Kaine 'liberal'
Jerry W. Kilgore, the Republican candidate for governor, is on the radio with the first attack ad of the campaign, blasting Democrat Timothy M. Kaine as a "liberal who is trying to hide it." [Richmond Times-Dispatch] Read More
Four Democratic hopefuls for lieutenant governor face off
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Four Democratic candidates hoping to become Virginia's next lieutenant governor gathered for a debate Monday night, discussing issues ranging from health care to the state?s economy to how to beat the Republicans in November. [The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk) (registration)] Read More
State senators float $9.1 billion tax plan
State Senate transportation leaders yesterday rolled out a tax package that would provide about half the money needed to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct and Highway 520 floating bridge. [The Seattle Times] Read More
Uncounted ballots discovered
Pierce County election workers have discovered "a small number" of ballots that were not counted in the disputed November election. [The News Tribune (Tacoma)] Read More
Senate road budget paid for at the pumps
With a few extra cents from people at the gasoline pump, some state senators say they can keep the Alaskan Way Viaduct in Seattle from collapsing and improve transportation statewide. [The Olympian] Read More
Support erodes for elections director
King County's latest election snafu - the discovery of 93 more ballots that went uncounted last November - prompted two Republicans on the County Council to call yesterday for the resignation of elections director Dean Logan. [The Seattle Times] Read More
Bill seeks cooperation in teaching tribal story
For too many kids, Indian Country is a place of cowboys and savages living in tepees. State Rep. John McCoy wants to change that. [The Seattle Times] Read More
Senate plan for gas tax increase unveiled
The state would provide $3.2 billion toward replacing the Alaskan Way Viaduct and the state Route 520 floating bridge under a mammoth transportation tax plan announced by lawmakers yesterday. [Seattle Post-Intelligencer] Read More
Casino bill up against deadline
With a Wednesday deadline for action approaching, legislators say the fate of table games legislation depends on what happens with an insurance reform bill. [Charleston Daily Mail] Read More
Table games' fate uncertain in House
As the clock winds down in this session, House Democrats are trying to make up their minds about taking the next big stride on table games at West Virginia's four race tracks. From all appearances, table games are far from a sure thing. [The Register-Herald (Beckley)(registration)] Read More
Sunday hunting gunned down
Sunday hunting reared its contentious head again briefly Monday, only to be gunned down in a Senate panel, but the issue of opening West Virginia's public lands on that revered day might not be over. [The Register-Herald (Beckley)(registration)] Read More
Mental-health bill advances in House
A bill designed to require treatment for "revolving-door" mental patients passed a major hurdle in the House of Delegates on Monday. [Charleston Gazette (registration)] Read More
Lawsuit deal might be close
House Judiciary Committee members are expected to take up legislation this morning to bar third-party bad-faith lawsuits against insurance companies (SB418), under a pending agreement between House of Delegates leadership and the governor?s office. [Charleston Gazette (registration)] Read More
Judiciary OKs drug and alcohol rehab project
West Virginia inmates could chop 30 days off their sentences in regional jails by volunteering for drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs in a judiciary-approved bill Monday. [The Register-Herald (Beckley)(registration)] Read More
Raises on back burner for now
When West Virginians vote on June 25 on whether to refinance the state's pension debts through $5.5 billion of bonds, they could also be determining whether teachers and state workers land future pay raises. [Charleston Daily Mail] Read More
State may buy second plane at cost of $3 million
The state is thinking about buying another airplane, doubling its fleet. The airplane purchase could cost taxpayers up to $3 million. [Charleston Daily Mail] Read More
Funding ballpark made good sense, lawmaker says
If you build it, they'll come. While he didn't fetch that famous movie line, Minority Leader Vic Sprouse produced a strong argument against those who scorned a $12 million baseball park in Charleston. [The Register-Herald (Beckley)(registration)] Read More
Enrollment projection bill clears the Senate
Schools losing students are spared the budget ax in a bill amended and approved Monday by the state Senate. [The Register-Herald (Beckley)(registration)] Read More
Positive image sought for SBA
As chairman of the state School Building Authority, Gov. Joe Manchin wants to change the negative perception he says a lot of people have of the agency. [Charleston Gazette (registration)] Read More
Gazette, Eyre win award
Charleston Gazette disclosures that led to the fall of former House Education Committee Chairman Jerry Mezzatesta, D-Hampshire, have been judged the best investigative reporting in America in 2004. [Charleston Gazette (registration)] Read More
Beer tax bill goes flat at Capitol
You could raise that beer glass to toast the political courage of state Rep. Terese Berceau. The Madison Democrat doesn't stand a chance of raising Wisconsin's beer tax, which has stood at $2 per barrel since it was enacted in 1969. But she isn't giving up the fight. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] Read More
Lawmakers discuss blocking gender treatments in prison
Legislators were sympathetic Monday to a bill that would deny hormone treatments and sex-change surgeries to prison inmates, although a state Senate committee did not vote on it. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] Read More
Critics say firm has state by neck on deal
Critics of a firm building the state's voter database charged Monday the public would forever be beholden to contractor Accenture because the company will retain the rights to the software's source code. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] Read More
Court upholds George's conviction, prison term
A federal appeals court Monday upheld former state Sen. Gary R. George's conviction last year for obtaining illegal kickbacks, as well as his four-year prison term. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] Read More
Potawatomi may halt payment
The Forest County Potawatomi tribe may withhold the $40.5 million it agreed to pay the state this year because legal challenges have put a planned $240 million expansion of its Milwaukee casino on indefinite hold, a tribal leader said Monday. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] Read More
$1 million ad campaign to increase tourism
CHEYENNE, Wyo. - Wyoming has launched a $1 million tourism advertising campaign fortified by a new shadowbox theme that was developed with the help of state residents. [Billings Gazette] Read More
Western governors push new power grid
SALT LAKE CITY - The governors of four western states said Monday they will set the stage for a more reliable power grid by pushing for the development of new transmission lines from the coal fields of Wyoming to Southern California. [Billings Gazette] Read More
Wyo readies for fire season
Though it's still too early to predict how fire season will shape up in Wyoming, the state forester said movement is afoot to "plan for the worst, and hope for the best." [Casper Star-Tribune] Read More
State disagrees with hay growers over taxation
RIVERTON, Wyo. - The state Board of Equalization has ruled against three Fremont County farmers who say they were taxed too much for their farmland. [Casper Star-Tribune] Read More
'L.A. Times' wins public service Pulitzer
Nigel Jaquiss of the Willamette Week of Portland, Ore., won for investigative reporting for revealing a former governor's sexual misconduct with a 14-year-old girl. [USA Today] Read More |
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