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Archive of Social Policy on Wednesday May 07, 2008
Silver Alert helps rescue lost seniors
When an elderly person with dementia is lost, seven states can trigger a Silver Alert to let the community know. Proposals in Congress would expand the successful missing persons program to all 50 states. Read More
Lynd is first person in U.S. executed since moratorium
JACKSON, Ga. - Almost 20 years after murdering his ex-girlfriend, William Earl Lynd became the first person in the United States to die by lethal injection since an unofficial moratorium was placed on executions while the U.S. Supreme Court decided the constitutionality of the procedure. Read More
Kansas high court limits grand jury's power in abortion case
TOPEKA, Kan. - The state's highest court Tuesday allowed a grand jury to keep investigating one of the few U.S. doctors who performs late-term abortions but limited its power to subpoena his patients' records. Read More
Same-sex marriage ban likely dead in Pa. Senate
A bill that would amend the state constitution to prohibit same-sex marriage is in a deep coma and is probably dead, at least for the rest of this session. Read More
Texas AG office to prosecute polygamist sect cases
A judge at the center of the largest custody battle in U.S. history has approved a request to bring in the Texas Attorney General's office to prosecute any future criminal charges in the case. Read More
$227 million in grants going to build California stem cell labs
California's voter-created stem cell institute is expected to award $227 million in grants today to seed a laboratory building spree at a dozen universities and research centers, including USC, UCLA and UC Irvine. Read More
No division as segregation law Texas town forgot is abolished
EDCOUCH, Texas - A South Texas town this week abolished a segregation law seven decades after it was enacted. Read More
Parents likely to face charges after taking children
ALGOA, Texas - Galveston authorities are determining whether an Alvin couple violated the law after four children were reported abducted from an Algoa foster home in defiance of a court order. Read More
More people with Hispanic last names registering to vote
DALLAS - Voter registration among Dallas County residents with Spanish surnames climbed in the first four months of 2008, records show. Read More
Indiana's primary turnout high, despite photo ID law
Indiana's controversial photo identification rule may not have made a major dent in the state's high turnout, but it did frustrate a small group of voters more accustomed to divine law. Read More
No ID, no vote, 10 retired nuns told
WASHINGTON - At least 10 retired nuns in South Bend, Ind., were barred from voting in Tuesday's Indiana Democratic primary election because they lacked photo IDs required under a state law that the U.S. Supreme Court upheld last week. Read More
Governor signs dogfighting bill
Five months after Atlanta Falcons star Michael Vick was sentenced to prison for his involvement in dog fighting, Gov. Sonny Perdue signed legislation Tuesday stiffening Georgia's dog-fighting laws. Read More
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
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
House OKs bill to add to hate crimes law
The Alabama House has approved a bill to add crimes against people because of their sexual orientation to the state's hate crimes law. Read More
Senate blocks bill on background checks
The Alabama Senate has blocked consideration of a bill that would short-circuit plans by the state's junior college chancellor to have a private company do criminal background checks on college employees. Read More
Legislator wants eased rules on using teen labor
State lawmakers are weighing whether to let teens perform jobs now considered too hazardous for them under state law as one answer to the complaints of a labor shortage. Read More
Theaters win round on access
A federal judge ruled that theater owners can't be forced to install special equipment to help those with hearing and vision disabilities enjoy the movies. But the state has appealed the ruling, which came in a lawsuit by Attorney General Terry Goddard against Scottsdale-based Harkins Theaters. Read More
Differing views on measure to end rent control
Hundreds are expected to descend on San Francisco's Civic Center Plaza today to protest a June ballot measure that would end rent control across the state and, many argue, would push thousands of people from their homes through evictions or rising prices. Read More
Quiet philanthropist Osher donates $70 million to state's community colleges
