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Archive of Stateline.org RSS - State by State Roundup on Thursday December 01, 2005
Study says states don't use tobacco money for prevention
WASHINGTON - A new study shows that only a fraction of the money that states received from tobacco settlements and taxes is being used for smoking prevention programs. [The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk) (registration)] 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. [The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson)] Read More
Democrats want literacy class on Bible
Democratic lawmakers are pressing for a uniform Bible literacy class in Alabama's public schools. [The Huntsville Times] Read More
4 accused of posing as victims of Katrina
A grand jury indicted four people Wednesday, charging them with pretending to be Hurricane Katrina victims to get money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. [The Birmingham News] Read More
Student population shifting to suburbs
Birmingham schools lost 1,565 students this year while some county and suburban school systems continued to post gains, according to 40-day enrollment figures released this week by the state Department of Education. [The Birmingham News] 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. [Anchorage Daily News (registration)] Read More
State wants to stockpile anti-flu drugs
A stockpile of drugs to fight the flu and an electronic registry of vaccination histories are among the public health programs that will see increased state funding, state health officials said. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner] Read More
State complies with clean air standards
Washington state has become the first state in the West, excluding Hawaii, to fully comply with federal clean air requirements, officials announced Wednesday. [The Olympian] Read More
House speaker penalized for improper expenditures
House Speaker John Harris was fined $693 today for violating a state campaign finance law. [KTUU.com (Anchorage)] 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. [Arizona Daily Star (Tucson)] Read More
Study says states don't use tobacco money for prevention
WASHINGTON - A new study shows that only a fraction of the money that states received from tobacco settlements and taxes is being used for smoking prevention programs. [The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk) (registration)] Read More
School facilities director to retire
Arkansas' first public school facilities director and a longtime Department of Education official announced his retirement Wednesday. [Arkansas News Bureau] 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. [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock)] 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. [The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson)] Read More
NW Arkansas groups back road, college bonds
SPRINGDALE, Ark. - Chambers of commerce in Northwest Arkansas and Fort Smith joined representatives of the Northwest Arkansas Council on Wednesday in announcing support for the interstate highway and higher education bond ballot questions to be decided in a statewide special election Dec. 13. [Arkansas News Bureau] 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. [The Sacramento Bee (registration)] Read More
State Supreme Court refuses bid to reopen Williams case
The California Supreme Court on Wednesday turned down a longshot bid by defense lawyers to reopen the case against Stanley Tookie Williams, pushing the four-time convicted murderer one step closer to his Dec. 13 execution date. [Los Angeles Times (registration)] 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. [Santa Fe New Mexican (registration)] Read More
State complies with clean air standards
Washington state has become the first state in the West, excluding Hawaii, to fully comply with federal clean air requirements, officials announced Wednesday. [The Olympian] Read More
Youth prisons may get smaller
Facing criticism for keeping outdated facilities with violent reputations, the state plans to shrink its youth prisons and offer treatment services to all of its 3,400 young offenders, according to a court-mandated plan submitted Wednesday. [The Sacramento Bee (registration)] Read More
Study- Education spending reaps financial rewards
California would reap $3 in tax revenues and other benefits for every new tax dollar spent on helping students attain a college education, a study released Wednesday says. [The Mercury News (San Jose) (registration)] Read More
Juvenile prison reform unveiled
The state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation on Wednesday proposed an ambitious plan to reform California's juvenile justice system that includes rebuilding aging youth prisons, improving living conditions and providing treatment to all offenders. [Contra Costa Times (registration)] 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. [San Francisco Chronicle] Read More
Group raps programs for children
OAKLAND, Calif. - An advocacy group on Wednesday gave the state mostly C and D grades -- and no A's -- for health, economic and education programs affecting children. [Contra Costa Times (registration)] Read More
Evangelical churches venture into homegrown AIDS activism
LAKE FOREST, Calif. - After years of ministering to AIDS patients overseas, evangelical Christians are turning attention to the disease in their own backyard - and one of the nation's largest and best-known megachurches is leading the way. [The San Diego Union-Tribune] Read More
151,000 in state living with AIDS
An estimated 150,000 people in California are living with HIV, the largest number since the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, a new analysis shows. [The Mercury News (San Jose) (registration)] 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. [The Mercury News (San Jose) (registration)] 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. [The Mercury News (San Jose) (registration)] 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. [The Sacramento Bee (registration)] 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. [The Sacramento Bee (registration)] 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. [The New York Times (registration)] 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. [The Boston Globe (registration)] Read More
Gov.'s youth prison plan is criticized
One year after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vowed to make the state's youth prisons places where inmates receive "a better chance to succeed in life," his administration Wednesday released a court-mandated plan to carry out that vision, outlining a therapeutic approach that has proved successful elsewhere in the country. [Los Angeles Times (registration)] 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. [Los Angeles Times (registration)] 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." [Rocky Mountain News (Denver)] 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. [The Denver Post] Read More
Colorado ill-prepared for bird-flu epidemic
Colorado is not prepared for an avian-flu outbreak, state and federal health officials said Wednesday. [The Denver Post] Read More
Nurse shortage blamed in part on lack of profs
GREELEY, Colo. - Colorado faces a severe nursing shortage because there aren't enough nursing instructors, and that's because nurses take a huge pay cut to become instructors, according to testimony during a hearing here Wednesday. [Rocky Mountain News (Denver)] 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. [Rocky Mountain News (Denver)] Read More
Lab takes shape to fight bioterrorism, seek cures
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - Construction has begun on a $33 million laboratory to develop tools against bioterrorism and find cures for infectious diseases. Colorado State University officials broke ground on the Regional Biocontainment Laboratory on Wednesday at the Foothills Research Campus, some 8 miles west of downtown Fort Collins. The new facility is scheduled to be completed by summer 2007. [Rocky Mountain News (Denver)] 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. [Santa Fe New Mexican (registration)] 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. [The Denver Post] Read More
