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Archive of Stateline.org RSS - State by State Roundup on Thursday October 06, 2005
Voter registration system now 'substantially compliant'
Though the state's voter registration system was deemed obsolete two years ago, Secretary of State Nancy Worley is now touting it as "substantially compliant" with new federal guidelines, according to a letter she wrote federal officials last month. [Mobile Register] Read More
Revenue grows for schools, agencies
Booming tax collections helped create an unexpected surplus of about $265 million in the Education Trust Fund when the 2004-05 budget year ended Friday, state records show. [The Birmingham News] Read More
Health officials report red tide at Gulf Shores
Water samples from Gulf Shores indicate the presence of red tide cells, microscopic sea organisms that can cause health problems, the Alabama Department of Public Health reported Wednesday. [The Birmingham News] Read More
Officials say they're unsure when Bay ferry will return
State transportation officials said Wednesday that they are uncertain when they will have the Dauphin Island-Fort Morgan ferry, which was partially sunk by Hurricane Katrina, back in service. [Mobile Register] Read More
Alaska woman tries her luck third time on video gambling
Undaunted by two rejections earlier this year, the mother of a Las Vegas investor is trying for a third time to place an initiative to legalize video gambling halls on the 2006 ballot. [Anchorage Daily News (registration)] Read More
Non-profit group promotes all-Alaska line
What do beer-guzzling Canadians have to do with Alaska's natural gas? Television viewers will find out this week as a new campaign gets underway for an all-Alaska gas pipeline. [KTUU.com (Anchorage)] Read More
Senator wants public to fund religious texts
A state senator is pushing a proposal that would allow families that home school to use state allotments to buy religious textbooks and other materials, as long as they include solid academics. [The Juneau Empire (registration)] Read More
State division pressures Exxon Mobil to develop gas at Point Thomson
The state of Alaska has rejected a plan submitted by Exxon Mobil to develop natural gas in a reserve at Point Thomson, saying the company's plans are not specific on when it will drill. [The Juneau Empire (registration)] Read More
Port Authority eyes Point Thomson
The Alaska Gasline Port Authority is preparing a proposal to bring the oil and gas rich Point Thomson on Alaska's North Slope into production by 2011. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner] Read More
Strapped DPS to save on gasoline
Department of Public Safety officers will cut the number of miles they patrol on the highway in the face of skyrocketing gas prices that could cost the agency an extra $2 million this year. [The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)] Read More
UA leads nation in tuition hikes while ASU ranks 4th in survey
With annual in-state tuition between $4,400 and $4,500 at ASU (Arizona State University) and the University of Arizona, the cost of an education here ranks among the roughly bottom fifth of big state schools across the country. But increases of more than 70 percent at each college over the past three years have taken their toll. [The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)] Read More
Colo. trio seek border funds
THREE POINTS, Ariz. - After spending time along the U.S.-Mexico border with Minutemen on the lookout for undocumented immigrants, Colorado legislators said they want to help fund the patrol's efforts with Colorado tax dollars. [Denver Post] Read More
High court upholds rule on arbitrator pay, service
Justices on the state's highest court said Wednesday they do have the right to force lawyers to serve as arbitrators at hourly rates below what they otherwise would charge. [Arizona Capitol Times (Phoenix)] Read More
Napolitano won't seek Guard's return
Gov. Janet Napolitano isn't going to ask President Bush to bring Arizona's National Guard troops back from the Middle East. [Arizona Daily Star (Tucson)] Read More
Survey - Governor's race is dead heat
A voter survey that uses people who sign up to participate shows Republican candidate Don Goldwater in a dead heat with incumbent Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano.It also shows other GOP challengers within striking distance of Napolitano. [The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)] Read More
Border watchers must observe the rules, too
THREE POINTS, Ariz. - Under a canvas tent in this one-intersection town, three Colorado legislators were among 30 volunteers listening to Minuteman Project leader Bob Kuhn go over standard operating procedures. [Rocky Mountain News (Denver)] Read More
Governor slams report on school funding
Gov. Mike Huckabee used his radio call-in show Wednesday to blister two court-appointed special masters and their report on public school financing. [Arkansas News Bureau] Read More
State suggests system trustees get legal primer
The state's chief fiscal officer said Wednesday that he wants an Arkansas Ethics Commission official to talk to the Arkansas Public Employees Retirement System trustees about what they're required to disclose under the state ethics laws. [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock)] Read More
Party chief says he?ll support either Democrat for governor
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. ? The chairman of the Democratic Party of Arkansas won?t peel off his Mike Beebe bumper sticker now that the state attorney general has a potential competitor in the 2006 gubernatorial primary. [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock)] Read More
Halter looking at governor's race
Bill Halter, who grew up in North Little Rock and held a top position in the Clinton Administration, said Wednesday is he seriously considering seeking the Democratic Party nomination for governor. [Arkansas News Bureau] Read More
Fall fundraising season attracts deluge of possible candidates
The annual fall political fundraising season hits full stride this month as six potential presidential candidates descend on the state. [Quad-City Times] Read More
Huckabee -- Make superintendents state employees
Another round of education reform will lead to renewed interest in putting school superintendents on the state payroll and cutting the number of superintendents overall, Gov. Mike Huckabee said Wednesday. [Arkansas News Bureau] Read More
California Supreme Court hears challenge to tobacco freebie ban
SAN FRANCISCO - Six years after R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. was slapped with a $14.8 million fine for giving free cigarettes at public events, the company continued its fight against a California law that virtually prohibits tobacco freebies. [The Mercury News (San Jose) (registration)] Read More
CalSTRS says five fall short
Citing high executive pay packages and lagging stock prices, the California State Teachers' Retirement System on Wednesday targeted the nation's largest disability insurer and four other public companies as its worst corporate performers. [The Sacramento Bee (registration)] Read More
Battle over measure to alter state budget
California voters are being asked once again to change the state budget, this time through a ballot initiative that would limit spending and give governors unilateral power to balance the books in times of financial crisis [San Francisco Chronicle] Read More
O.C. voting machines almost ready for 2006
Electronic voting machines in Orange County meet the new, more stringent requirements announced by Secretary of State Bruce McPherson on Wednesday, but they will still need to be upgraded to ensure voters get a paper record of whom they voted for starting in 2006, his office said. [The Orange County Register] Read More
Voters may root for Gov. - but might not vote for him
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's political team has been insisting for months that the governor's lousy job approval ratings don't reflect his true standing with voters. Deep down, the handlers contend, Californians really are rooting for the guy. [Los Angeles Times (registration)] Read More
Bubble talk overblown, according to top Realtor
The long-booming housing market is moderating, but fears of a bubble are overblown, according to the chief economist for the California Association of Realtors. [Contra Costa Times (registration)] Read More
Governor signs highway, hospital bills
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation Wednesday to remove funding roadblocks for a series of highway projects and for hospitals serving the state's neediest patients. [Contra Costa Times (registration)] Read More
Judge's stay puts pledge case closer to appeals court
A federal judge on Wednesday set the stage for an atheist and three Sacramento-area school districts to take their dispute over the pledge of allegiance to an appeals court. [Contra Costa Times (registration)] Read More
Sea otter relocation program suspended
Sea otters, the fuzzy, charismatic mascots of California's central coast, should be allowed to swim where they want, when they want, the Bush administration decided Wednesday. [Contra Costa Times (registration)] Read More
CalSTRS buys properties
The California State Teachers' Retirement System and a Chicago real estate investment company have closed on a $1 billion deal for 216 industrial properties in eight major markets in the South and Midwest. [The Sacramento Bee (registration)] Read More
State is out $700 million
Adding a new wrinkle to a tangled tale, a federal judge has overturned a $700 million jury award obtained by state officials in the collapse of Executive Life Insurance Co. [The Sacramento Bee (registration)] Read More
Ballot official calls for tough machine test
Secretary of State Bruce McPherson said Wednesday he will create a new office to test voting technology and will require future machines to undergo an Election Day simulation comparable to one failed by a leading manufacturer this summer. [The Sacramento Bee (registration)] Read More
Union politics fee can remain
A federal judge in San Jose refused Wednesday to restrain the California Teachers Association from bolstering its political campaign account by imposing an annual $60 surcharge on its members for the next three years. [The Sacramento Bee (registration)] Read More
