Vermont on Friday May 09, 2008

Archive of Vermont on Friday May 09, 2008

Neutral govs to remain on sidelines
By Pamela M. Prah, Stateline.org Staff Writer

In the homestretch of an unprecedented presidential primary season, spinning with competing sound-bites and endless rhetoric, voters still heading to the polls in four states can’t look to their governors for any pre-election advice. These governors plan to wait until after their states vote to make their own endorsements.
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VSAC finds new source for student loan money
By The Associated Press, Rutland Herald
WINOOSKI, Vt. - The Vermont Student Assistance Corporation will work with KeyBank to provide education loans to students and their parents for the 2008-09 school year.
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Democrat to challenge Manchester incumbent
By Patrick McArdle, Rutland Herald
MANCHESTER, Vt. - For the first time in a decade, local voters may have a choice when it comes time to vote for a representative in the Vermont House after Jeff Wilson, who served as town manager for more than 15 years, announced his intention to run for the office against longtime incumbent Judith Livingston.
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Vermonters report finding dead bats around the state
By Staff Reporters, Times Argus (Barre/Montpelier)
WATERBURY, Vt. - Citizen reports to the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department indicate that bats affected with white nose syndrome continue to die as they reach their summer ranges.
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State -- Expansion of on-line business services a success
By Staff Reporters, Burlington Free Press
Secretary of State Deb Markowitz today announced that 37 percent of Vermont's corporations and LLCs filed their annual reports online during the last renewal cycle.
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State offering shingles vaccine
By Mel Huff, Times Argus (Barre/Montpelier)
Vermonters who endured a childhood bout of chicken pox probably assume they are done with the itchy disease. But they may be in for an unpleasant surprise.
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VSAC ensures student loans
By Tim Johnson, Burlington Free Press
College loans will be available to Vermonters as usual this fall, the state's principal lending agency announced Thursday.
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Attorneys general reach Facebook agreement
By Marcus Moore, The Gazette (Gaithersburg)
In an attempt to make the Internet safer for children, all but one of the nation's state attorneys general have turned their attention to another popular social networking site.
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Facebook reaches agreement on sex predators
By Amy Worden, The Philadelphia Inquirer (registration)
Facebook, the world's second-largest social-networking Web site, has reached an agreement with state law enforcement authorities across the country aimed at protecting children from sexual predators.
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Facebook safeguards will protect young users
By The Associated Press, CNN.com
HARTFORD, Conn. - Facebook, the world's second-largest social networking Web site, will add more than 40 safeguards to protect young users from sexual predators and cyberbullies, attorneys general from several states said Thursday.
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Facebook agrees to shield kids from adult content
By Phuong Cat Le, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Social networking giant Facebook has agreed to better protect children on its Web site, including providing automatic warning messages when a child is in danger of giving personal information to an unknown adult.
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WORTH NOTING: Illinois treasurer shows his knowledge of charges
By Daniel C. Vock, Stateline.org Staff Writer
U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) endures a bruising charge from Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (D). A new Utah law stirs Salt Lake City bartenders to create a new drink. And Louisiana prison guards get outside help to prevent escapes. In case you missed those stories this week, Worth Noting fills you in.
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Silver Alert helps rescue lost seniors
By Christine Vestal, Stateline.org Staff Writer
(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.
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At-risk gubernatorial seats increase
By Louis Jacobson, Stateline.org Columnist

After a pair of hard-fought primaries, North Carolina joins Missouri, Washington and Indiana on Out There's list of states where partisan control of the governorship could flip this fall.
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Will states fix 2012 primary process?
By Pamela M. Prah, Stateline.org Staff Writer

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

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Fairness of death-penalty panels questioned
By John Gramlich, Stateline.org Staff Writer
Death-penalty supporters are raising questions about the fairness of state commissions charged with studying how capital punishment is carried out in Maryland and Tennessee, claiming the panels will issue reports that ignore their views.
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Legislators prod Congress on Medicaid, Real ID
By Pamela M. Prah, Stateline.org Staff Writer
As some states tumble into what they fear is a recession, state lawmakers from across the country are pushing Congress for relief from impending federal rules that would force states to pick up more Medicaid costs and spend billions to make drivers’ licenses more secure.
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With justices' OK, voter ID moves ahead
By Daniel C. Vock and John Gramlich, Stateline.org Staff Writers
A decision Monday (April 28) by the U.S. Supreme Court to let Indiana demand photo identification from voters paves the way for other states to do the same during November’s presidential election, experts say.
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23 states face budget gaps in '09
By Pamela M. Prah, Stateline.org Staff Writer

Like a college student fishing for stray quarters in the sofa cushions, states are tightening their belts, dipping into their rainy day funds and hoping revenues will pick up. But the faltering economy already has punched a $26 billion hole in 23 state budgets for 2009 – and it could get worse, according to a new report issued today (April 25).

Will Democrats grow legislative edge in '08?
By Louis Jacobson, Stateline.org Columnist

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

Gay marriage decisions ripe in Calif., Conn.
By Christine Vestal, Stateline.org Staff Writer

(Updated March 6, 2008)

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

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

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

Summary of the State of the State Address

Gov. Jim Douglas (R) called for tax reforms and environmental measures and asked the Democratic-controlled Legislature to make affordable health care its top priority in his Jan. 9 speech. For the most part, the governor proposed tweaks to current programs, rather than new initiatives.
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Commentary: Govs beat White House hopefuls as agents of change
By Gene Gibbons, Stateline.org Executive Editor

This column was published simultaneously by The Politico.

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

Once, races for state attorney general were quiet affairs. No longer. Attorneys general can wield enormous power in such areas as consumer protection and criminal prosecutions – and can use the job to vault into higher office. Here's how this year's 10 state races for attorney general are shaping up.
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Iraq casts shadow on 2008 state races
By Louis Jacobson, Stateline.org Columnist

Not a single governor or state legislator wields authority over the conduct of the Iraq War, yet a broad range of party strategists and political analysts agree that state races in 2008 will be shaped, mostly indirectly, by public attitudes towards that conflict. Unless there’s a sea change in public opinion, that’s bad news for Republicans.
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Democratic mid-term gains affecting policy
By Louis Jacobson, Stateline.org columnist
So complete was the Democratic rout in the 2006 midterm elections that the party even gained legislative influence in Alaska, Idaho, North and South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming – states long dominated by the Republicans. And those gains, though small, are translating into policy achievements.
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WORTH NOTING: Illinois gov runs up travel tab
By Christine Vestal, Stateline.org Staff Writer
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s commuting costs start to add up. South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds settles a dispute with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over a cranky game warden. California corrections officials install “flushometers” to control wasteful toilet flushing in prisons. In case you missed any of those stories this week, "Worth Noting" fills you in.
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Embryonic stem cell research divides states
By Christine Vestal, Stateline.org Staff Writer
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.
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States outpace feds on minimum wage
By Christine Vestal, Stateline.org Staff Writer
When the new federal minimum wage takes effect July 24, 30 states will require employers to pay hourly workers more than federal law requires.
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