Montgomery reservists deploy today
About 25 reservists from the 908th Airlift Wing at Maxwell Air Base deploy today. [Montgomery Advertiser]
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Archive of Stateline.org RSS - State by State Roundup on Monday May 05, 2008
Montgomery reservists deploy today
About 25 reservists from the 908th Airlift Wing at Maxwell Air Base deploy today. [Montgomery Advertiser] Read More
Alabama ROTC colonel drills students on life lessons
In a time when a controversial war has caused some schools across the country to restrict military influences on campus, Vincent High School has embraced Lt. Col. Larry Moore's tough love and discipline through his Junior ROTC program [The Birmingham News] Read More
Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford to ask council to move forward on free bus service
Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford Tuesday will ask the City Council to move forward on a stalled plan to give four months of free MAX bus service. [The Birmingham News] Read More
Lawyers in Alabama Rep. Sue Schmitz's two-year college case battle in court filings
The criminal case against a north Alabama lawmaker accused of taking two-year college money for work she never did has erupted into a bitter exchange between defense lawyers and prosecutors. [The Birmingham News] Read More
Fighting global warming block by block
SEATTLE - King County Executive Ron Sims has a simple test for every new public works project, building plan or government land purchase: Will it increase the region's total greenhouse-gas emissions, or reduce them? [The Washington Post (registration)] Read More
After hiatus, states set wave of executions
HUNTSVILLE, Texas - Here in the nation's leading death-penalty state, and some of the 35 others with capital punishment, execution dockets are quickly filling up. [The New York Times] Read More
Budget battle brewing
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Another budget showdown may be coming soon between Gov. Palin and state lawmakers. [KTUU.com (Anchorage)] Read More
Former governor's railcar, property raise questions about tax structure
After leaving office more than one year ago, former Gov. Frank Murkowski has traveled the world, built a cabin in Wrangell and traveled some more. In March, he led a delegation to watch democracy in action while Taiwan elected a president. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner] Read More
Palin balances newborn's needs, official state duties
The results of Gov. Sarah Palin's prenatal testing were in, and the doctor's tone was ominous: "You need to come to the office so we can talk about it." [The Juneau Empire (registration)] Read More
Kohring's lawyer makes case for leniency
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Convicted former lawmaker Vic Kohring's lawyer, John Henry Browne, says eight months in jail would be a fair sentence. [KTUU.com (Anchorage)] Read More
Permanent Fund earns high praise in D.C. meeting
WASHINGTON - The International Monetary Fund convened a meeting of 25 sovereign wealth funds visited Washington, D.C., last week to discuss the development of a voluntary set of investment guidelines for government-owned funds. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner] Read More
Conservationist accuses administration of cover up
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- A prominent marine conservation specialist is denouncing the Palin administration's refusal to release findings on polar bears by the state's marine mammal biologists. [KTUU.com (Anchorage)] Read More
Alaskans get new gadgets for their wings
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- The Alaska Airmen's Association kicked off its 11th annual trade show, Saturday, and the governor made a guest appearance. [KTUU.com (Anchorage)] Read More
Strapped governments revive pension bonds
Pension bonds are making a comeback, as states and cities from Alaska to Philadelphia bet they can use the proceeds to help fill deficits in their retirement funds and still generate a higher return than what they pay in interest. [The Washington Post (registration)] Read More
Justice's adobe home slated for preservation
The 50-year-old adobe home where Sandra Day O'Connor often turned heated state politics into decisions over chalupas and tortillas will reign supreme once more as an arena for civic discourse. [The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)] Read More
States, feds allow assets used in crimes to be seized
State and federal laws allow law enforcement agencies to seize assets used in certain criminal enterprises and use the proceeds to fight crime. [Arizona Daily Star (Tucson) (registration)] Read More
Hispanic evangelicals hold potent votes, experts say
Hispanic Pentecostals, some experts say, can become an important swing vote in the 2008 elections in key demographic battlegrounds such as Florida, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and North Carolina. [The Orlando Sentinel (registration)] Read More
States divided on approach to polygamous sect
PHOENIX - It was a showdown, of sorts, over how far states should go to keep tabs on the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints, the group known to endorse multiple wives for men and motherhood for underage girls. [The Christian Science Monitor] Read More
AP News Analysis -- Ballot measure campaigns to be waged in Arkansas' pews
The best place to hear arguments this fall over whether to create a state-run lottery for education or to restrict public services for illegal immigrants may not be at a campaign rally. It'll be from the pews. [The Daily Citizen (Searcy)] Read More
State revenues beat expectations, rise slightly in April
State revenues came in near target in April, beating the fiscal forecast by 2.4 percent, or $12.9 million, state fiscal officers reported Friday. [Arkansas News Bureau] Read More
Huckabee accepts letter of caution on portrait funds
The state Ethics Commission issued a letter of caution to former Gov. Mike Huckabee on Friday as settlement of a complaint that Huckabee failed to disclose the names of donors who paid for his portrait that hangs at the state Capitol. [Arkansas News Bureau] Read More
Blow dealt by rescission of work force training funds softened, Beebe says
With the help of Arkansas' congressional delegation, Gov. Mike Beebe said Friday he has found some relief to a $4.3 million rescission of federal funds already allocated for workforce training programs. [Arkansas News Bureau] Read More
Arkansans won't escape effects of global tightening of rice supply
Less than a three-hour drive from riceland that feeds people worldwide, the manager of an Asian restaurant in Russellville would like to build a stockpile of rice that would last at least half a year. [Arkansas News Bureau] Read More
Governor tracks storms from early radio show to late news conference