Colo. trio seek border funds
THREE POINTS, Ariz. - After spending time along the U.S.-Mexico border with Minutemen on the lookout for undocumented immigrants, Colorado legislators said they want to help fund the patrol's efforts with Colorado tax dollars. [Denver Post] Read More
Electric bills join natural gas boost
Colorado consumers will get hammered with a major increase in electric bills - on top of soon-to-soar heating costs - under a price hike filed Wednesday by Xcel Energy. [Denver Post] Read More
CU offers budget based on no boost in state funding
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The University of Colorado could cut $6.7 million from its budget if it dipped into reserves and didn't hire as many professors next year, officials told the school's regents Wednesday. [Denver Post] Read More
Referendum foes get Va. cash
A Virginia anti-tax group run by that state's former governor has contributed $140,000 to the campaign to defeat Referendums C and D. [Denver Post] Read More
Think tank fights ID of donors
Lawyers for the Independence Institute asked an administrative law judge on Wednesday to postpone a hearing about its involvement in the fight over Referendums C and D, a move that the measures' proponents called a blatant attempt to evade the issue until after the Nov. 1 election. [Denver Post] Read More
Being ready for disaster
The campaign READYColorado wants you to prepare for disaster. Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and Lt. Gov. Jane Norton packed their own READY kits during a kickoff for the campaign at the Republic Plaza on the 16th Street Mall on Wednesday. They said the kits would hold them over for at least 72 hours. [Rocky Mountain News (Denver)] Read More
Study looks at relocating I-70
Relocating Interstate 70 out of the northeast Denver neighborhoods it now passes through would give drivers a faster route between downtown and Denver International Airport. [Rocky Mountain News (Denver)] Read More
Border watchers must observe the rules, too
THREE POINTS, Ariz. - Under a canvas tent in this one-intersection town, three Colorado legislators were among 30 volunteers listening to Minuteman Project leader Bob Kuhn go over standard operating procedures. [Rocky Mountain News (Denver)] Read More
Actor sore about use of his image in ad
Jimmie Viles makes a living entertaining people, but he finds nothing amusing about a recent gig in the world of politics. The 43-year-old local actor/entertainer plays a politician in a TV ad opposing Referendums C and D. [Rocky Mountain News (Denver)] Read More
Anti-Ref C donor a mystery
A "mystery" person or group gave the Independence Institute money to produce and air two radio spots blasting Referendum C, according to testimony from Jon Caldara, the think tank's president. [Rocky Mountain News (Denver)] Read More
Owens, Caldara mix it up over Refs C, D
They profess to be old friends, but Gov. Bill Owens and Referendum C opponent Jon Caldara went at each other like Ali and Frazier during the taping of an hourlong debate Wednesday. [Rocky Mountain News (Denver)] Read More
Rell, asked about her cancer, says she is in good health
DANBURY, Conn. -- Gov. M. Jodi Rell, a cancer survivor about to declare her candidacy for governor, said Wednesday she recently received a clean bill of health. [The Hartford Courant (registration)] Read More
Delivery of dirt draws scrutiny
Six truckloads of dirt delivered free of cost to a state prosecutor two years ago are causing headaches for the chief state's attorney's office, following revelations that the dirt was delivered by American Crushing & Recycling, the company involved in the fiery fatal crash on Avon Mountain last summer. [The Hartford Courant (registration)] Read More
Governor by default nears decision to run on her own
DANBURY, Conn. - Fifteen months after rising from political obscurity in Connecticut to popularity and power in an office she never sought, Gov. M. Jodi Rell said Wednesday that "within the next week or so" she would formally announce whether or not she would run for a full four-year term in 2006. But she left little doubt that her decision was already made. [The New York Times (registration)] Read More
Lawmakers push to keep lab for animal research
New York lawmakers urged Homeland Security officials Wednesday to keep the Plum Island animal disease laboratory open, but not to add research work on deadly human diseases which might pose a threat to nearby residents. [The Hartford Courant (registration)] Read More
Del. court protects blogger's identity
In a ruling that could help set national legal standards for free speech on the Internet, the Delaware Supreme Court sided with free-speech advocates Wednesday and rejected a Smyrna Town councilman's quest to unmask an anonymous Internet critic. [The News Journal (New Castle-Wilmington)] Read More
State cuts back to encourage conservation
Caught in a tightening nationwide oil and natural gas squeeze, government officials in Delaware and across the country are making symbolic and real moves to cut government fuel costs and encourage household conservation. [The News Journal (New Castle-Wilmington)] Read More
Del. power plant may try alternate coal
A switch in the type of coal burned at the Indian River Power Plant -- a switch that could dramatically reduce some smokestack pollutants while potentially increasing rail traffic, dust and other emissions -- is under study. [The News Journal (New Castle-Wilmington)] Read More
Blog ruling overturned -- Smyrna official's bid to identify Web poster denied
The Delaware Supreme Court dismissed a Smyrna councilman's attempt to unmask an anonymous Internet poster Wednesday, reversing a lower court's decision. [Delaware State News (Dover)] Read More
Gov. Bush, congressional GOP push to open eastern Gulf to oil, gas rigs
WASHINGTON - With input from Gov. Jeb Bush, Republican members of Congress are negotiating a deal that would open parts of the Gulf of Mexico to energy drilling in exchange for a permanent 125-mile buffer from oil and gas rigs along the state's shoreline, the chairman of the Florida congressional delegation confirmed Wednesday. [The Sun-Sentinel (South Florida)] Read More
Gubernatorial candidates largely mum on Florida drilling plan
Gov. Jeb Bush's support for proposals that would allow drilling to within 125 miles of Florida's coasts has suddenly created a new tightrope for candidates to walk in next year's gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races. [The Sun-Sentinel (South Florida)] Read More
Governor's race ads reach airwaves
The first ads of the 2006 governor's race have hit Florida's airwaves, bankrolled by a shadowy fundraising group that says it promotes conservative causes. [The Orlando Sentinel (registration)] Read More
Democrat switches races to avoid fight
Eric Copeland, a little-known Coral Gables attorney running for state chief financial officer, switched races Wednesday, saying he wants to avoid a Democratic primary fight against presumed front-runner Adelaide ''Alex'' Sink, a former banker. [The Miami Herald (registration)] Read More
Judge rejects plea by environmental lawyers to stop Scripps construction
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Construction can continue at Scripps Florida's Mecca Farms campus -- for now. [The Sun-Sentinel (South Florida)] Read More
Hurricanes, red tide hurt oyster trade
APALACHICOLA, Fla. - Hurricanes and red tide have shut down Florida's most productive oyster beds, forcing some seafood dealers in the region to ship the shellfish in from as far away as Washington state. [The Miami Herald (registration)] Read More
Employee allegedly was paid to play ball
SNEADS, Fla. - A former minor league baseball player who worked for the state Department of Corrections for enough time to help prison guards win a softball tournament has been arrested, a Department of Law Enforcement warrant showed. [The Miami Herald (registration)] Read More
Everglades restoration's cost jumps $2.1 billion
Just like insuring your house and fueling your car, restoring the Everglades is getting more expensive ? $10.5 billion, to be exact. [The Palm Beach Post] Read More
State offers return of park
NAVARRE BEACH, Fla. - The state has offered to repair and then return a new but storm-battered beachfront park to Santa Rosa County after months of haggling over how it should be salvaged, but some county officials don't want it. [The Miami Herald (registration)] Read More
Farming lobbyists asked Perdue to close schools to conserve fuel
Lobbyists for south Georgia farmers suggested Gov. Sonny Perdue close schools for a few days to conserve diesel fuel needed to harvest crops just hours before he did precisely that. [The Macon Telegraph] Read More
Drivers save on car insurance policies
Georgians and South Carolinians are certainly paying a pretty penny for gasoline these days. But there's good news. They're saving a whole bunch of money on their car insurance. [The Augusta Chronicle] Read More
Tropical Storm Tammy brings heavy rain, gusts to Georgia
SAVANNAH, Ga. - Tropical Storm Tammy swept heavy rain and gusty winds into southeast Georgia on Thursday, bringing reports of flooding after leaving Florida practically unscathed. [The Macon Telegraph] Read More
Lobbyists call, schools close
Just hours before Gov. Sonny Perdue decided to close public schools to save fuel, industry lobbyists met with top administration aides to suggest sacrificing the school days to make sure farmers in South Georgia had enough diesel fuel to harvest their crops. [The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (registration)] Read More
Response to Manoa flood compared to Katrina's
Manoa residents still recovering from last year's Halloween Eve flood blasted city, state and federal officials last night for how they responded to the disaster and for not doing enough to prevent a recurrence. [Honolulu Star-Bulletin] Read More
Hawai'i Supreme Court disbars former judge
The Hawai'i Supreme Court has disbarred a Honolulu lawyer for violating rules of professional conduct in connection with a provision in his agreements with clients. [Honolulu Advertiser] Read More
Tow-in safety or ticket to trouble?