Audit studies CU car deals, cash
State auditors investigating the University of Colorado's football program are concerned about large cash advances for staff and courtesy-car agreements for coaches, according to a university document. [The Denver Post] Read More
Legislature passes reform package
The General Assembly approved the nation's most sweeping campaign finance reforms early today, transforming Connecticut into a political laboratory. [The Hartford Courant (registration)] 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. [The Boston Globe (registration)] Read More
Piles of tickets get higher
The mound of unpaid parking tickets keeps growing. Philip Ball keeps one stack in his law office and another wedged into the glove box of his Saab. He has now filed a lawsuit asking a federal court to interpret the state's ambiguous handicapped parking law. [The Hartford Courant (registration)] Read More
State anti-smoking effort faulted
When it comes to spending money to keep children off cigarettes, Connecticut is still blowing smoke, according to a new state-by-state analysis. [The Hartford Courant (registration)] Read More
Providers must release data
Advocates seeking decisions on access to health services offered by the four Medicaid managed care providers won a major victory in a freedom of information ruling Wednesday. [New Haven Register (registration)] 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. [The Boston Globe (registration)] 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. [The New York Times (registration)] 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. [The News Journal (New Castle-Wilmington)] Read More
DNREC investigating Pigeon Point dumping
Delaware's environmental agency is investigating reports that power-plant ash has been illegally dumped at Pigeon Point, a closed landfill along the Delaware River just north of the Delaware Memorial Bridge. [The News Journal (New Castle-Wilmington)] Read More
DCC victim, state settle suit, Prison counselor agrees to $1.65M deal
A prison counselor who was held hostage for nearly seven hours and raped last year at Delaware Correctional Center settled her federal lawsuit against the state last month, her lawyer and the Department of Justice said Wednesday. [Delaware State News (Dover)] Read More
DelDOT calendars a road trip for the eye
Despite this year's financial potholes, the Delaware Department of Transportation has paved the way to again send a gift to workers with its nostalgic calendar. [The News Journal (New Castle-Wilmington)] 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. [The Orlando Sentinel (registration)] Read More
Emergency officials review storm responses, plan for next year
Even as Tropical Storm Epsilon bobbed around the Atlantic Ocean Wednesday, state officials gathered at the emergency operations center to mark the official end of a second straight record-setting hurricane season Wednesday. [The Palm Beach Post] 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. [The Palm Beach Post] 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. [The Miami Herald (registration)] Read More
School evolution showdown delayed at least a year
Plans to update Florida's science-education standards will be delayed for at least a year, putting off a potentially explosive debate over how to address humanity's origins. [The Miami Herald (registration)] Read More
Freed man may receive $2 million
Florida lawmakers are close to an agreement on how to compensate a Brevard County man who spent more than half his life in prison for a crime he did not commit. [The Orlando Sentinel (registration)] 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. [The Miami Herald (registration)] Read More
Untreated ills cited in plea to save Smith
SARASOTA, Fla. - Doctors repeatedly failed to treat the pain, depression and drug dependence of the mechanic who raped and murdered 11-year-old Carlie Brucia, a drug addiction expert testified Wednesday to a jury that will help decide whether Joseph Smith should be executed. [The Miami Herald (registration)] Read More
State's water-utility network earns praise
Water-utility workers rarely get anything but wet. [The Orlando Sentinel (registration)] 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. [The Palm Beach Post] Read More
Justice - Media have right to see Carlie photos, tapes
A U.S. Supreme Court justice rejected a last-ditch effort Wednesday by Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist to bar the news media from viewing photos and videotapes used as evidence against the man who killed 11-year-old Carlie Brucia. [The Miami Herald (registration)] Read More
HUD secretary announces housing grants for AIDS patients
TAMPA, Fla. - Florida, New Hampshire and 11 other states will receive $18.8 million in grant money to help cover housing costs for those infected with HIV and AIDS, federal officials said Wednesday. [The Boston Globe (registration)] Read More
U.S. likes abduction reaction strategy
FORT MYERS - A Florida plan for quick, coordinated police responses to child abductions - developed after the 2004 abduction and murder of 11-year-old Carlie Brucia of Sarasota - is being taken nationwide, law enforcement officials said Wednesday. [St. Petersburg Times] 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. [The Miami Herald (registration)] Read More
Study says states don't use tobacco money for prevention
WASHINGTON - A new study shows that only a fraction of the money that states received from tobacco settlements and taxes is being used for smoking prevention programs. [The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk) (registration)] 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. [The Macon Telegraph] Read More
Study says states don't use tobacco money for prevention
WASHINGTON - A new study shows that only a fraction of the money that states received from tobacco settlements and taxes is being used for smoking prevention programs. [The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk) (registration)] 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. [The Honolulu Advertiser] Read More
New community on Big Island OK'd
A California real estate company won state approval to begin building 1,924 homes, two 18-hole golf courses, a shopping center and other amenities on the Big Island near Waikoloa. [The Honolulu Advertiser] Read More
Gas prices to continue downward trend
The maximum wholesale price for gasoline sold in Hawaii is going down for an eighth consecutive week. [Honolulu Star-Bulletin] Read More
State complies with clean air standards
Washington state has become the first state in the West, excluding Hawaii, to fully comply with federal clean air requirements, officials announced Wednesday. [The Olympian] Read More
Tests show another woman died from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
Final test results on brain tissue have confirmed another Idaho woman died from the classic form of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and not the variant form related to mad cow disease, according to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. [The Times-News (Twin Falls)] Read More
Auction benefits Idaho Rivers
Idaho Rivers United is sponsoring its 11th annual Auction for the Rivers on Saturday at the Boise Train Depot, 2603 Eastover Terrace. [The Idaho Statesman (Boise)] 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. [Chicago Tribune (registration)] Read More
Indictment signals 1 assailant, sources say
The indictment of Brian Dugan for the 1983 murder of Jeanine Nicarico, lawyers and others close to the case said Wednesday, has helped to answer a long-lingering question: Was more than one assailant involved in the crime? [Chicago Sun-Times] 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. [Chicago Tribune (registration)] 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. [The Daily Herald (Arlington)] 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. [Daily Southtown (Tinley Park)] 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. [Crain's Chicago Business] 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. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] Read More
What comes next in the Dugan prosecution?
