|
|
Archive of Economy & Business on Thursday May 08, 2008
Florida to pay $11.5 million for cutting citrus trees
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - A south Florida jury has ordered the State of Florida to pay $11.5 million as compensation to 58,225 residents of Broward County after the state cut down all the citrus trees in their yards in a disease-prevention effort. Read More
Broker to return $37m to towns
A major Wall Street firm agreed to return $37 million to 17 cities and towns in the state, as well as to the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, after it allegedly misled them into buying investments they thought were as safe as cash. 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
Mural tests Vermont law that forbids billboards
BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. - It was meant to be a throwback to the days of romantic Sunday drives - a mural painted on the side of a red barn urging passing drivers to "See Bellows Falls," a town whose Main Street conjures up bygone days. 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
Palin paves way for pay boost
Long-awaited pay raises may be on the way for state legislators, after Gov. Palin quietly signed the bill last week that would make them possible. Read More
With billions of dollars at stake, TransCanada pitches pipeline
Gov. Sarah Palin's attempt to wrest control of development of Alaska's vast natural gas reserves away from the world's big petroleum companies may hinge on a medium-sized Canadian pipeline company. Read More
'Tougher in Alaska' is no day at the beach
Geo Beach is the Brawny lumberjack come to life: Barrel-chested, with flannel for skin and a voice like a chain saw. Read More
Governor calls for boost of 1 cent in state sales tax
Gov. Janet Napolitano is defending a proposal to hike the state sales tax to among the highest in the nation to fund transit improvements. Read More
Bald-eagle protection in Arizona reviewed
Wildlife officials have until Dec. 5 to decide if Arizona's fewer than 50 breeding pairs of desert-nesting bald eagles should continue to be protected under the federal Endangered Species Act. Read More
California deficit still anyone's guess
A quick pop quiz on state politics: How big is California's budget deficit? Is it: a) $14.5 billion, b) $8 billion, c) $10 billion, or d) $20 billion? The answer is, there is no correct answer. Read More
Scrutiny of state contracts urged
When the state education department bought $43,000 in file boxes, Post-its and other office supplies last April, the bill was $2,500 too high. When the department spent $77,000 for supplies like file folders and boxes the next month, the bill was another $5,000 too high. Read More
Historic SoCal land conservation deal hammered out
LEBEC, Calif. -- A group of environmentalists and the owners of a large expanse of wilderness have hammered out a deal that would result in the largest parcel of land designated for conservation in California history that could rival Yosemite National Park in its diversity of wildlife. 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
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
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
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
Florida takes $10 million from condo trust fund
Almost one-third of the money designated for programs to help educate condo owners and pay for enforcement of condo laws will be diverted for unrelated state expenses as a result of the current budget crunch. Read More
Cut! Filming in Florida just got less attractive
Without $25 million in production subsidies, Florida will find it tough to lure movies and TV shows to shoot here. Read More
Volusia lawmaker's intervention scuttles growth-limit bill
Ormond Beach state Sen. Evelyn Lynn says she only was trying to help rural areas around the state lure more development. But the result was that Lynn last week helped derail a proposed rewrite of Florida' growth laws in the dying hours of the legislative session. Read More
As Florida leads in boating deaths, water education lags
Boating deaths jumped 10 percent in Florida last year, marking the 16th year in 20 that the Sunshine State has led the nation in fatalities. Read More
Perdue signs high-deductible insurance plan bill
Insurance companies gained millions of reasons on Wednesday to offer high-deductible health insurance plans as Gov. Sonny Perdue signed legislation aimed at making the plans more affordable and more widely available. 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
School boards will be studied
At the request of the state Board of Education, a coalition of business and education groups are putting together a task force that will take a broad look at how local school boards in Georgia operate. Read More
Ferry must pay for tugboat
The state Department of Transportation has told Hawaii Superferry it must pay for evening tugboat services at Kahului Harbor needed to accommodate the company's expanded Maui service. 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
Hawaii taps tourism emergency fund
The Hawaii Tourism Authority will spend $3 million from an emergency fund to convince North American travelers that Hawaii still offers a good value for a vacation. Read More
Lingle and Kim wage war of words over Liu
Decrying a "major waste of time and resources," Gov. Linda Lingle fired back at a state Senate investigative committee that contends one of her Cabinet members broke the law in awarding a contract to a company that was not the top-ranked bidder for a new investment fund. Read More
Iowa leaders say don't blame ethanol for food costs
Rising food prices have emboldened critics of ethanol and provoked a firm pushback from Iowa leaders. Read More
Proposal eases property taxes by adding fees
Iowa's city and county governments would have more ability to charge special taxes or fees, under one idea for property tax relief that top legislative leaders said will be reviewed next year. Read More