The quiet philanthropist stood beside the movie-star governor Tuesday to celebrate the Bernard Osher Foundation's unprecedented $70 million donation to California communitcy college students. Read More
Senate GOP leader rules out tax hikes to balance budget
Saying the ailing economy is putting enough stress on taxpayers, Senate Republican leader Dave Cogdill said Tuesday that Republicans will oppose any tax hikes to bridge California's budget deficit. Cogdill suggested the deficit, which he pegged at $16 billion for the fiscal year beginning July 1, could be wiped out through service cuts and tapping into the reserves of voter-approved initiatives intended for early childhood education, mental health services and transportation. Read More
Los Angeles limits 'mansionization,' downtown hotel conversions
The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday approved new rules to address major byproducts of the gentrification that has swept the city: limiting the size of "mansionization" additions and making it harder for developers to convert low-income housing into luxury lofts. 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
Advocacy group seeks oversight of some Connecticut DCF functions
A watchdog group is asking a federal court monitor to appoint an overseer to manage some services of the state Department of Children and Families. Read More
All present and accounted for
WINDSOR LOCKS, Conn. - For the first time since the start of the Iraq War, the Connecticut National Guard units are all home. Read More
Senate votes to limit lead in toys
The state of Connecticut is moving closer toward establishing limits for lead in children's products. Read More
Use of state lawyers in ethics cases flounders in House
A Senate-approved bill that would let legislators and other state employees use taxpayer-funded state lawyers to defend them in ethics cases is floundering in the House - where a key committee chairman, who normally would bring it up, refuses to do so. Read More
Needy districts face cuts in school reading programs
The state's neediest school districts are facing cuts in critical programs that help teach children to read because of a looming $20 million falloff in funding under the state's "do-nothing" budget. Read More
Bill on open alcohol containers in vehicles seems dead
In the state Senate, it seemed like a no-brainer last week that a driver in the year 2008 should not be able to bolt down the highway with an open bottle of whiskey in his hand. To the surprise of many, that's still legal in Connecticut. Read More
State spends $18 million to right wrongs
In a day of righting government injustice, a wrongfully convicted man was finally compensated for 24 years in prison Tuesday, just hours after Gov. Charlie Crist signed off on an $18 million payment plan for a brain-damaged girl whom the system failed. Read More
Soaring food costs forcing changes in your child's school menu
Here's what the soaring cost of food has meant to Broward County's school lunch menu: white bread instead of whole wheat, less-expensive fresh fruits and vegetables, and cutbacks in popular-but-pricey Jamaican meat patties and egg rolls. Read More
Abused child gets $18.2 million settlement from Florida
When she was 2, Marissa Amora was so badly abused at her Lake Worth home she suffered catastrophic brain damage that requires her to eat through a feeding tube. Seven years later, she looked on at the Governor's Mansion as Gov. Charlie Crist signed a settlement Tuesday giving her $18.2 million for the role negligent child-abuse investigators played in her case. Read More
Sink signs agreement for Crotzer
Alan Crotzer has heard plenty of apologies from lawmakers and state officials for 24 years he spent in prison for crimes he didn't commit. On Tuesday he and Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink signed the $1.25 million agreement that will put dollars behind those words Read More
Perdue signs bill that makes dogfighting penalties tougher
Animal rights groups on Tuesday applauded a new law that toughens penalties for dog fighting in Georgia. And they credited Michael Vick - the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback serving time for running a brutal pit bull ring - with making it possible. Read More
U.N. secretary-general to visit Atlanta, meet with Gov. Perdue
U.N. Secretary-General Ban-Ki moon will visit Atlanta this week and meet with public officials. Read More
Cagle -- Let the voters decide on Sunday sales
Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, a possible Republican candidate for governor in 2010, now says he is willing to let the state Senate vote on Sunday package store sales of liquor. Read More
State first to resume executions