Two years after the state began regulating tow-in surfers, at least 700 of them have received certified safety training that qualifies them to be in the big waves, but some people wonder if the classes are hurting the situation more than they help. [Honolulu Advertiser] Read More
Gas to rise 9 cents
Hawaii motorists will have to wait at least another week to see the falling gas prices that analysts predict for the rest of the nation. [Honolulu Star-Bulletin] Read More
Senators, Downwinders want radiation compensation expanded
A group of Downwinders has asked Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch to join his counterparts in Montana and Idaho in asking for the expansion of a compensation program for victims of radiation linked to atomic testing. [The Daily Herald (Provo)] Read More
Senators nix state power plant oversight
The future of a proposed coal-fired power plant remains in the hands of three Jerome County commissioners after an interim legislative committee killed a motion for state oversight on Wednesday. [The Times-News (Twin Falls)] Read More
Snow fell in the mountains, but it's melting
MORES CREEK SUMMIT, Idaho - Bad weather is good weather for deer hunters. That's why mountain snowstorms last week heightened the hopes of deer hunters for a good opening day on Monday. [The Idaho Statesman (Boise)] Read More
Big game outlook- Deer and elk herds are healthy throughout state
Good weather, good hunting. That's the word from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Most hunting units in the state have had increased deer and elk herds, thanks to a mild winter and wet spring. [The Idaho Statesman (Boise)] Read More
Next step for salmon will be courtroom or negotiating table
The Pacific Northwest salmon debate can take two paths in the future, experts say: We can fight in court or come to the table. [The Idaho Statesman (Boise)] Read More
Plan targets gap in kids' coverage
Hundreds of thousands of Illinois children who do not have health insurance would be eligible for coverage under an ambitious proposal Gov. Blagojevich will announce today. [Chicago Sun-Times] Read More
DCFS records subpoenaed
Federal investigators have subpoenaed the state's child welfare agency for all records related to a former top administrator who resigned amid allegations that public funds ended up in a bank account he controlled, a state government source said Wednesday. [Chicago Tribune (registration)] Read More
Friend let cash flow to many campaigns
In only the second day of testimony in Ryan's racketeering trial, Richard Parrillo's name and face surfaced when prosecutors showed jurors a picture from that May 1995 trip. Their star witness, Scott Fawell, described the shot as "six grown men at Disney World." [Chicago Tribune (registration)] Read More
More than $369K spent from defense fund
As former Gov. George Ryan's political corruption trial plays out in federal court here, his legal defense fund has doled out more than $369,000 so far, a report filed with the state shows. [Chicago Sun-Times] Read More
Governor Blagojevich will offer plan for uninsured
Gov. Rod Blagojevich will announce today a new plan to provide health insurance to all uninsured Illinois children, a proposal his administration is touting as the most comprehensive in the nation. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch] Read More
Health plan for children offered
Gov. Rod Blagojevich is proposing an innovative health insurance program for children, regardless of income, and financed by shifting most of the state's Medicaid population into an HMO-style system. [The State Journal-Register (Springfield)] Read More
ICC's updated ethics policy wins approval
There is no more free lunch for the Illinois Commerce Commission. The commission has won final approval from the state legislature for a revised ethics policy. It closes a loophole allowing commissioners to enjoy meals with lobbyists of regulated utilities. [Chicago Tribune (registration)] Read More
The state wants you to see the light
They may be hard to find, humbly hiding, perhaps, beneath the chemical-spill-proof lights in your local hardware store... What the government began pushing Wednesday is the energy-efficient light bulb. [The Daily Herald (Arlington)] Read More
Governor wants all kids to have health insurance
Every child in Illinois would get access to a state-funded health insurance program under a plan to be detailed by Gov. Rod Blagojevich today. [The Southern Illinoisan (Carbondale)] Read More
Tollway chief offers county traffic relief
Good news regarding traffic in Lake County is hard to come by, but major improvements planned on the Tri-State Tollway should make a dent in commuting times. [The Daily Herald (Arlington)] Read More
Blagojevich aims to insure all children
Gov. Rod Blagojevich wants to revamp state health programs to cut expenses and use the savings to provide insurance for all Illinois children, including 250,000 who now lack any health benefits. [The Daily Herald (Arlington)] Read More
Chilling natural gas report
Naperville-based Nicor Gas said Wednesday the cost for natural gas during the month of October will be its highest yet ? $1.17 per therm. [The Daily Herald (Arlington)] Read More
Jury finds IEPA official guilty
A jury deliberated for less than an hour Wednesday before finding the former manager of human resources for the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency guilty of official misconduct. [The State Journal-Register (Springfield)] Read More
Kane alone in telling West Nile locations
The Kane County Health Department has stood alone in the Chicago area this summer in defying the Illinois Department of Public Health's policy of withholding the town where West Nile victims live. [Chicago Tribune (registration)] Read More
Legislation on assisted reproduction is dropped
A bill to prohibit homosexuals and single people in Indiana from using medical science to assist them in having a child has been dropped by its sponsor. [The Courier-Journal (Louisville)] Read More
Proposal for gas deposits criticized
Some residents say a proposed state utility regulation could leave people without heat this winter and could cause more house fires. Current Indiana law allows natural gas companies to charge deposits of up to four times the average monthly bill, but the state utility commission is considering a proposal that would drop that to two months for new customers. [The Indianapolis Star] Read More
Guard misses recruiting goal
Indiana Army National Guard recruiters fell 12 percent short of their goal in the past year but still managed to increase the size of the force by enlisting 2,161 new soldiers. [The Indianapolis Star] Read More
A turf war over medical care
Whether hospital companies such as St. Francis should be allowed to build ERs to serve patients in Mooresville -- or anywhere else, for that matter -- without government restrictions was the focus of a trial this week in U.S. District Judge David F. Hamilton's courtroom in Indianapolis. [The Indianapolis Star] Read More
Energy costs continue rising
More than 20,000 Iowans who sought federal energy assistance last year are already behind on their heating bills going into winter, state officials say, and federal aid is unlikely to keep up with rising costs and demand. [The Des Moines Register] Read More
6 more West Nile cases have been reported in state
Six more Hoosiers have tested positive for the West Nile virus, bringing to 15 the number of cases this year, state health officials said Wednesday. One person has died. [The Indianapolis Star] Read More
Assisted-reproduction bill dropped
A controversial proposed bill to prohibit gays, lesbians and single people from using medical procedures to produce a child has been dropped by its legislative sponsor. [The Indianapolis Star] Read More
Bill limiting procreation assistance abandoned
A proposed bill that would prohibit gays, lesbians and single people in Indiana from using medical science to assist them in having a child has been dropped by its legislative sponsor. [The News-Sentinel (Fort Wayne)] Read More
Police get emergency gas fund
Local police will get more money to help pay for higher gasoline costs and keep safety-enforcement patrols on the road, a state agency announced yesterday. [The Courier-Journal (Louisville)] Read More
Vilsack calls for more aid on heat bills
Gov. Tom Vilsack urged Congress on Wednesday to provide more help for low-income Iowans faced with the prospect of high heating bills. [Quad-City Times] Read More
Lawmakers look at malpractice costs
A group of state lawmakers met Wednesday to look for solutions to rising costs for medical malpractice insurance that are driving some doctors in specialties such as obstetrics out of rural areas. [Quad-City Times] Read More
Fall fundraising season attracts deluge of possible candidates
The annual fall political fundraising season hits full stride this month as six potential presidential candidates descend on the state. [Quad-City Times] Read More
Troops coming home soon
After about a year on active duty, about 170 troops in the Sheldon-based 2168th are expected to come home this month, Iowa Army National Guard spokesman Lt. Col. Gregory Hapgood said [Iowa City Press-Citizen] Read More
Maine joins prescription drug pool with Vt., Utah, Iowa
Gov. John Baldacci announced Wednesday the creation of a four-state prescription drug purchasing pool that is expected to save Maine's Medicaid program about $1 million per year. [Foster's Daily Democrat (Dover)] Read More
Corn, wood popular as heating costs rise
Sales of corn-burning stoves and firewood are heating up as people look to escape soaring fuel costs this winter. [Quad-City Times] Read More
Corkins mum on finance
A former anti-tax lobbyist took the reins of the state?s school system Wednesday but would not give a clue which side he intends to take in the ongoing war over school funding. [Lawrence Journal-World] Read More
Moderate board member foresees fiercer battles
Feuding between the State Board of Education?s conservative and moderate factions will be more ?open and in the public? than in the past, but the winds of change may soon be blowing, a moderate board member predicted Tuesday. [Lawrence Journal-World] Read More
Schools set new course in career education
Warming people to the idea of reforming high schools around career and technical education hasn?t been easy. Too many smelled the ?vo-tech? programs popular 20 years ago for students bound someplace other than college. [Kansas City Star (registration)] Read More
Kansas educators express concerns
Having watched him argue in recent years against increased education funding, superintendents and other educators now must deal with Bob Corkins as the state?s new education commissioner. [Lawrence Journal-World] Read More
Agency is revamped, not closed
Gov. Ernie Fletcher's statewide outreach agency, which he pledged to "disband" three weeks ago because of its role in the hiring scandal, remains active and under the direction of a former Kentucky Republican Party chairwoman. [Lexington Herald-Leader] Read More
Failing schools could get more aid
Kentucky's lowest performing public schools could get math and literacy coaches and be assigned highly skilled principals, but the state may require them to pay for at least part of the help. [The Courier-Journal (Louisville)] Read More
Attorney general's office is still seeking access to records
Nearly five months into the state hiring investigation, the attorney general's office is still seeking evidence it says is necessary to determine whether Gov. Ernie Fletcher's administration followed the law. [The Courier-Journal (Louisville)] Read More
Chief justice criticizes ethics ruling
Chief Justice Joseph E. Lambert expressed concern about a September decision by the Kentucky Supreme Court concerning judicial ethics in a speech Tuesday at Western Kentucky University. [Bowling Green Daily News] Read More
Democrats upset by legal fees in state hiring investigation
Democratic lawmakers complained yesterday about the $1.1 million cost of hiring outside lawyers to help the Fletcher administration respond to the investigation of its hiring practices. [The Courier-Journal (Louisville)] Read More
Legislature votes to go on-line
Roll calls of House and Senate votes, which as recently as 2000 were recorded by hand in some cases, will be available online in the 2006 General Assembly session. [The Courier-Journal (Louisville)] Read More
Kentucky is investigating finances of a college once led by Weld
The attorney general of Kentucky said yesterday that his office is investigating for possible violations of the state's Consumer Protection Act a business college that was led until recently by William F. Weld, who plans to run next year for governor of New York. [The New York Times (registration)] Read More
Legislators hear Todd's plans for diversity at UK
University of Kentucky President Lee Todd said he apologized yesterday to a group of state legislators -- most of them black -- for statements by UK officials implying that black students could not survive academically at UK. [Lexington Herald-Leader] Read More
City safety workers lobby state
Lexington firefighters, jammed into the state Senate galleries in March 2004, burst into applause when lawmakers finally approved a bill that gave collective bargaining rights to them and police officers in Lexington. [Lexington Herald-Leader] Read More
Lawmakers question growing legal bill for investigation
