New York on Tuesday May 06, 2008

Archive of New York on Tuesday May 06, 2008

Ex-Roslyn school officials collect pensions in prison
By Eden Laikin and Sandra Peddie, Newsday
Frank Tassone, an ex-Roslyn superintendent, receives about $14,547 a month for the rest of his life -- even as he serves a prison term.
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State official treated business leaders with taxpayer dollars
By Jay Gallagher, Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester)
The head of the state's effort to revive the upstate economy spent thousands of taxpayer dollars in his first year on the job paying for the meals of business leaders, economic-development officials and staff members, according to state records.
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GOP offers $2.6B tax-cut package
By Dan Osburn, Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester)
Assembly Republicans Monday marked the state's "tax freedom day" by calling for about $2.6 billion in tax cuts.
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State GOP bulks up vulnerable candidates
By James M. Odato, Times Union (Albany)
The Republican-led Senate is pouring millions of dollars in taxpayer money into "pork" projects where GOP incumbents face difficult re-election campaigns this fall.
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Governor comes home to Hempstead
By Sid Cassese and William Murphy, Newsday
Returning home for the first time since becoming governor in March, David A. Paterson brought inspiration to students at Hempstead High School, his alma mater, and hope to a community gathering at a village church.
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Going after movie bootleggers
By The Associated Press, Times Union (Albany)
NEW YORK -- Bootleggers beware: New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo wants to toughen the penalty for film piracy to include jail time.
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Old ruling adds to pension dispute
By Rick Karlin, Times Union (Albany)
With private lawyers under state scrutiny for getting themselves listed as public employees in order to get into New York's pension system, a 2004 court case has come to light that clearly stated the practice was not allowed.
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You've got to sue to win
By Kati Cornell, New York Post
The New York Lottery's impish "Little Bit of Luck" character is really a wolf in sheep's clothing, according to a Staten Island woman who's suing the state and shopkeepers, alleging fraud and racketeering.
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Will states fix 2012 primary process?
By Pamela M. Prah, Stateline.org Staff Writer

While voters in Indiana and North Carolina go to the polls today (May 6) to help Democrats pick Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama as their nominee and Republicans rally behind John McCain, party insiders and state election officials are in informal talks to improve the presidential nominating contests for 2012 and beyond.
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Oh say, is that banner made in the U.S.A.?
By Kim Mendelsohn, Special to Stateline.org
Lawmakers in 10 states have taken steps to require that American flags bought with state funds be manufactured in this country. While not all the legislation has passed, one state’s new law even bans the sale of foreign-made American flags in that state.
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Fairness of death-penalty panels questioned
By John Gramlich, Stateline.org Staff Writer
Death-penalty supporters are raising questions about the fairness of state commissions charged with studying how capital punishment is carried out in Maryland and Tennessee, claiming the panels will issue reports that ignore their views.
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WORTH NOTING: Voters' guide promotes phone sex
By Pauline Vu, Stateline.org Staff Writer
An Oregon voters’ guide lists a very wrong number. California’s governor insults rural legislators. And Pennsylvania considers selling wine in vending machines. In case you missed those stories this week, “Worth Noting” fills you in.
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Parents turn to states for autism help
By Daniel C. Vock, Stateline.org Staff Writer
(UPDATED 4 p.m. EDT, Thursday May 1) One of the toughest problems facing autism patients, their families and policymakers is paying for treatment. Families are increasingly relying on states to help them cope with the financial, medical and educational needs.

