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Archive of Social Policy on Tuesday May 06, 2008
Fairness of death-penalty panels questioned
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. Read More
Executions might start again today
If Earl Lynd's execution goes forward tonight as scheduled, Georgia will be the first state to put anyone to death in nearly eight months. Read More
Minimum wage bill now in Rell's court
The minimum hourly wage in Connecticut would rise Jan. 1 from $7.65 to $8 ? and to $8.25 as of Jan. 1, 2010 ? under a bill the state Senate gave final legislative approval to Monday night. The bill, which the House approved April 22, now goes to Gov. M. Jodi Rell, but her press office said that she doesn't know whether she will sign it into law. Read More
Affirmative action petition misses deadline for ballot
A group seeking to bar many state affirmative action programs has missed a Sunday deadline to submit its initiative petition. Read More
Gov to unveil $150 million anti-violence plan today
Gov. Blagojevich is proposing a $150 million anti-violence initiative that would provide new state dollars for more teen jobs, after-school programs and community grants in high-crime areas. Read More
Quiet Va. wife ended interracial marriage ban
Mildred Jeter Loving, 68, a black woman whose refusal to accept Virginia's ban on interracial marriage led to a U.S. Supreme Court decision in 1967 that struck down similar laws across the country, died of pneumonia Friday at her home in Milford, Va. Read More
Bill change paves way for adoption support
The state Department of Children and Families hopes to reclaim money for adoptive families and equipment for caseworkers under a bill amendment that lawmakers approved in the final minutes of this year's legislative session. Read More
Judge holds hearing on lethal injection challenge
ELYRIA, Ohio - A judge is bringing in attorneys from both sides of a lethal injection challenge Tuesday to discuss testimony from two anesthesiologists who took the stand last month. Read More
Strip clubs ask high court to halt fee collection
An association representing strip clubs asked the Texas Supreme Court on Monday to stop the state from collecting a new fee that a trial court has ruled unconstitutional. Read More
Central Texas man on death row maintains innocence as many believe his trial was unfair
Jurors sentenced Rodney Reed to death after DNA evidence showed he'd had sex with 19-year-old Stacy Stites, found strangled in the brush off a remote country road. Read More
Boomer retirees are loving what Texas Hill Country affords them
Baby boomers' growing desire to retire to small towns is turning the Texas Hill Country into one of the nation's hot spots for the silver-haired set. Read More
Law to get Oklahoma kids moving in healthy direction
Elementary school students in Oklahoma's public schools will be more physically active beginning this fall. Read More
Eateries' smoking ban is dissuading teens
Restaurant smoking bans may be as powerful as peers or parents in the battle to keep teenagers from becoming smokers, a new study suggests. Read More
Immigrants feel less welcome in Frederick
In just over a decade, Frederick County has been transformed from a bucolic, timeless community of dairy farms and strawberry festivals to a fast-paced mosaic of high-tech firms and housing developments, Pilates classes and exotic eateries, mega-stores and McDonald's. Read More
WORTH NOTING: Voters' guide promotes phone sex
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. Read More
Seeds of social issues dot 2008 elections
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Parents turn to states for autism help
(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. Read More
With justices' OK, voter ID moves ahead
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. Read More
More states offer choice in long-term care
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. Read More
Gay marriage decisions ripe in Calif., Conn.
More than four years after its historic court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage, Massachusetts stands alone in blessing gay marriages — more than 10,000 to date — and its example has spurred no imitators but lots of backlash. All eyes now are on the highest courts in California and Connecticut. Read More
Governors pitch ambitious programs
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.