Democratic legislators on Wednesday renewed their criticism of the growing legal bill for the Fletcher administration's response to the personnel investigation of Attorney General Greg Stumbo's office. [The Courier-Journal (Louisville)] Read More
Kentucky AG's office investigating Louisville for-profit school
Decker College, a for-profit school connected to former Massachusetts Gov. William F. Weld, is under investigation for possible consumer fraud violations, the Kentucky attorney general's office announced Wednesday. [The Courier-Journal (Louisville)] Read More
As floodwaters dry up, so does tax base
If there's a silver lining for those who lost their homes to Hurricane Katrina, it's that tax bills on decimated properties in all likelihood will be small to nonexistent next year. [The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)] Read More
State agencies talking layoffs
With 6,000 state employees still unaccounted for following Hurricane Katrina, agencies across the board have started talking layoffs, citing diminished income and fewer posts available for displaced workers. [The Advocate (Baton Rouge)] Read More
Suit details price-gouging allegation at Natalbany site
On Monday, the state Attorney General's Office filed a civil lawsuit in the 21st District Court in Amite accusing the Natalbany Creek Campgrounds of price gouging and evicting Hurricane Katrina evacuees who couldn't afford to pay the higher rates. [The Advocate (Baton Rouge)] Read More
Two insurance companies will coordinate adjusters
In an unusual display of cooperation, two insurance giants agreed Wednesday to work together to settle claims for homeowners whose properties were destroyed five weeks ago by Hurricane Katrina. [The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)] Read More
Congressman: Ease insurers' fears
LAFAYETTE, La. - U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany, R-Lafayette, said Wednesday he wants to find ways to ease insurance companies' fears about operating in Louisiana in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. [The Advocate (Baton Rouge)] Read More
Bush's plan allows funds' use for pay
WASHINGTON - President Bush is proposing legislation to Congress that would allow local governments facing the layoff of employees because of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to use federal disaster money to cover employee pay. [The Advocate (Baton Rouge)] Read More
Rita takes heavy toll on wildlife refuges
LAFAYETTE, La. - Hurricane Rita wreaked havoc on the more than 300,000 acres of state and federal wildlife refuges in southwest Louisiana, pushing the salty Gulf into freshwater marshes, washing away levees, killing wildlife and possibly further eroding fragile coastal areas. [The Advocate (Baton Rouge)] Read More
Nagin pushes tax incentives
As he tries to reassemble a shattered city, Mayor Ray Nagin says New Orleans is not looking for a "handout" from the federal government, only a "hand-up." [The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)] Read More
Forgotston blasts Nagin on re-entry plan
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin has been getting it from all sides these days, from critics who say he's moving too fast to repopulate the city as well as those who accuse him of deliberately dragging his feet in a scheme to keep the poor from ever returning home. [The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)] Read More
N.O. to keep medical schools
Baton Rouge shouldn't get any ideas about keeping the medical-education programs that LSU relocated from New Orleans, the chancellor of LSU's Health Sciences Center said Wednesday. [The Advocate (Baton Rouge)] Read More
State clearing Medicaid backlog
A new computer system that bungled millions of dollars in Medicaid claims filed by doctors, hospitals and nursing homes - leading some places to stop taking new Medicaid patients - is seeing some improvement. [Portland Press Herald] Read More
Maine joins prescription drug pool with Vt., Utah, Iowa
Gov. John Baldacci announced Wednesday the creation of a four-state prescription drug purchasing pool that is expected to save Maine's Medicaid program about $1 million per year. [Foster's Daily Democrat (Dover)] Read More
Maine to lose big portion of security funds
WASHINGTON - Police, fire departments and other emergency agencies in Maine will receive much less homeland security money in the year ahead, under a bill awaiting a final vote in Congress. [Portland Press Herald] Read More
Lawmaker to spend his campaign funds to promote bottle bill
An Eaststate lawmaker is planning a trip - paid for with his own campaign funds - to take interested colleagues to Maine to learn more about how a 5-cent bottle deposit law could benefit Tennessee. [The Tennessean (Nashville)] Read More
SAD 49 to review nutrition, hot lunch policy
FAIRFIELD, Maine -- School board members are scheduled to give a first reading tonight on modifying state policy regarding school nutrition, the hot lunch program and food sales on school property. [Morning Sentinel] Read More
Woodcock readies Blaine House run
State Sen. Chandler Woodcock, R-Farmington, filed paperwork Wednesday to enter the 2006 race for governor. [Kennebec Journal] Read More
High gas prices chasing off volunteers
High gas prices drove volunteers away from helping the poor, elderly and disabled get to important medical appointments. [Kennebec Journal] Read More
State officials raise concerns about monitoring juveniles
Maryland officials Wednesday approved an independent monitor to keep an eye on the Cheltenham Youth Facility and the Charles H. Hickey Jr. School, where many of the state's juvenile offenders are housed. But next month's closing of the Hickey facility has some lawmakers worried that the juveniles slated to be sent elsewhere -- some as far away as Texas and Iowa -- will be overlooked. [Capital News Service] Read More
State demands nonprofit must comply with rules or face closure
A nonprofit organization that provides services to the disabled has to comply with several requests from two state agencies or risk being shut down. [The Gazette (Gaithersburg)] Read More
Waiting for rain, Md. farmers find ways to cope
Tree farmer Paul Stiffler says that if you look at the 18 acres of Douglas firs, blue spruces, Norway spruces, white pines and Canaan firs at his Frostee Tree Farm in Perry Hall, you might not be aware that Maryland is in the grip of a drought. [Capital News Service] Read More
Park complaints rev PR machine
OAKLAND, Md. -- Enticed by commercials featuring a folksy governor extolling the pleasures of a day off in Maryland, Pennsylvanian Dave Paterson visited a Garrett County waterfall last summer but was disgusted by the trash he found at Swallow Falls State Park. [The Sun (Baltimore) (registration)] Read More
Doubts about youth centers
Of the nine out-of-state programs Maryland plans to use for its toughest juvenile offenders when it closes the Charles H. Hickey Jr. School, only two are locked, highly secure facilities aimed at such youths -- and one of them is already full for the next year, a review by The Sun has found. [The Sun (Baltimore) (registration)] Read More
Md. track owners make cutback concessions
The owners of Maryland's two largest horse tracks will present the state's racing commission with revised plans today aimed at drastically scaling back the sport, which they characterized as a desperate attempt to stay financially viable without slot machines. [The Washington Post (registration)] Read More
Court to hear lawsuit over nonresident gay marriages
BOSTON - ... On Thursday, the Supreme Judicial Court will hear arguments on the denial of marriage licenses to eight out-of-state couples ... At issue is a 1913 law that forbids out-of-state couples from marrying in Massachusetts if their union would not be legally recognized in their own state. [The Boston Globe (registration)] Read More
Galvin slams Calif. firm over continued petition trickery
Secretary of State Bill Galvin yesterday blasted a petition company that continues to flout its contract by using its workers to solicit signatures for a controversial anti-gay-marriage petition as well as a petition to allow grocery stores to sell wine. [Boston Herald] Read More
Proposed bill aims to ban junk food in Mass. schools
After tipping the scales at 126 pounds in the second grade, Newton's Adam Barnett learned that swimming and sticking to his mom's low-fat lunches kept his weight down. Today, the sixth-grader shakes his head when classmates feast on 10 cookies for lunch. [Boston Herald] Read More
Give 'em a buzzzzzzz -- Call new hotline and roust Big Dig sleepers
Got a complaint about Big Dig waste? Dial 1-800-Nab-a-Napper! The Massachusetts Turnpike Authority has established a hotline (the real number is 617-951-6500) taxpayers can call to report workers sleeping or wasting time on Big Dig work sites. [Boston Herald] Read More
Clubs appeal law requiring sprinklers
BOSTON - Dozens of restaurants and private clubs are appealing a state mandate in Massachusetts that they install sprinkler systems, arguing that they are being misclassified as nightclubs. [The Boston Globe (registration)] Read More
Court to hear arguments on ban of out-of-state same-sex marriage
A few days after same-sex couples began marrying last year in Massachusetts, Les Schoof and Ed Butler drove down from their New Hampshire inn and lined up at the marriage license window at Somerville City Hall. [Boston Herald] Read More
Fall fundraising season attracts deluge of possible candidates
The annual fall political fundraising season hits full stride this month as six potential presidential candidates descend on the state. [Quad-City Times] Read More
Commission recommends constitutional amendment defining marriage
CONCORD, N.H. - A commission that started off having trouble getting things done made a big decision Wednesday - voting to recommend a constitutional amendment stating marriage is between one man and one woman - and setting up gay marriage as an election issue next year. [The Boston Globe (registration)] Read More
Granholm pushes for changes in high school curriculum
A new Michigan Department of Education survey shows the need for state schools to have mandatory curriculum requirements, Gov. Jennifer Granholm said Wednesday. [The Ann Arbor News] Read More
MEAPs hit by another mix-up
Area educators say it's difficult enough to conduct MEAP tests this early in the school year, but it's even tougher when they cannot get the materials needed to give the exam to hundreds of students. [Grand Rapids Press] Read More
Decision by high court muddies beach rules
Pete Frauson wasn't pleased when a couple with a cooler and four dogs frolicked for a couple of hours on the beach in front of his Lake Huron house. But he did nothing more than grit his teeth. The previous day, Michigan's Supreme Court had ruled that people had a right to stroll along Great Lakes beaches, whether publicly or privately owned. [The Detroit News] Read More
State's research sites reveal auto industry's future
Michigan's automotive future doesn't lie in sprawling plants and smokestacks but in scores of nondescript office parks. [Lansing State Journal] Read More
If bird flu hit state, 20,000 could die
If the dire predictions of an influenza pandemic come true, Minnesota's health officials expect 1.25 million state residents to become infected. [Minneapolis Star Tribune (registration)] Read More
Audit finds problems with IRR spending
The state agency that controls taconite tax money for economic development on the Iron Range spent some of it without proper approval, according to a legislative audit report released Wednesday. [Duluth News Tribune] Read More
Officials continue search for origin of polio case
State and federal health officials are trying to determine how a baby in central Minnesota contracted the virus that causes polio, a quarter century after the disease was essentially wiped out in the United States. [Duluth News Tribune] Read More
No fish story -- It's a big one
The largemouth bass has been the subject of plenty of Minnesota fish stories, with more than one fraudulent pretender to the claim of biggest ever caught in the state. But Mark Raveling hooked a bass Monday that looks to be on the up-and-up -- and headed for a state record. [Duluth News Tribune] Read More
Bureau warns of jury duty scam
The Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota is warning the public of a scam involving jury duty. [The Forum (Fargo)] Read More
Pawlenty to meet with legislative leaders about special session
Gov. Pawlenty meets today with legislative leaders to discuss a brief special session this fall. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch] Read More
2005 moose season starts in NE Minnesota
The moose hunt is under way in northeastern Minnesota. [St. Paul Pioneer Press (registration)] Read More
Senate OKs new lease plan
Debate continued Wednesday in the Legislature over how to raise tidelands lease funds set aside to build piers and artificial reefs on the Mississippi Gulf Coast but often used to pump up the state's flagging general fund. [The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson)] Read More
Casinos furious over tax increase
The Senate on Wednesday voted to make Coast casinos pay another 1 percent of their gross revenue in exchange for letting them rebuild on land after Katrina destroyed their gambling barges. [The Sun Herald (Biloxi)] Read More
Dale ponders mediation plan
State Insurance Commissioner George Dale is considering a mediation program between homeowners and insurance companies in the wind vs. water battle. [The Sun Herald (Biloxi)] Read More
Bush's plan allows funds' use for pay
