Legislature passes reform package
The General Assembly approved the nation's most sweeping campaign finance reforms early today, transforming Connecticut into a political laboratory.
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Archive of Politics on Thursday December 01, 2005
Legislature passes reform package
The General Assembly approved the nation's most sweeping campaign finance reforms early today, transforming Connecticut into a political laboratory. Read More
Judge restricts prayer in Indiana House
INDIANAPOLIS - A federal judge ruled yesterday that the official prayers opening the daily sessions of the Indiana House must be nondenominational and may not "advance the beliefs that define the Christian religion." Read More
Arizona, Utah working on border plan
Unhappy with the lack of federal action, two Western governors are drawing up their own plan to deal with border security and illegal crossers. Janet Napolitano of Arizona and Jon Huntsman Jr. of Utah hope they can nudge Congress to take up - and ultimately approve - a comprehensive immigration proposal. Read More
Political blog stirs ire of GOP brass
The director of the Colorado Republican Party on Wednesday urged members to stop posting to one of the state's most read political blogs, ColoradoPols.com. GOP director Hans Gullickson accused Democrats of running the blog, saying information posted about Republicans is either "spectacularly wrong or consistently biased." Read More
House speaker to pay $700 campaign fine
House Speaker John Harris was fined nearly $700 Wednesday for illegally using $7,000 in campaign contributions to help elect other Republicans and to enhance his bid to lead the state House. Read More
House speaker penalized for improper expenditures
House Speaker John Harris was fined $693 today for violating a state campaign finance law. Read More
Pension chiefs now report firm paid part of tab
Two trustees for the Arkansas Public Employees Retirement System have amended state reports to acknowledge that a California firm paid at least $150 of their food, lodging or travel expenses at an investment conference in China and Hong Kong in May 2004. Read More
Ark. gov. backs Aruba boycott
Gov. Mike Huckabee on Tuesday said he would join Alabama Gov. Bob Riley in requesting that Arkansans consider a travel boycott of Aruba to show respect for the family of missing teenager Natalee Holloway, a Mississippi native. Read More
Governor's hire riles GOP conservatives
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's decision to appoint an influential Democratic operative as his top staffer is the first step as he negotiates a tricky path to re-election. Now he must hold onto the conservative Republican right, furious with the appointment, while winning back independents and Democrats, many furious with his agenda in the recent special election. Read More
High court refuses to revisit Williams death-penalty case
LOS ANGELES - As death-penalty opponents rallied around the state Wednesday to urge Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to save the life of convicted killer-turned-gang peace activist Stanley ``Tookie'' Williams, the California Supreme Court refused an 11th-hour request to reopen his case. Read More
Democrat to head governor's staff
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger named former Gray Davis aide Susan Kennedy his new chief of staff Wednesday -- a striking gesture of good will toward the Democratic lawmakers he must win over if he is to accomplish anything next year and regain his popularity. Read More
A call to end executions
Death penalty foes and supporters of condemned inmate Stanley "Tookie" Williams gathered Wednesday outside Sacramento City Hall, calling for an end to violence as the state prepares to execute the co-founder of the Crips later this month. Read More
More looks at care sites?
In a policy shift, the Schwarzenegger administration will seek more funds for inspections of day care centers, foster homes and residences for the elderly and disabled in next year's budget, state officials said Wednesday. Read More
Governor stuns with aide choice
He insisted he wasn't changing direction or policy. But when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced his new chief of staff Wednesday, he took a giant step toward trying to reinvent himself politically. Read More
Irking conservatives, Schwarzenegger replaces top aide with a Democrat
LOS ANGELES - In an abrupt political shift after a drubbing at the polls three weeks ago, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger named a former top Democratic official on Wednesday as his chief of staff. The move touched off howls from conservative Republicans, who called the appointment a betrayal of the party that helped him win the governorship two years ago. Read More
AP Interview: Romney says re-election delay hurts Dems, not GOP
CARLSBAD, Calif. - Gov. Mitt Romney said Wednesday he's in no rush to declare whether he will run for re-election next year -- a decision widely viewed as an indicator of whether he'll seek the 2008 Republican presidential nomination. Read More
New top aide's role: Help gov. find his voice
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger picked a former Democratic Party activist as his new chief of staff after concluding that his current team was trying to push him in the directions they wanted to go, rather than embracing his more centrist ideas, sources familiar with the governor's thinking said Wednesday. Read More
State worker alleges time wasted, smut displayed
