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Archive of Social Policy on Thursday May 08, 2008
Silver Alert helps rescue lost seniors
(Updated 9:30 a.m EST, May 8, 2008) When an elderly person with dementia is lost, eight states can trigger an alert to let the community know. Proposals in Congress would expand the successful missing persons program to all 50 states. Read More
No benefits for gay partners, court says
Public employers are barred from providing health care benefits to the partners of gay and lesbian employees, a divided Michigan Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday. Read More
AG -- Close colleges to illegal aliens
Public colleges in North Carolina should not admit illegal immigrants as students, the state Attorney General's Office advised in a letter released Wednesday. Read More
Calif. appeals court rules in domestic partners case
SANTA ANA, Calif. ? People who mistakenly believe they are registered as domestic partners in California have the same rights as those who fulfilled terms of the state's Domestic Partner Act, an appeals court ruled. Read More
Raid on sect in Texas rattles other polygamists
COLORADO CITY, Ariz. - As the supper dishes were being cleared away and the rice pudding brought out for dessert, Marvin Wyler's two wives, along with some of their children and a group of friends, began poring over the list. Read More
New Ga. law bans sale of 'pot candy' to minors
Selling marijuana-flavored candy to children will net the seller a $500 fine under a ban that may be the first of its kind in the nation. Read More
Minimum wage hike hits snag
A legislative agreement to raise Minnesota's minimum wage in two stages faces a veto threat from Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who wasn't swayed by changes designed to attract his signature. Read More
Bill fines landlords of illegal immigrants
The House Committee on the Administration of Criminal Justice voted 7-4 Wednesday for a bill that would make it a crime to knowingly rent or lease a room, apartment or house to an illegal immigrant. Read More
Bill approved to ban gassing of pets
Illinois House members voted Wednesday to ban the gassing of pets at animal shelters, with one lawmaker calling the practice disgusting. Read More
Proposed Minnesota law would delay foreclosures
Lawmakers in some states are proposing moratoriums on foreclosures as a way to deal with the ongoing crisis in the housing market. Read More
Islamic divorce ruled not valid in Maryland
After his wife of more than two decades filed for divorce in Montgomery County Circuit Court, Irfan Aleem responded in writing in 2003, and not just in court. 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
Proposal to cut alien benefits gets go-ahead
Backers of a proposed initiative aimed at cutting state benefits to illegal aliens are in a hurry to round up thousands of petition signatures after Attorney General Dustin McDaniel approved the proposal's ballot wording Wednesday. Read More
Ark. 211 service helps get callers to social services
An operator handling the first call for the Arkansas' new 211 service heard a familiar voice on the other end of the line: Gov. Mike Beebe. Read More
Ark. first lady urges better mental health care for children
Ginger Beebe doesn't like public speaking but will put aside her nervousness to speak on behalf of children with mental-health problems. Read More
Beebe makes call to kick off new 211 system
Gov. Mike Beebe made a call to Arkansas' new 211 system during a news conference Wednesday marking the official launch of the program, which seeks to connect Arkansans with community services and volunteer opportunities. Read More
McDaniel approves wording of illegal immigration measure
After rejecting two previous versions, Attorney General Dustin McDaniel on Wednesday approved the name and ballot title of a proposed ballot initiative that would make it more difficult for illegal immigrants to receive public benefits in Arkansas. Read More
Critics call crime initiative a ploy to lure 'ultraconservatives' to polls
They turned up the heat on the politics of crime Wednesday over an initiative likely to appear on the November ballot aimed at gangs and guns. Read More
$271 million for research on stem cells in California
LOS ANGELES - California has awarded $271 million in grants to build 12 stem cell research centers in the state, even as one of the political rationales for the building program might soon disappear. Read More
Unions reach out to expand war chest
The nation's largest unions are turning Colorado into a battleground state, throwing big dollars behind a local issue committee that's fighting the right-to-work ballot initiative and pushing a pair of competing measures. Read More
Time runs out on sick day legislation
The House of Representatives appeared to have scuttled an effort to require businesses to provide paid sick days to all their workers, refusing to call the bill for a vote as time ran out on the legislative session Wednesday night. Read More
Bill would end ban of paid firefighters volunteering
The General Assembly has passed bill that stops cities and towns from banning their paid firefighters from serving as volunteer firefighters in their home towns. Read More
Ethics reform bill apparently scuttled
An increasingly personal dispute between House and Senate lawmakers imperiled an ethics reform bill late Wednesday night, as the legislature's midnight deadline to adjourn approached. Read More