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Gov. Mike Beebe statewide radio program doubled as a weather broadcast early Friday, interrupted by several bulletins on a severe storm outbreak in the state that included some deadly tornadoes. [Arkansas News Bureau] Read More
Northwest Arkansas termed 'recession-proof'
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Is Northwest Arkansas recession-proof? It is, according to Mark Hovind of Las Vegas, president of JobBait.com. [Arkansas News Bureau] Read More
Early voting begins Monday for preferential primary
With no high-profile Senate or congressional races and the state's presidential primary a memory, election officials say they're not expecting turnout for this month's primaries and non-partisan judicial races to match the fervor of February's presidential race. [The Log Cabin Democrat (Conway) (registration)] Read More
Trauma system will be priority in session, Wills says
Funding a statewide trauma system that could cost $25 million will be a priority during the 2007 legislative session despite what is expected to be a tight budget cycle, the next House speaker said Friday. [Arkansas News Bureau] Read More
Bills seek punishment for use, display of fake weapons
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Concerns that realistic-looking toy weapons are confusing police and threatening safety have led 15 states to take a crack at going beyond gun control to implement fake-gun control. [The Daily Citizen (Searcy)] Read More
After hiatus, states set wave of executions
HUNTSVILLE, Texas - Here in the nation's leading death-penalty state, and some of the 35 others with capital punishment, execution dockets are quickly filling up. [The New York Times] Read More
Fighting global warming block by block
SEATTLE - King County Executive Ron Sims has a simple test for every new public works project, building plan or government land purchase: Will it increase the region's total greenhouse-gas emissions, or reduce them? [The Washington Post (registration)] Read More
Legislators have no fundraising limit for ballot measure accounts
Karen Bass, the speaker-elect of the state Assembly, gathered checks last month from big contributors at The Kitchen, the exclusive Sacramento eatery. But Bass, like a growing number of the state's leaders, wasn't collecting funds for her re-election. Instead, the money went to a ballot measure committee she controls. [The Sacramento Bee (registration)] Read More
California faces huge upheaval
If demography is destiny, as 19th-century French philosopher Auguste Comte first proposed, California is destined to soon experience an economic and cultural tsunami of monumental proportions. This is the year the oldest of the post-World War II baby boomers turn 62 and can begin drawing Social Security benefits. That's expected to touch off a mass exodus from the state's labor force over the next two decades. [The Sacramento Bee (registration)] Read More
California parolees get a chance in community programs
California corrections officials are again diverting thousands of parole violators into community programs instead of sending them to prison, hoping this time the experiment doesn't fail. [The Sacramento Bee (registration)] Read More
Atwater lawmaker targeted in recall draws wide support
MODESTO, Calif. - Donald Benart runs a business in Rialto, hundreds of miles from the Central California district of state Sen. Jeff Denham, and has never met the Republican lawmaker who represents this farming area. [Los Angeles Times (registration)] Read More
California lawmakers consider new sentencing laws
Lawmakers have revived a pair of bills to overhaul California's criminal sentencing laws, but majority Democrats are still wrangling over which approach to push. [The Sacramento Bee (registration)] Read More
California Democrats crow over voter roll uptick
California's Democratic leaders, who have seen their share of the electorate decline by about 15 percentage points over the last three decades, are crowing about an uptick in registration. [The Sacramento Bee (registration)] Read More
Governor's budget plan grows green staff
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's near-and-dear fight to make the state greener is adding a lot of new jobs to the state's already-in-the-red payroll. [San Francisco Chronicle] Read More
Foster care cuts challenged
Two years ago, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law an eight-bill package designed to improve the lives of thousands of children in foster care. Now, Schwarzenegger is proposing a 10 percent across-the-board cut in state services because of a budget deficit he says may reach $20 billion. [The Sacramento Bee (registration)] Read More
Fiddler plays the state worker blues
You can view this as enterprising entrepreneurialism -- or just a sign of hard times: A young guy with a fiddle has set up shop at various spots near the Capitol lately, scratching out tunes for passers-by. Next to the guy is an open fiddle case, with a sign in it that reads "Budget Crisis: Please Help." [The Sacramento Bee (registration)] Read More
Jaime Escalante stills stands, delivers advice
Jaime Escalante, whose success in teaching advanced mathematics to inner-city Los Angeles teenagers was immortalized in the movie "Stand and Deliver," will be honored today at the Capitol. [The Sacramento Bee (registration)] Read More
Mental health help hit by budget crunch
Hundreds of psychiatric patients will no longer receive personal therapy or casework. Sixteen low-income schools will lose on-site crisis-intervention services. Group homes for teens may see a vital county subsidy disappear. [The Mercury News (San Jose) (registration)] Read More
Fiscal pressures lead some states to free inmates early
NEW YORK - Reversing decades of tough-on-crime policies, including mandatory minimum prison sentences for some drug offenders, many cash-strapped states are embracing a view once dismissed as dangerously naive: It costs far less to let some felons go free than to keep them locked up. [The Washington Post (registration)] Read More
Strapped governments revive pension bonds
Pension bonds are making a comeback, as states and cities from Alaska to Philadelphia bet they can use the proceeds to help fill deficits in their retirement funds and still generate a higher return than what they pay in interest. [The Washington Post (registration)] Read More
Fiscal fix to go to public
The author of a proposed state budget fix announced Sunday he's bypassing his Capitol critics and making his case directly to voters, in a move sure to ignite a fierce ballot battle over the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights. [The Denver Post] Read More
Even in spring, heating oil prices a pain
With the arrival of spring, thermostats are being turned down but prices keep going up for New Hampshire residents who use oil to heat their homes. [The Telegraph (Nashua) (registration)] Read More
Mental health policy costs state Medicaid funds