A Georgia man who killed his live-in girlfriend was executed Tuesday, the first inmate put to death since the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of lethal injections. Read More
Lawmakers tout law that pays nurses more money
Iowa House speaker Pat Murphy and other lawmakers paid a visit to University Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City Tuesday to highlight legislation passed on the final day of this year's session. The bill earmarks this year's Medicaid provider reimbursement increase to go directly to increasing the wages of registered nurses. Read More
Top Democrat says there won't be effort to repeal "English only"
Iowa Secretary of State Michael Mauro says his office will not appeal a ruling which prohibits the state from providing voter registration forms in languages other than English. A fifth district court judge ruled that the Secretary of State's office was violating state law by offering voter registration forms in languages other than English. Read More
Lawmakers react to proposed casino smoking ban in Sioux City
The city council in Sioux City is considering an ordinance which would ban smoking at the city's gambling casino. The state law which goes into effect July 1st bans smoking in most pubic places, but would allow it on the gambling floors at casinos. Read More
Iowa secretary of state won't appeal English-only ruling
Iowa Secretary of State Michael Mauro said Tuesday he won't appeal a judge's decision that voter registration forms must only be in English. Read More
Banned voter forms weighed as 'guides'
State officials will try to assist non-English-speaking voters without appealing a judge's ruling that outlaws voter registration forms in languages other than English, Iowa Secretary of State Michael Mauro said Tuesday. Read More
Lawmakers to introduce truancy bill
With less than a month before the end of spring session, Rockford?s lawmakers are pushing for changes in state law that Mayor Larry Morrissey says will help the city fight rampant truancy. But to succeed, Morrissey and the delegation must mount a last-minute blitz ? four months after the session started in January Read More
Gov. wants to spend $150 million on anti-violence programs
Gov. Rod Blagojevich's $150 million plan to curb youth violence after a rash of Chicago shootings relies on something the Democrat hasn't done before: Getting lawmakers to pass a capital bill so he can pay for his proposal. Read More
Lawmakers brainstorm on construction funds
House Democrats sized up a broad menu of ways to pay for a potential multibillion-dollar statewide construction program Tuesday, coming to no conclusions but considering options that include income tax increases, gambling expansion and leasing the lottery. Read More
Illinois House approves legislation to arrest parolees charged with domestic battery
A month after a 22-year-old Chicago graduate student was shot to death by a violent ex-boyfriend out on parole for murder, the Illinois House unanimously passed legislation that would tighten the rules to try to prevent similar crimes. Read More
Voter ID law thwarts elderly nuns
Indiana's controversial photo identification rule may not have made a major dent in the state's high turnout, but it did frustrate a small group of voters more accustomed to divine law. Read More
Sexual abuse alleged at mental health facility
Kansas City police are investigating allegations that an employee at the Western Missouri Mental Health Center sexually assaulted at least four teenage girls who were patients. Read More
Funds scant for disabled services
It was a loud day at the state Capitol Tuesday as people with disabilities and their supporters tried to shout their way to additional funding. Read More
High court limits jury's power
The state's highest court is allowing a grand jury to keep investigating one of the few U.S. doctors who performs late-term abortions but is limiting its power to subpoena his patients' records. Read More
Voter ID passes, but veto possible
A bill requiring people to provide photo identification when they vote passed both houses of the Legislature on Tuesday and is headed for the governor's desk. Read More
Justice recounts cases on Commandments
In 2005, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer wrote a concurring opinion with the majority in ruling that Ten Commandments displays in two Kentucky courthouses were unconstitutional -- yet one at the Texas Capitol was not and could stay. Read More
Mass. schools feel the $$ pain
The rising price of gas for buses and food for cafeterias is forcing Bay State schools to either pass the cost on to students this fall or cut staff and programs. Read More
Policy raises ire in W. Md.