Hispanics fear immigration raid in Iowa
WATERLOO, Iowa ? The presence of immigration officials at National Cattle Congress in Waterloo has stoked fears of an impending raid and caused some in the Hispanic community to avoid workplaces and public areas. Read More
Southwest Idaho company making millions by accepting toxic waste
Railcars loaded with 6,700 tons of radioactive waste will roll across the Treasure Valley this week, the cargo destined for a remote site south of Boise on a sagebrush-dotted plateau near the Snake River. And it won't be the first time. Read More
Feds pledge $1.3 billion for new FutureGen concept
The federal government Wednesday announced plans to offer companies $1.3 billion toward building FutureGen-style power plants across the country, taking another step away from building a single, massive project in Mattoon. Read More
Fat tax break for felon
Stuart P. Levine, the star prosecution witness in Tony Rezko's corruption trial, might be an admitted drug user and felon. But he's savvy when it comes to his property taxes. Read More
Critics - Too many holes poked in plastic bag law
Chicago retailers who derive 25 percent of their gross sales from food or pharmaceuticals would be required to install plastic bag recycling bins - and distribute bags that state "Please reuse or recycle" ? under a crackdown advanced Wednesday that aldermen called a "first step." Read More
Construction costs a political hang-up
Around the Capitol, the perception is that "everyone" wants new roads, bridges and schools. The problem is no one can agree on how to pay for them. Read More
Prison closing plan gets support
A plan aimed at stopping Gov. Rod Blagojevich from closing Pontiac Correctional Center has gained the support of a top Senate Democrat. Read More
Lawmaker warns construction funds are in danger
With time running short at the Capitol for a budget deal, one suburban lawmaker said talk of billions of dollars worth of state-sponsored construction may be headed to the political backburner. Read More
Fairgrounds may need costly work
The Illinois State Fairgrounds could need millions of dollars in maintenance and capital improvements in the next few years, based on information turned over to Rep. Raymond Poe. Read More
Q5 lacks strategy on keeping IDOT jobs
A local economic-development campaign that has pledged to create or retain 4,500 Sangamon County jobs in five years had remained quiet on a plan to move 150 state jobs our of Springfield until Wednesday. Read More
Wrigley Field's name would stay in state deal
Chicago Cubs fans who love Wrigley Field's name and historic character will find their passions protected by the state if it swings a deal to buy the North Side ballpark from Tribune Co., former Gov. James Thompson said Wednesday. 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
Gubernatorial candidates? positions on key issues
With Hoosiers paying record prices at the gas pump and oil prices climbing, what would you do as governor to provide some short- and long-term relief? Read More
Sports facility upgrades expanded
With upgrades to the Kansas University football team?s facilities nearly complete, attention this summer will return to Allen Fieldhouse and the area around it for $55 million in upgrades, expansions and additions. Read More
Bombardier-inspired tax-credit program headed to governor
Capping seven weeks of intense debate, Missouri legislators gave final approval Wednesday to a new tax-credit program that could bring an aircraft assembly plant to Kansas City. Read More
Contest rates state by design
The finalists in a statewide architectural wonders contest claim to be the biggest, longest and fanciest structures in Kansas. But you can be the judge of that. The Kansas Sampler Foundation is asking people to choose from among 24 nominees in the 8 Wonders of Kansas Architecture contest. Read More
Legislature concludes work
Consider these two scenarios for the fate of the coal bill: The third time is the charm. Or, three strikes and you are out. Supporters of a coal-fired power plant were banking on the former Wednesday. They are hopeful Gov. Kathleen Sebelius will sign off on their third bill of the session authorizing expansion of the power plant near Holcomb in southwest Kansas. Read More
Legislature signs off session with coal bill
The Kansas Legislature on Wednesday sent another coal-fired power plants bill to Gov. Kathleen Sebelius before ending the wrap-up session. Read More
House roll call on bill allowing coal-fired plants
Here is the 76-48 vote Wednesday by which the House approved the latest bill allowing for the expansion of the Holcomb power plant and restricting the power of the secretary of health and environment. Supporters of the provisions tied them to economic development projects in other parts of the state. Read More
Despite fix-ups, fewer show up
Kentucky has spent more than $300 million over the past decade maintaining and enhancing its state parks to attract paying customers who -- so far -- haven't shown up, State Auditor Crit Luallen said Wednesday. Read More
State losing money on parks
Kentucky's state park system is losing increasing amounts of money despite spending hundreds of millions of dollars on improvements in recent years, according to a report released yesterday by Auditor Crit Luallen. Read More
House OKs job training bill
The House easily approved Gov. Bobby Jindal's job training package Wednesday. Read More
Bill raising drivers' coverage advances
A bill that would require all drivers to have higher minimum insurance coverage on their vehicles was approved 6-2 Wednesday by the House Insurance Committee. Read More
If pols' tax on smokes passes, prices may fall
As smokers statewide face another tax hike on cigarettes, a controversial new amendment would allow retailers to slash the cost of butts as a way to lure customers into their stores. 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