At a time when officials are scrambling to find money to balance the state budget, Connecticut is losing out on millions of dollars in federal Medicaid revenue because of its continued over-reliance on nursing homes to house the mentally ill. [The Hartford Courant (registration)] Read More
Locals developing taste for locally grown food
Concerns about food contamination and the environmental impact of long-haul transportation are stoking demand for locally grown food in Connecticut. [The Day (New London)] Read More
Colleges are allowing coed dorm rooms
Erik Youngdahl and Michelle Garcia share a dorm room at Connecticut's Wesleyan University. But they say there's no funny business going on. Really. They mean it. [The Day (New London)] Read More
Bill would shift care from nursing homes to communities
State Senators have approved a plan to help more than 5,000 elderly and disabled people in Connecticut move from nursing homes and other institutions back to their homes or other community settings. [The Hartford Courant (registration)] Read More
Greenwich schools limit Boy Scouts recruiting
GREENWICH, Conn. - The Greenwich schools superintendent has barred recruiting by Boy Scouts while classes are in session, drawing criticism from town officials and Boy Scouts supporters. [The Hartford Courant (registration)] Read More
UConn criticized for cost of President's inauguration
STORRS, Conn. - The University of Connecticut welcomed its new president in style with fireworks, a festival and a ceremony last month, but the $170,000 cost of the inauguration, including $29,000 for invitations alone, is setting off some fireworks of its own among students. [The Hartford Courant (registration)] Read More
Strapped governments revive pension bonds
Pension bonds are making a comeback, as states and cities from Alaska to Philadelphia bet they can use the proceeds to help fill deficits in their retirement funds and still generate a higher return than what they pay in interest. [The Washington Post (registration)] Read More
Transfer tax fund is shrinking
The realty transfer tax, a dwindling pot of money divided among Delaware's state, county and municipal governments, could still provide some cushion to pad the state's $200 million to $250 million budget shortfall. [The News Journal (New Castle-Wilmington)] Read More
GOP nominates Lee for governor
DEWEY BEACH, Del. -- By lunchtime Saturday, Delaware's Republican Party had drafted a candidate for governor -- retired Superior Court Judge Bill Lee. [The News Journal (New Castle-Wilmington)] Read More
State energy policy at heart of dispute
When the Sustainable Energy Utility was formed last year, lawmakers envisioned a small nonprofit that could help Delawareans insulate their homes, buy energy-efficient refrigerators or install solar panels. [The News Journal (New Castle-Wilmington)] Read More
Metal dealers want law scrapped
Carmen Micucio Jr. thinks state lawmakers may have dealt a death blow to the recycling business he's spent 26 years building in Glasgow. [The News Journal (New Castle-Wilmington)] Read More
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist wrings success out of legislative session
With a sluggish economy's stranglehold on state finances, there should have been few winners at the 2008 legislative session. But Charlie Crist exits from his second session as Florida's governor with much of what he wanted. [The Sun-Sentinel (South Florida)] Read More
McCain needs Crist's help in Florida, poll suggests
Start measuring those vice presidential mansion drapes, Charlie Crist, because a new poll suggests John McCain will need all the help he can get in must-win Florida. [St. Petersburg Times] Read More
$66.2B budget will roll out Crist's health-insurance plan
The Florida Legislature skidded to the finish line of the 2008 session Friday, approving a $66.2 billion budget, help for children with autism, and a sweeping health-insurance plan sought by Gov. Charlie Crist. [The Orlando Sentinel (registration)] Read More
Stark Florida budget might be weapon
Schools and health and human-services programs may not be the only losers emerging from the 2008 Legislature. Outnumbered Democrats see the stark $66.2 billion state budget as a political weapon they plan to use in attempts to unseat many Republican legislators in the fall elections. [The Orlando Sentinel (registration)] Read More
Florida governor praises budget, while Democrats grimace
As Gov. Charlie Crist praised the Legislature for its "great work" Friday night, his own human services secretary, Bob Butterworth, stood a few feet away and gave a very different critique of the 2008 session. [St. Petersburg Times] Read More
Necessity, not politics, ruled '08 session
A souring economy and a worrisome election year forced Florida's Republican-led Legislature to moderate its politics in the session that ended Friday because it had no other choice. [The Miami Herald (registration)] Read More
Florida governor praises budget, while Democrats grimace
As Gov. Charlie Crist praised the Legislature for its "great work" Friday night, his own human services secretary, Bob Butterworth, stood a few feet away and gave a very different critique of the 2008 session. [St. Petersburg Times] Read More
Lawmakers OK health-care plan for uninsured
State legislators approved a plan to provide basic health insurance Friday for nearly 4 million Floridians who can't afford coverage, calling it "a giant step" toward protecting the poor and working poor. [Tallahassee Democrat] Read More
Governor Crist praises energy bill
Gov. Charlie Crist didn't get nearly everything he wanted. But he praised the expansive bill lawmakers did pass, legislation that could affect Floridians for decades to come. [Tallahassee Democrat] Read More
It came down to money -- and there wasn't enough
Republicans at the helm kept one eye on a fuel gauge that showed tax collections on fumes and another on the approaching storm of the November elections. The result was a $66.2-billion budget with more than $4 billion in spending cuts targeted largely at school children, the sick and the elderly. [Tallahassee Democrat] Read More
Fla. court to hear anthrax lawsuit
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The Florida Supreme Court is taking up key issues in a lawsuit over the anthrax death of a photo editor for a supermarket tabloid publisher. [USA Today] Read More
Kids' advocates praise adoption move
Child-welfare advocates Saturday praised a late move by the Florida Legislature to restore $7 million in subsidies to families that adopt foster children from the state. [The Orlando Sentinel (registration)] Read More
Florida lawmakers lament lack of money
While the budget is the only thing lawmakers must do, they tackled other issues as well, ranging from deadly serious programs to expand insurance coverage of autism, the issue that brought the session to an emotional, last-minute climax to the seriously absurd: the short-lived ban against displaying bull genitalia on bumpers. [Tallahassee Democrat] Read More
Florida legislative session not kind to state workers