Legal Affairs Writer Christy Gutowski has covered the case for more than six years. Here, she provides answers to myriad questions it has produced. [The Daily Herald (Arlington)] 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. [The State Journal-Register (Springfield)] 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. [The Southern Illinoisan (Carbondale)] 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. [Daily Southtown (Tinley Park)] 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. [Quad-City Times] 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. [Daily Southtown (Tinley Park)] 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. [Daily Southtown (Tinley Park)] 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. [The Daily Herald (Arlington)] 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. [The State Journal-Register (Springfield)] 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. [The State Journal-Register (Springfield)] 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. [Chicago Sun-Times] 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. [Chicago Tribune (registration)] 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. [Chicago Tribune (registration)] 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. [Chicago Tribune (registration)] Read More
Judy Baar Topinka kicks off campaign
State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka, formally kicking off her long-awaited campaign for Illinois governor, flew around the state Wednesday, arguing that she is the Republican most able to "take out" Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch] Read More
Dugan's letter on lawyer's desk day after charges
Attorney Thomas McCulloch bumped into his law partner in the Kane County Courthouse Wednesday, a day after McCulloch's notorious client, Brian Dugan, was charged with the 1983 murder of 10-year-old Jeanine Nicarico. The partner had intriguing news: A letter from Dugan had arrived in their law office that morning. It was the first time he had communicated with his attorney in about six months, McCulloch said. [Chicago Tribune (registration)] 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. [Chicago Tribune (registration)] 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. [Chicago Tribune (registration)] 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. [The Indianapolis Star] Read More
More poor in state's schools
Indiana's public schools taught more poor children in 2003 than they did the year before, according to new U.S. census figures. [The Indianapolis Star] 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. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] Read More
New rule would lower natural gas deposits for some
A new rule approved Wednesday would lower the maximum deposit that major natural gas companies in Indiana could charge some customers behind in their bills. [Journal and Courier (Lafayette)] 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. [The Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne)] Read More
Attorney reprimanded for racial references
The Indiana Supreme Court on Wednesday publicly reprimanded Indianapolis attorney Dorothy J. Thomsen for making statements that showed "bias or prejudice based upon race." The court, in an unsigned opinion, said her case is the first to arise under this section of the Rules of Professional Conduct for attorneys. [The Indianapolis Star] Read More
Study - States fall short in anti-smoking efforts
Smoking-prevention efforts by Kentucky and Indiana state governments represent only a fraction of the amount recommended by a federal health agency, according to a report released yesterday by several advocacy groups. [The Courier-Journal (Louisville)] 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. [Northwest Indiana Times (Munster)] 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. [South Bend Tribune] 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. [The News-Sentinel (Fort Wayne)] 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. [The Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne)] 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. [The Indianapolis Star] 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." [The Courier-Journal (Louisville)] 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. [Sioux City Journal] 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. [Quad-City Times] 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. [Sioux City Journal] 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. [Sioux City Journal] Read More
Complaint count up on nursing home care
Before she entered a nursing home, Agnes Smith lived much of her life in Marion and worked side by side with her daughter running the Country Cafe on Highway 30 . Later, Smith took a job as a housekeeper in a church rectory, and she continued to work well into her late 70s . [The Des Moines Register] 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. [The Des Moines Register] 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. [The Des Moines Register] 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. [The Des Moines Register] 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. [Kansas City Star (registration)] Read More
Abortion doctor cleared in death
A state board has cleared Wichita abortion doctor George Tiller of any wrongdoing in the Jan. 13 death of a Texas woman who got a late-term abortion. [Wichita Eagle (registration)] 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. [The Courier-Journal (Louisville)] 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. [Lexington Herald-Leader] Read More
Report looks at tobacco, children
Kentucky, like most other states, isn't spending enough to protect its youngsters from the health dangers of tobacco, a coalition of public health organizations said in a national report yesterday. [Lexington Herald-Leader] 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. [The Cincinnati Enquirer] 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. [The Courier-Journal (Louisville)] 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. [The Cincinnati Enquirer] 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. [The Kentucky Post (Covington)] 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. [The Cincinnati Enquirer] Read More
Study - States fall short in anti-smoking efforts
Smoking-prevention efforts by Kentucky and Indiana state governments represent only a fraction of the amount recommended by a federal health agency, according to a report released yesterday by several advocacy groups. [The Courier-Journal (Louisville)] Read More
Study says states don't use tobacco money for prevention
WASHINGTON - A new study shows that only a fraction of the money that states received from tobacco settlements and taxes is being used for smoking prevention programs. [The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk) (registration)] Read More
State's credit rating drops
The economic blow from Hurricane Katrina prompted Standard & Poor's on Wednesday to lower Louisiana's credit rating on $2 billion in bonds and debt. [The Advocate (Baton Rouge)] Read More
7,500 Orleans parish school employees fired
All of the nearly 7,500 furloughed New Orleans public school employees who have not returned to work or have found other jobs will officially be fired and lose their health insurance Jan. 31, despite an earlier vote by the School Board to offer them catastrophic coverage through June. [The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)] Read More
DNA aid for storm morgue
NEW ORLEANS - The government has earmarked $12.8 million for DNA tests to help Louisiana authorities identify people killed by Hurricane Katrina, breaking a bottleneck that has left 270 people unidentified. [The New York Times (registration)] Read More
Studies confirm New Orleans levees' flaws
NEW ORLEANS - Government engineers performing sonar tests at the site of a major levee failure confirmed that steel reinforcements barely went more than half as deep as they were supposed to, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers official said Wednesday. [The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)] Read More
Gaudin says he'll sue if pay is cut