The Colorado Department of Human Services plans to hire an outside firm to investigate a state employee's allegations that some colleagues conducted personal business on state time. In addition, six-year-veteran Wanda Leingang charged in a letter to the governor that inappropriate and lewd material was presented at staff meetings and elsewhere and created a hostile working environment. Read More
State election computer fails test
Colorado pulled the plug today on its problem-plagued voter registration computer system and will miss a Jan. 1 federal deadline for having it up and running. Read More
State faces new glitches on computers
A year after the state's welfare-benefits computer system bogged down as soon as it was launched, lawmakers Wednesday discovered that the state Department of Labor and Employment had spent $39 million on a computer system that doesn't work. Read More
Physicians split over life support
Doctors are split over whether the state should remove the feeding tube from a comatose 11-year-old girl at the center of a right-to-die legal battle who was allegedly beaten by her adoptive mother and stepfather. Read More
Lynch tells Dems he will defend New Hampshire primary
CONCORD, N.H. - Gov. John Lynch said Wednesday he will do whatever is necessary to defend the state's tradition of holding the nation's earliest presidential primary. Read More
Legislature passes campaign finance reform bill
HARTFORD, Conn. - The state legislature approved what advocates billed as the most sweeping reforms of campaign finance laws in the country early Thursday, including restrictions on campaign contributions and a new publicly funded election system. Read More
Campaign finance reforms approved by Connecticut legislature
HARTFORD, Conn. - The Democratic-controlled legislature early Thursday gave final approval to broad campaign finance reforms that would prohibit donations from lobbyists, contractors and others and create a new, voluntary system of state financing and spending limits for political races. Read More
State leaders converge on Hotel du Pont
The conversations and cocktails flowed at the Hotel du Pont during a reception Wednesday evening for elected and appointed leaders flocking to Delaware from across the nation to spend four days sharing problems and solutions for good government. Read More
Card rooms at race tracks being probed
Florida gambling regulators are investigating card rooms at racetracks and jai alai frontons after a sudden rule repeal was interpreted by some to mean they could continue poker tournaments, while others have canceled such games. Read More
Bill would extend deadline on discounts for property taxes
Two Palm Beach County legislators have filed a bill for the upcoming special session to let hurricane-stricken counties extend the deadlines for early payment discounts on property taxes. Read More
House, Senate squabble over trip investigation
State Rep. Frank Farkas, a powerful Republican from St. Petersburg who went on a two-day trip to Canada in July courtesy of the owners of Gulfstream Park, is reportedly refusing to cooperate with an investigation ordered by the president of the Senate into the trip. Read More
Justices scold attorneys in doctor-lawyer battle
The bitter showdown between Florida's doctors and lawyers moved to the state's Supreme Court on Wednesday, as justices were asked to cap the money that lawyers can earn in medical-malpractice cases. Read More
GOP holds off placing slots back on ballot
Gov. Jeb Bush and Republican legislative leaders are putting on hold a plan to ask voters to reconsider allowing Las Vegas-style slot machines in Broward County. Read More
Florist shop may be saved by law changes
MCDONOUGH, Ga. - A Superior Court judge declined to rule Wednesday on whether the city of Stockbridge can condemn a florist shop through eminent domain for a downtown development project. Read More
Legislator to pay $1,000 to settle ethics dispute
State Sen. J. Kalani English agreed to pay the state $1,000 to settle an ethics complaint over his use of free Hawai'i Air Ambulance flights to return home to Maui. Read More
Vilsack asks church leaders to help on sex offender restrictions
Gov. Tom Vilsack is consulting with church leaders to help figure out the best ways to deal with residency restrictions for sex offenders. Read More
Iowa Farm Bureau rejects mandated use of ethanol
The Iowa Farm Bureau Federation has rejected a proposed policy mandating that every gallon of gasoline sold in Iowa contain ethanol. Read More
Texan to lead Iowa Latino division
A Texan has been chosen to lead the Iowa Division of Latino Affairs. Armando Villareal, 58, a Latino advocate and private consultant from San Antonio, was appointed Wednesday by Gov. Tom Vilsack. Read More
Group wants Vision Iowa continued
Iowans would see another round of construction of major community attractions under a proposal being pitched to state lawmakers. Read More
GOP proposes death penalty law
Republican lawmakers Wednesday made good on their promise to call for reinstating the death penalty in Iowa, proposing a law that would apply to people convicted of kidnapping, raping and killing children. Read More
Republicans renew drive to reinstate death penalty
A bill to reinstate the death penalty in Iowa will be introduced on the first day of the upcoming legislative session, Republicans said Wednesday. Read More
Law leaves sex offenders few options
A prosecutor told state lawmakers Wednesday that a law banning some sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of a school or day care is pushing some of them to live at truck stops, campgrounds and under bridges. Read More
