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Archive of Politics on Monday May 12, 2008
Voter ID battle shifts to proof of citizenship
The battle over voting rights will expand this week as lawmakers in Missouri are expected to support a proposed constitutional amendment to enable election officials to require proof of citizenship from anyone registering to vote. Read More
Growing deficits threaten pensions
The funds that pay pension and health benefits to police officers, teachers and millions of other public employees across the country are facing a shortfall that could soon run into trillions of dollars. Read More
Compromise in Florida's delegate dispute may be ahead
In a sign that the impasse over giving Florida a voice in the Democratic nomination finally may be breaking, both Democratic presidential campaigns are starting to broach compromise plans publicly. Read More
Corruption case taints rising political star
CHICAGO - As the corruption trial of the political fund-raiser Antoin Rezko winds to a close here, testimony about power-brokering at the highest levels of state government has battered the career of an Illinois politician who once had his sights set on the White House. Read More
Analysis - NY unsettled amid claims of rogue state police
The allegation is startling and the pattern it's based on unsettling: A rogue element in the state police has for years tailed and snitched on elected officials and political enemies. Read More
Can Corzine still pass as a liberal? He thinks so
TRENTON, N.J. - You never know which Gov. Jon S. Corzine is going to show up at the State House these days. Read More
Neutral govs to remain on sidelines
 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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WORTH NOTING: Illinois treasurer shows his knowledge of charges
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. Read More
At-risk gubernatorial seats increase
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Will states fix 2012 primary process?
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Legislature steps in to prisons dispute
The Alaska Legislature is stepping into the internal bickering in the state's prisons that has reached a feverish pitch. Read More
School budget language plays up the risks to kids
Newly released documents justifying the hundreds of earmarks in the proposed $2.3 billion state capital budget describe Anchorage school grounds fraught with peril for children. Read More
Parties successful at blocking bills
In recent weeks, the Alabama Republican Party started sending daily e-mails to the media alerting them to the alleged failings, fum?bling and hypocrisy of Democrats. Read More
AP News Analysis -- Ark. lawmakers cross lines, cause headache
Arkansas legislators say that crossing party lines to support -- and sometimes raise money for -- a candidate is a sign of the bipartisan spirit of the state Capitol. Read More
Pilot initiative will recruit, train workers to be truck drivers
A pilot initiative will pay for training displaced workers and other eligible Arkansans for jobs as truck drivers, Gov. Mike Beebe announced Friday. Read More
Strong voter turnout predicted despite lack of presidential candidate
With Arkansas' presidential primary results already in the books, voters won't have a well-known national candidate driving them to the polls for the May 20 state primary. Read More
Appeals Court contenders cite differences
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - One of the state's most outspoken judges faces a challenge in his bid for re-election to the state Court of Appeals in the May 20 non-partisan judicial election. Read More
Arkansas missed chance for high-profile Democratic primary
It seemed like a good idea at the time. Three years ago, the Legislature voted to move Arkansas' presidential primaries from mid-May to the first Tuesday in February, hoping to make the state a player in the nominating process. A May election was too late in the primary season to be relevant, supporters of the move said at the time. Read More
Huckabee disagrees with Beebe's decision to close DC office
Former Gov. Mike Huckabee says the Washington office for the Arkansas governor helped the state attract federal grant money and lobby for the passage of legislation beneficial to the state. Read More
Contested races on primary ballot drawing attention
Term limits is a key factor in contested legislative races in the May 20 primary pitting veteran lawmakers against each other or featuring newcomers looking to fill open seats. Read More
Most legislative seats uncontested in May 20 primary
Reflecting on his long legislative career, term-limited state Sen. Jim Argue recently mused that the most surprising change he's seen during his 16 years at the Capitol is how many people get a free ride to the Senate. Read More
Ariz. GOP to choose delegates; McCain's critics are in running
More than 1,100 GOP activists will gather today at the Arizona Republican Convention in Mesa to pick delegates to the party's national convention. Read More
Governor drops builders from tax plan
Gov. Janet Napolitano agreed to take home builders off the financial hook for paying for new roads in exchange for a $100,000 donation to a campaign to persuade voters to boost their own taxes. Read More
GOP-delegate vote a tap dance around rivalry
The goal of Saturday's Republican state party convention here was easier said than done: Leave nothing to chance. Read More
State's low youth-vote stats a worry for political leaders
Concern over low turnout among young Arizona voters in past years has some political leaders worrying about a potentially lackluster showing in November's presidential election. Read More
State Sen. Jack Scott named chancellor of California community college system
State Sen. Jack Scott, an education reformer who served as president of two colleges, has been named the next statewide chancellor of the California community college system. Read More
Some of California's most gifted students are being ignored, advocates say
If you reviewed Dalton Sargent's report cards, you'd know only half his story. Read More
Nunez leaves the speaker's post
SACRAMENTO -- Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, the gardener's son who rose from a San Diego barrio to one of California's most powerful posts, leaves office Tuesday having arguably fulfilled a vow he made when he was sworn in four years ago: to renew his chamber's prestige as "the house of ideas." Read More
Stop whining, Schwarzenegger tells carmakers
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger met privately with seven auto executives over California's attempt to impose strict emission rules, but let it be known publicly that he told the carmakers to stop whining and start producing. Read More
Tom McClintock -- Conservative soothsayer or rigid idealogue?