State Gaming Control Board Chairman Charles Gaudin is threatening to sue the state if he's forced to forfeit $10,200 a year in supplemental pay. [The Advocate (Baton Rouge)] 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. [The Advocate (Baton Rouge)] Read More
Study says states don't use tobacco money for prevention
WASHINGTON - A new study shows that only a fraction of the money that states received from tobacco settlements and taxes is being used for smoking prevention programs. [The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk) (registration)] Read More
Louisiana's levee inquiry faults Army Corps
The devastation of New Orleans was a disaster waiting to happen because of a significant flaw in levee design by the Army Corps of Engineers, according to preliminary findings from the official Louisiana team investigating the Hurricane Katrina flooding. [The New York Times (registration)] Read More
Workers cite growth of caseload
Medicines for people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS are much more effective than they were years ago and, as a result, there are fewer deaths occurring from AIDS in Maine. [Kennebec Journal] 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. [Portland Press Herald] Read More
Suspect's age puts case in 'uncharted waters'
Before deciding whether Patrick Armstrong is innocent or guilty of murdering Marlee Johnston, a judge will have to answer a question that could have almost as big an impact on the case. [Portland Press Herald] Read More
State denies insurers' request for stay on fee order
AUGUSTA, Maine - Gov. John Baldacci on Wednesday said he was pleased with a decision by state insurance regulators upholding fees insurers must pay to fund the Dirigo Health insurance program. [The Boston Globe (registration)] 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. [The Sun (Baltimore) (registration)] 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." [Capital News Service] 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. [The Sun (Baltimore) (registration)] 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. [Capital News Service] 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. [The Capital (Annapolis)] Read More
Nutrient pollution changing life in the Bay, study finds
Using data that tracks 200 years of changes in the Chesapeake Bay, a team of environmental scientists has found that nutrient pollution has fundamentally altered the variety of aquatic life in the bay. [Capital News Service] Read More
Schaefer criticizes conditions at shelter
Comptroller William Donald Schaefer decried conditions at a Baltimore County homeless shelter yesterday and urged his state colleagues to find a permanent housing solution. [The Sun (Baltimore) (registration)] 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. [Capital News Service] Read More
Violence holds Hub hostage
On a day that Boston buried two young men felled by gunfire, Mayor Thomas M. Menino told the Herald he is 'frustrated' by the relentless shootings plaguing the Hub and vowed to 'change everything' about the way his administration deals with youth violence. [Boston Herald] Read More
Taxing situation -- Hub homeowners may get whacked
Weary Hub homeowners are faced with another whopping tax increase that could cast a pall this holiday season over neighborhood triple-deckers and swank downtown condo towers alike. [Boston Herald] 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. [Waterbury Republican-American] Read More
DNA aid for storm morgue
NEW ORLEANS - The government has earmarked $12.8 million for DNA tests to help Louisiana authorities identify people killed by Hurricane Katrina, breaking a bottleneck that has left 270 people unidentified. [The New York Times (registration)] 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. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] 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. [Booth Newspapers (Lansing)] Read More
Heating bill shifts vacation at WMU
Soaring heating costs will mean an extra week off for Western Michigan University students during the upcoming winter break. [The Detroit News] 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. [Booth Newspapers (Lansing)] 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. [Detroit Free Press] 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. [Lansing State Journal] 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. [Detroit Free Press] 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. [Lansing State Journal] Read More
Commission approves gas recovery charges
Customers of Consumers Energy Co. and Aquila Networks-MGU will pay more for natural gas this winter under orders approved by state regulators. [Detroit Free Press] 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. [The Detroit News] Read More
Groups seek better reporting from Ohio
Michigan residents can get detailed information about how much raw sewage overflow winds up in streams and rivers after a storm with just a couple of mouse clicks on the Internet. [Toledo Blade] 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. [Minneapolis Star Tribune (registration)] 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. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] 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. [Duluth News Tribune] 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. [Minneapolis Star Tribune (registration)] 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. [The Forum (Fargo)] Read More
Minnesota again has budget surplus
Minnesota again has a state budget surplus, after four years of deficits, but the governor and legislative leaders disagree whether the money already is committed. [The Forum (Fargo)] Read More
Miss. to get highway funds
Mississippi will receive $20 million in federal aid to repair or rebuild highways and bridges damaged by Hurricane Katrina. [The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson)] Read More
Officials mull using convicts in rebuilding
BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. - Mississippi officials are working with the Hancock County Chamber of Commerce and others on a plan to use prison inmates to help rebuild Katrina-ravaged areas along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. [The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson)] Read More
Hearing today on tobacco fund feud
Lawyers will be back in court today in Pascagoula, arguing over $20 million a year that goes to anti-tobacco programs in Mississippi. [The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson)] Read More
State to receive $5M grant for job training
Mississippi will receive a $5 million job training grant from the federal government to retain and retrain workers who lost their jobs as a result of Hurricane Katrina. [The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson)] Read More
Crime labs face delayed impact
Evidence began to pile up in Mississippi's forensic crime labs when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast. [The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson)] Read More
Study says states don't use tobacco money for prevention
WASHINGTON - A new study shows that only a fraction of the money that states received from tobacco settlements and taxes is being used for smoking prevention programs. [The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk) (registration)] 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. [Jefferson City News Tribune] Read More
State's action against inmate ads draws more attention to them
Attorney General Jay Nixon's legal action against prisoners profiting from Internet pen pal ads appears to have boosted public interest in at least one Web site. [Jefferson City News Tribune] Read More
Bush signs bill exempting Missouri from Wright Amendment
WASHINGTON - It's official - Missourians are now free to fly to Dallas on Southwest Airlines. President Bush signed a transportation bill Wednesday that allows air travel between Love Field airport in Dallas and points in Missouri for the first time since the Wright Amendment restricted flights 26 years ago. [Kansas City Star (registration)] Read More
Judge certifies class-action lawsuit for inmate wanting abortion