Fate of pension revocation bill in doubt
The fate of a key ethics reform bill, which revokes the pensions of corrupt officials and public employees, remained in doubt late Wednesday as the legislative session neared adjournment. Read More
State says permits for new houses fell 16 percent in 2007
A state economic development agency says that new housing starts in Connecticut dropped 16 percent last year, but the figures were better than those in the region and the nation. Read More
State to require teachers to take test on reading
Aspiring early childhood and elementary school teachers will have to prove they know how to teach reading on a test the State Board of Education has added to Connecticut's teacher certification requirements. Read More
Bill to reform magistrate appointments dies
A legislative controversy - which ignited after Gov. M. Jodi Rell's appointment early this year of a Republican activist from Old Lyme as a $121,615-a-year family support magistrate - died quietly Wednesday when the House failed to take up a Senate-approved reform bill. Read More
Rell cool to expansion of state worker insurance pool
Gov. M. Jodi Rell expressed strong reservations Wednesday about a Democratic bill that would permit municipalities, nonprofits and small businesses to join the state employee health insurance pool. Read More
Mortgage relief bill highlights final day of legislative session
Hours before the legislature's 2008 session ended, the state Senate unanimously passed a comprehensive mortgage-relief bill that would help thousands of subprime mortgage holders threatened with foreclosure. Read More
Del. group to build second Afghan school
Afghanistan-Delaware Communities Together is planning to build a second school in Afghanistan. Read More
Michigan ruling stirs same-sex advocates in Florida
A Michigan Supreme Court ruling -- that the state's law banning gay marriage also prohibits same-sex benefits offered to government employees -- is energizing opponents of a similar amendment on Florida's November ballot. Read More
Perdue OKs health bills
Gov. Sonny Perdue on Wednesday signed a pair of bills aimed at making high-deductible health insurance plans more accessible to Georgians. Read More
Lt. governor says he will allow Senate vote on Sunday sales
Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle now says he's willing to let the state Senate act on a referendum that would allow voters to decide whether stores may sell alcohol on Sunday. Read More
Defense lawyer -- Lack of funds could spur appeal
The statewide indigent defense funding shortfall could play a significant part in the Damon Jolly trial, said one of his attorneys. Read More
Lingle?s housing measures collapse
Gov. Linda Lingle lost a series of important housing bills when the state Legislature ended last week. Read More
Culver wants dropout rates reduced
Iowa must take more steps to reduce the number of high school dropouts, specifically among minority students, Gov. Chet Culver said Wednesday. Read More
Culver -- 'Community effort' needed to keep young people in school
Gov. Chet Culver said Wednesday that his policies have begun to remedy some of the problems that lead to school dropouts, though he said the best approaches are customized to local problems and conducted by local leaders. Read More
Bill allowing Rockford schools to share data gets 1st OK
Rockford Mayor Larry Morrissey has said for months that state law should be changed to require the Rockford School District to share names and personal information about students suspected of being truants. Read More
Governor doesn't show for Holocaust observance
Gov. Rod Blagojevich was absent Wednesday for the 27th annual Days of Remembrance Holocaust Observance, which was held at the Old Capitol State Historic Site. Read More
Disabled criticize Pace's dispatch computer service for paratransit
Angered by chronically late or no-show drivers and frustrated at having to sit for hours in paratransit vans for what should be shorter rides, more than a dozen disabled riders castigated Pace Wednesday for what they said were flaws in a new computerized dispatch system. Read More
Dressed down
There's already a laundry list of problems at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, but so far no one has seen the wardrobe of its leader as a problem. Read More
Indianapolis Museum of Art, ACLU sue over new state pornography law
The Indianapolis Museum of Art, which sells art books containing images of nudes painted by the Old Masters, joined a civil rights group Wednesday in suing over a law that would require a business selling pornography to register with the state. Read More
Panel backs poverty fight
The state could be required to reduce child poverty by 50 percent under a bill easily approved by a Senate committee Wednesday. Read More
Armor bill clears House
Bulletproof vests and other body armor would be off limits on school campuses under legislation that cleared a House committee Wednesday. Read More
Gov ready to roll the dice on slots, casino bid again
Casino gambling and slot machines could be back on the table in the Bay State, Gov. Deval Patrick said yesterday. Read More
Patrick - Casinos plan could still fly
BROOKLINE, Mass. - Despite a recent high-profile defeat, legislation to legalize casino gambling in Massachusetts may yet come back, Governor Deval Patrick said yesterday. Read More