Lawmakers target $1b endowments
Massachusetts lawmakers desperate for additional revenue are eyeing the endowments of deep-pocketed private colleges to bolster the state's coffers by more than $1 billion a year, asserting that the schools' rising fortunes undercut their nonprofit status. 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
Delay in pollutant ban likely
Gov. Martin O'Malley said yesterday that he is inclined to sign legislation delaying a statewide ban on dishwasher detergent containing polluting phosphorus and that he still is weighing whether to veto a bill ensuring that fruity alcoholic drinks known as "alcopops" continue to be taxed and distributed the same way as beer. Read More
Crab harvest rules aired
CAMBRIDGE, Md. - Nearly 200 watermen packed the pavilion at Sailwinds Park last night to hear details of new harvest rules that they fear will ruin commercial fishermen whose business depends in large part on catching female blue crabs, the Chesapeake Bay's signature fishery. Read More
Relicensed station on 'radar screen,' O'Malley says
Gov. Martin O'Malley suggested yesterday that an automotive safety inspection station in Prince George's County will receive increased monitoring from the Maryland State Police as he defended his administration's decision to issue the facility a new license four years after its previous one was revoked for fraudulent practices. 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
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 high court -- Ambassador Bridge not subject to some Detroit zoning laws
The Michigan Supreme Court Wednesday "declined an invitation ... to second guess" a ruling by now-retired Wayne County Circuit Court Judge James Rashid that found the Detroit International Bridge Co. immune from city of Detroit zoning regulations in certain limited circumstances. Read More
Report suggests ways to boost state tourism
A Republican legislative task force on Wednesday issued recommendations on ways the state can boost its tourism industry, including a dedicated source of promotional funding, regulatory changes and other measures. Read More
Bridge work didn't need city's OK, high court says
The company that owns and operates the Ambassador Bridge had the right to install new tollbooths and a fueling station on the Detroit side without zoning permission from the city, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled Wednesday. 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
Is it time to scrap gas taxes in Michigan?
Michigan's state and local road agencies are dealing with funding problems that could reverse the progress we've made in improving our roadways over the last decade. 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
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
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
RNC -- good for some businesses, but not all
As the Republican National Convention draws near, many Twin Cities business are sizing up how much of a sales kick they may get out of the convention this September. But being close to the convention is no guarantee of a boost in sales. Read More
House offers tax break to attract airplane manufacturer
The Missouri House overwhelmingly passed a plan Wednesday that would give the world's third-largest airplane manufacturer a $240 million incentive to build and operate a facility in Kansas City. Read More
Canadian aircraft maker gets tax credit deal
Legislators gave final approval Wednesday to $240 million in tax credits intended for a Montreal-based airplane manufacturer that might build a plant in Kansas City. Read More
Bets on economy
Beyond the dazzle of the new slot machines and the aroma of grilling shrimp at the Southern Gaming Summit on Wednesday was the question of the economy and how it might affect casinos in Mississippi and across the country. Read More
Insurer study 'in final stages'
The state will finish a study of how State Farm Fire & Casualty Co. handled claims after Hurricane Katrina by month's end, Mississippi Deputy Insurance Commissioner Lee Harrell said Wednesday. Read More
Barbour, McCoy tussle over ad contracts, employment agency
Gov. Haley Barbour says some lawmakers are being "foolish and wrongheaded" to tie the fate of an employment agency to a dispute over state advertising. 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
State will buy mall site if $13M is raised
Gov. Brian Schweitzer said Wednesday the state has agreed to buy Helena's 1960s-era shopping mall as the site for a $40 million history museum, but only if supporters can raise $13 million in private funds by mid-November. Read More
State lotto working on fantasy football
The Montana Lottery is hoping to kick off a statewide fantasy football betting game by September in time for the professional football season, the agency's director said Monday. Read More
Planned oil pipeline to cut across Montana
TransCanada Corp. is planning to build a 36-inch underground pipeline through Eastern Montana and five other states to carry Canadian crude to U.S. refineries along the Gulf Coast of Texas. Read More
Labor post might take runoff
Determining who is the Democratic nominee for state labor commissioner could take more than a month and cost taxpayers millions of dollars. Read More
Legislature looks at closing Castle Hayne agriculture research facility
CASTLE HAYNE, N.C. -- When the Castle Hayne Horticultural Crops Research Station was established more than 60 years ago, there wasn't much surrounding the facility except for farms and fields. 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
Area code 402 gets another extension
The time when area code 402 will run out of phone numbers and, theoretically at least, a third area code would have to be created in Nebraska has again been extended by six months. Read More
Will ID be needed to buy video games?