Gov. asks ICC to lean on Peoples Energy for refund
Gov. Rod Blagojevich is wading into another utility controversy, sending a letter Wednesday to members of the Illinois Commerce Commission asking them to "promptly" require Peoples Energy Corp. to refund customers $118 million, as recommended by a commission judge more than two months ago. Read More
Topinka launches her campaign for state governor's job
State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka is pledging to restore faith in scandal-scarred state government if elected governor, but she won't be taking a pledge against raising taxes. Read More
State looks for help with looming heating crisis
Illinois is calling on the private sector to help with this winter's home heating crisis - both financially and by educating people about energy assistance programs and conservation. Read More
Area lawmaker may propose online dating background checks
A Southern Illinois Democrat is considering legislation requiring online dating services to perform criminal background checks to weed out predators that might be lurking on the Internet. Read More
Radogno likely to run for treasurer
State Sen. Christine Radogno, a vocal critic of Gov. Rod Blagojevich's fiscal policy, will announce her bid for state treasurer next week. Read More
Gov. wants gas refund as soon as possible
Gov. Blagojevich wants the Illinois Commerce Commission, which is still waiting for a new chairman, to "promptly" require Peoples Gas to refund customers $118 million, as recommended by an ICC judge two months ago. Read More
Topinka attacks Blagojevich, offers herself as an honest alternative
Republican state Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka launched her campaign for governor Wednesday by attacking Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich as untrustworthy and offering herself as an honest alternative. Read More
Topinka's attention firmly on governor
Illinois Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka launched her Republican campaign for governor Wednesday by blasting Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich as an unethical liar who ruined the state's economy and saddled its children with future debt. Read More
Amtrak expansion urged
An advocacy group wants the state to add two more trips a day to the Amtrak route between Springfield and Chicago. Read More
Letter suggests lobbyist wanted name off records
Larry Warner was careful to keep his name off of any records tying him to ownership of a building in Joliet that was eventually leased to the Illinois secretary of state, a letter entered into evidence in the George Ryan trial Wednesday indicates. Read More
Topinka formally announces bid for governor
Third-term state Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka formally announced her campaign for governor Wednesday, arguing she is the best prospect for Republicans to unseat Democratic incumbent Rod Blagojevich. Read More
Court turns ruling in FOIA request
Why someone wants information under the state's Freedom of Information Act should have no bearing on whether the request is granted, Illinois' 4th District Appellate Court has ruled. Read More
Segal gets 10 years in scam
For years, millionaire insurance czar Michael Segal hobnobbed with the rich and powerful in Chicago, jetted to the Cannes Film Festival, and even had his dog, Snoopy, feast off his plate at renowned steakhouse Gene & Georgetti. Read More
Lawyers hoping to break a leg in a spoof of a spoof
Every night this week, behind closed doors in a hall of the Chicago Bar Association building in the South Loop, a large number of Chicago lawyers are facing the music. They're singing. And they're also dancing. Read More
Governor asks $118 million refund for Peoples Gas customers
In an unusual move, Gov. Rod Blagojevich is pushing state regulators to award a $118 million refund to Chicago natural gas consumers, money allegedly overcharged by Peoples Gas. Read More
Exelon merger clears a hurdle
An administrative law judge in Pennsylvania has recommended that Exelon Corp. be permitted to buy a New Jersey utility company. Read More
War on mortgage scams
Hearing tearful pleas for justice, state and local officials on Wednesday announced a new campaign to combat the growing crime of mortgage fraud. Read More
4 pharmacists suspended over morning-after pill
ST. LOUIS -- Walgreen Co. said it has put four Illinois pharmacists in the St. Louis area on unpaid leave for refusing to fill prescriptions for emergency contraception in violation of a state rule. Read More
Topinka joins crowded field
Even as state Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka formally joined the Republican race for governor Wednesday, the state party chairman was pushing the crowded field of contenders to take a hard look at their chances to win the GOP nomination. Read More
Segal gets rebuke, 10 years
Insurance powerhouse Michael Segal, whose personal empire included a Gold Coast condominium, a lakefront estate and an all-star roster of politically influential clients, was sentenced Wednesday to more than 10 years in prison for raiding his company trust fund of millions of dollars. Read More
State tables Cabela's financing vote
Plans for a Cabela's in Hammond caught a lifeline Wednesday with the State Board of Finance postponing a vote on the outdoor superstore's $40.7 million financing request. Read More
Court limits Statehouse prayer
A federal judge ruled Wednesday that House Speaker Brian Bosma cannot allow sectarian prayers to be offered from the podium in the Indiana House of Representatives. Read More