FREDERICK, Md. - Frederick County sheriff's deputies have become the first Maryland law enforcement officers to check the immigration status of people they arrest, a move authorities say is a necessary tool for policing, but one that has sparked an outcry from advocates who say the policy is costly and encourages ethnic profiling. Read More
Mo. combat vets could get tuition break
Returning combat veterans could soon be in line for deeply discounted tuition at the Missouri's public colleges. Read More
O'Malley talks about importance of slots referendum
Gov. Martin O'Malley said today that if a referendum on slot machine gambling fails in November, "it'll be back to the drawing board with a lot of unpopular choices, and I don't think any of us wants to go there." Read More
State, local officials seek foster homes
State officials will spend the next two years searching for more people like William and Dorine Wallace. Read More
Emergency services minimize impact of outage
Local law enforcement agencies and emergency responders reported few interruptions to the services they provide despite a Unicel network outage that silenced 248,000 customers' cell phones Tuesday. Read More
Governor's panel: Use qualities to lure jobs to Maine
The Governor's Council on Maine's Quality of Place says it's come up with 10 ways to use Maine's distinctiveness to promote job growth. Read More
Uh, that's not what she said
No one has stepped more gingerly around the controversy involving Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick than Gov. Jennifer Granholm. She has said she is reserving judgment until the criminal charges against the mayor are resolved because state law provides for a possible gubernatorial role in removing elected officials. Read More
Rally for freedom -- Strangers join drive seeking commutation for escapee
Supporters of a former Saginaw woman who was a fugitive for 32 years are waging an Internet-fueled campaign to prevent her from serving the rest of her prison sentence. Read More
Bills seek to help Michigan foster care system
Michigan's strained foster care system might get some support from the private sector under a plan soon to be introduced in the state Legislature. Read More
Law targets drunken bar patrons
LANSING, Mich. -- When customers get intoxicated at Pomorski's Tavern, Warren Smith wants to keep them safe. Read More
Tax credit pushed for children who care for aged parents
LANSING, Mich. -- When her ailing mother-in-law moved in for six months, Lynn Coursey, of Three Rivers, had to make some changes in her house and lifestyle. Read More
Housing advocates discuss challenges in Duluth market
St. Louis County residents pay a higher portion of their paychecks to rent than anywhere else in the state. Read More
Bills advance local projects
The Missouri Senate approved budget items yesterday to build several facilities in Columbia, including an item that reauthorizes millions of dollars for the Ellis Fischel Cancer Center. Read More
MEMA cottages could become permanent on coast
Cottages erected after Hurricane Katrina could become a permanent fixture in Jackson County as officials try to overcome a shortage of affordable housing nearly three years after the deadly storm. Read More
Aid for elderly, disabled urged
WASHINGTON -- Three Gulf Coast senators are pushing legislation to aid thousands of disabled or elderly residents who remain uprooted nearly three years after they were left homeless by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Read More
Manufacturers presenting how-to on new immigration law
The Mississippi Manufacturers Association will sponsor a seminar May 21 on a newly enacted state law requiring employers to verify workers' legal status. Read More
From ages 18 to 106, local voters flock to polls for historic primary
It?s possible no one knows how many times Lacy Williams has voted in a presidential primary. Even she can?t say for sure. What do you expect? She?s 106. Read More
Advocacy groups criticize Bruning record on bias cases
Several groups that fight discrimination in the state called Attorney General Jon Bruning?s record a shameful debacle on Tuesday, with one considering a lawsuit against him if he doesn?t change course. Read More
McGreevey divorce trial begins in closed court
ELIZABETH, N.J. -- Lawyers representing the nation's first openly gay governor and his estranged wife ended the first day of their scheduled divorce trial reporting "progress" in settlement talks. Read More
Legislators critical of Human Services
Members of the Assembly Budget Committee yesterday demanded top Human Services officials devise more ambitious plans to make New Jersey's largest and most troubled psychiatric hospital safer and reduce the seemingly infinite waiting lists of disabled people in need of housing. Read More
State seeks hefty increase in housing for working class
The state Council on Affordable Housing yesterday introduced new rules designed to force a hefty increase in the amount of housing built for poor and working-class families. Read More
Prison officials criticized for baby policies
The case of an abused 3-year-old girl rescued in a Wisconsin drug bust shines light on a system that could allow a baby born to a Nevada inmate to be turned over to a criminal, child advocates say. Read More
Poll - Nevada businesses say no new taxes