WASHINGTON -- Young people face an ID check if they want to see an R-rated movie, but too many are walking into stores and purchasing video games that feature graphic sex and violence, Rep. Lee Terry, R-Neb., said Wednesday. Read More
402 area code numbers won't run out until 2010
Nebraskans who live in the eastern part of the state will not have to deal with a new, third area code for at least another two years. 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
State comptroller wants contract info
In letters to 1,903 local government entities -- from school boards and municipal governments to housing authorities and urban enterprise zones -- the newly installed State Comptroller demanded information on government audits and pending contracts. Read More
Meadowlands agency scraps EnCap project
After years of delays, cost overruns and diminished expectations, the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission yesterday killed an ambitious $1 billion project to build golf courses, a hotel and thousands of homes atop capped garbage dumps in Bergen County. Read More
Meadowlands Commission cuts ties with developer
After years of legal and political wrangling and hundreds of millions of dollars in public money, the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission voted Wednesday to end its relationship with a developer that wanted to build thousands of homes and a golf course atop several landfills. 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
True sign of the times: Vegas tips are slipping
The economy, as you know, is off a couple of ticks. Read More
Cuomo's power play
A furious Attorney General Andrew Cuomo yesterday demanded that the state Power Authority disclose who destroyed e-mail and BlackBerry messages involving Daniel Wiese, the agency's suspended inspector general and a central figure in the probe of political-espionage activities by the State Police. Read More
State comptroller removes 6 from pension system
New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli has removed three professionals from the state pension system and rescinded pension credits for three others because they were improperly reported as employees, his spokesman Dennis Tompkins said Wednesday. Read More
State adds names to list
State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli expanded his statewide crackdown on pension abuse Wednesday, saying he stripped three more lawyers of their retirement system membership and took away credits from two others including Public Service Commissioner Maureen Harris. Read More
Senate gas-tax cut hits pothole
The state Senate has passed legislation to suspend state gasoline taxes for the summer, but the initiative has little traction because of opposition from the Assembly and Gov. David Paterson. Read More
Bills ask delay of home foreclosures
The Assembly passed legislation Wednesday to impose a one-year delay on foreclosures when New York homeowners default on mortgage payments, while the Senate was poised to consider a related measure backed by Gov. David Paterson. Read More
Cuomo pursues funding inquiry
Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is sending out letters to 2,700 not-for-profit groups and community organizations asking why they haven't claimed their cut of $78 million for needs lawmakers considered critically important. Read More
Utility bills soak residents
RICHFIELD, Ohio - Mike Began and Michele Pirozek don't like taking showers at their home. 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
Oklahoma educators decry bond issue plan
Representatives from education groups spoke out Wednesday against any state bond issue. 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
New stamps won't stop votes being delivered
Although the U.S. Postal Service's new postage increase will hit smack in the middle of the voting in Oregon's May 20 primary, it won't affect voting, officials say. Read More
Oregonians weigh in on gas-tax suspension
Talk to drivers as they're filling up at the pump, and many say it'd be great if, as Hillary Clinton proposes, the federal gasoline tax were suspended this summer. Read More
Senate committee approves buyout of cattle ranchers
WASHINGTON -- A Senate committee Wednesday unanimously approved a delicate agreement that would close 24,000 acres in Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument to grazing while paying ranchers to keep their cattle off the land. 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
PGE gets the OK to install new meters
Your electricity meter may be about to get a whole lot smarter. But some utility watchdogs think it's a dumb investment. Read More
Smoking ban taking shape
Casinos, private clubs and smaller bars and taverns appear to be winning their fights for exceptions from a bill to ban smoking from most indoor facilities in Pennsylvania. Sources close to talks said all three groups might escape the statewide ban. Read More
Video shows sick cow at Pa. livestock auction
Four months after inhumane treatment of cows revealed at a California slaughterhouse led to the largest meat recall in U.S. history, the Humane Society of the United States yesterday released new undercover videos of crippled cows at livestock auctions in four states, including Pennsylvania. Read More
Preparing consumers for rising power prices
Monthly electric bills may rise by a few cents soon, so that utilities can teach customers how to trim their power costs. Sound contradictory? Read More
LCB seeks advice on bringing better wine to Pa.