More than five weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court said Missouri had to let a pregnant inmate have an abortion, the question over whether other state prisoners can get abortions on demand is far from settled. [Jefferson City News Tribune] 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. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] Read More
Former salesman pleads guilty in tax-credit scheme
ST. LOUIS - A former computer salesman admitted Tuesday that he organized a tax-credit scheme that took money from a program intended to attract high-tech businesses to poor areas. James Jones, 67, of House Springs, pleaded guilty to six counts of mail fraud and five counts of money laundering in the scam, which cost the state more than $2 million in tax credits. [Jefferson City News Tribune] 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. [Jefferson City News Tribune] Read More
Coleman announces run for state auditor
ST. LOUIS - Downplaying her past personal financial problems, state Sen. Maida Coleman said Tuesday that she would apply hard life lessons if elected as state auditor. [Jefferson City News Tribune] Read More
Old Fund insurance needs $14 million, state told
A state-owned insurance agency for injured workers may need another $42 million to pay all of its bills, a Montana State Fund executive said this week. [Billings Gazette] 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. [Billings Gazette] Read More
Agencies eye future of grizzlies
Chuck Bartlebaugh is worried that television's warm and fuzzy message about grizzly bears is creating a dangerous situation in the backcountry. [Missoulian] 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. [Billings Gazette] Read More
Montana free of livestock disease
After scaring livestock owners for nearly four months, Montana is officially free of vesicular stomatitis, a disease that has made transporting livestock a bureaucratic nightmare. [Billings Gazette] 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. [Billings Gazette] 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. [Billings Gazette] Read More
Montana Red Cross posts record numbers, operates at deficit
Nearly 7 percent of Montana's population either received or provided American Red Cross services in the state during the fiscal year ending June 30. The annual report - released Wednesday - was delayed by the record-setting 2005 hurricane season. [Missoulian] Read More
State attorney general gives advice on how to avoid fraud
As 100 mostly senior citizens listened to tips on avoiding fraud, Montana Attorney General Mike McGrath laughed at being caught in his own version of identity theft. [Billings Gazette] Read More
Supreme Court rejects request to stop dissolution orders
The state Supreme Court rejected a request Wednesday that it stop a committee from issuing orders to dissolve the roughly 200 elementary-only schools in Nebraska. [The Grand Island Independent (registration)] Read More
State Report Card results please local officials
Grand Island and Northwest school officials are pleased that student achievement continues to improve in reading and math as shown by the fifth annual Nebraska State Report Card. [The Grand Island Independent (registration)] Read More
Supreme Court rejects request to stop dissolution orders
A group of five will have the weight of small-schools supporters bearing down on it Thursday morning when it meets to decide the fate of Class I schools. [Lincoln Journal Star] 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. [Lincoln Journal Star] 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. [Nevada Appeal (Carson City)] 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. [Nevada Appeal (Carson City)] Read More
Program takes aim at teacher shortage
State Superintendent Keith Rheault recently approved a plan that would help anyone with a bachelor's degree become a teacher quicker than under previous regulations. [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Read More
Mental hospital criticized
"Serious deficiencies" at the Southern Nevada Mental Health Hospital contributed to the death of two patients and have resulted in the lack of treatment for others, a federal audit found. [Las Vegas Sun] Read More
Groups argue against water pumping plan
An attorney representing the Sierra Club and the Indian Springs Civic Association told a state agency Wednesday that a request by Las Vegas water officials to change where it can pump rural groundwater should be denied. [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Read More
Ayotte expected, got hard questions
New Hampshire Attorney General Kelly Ayotte said the minute she opened her mouth yesterday, she stopped feeling nervous about arguing a pivotal abortion case before the U.S. Supreme Court. [The Union Leader (Manchester)] Read More
Parental notification argued
Washington, D.C. - With protesters from both sides assembled on the street outside, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments yesterday from New Hampshire's attorney general and Planned Parenthood of Northern New England in the court's first abortion-rights case in five years. [The Union Leader (Manchester)] Read More
High court hears state law Justices focus on lack of exemption
Lawyers on both sides of New Hampshire's contested abortion law faced tough questioning yesterday from U.S. Supreme Court justices, largely about how the law should be fixed to protect girls whose health depends on an emergency abortion. [Concord Monitor] 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. [Concord Monitor] Read More
HUD secretary announces housing grants for AIDS patients
TAMPA, Fla. - Florida, New Hampshire and 11 other states will receive $18.8 million in grant money to help cover housing costs for those infected with HIV and AIDS, federal officials said Wednesday. [The Boston Globe (registration)] 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." [The Record of Bergen County] Read More
Held for 7 days, man says New Jersey profiling continues
TRENTON, N.J. - A Burlington County man has accused the state police of racial profiling after a traffic stop in South Jersey led to his being jailed for seven days last spring on an outdated arrest warrant. [The New York Times (registration)] Read More
N.J. panel urges benefits cuts for teachers, others
A state advisory panel today will recommend that the retirement age for teachers and state workers be raised from 55 to 60 and that employees of the state and some local governments pay a greater share of their health insurance premiums to stem soaring fringe benefit costs. [The Star-Ledger (Newark)] Read More
Contractor accused of bilk via cheaper Rt. 1 barriers
A state contractor accused of installing inferior crash barriers along Route 1 in Middlesex and Mercer counties has been charged with bilking the state of more than $80,000 and filing fake payment claims to mask the theft. [The Star-Ledger (Newark)] Read More
Advocates to assail DYFS on reforms
In 2003, when the New Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services began a massive overhaul, officials promised to establish a new Child Welfare Training Academy. [The Star-Ledger (Newark)] Read More
Retirement age at 60, not 55, in Trenton plan for pensions
TRENTON, N.J. - A sweeping new report on New Jersey's troubled pension and health benefits system recommends several drastic changes that could save the state hundreds of millions of dollars a year, but are also likely to anger thousands of government workers and retirees. [The New York Times (registration)] Read More
Revenue forecast falls with energy prices
New Mexico's revenue windfall from high energy prices remains hefty, but is shrinking. That's the message delivered to lawmakers in an updated revenue forecast outlined Wednesday by top budget and tax officials in Gov. Bill Richardson's administration. [Santa Fe New Mexican (registration)] Read More
GRIP project short of money
A $1.6 billion transportation program by Gov. Bill Richardson?s administration is running short of money because of rising construction costs, and there's not enough financing for all the road projects that were supposed to be built. [Santa Fe New Mexican (registration)] 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. [Santa Fe New Mexican (registration)] Read More
Parea to run for N.M. secretary of state