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States get in on calls for a gas tax holiday
By Damien Cave, The New York Times
SLOCOMB, Ala. - Gov. Charlie Crist of Florida has been fighting to cut 10 cents from the state's gasoline tax for two weeks in July. Lawmakers in Missouri, New York and Texas have also proposed a summer break from state gas taxes, while candidates for governor in Indiana and North Carolina are sparring over relief ideas of their own.
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Food prices on a roll
By Ellen Simon, The Associated Press, Portland Press Herald
Americans may be getting another helping of food inflation, thanks to higher prices for chicken and pork.
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Reports find racial gap in drug arrests
By Erik Eckholm, The New York Times
More than two decades after President Ronald Reagan escalated the war on drugs, arrests for drug sales or, more often, drug possession are still rising.
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Legislators prod Congress on Medicaid, Real ID
By Pamela M. Prah, Stateline.org Staff Writer
As some states tumble into what they fear is a recession, state lawmakers from across the country are pushing Congress for relief from impending federal rules that would force states to pick up more Medicaid costs and spend billions to make drivers’ licenses more secure.
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With justices' OK, voter ID moves ahead
By Daniel C. Vock and John Gramlich, Stateline.org Staff Writers
A decision Monday (April 28) by the U.S. Supreme Court to let Indiana demand photo identification from voters paves the way for other states to do the same during November’s presidential election, experts say.
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More states offer choice in long-term care
By Christine Vestal, Stateline.org Staff Writer
More states are poised to offer a successful alternative to traditional Medicaid plans that allows elders and the disabled to avoid moving to a nursing facility by hiring friends, neighbors or family members to look after them in their own homes.
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Credit crunch hits states' college loans
By Pauline Vu, Stateline.org Staff Writer

(Updated 11:55 a.m. EDT, April 23, 2008)

The credit crisis has led some state lending agencies to suspend their federal and private student loan programs, forcing thousands of students to search elsewhere for money to pay for college.

Turf wars rage over fake grass
By Eric Kelderman, Stateline.org Staff Writer
State legislators are used to political turf wars. Now, debates in a handful of states really are about turf, pitting those who back the artificial variety against supporters of natural grass for playgrounds and athletic fields.
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Partisan mix in R.I., Conn. poses challenges
By Louis Jacobson, Stateline.org Columnist

The blue states of Connecticut and Rhode Island have had a long tradition of electing Republican governors. But in both states, the combination has led at times to difficult — even chaotic — policymaking.
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Will Democrats grow legislative edge in '08?
By Louis Jacobson, Stateline.org Columnist

For the past several election cycles, the Democrats have been on a roll in legislative elections. This year, the party is well-positioned to hold its majority of chambers — but greatly expanding Democratic control may not be in the cards.

'Purple' states turn a little more 'blue'
By Louis Jacobson, Stateline.org Columnist

The national polls point to a tight presidential race in November. But Democrats have a bit more to cheer about than Republicans do, regardless of who wins the Democratic primary, according to the latest state-by-state electoral-vote projections by “Out There.”
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Governors pitch ambitious programs
By Pamela M. Prah, Stateline.org Staff Writer

Billion-dollar deficits in California, New York and Arizona haven’t stopped governors there and elsewhere from proposing big-ticket items for 2008. Stateline.org looks at proposals from governors’ 2008 "state of the state" speeches and provides an exclusive summary of all the addresses so far.

Summary of the State of the State Address

After a year of partisan battles with the Legislature, Gov. Eliot Spitzer, a Democrat, struck a more conciliatory tone in his Jan. 9 address, outlining an ambitious package to cut property taxes, expand health-care coverage and fund higher education by privatizing the state lottery.
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Commentary: Govs beat White House hopefuls as agents of change
By Gene Gibbons, Stateline.org Executive Editor

This column was published simultaneously by The Politico.

It took a while for most of the presidential candidates to figure out that voters want “change” and action on a variety of issues that affect their lives. They might have gotten it sooner if they had noticed the way that many states, led by innovative governors, are moving forward in areas like health care, immigration and global warming.
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Iraq casts shadow on 2008 state races
By Louis Jacobson, Stateline.org Columnist

Not a single governor or state legislator wields authority over the conduct of the Iraq War, yet a broad range of party strategists and political analysts agree that state races in 2008 will be shaped, mostly indirectly, by public attitudes towards that conflict. Unless there’s a sea change in public opinion, that’s bad news for Republicans.
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Democratic mid-term gains affecting policy
By Louis Jacobson, Stateline.org columnist
So complete was the Democratic rout in the 2006 midterm elections that the party even gained legislative influence in Alaska, Idaho, North and South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming – states long dominated by the Republicans. And those gains, though small, are translating into policy achievements.
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WORTH NOTING: Illinois gov runs up travel tab
By Christine Vestal, Stateline.org Staff Writer
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s commuting costs start to add up. South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds settles a dispute with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over a cranky game warden. California corrections officials install “flushometers” to control wasteful toilet flushing in prisons. In case you missed any of those stories this week, "Worth Noting" fills you in.
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