IU hires lobbyist to seek federal money
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana University has hired a Washington lobbying firm to help gain federal funding for school projects. Read More
'Jesus' cast from House prayers
House Speaker Brian Bosma said he is looking for ways to overturn a federal court ruling that said opening prayers in the House can no longer mention Jesus Christ or advance a particular religious faith. Read More
'Christ' removed from Indiana House
A federal judge issued a permanent injunction Wednesday barring Republican House Speaker Brian Bosma from allowing sectarian prayer and requiring him to advise clergy and others not to use Christ's name to open up sessions of the Indiana House of Representatives. Read More
Carmel mayor gets 15% raise, to $103,179
CARMEL, Ind. -- The city with the gold-leaf "Welcome to Carmel'' signs has a new status symbol -- a mayor with a six-figure salary. Read More
House prayers can't invoke Jesus
A federal court judge Wednesday barred prayers that mention Jesus Christ or endorse any religion at the opening of each daily session of the Indiana House of Representatives. Read More
Kansas lawmakers fret over budget
State budget officials say that despite a glowing economic forecast for the coming months, budgeting is going to be anything but typical. For starters, many of the bills that legislators delayed are coming due in the next fiscal year, beginning July 1 -- the budget year that lawmakers will be looking at when they return to the statehouse in January. Read More
Draud: Boost tax on smokes
State Rep. Jon Draud has prefiled a bill for the 2006 legislative session that seeks to increase the cigarette tax to 70 cents - a proposal even he admits is a long shot. Read More
Auditor's report errs on donors
State Auditor Crit Luallen's re-election campaign failed to disclose that three campaign workers also are aides in her state office. Read More
Clinton event trumpeted by both sides of political aisle
Some of the state's top elected Democrats are gearing up for tomorrow's Louisville fundraiser with U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, despite concern over some perceptions about the former first lady. Read More
Court hears Fletcher appeal on indictments
Two Kentucky Court of Appeals judges said yesterday that they were hesitant to tell the special grand jury investigating state hiring not to return any more indictments or file a report. Read More
Fletcher report skips state jobs
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Gov. Ernie Fletcher's re-election campaign failed to disclose that some of his contributors work for the state as officials in his administration, as required by law. Read More
Ky. Chamber supports casinos
CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky. - Kentucky's largest business group is backing the movement to legalize casino gambling in the state and wants voters to decide the issue. Read More
Secretary of State Ater says he won't run for post
Secretary of State Al Ater announced Wednesday that he won't be a candidate for the job in a special fall 2006 election. Read More
Bush helps Steele raise $500,000
President Bush draped his arm around Michael S. Steele yesterday and praised him as a "decent, honorable man" at a fundraiser that added $500,000 to the lieutenant governor's campaign for the U.S. Senate. Read More
Bay governors focus on farms, education
Political leaders from the Chesapeake Bay region vowed yesterday to cut pollution flowing from farms, continue to teach future generations about the environment and rethink how they manage fish, crabs and oysters. Read More
Campaign law gives challengers an edge
In the unforgiving world of campaign finance, political candidates spend hours working phones, sitting through price-per-plate dinners and courting interest groups -- whatever it takes to find an edge and out-raise opponents. Read More
Steele cashes in on Bush visit
BALTIMORE -- President Bush on Wednesday called Lt. Gov. Michael Steele a decent and honorable man who would stand firm in the fight against terror and who would "help heal racial wounds" in Maryland if he won next year's race for the U.S. Senate. Read More
Insurance program for poor stalled by inefficiencies
Spurred by hundreds of complaints, Maryland regulators have uncovered widespread inefficiencies in a state-run health insurance program intended to provide coverage for the poor, program officials said Wednesday. Read More
Assembly urged to override vetoes of election bills
Civic and civil liberties groups asked the General Assembly on Wednesday to override vetoes of election law bills which they said would make voting easier, but which Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. vetoed in May because he feared they would contribute to Maryland's "rich history of voter fraud." Read More
Insurers' request for stay denied
The state's top insurance regulator on Wednesday denied a request that would have kept the state from assessing a new fee on health insurers to help fund its Dirigo Health program. Read More
Ban OK'd on alcohol vaporizing machines
The Michigan Senate voted 34-0 Wednesday to ban machines that allow people to inhale alcohol. Read More
Senate panel approves wine shipments
Wineries inside and outside of Michigan could directly ship up to 1,500 cases of wine a year to consumers under compromise legislation that received bipartisan support Wednesday from a state Senate committee. Read More
Michiganders may soon buy wine direct
Michigan lawmakers signaled Wednesday they are finally ready to give a green light to allow consumers to purchase wine from producers for direct shipment. Read More