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Embryonic stem cell research divides states
President Bush’s second veto of a bill to allow federal funding of stem cell research puts the ethical issue squarely in states’ hands. So far, seven states have moved to fund the research, six have banned it, three have affirmed its legality but do not fund it and a handful of others continue to debate the issue. Read More
Lawsuit seeks to stop Arctic oil exploration
ANCHORAGE - Alaska Native and environmental groups sued Monday to stop exploration by oil companies this summer in Arctic waters frequented by whales, seals and other marine species. Read More
Palin balances official duties, son's needs
The results of Gov. Sarah Palin's prenatal testing were in, but the doctor's tone was ominous: "You need to come to the office so we can talk about it." Read More
Health care providers challenge cuts to Medi-Cal
Doctors, hospitals and other health care providers filed a class-action lawsuit Monday seeking to block the state from cutting payments to them for treating the poor. Read More
Legislation advances, awaits Rell's signature
The following bills are among those that have passed the General Assembly. Unless otherwise noted, they are awaiting Gov. M. Jodi Rell's signature. Read More
Mayors, others decry state budget decision
Mayors, union leaders and activists for the poor ramped up the political pressure Monday on the General Assembly and Gov. M. Jodi Rell, hoping to change their minds about not amending the new budget that takes effect July 1. Read More
Partial federal takeover of DCF urged
Nearly 6,000 Connecticut children live in the state child welfare system, and for many of them, life is unnecessarily bleak, lawyers representing them say. Read More
Opponents of UD program still opposed
NEWARK, Del. - Months spent rewriting the educational program presented to dorm dwellers at the University of Delaware resulted in a new, multipronged proposal creators say rights the wrongs of the old plan, shelved last fall over criticism that it pushed a single point of view on students. Read More
Executions resume
Georgia is poised to become the first state in the nation to execute an inmate since the U.S. Supreme Court decided in September to review Kentucky inmates' claims that lethal injection is unconstitutional. Read More
Ga. execution could be first since court ruling
Three states moved to schedule executions following a recent ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that upheld the constitutionality of lethal injections, led by Georgia which planned to put a man to death Tuesday for killing his girlfriend. Read More
Georgia inmate denied clemency
Barring a last-minute intervention by the courts, a condemned killer who shot his live-in girlfriend likely is to become the first inmate put to death since a U.S. Supreme Court review halted executions last September. Read More
Ga. execution would be first since Supreme Court ruling
ATLANTA - Georgia moved forward with preparations to execute a man convicted of killing his girlfriend, who on Tuesday night could become the first inmate put to death since the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of lethal injection. Read More
Executions might start again today
If Earl Lynd's execution goes forward tonight as scheduled, Georgia will be the first state to put anyone to death in nearly eight months. Read More
Ceded-land deal at impasse
Just days after the end of the legislative session and a failed attempt to reach an agreement over how much ceded-land revenue is owed to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the key parties involved appear to again be at loggerheads. Read More
State pays $250,000 to settle another TouchPlay lawsuit
The Iowa Attorney General's office has announced another settlement with a former manufacturer of the TouchPlay machines. The state banned TouchPlay machines in May of 2006, after concerns that the games were too much like slot machines. A-G spokesman, Bob Brammer, talks about the details of the latest settlement. Read More
Appeals court rejects Chief Illiniwek suits
A state appellate court has upheld the dismissals of a pair of lawsuits that claimed the University of Illinois broke state law when it eliminated its controversial Chief Illiniwek mascot. Read More
Plan to define marriage fails
Illinois voters won't be asked this fall whether they think the state constitution should be rewritten to define "marriage" as only for male-female couples. Read More
Enrollment in health plan halted
Gov. Rod Blagojevich?s administration is ending enrollment in its health-care plan after months of pushing for a dramatic expansion of the program against the wishes of lawmakers. Read More
Appeals Court reinstates lawsuit over school funding