O'Malley stresses need for slots
Gov. Martin O'Malley said yesterday 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
Court rules on rights of victims
Tracy L. Palmer was furious when she learned that a Prince George's County judge had decided to reduce her abuser's prison sentence, but attorneys told her it was too late to do anything about it. Read More
Deal to protect homeowners unravels
A compromise on legislation that would give owners of manufactured homes the first shot at buying their communities if they come up for sale is coming undone, with the homeowners and landowners at loggerheads once again. Read More
Plans to end hunger advance
Activists who want to end childhood hunger decided Tuesday night at a Blaine House dinner to move forward with plans for a summit to focus on the issue. Read More
Maine bread company bashes U.S. fuel policy
A Maine bread company executive testifying before a Senate committee in Washington on Wednesday said the federal government?s renewable fuel policy has encouraged skyrocketing food prices. Read More
Bangor Hydro sends disconnect notices to nearly half its customers
BANGOR, Maine - Knowing their electricity wouldn?t be cut off in the winter, local residents Lana and Jon Courtright chose to buy food and gasoline instead of paying their electric bill. Read More
Maine plays role in debate over ethanol funding
WASHINGTON - Higher food prices have led some lawmakers to re-examine a federal mandate passed last year that requires refiners to nearly double the amount of corn ethanol used in gasoline. Read More
Mich. high court says gay partners can't get health benefits
The Michigan Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that a 2004 ban against gay marriage also blocks governments and state universities from offering health insurance to the partners of gay workers. Read More
State foster care could get boost
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
Ban on same-sex health coverage upheld
Tom Patrick is worried about what will happen to the health care benefits he and his partner, Dennis, and their four children have as a result of a ruling Wednesday by the Michigan Supreme Court. Read More
Major special ed changes weighed
Darnell Jackson is learning to roll over and identify himself in a mirror. The 7-year-old is severely multiply impaired, a condition he'll never outgrow and so limiting that his mom, Candace Nelson, hails almost any gains as major achievements. Read More
Mich. court says gay partners can't get health benefits
LANSING, Mich. - Local governments and state universities in Michigan cannot offer health insurance to the partners of gay workers, the state Supreme Court ruled yesterday. Read More
Minnesota foreclosure bill faces veto threat
Lawmakers in some states are proposing moratoriums on foreclosures as a way to deal with the ongoing crisis in the housing market. In Minnesota, lawmakers are taking a slightly different approach - one that tries to keep people in their homes but also preaches personal responsibility. Read More
Minn. panel drops booster seat rule after Pawlenty objects
The sponsors of a transportation policy bill have dropped a booster seat requirement for children ages 4 to 8 to accommodate Governor Tim Pawlenty. Read More
House supports psych hospital
A proposed child psychiatric hospital in Woodbury gained overwhelming support Wednesday from the Minnesota House, with lawmakers lamenting the children who must be transported out of state for mental health care as well as those lost to suicide. Read More
House approves stem cell measure
A bill clarifying that the University of Minnesota can use state taxpayer funds for embryonic stem cell research gained House approval Wednesday. Read More
Crash stats bolster push to restrict teen drivers
A lot of teen death rate statistics, including some misleading ones, have been thrown around in Minnesota's legislative debate over a bill that would restrict times teens can drive and the number of passengers they can transport Read More
Missouri Senate sends $22.4 billion spending plan to Blunt
The Missouri Senate on Wednesday put the final touches on a $22.4 billion spending plan that includes more funding for public schools, college scholarships, life sciences research and low-income health care. Read More
Attorney general candidate John Parker -- State needs manpower, treatment for meth
Montana law enforcement needs more manpower in the battle against methamphetamine, and addicts need more treatment, says John Parker, a Democratic candidate for attorney general. Read More
Workers' comp rates to drop next year
The Montana State Fund is trimming workers' compensation insurance rates next year by an average of 3 percent, the agency's board announced this week. Read More
Tester slams Real ID Act, executive reach
WASHINGTON -- Sen. Jon Tester on Wednesday said recent government programs, including the Real ID Act, have violated privacy and built executive power to the extent that it threatens national security. Read More
Easley to seek poultry changes
Gov. Mike Easley will ask lawmakers next week for additional money, staff and authority to determine how often North Carolina's poultry workers are hurt on the job and whether companies are treating them humanely. Read More
AG - Close colleges to illegal aliens
Public colleges in North Carolina should not admit illegal immigrants as students, the state Attorney General's Office advised in a letter released Wednesday. Read More