FBI, IRS search Geoffrey Fieger's Southfield office
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. ? Federal authorities are not saying the reason that FBI and IRS agents searched the offices of prominent personal injury lawyer and Democratic state attorney general hopeful Geoffrey Fieger. Read More
Lawmakers speed work on welfare reform
The House today is expected to take up bills designed to move long-time and recalcitrant beneficiaries of cash assistance off the state's welfare rolls. Read More
Senate OKs dancing and dining later into night
Soon, you can dance the night away -- and the morning, too -- if Gov. Jennifer Granholm signs a bill allowing bars, nightclubs and other liquor establishments to stay open past 2 a.m. Read More
Deal reached on wine shipments
Out-of-state winemakers can ship up to 1,500 cases a year directly to Michigan customers under a long-awaited deal struck by state wineries and wholesalers and passed Wednesday by a Senate committee. Read More
Forest Council recommends no roadless petition
The Minnesota Forest Resources Council voted Wednesday that Gov. Tim Pawlenty not take any action on roadless areas in the state's two national forests. Read More
Minnesota's bright budget forecast stirs political pot
Property tax relief and more building projects across the state are among the likely effects of Wednesday's improved state budget forecast. Read More
Pawlenty seeks new immigration approach
Declaring the nation's immigration system as "bordering on chaotic," Gov. Tim Pawlenty went to Worthington, Minn., Tuesday to discuss with officials and businesspeople ways that the state and local governments can address the problem. Read More
State economist isn't concerned - What's in store for state surplus?
For the first time in years, lawmakers must decide what to do with money they weren't expecting. They have a $701 million surplus covering the two-year budget cycle that ends in June 2007, and they have more than $300 million left over from fiscal year 2005, which ended this June. Here are some possibilities. Read More
Panel OKs plan to cut welfare rolls
Welfare recipients who can work could not receive cash assistance after four years, according to legislation approved by a state House committee on Wednesday. Read More
State alcohol division director resigns
For the second time this year, Missouri has lost its director of the Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control. Dale Roberts, of Columbia, submitted his resignation Wednesday to the director of the Department of Public Safety -- just six months after he was appointed to the position, said department spokeswoman Terri Durdaller. Read More
Lawsuit challenges new workers' compensation law
More than 70 labor groups filed suit Wednesday challenging the constitutionality of Missouri's new workers' compensation law, claiming it reduces the rights of employees so greatly that it denies them justice for their injuries. Read More
$288 million bailout for state pension funds moves forward
Montana taxpayers would have to shell out $288 million over the next six years to help bail out the state's public pension funds under a plan approved Wednesday by a legislative committee that may be debated in a future special session. Read More
Horse sense- Project reveals dark part of Montana's past
As U.S. troops fight in Iraq, Montanans heatedly debate whether we should be engaged in that war. This robust discussion is exactly as it should be in a country that has enshrined the right to free speech in its Constitution's Bill of Rights. Read More
Special session ballots mailed
Secretary of State Brad Johnson mailed official ballots to the 150 legislators Wednesday to determine whether enough support exists for them to call themselves into special session on Jan. 10. Read More
Board president defends process
The president of a retirement board accused of holding secret hiring meetings said it "was not a forgone conclusion" that they would hire a former colleague for the top post. Read More
Charlotte woman may nail slippery lottery seat
The state lottery commission is set to add a new member to a seat that has been hard to keep filled. Read More
Killer's death will give family justice, not relief
EDEN, N.C. - When Christopher, Daniel and Jamie Boyd were younger, they wouldn't sleep alone. Their grandmother, Hilda Marie Curry, had to buy a bigger bed so the boys could sleep together or with her. Read More
Black aide helped create state job for lobbying client's wife
House Speaker Jim Black helped create a state job filled by the wife of a supporter who months before had persuaded economic development officials to hire a top Black aide, newly released e-mails show. Read More
Boyd doesn't want to be 1,000th person executed in U.S. since '76
A killer on North Carolina's death row worried yesterday about becoming a macabre piece of history - the 1,000th person executed in the United States since capital punishment was reinstated. Read More
Pharmacies, insurer face off
An angry response from consumers prompted Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota on Wednesday to delay its shift to a new payment scheme for pharmacy services. Read More
Marian Price adds name to term limit challenge
The number of state senators challenging term limits has jumped to three. Sen. Marian Price of Lincoln, as expected, has joined fellow Sens. Dennis Byars of Beatrice and Ernie Chambers of Omaha in their legal fight to overturn the 5-year-old term limits law. Read More
More state buildings? Why not?