With the sluggish economy causing a crash in tax collections that forced lawmakers to lower state spending by more than $4 billion from last year, Big Bend legislators didn't expect Gov. Charlie Crist's proposal of a 2-percent merit-based pay raise to survive long in the session. It didn't. [Tallahassee Democrat] Read More
Revisions in FCAT are among changes in education
Baggy pants won't be outlawed, but the bullies will have to be stopped. Students and teachers will have more time to prepare for the FCAT. [St. Petersburg Times] Read More
Rubio leaves mixed record
His last moments in power ticking away, House Speaker Marco Rubio kneaded his forehead with his hands and turned his back to the rest of the chamber. It had happened again. [The Miami Herald (registration)] Read More
Why -- and how -- the ball on Central Florida's commuter-rail project was dropped
Central Florida's commuter-rail project failed in the Florida Legislature because its backers didn't heed a cardinal rule of politics: Know your enemy. [The Orlando Sentinel (registration)] Read More
Florida Senate sends $66.2 billion budget to governor
The Florida Senate Friday morning signed off on an austere $66.2 billion budget that carves deeply into school funding and an array of health-care programs as a result of the biggest one-year drop in revenues in state history. [The Sun-Sentinel (South Florida)] Read More
'Pain' seen in session fallout
All eyes in the Capitol fixed on House Speaker Marco Rubio on Friday as he huddled with a handful of fellow representatives and the closing moments of the legislative session ticked away. [The Palm Beach Post] Read More
Belt-tightening session comes to an end
Florida lawmakers ended their annual session Friday by approving a tight-fisted state budget and stitching together plans to provide modest health coverage to kids with autism, the working poor and small businesses. [The Miami Herald (registration)] Read More
Winners and losers in the 2008 Florida Legislature
A list of legislation that passed in this year's regular session of the Florida Legislature, which ended Friday, from The Associated Press. [The Sun-Sentinel (South Florida)] Read More
Legislators agree to push FCAT to later in the year
The Florida Legislature on Friday approved the first major education revamp for public schools in nearly a decade, changing the standards that students must meet in each grade and pushing the state's high stakes assessment test later in the school year to give students more time to learn. [The Sun-Sentinel (South Florida)] Read More
Tampa Bay area's legislative rewards small in lean budget year
Stopping lead-laced toys from being distributed and sold in Florida seemed like "an apple pie bill" to Sen. Charlie Justice. The Senate even passed it. [St. Petersburg Times] Read More
Bills seek punishment for use, display of fake weapons
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Concerns that realistic-looking toy weapons are confusing police and threatening safety have led 15 states to take a crack at going beyond gun control to implement fake-gun control. [The Daily Citizen (Searcy)] Read More
Sunbirds lured north
Every winter, the chilled masses of New England flee to Florida, as if drawn by a magnetic force. Vermont is hoping to spark a reverse-migration this year, enticing residents of the Sunshine State with one thing they do not have - a cool summer. [The Boston Globe (registration)] Read More
States' welfare caseloads starting to rise
WASHINGTON - State welfare rolls, which declined for more than a decade after a 1996 overhaul of the nation's cash-assistance program, are beginning to rise, due in part to the struggling economy. [USA Today] Read More
Hispanic evangelicals hold potent votes, experts say
Hispanic Pentecostals, some experts say, can become an important swing vote in the 2008 elections in key demographic battlegrounds such as Florida, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and North Carolina. [The Orlando Sentinel (registration)] Read More
After hiatus, states set wave of executions
HUNTSVILLE, Texas - Here in the nation's leading death-penalty state, and some of the 35 others with capital punishment, execution dockets are quickly filling up. [The New York Times] Read More
Fighting global warming block by block
SEATTLE - King County Executive Ron Sims has a simple test for every new public works project, building plan or government land purchase: Will it increase the region's total greenhouse-gas emissions, or reduce them? [The Washington Post (registration)] Read More
Johnson draws no opposition for Congress
For the first time in 52 years, there won't be a major party election battle for the 4th congressional district. That's because no one signed up to run against Democrat freshman U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson of Decatur. [The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (registration)] Read More
Richardson vows to try to eliminate car taxes again
The General Assembly went home for the year a month ago but it was clear Saturday that House Speaker Glenn Richardson has not forgotten how the 2008 session ended. [The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (registration)] Read More
State shifting funds for disabled from institutions toward care within community
MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. -- There was clearly so much wrong with the young man. The nurses at Central State Hospital said he was 16. He had a tube sticking out of his neck, and his arms were bent at unnatural angles. [The Macon Telegraph] Read More
After hiatus, states set wave of executions
HUNTSVILLE, Texas - Here in the nation's leading death-penalty state, and some of the 35 others with capital punishment, execution dockets are quickly filling up. [The New York Times] Read More
Fighting global warming block by block
SEATTLE - King County Executive Ron Sims has a simple test for every new public works project, building plan or government land purchase: Will it increase the region's total greenhouse-gas emissions, or reduce them? [The Washington Post (registration)] Read More
Lingle angles to hold Lagareta at UH post
Setting up a possible constitutional confrontation with the Democratic-controlled Senate, Gov. Linda Lingle said a University of Hawaii regent whose nomination was rejected by the Senate can still serve for two more years. [Honolulu Star-Bulletin] Read More
Bids for state Senate await representatives leaving seats
Although three members of the state House will not seek re-election to their current office, that does not mean they want to leave the Legislature altogether. Reps. Dwight Takamine, Josh Green and Alex Sonson, all Democrats, instead hope to open the 2009 legislative session as members of the Senate. [Honolulu Star-Bulletin] Read More
Bill tackles Kokee cabins flap
LIHUE, Hawaii - A bill passed last week by the state Legislature aims to end long-standing controversies about Kokee State Park in Kauai's mountainous interior. [Honolulu Star-Bulletin] Read More