Mortgage crisis poses threat to renters
New Hampshire residents who pay their rents on time are losing their homes as fast as homeowners who default on mortgages. Read More
Kindergarten compromise okayed
A compromise plan to bring kindergarten to every 5-year-old in the state cleared the House yesterday, 200-137. Read More
Budget cuts vex black legislators
TRENTON, N.J. -- A group of legislators with enough sway to hold up the state budget expressed worry yesterday that proposed cuts could make it harder for poor minorities to get health care and attend college. Read More
Testimony set to begin in McGreevey divorce
ELIZABETH, N.J. -- Former New Jersey Gov. James McGreevey and his estranged wife failed yesterday to reach a settlement in their divorce case, setting the stage for testimony to begin in a trial today. Read More
Richardson talks health, education in Mexico
Gov. Bill Richardson and several Mexican officials signed various international agreements Wednesday, on topics dealing with rail crossings to border health projects. Read More
Judge rejects newspaper suit over governor's weapons permit
RENO, Nev. - A Washoe District Court judge has rejected a lawsuit filed by a Reno newspaper seeking documents concerning the mishandling of Gov. Jim Gibbons' concealed weapons permit. Read More
Teachers negotiate tax plan
A teachers' union pushing an initiative petition to raise Nevada's gambling taxes is negotiating with resort representatives on a possible deal that would head off the petition while still providing more education funds. Read More
Nevada governor signs order for new anti-waste panel
Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons and the head of his new anti-government waste panel said Wednesday the state has an outdated bureaucracy that needs to be streamlined quickly given the current economic downturn that has cut into tax revenues. Read More
Nevada inmate joins legal challenge, won't volunteer to die
Condemned inmate William Castillo, who until now has declined to file appeals that could keep him alive, joined Wednesday in a state Supreme Court challenge of Nevada's lethal injection execution procedure. Read More
Board chief fires back, backs off
The executive director of the Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners unleashed a tirade against a county prosecutor Wednesday before saying the board would comply with a request to turn over to investigators any complaints in its files about Dr. Dipak Desai, whose clinic was the source of the largest hepatitis C scare in the nation. Read More
True sign of the times: Vegas tips are slipping
The economy, as you know, is off a couple of ticks. Read More
Utility bills soak residents
RICHFIELD, Ohio - Mike Began and Michele Pirozek don't like taking showers at their home. Read More
Judge wants bullet case investigator
Summit County Common Pleas Judge Patricia A. Cosgrove has decided to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate allegations of compromised ballistic evidence that led to last month's dismissal of an aggravated murder case against a Mahoning County man. Read More
Ohio congressional hopefuls swift to rebuke attorney general
As Ohio's attorney general sex scandal becomes the butt of national jokes, Democratic congressional candidates who will face the state's voters this fall are scrambling to distance themselves. Read More
Dann's campaign fund to undergo routine audit
Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann used his campaign fund for items big and small last year ? everything from $33,753 in security equipment and $1,170 for lawn and pool work at his house to a 35-cent charge at a McDonald's in Ravenna. Read More
Health Alliance shrinking staff
The Health Alliance of Greater Cincinnati has not filled open positions at its main offices for more than a year as it prepared for three of its hospitals to withdraw. Read More
Environmentalists attack Voinovich over climate change
Preparing for debate over global warming in the U.S. Senate next month, the Environmental Defense Action Fund today is running a full-page ad in The Hill, a newspaper that covers Congress, criticizing Ohio's George Voinovich. Read More
Ohio official - Help needed from A.G.'s office on whether A.G. can be impeached
Ohio House Speaker Jon Husted says lawmakers determining whether Attorney General Marc Dann should be impeached over a sex scandal need help from an unlikely source: the attorney general himself. Read More
Dann hires political spokesman
Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann is not only worried about his professional career but his political future as well if a recent hire in the midst of a sexual harassment scandal that could cost him his job is any indication. Read More
House seeks reports before acting to impeach Dann
The march toward impeachment of Attorney General Marc Dann appears to have slowed to a crawl. Read More
Centennial official joins new state project
Jeanie Edney spent last year building partnerships that were supportive of Oklahoma's yearlong centennial celebration. That experience will prove to be vital as she begins her new role. Read More
Toxic spills in Carmen, near Edmond necessitate EPA response
The Environmental Protection Agency has responded to two environmental spills in Oklahoma this month ? a mercury spill in Carmen and a sewage leak in Oklahoma City, near Edmond. Read More