With Farmington Mayor Bill Standley and Councilor Dan Darnell standing at her side, Vickie Parea of Albuquerque announced her intentions to run for state office Tuesday morning at the Four Corners Regional Airport in Farmington. [The Daily Times (Farmington)] Read More
Education, watershed funding pushed at town hall
In two intense days of fast-paced negotiating at New Mexico Highlands University that ended Tuesday, more than 100 ranchers, environmentalists, foresters, land managers and educators drafted recommendations for how to better manage the state's watersheds. [Santa Fe New Mexican (registration)] Read More
Chief judge pushes again for pay hike
Frustrated by inaction, the head of the state judiciary made her strongest push yet for a pay increase for judges, calling yesterday on Gov. George Pataki and the State Legislature to approve a raise in the upcoming session. [Newsday] 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. [The New York Times (registration)] Read More
High state taxes get credit for smoking decline
Fewer New Yorkers are lighting up cigarettes, thanks in part to the state's aggressive anti-smoking programs and steep tobacco taxes, according to a report issued Wednesday. [Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester)] 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. [Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester)] Read More
Bar chief warns rights threatened
A plan by federal lawmakers to limit prisoners' ability to challenge their convictions and sentences is probably unconstitutional, and definitely un-American, the state bar association's president said this week. [Times Union (Albany)] Read More
Judges seek 15 percent plus raises, last were in '99
Most judges in the state court system would get pay raises of at least 15 percent, retroactive to April, under a judicial budget proposal given to Gov. George Pataki on Wednesday. [Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester)] Read More
N.C. surplus higher than predicted
The North Carolina state government has received $71.3 million more than projected during the first four months of the fiscal year, according to a preliminary analysis. [The Winston-Salem Journal (registration)] 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. [The News & Record (Greensboro)] 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. [The Winston-Salem Journal (registration)] 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. [The News & Observer (Raleigh) (registration)] Read More
Study says states don't use tobacco money for prevention
WASHINGTON - A new study shows that only a fraction of the money that states received from tobacco settlements and taxes is being used for smoking prevention programs. [The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk) (registration)] 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. [Santa Fe New Mexican (registration)] Read More
N.C. inmate hopes he's not number 1,000
RALEIGH, N.C. - An inmate set to become the 1,000th person executed in the U.S. since capital punishment was reinstated said Wednesday he doesn't think he deserves death for murdering his estranged wife and her father. [USA Today] 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. [The News & Record (Greensboro)] Read More
N.C. inmate hopes he's not number 1,000
RALEIGH, N.C. - The fate of a convicted killer from North Carolina, set to become the 1,000th person executed in the U.S. since capital punishment was reinstated in 1976, rests with federal appeals courts and the state's governor. [The Boston Globe (registration)] Read More
Power trickles on
FAIRMOUNT, N.D. ? Beverly Adolf, 73, has been busy since the lights went out here Monday morning. [The Forum (Fargo)] Read More
New regulations govern use of autopsy photos
COLUMBUS, Ohio - 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. [The Bismarck Tribune] Read More
Families send off Guard members
Today, we turn a calendar page. November becomes December. Snow lingers. So do thoughts. Here's one: It will be a year until these families are whole again. A little more than that, actually. The calendar will say January 2007. [The Bismarck Tribune] Read More
More applications for heating aid expected
The administrator of North Dakota's low-income fuel assistance program says applications for aid are increasing now that home heating costs are escalating and funding for the program is assured. [The Bismarck Tribune] 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. [The Forum (Fargo)] 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. [The Cincinnati Enquirer] 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. [Ohio Public Radio (Columbus)] 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. [The Cincinnati Enquirer] Read More
Court considers cities' power, lending
A case before the Ohio Supreme Court could decide how much power cities have to make their own laws, particularly when it comes to regulating predatory lending. [Dayton Daily News] 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. [The Cincinnati Enquirer] 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. [The Beacon Journal (Akron)(registration)] 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. [The Beacon Journal (Akron)(registration)] Read More
Surrendering newborns at hospitals and police stations
The number of new-born babies, dropped off and abandoned at Ohio hospitals under a new state program, has dropped recently. But advocates of the program insist it's still worthwhile and is saving lives. [Ohio Public Radio (Columbus)] Read More
States moving to stop release of autopsy pics
COLUMBUS, Ohio - 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. [Chicago Sun-Times] Read More
Groups seek better reporting from Ohio
Michigan residents can get detailed information about how much raw sewage overflow winds up in streams and rivers after a storm with just a couple of mouse clicks on the Internet. [Toledo Blade] 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. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] 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. [The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) (registration)] Read More
State's efforts praised
Oklahoma is one of the most-improved states for funding programs encouraging adolescents to stay away from tobacco. [The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) (registration)] Read More
High school graduation proposal scrutinized
Dozens of school administrators questioned Wednesday a proposal to require high school students to pass certain tests before graduating. [The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) (registration)] 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. [The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) (registration)] 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. [The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) (registration)] 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. [The Daily Ardmoreite (Ardmore)] Read More
Foster children need presents, state agency says
The state Department of Human Services is facing a record number of foster children needing Christmas presents while corporate donor participation is down. [The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) (registration)] 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. [Shawnee News-Star] 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. [The Daily Ardmoreite (Ardmore)] Read More
Portland tackles two Measure 37 claims
Measure 37 might be going away soon, but in the interim the Portland City Council seems determined to find out just how complicated the land-use law can be. [The Oregonian (Portland)] Read More
State complies with clean air standards
Washington state has become the first state in the West, excluding Hawaii, to fully comply with federal clean air requirements, officials announced Wednesday. [The Olympian] 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. [The Patriot-News (Harrisburg)] Read More
Some access granted to Megan's Law files
State police have agreed to make available a sampling of the files of convicted sex offenders so the Pennsylvania Auditor General's Office can assess how well the state's Megan's Law is being enforced. [The Inquirer (Philadelphia) (registration)] 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. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette] 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. [The Philadelphia Inquirer (registration)] Read More