State plans to build two parking garages and office buildings in Concord's downtown inspired more questions than concrete opinions yesterday. Read More
Corzine hinted he might pick Gill
Two days after being elected New Jersey's governor, Democrat Jon Corzine speculated out loud that he might appoint a woman to complete his unexpired Senate term. Then he singled out state Sen. Nia Gill, calling the black politician an "extraordinarily capable woman." Read More
Richardson sees upward draft in poll
That Richardson. His suits don't fit, but his latest poll numbers ought to make him feel pretty comfortable. In fact, a statewide tracking poll shows Gov. Bill Richardson with a 63 percent approval rating , a full 10 points higher than his approval number just four months ago. Read More
Committee study to look at property tax options in state
A legislative committee agreed Tuesday that Nevada's property tax system needs repair. But several on the panel made it clear they don't think California's Proposition 13 is the answer. Read More
State, city officials join forces to toughen domestic violence law
Assemblywoman Bonnie Parnell, D-Carson City, and Carson City Justice of the Peace Pro-Tem Karl Neathammer say the murder of Shelly Hachenberger pointed out serious flaws in Nevada's domestic violence laws - flaws they intend to fix in the 2007 Legislature. Read More
State GOP rethinks candidate selection plans
State GOP Chairman Stephen Minarik said Wednesday that he will heed the advice of the party's 62 county chairmen over whether to vote Dec. 12 to endorse candidates for governor and U.S. Senate in 2006. Read More
G,O.P. dispute over Pirro's bid grows fiercer
Searing divisions among New York Republicans deepened yesterday as a growing number urged Jeanine F. Pirro to drop her bid to unseat Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. Concerns also emerged that departing Gov. George E. Pataki was no longer able to unify the party. Read More
Debate over sewage in Lake Erie
An environmental group says Ohio isn't doing enough to keep raw sewage out of Lake Erie. The activists say the public is often unaware of how much pollution winds up in the lake. But the Ohio EPA says it's working to inform people and, anyway, the problem is easing. Read More
Longtime GOP rep quitting
Campbell County Republican state Rep. Jon David Reinhardt, the longest-serving member of Northern Kentucky's legislative caucus, has told GOP leaders he will not run for re-election next year. Read More
Taft cousin's political stock tumbles along with governor's
PEPPER PIKE, Ohio - Some people in this Cleveland suburb believe a city councilman's political stock tumbled along with Gov. Bob Taft's plunge in popularity. Read More
Northern Ohio base an edge for Petro
Looking toward 2006, Jim Petro must have felt like the 800-pound gorilla running for governor. Read More
Grand jury's future before appeals court
Attorneys for Gov. Ernie Fletcher and the Attorney General's Office took their dispute over a Franklin County special grand jury's future to the Kentucky Court of Appeals on Wednesday. Read More
Ohio may restrict autopsy records
Connie Ayres lost her 16-year-old daughter in a car crash in 1996. The next year she learned that a county morgue was using the autopsy photos in a slide show to help fight drunken driving. Read More
GOP hoping to avoid 3-way race
Republicans will be pressured into narrowing their three-candidate field for governor now that the Democrats have a front-runner, political analysts say. Read More
Caged kids case brings Taft's call for changes
Adoption agencies should do a special assessment of homes where a pending adoption would mean more than five children would live in the household, Gov. Bob Taft said Wednesday. It was among a series of changes the Republican proposed in response to a case of adopted special needs children forced to sleep in cages. Read More
Senate Republicans outline 2006 agenda
Senate Republican leaders outlined their agenda for the upcoming session that includes income-tax cuts, repeal of the estate tax and further reforms to the state's tort and workers' compensation systems. Read More
Henry taps Oklahoma City attorney for judgeship
Gov. Brad Henry on Wednesday appointed Oklahoma City attorney Malcolm Savage as district judge for the 7th Judicial District in Oklahoma City. Read More
Lawmaker wants to replicate Florida law
A Del City lawmaker is introducing a "Stand Your Ground" law to bolster the ability of citizens to use deadly force if they feel they are in danger outside the home. Read More
Senate GOP announces 2006 goals
Senate Republicans will continue their pushes during the coming session to reform Oklahoma's workers' compensation system and cap jury awards in civil trials, they announced Wednesday. Read More
Legislator wants to expand state's 'Make My Day' laws
Oklahoma's "Make My Day" self-defense laws would be expanded beyond private homes under legislation proposed by a metro area lawmaker. Read More
Former Democratic aide seeks office
A former chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Dan Boren who has worked for two longtime Democratic officeholders said Wednesday he is seeking the post of lieutenant governor. Read More