The Indiana Court of Appeals has reinstated a lawsuit that accused the state of violating its constitution by failing to provide enough money for all schoolchildren to have a fair chance to learn. Read More
Death-row inmate's DNA to be checked against fluids on clothing
An attorney for Brian Keith Moore, who is on death row for a murder he says he didn't commit, said yesterday that lab technicians have found enough DNA on evidence to potentially eliminate Moore as the killer. Read More
13 precincts moving for primary
The Jefferson County Board of Elections has moved more than a dozen voting sites for the May 20 primary, affecting thousands of people. Read More
Death-row inmate's defense cites jury nonfeasance
Attorneys for a Maryland death-row inmate argued yesterday that their client's sentence should be overturned because a jury didn't use the highest standard of proof when weighing aggravating factors of his crime with mitigating circumstances. Read More
SAD 59: Science teaching debated Director: Evolution, creationism are unproven theories
MADISON, Maine- Neither creationism nor evolution belongs in a high-school science curriculum, a School Administrative District 59 director believes. Read More
Senate Republicans discuss giving up opposition to Gun Lake Casino compact
Legislative opponents of a Wayland Township casino may be ready to fold their cards after last week's federal appeals court ruling in favor of the Gun Lake tribe. Read More
Proposed foreclosure freeze thawed a bit
State lawmakers have tried to soften up a proposal to freeze foreclosures for a year, but Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty signaled Monday that he still will reject it. Read More
Preliminary approval of foreclosure relief bill
The Minnesota Senate has given preliminary approval to a bill that tries to help some homeowners avoid mortgage foreclosure. Read More
Pawlenty: Property tax cap is key to passing a budget
Gov. Tim Pawlenty wants to use substantially less money from a health care access fund to balance the budget, but he's digging in his heels on a property tax cap. Read More
House passes property tax bill
Minnesota homeowners would get property tax refunds based on their ability to pay under a bill passed Monday night by the House. Read More
Missouri House OKs bill allowing telecoms in rural areas to increase rates
Rural telecommunications customers could see their monthly bills rise under legislation passed Monday by the Missouri House. Read More
Affirmative action ban won't be on Missouri ballots
Supporters of affirmative action in Nebraska have a new reason for hope a ban on the practice won't make it onto the November ballot. Read More
Court sets May 21 execution date in Mississippi
The Mississippi Supreme Court has set a May 21 execution date for Mississippi death row inmate Earl Wesley Berry. Read More
Gang violence bill gets mixed reviews
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - A bill to address gang violence is getting mixed reaction from some North Carolina legislative candidates. Read More
Lobbying group for state employees announces affiliation with union
GREENVILLE, N.C. -- North Carolina's leading lobbying group for state employees has agreed to affiliate with a union. Read More
Judge dismisses discrimination suit against state
A federal judge has ruled with the Nebraska Health and Human Services System and the owners of Chadron mobile home park in a civil lawsuit that alleged they provided substandard housing to Native tenants based on race. Read More
Shaky at home: N.H. mortgage crisis spreads from subprime to standard loans
Signs of greater housing market strain have begun to bubble up in the Granite State. Read More
N.J. leaders assure AARP -- No cuts in senior rebates
Responding to concerns raised by AARP New Jersey, the governor's office and Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts (D-Camden) said separately yesterday there is no plan to cut property tax rebates to seniors and the disabled. Read More
McGreevey expected to testify on custody
Nearly four years after former Gov. James E. McGreevey announced his homosexual affair to the world, the legal dissolution of his heterosexual marriage to former first lady Dina Matos McGreevey finally begins today at Union County Courthouse in Elizabeth. Read More
Lawmakers discuss repairs for workers' comp system
Key state lawmakers yesterday proposed reforms to shore up New Jersey's workers' compensation system, saying judges and state officials need more power to punish employers and insurers that don't play by the rules. Read More
Gasoline tax holiday out of reach in Nevada
Motorists in three states, including Nevada, might never see the savings of the gasoline tax holiday touted by two presidential candidates. Read More
Divorce proceedings - First lady holds onto role
Dawn Gibbons will continue to perform all the functions befitting Nevada's first lady despite her pending divorce from Gov. Jim Gibbons, her lawyer said Monday. Read More