WASHINGTON - President Bush is proposing legislation to Congress that would allow local governments facing the layoff of employees because of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to use federal disaster money to cover employee pay. [The Advocate (Baton Rouge)] Read More
Katrina leaves mark on muscadine harvest
MOSELLE, Miss. - The harvesting season for the South's unique fruit of the vine has been anything but fruitful this year, farmers say. [The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson)] Read More
Lost-days plan up to schools
BILOXI - After spending Wednesday picking through school hallways strewn with spoiled textbooks and soggy, sludge-caked ceiling tiles, state Board of Education members said local districts could write their own plans for making up class time missed because of Hurricane Katrina. [The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson)] Read More
Miss. Supreme Court counsel, administrator dies
Longtime state Supreme Court Administrator Stephen J. Kirchmayr has died after battling lung cancer for the last year. [The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson)] Read More
Clinton offers hope, explanations and a return visit
GULFPORT, Miss. - Former President Clinton sat amid the ruin of a waterlogged North Gulfport neighborhood Wednesday and assured residents that millions raised for the Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund would be used to supplement federal relief aid in South Mississippi. Residents of Forest Heights subdivision who didn't have flood insurance are particularly concerned about what they should do to get the money needed to rebuild their lives. [The Sun Herald (Biloxi)] Read More
More Missourians pay to keep health insurance for their kids
Health insurance payments from 1,745 Missouri families rolled in to the Department of Social Services this week, preserving medical coverage for thousands under the state?s Children?s Health Insurance Program. [Kansas City Star (registration)] Read More
New contract trims cost of transporting low-income patients
Taxpayers will save about $15 million a year under a new state contract to provide rides for low-income people to the doctor and other medical appointments. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch] Read More
MoDOT investigators to examine security needs of trucking companies
In an effort to safeguard the trucking industry against terrorist attacks, Missouri Department of Transportation investigators will begin conducting security reviews next year. [Kansas City Star (registration)] Read More
State awards new Medicaid contract to LogistiCare
The state of Missouri awarded a new contract Wednesday for medical transportation services for the poor, choosing a company that won the business last year but had it taken away after protests by another bidder. [Jefferson City News Tribune] Read More
Economic department taps former Fortune 500 executive to head sales team
Kevin Stover, a former senior executive with Fortune 500 companies who also serves as a consultant to Fortune 1000 firms, is Missouri's new sales manager for the Missouri Department of Economic Development's Business and Community Services Division. [Jefferson City News Tribune] Read More
Unions gather to show early support for McCaskill's Senate bid
Most of the region's top labor leaders joined state Auditor Claire McCaskill on Wednesday to underscore her labor support for her bid next year for U.S. Senate against Republican incumbent Jim Talent. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch] Read More
Missouri ranks last in pay for state workers
When it comes to the average annual earnings of state government employees, Missouri is ranked last when compared against other states, according to Morgan Quito Press. [Jefferson City News Tribune] Read More
Two want Blunt to lower flags for troops
Two St. Louis anti-war activists are challenging Gov. Matt Blunt to respond to the deaths of soldiers as several other states do: by flying flags at half-staff when a soldier from the state dies in the line of duty. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch] Read More
State revenues up 4.8 percent for the year
State revenues rose 4.8 percent during the first quarter of the state's fiscal year, Missouri government officials said Wednesday, exceeding what was budgeted but not relieving concerns about a tight state cash flow. [Jefferson City News Tribune] Read More
More than 10,000 families fail to pay health premiums
Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt said Wednesday that newly required premiums for a children's health insurance program are a reasonable step that help build personal responsibility. [Jefferson City News Tribune] Read More
Proposal for fixed UM tuition gets tepid reception
A proposal to guarantee at least four years of fixed tuition rates for University of Missouri undergraduate students received a lukewarm reception on the St. Louis campus Wednesday at a forum that drew about 40 people. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch] Read More
Storm hits northern Wyo
BILLINGS, Mont. - Thousands of homes in northern Wyoming, eastern Montana and portions of North and South Dakota were without power Wednesday after a slow-moving storm dumped large amounts of heavy, wet snow across the region. [Casper Star-Tribune] Read More
Winter storm leaves thousands without power
BILLINGS, Mont. - Thousands of homes in eastern Montana and portions of North Dakota, including many in and around Billings, remained without power Wednesday after a slow-moving storm dumped large amounts of heavy, wet snow across the region. [Argus Leader (Sioux Falls)] Read More
Schweitzer pushes synfuels for Montana
Gov. Brian Schweitzer visited Great Falls Wednesday promoting his efforts to make Montana home to a high-tech plant that converts the state's coal into liquid fuel and diesel. [Great Falls Tribune] Read More
Senators, Downwinders want radiation compensation expanded
A group of Downwinders has asked Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch to join his counterparts in Montana and Idaho in asking for the expansion of a compensation program for victims of radiation linked to atomic testing. [The Daily Herald (Provo)] Read More
500 homes on road to warmth
Homeowner Julie Morley is bracing for some painfully high heating bills this winter, but an effort by the Montana Conservation Corps and the governor's office may provide some help. [Billings Gazette] Read More
Drinking and riding remains legal in Wyoming
CODY, Wyo. - Under a law effective Oct. 1, vehicle passengers in Montana are no longer allowed open containers of alcohol on state highways. But across the state line in Wyoming, passengers can still drink in a vehicle. [Billings Gazette] Read More
Nelson, cattlemen want price reporting back
Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., is leading a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers seeking to extend the federal mandatory price reporting program that expired on Sept. 30. [The Grand Island Independent (registration)] Read More
This year's corn crop expected to be second largest in history
KEARNEY, Neb. ? This year?s corn crop is expected to be the second largest in Nebraska history, just behind last year?s record. [Lincoln Journal Star] Read More
Mossey sentenced for prescription fraud
Former state Sen. Ray Mossey was sentenced Wednesday to two years? probation and fined $500 for prescription fraud. [Lincoln Journal Star] Read More
Nevadans should get rebate checks this weekend, governor says
LAS VEGAS - Debbie Didway will be watching her mail box this weekend along with other Nevada motorists and some senior citizens who should begin receiving their slice of the state's $272 million tax surplus. [Nevada Appeal (Carson City)] Read More
Vehicle registration - Rebate checks on way
The first round of checks in the Department of Motor Vehicles' rebate program will hit mailboxes statewide beginning Saturday, one week after the sales tax in Clark County increased without fanfare. [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Read More
Commission recommends constitutional amendment defining marriage in N.H.
A commission that started off having trouble getting things done made a big decision Wednesday - voting to recommend a constitutional amendment stating marriage is between one man and one woman - and setting up gay marriage as an election issue next year. [Foster's Daily Democrat (Dover)] Read More
Emissions-reduction plan may change
A Senate-approved bill to cut mercury emissions from the state's coal-burning power plants could soon be scrapped and replaced with a new plan aimed at reducing the cost to ratepayers. [Concord Monitor] Read More
Governor looks at impact of rising energy prices across NH
LONDONDERRY, N.H. ? Gov. John Lynch said he is looking at problems rising energy prices pose across a wide spectrum of state interests. [The Union Leader (Manchester)] Read More
Resign, Burton told again
LONDONDERRY, N.H. ? Gov. John Lynch repeated his call for Executive Councilor Raymond Burton to resign over a controversy involving a former staff member who is a convicted sex offender. [The Union Leader (Manchester)] Read More
Officials prepare for the worst
New Hampshire health officials are preparing for a possible outbreak of avian flu, the virus that has killed millions of birds in Asia and about 60 people. [Concord Monitor] Read More
Commission recommends constitutional amendment defining marriage
CONCORD, N.H. - A commission that started off having trouble getting things done made a big decision Wednesday - voting to recommend a constitutional amendment stating marriage is between one man and one woman - and setting up gay marriage as an election issue next year. [The Boston Globe (registration)] Read More
Weinberg wins a Senate seat
Capping weeks of bitter feuding among Bergen County Democrats, a judge yesterday opened five disputed ballots that gave veteran Assemblywoman Loretta Weinberg a vacant state Senate seat. [The Star-Ledger (Newark)] Read More
Forrester, Corzine want security czar
Both of the leading gubernatorial candidates said yesterday the recent infighting among state terror-fighting agencies demonstrates the wisdom of their plans for a Cabinet-level homeland security czar who would report directly to the governor. [The Star-Ledger (Newark)] Read More
Courts inundated as Jerseyans race to erase their debt
Facing a radically revised set of bankruptcy rules that will make it harder for people to erase their debts, New Jerseyans are flooding federal courthouses to file before the deadline hits in less than two weeks. [The Star-Ledger (Newark)] Read More
New Jersey in no mood for assisted suicide law
As the U.S. Supreme Court argued the merits of a physician-assisted suicide law Wednesday, lawmakers and policymakers characterized the issue as a sure loser in New Jersey, tantamount to assisted political suicide. [The Record of Bergen County] Read More
Poll -- Voters willing to back education spending
With a plan to borrow billions of dollars to expand state colleges and universities expected to receive increased attention next year, a new poll indicates most New Jersey voters would support such a move, but are wary. [The Times (Trenton)] Read More
Health plans get mixed report cards
Managed care plans in New Jersey did a better job of controlling patients' high blood pressure this year, but slipped in screening women for cancer and treating childhood asthma, health officials said Wednesday. [The Record of Bergen County] Read More
'Reformers' rely on same old tactics
It's fall in New Jersey and there are a few things you can count on: The leaves changing colors, the Yankees in the playoffs -- and political ads accusing a Republican candidate of being "extreme" on social issues and a Democrat of being a "liberal" tax hiker. [The Star-Ledger (Newark)] Read More
Vigil's return sparks anger
Indicted state Treasurer Robert Vigil, who has rejected calls that he resign or face impeachment, returned to his Santa Fe office to conduct business Wednesday for the first time since the FBI arrested him there in mid-September on extortion and racketeering charges. [New Mexican (Santa Fe) (registration)] Read More
Impeachment could bog down special session
The governor had in mind something short and sweet: lawmakers meeting for a couple of days to approve $100 million in relief from soaring gasoline and heating-fuel prices. The special legislative session that begins today, however, could be longer and more complicated because of possible impeachment proceedings against indicted state Treasurer Robert Vigil. [New Mexican (Santa Fe) (registration)] Read More
Pipeline fees mean higher heating bills
Public Service Company of New Mexico has to pay more to move natural gas through its pipeline network, meaning customers will face higher heating costs. [New Mexican (Santa Fe) (registration)] Read More
Albuquerque decision makes state minimum wage fight more difficult
Boosting the minimum wage statewide will likely be an uphill battle now that Albuquerque voters have rejected a raise for the city's poorest workers, according to both supporters and opponents. [New Mexican (Santa Fe) (registration)] Read More
Roundhouse Roundup - Politicos see if gas sipper fits
A governor should lead by example, Gov. Bill Richardson told reporters Wednesday. Therefore, in this energy-conscious time of high petroleum prices, Richardson has decided it?s time to trade in his gas-guzzling sport-utility vehicle for something more fuel-efficient . [New Mexican (Santa Fe) (registration)] Read More
Clinton, Pataki want border passport plan dropped