Pa. gambling regulator accused of falsifying work records
Pennsylvania's highest gambling regulator was accused of falsifying attendance records and collecting pay for hours she didn't work while executive director of Louisiana's gambling control board. Read More
Pay-raise legal action dropped
A Commonwealth Court judge yesterday dismissed a lawsuit challenging the recently repealed pay-raise law, saying there is no legal controversy left for the court to settle. Read More
To give or not to give back raise
State Rep. Frank J. Pistella decided to take the legislative pay raise in the summer to help cover expenses from his divorce. Read More
Despite repeal, lawmakers get bigger checks
Today is the first payday for state lawmakers since they repealed the double-digit raises they voted themselves on July 7. Read More
GOP to Elections Board -- Halt probe
The Republican Party's new legal team has filed motions seeking to block an investigation by the state Board of Elections into Governor Carcieri's 2002 campaign and to dismiss accusations that the Republicans illegally used national party money to support Carcieri's successful race for governor. Read More
S.C. residents split on war
If the sentiments of the lunch crowd at the Sunset Restaurant on Wednesday were any indication, South Carolinians are deeply divided over President Bush's handling of the Iraq war. Read More
Lottery income stable
The Tennessee Lottery will generate enough income to pay the scholarships it funds at least through the 2007-08 school year, according to projections Wednesday. Read More
Uresti set for battle with Madla
Confirming rampant speculation in political circles, state Rep. Carlos Uresti said Wednesday that he will challenge longtime District 19 Sen. Frank Madla in the March Democratic primary. Read More
Citizens group calls on Ceverha to resign
The watchdog group Texans for Public Justice on Wednesday called on the former treasurer of U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay's now defunct fundraising group to resign from the board that oversees the $19.9 billion state employees retirement fund. Read More
School consolidation put on the table
State lawmakers will consider touching the political hot potato of school consolidation as they study ways to improve public education before a June 1 deadline imposed last week by state Supreme Court justices. Read More
Abbott - Tax collector, appraiser can't marry
When Kerr County Tax Assessor-Collector Paula Rector decided to get married, she sought permission not from family or friends but from the state attorney general. And she didn't get it. Read More
Texas Lottery scratchoffs still sold even after top prizes are gone
With the Texas Lottery Commission under increased pressure to regain the public's trust after a summer scandal over inflated jackpot advertisements, one long-time lottery critic is questioning how scratch-off tickets are advertised and sold. But Lottery Commission spokesman Bobby Heith dismisses these concerns, saying information is posted in stores and weekly on the Web site for those who care to look Read More
Electronic voting examined - deadline nears
Even in this election off-year, the potential perils of electronic voting systems are bedeviling state officials as a Jan. 1 deadline approaches for complying with standards for the machines' reliability. Across the country, officials are trying multiple methods to ensure that touch-screen voting machines can record and count votes without falling prey to software bugs, hackers, malicious insiders or other ills that beset computers. Read More
Nominee Alito backed Fla. in murder case
As a Reagan administration attorney in 1982, Samuel Alito worked on a U.S. Supreme Court brief defending the state of Florida's right to retry former Death Row inmate Delbert Tibbs. Read More
McDougle begins campaign for Bolling's state Senate seat
Del. Ryan T. McDougle of Hanover County formally began his campaign yesterday for the state Senate seat that will soon be vacated by Lt. Gov.-elect Bill Bolling, a fellow Republican. Read More
Governor's vehicle grazed by motorist
Gov. Mark R. Warner had a fender-bender yesterday with a state worker, but both emerged uninjured. Read More
Farmers group wants voice on eminent domain
NORFOLK, Va. - After three days in the city at the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation's annual convention, farmers from across Virginia headed home Wednesday, but they left strict instructions behind. Read More
Senator wants Vt. to limit lawyers pretrial discovery questions
A Vermont senator believes the state should drastically reduce the number of written questions lawyers can ask during civil discovery because pretrial paperwork goes on too long and is getting too expensive. Read More
Tax rates to drop, but bills to rise
Most Vermonters will again see a boost in their property tax bills despite a recommendation expected from Gov. James Douglas today to cut the statewide education property tax rate. Read More
Voter registration inquiry pledged
SEATTLE - King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng says he's ready to investigate questionable voter registrations following Republican challenges that he contends show a serious flaw in voter rolls statewide in Washington. Read More