Report says Pa. should have auctioned slot machine licenses
Like a gambler pawning jewelry to raise cash, Pennsylvania is taking a loss by offering its slot machine licenses for $50 million each, a new study has suggested. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette] 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. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette] Read More
Pa. Superior Court hears arguments in 3-way battle for triplets
Pennsylvania Superior Court heard oral arguments yesterday in a custody battle among three modern-day mothers and the father of 2-year-old triplets living in Erie County. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette] 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. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] 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. [The Capital (Annapolis)] Read More
State to support Fifth-Forbes
The state is prepared to offer $30 million in grants, loans and tax credits to help finance projects to revitalize the listless Fifth and Forbes retail district Downtown, Gov. Ed Rendell said yesterday. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette] Read More
State, U.S. strike deal for senior drug benefits
PITTSBURGH -- The state has struck a deal with the federal government that would give seniors federal Medicare prescription-drug benefits without harming their benefits under a similar state program, Gov. Rendell said yesterday. [The Inquirer (Philadelphia) (registration)] 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. [Chicago Tribune (registration)] 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. [The Providence Journal (registration)] Read More
5 officers testify about academy training policies
Police academy classmates of Sgt. Cornel Young Jr. testified yesterday they were taught that they did not have to jump into the middle of life-threatening situations while off-duty. [The Providence Journal (registration)] Read More
Lawmakers hold summit on energy policies
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Rhode Island lawmakers held a wide-ranging hearing on Wednesday to find out what caused spikes in gasoline and home heating prices and to explore conservation and alternative energy sources, as concerns mount how high energy prices will affect residents this winter. [The Boston Globe (registration)] 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. [The State (Columbia)] Read More
Study says states don't use tobacco money for prevention
WASHINGTON - A new study shows that only a fraction of the money that states received from tobacco settlements and taxes is being used for smoking prevention programs. [The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk) (registration)] Read More
Rounds says power outages may be worst ever in state
Gov. Mike Rounds says the ice storm and 24 hours of whiteout blizzard conditions across much of eastern South Dakota on Monday may have resulted in the worst power damage in the state's history. [Argus Leader (Sioux Falls)] Read More
S.D. spending little to stop tobacco use, report shows
South Dakota isn't spending enough money on tobacco prevention programs, according to a national report, while at the same time tobacco companies are investing millions in advertising. [Argus Leader (Sioux Falls)] Read More
Utility companies scramble to restore power
Officials have taken to the air to survey the damage from this week's ice storm and blizzard as utility crews work overtime to restore power to dozens of towns and rural areas. [Rapid City Journal] Read More
Governor's mansion sold
The former governor's mansion, resting in three pieces on a storage lot at the east edge of town, was sold Wednesday to the owner of the Buffalo Chip Campground at Sturgis. [Argus Leader (Sioux Falls)] 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. [The Commercial Appeal (Memphis) (registration)] Read More
Kickbacks suspect dies of apparent suicide
The morning after a Department of Veterans Affairs bureaucrat was accused of bilking more than $100,000 from taxpayers in a kickback scheme, he walked from his wooded Auburntown cabin, sat down in the back of his pickup truck, and shot himself in the chest, authorities say. [The Tennessean (Nashville)] Read More
Study says states don't use tobacco money for prevention
WASHINGTON - A new study shows that only a fraction of the money that states received from tobacco settlements and taxes is being used for smoking prevention programs. [The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk) (registration)] Read More
GOP to reignite school finance battle
House Republican leaders, emboldened by the Texas Supreme Court's school finance order, spelled out a broad agenda Tuesday that will probably stir strong opposition from education groups and local school officials ? including a study on whether districts should be merged to save money. [The Dallas Morning News (registration)] 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 [The Austin American-Statesman (registration)] Read More
Texas ranks 40th in protecting kids from tobacco
Texas ranks 40th in the country in funding for preventing tobacco use among children, according to a study released Wednesday by a coalition of public health organizations. [The Austin American-Statesman (registration)] Read More
Bush signs bill exempting Missouri from Wright Amendment
WASHINGTON - It's official - Missourians are now free to fly to Dallas on Southwest Airlines. President Bush signed a transportation bill Wednesday that allows air travel between Love Field airport in Dallas and points in Missouri for the first time since the Wright Amendment restricted flights 26 years ago. [Kansas City Star (registration)] 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. [The San Antonio Express-News (registration)] 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. [The San Antonio Express-News (registration)] 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. [The San Antonio Express-News (registration)] 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. [The Austin American-Statesman (registration)] Read More
AG: Marriage between tax officials would break law
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. [The Dallas Morning News (registration)] Read More
DNA testing to delay execution
HOUSTON - Next week's scheduled execution of a Texas man has been delayed so authorities can conduct DNA testing that his lawyers argue will show he may not have committed the slaying for which he was convicted more than a decade ago. [The Dallas Morning News (registration)] Read More
Lawmaker says death-penalty case deserves panel review
SAN ANTONIO - A Texas lawmaker is calling for a state body to review a 20-year-old death-penalty case with hopes that it will spark judicial reforms aimed at reducing wrongful executions. [The Dallas Morning News (registration)] Read More
Doctor cleared in death of abortion recipient
An abortion doctor has been cleared by state regulators in the death of a mentally retarded Texas woman who received a late-term abortion at his Wichita clinic. [Los Angeles Times (registration)] Read More
Execution is delayed for DNA test results
A judge in El Paso delayed what would have been the state's last execution of the year, ordering DNA testing on evidence in a 14-year-old case. [Los Angeles Times (registration)] Read More
Criminal screenings snare more day cares
October was a tough month for Utah child care centers laboring under suspicion cast by a legislative audit that found some have known criminals on staff or living on site. [The Salt Lake Tribune] 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. [Arizona Daily Star (Tucson)] Read More
Utahns spreading out: Residential building boom in state still going strong
A record number of new housing permits were issued in Utah during the first nine months of 2005, indicating no slowdown in a residential construction boom stretching from Ogden to St. George. [Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City)] Read More