DOE will not seek No Child options
Hawaii's public schools won't get leeway from the strict requirements of the No Child Left Behind law under a trial federal government program. [Honolulu Star-Bulletin] Read More
Lingle pulls land talks with OHA off the table
Gov. Linda Lingle says the failure of the state Legislature to approve a ceded-lands settlement with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs was shortsighted and a disappointment. [Honolulu Star-Bulletin] Read More
Shield law for journalists awaits governor's OK
Hawaii journalists would be protected from revealing their sources, notes and video recordings to the government under a measure given final approval by lawmakers last week. [Honolulu Star-Bulletin] Read More
Measure on illegal ATV use advances
The state Department of Land and Natural Resources could soon have the muscle it needs to combat a problem that has plagued Wai'anae Coast residents, pedestrians and motorists for years: Illegal all-terrain vehicles tearing along beaches, roadways and wilderness areas. [The Honolulu Advertiser] Read More
Bill limits cigarettes to fire-safe versions
By 2009, smoking in your home might get a little safer after state lawmakers passed a bill requiring only fire-safe cigarettes be sold in Hawaii. [Honolulu Star-Bulletin] Read More
Shifting gears, Park-and-ride trend grows
With gas prices rising, some Hawaii residents are getting out of their cars and finding other ways to get around. [Honolulu Star-Bulletin] Read More
Supreme battling
Idaho Supreme Court Justice Joel Horton - who was appointed to the bench last September by Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter - disagrees with nearly all of the fiery contentions made by his opponent in an upcoming election. [The Times-News (Twin Falls)] Read More
Plan allows 25 N. Idaho wolf deaths
Wolves are gaining ground in Idaho's Panhandle region, where the numbers of the elusive predator are expanding about 30 percent per year. [Spokesman-Review (Spokane)] Read More
Official -- ID wolf hunt will be conservative
POCATELLO, Idaho -- An Idaho Department of Fish and Game official says a plan to manage wolf populations through hunting will be conservative and adaptive. [The Bozeman Daily Chronicle] Read More
ISP targets bad drivers
Idaho State Police say they will join with the trucking industry and other agencies to stop aggressive truck and car drivers. [Idaho State Journal (Pocatello)] Read More
Gov accused of trading favors to get recall plan killed
Twenty-one state senators either failed to show up or didn't vote for a plan that would have given voters the right to recall Gov. Blagojevich. [Chicago Sun-Times] Read More
Illinois budget in a hole, next fiscal plan in flux
Now that Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich has fended off an effort to allow him to be recalled from office, his administration is turning to another feud the governor historically has found himself engaged in with lawmakers: the state budget. [Chicago Tribune (registration)] Read More
Ill. Republicans will make recall amendment an issue in fall
Minutes after the Illinois Senate blocked a recall amendment to the state constitution, Republicans began trying to transform the decision into a political liability for Democrats. [Chicago Tribune (registration)] Read More
Rezko gets bail help from state employees 26.
Antoin "Tony" Rezko, the indicted political pal of Gov. Rod Blagojevich, is accused of helping scores of people get state jobs. Now some of them are doing him a favor. [Chicago Tribune (registration)] Read More
Rezko trial at turning point
The government's corruption case against Antoin "Tony" Rezko has reached its climax with the kind of hard-hitting eyewitness testimony that at a more routine criminal trial might make a guilty verdict a slam dunk. [Chicago Tribune (registration)] Read More
IDOT workers say e-mail proves politics fueled firings
Lawyers for 17 former Illinois Department of Transportation workers say a recently disclosed e-mail supports their claim that Gov. Rod Blagojevich?s administration fired them for political reasons. [The State Journal-Register (Springfield)] Read More
Hoffman's ties to Gov. Blagojevich now a disadvantage
State Rep. Jay Hoffman's political life has been closely tied for years with that of Gov. Rod Blagojevich. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch] Read More
LaHood to run for RNC committeeman
PEORIA, Ill. - Retiring U.S. Representative Ray LaHood says he plans to run for Republican National Committee's Illinois committeeman. [Chicago Tribune (registration)] Read More
Strapped governments revive pension bonds
Pension bonds are making a comeback, as states and cities from Alaska to Philadelphia bet they can use the proceeds to help fill deficits in their retirement funds and still generate a higher return than what they pay in interest. [The Washington Post (registration)] Read More
Midwest avoids brunt of economic slowdown
For at least a year, economists have warned that a Midwestern slowdown may be on the way. But month after month, quarter after quarter, key indicators have remained positive. [Sioux City Journal] Read More
Illinois smoking ban tamps down puffing at pipe convention
ST. CHARLES, Ill. - There will be no indoor smoking at a large convention for pipe smokers in Illinois. [The Salt Lake Tribune] Read More
Government officials get input on Great Lakes levels study
MUSKEGON, Mich. -- Government officials gathering public input on a massive Great Lakes water levels study were told during a meeting in Michigan to tread lightly when tinkering with the lakes. [The Detroit News] Read More
State creates Seismic Task Force to prepare for earthquakes
The state's creating a panel aimed at improving earthquake preparedness. [Chicago Tribune (registration)] Read More
IDOT to send 150 jobs out of Springfield to Downstate
The Illinois Department of Transportation is preparing to ship nearly 150 jobs from Springfield to southern Illinois, but officials say they haven't chosen the new location and don't know when the move will happen. [Chicago Tribune (registration)] Read More
IDOT move has hurdles to clear
A detailed analysis and public hearings will be required before the Illinois Department of Transportation can relocate 150 Division of Traffic Safety employees to southern Illinois. [The State Journal-Register (Springfield)] Read More
IDOT Annex lease expired in July
The Illinois Department of Transportation's traffic safety division is in what is known as the IDOT Annex, near IDOT's main headquarters, the state-owned Hanley Building, on Dirksen Parkway. [The State Journal-Register (Springfield)] Read More
Rezko lawyer, witness bicker about cash, clout, 9/11
CHICAGO - Political fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko's defense attorney and the government's last major witness bickered sharply about campaign cash, clout and even the Sept. 11 attacks Friday as prosecutors prepared to rest their case after eight weeks. [The State Journal-Register (Springfield)] Read More