UW-Eau Claire lets RAs lead Bible study
The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire has suspended a practice banning resident assistants from leading Bible studies in their dorm rooms after it was slammed by politicians and conservative groups as infringing on religious freedom. Read More
Malpractice cap is headed for veto
Assembly leaders on Wednesday sent Gov. Jim Doyle a bill that would restore pain and suffering damage limits in malpractice lawsuits. But they might have saved themselves the trouble. Read More
Burke gets six months in jail
If there was a message a Dane County judge wanted to send Wednesday about Capitol corruption, it was "a jail kind of message." Read More
Sex offenders' addresses now available online
Finding out whether any of your neighbors are convicted sex offenders just got a lot easier. Starting today, the state Department of Corrections will post online the addresses of all registered sex offenders in Wisconsin. Read More
W-2 enrollment falls 36% since 2004, but advocates for poor cite problems
MILWAUKEE - The number of people receiving cash benefits from the state's welfare-to-work program has dropped by 36 percent since the summer of 2004, leaving about 8,000 still getting aid. Read More
Bill aimed at ending pay to fired officers voted down
A state legislative committee on Wednesday killed a bill that called for an end to the practice of paying Milwaukee police officers after they've been fired. Read More
Teen drivers could be silenced
Young drivers may soon have one less thing to worry about when they're out on the road: that ringing cell phone on the seat next to them. Read More
Authors defend study on Great Lakes shipping value
The emerging debate about the future of overseas ships plying the Great Lakes took center stage on the shore of Lake Michigan on Wednesday. Read More
Concealed weapons bill passes committee
People would not be able to take guns into hospitals, day care centers and youth sporting events under a modified concealed weapons bill adopted Wednesday by a state legislative committee. Read More
Burke gets 6 months in jail
Once the front-runner to be Wisconsin's top cop, former state Sen. Brian Burke (D-Milwaukee) was sentenced to six months in jail Wednesday for paying aides to solicit cash for his state attorney general campaign and for altering records subpoenaed by prosecutors. Read More
House leader, ex-wife file for bankruptcy protection
Thousands of West Virginians moved quickly last month to beat the Oct. 16 deadline to file for bankruptcy protection under old federal laws that provide more protection, including state House of Delegates Majority Leader William Richard "Rick" Staton. Read More
Freudenthal wants 50 state jobs
GILLETTE, Wyo. - Gov. Dave Freudenthal wants to add 50 regulatory positions in state government, most of them in the Department of Environmental Quality, to improve enforcement and stave off lawsuits in the coalbed methane industry. Read More
Washington gay marriage ruling looms
Nearly half the states now outlaw or are poised to ban same-sex marriage in their constitutions, but one -- Washington state -- is a court order away from knowing whether it will join Massachusetts in legalizing gay weddings. Stateline.org offers a complete rundown of the same-sex marriage debate, with a timeline of developments nationwide since Massachusetts' highest court issued its ruling legalizing gay marriage in November 2003. Read More
Schools lose round in NCLB challenge
Efforts to force the federal government to shoulder the entire cost of education programs required by the No Child Left Behind law have suffered a major legal setback. It came in the dismissal last week of a Michigan lawsuit alleging that President George W. Bush's signature education program imposed massive illegal unfunded mandates on states and local school districts. Read More
States abstain from federal sex ed money
It isn't often that states turn down federal dollars. But Maine is joining California and Pennsylvania as the only states to reject federal funding for sex education programs that teach only abstinence. Read More
Utility regulators have political ties
All states elect or appoint regulators to oversee the activities of the energy and telecommunications industries, but few of those officials have a background in consumer advocacy, according to a new report by the non-profit Center for Public Integrity. While they are charged with balancing ratepayers' interests against the demands of powerful utility companies, the center found only seven commissioners, out of nearly 200 across the nation, had extensive experience as consumer advocates. Read More
High gas prices could chill lottery fever
The nationwide rise in gas prices has several state lottery directors concerned that some motorists who are paying more at the pump are now short the pocket change they used to wager trying to strike it rich. Anecdotal evidence is popping up across the country that rising gas prices - particularly the September spike that followed Hurricane Katrina - are causing some gas station patrons to take a pass on purchasing state lottery tickets. Read More |
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