Demand for energy assistance grows in Nevada
RENO, Nev. - State social services agencies say more people are seeking help in paying their utility bills at a time when energy assistance programs are facing a shortfall. Read More
Nurses unions' showdown starts today
The reputation of one of Nevada's largest unions is on the line as 1,100 registered nurses at three St. Rose Dominican hospitals vote today and Wednesday on whether to retain the Service Employees International Union as their bargaining representative -- or join a rival union. Read More
Governor pitches tax amnesty plan
Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons announced plans Monday for an amnesty program for businesses that are delinquent on at least $69 million in taxes that, if paid, could help the state deal with a looming revenue shortfall of more than $900 million. Read More
Seven high schools could start drug tests
Just four months after a high school in Henderson became the state?s first public campus to randomly test student-athletes for drugs and alcohol, the Clark County School District is planning to expand the program. Read More
Planned coal plant gives up its water source
A canceled contract for water could signal trouble for a coal-fired power plant planned for the Mesquite area. Read More
Teamsters may undercut members
Members of Teamsters Local 631 complain their union is colluding with major convention center contractors to wean them of union labor, a suspicion that has spurred efforts to replace local Teamster leadership with a slate of insurgent candidates. Read More
Group asks court to ban rules on Medicaid autism services
A state advocacy group for people with disabilities has filed a complaint asking a federal court to prevent the enforcement of new rules that would reduce or eliminate services for autistic children. Read More
Democrats threaten to impeach Dann
Ohio's top Democrats, including Gov. Ted Strickland, on Monday asked Attorney General Marc Dann to resign and threatened to try to impeach him if he doesn't step down. Read More
Appeals court upholds death row inmate release
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A federal appeals court in Cincinnati upheld an order Monday releasing Tennessee death row inmate Paul House, who has been imprisoned nearly 22 years. Read More
Rules about impeaching officials in Ohio murky
If Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann survives an impeachment movement, he'll follow the in the footsteps of Calvin Pease and George Tod -- two judges who were impeached by the House but acquitted in the Senate. Read More
Teen births drop again
Births to girls in Cincinnati dipped to their second-lowest point since 1988 last year. Read More
GM Lordstown plant reaches tentative contract - Kansas City plant strikes
General Motors has reached a tentative deal with stamping plant employees at its car plant in Lordstown while workers at a plant in Kansas City went on strike Monday. Read More
Dann ignores governor's, others demand that he resign
Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann on Monday defiantly rejected a call by all of the top leaders of his political party, including Gov. Ted Strickland, to quit right now or watch as they to seek to throw him out of office. Read More
Gov. Strickland, top Democrats, call for Dann to resign; AG stays on job
Gov. Ted Strickland and other high-ranking Ohio Democrats Monday joined Republicans in the chorus for Attorney General Marc Dann to immediately resign and threatened to lead the march toward impeachment if he does not. Read More
Kroger widens tax bonus program
CINCINNATI - The Kroger Co. is casting its net wider in the battle among retailers to lure extra dollars from shoppers during the U.S. economic stimulus effort. Read More
Ohio lawmakers prep to impeach Dann; proceedings would be 1st in 200 years
Lawmakers have begun preparing for what could be the first Ohio impeachment proceedings in nearly two centuries after Attorney General Marc Dann yesterday rejected calls from fellow Democrats to resign. Read More
Term-limit measure stalls after state Senate tie
A deadlock in the Senate over whether to call a referendum on imposing term limits on statewide elected officials couldn't be broken Monday because Lt. Gov. Jari Askins declined to vote on the bill. Read More
13 Oklahoma counties OK'd for aid
Gov. Brad Henry on Monday said President Bush has approved the state's request for a federal disaster declaration to help the 13 Oklahoma counties that saw extensive damage during severe spring storms in March. Read More
Cowtown no more? OKC looks to Sonics to improve image
Even the mayor admits this is a town with an image problem. Read More
Lure of gang membership strong in state