State agency puts worker on administrative leave
An employee of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency employee has been put on administrative leave and was escorted from his office Thursday. [The State Journal-Register (Springfield)] Read More
Illinois creates task force to prepare for earthquakes
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- Illinois has created a panel dedicated to preparing for earthquakes. [The Washington Post (registration)] Read More
Makers of 'Blow' drink mix won't sell in Illinois anymore
The Las Vegas manufacturer of a white-powdered energy drink mix called Blow has stopped selling the product in Illinois. [The State Journal-Register (Springfield)] Read More
Bomke denounces IDOT move as 'absurd'
The southern Illinois city of Benton, apparently the leading candidate to become the new home of the Illinois Department of Transportation?s division of traffic safety, has no building that would accommodate the agency, according to Benton Mayor Gary Kraft. [The State Journal-Register (Springfield)] Read More
Thousands removed from child-abuser list
Nick and Judi Brunstein are former foster parents who spent $20,000 in legal fees to clear their names after being accused by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services of child abuse. [Chicago Tribune (registration)] Read More
Last-minute witness puts cloud over Rezko trial
At the last minute, federal prosecutors have inserted a surprising and powerful stinger in the tail of the biggest corruption trial in Illinois since the George Ryan case. [Chicago Tribune (registration)] Read More
Blagojevich aide owed IRS $21,548 when hired
One of Gov. Blagojevich's highest-ranking aides faced a sizable tax problem when he hired her in 2003 -- and when he promoted her almost four years later. [Chicago Sun-Times] Read More
State still renting space from felon
Even though he's no longer on the state payroll and has pleaded guilty to federal felony charges, a former top Blagojevich appointee is still getting money from taxpayers. [Chicago Sun-Times] Read More
Candidates for gov play second fiddle
The Democratic candidates for governor continued to take second billing to presidential contenders Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama on Sunday night. [Northwest Indiana Times (Munster)] Read More
Hoosiers hold Dems' fate in their hands
Indiana, which boasts of being the "crossroads of America," could be the crossroads of the Democratic presidential nominating contest when Hoosiers go to the polls Tuesday. [The Indianapolis Star] Read More
Schellinger, Long Thompson trade jabs over their TV ads
One features grainy, washed-out images of Jim Schellinger and tells viewers he opposes cutting gasoline taxes and that he favored raising property taxes to build the "expensive schools" he designed as an architect. [The Indianapolis Star] Read More
Blue-collared businessman sets sights on governor's office
Jim Schellinger's blue-collar beginnings seem miles away as he steps out of sport utility vehicle emblazoned with oversized campaign decals bearing his likeness. [Northwest Indiana Times (Munster)] Read More
Long Thompson brings experience to race
Jill Long Thompson looks right at home rallying a raucous crowd of region steelworkers. [Northwest Indiana Times (Munster)] Read More
Finding state's political pulse
Indiana is hurting. Hoosiers are feeling pinched by high gas prices and poor job prospects -- so much so that they have put the war on terror and the once over-arching immigration issue on the political back burner. [The Indianapolis Star] Read More
Bigger IU budget to benefit faculty
Faculty salaries should rise after the Indiana University trustees approved a $2.6 billion budget that includes a 7.2 percent increases. [The Indianapolis Star] Read More
State schools chief not seeking re-election
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Suellen Reed announced Friday she will retire rather that seek an unprecedented fifth term. [Northwest Indiana Times (Munster)] Read More
Seven Democrats seek to succeed Smith in Senate
Seven Democrats are competing to replace state Sen. Sam Smith, an East Chicago Democrat whose political career was cut short by a tax evasion charge. [Northwest Indiana Times (Munster)] Read More
Clinton, Obama keep up gas tax battle
WASHINGTON -- Democratic presidential rivals Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton took their fight over gas price relief to the morning talk shows today as they braced for the crucial Indiana and North Carolina primaries. [The Indianapolis Star] Read More
Midwest avoids brunt of economic slowdown
For at least a year, economists have warned that a Midwestern slowdown may be on the way. But month after month, quarter after quarter, key indicators have remained positive. [Sioux City Journal] Read More
Democrats work to sway voters in race for governor
Democrat Jill Long Thompson spoke of suspending the state sales tax on gasoline while her rival in the gubernatorial primary, Jim Schellinger, promised to restore collective bargaining for state employees. [The Indianapolis Star] Read More
Primary party switches could aid incumbents
Voting Republican in Indiana used to be so easy. [The Indianapolis Star] Read More
Power line proposal draws fire
HENDERSON, Ky. -- Mike Sandefur has been enjoying the irony. Sandefur is the former environmental affairs director for Indiana power company Vectren Corp. [The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) (registration)] Read More
Dean seeks to raise grass-roots army
Howard Dean went on stage between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama on Sunday, but he glossed over the divide between supporters of the two presidential candidates. [Northwest Indiana Times (Munster)] Read More
Dining with the Democratic stars
Presidential hopefuls and U.S. Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama pledged to lead a resurgence of the middle class Sunday to a swelled crowd of 2,300 gathered for the Indiana Democratic Party's annual fundraiser. [Northwest Indiana Times (Munster)] Read More
Michelle Obama in Gary today
Michelle Obama will return to Gary today to stump for her husband, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. [Northwest Indiana Times (Munster)] Read More
In the 1800s, Indiana ruled
Three presidential contests -- two from way back, and one you might remember -- where Democrats were divided and Hoosiers' votes were critical [The Indianapolis Star] Read More
Government officials get input on Great Lakes levels study
MUSKEGON, Mich. -- Government officials gathering public input on a massive Great Lakes water levels study were told during a meeting in Michigan to tread lightly when tinkering with the lakes. [The Detroit News] Read More
Midwest avoids brunt of economic slowdown
For at least a year, economists have warned that a Midwestern slowdown may be on the way. But month after month, quarter after quarter, key indicators have remained positive. [Sioux City Journal] Read More