Nevada's business owners have hardened their stance against fresh taxes in recent months, a poll shows. Read More
Reno firm pays $80,000 settlement to EPA
RENO, Nev. - A Reno manufacturer has agreed to an $80,000 fine to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its failure to required reports about toxic chemical. Read More
UMC thefts on overtime alleged
Not only did University Medical Center employees help their bosses steal from the public hospital ? they also charged the hospital tens of thousands of dollars in overtime while doing it, according to police. Read More
Retired teachers' health plan pact reached
After months of haggling, the Clark County School District and the teachers union have a tentative agreement to offer health insurance to the district?s retired educators. Read More
Medical board refuses to release Desai complaints
The criminal investigation into the conduct of Dr. Dipak Desai, the physician at the center of the nation's biggest hepatitis C scare, has hit a roadblock: the Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners. Read More
Husted turns to 'the judge'
Members of the Ohio House frequently call Rep. William "Bill" Batchelder "the judge" for his years as a common pleas and state appeals court judge. Read More
Gov. signs bill snuffing anti-smoking foundation
The foundation that operated Ohio's anti-smoking programs is gone. Read More
Husted wants more info before moving to impeach Dann
House Speaker Jon Husted, R-Kettering, wants Attorney General Marc Dann to resign but Husted wants more information before the House considers impeaching the Democratic attorney general. Read More
Dann seemed either oblivious or misleading
If the Ohio House ultimately tries to impeach Attorney General Marc Dann, it could come down to Dann's testimony in his office's internal investigation of sexual harassment. Read More
Ohio lethal injection hearing heats up
ELYRIA, Ohio - A prosecutor accused a judge Tuesday of making arguments on behalf of two men challenging the state's method of executing prisoners. Read More
Republican, Democratic parties get to work on Marc Dann impeachment plans
Ohio Democrats on Tuesday took a breather, a day after working themselves into a lather behind their vow to swiftly wrest the attorney general's office from their party mate Marc Dann. Read More
In some bars, battle over smoking ban not over
Akron, OHIO - Corky's Thomastown Caf has the distinction of being one of the top bars in the state. Read More
High-ranking officials marred by scandal don't always resign
A Democratic political consultant questions why two former U.S. House members who voted against impeaching President Clinton 10 years ago are now jumping on a bandwagon to force Ohio's attorney general to resign or be forced from office. Read More
Ohio leaders study impeachment process for attorney general
The Ohio House member reviewing impeachment processes for possible action against Attorney General Marc Dann said he expects to present findings to legislative leaders Wednesday, but he cautioned against rushing to judgment. Read More
Ohio legislators dismantle tobacco prevention agency
Gov. Ted Strickland yesterday pounded the last nail into the coffin of the state's quasigovernment anti-smoking agency that dared to defy lawmakers' plans to take the bulk of its money to help pay for a $1.57 billion economic stimulus package. Read More
Dann could be 1st nonjudge to be impeached
Attorney General Marc Dann has not been charged with a crime, let alone convicted of one, but that may not stop Ohio lawmakers from proceeding with plans to impeach him if he remains firm in his refusal to resign. Read More
Voter ID bill fails to pass
A bill to require voters to show identification at polling sites was defeated along party lines Tuesday in the Oklahoma Senate. Read More
Senate honors oldest OHP trooper
Ed Vandergriff, among the first members of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, was honored by the Oklahoma Senate on Tuesday as the oldest retired state trooper. He is 97. Read More
Fire-safe cigarette bill on Henry's desk
Legislation that would require retailers to sell only "fire safe" cigarettes in Oklahoma is awaiting Gov. Brad Henry's signature. Read More
Oklahoma families feeling financial pinch
An increasing number of Oklahoma families are already suffering difficult economic times, with poverty rates rising as costs go up for necessities, a report said Tuesday. Read More
House speaker wants to study state autism bill costs
A state senator who could not get the House of Representatives to hear his measure to require insurance companies to cover autism diagnosis and treatment costs said Tuesday he is disappointed the issue appears dead this session. Read More
State economy is healthy but not for the poor
The state's economy continues to be robust, but low- and middle-income households in the state aren't faring as well because of stagnant wages and rising fuel, food and health care costs, a study released Tuesday shows. Read More
Foster parents rally for children at state Capitol
Thousands of children's shoes covered the steps outside the state Capitol Tuesday to symbolize the state's 12,000 foster children and the struggles they face to find a loving home. Read More
Senator - State unable to regulate credit card companies