Ardmore, OK - Gangs. Are Oklahoma youth really becoming gang members? What motivates a child to join a gang? Are gangs replacing family? Are there different types of gangs? Are gangs a racial issue? Are gangs simply a law enforcement problem? Who should intervene? Read More
Oregon foster child likely won't go to Mexico
HILLSBORO, Ore. -- New information has led a state committee to recommend that a 2-year-old foster child remain with her paternal grandparents in Oregon. Read More
Budget, health care high on agenda as lawmakers return
When legislators return to the Capitol today, they will face a jam-packed agenda that includes Gov. Ed Rendell's proposals to help people without health insurance and develop alternative fuels. Read More
State drug testing proposal hits snag
Robert Birnbrauer can't understand why medical professionals in Pennsylvania hospitals aren't randomly tested for drug use. Read More
Stage set for vote on gay marriage ban
Minutes after a Senate committee approved a bill to amend the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage yesterday, Democratic legislators from Pittsburgh and Philadelphia vociferously attacked the proposal, calling it "disgraceful, morally wrong and unnecessary." Read More
Pa. Senate set to vote on gay-marriage ban
The stage is set for the full Pennsylvania Senate to vote on a constitutional amendment that would outlaw same-sex marriage and civil unions in the state, although chances appear slim it will gain traction in the House. Read More
Ford loses Civil Rights memorabilia in fire
State Sen. Robert Ford lost irreplaceable memorabilia from the Civil Rights movement and a collection of neckties in a Sunday fire that destroyed two rooms in his West Ashley home. Read More
Advocates of SC cigarette tax increase rally support
Groups pushing for higher cigarette taxes in South Carolina are facing off with tobacco companies in mailboxes and at the Statehouse as state lawmakers consider raising what's now the lowest tobacco tax in the nation. Read More
S.C. Senate to vote on cigarette tax soon
The S.C. Senate is ready to vote on a plan to raise the state's lowest-in-the-nation cigarette tax more than a year after the proposal first entered the chamber. The Senate is expected to begin debating the bill today. Read More
Limits to video lottery delayed
Sioux Falls city councilors delayed a major vote on restricting video lottery Monday after state officials asked for more time to study the measure. Read More
State fair needs to expand reach to draw crowds, consultant says
The Tennessee State Fair should consider reinventing itself as a true statewide event rather than a Nashville-oriented one so it can become more relevant and competitive, a consultant says in a report the fair's board will discuss today. Read More
Bill seeks to change juror rules
Dodging jury duty will become more difficult and more citizens will be subject to being called upon to decide cases in court under legislation scheduled for votes on the floor of both the state House and Senate this week. Read More
Nashville - Lottery deal tough with less money
House and Senate efforts to resolve a yearlong standoff on how to spend some Tennessee Education Lottery funds are running into new problems as a result of lower-than-expected lottery growth, top lawmakers said. Read More
Bredesen to lay out budget plan
Gov. Phil Bredesen says he may reveal his budget plan this week that could include laying off some of the state's nearly 47,000 employees. Read More
Tennessee - Corker battles Bush TennCare cuts
U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., vowed Monday to fight Bush administration efforts to cut TennCare funding and said he backs a moratorium on new Medicaid rules that would cost the program hundreds of millions of dollars. Read More
Needle-exchange program hits roadblock
State lawmakers who want to allow needle-exchange programs in Texas vowed to try again in 2009 after an attorney general opinion issued Monday cleared the way for a case against three activists in Bexar County who passed out clean syringes. Read More
AG opinion sidelines Bexar needle-swap plan
In the wake of a long-awaited opinion issued Monday by Attorney General Greg Abbott, Bexar County officials will not move forward with what would have been the first legally sanctioned syringe-exchange program for drug addicts in Texas. Read More
Texas used seized FLDS records against polygamous sect
Census sheets found in a safe at a polygamous sect's ranch in west Texas both support and contradict the state's claim of a widespread culture of underage marriage. Read More
Bexar County needle-exchange program quashed before it could begin
The only government-sanctioned needle-exchange program in Texas has been quashed before it could begin. Read More
Mexican citizen given execution date for gang rape, murder
HOUSTON ? A Mexican-born Texas prisoner whose death sentence set off an international dispute and a U.S. Supreme Court rebuke of the White House received an execution date Monday. Read More