Legislator -- Keep new law quiet
Iowa lawmakers quietly passed a bill in the final hours of the 2008 legislative session that would allow most of the state's hospitals to bypass public approval for the construction of new facilities. [The Des Moines Register] Read More
Hospitals cautious when seeking to build
About 95 percent of all Iowa hospitals that apply for state approval to relocate or expand their facilities are granted permission. But that does not mean approval is easy to get. [The Des Moines Register] Read More
Republican leaders hoping for a revival
As Iowa Democrats wait to find out who their party's presidential nominee will be, the Iowa G.O.P. has begun preparing for the fall campaign. [Radio Iowa] Read More
Corrections officials begin working on new prison plan
Iowa corrections officials are beginning to work on a $131 million maximum-security prison project in southeastern Iowa that won't begin housing prisoners until 2014. [Sioux City Journal] Read More
Task force presents report on universities and minorities
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- Officials at Iowa's public universities want to close the graduation and retention gap between white and minority students. [Sioux City Journal] Read More
Troopers target motorists who break 'Move Over' law
State troopers, tired of motorists crashing into patrol cars stopped along Iowa's highways, are cracking down on drivers who fail to slow down and move over. [The Des Moines Register] Read More
Culver laments I-380 conditions
Gov. Chet Culver says conditions on Interstate 380, which links Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, are very poor and need to be improved. [Sioux City Journal] Read More
Iowa JEL representatives to attend tobacco company meeting
State officials are spending some of the state's anti-smoking money on a trip for five Iowa high schoolers and their adult mentor. [Radio Iowa] Read More
Supreme court reverses man's drug conviction
The Iowa Supreme Court on Friday reversed a man's drug conviction, ruling a judge who issued a search warrant that led to the man's arrest was not a neutral party. [Sioux City Journal] Read More
Coal debate still not resolved
Old-timers like to say politics is the art of compromise. The line holds true most of the time in the Legislature. Consider the Houdini-like escapes from a school-finance quagmire in 2006 and the bloody battle that accompanied expansion of casino gambling during 2007. [The Topeka Capital-Journal] Read More
Enduring cancer without coverage
When Tracie Revis started her fight against cancer more than two years ago, she didn't expect to take on a health care system ill-equipped to handle an uninsured 20-something. [The Lawrence Journal-World] Read More
Jittery lawmakers slash millions from catch-all bill
As Kansas lawmakers work toward final adjournment, Senate leaders are getting nervous about the economy and the current level of state spending. [Wichita Eagle (registration)] Read More
Records show Kline didn't drop efforts
Phill Kline didn't abandon attempts to prosecute Wichita abortion provider George Tiller after leaving the attorney general's office, recently unsealed court records show. [The Topeka Capital-Journal] Read More
Dog track ends talks with lottery regulators
FRONTENAC, Kan. - The owner of Camptown Greyhound Park has ended negotiations with the Kansas Lottery that would reopen the racetrack with slot machines, the Lottery Commission said. [Kansas City Star (registration)] Read More
Supreme Court unseals records in abortion cases
The Kansas Supreme Court on Friday unsealed two lawsuits demanding that Johnson County District Attorney Phill Kline return abortion records to Planned Parenthood. [Wichita Eagle (registration)] Read More
Bills seek punishment for use, display of fake weapons
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Concerns that realistic-looking toy weapons are confusing police and threatening safety have led 15 states to take a crack at going beyond gun control to implement fake-gun control. [The Daily Citizen (Searcy)] Read More
Midwest avoids brunt of economic slowdown
For at least a year, economists have warned that a Midwestern slowdown may be on the way. But month after month, quarter after quarter, key indicators have remained positive. [Sioux City Journal] Read More
Politicians celebrate KU wins
Politicians put aside their differences Friday to honor Kansas University's men's basketball, football and debate teams. [The Lawrence Journal-World] Read More
Blunt makes another pick to join Ethics Commission
Gov. Matt Blunt has announced that he is picking Bloomfield lawyer James R. Tweedy to fill a Democratic spot on the state Ethics Commission. [Kansas City Star (registration)] Read More
Kansas Capitol Notebook - college's foundation comes in for criticism
Rep. Ben Hodge of Overland Park has some misgivings about the 113-member, nonprofit Johnson County Community College Foundation. [Kansas City Star (registration)] Read More
Immigration bill unlikely to live
It appears unlikely that the Legislature this year will pass a law cracking down on illegal immigrants and employers who hire them. [Wichita Eagle (registration)] Read More
Higher education funding off the table
Higher education officials Friday were upset about a budget amendment that essentially removed the possibility of post-secondary schools getting any additional funding during the wrap-up session. [The Lawrence Journal-World] Read More
Medical funds added to budget
House lawmakers may have found an additional $8.6 million to help train doctors in Wichita -- though not how people originally envisioned. [Wichita Eagle (registration)] Read More
Legislators agree on bill to require voter IDs
Senate and House negotiators reached a tentative compromise Friday on a bill to require voters to show photo identification at the polls. [Wichita Eagle (registration)] Read More
Lawmakers want to sue Sebelius over coal plants
Kansas House leaders Friday introduced a resolution to allow the Legislature to sue Gov. Kathleen Sebelius over coal-fired electric power plants. [The Lawrence Journal-World] Read More
House rejects Senate's budget changes
The House voted overwhelmingly Saturday evening to reject a wrap-up budget from the Senate that swept out all new spending. The 4-116 vote sent the bill back to a negotiating committee. Six members of the House and Senate have been working to develop a budget, but haven't been able to come to an agreement. [Wichita Business Journal (registration)] Read More
Doctor training gets funding
Rural rotations by doctors who get specialized training in Wichita will be funded by $1.5 million included in a health care reform package sent to the governor Saturday. [Wichita Eagle (registration)] Read More
Coal bill backers try new strategy
Kansas lawmakers struggled to end the 2008 legislative session Saturday, mounting last-minute efforts to resurrect two rejected coal plants. [Wichita Eagle (registration)] Read More