Opening day shows Utah ski resorts are off to a promising start
PARK CITY, Utah - The general feeling was one of optimism - a little snow is better than none, and any turns made on skis or snowboards are good. [Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City)] 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. [Santa Fe New Mexican (registration)] 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. [Rutland Herald] Read More
Vermont Electric gets temporary rate increase
BURLINGTON, Vt. ? The Vermont Electric Cooperative has been given permission to charge customers a 14.4 percent surcharge while state regulators review the utility's request for a permanent increase. [Times Argus (Barre/Montpelier)] 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. [Rutland Herald] Read More
'Invasive' lamprey may be native
BURLINGTON, Vt. - One of Vermont's least favorite "invasive" species, the lamprey, turns out to have been living in Lake Champlain for thousands of years before Samuel de Champlain explored it in 1609, scientists say. [Rutland Herald] 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. [Richmond Times-Dispatch] Read More
Warner to free millions so Va.'s poor won't freeze
With more than 125,000 Virginians asking for help with their heating bills this winter, Gov. Mark R. Warner said Wednesday the state will chip in $17.9 million to protect low-income families from being left in the cold. [The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk) (registration)] 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. [Richmond Times-Dispatch] 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. [The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk) (registration)] Read More
Groups charged with overseeing state?s lab have first meetings
Two groups designed to oversee the state's forensic lab met for the first time Tuesday and Wednesday. [The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk) (registration)] Read More
Oct. home sales fall statewide but rise locally
Virginia home sales are showing signs of an anticipated slowdown. [Richmond Times-Dispatch] 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. [The Capital (Annapolis)] Read More
Study says states don't use tobacco money for prevention
WASHINGTON - A new study shows that only a fraction of the money that states received from tobacco settlements and taxes is being used for smoking prevention programs. [The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk) (registration)] Read More
Nutrient pollution changing life in the Bay, study finds
Using data that tracks 200 years of changes in the Chesapeake Bay, a team of environmental scientists has found that nutrient pollution has fundamentally altered the variety of aquatic life in the bay. [Capital News Service] Read More
State complies with clean air standards
Washington state has become the first state in the West, excluding Hawaii, to fully comply with federal clean air requirements, officials announced Wednesday. [The Olympian] Read More
WA Foster Care Reform Plan Vetted
Foster care in Washington is about to undergo a major overhaul. On Tuesday a 58-page plan for reform got its first public airing. [Northwest Public Radio] 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. [The Oregonian (Portland)] Read More
Holiday Philanthropists Be Warned
Washington?s Secretary of State issued a warning on Tuesday to consumers who wish to give to charities this year. [Northwest Public Radio] Read More
State rolls out paper heirlooms
Quick: What do billionaire Bill Gates, singer Judy Collins, golfer Fred Couples, game-show host Bob Barker and actress Hilary Swank have in common ? not just with each other, but with thousands of people reading this article? [The Seattle Times] Read More
Report on commercial fishing: 25% of catch wasted
More than a quarter of the fish caught by commercial fishermen nationwide is wasted -- caught accidentally and tossed overboard to die, according to a new review of federal records by ocean scientists. [The Seattle Times] 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. [Charleston Gazette (registration)] Read More
Double-bunking of inmates OK'd
The state Supreme Court tackled the problem of West Virginia's growing prison population Wednesday, unanimously allowing for the double-bunking of inmates and affirming the use of jails to avoid prison overcrowding. [Charleston Gazette (registration)] 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." [Wisconsin State Journal (Madison)] 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. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] 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. [Wisconsin State Journal (Madison)] 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. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] 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. [The Capital Times (Madison)] 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. [The Capital Times (Madison)] 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. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] 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. [The Capital Times (Madison)] 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. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] 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. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] 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. [Billings Gazette] Read More
Wyo could be biodiesel hub
GILLETTE, Wyo. - Wyoming Biodiesel Co.'s plans to build a 30 million-gallons-per-year biodiesel plant in Campbell County would make Wyoming a major marketplace hub for the fast-growing industry. [Casper Star-Tribune] Read More
Illness seen in Bighorn mule deer
CHEYENNE, Wyo. - The state Game and Fish Department has found seven new cases of chronic wasting disease among mule deer in the Bighorn Basin. [Billings Gazette] Read More
Governor seeks boost in school construction
CHEYENNE, Wyo. - Gov. Dave Freudenthal's recommended budget calls for substantial increases in funding for school construction. [Billings Gazette] Read More
Study says states don't use tobacco money for prevention
WASHINGTON - A new study shows that only a fraction of the money that states received from tobacco settlements and taxes is being used for smoking prevention programs. [The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk) (registration)] Read More
Report on commercial fishing: 25% of catch wasted
More than a quarter of the fish caught by commercial fishermen nationwide is wasted -- caught accidentally and tossed overboard to die, according to a new review of federal records by ocean scientists. [The Seattle Times] 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. [Santa Fe New Mexican (registration)] 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. [The Miami Herald (registration)] Read More
Abortion debate grows testy in Supreme Court
WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court on Wednesday wrestled with a New Hampshire law that requires a parent to be told before a daughter ends her pregnancy, with no hint the justices were ready for a dramatic retreat on abortion rights under their new chief. [Chicago Sun-Times] Read More
Study defends abortion pill safety
Government researchers investigating the deaths of four California women who contracted infections after taking RU-486 and another drug to induce abortion have found that the risk of infection from the controversial drug combination is "low," according to a study released today. [Los Angeles Times (registration)] Read More
Study says states don't use tobacco money for prevention
WASHINGTON - Just a fraction of the money that states received from tobacco settlements and taxes is being used to prevent smoking, advocacy groups reported in a study Wednesday. [The Boston Globe (registration)] Read More
For new court, abortion case takes old path
WASHINGTON - Well before the argument in a New Hampshire abortion case was over, the question that had drawn the crowds to the Supreme Court on a crisp Wednesday morning had an answer. No, abortion law was not about to undergo a major change in the hands of the new Roberts court, at least not yet. [The New York Times (registration)] Read More |
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