State lawsuit reform bid goes to governor
House Republican legislators led the charge Wednesday to pass a measure that would require an expert opinion confirming professional negligence before a lawsuit could be filed. Read More
Gas prices driving transit ridership higher
TULSA, Okla. ? The pain at the pump is driving Oklahoma metros to become transit-friendly. Read More
English-only bill in state is 'probably dead'
Senate Democrats with one Republican's help crippled an English-only bill Wednesday, sending it back to a conference committee where its chances of revival are slim. Read More
Gov. Henry vows to veto newest tort reform measure
Barely before the ink was dry on a significant tort reform bill the Legislature passed Wednesday, Gov. Brad Henry promised to veto the measure. The bill would reinstate certain provisions of a law struck down as unconstitutional in 2006. Read More
State, county help keep mental health care provider going
PORTLAND, Ore. -- A timely loan will allow Oregon?s largest mental health care provider to continue operating until at least midsummer. Read More
R.I. lawmaker urges state to legalize same-sex divorce
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - A House lawmaker says the state should allow gay couples legally united elsewhere to divorce in Rhode Island. Read More
No votes taken on same-sex marriage bills
Jenn Steinfeld celebrated an anniversary of sorts in a crowded committee room at the State House last night. Read More
Senate panel considers E-Verify bill
Use of a federal electronic employment verification program by private employers would be "easy and free," and would deter illegal immigration to Rhode Island, said sponsors and proponents of a bill heard by the Senate Committee on Labor yesterday. Read More
Carcieri removes MHRH director
Governor Carcieri has removed Ellen R. Nelson as director of the state Department of Mental Health, Retardation and Hospitals, and appointed her his special adviser on hospital acquisitions and mergers, a newly created position that the governor described as temporary. Read More
Senate supports plan to raise cigarette tax
The S.C. Senate on Wednesday approved a 50-cent-per-pack cigarette tax increase that would help a quarter of the state?s uninsured find or buy medical coverage. Read More
Hiring illegals puts business licenses in jeopardy under House bill
Businesses could have their right to operate in South Carolina suspended for up to 30 days if they repeatedly hire illegal workers under a new immigration bill passed Wednesday by the House. Read More
S.C. House sends Senate revised immigration bill
The state illegal immigration reform plan was given another rewrite Wednesday with changes that could put the Legislature back where it was about three weeks ago: in negotiations. Read More
House cuts employer fines from proposal
COLUMBIA, S.C. --- The South Carolina House voted Wednesday to remove fines of up to $10,000 per worker from a bill intended to punish businesses that knowingly hire illegal immigrants, changing a key provision passed earlier by the Senate. Read More
Bredesen offers state jobs buyout
Citing record declines in state revenue, Gov. Phil Bredesen proposed a voluntary state-employee buyout incentive Wednesday with a goal of cutting 2,011 jobs by mid-summer. Read More
Attorney says he will oppose new trial
An attorney for a Tennessee death row inmate says he will ask a federal judge not to give prosecutors more time to retry Paul House, who's been imprisoned over 22 years and could be released later this month. Read More
Tennessee - Bill would exclude churches from 'no smoking' signs law
Every church in Tennessee without a "no smoking" sign at each outside entrance is in violation of state law. But don?t look for pastors and church officials to be dragged off to jail. Read More
Bill requiring more disclosure from for-profit colleges moves forward
A bill requiring more disclosure from for-profit schools in Tennessee passed in the House Education Committee on Wednesday, setting it up for a possible vote on both sides of the legislature next week. Read More
Bredesen says state can't afford DUI bill
Budget concerns have caused Gov. Phil Bredesen to withdraw a bill to immediately revoke the driver's license of anyone arrested on suspicion of drunken driving. Read More
Lawmakers still split on lottery scholarships
Lottery scholarship requirements could be up for another battle in the legislature after a House committee voted to approve different grade standards than the Senate wants. Read More
Around the region - High court weighs state's 'crack tax'
The fight for Tennessee's so-called "crack tax" program has reached the Tennessee Supreme Court, where state lawyers say drug dealers should be taxed like any other merchants. Read More
Tennessee House, Senate differ on Hope GPA
House Democrats are sticking with a proposal for an across-the-board reduction in the cumulative grade point average needed to maintain a lottery scholarship. Read More
Tennessee - Increased tuition rates eyed to offset higher education cuts
Proposed cuts to Tennessee's state budget may force higher education officials to renege on a commitment to keep tuition increases in the single digits, university officials say. Read More
Nashville - Bredesen to cut 2,011 jobs, higher education and reduce BEP improvements