Cancer treatments don't slow lawmaker
It?s 7:30 a.m., and Rep. Marti Crow, D-Leavenworth, makes her way into the State Capitol in Topeka. By now, the Kansas Legislature has been in session for four months. [The Lawrence Journal-World] Read More
Governor to consider health care bill
Legislators sent Gov. Kathleen Sebelius health care legislation that supporters say provides greater access to health care for many Kansans and saves them money on insurance. [The Lawrence Journal-World] Read More
Coal power plant issue keeps lawmakers from wrapping up
It was supposed to be the last day of the wrap-up session. But another coal plant measure emerged Saturday, the Senate adjourned in a huff and said it may not come back, and Gov. Kathleen Sebelius gave the session a general thumbs down. [The Lawrence Journal-World] Read More
Bill approved that would test drivers after accidents
Dennis and Denise Bixby wiped tears from their eyes Saturday as they sat in the House gallery and watched lawmakers approve a bill that they helped push through the Legislature. [The Lawrence Journal-World] Read More
Bush visits Greensburg, a town torn and then reborn after 2007 tornado
GREENSBURG, Kan. - Alvin Hewitt was the first baby born at Kiowa County Memorial Hospital after it opened in 1950. Today, the hospital is gone. [Los Angeles Times (registration)] Read More
Many happy returns
There was a lot of kissing going on Sunday afternoon in downtown Frankfort. Lovers who had been without each other for almost a year lip-locked as soon as four buses from Lexington released the more than 180 Kentucky Army National Guard soldiers returning from nearly a yearlong deployment to Iraq. [Lexington Herald-Leader] Read More
Inmates exposed to 'superbug,' lawsuits say
Lonnie Napier says he was infected with the flesh-eating bacteria at the Laurel County Detention Center, and that his wound grew so gangrenous that a portion of his scrotum had to be removed. [The Courier-Journal (Louisville)] Read More
Mining veteran to head DNR
A veteran state mining official will be the new commissioner of the Department for Natural Resources, said Environmental and Public Protection Secretary Bob Vance. [Lexington Herald-Leader] Read More
Power line proposal draws fire
HENDERSON, Ky. -- Mike Sandefur has been enjoying the irony. Sandefur is the former environmental affairs director for Indiana power company Vectren Corp. [The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) (registration)] Read More
Governor's 'oversight' miffs Denish
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Gov. Bill Richardson left New Mexico to attend the Kentucky Derby on Saturday without telling the lieutenant governor, who takes over in his absence from the state, that he was leaving. [Santa Fe New Mexican (registration)] Read More
After hiatus, states set wave of executions
HUNTSVILLE, Texas - Here in the nation's leading death-penalty state, and some of the 35 others with capital punishment, execution dockets are quickly filling up. [The New York Times] Read More
Fighting global warming block by block
SEATTLE - King County Executive Ron Sims has a simple test for every new public works project, building plan or government land purchase: Will it increase the region's total greenhouse-gas emissions, or reduce them? [The Washington Post (registration)] Read More
Fiscal pressures lead some states to free inmates early
NEW YORK - Reversing decades of tough-on-crime policies, including mandatory minimum prison sentences for some drug offenders, many cash-strapped states are embracing a view once dismissed as dangerously naive: It costs far less to let some felons go free than to keep them locked up. [The Washington Post (registration)] Read More
Louisiana Dem Cazayoux nabs GOP seat in Saturday House special
Democratic state Rep. Don Cazayoux scored a nationally significant takeover victory in Saturday's election to fill the vacant and formerly Republican-held seat in Louisiana's 6th Congressional District. [CQPolitics.com] Read More
Winning Democratic campaign not at rest
For the first time in three decades, the Baton Rouge area has sent a Democrat to Congress. In a New Orleans-area district controlled by the GOP for about the same time, a Republican won easily in the race to replace Gov. Bobby Jindal in the seat. [The News Star (Monroe)] Read More
Phone legislation picks its prey
State lawmakers are trying to find ways to protect the public from distracted drivers without imposing a complete ban on communicating with cellular telephones while driving. [The News Star (Monroe)] Read More
Analysis -- Jindal proposes budget changes -- with control
Gov. Bobby Jindal's proposed revamp of the state's construction spending represents a fundamental change in the way the state budgets for construction projects, but it may be overstatement to call it a sweeping reform. [The News Star (Monroe)] Read More
Is Democrat's win in Louisiana a false hope
Even as Democrats rejoiced Sunday at having snatched a Louisiana congressional seat long held by Republicans, observers warned it doesn't necessarily mean voters are spurning the GOP. And the victor's hold on the seat could be shaky, one analyst said. [The News Star (Monroe)] Read More
Jindal asks Bush for levee cash
WASHINGTON - Making his second national television appearance of the week, Gov. Bobby Jindal used a speech to The National Press Club on Friday to call on the Bush administration to free up pledged levee money. [The Advocate (Baton Rouge)] Read More
Cazayoux wins 6th District
The Baton Rouge area has a Democratic congressman for the first time in three decades. [The Advocate (Baton Rouge)] Read More
No rest for Democrats after Cazayoux win
WASHINGTON - One down, two to go. That's how national Democrats are viewing Saturday's stunning victory by state Rep. Don Cazayoux for Louisiana's 6th Congressional District seat. Democrats now move on to Mississippi, where their candidate has forced a runoff in the special election for what was considered a "safe" Republican district. [The Advocate (Baton Rouge)] Read More
Bridge police change has no support
A bill to abolish the Causeway Police Department and transfer law enforcement duties on the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway and the Huey P. Long Bridge to the State Police is failing to attract much support among legislators whose constituents traverse the bridges. [The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)] Read More
Proposed cuts lead to budget limbo
Just a few weeks ago, lawmakers talked about reining in the growth of state government by slashing Gov. Bobby Jindal's first state operating budget by 5 percent. [The Advocate (Baton Rouge)] Read More
Lawmakers deciding on bill to scrap income tax
The Louisiana Legislature is considering a bill that would phase out state income taxes. SB 87 has been approved by the Louisiana Senate and is expected to be reviewed by the House Ways and Means Committee, possibly as early as this week. [The Daily Iberian |