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Gov. George Pataki on Wednesday separately pushed the federal government to abandon its plan to require passports for crossing the Canadian border. [Syracuse Post-Standard] Read More
Efforts linked to NY gambling bring fines
The dealings of gambling interests with former Republican state Attorney General Dennis Vacco and current Democratic Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver brought big fines yesterday from the state Lobbying Commission. [Newsday] Read More
Pataki wants higher boat standards
LAKE GEORGE, N.Y. - ... Gov. George Pataki ... said New York's boating safety standards need to be toughened ? and singled out the state law that kept authorities from giving the captain of the Ethan Allen an alcohol test the day of the accident, which killed 20 elderly passengers. [CBS News] Read More
Role urged for Albany in policing dietary aids
Citing a lack of federal oversight of the dietary supplement industry, a state task force is recommending that New York provide its own supervision in order to give consumers basic information and protect them from dangerous products. [The New York Times (registration)] Read More
$50,000 deal fails to halt legal woes
Former Republican Attorney General Dennis Vacco settled a state lobbying commission investigation for $50,000 Wednesday, but legal troubles may follow him because of the allegedly illicit contract that triggered the probe. [Times Union (Albany)] Read More
Lawmakers push to keep lab for animal research
New York lawmakers urged Homeland Security officials Wednesday to keep the Plum Island animal disease laboratory open, but not to add research work on deadly human diseases which might pose a threat to nearby residents. [The Hartford Courant (registration)] Read More
Firms working on casinos' behalf agree to pay fines
Two firms lobbying on behalf of companies seeking to open casinos in New York State have agreed to pay fines to the state lobbying commission to settle investigations involving prominent political figures, officials said yesterday. [The New York Times (registration)] Read More
Court ruling is eminently debatable
The message rang loud and clear with state Sen. James Alesi, R-Perinton, who chaired the hearing with Rochester-area public and private sector groups. It was the first stop on a statewide tour to solicit views for legislation addressing this summer's 5-4 Supreme Court ruling that broadened the basis for condemning land. [Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester)] Read More
Kentucky is investigating finances of a college once led by Weld
The attorney general of Kentucky said yesterday that his office is investigating for possible violations of the state's Consumer Protection Act a business college that was led until recently by William F. Weld, who plans to run next year for governor of New York. [The New York Times (registration)] Read More
Dell opens to fanfare
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Gov. Mike Easley on Wednesday gave a plate decorated with North Carolina's seal to computer magnate Michael Dell. [The News & Observer (Raleigh) (registration)] Read More
Lottery commissioner had business relationship with vendor
A member of North Carolina's new lottery commission said he will remove himself from any decisions involving potential lottery vendors after it was disclosed he had a business relationship with a key executive of a major vendor. [The News & Record (Greensboro)] Read More
Board might relax certification rules
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - State education leaders are likely to offer an olive branch today to a legislature gunning for a fight over a vetoed bill on teacher certification. [The News & Observer (Raleigh) (registration)] Read More
N.C. Democrats make up for funding losses
North Carolina Democrats found open checkbooks to compensate for a potential decline in contributions after Congress cut off a major source of money to state political accounts. The state Republican Party contributions slipped, however. [The News & Observer (Raleigh) (registration)] Read More
Prison project investigated
Two state agencies are investigating allegations by three minority contractors that they were asked to lie about their roles in the construction of a $94 million Eastern North Carolina prison. [The Charlotte Observer (registration)] Read More
Goal: Weigh trucks without breaking
More trucks will be checked and weighed on N.C. interstates in a new program aimed at reducing pavement damage, state transportation officials agreed Wednesday. [The Charlotte Observer (registration)] Read More
Bureau warns of jury duty scam
The Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota is warning the public of a scam involving jury duty. [The Forum (Fargo)] Read More
Illegal cyanide probe nears end
A chemical company is challenging a $54,000 fine for allegedly selling sodium cynanide to beekeepers, who used it illegally to fumigate their hives, Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson said. [The Bismarck Tribune] Read More
Winter storm leaves thousands without power
BILLINGS, Mont. - Thousands of homes in eastern Montana and portions of North Dakota, including many in and around Billings, remained without power Wednesday after a slow-moving storm dumped large amounts of heavy, wet snow across the region. [Argus Leader (Sioux Falls)] Read More
Democrats pursue Ohio reforms now; but GOP prefers to wait until Noe probe is finished
Flanked by 25 colleagues, House Minority Leader Chris Redfern unveiled the Democrats' legislative agenda, saying that "restoring honesty and integrity" to Ohio was their main priority. [Toledo Blade] Read More
Ohio Senate approves bill to ban eminent domain
The Senate unanimously approved a bill Wednesday designed to prohibit state and local governments from taking property for use by private developers until 2007. [The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)] Read More
Parties differ on help from outside
AKRON, Ohio - The two political parties have opposing opinions on how much help outside groups are worth. In Ohio, a battleground state in recent presidential elections, those opinions differ sharply. [The Cincinnati Enquirer] Read More
Panel gets bare facts on adult industry
A line-up of strippers, exotic dancers, nightclub owners and academics told state senators Wednesday there's more to adult entertainment than meets the eye. [The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)] Read More
Legislative floor actions
Legislative floor actions in the House of Representatives and Senate from Wednesday, Oct. 5. [The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)] Read More
Democrats hope timing is right
Democrats pushing an overhaul of the election system in Ohio are hoping timing is everything. [The Cincinnati Enquirer] Read More
Statewide sweep hauls in child-support scofflaws
Across the state, sheriff's deputies and police, aided by assistant prosecutors and child support enforcement officials, hauled absentee parents out of their homes and tossed them in jail - most of them temporarily - for failing to support the children they brought into the world. [The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)] Read More
Oklahoma economy gaining momentum
Oklahoma's employment growth exceeded the national rate in the second quarter and the state's economy appears to be gaining some momentum, according to a report released by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. [Shawnee News-Star] Read More
Renewing OK?s Energy
Renewable energy can play a vital role in meeting Oklahoma?s energy needs, if its development is supported through public policy and education. [Tulsa Today] Read More
Lawmakers want to stiffen law on protests
A protest by a Kansas hate group before a funeral for an Oklahoma soldier killed in Iraq has prompted a Moore lawmaker to propose "The Oklahoma Funeral Protection Act." [The Daily Ardmoreite (Ardmore)] Read More
Efforts linked to NY gambling bring fines
The dealings of gambling interests with former Republican state Attorney General Dennis Vacco and current Democratic Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver brought big fines yesterday from the state Lobbying Commission. [Newsday] Read More
Justices explore U.S. authority over states on assisted suicide
WASHINGTON - The question of assisted suicide reached the Supreme Court for the second time in eight years on Wednesday, although the profound issues of professional ethics and personal autonomy that have animated the national debate largely remained outside the courtroom. [The New York Times (registration)] Read More
Cancer patient wants control at end of life
PORTLAND, Ore. - The lethal dose of barbiturates arrived at cancer patient Don James' apartment a few days ago, but he hasn't seen it. He asked his family to put the bottle away in a safe place. [Corvallis Gazette-Times] Read More
Spending limits battle heats up
PORTLAND, Ore. - Opponents of a proposed ballot measure aimed at capping state spending have quietly filed a competing measure that would exempt schools, police and social services from any voter-passed spending limits. [Corvallis Gazette-Times] Read More
Fast-food outlets big on Oregon agriculture
The fast-food industry's purchases of Oregon-grown products have won praise from the state agriculture department. [Statesman Journal (Salem)] Read More
Disaster drill to close area around Capitol
Police officers will cordon off several Salem city blocks Saturday. Firetrucks and ambulances will drive to the Capitol Mall with lights flashing. [Statesman Journal (Salem)] Read More
'The issue here is control' in dying, plaintiff says
Don James had a prescription filled Monday -- for a drug overdose that will end his life if he chooses to take it. [The Oregonian (Portland)] Read More
Justices grill lawyers about case
WASHINGTON -- Supreme Court justices on Wednesday grilled lawyers for Oregon and the Justice Department as they considered whether the federal government has the authority to stop Oregon from helping terminally ill residents end their lives. [Statesman Journal (Salem)] Read More
Legal process, not outcome, informed people, doctor says
Oregon's Death with Dignity Act did more than allow terminally ill patients to request lethal prescriptions from their doctors. [Statesman Journal (Salem)] Read More
Debate over Oregon's unique law intensifies
WASHINGTON - Inside the white marble Supreme Court building Wednesday, the talk was legal and sterile: statutory interpretation, states' rights and case law. [Statesman Journal (Salem)] Read More
Justices clash over fate of Oregon's suicide law
WASHINGTON - After 11 years, two referendums and a court case of four years, the fate of Oregon's experiment with doctor-assisted suicide remained in doubt Wednesday as Supreme Court justices appeared split over the law's potential to subvert federal authority. [The Oregonian (Portland)] Read More
Foreign lice harming state's deer have itch to travel
A mysterious parasite that has ravaged blacktail deer across Western Oregon in the past decade has been identified as Asian or African in origin, and it shows the potential to infect mule deer populating Eastern Oregon, researchers at Oregon State University have found. [The Oregonian (Portland)] Read More
Outside court, fierce debate on state law
WASHINGTON - The oral arguments before the Supreme Court on Wednesday over Oregon's Death With Dignity law focused narrowly on issues like the relationship between the federal government and the states. [The New York Times (registration)] Read More
Professor -- Disputed textbook is biblical
A textbook advocating the concept of "intelligent design" as an alternative to evolution in high school science classes was written originally as a Biblically based creationist text, a philosophy professor testified yesterday in a federal trial over the teaching of evolution. [The Philadelphia Inquirer (registration)] Read More
Second anti-pay-raise lawsuit focuses on legislative process
A group was preparing to challenge a legislative pay-raise law in federal court Thursday, claiming the General Assembly's handling of controversial bills violates the public's "right to exercise political speech" by discussing legislation with lawmakers. [The Patriot-News (Harrisburg)] Read More
Poll shows legislators may survive furor on pay
A new Quinnipiac University poll reveals an oddity about the public's reaction to the pay raises state legislators gave themselves in July. For sure, people are angry. More than 80 percent of the 1,530 registered voters who were surveyed said the 16 percent to 34 percent raises should be repealed or reduced. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette] Read More
State police testing device that IDs suspect vehicles
State police on the Pennsylvania Turnpike are experimenting with a high-tech device that reads license plates and provides instant crime information. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette] Read More
Rendell picks fill-in to head education
Gov. Rendell has nominated the man who has filled in twice as acting education secretary, Gerald L. Zahorchak, to take the job permanently. [The Philadelphia Inquirer (registration)] Read More
Legislators want to help on heat costs
With winter approaching and natural gas costs rising, two Pittsburgh-area legislators are trying to help strapped consumers who are facing high heating bills. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette] Read More
Rendell's approval rating slips in Western Pa.