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board is forming a Wine Advisory Council comprising restaurant owners, hotel managers and wine experts "to help bring the best selections and wine values to Pennsylvania consumers," the agency announced yesterday. Read More
State House moves for bigger, better bingo booty
The state House is moving to help nonprofit groups that raise funds by holding bingos, which have slipped in attendance as more casinos have opened around Pennsylvania and in neighboring states. 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
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
Attorney general says legislator-state hunting deal legal
A hunter-access contract between a sitting legislator and the state would be legal, Atty. Gen. Larry Long says. Read More
Regulators checking huge sinkhole near Daisetta
DAISETTA, Texas - Regulators continued monitoring a massive sinkhole which has swallowed up oil field equipment, poles and some vehicles since surfacing just outside the southeast Texas community of Daisetta. Read More
Texas caught off guard as more seek handgun permits
Demand for concealed handgun licenses has risen nearly 40 percent in Texas in a year, an increase being attributed to many factors, even presidential politics. Read More
Texas crackdown on uninsured drivers set to begin in June
Three years after the Legislature passed a law to crack down on uninsured motorists, the number of drivers caught without insurance coverage under the 2005 statute is exactly ? zero. Read More
Texas attorney general upholds ban on shipping horse meat across state
Attorney General Greg Abbott said Wednesday that it's illegal to ship horse meat across Texas. Read More
Attorneys general treat big oil with kid gloves
COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho -- Another day, another new high for oil prices. Against that backdrop, the president of Shell Oil Company delivered a vigorous defense of his industry's record profits. The oil executive stopped in the Northwest -- in his words -- to "educate" political leaders. Read More
Gas prices have some thinking they can drive 55
ALBANY, N.Y. - As other cars zipped by at 70 mph or more, Mike Papin and his wife, Joann, kept rolling along just below the 65 mph limit as they made their way from their winter home in Florida to a summer place in Vermont. Read More
Aging systems releasing sewage into rivers, streams
America's sewers are showing their age. Read More
Douglas vetoes decommissioning fund for Yankee
Gov. James Douglas rejected a bill Wednesday that would have required the owners of Vermont Yankee nuclear plant to put up money or guarantees to ensure there would be enough money to dismantle the plant when it stops operating. Read More
Bank high-test drinks, Liquor Control Board urged
The days of selling cheap, high-powered booze in Tacoma?s South End and Eastside appear to be numbered. More than 100 people attended a hearing in front of the State Liquor Control Board Wednesday to urge the agency to adopt an Alcohol Impact Area. 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
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
New plant to add 65 jobs to area by 2010
PRICHARD, W.Va. - Allevard/Sogefi announced Wednesday it will construct a new plant to manufacture automotive filters, adding 65 jobs to the area by 2010. 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
Energy costs worry gov
With no letup in sight to higher fuel costs, people are going to have to change their driving and travel habits, Gov. Dave Freudenthal said Wednesday. Read More
Panel OKs bill to protect Wyo Range
WASHINGTON -- Despite protests by some senators worried about world energy production, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved a bill Wednesday putting 1.2 million acres of the Wyoming Range off-limits to future oil and gas production. Read More
Oh say, is that banner made in the U.S.A.?
Lawmakers in 10 states have taken steps to require that American flags bought with state funds be manufactured in this country. While not all the legislation has passed, one state’s new law even bans the sale of foreign-made American flags in that state. 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
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
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
WORTH NOTING: Phantom voter stalks Ala. State House
An Alabama lawmaker says someone’s been using his voting machine. Florida’s House Speaker locks the doors and turns off Internet access to make legislators pay attention. And Mayberry’s Sheriff Taylor endorses a North Carolina gubernatorial candidate. In case you missed those stories this week, "Worth Noting" fills you in. Read More
The economic downturn: an opportunity for governors?
Most governors recognize that they have the best political job in America. Most also would concede that the job is more satisfying when the economy is strong and revenues are growing than during an economic downturn, when cutting budgets becomes the major task. But even a recession can present opportunities for governors to make improvements that yield lasting benefits for their states. Read More
WORTH NOTING: Illinois gov runs up travel tab
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s commuting costs start to add up. South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds settles a dispute with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over a cranky game warden. Read More |
Powered by