State Sen. Jim Wilson, D-Tahlequah, wanted to draft legislation to prohibit credit card companies from abusing Oklahomans. But when consulting with Senate staff, he learned that federal law prohibits him from doing so. Read More
Kids' fatal injuries in state drop sharply
Fatal injuries to children have declined sharply since 1995, state officials report. Read More
Cascadia gets loans from state, county
State and Multnomah County officials agreed Tuesday to provide up to $2.5 million in loans to keep Oregon's largest mental health care provider operating for the next two months. Read More
Health insurance reform plan could aid 284,000
A health insurance reform plan adopted by the state House and awaiting Senate action could within 10 years cover some 284,000 uninsured Pennsylvanians, while remaining affordable and sustainable, state officials said. Read More
No-divorce proposal left at Senate altar
Legislation was offered in the state Senate Tuesday making it illegal to get a divorce in Pennsylvania. Sen. Vincent Fumo, a Philadelphia Democrat, proposed it as a political antidote to a constitutional amendment prohibiting same-sex marriage and civil unions. Read More
Farmers say state's plan won't solve all problems
COLUMBIA, S.C. --- South Carolina farmers say the state's plans to clamp down on illegal immigration will only cause confusion, hurt the economy and will not solve the problem. Read More
House expected to resume debate on illegal immigration
The South Carolina House is expected to resume debate on legislation to slap employers with hefty fines for knowingly hiring illegal workers. Read More
3 questions about raising the state's cigarette tax
Senate lawmakers agreed Tuesday to raise the state's lowest-in-the-nation cigarette tax. The Senate could finish debate on the proposal today. Three questions that must be settled before it becomes law: Read More
Homeless students on rise at schools
The number of homeless students attending Columbia-area schools has increased dramatically in the last three years, according to an analysis of numbers from the State Department of Education. Statewide, there are 6,033 homeless students, an increase of about 4 percent since 2005. Read More
S.C. to mark war anniversary
South Carolina's observance of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War would be overseen by a new board under legislation approved by a House committee. Read More
Tax on smokes may benefit uninsured
As many as 200,000 uninsured South Carolinians could get health-care coverage if the state Legislature sticks to a plan to increase the cigarette tax by 50 cents a pack. Read More
Guard members are heading back to state
JACKSBORO, Tenn. - Members of three Tennessee National Guard units are back in the United States from Iraq. Read More
Closure of Tennessee agencies threatened
Dozens of state agencies that perform the most basic government tasks, from patrolling highways to collecting taxes to immunizing children, have become entangled in Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey's efforts to change how state judges are selected. Read More
State won't fight release of inmate
The Tennessee attorney general's office says it won't fight an appeals court decision that clears the way to release or retry death row inmate Paul House, who has been imprisoned for nearly 22 years. Read More
Bill would require all DUI offenders to serve 48 hours
Legislation that would require all individuals convicted of drunken driving to serve at least 48 hours in jail passed the House. Read More
Bill to make child abusers serve full terms approved
Convicted child abusers could face longer stays in jail, thanks to a state bill inspired by a Wilson County teenager with mental retardation who was found chained to a bed. Read More
Tennessee legislative briefs - Scholarship bill faces Senate vote
The Republican version of a sweeping lottery scholarships proposal is on its way to a Senate floor vote. Read More
Tennessee - Death row inmate will get new trial after 22 years
A man who has been on death row in Tennessee for 22 years will get a new trial after a U.S. Court of Appeals ruling Monday. Read More
Chattanooga - Local case tied to death penalty debate
A Chattanooga man, convicted of murder in a 1983 St. Elmo slaying, will be the state's benchmark case in a national debate over whether lethal injection is cruel and unusual punishment. Read More
AG to assist in polygamist ranch criminal cases
SAN ANGELO, Texas - The judge who last month ordered 463 children from a polygamist sect into state custody says the state attorney general should help with any criminal cases. Read More
Texas AG to prosecute criminal cases from polygamous ranch raid
SAN ANGELO, Texas -- A judge has ordered the Texas attorney general's office to prosecute any future criminal cases connected to last month's raid on a polygamous sect's Eldorado ranch. Read More
AG's office to prosecute FLDS cases
The judge handling the massive custody case involving children taken from the Fundamentalist LDS Church's YFZ Ranch has ordered the Texas Attorney General's Office to prosecute any potential criminal cases involving the polygamous sect. Read More
Legal experts say what FLDS can do now is cooperate
Two prominent Utah legal minds say there is little members of the Fundamentalist LDS Church can do to stop the momentum of Texas' investigation. In other words: The train has left the station. Read More
All in the family - Where does incest begin?