Connecticut pollster Clay Richards calls Gov. Ed Rendell "Teflon Ed'' because political defeats don't seem to stick to him. Well, Mr. Rendell may be immune to problems in the eastern half of the state, but he's got a lot of work to do to boost his popularity in Western Pennsylvania, according to a Quinnipiac University poll that Mr. Richards released yesterday. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette] Read More
Second bird found with West Nile virus
The state Department of Environmental Management announced yesterday that a second Rhode Island bird has tested positive for West Nile virus, a mosquito-transmitted disease that can cause encephalitis and is sometimes fatal to humans. [The Providence Journal (registration)] Read More
Lawyers ask U.S. court to scrap rule
The state and federal bar associations are calling for the U.S. District Court in Providence to eliminate -- and not just amend -- a proposed new rule that has been branded a "blanket gag order." [The Providence Journal (registration)] Read More
Missing woman found dead near State House
A 25-year-old woman from the city's North End, missing since Friday, was found dead in a minivan in front of the train station yesterday. [The Providence Journal (registration)] Read More
Supreme Court candidate has her fans and foes in R.I.
While Republican Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee has expressed qualms about Harriet Miers, President Bush's Supreme Court nominee, a group of Rhode Island Republicans, led by former Gov. Lincoln C. Almond, is lining up behind the president. [The Providence Journal (registration)] Read More
Donations sought for holiday drive to overseas troops
Lt. Gov. Charles J. Fogarty is asking Rhode Islanders to assemble letters, snacks, toiletries, calling cards and other items to send to the state's deployed military members, in his fourth annual Operation Holiday Cheer care package drive. [The Providence Journal (registration)] Read More
Republicans keep Wilkins' House seat
GREENVILLE, S.C. - Republicans appear to have kept the Greenville House seat vacated by former House Speaker David Wilkins. [The Post and Courier (Charleston) (registration)] Read More
Panel weighs ideas to trim school taxes
Members of a state House committee studying property tax relief said Wednesday they want to concentrate on cutting local taxes that fund schools' operating costs. [The Post and Courier (Charleston) (registration)] Read More
Drivers save on car insurance policies
Georgians and South Carolinians are certainly paying a pretty penny for gasoline these days. But there's good news. They're saving a whole bunch of money on their car insurance. [The Augusta Chronicle] Read More
Prison sentence called unjust
ABERDEEN, S.D. - A lawyer for a peeping Tom who is in prison for 40 years told the South Dakota Supreme Court on Wednesday that many far worse criminals are doing less time behind bars. [Argus Leader (Sioux Falls)] Read More
Winter storm leaves thousands without power
BILLINGS, Mont. - Thousands of homes in eastern Montana and portions of North Dakota, including many in and around Billings, remained without power Wednesday after a slow-moving storm dumped large amounts of heavy, wet snow across the region. [Argus Leader (Sioux Falls)] Read More
Lawmaker to spend his campaign funds to promote bottle bill
An Eaststate lawmaker is planning a trip - paid for with his own campaign funds - to take interested colleagues to Maine to learn more about how a 5-cent bottle deposit law could benefit Tennessee. [The Tennessean (Nashville)] Read More
New prison chief seeks alternatives for nonviolent offenders
The new chief of Tennessee's prison system wants to work with the courts to come up with sanctions other than prison time for nonviolent offenders. [The Commercial Appeal (Memphis) (registration)] Read More
Katrina keeping soldiers, kin apart
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - After nearly a year apart for a tour of duty in Iraq, the reunion of members of the 278th Regimental Combat Team and their loved ones likely will be delayed by the effects of Hurricane Katrina. [The Commercial Appeal (Memphis) (registration)] Read More
'Smoother' evacuation in works
A task force will study the handling of the Hurricane Rita evacuation, with an emphasis on avoiding a repeat of the gridlock that left thousands of people stuck in traffic. [The Houston Chronicle (registration)] Read More
Death sentence overturned
AUSTIN, Tex. - Johnny Paul Penry, a convicted killer whose case helped prompt national debate over whether mentally impaired inmates could be executed, had his death sentence overturned for the third time Wednesday. [The New York Times (registration)] Read More
School's still out in Jasper
Two weeks after Hurricane Rita smashed into East Texas, the schoolchildren in this devastated region are doing everything but what kids their age ought to be doing: going to school. [The Houston Chronicle (registration)] Read More
Border militias get a big boost from Hutchison
WASHINGTON - Saying the U.S.-Mexico border is "hemorrhaging," Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison filed a bill Wednesday that would give states, local law enforcement and volunteers the authority to enforce federal immigration laws. [The San Antonio Express-News (registration)] Read More
Killer's death sentence nixed again
Convicted murderer Johnny Paul Penry, whose claims of mental retardation have been debated by courts for 25 years, won reversal of his death sentence for a third time Wednesday. [The Houston Chronicle (registration)] Read More
Killer's death penalty tossed
The state's highest criminal court discarded the death sentence of an East Texas murderer Wednesday, suggesting to some observers that the famously tough tribunal might be giving new scrutiny to cases involving capital punishment. [The San Antonio Express-News (registration)] Read More
1 grand jury didn't take action
Although two grand juries indicted U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay on charges related to possible GOP misuse of corporate campaign contributions, another declined to take the same action. [The San Antonio Express-News (registration)] Read More
Bill would let local police patrol border
WASHINGTON - Arguing that federal immigration officials need reinforcements, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, proposed legislation Wednesday that gives state and local officials more authority to secure the borders against unlawful entry. [The Houston Chronicle (registration)] Read More
DeLay attorney accuses Earle of jury shopping
An attorney for U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay on Wednesday accused prosecutors of engaging in unethical grand jury shopping to obtain criminal charges against the former House majority leader. [The Houston Chronicle (registration)] Read More
Bush's plan allows funds' use for pay
WASHINGTON - President Bush is proposing legislation to Congress that would allow local governments facing the layoff of employees because of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to use federal disaster money to cover employee pay. [The Advocate (Baton Rouge)] Read More
Huntsman calls for 'flatter' state tax
Gov. Jon Huntsman unveiled a proposal on Wednesday for a "flatter" state income tax topping out at 5 percent, making Utah more competitive with surrounding states. [The Daily Herald (Provo)] Read More
Maine joins prescription drug pool with Vt., Utah, Iowa
Gov. John Baldacci announced Wednesday the creation of a four-state prescription drug purchasing pool that is expected to save Maine's Medicaid program about $1 million per year. [Foster's Daily Democrat (Dover)] Read More
SLC fires back at lawsuit on benefits for partners
One week after an independent state agency filed a lawsuit questioning whether offering domestic-partner benefits for city employees is legal, Salt Lake City has answered: Yes. [The Salt Lake Tribune] Read More
2 big PACs take a hit
A GOP-backed law that stopped paycheck deductions for government workers' political action committees has severely cut into the political funds of two major state legislative players: The Utah Education Association and the Utah Public Employees Association. [Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City)] Read More
Longer sex-abuse terms?
An adult victim of child sex abuse asked the Utah Sentencing Commission on Wednesday to increase the minimum mandatory sentence for sex offenders to 25 years. [Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City)] Read More
Last Utah unit deployed
In the early, dark hours of the morning, a group of approximately 200 people gathered in Lehi at the National Guard Armory on Main Street. [The Daily Herald (Provo)] Read More
Katrina lessons may aid Needy Utahns
Out of tragedy often comes good, and state and national officials hope the recent response to hurricane victims will translate into innovative, long-term solutions to battling homelessness in the United States. [Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City)] Read More
5% tax plan unveiled
Charitable gifts and having up to three dependent children would be deductible ? but not mortgage interest payments ? under a 5 percent "flatter" state income tax Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. proposed Wednesday. [Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City)] Read More
Senators, Downwinders want radiation compensation expanded
A group of Downwinders has asked Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch to join his counterparts in Montana and Idaho in asking for the expansion of a compensation program for victims of radiation linked to atomic testing. [The Daily Herald (Provo)] Read More
After record water year, Utah drought may be over
After a record water year, Utah's chief snowpack scientist believes the state's six-year drought has ended. [The Daily Herald (Provo)] Read More
Most cities see small turnout for primaries
Voter turnout faltered as low as 5 percent and averaged roughly 18 percent Tuesday in municipal primary elections across Utah County. [The Daily Herald (Provo)] Read More
Firms accused of gender bias
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has filed lawsuits in Salt Lake City's federal district court against two Utah employers for sex discrimination. [The Salt Lake Tribune] Read More
Who will nurse schools to health?