States get in on calls for a gas tax holiday
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. Read More
Death row inmates plead for humanity
"Let's ride" were the last words spoken by Michael Richards before the syringes containing a lethal concoction of chemicals were pumped into his veins in Texas' Huntsville death chamber Sept. 25, 2007. Read More
Inquiry - Hospitals couldn't handle terror attack
WASHINGTON - Hospital trauma centers in seven major cities do not have the capacity to handle even a modest terrorist attack, according to findings released Monday from a House committee investigation. Read More
Reports find racial gap in drug arrests
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. Read More
Democrats warn about hospital capacity
Hospitals in seven major U.S. cities would be overwhelmed if any of the cities were struck by a terrorist attack on the scale of the 2004 train bombings in Madrid, and shortages of emergency room capacity and intensive care beds will grow worse if Bush administration Medicaid changes are implemented, House Democrats charged yesterday. Read More
Think tank -- Utah should seek fed waiver to fix illegal immigration woes
The Sutherland Institute, a Utah-based conservative think tank, wants the state to request a federal waiver to allow it to fix Utah's illegal immigration problems. Read More
Mobile home eviction law too late for Bontivilla Trailer Park residents
BOUNTIFUL, Utah -- An extra three days would have meant an extra six months. Read More
Group recommends assimilating illegals
Lawmakers should step away from a strict law-and-order approach and embrace a comprehensive immigration reform plan, one of Utah's leading conservative think tanks said Monday. Read More
Drug war has high impact on Va. blacks
Two studies contend that racially disparate effects of the war on drugs are more evident in Virginia and Virginia Beach than in most of the country. Read More
Douglas' housing chief, John Hall, to leave post
Commissioner John Hall, a main force behind Gov. James Douglas' housing proposals, will leave his post next week as the head of the Department of Housing and Community Affairs. Read More
State panel plans wide review of sentencing
Lawmakers shied away from making major changes to the state's marijuana laws this year, but the Vermont Sentencing Commission -- a body consisting of police, judges, prosecutors and public defenders -- will soon pick up that conversation. Read More
No exceptions -- Wisconsin lobbyists cannot donate to a fundraiser for a legislative aide with cancer
State regulators agreed Monday not to make an exception to a state law barring lobbyists from giving gifts to legislative employees, even when the gifts involve contributing to a fundraiser for a legislative aide with cancer. Read More
State leads in prison drug gap
More than 25 years after the Reagan administration declared America's war on drugs, two studies published Monday conclude that the battle has been pitched largely in African-American communities and that African-Americans bear a disproportionate brunt of its collateral damage. Read More
Faculty says no Garrison
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - The Faculty Senate at West Virginia University said on Monday that WVU President Mike Garrison should resign, saying the "highly publicized award" of an unearned degree to Gov. Joe Manchin's daughter "has damaged his effectiveness and his credibility as President." Read More
W.Va. fourth grader arrested after threats
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - A Huntington fourth grader has been arrested stemming from threats made at school. Read More
3 W.Va. cities to share funding to get homeless vets off streets
Three West Virginia cities will share about $434,000 in federal money to provide permanent housing for more than 100 homeless veterans. Read More
Gas prices fuel political campaigns
From presidential frontrunners to legislative candidates, public office seekers are harping on the campaign issue of the season - high gasoline prices. Read More
Day care demand exceeds supply
Southeast Wyoming faces a shortage of child care that some say is hurting the area's ability to attract workers. Read More
Legislators prod Congress on Medicaid, Real ID
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. Read More
Credit crunch hits states' college loans
(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. Read More
Democratic mid-term gains affecting policy
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. Read More
States outpace feds on minimum wage
When the new federal minimum wage takes effect July 24, 30 states will require employers to pay hourly workers more than federal law requires. Read More
Medicaid: Biggest insurer is a budget buster
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