Danielle Heaney and Nick Cameron were convicted of incest, and the half brother and sister were sentenced to nine months' probation. Read More
Execution is first since ruling
Georgia executed killer William Earl Lynd last night, ending a more than seven-month nationwide hiatus on capital punishment prompted by the Supreme Court's examination of lethal injection. Read More
As executions resume, so do questions of fairness
RALEIGH, N.C. - The release of the third death row inmate in six months in North Carolina last week is raising fresh questions about whether states are supplying capital-murder defendants with adequate counsel, even as an execution on Tuesday night in Georgia ended a seven-month national suspension. Read More
Execution is first since ruling
Georgia executed killer William Earl Lynd last night, ending a more than seven-month nationwide hiatus on capital punishment prompted by the Supreme Court's examination of lethal injection. Read More
Utah teen birth rate on rise, first time since '97
For the first time in a decade, Utah's teen birth rate is on the rise. Read More
Man says enticement law unconstitutional
A Clearfield man convicted of enticing a minor over the Internet is claiming that Utah's Internet Enticement Statute is unconstitutional and is asking the Utah Supreme Court to overturn his conviction. Read More
Utah's teen birth rate increases for first time in 10 years
Confirming the findings of a national study released in December, the state Department of Health on Tuesday announced that Utah's teen birth rate is up slightly for the first time in 10 years. Read More
Gov. Kaine signs bill allowing service dogs into state schools
With two service dogs at his side, Gov. Tim Kaine yesterday ceremonially signed a bill that will require schools to allow children who need such dogs to bring the animals to school. Read More
State hopes to boost school breakfast program
This fall Vermont will become the fourth state in the nation to add funding that will allow low-income students to have free breakfasts. Read More
State worker's union boss stepping down
The longtime head of the Vermont State Employees Association is stepping down. Read More
Noonan steps down after 28 years with VSEA
The longtime head of the Vermont State Employees Association is stepping down, she announced Tuesday. Read More
State closes "flawed" office to help black children in welfare system
The Office of African-American Children's Services -- once considered a national model in the way it tried to address the high number of black kids in the child-welfare system -- has officially closed. Read More
Bars win price-fixing round
Madison taverns may have taken the happy out of happy hour, but they can't be sued for it, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled in a decision released Tuesday. Read More
WVU Faculty Senate calls for president to quit
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - West Virginia University's Faculty Senate demanded Monday that President Mike Garrison resign in the wake of a degree scandal involving the governor's daughter, saying the school cannot heal and rebuild its reputation as long as he is in office. Read More
College tuition rises as much as 8 percent at W.Va. schools
College students in West Virginia will be paying between 3.7 percent and 8 percent more this fall. Read More
Legislative pay lawsuit to make 4 main points
A lawsuit challenging a legislative pay raise that included retroactive per-diem increases of $16 a day for the 2008 regular session will cite four main reasons why the hike should be overturned, according to a draft of the suit obtained by the Gazette. Read More
WVU fine, Garrison says
The beleaguered president of West Virginia University said Tuesday that he can lead the school out of the scandal over an unearned degree given to the governor's daughter, and said he has "seen no empirical evidence to indicate that WVU's reputation has been ruined." Read More
Garrison says further disciplinary measures still possible for personnel involved in Bresch matter
West Virginia University President Mike Garrison said he hasn't closed the door on further disciplinary actions for those involved in awarding a bogus degree to Heather Bresch, the daughter of Gov. Joe Manchin and a longtime friend and associate of Garrison's. Read More
Teacher accused of sex with 16-year-old
MONTCALM, W.Va. - A Montcalm High School teacher accused of having a relationship with a student faces sexual abuse and abduction charges. 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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