TOOELE, Utah - Not wanting to interrupt her fourth-grade class, Michaela Tuck discreetly took two puffs on her Albuterol inhaler when she felt a familiar shortness of breath. [The Salt Lake Tribune] Read More
Tax plan says flatter is better
After weeks of hinting, Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. and his team of tax experts unveiled plans for a ''flatter, fairer, simpler'' income tax Wednesday - one they say would mean a tax cut for most Utahns. [The Salt Lake Tribune] Read More
State OKs 'Vermont' labeling restrictions
Lawmakers on Wednesday overrode the objections of Gov. James Douglas and approved rules designed to prevent companies from falsely claiming their food products are made in Vermont. [Rutland Herald] Read More
State wants $170,000 for reservoir damage
The state today will ask the Vermont Supreme Court to order a Hyde Park homeowner to pay more than $170,000 for the damage he did to the shores of the Green River Reservoir. [Rutland Herald] Read More
Maine joins prescription drug pool with Vt., Utah, Iowa
Gov. John Baldacci announced Wednesday the creation of a four-state prescription drug purchasing pool that is expected to save Maine's Medicaid program about $1 million per year. [Foster's Daily Democrat (Dover)] Read More
Shumlin opts out of congressional or statewide race
Former state Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin opted out of a race for the U.S. House on Wednesday, potentially eliminating the possibility of a Democratic primary for the seat. [Rutland Herald] Read More
Referendum foes get Va. cash
A Virginia anti-tax group run by that state's former governor has contributed $140,000 to the campaign to defeat Referendums C and D. [Denver Post] Read More
Virginia AG candidates reinforce law enforcement messages
The candidates for attorney general reinforced their tough-on-crime credentials Wednesday in a mostly low-key debate that broke little new ground. [The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk) (registration)] Read More
Virginia job growth falls below national level
Virginia's job growth cooled off in the first half of 2005, falling below the national rate for the first time in almost three years, according to a government report. [The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk) (registration)] Read More
State in talks with Canadian IT firm
The state has quietly decided to enter closed-door negotiations with the Canadian company CGI to handle the software side of Virginia's IT outsourcing. [Richmond Times-Dispatch] Read More
Richmond civil rights monument planned
RICHMOND, Va. - A stone tablet ringed by bronze likenesses of civil rights leaders is the likely choice for a monument planned at Virginia's Capitol grounds, a panel reviewing artists' submissions decided Wednesday. [The New York Times (registration)] Read More
Deeds might not get Wilder endorsement
Democrat R. Creigh Deeds, armed with the endorsement of the National Rifle Association, may have to run for attorney general without the political firepower of support from Richmond Mayor L. Douglas Wilder. [Richmond Times-Dispatch] Read More
Web site aimed at helping Va. businesses
If you have questions about starting or running a business in Virginia, a new state Web site may be able to help you answer them. [The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk) (registration)] Read More
Legislators urged to fix dental regulation
The state's system for disciplining dentists and other health professionals is in serious need of repair, said Rep. Tom Campbell, R-Roy, vice chairman of the state House Health Committee. [Seattle Post-Intelligencer] Read More
Grades only part of picture for new UW admissions plan
Beginning this year, the University of Washington will no longer automatically admit top students based on their high-school grades and test scores. [The Seattle Times] Read More
Missed ballots raise questions
King County election workers' discovery that 18 ballots weren't counted in the September primary has set back efforts to restore confidence in the election process and could hurt County Executive Ron Sims in his re-election bid. [The Seattle Times] Read More
DOT awards road work contracts
Contracts for construction at the western end of Appalachian Corridor D and the eastern end of Appalachian Corridor H have been awarded to a pair of Kanawha County construction firms, the state Department of Transportation announced Wednesday. [Charleston Gazette (registration)] Read More
Burke pleads guilty to felony misconduct, misdemeanor obstruction
Former state Sen. Brian Burke pleaded guilty Wednesday to felony misconduct in office for using state employees to run his political campaign and a misdemeanor charge of obstructing a law enforcement officer, ending his three-year fight against accusations he abused his political power. [Janesville Gazette] Read More
Milwaukee wants brakes put on UW public health school
What the University of Wisconsin Medical School had hoped would be a simple name change has set off another debate between Milwaukee and Madison, and the roles of their respective state universities. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] Read More
Prisons are a time bomb, officers say
Wisconsin's correctional institutions are a time bomb, with officers inadequately trained and mentally ill inmates untreated, several correctional officers told a state Senate committee today. [The Capital Times (Madison)] Read More
Burke guilty on misconduct and obstruction charges
Former state Sen. Brian Burke should spend time behind bars for his role in the Capitol corruption scandal or the public might view the case as a whitewash, the head of Common Cause in Wisconsin said today after Burke entered guilty pleas to a felony and a misdemeanor. [The Capital Times (Madison)] Read More
Burke convicted of two charges
With three words on Wednesday, former state Sen. Brian Burke fell as far as he could from his one-time aspiration to become Wisconsin's top law enforcement officer. [Wisconsin State Journal (Madison)] Read More
Burke guilty of felony misconduct
Former state Sen. Brian Burke - once one of the most powerful figures in the Legislature - admitted to crimes Wednesday that included campaigning on state time, hiding evidence and improperly billing taxpayers for expenses. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] Read More
Board halts proposed prescription rule
JACKSON, Wyo. - Members of the Wyoming Pharmacy Board voted unanimously here Wednesday to reconsider and possibly redraft language that would allow pharmacists to refuse to fill prescriptions based on "personal beliefs." [Casper Star-Tribune] Read More
Drinking and riding remains legal in Wyoming
CODY, Wyo. - Under a law effective Oct. 1, vehicle passengers in Montana are no longer allowed open containers of alcohol on state highways. But across the state line in Wyoming, passengers can still drink in a vehicle. [Billings Gazette] Read More
Thomas to Norton- Delist grizzlies
JACKSON, Wyo. - People looking to hunt grizzly bears in Wyoming got a round-about boost from U.S. Sen. Craig Thomas this week, as he urged Interior Secretary Gale Norton to move forward with a petition to remove the grizzly from Endangered Species Act protection. [Casper Star-Tribune] Read More
Storm hits northern Wyo
BILLINGS, Mont. - Thousands of homes in northern Wyoming, eastern Montana and portions of North and South Dakota were without power Wednesday after a slow-moving storm dumped large amounts of heavy, wet snow across the region. [Casper Star-Tribune] Read More
Pharmacy board may try again
JACKSON, Wyo. - Members of the Wyoming Pharmacy Board voted unanimously here Wednesday to reconsider and possibly redraft language that would allow pharmacists to refuse to fill prescriptions based on "personal beliefs." [Casper Star-Tribune] Read More
Colleagues- Hathaway strong, progressive
In 1969, Gov. Stan Hathaway was trying to marshal legislative support for his recommendation for a 1 percent mineral severance tax. [Casper Star-Tribune] Read More
Arapaho-state liaison chosen
CHEYENNE, Wyo. - Gov. Dave Freudenthal appointed Allison Sage, a longtime resident of the Wind River Indian Reservation, as tribal liaison between the state of Wyoming and the Northern Arapaho Tribe. [Billings Gazette] Read More
Hathaway remembered as open, wise
CHEYENNE, Wyo. - Sitting in the same spot Gov. Stan Hathaway sat when they met three decades earlier, Gov. Dave Freudenthal on Wednesday recalled being surprised that a cigar-chomping governor took any interest in what a recent college graduate had to say about coal in the Powder River Basin. [Billings Gazette] Read More
Business groups seek changes to Patriot Act
WASHINGTON - Some prominent business organizations are complaining to Congress that the Patriot Act makes it too easy for the government to get confidential business records. [The Seattle Times] Read More
Border militias get a big boost from Hutchison
WASHINGTON - Saying the U.S.-Mexico border is "hemorrhaging," Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison filed a bill Wednesday that would give states, local law enforcement and volunteers the authority to enforce federal immigration laws. [The San Antonio Express-News (registration)] Read More
Justices clash over fate of Oregon's suicide law
WASHINGTON - After 11 years, two referendums and a court case of four years, the fate of Oregon's experiment with doctor-assisted suicide remained in doubt Wednesday as Supreme Court justices appeared split over the law's potential to subvert federal authority. [The Oregonian (Portland)] Read More
Bill would let local police patrol border
WASHINGTON - Arguing that federal immigration officials need reinforcements, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, proposed legislation Wednesday that gives state and local officials more authority to secure the borders against unlawful entry. [The Houston Chronicle (registration)] Read More
States take on feds over environment
Dozens of states, frustrated over federal actions or inaction on the environment, are trying to fill the gap with their own green initiatives - or are filing lawsuits to block federal changes they say would weaken existing environmental regulations. [The Christian Science Monitor] Read More
Deal is near on offshore drilling
WASHINGTON - Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Rep. Richard Pombo, chairman of the House Committee on Resources, are nearing an agreement that would allow some states to waive federal moratoriums on drilling for natural gas on federal land off their shorelines. [The Wall Street Journal (subscription)] Read More
Justices explore U.S. authority over states on assisted suicide
WASHINGTON - The question of assisted suicide reached the Supreme Court for the second time in eight years on Wednesday, although the profound issues of professional ethics and personal autonomy that have animated the national debate largely remained outside the courtroom. [The New York Times (registration)] Read More |
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