Gov. Phil Bredesen said Wednesday he will ask lawmakers to approve voluntary buyout packages for 2,011 workers, and he also plans to cut $86.5 million in new funding to continue reforms to the state's Basic Education Program K-12 funding formula. Read More
Judge dismisses sex abuse suit against school
A federal judge has dismissed claims alleging school officials didn't try to prevent a sexual relationship between a high school student and a color guard instructor. Read More
2 state schools probed by U.S. civil rights unit
About one-fourth of the more than 800 employees suspended or fired for mistreating residents at Texas' 13 large facilities for the mentally and developmentally disabled worked at two state schools targeted by federal investigators, state records show. Read More
Impact of sect children is felt in Bexar
In the days after more than 460 children were seized last month from a polygamist sect's ranch in West Texas, Child Protective Services officials assured the public that the system had the resources to care for the children and litigate their cases. Read More
City, state take aim at Bexar's high teen pregnancy rate
City and state officials on Wednesday - the National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy - announced their intentions to come up with a comprehensive plan to combat Bexar County's persistently high teen birth rate. Read More
Judge OKs settlement on safety for Edinburg, Texas, juvenile center
A federal judge has approved a settlement between the Texas Youth Commission and the Justice Department over inmate safety at the state's juvenile prison in Edinburg. Read More
Grant to help Utah fight sex exploitation of kids
Paul Laurence Briggs, accused of being the owner of an MP3 player containing child pornography that was found on a Salt Lake City sidewalk, will join more than 100 defendants in Utah now being prosecuted on federal charges involving sexual exploitation of children. Read More
Prescription drugs a top Utah killer
PROVO, Utah -- Prescription drug overdoses caused more deaths in Utah in 2006 than automobile accidents and illegal drug overdoses, according to the Utah Department of Health. Read More
Court debates Internet chat
Can the state convict someone of enticing a minor over the Internet based on their words alone? That issue was the subject of lively debate among justices of the Utah Supreme Court on Wednesday. Read More
Hall to leave post as head of Housing
Commissioner John Hall, a main force behind Gov. James Douglas' housing proposal, will leave his post next week as the head of the Department of Housing and Community Affairs. Read More
Court upholds DNA sampling
The Vermont Supreme Court has upheld a 2005 law that allows the state to collect genetic samples from nonviolent felons. Read More
Report -- Vt. ranks #1 for overall child well-being
A nationwide report released last month by the Washington, D.C.-based Every Child Matters Education Fund (ECMEF) has ranked Vermont first in the country for overall child well-being, state officials said today. Read More
Mentally ill children's long wait for treatment
Imagine having a young child who beats you up -- physically, violently. A child who doesn't just throw the occasional temper tantrum, but rages out of control daily. This has been Janet Friedberg's agony for the past seven years. Read More
State has the most fatal falls
Falls are fatal more often for senior citizens in Washington than in any other state, annual statistics show. Read More
Slipping cigarette sales is bad news, good news.
Matt Hauser, President of The Wisconsin Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association, says retailers are reporting a drop in tobacco sales -- up to 25% at locations near the state borders -- since the tax increase of a dollar a pack took effect on January 1st. Hauser says retailers are losing revenue, and so is the state. Read More
WVU faculty plan rare assembly in wake of degree scandal
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - As best as anyone can tell, it's been more than 30 years since the full-time instructors at West Virginia University considered anything important enough to call a special meeting of the little-known University Assembly. Read More
Massey subsidiary cited for 3 violations in W.Va. mine fatal
Coal operator Massey Energy Co. has been cited for safety violations that federal investigators say contributed to the death of a West Virginia miner late last year. Read More
WVU Foundation says giving is unharmed so far
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Cash fundraising for West Virginia University is about where it was this time last year, those in charge of the effort say, despite months of publicity about a degree scandal involving the governor's daughter, academic officials and President Mike Garrison. Read More
Response picks up in teacher pension switch
State officials say they've received many notices in the past day from teachers and school personnel who want to switch from a 401(k)-style investment plan to the Teachers Retirement System. Read More
New union chief says higher pay will draw more teachers
The new president of the state's largest teachers' union said he wants to focus on attaining and retaining highly qualified teachers during his administration. 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
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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