To his devotees, state Sen. Tom McClintock is a righteous defender of the Constitution and an unrepentant fighter for reining in government spending. To his detractors, the conservative populist and revered orator is a lone wolf who refuses to bend even when his closest colleagues are preaching compromise. Read More
New state budget plan may carry hard choices
With the state's fiscal crisis worsening, there will likely be no good news when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger unveils a revised version of his budget proposal on Wednesday. Read More
Budget analysis -- Almost never on time and no one can agree why
The state budget will be late again this year, barring some fiscal or political force that has yet to assert itself. Read More
Bee staffer gets state appointment
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has appointed Sacramento Bee staff writer Dorsey Griffith as assistant director of communications for the Department of Developmental Services. Read More
Governor presses fire defense
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger directed firefighters to step up enforcement of state fire laws, requiring that homeowners maintain a 100-foot defensible space around buildings, as he signed an executive order Friday to begin mobilizing firefighters for the fire season. Read More
Legislative session was atypical
At least that's what most folks in the Colorado Legislature said as the 2008 session ended last week. Read More
Could city's events siphon funds?
The committee staging the Democratic National Convention is concerned that Denver's fundraising efforts have been hampered because local officials also are raising money for several cultural events that are expected to be part of the week-long event. Read More
Milford Senator wants to expand special session
A state senator who helped write a bill that would revoke the pensions of corrupt officials said Friday she wants lawmakers to reconsider the ethics legislation during a planned special session. Read More
Budget woes left to Rell
Now that state lawmakers have gone home, it's up to Gov. M. Jodi Rell to deal with Connecticut's newfound deficit problems. Read More
Dodd says cable TV has excessive influence in campaign
Failed presidential candidate Christopher Dodd is criticizing the Democratic party for "ceding the process" of choosing a nominee to cable television news programs eager for a two-candidate contest. Read More
Rell, Democrats joined forces on budget
With one eye on deteriorating state finances and another on politics, Gov. M. Jodi Rell and legislative Democrats warily united last week to bring down the curtain on the 2008 legislative session. Read More
GOP names congressional candidates
Republicans have nominated candidates for Connecticut's five congressional districts, taking on two first-term Democrats, challenging two incumbents and sending into the November election Connecticut's lone Republican in Congress. Read More
Volunteers sought for lawmakers' bike ride
The Department of Transportation's Delaware Bicycle Council is seeking volunteers for state lawmakers' annual ride Wednesday from Newark to Dover. Read More
In asylum cases, immigration judges under a lot of pressure
MIAMI, Fla. - One sister was murdered. A second sister was raped. The third sister, Marlene, says her business was burned down by the same Haitian political thugs. Read More
Magazine pushes racial buttons
For a sign of Florida Republicans' all-out effort to attract black voters, look no farther than the glossy full-colored The Black Republican magazine that launches broadsides like these: The KKK was the ''terrorist arm of the Democratic Party.'' Democrats, in addition to waging ''war on God,'' are still mired in sex and financial scandals. Read More
Florida Healthy Start gets additional funding
Florida Healthy Start Coalition officials were caught off guard earlier this week when they were informed that the state would cut $2 million out of their budget because of a decrease in federal funding. Read More
Once again, Florida springs protection fails in session
To some springs supporters, it seemed a modest proposal. Legislation sponsored by Sen. Burt Saunders, R-Naples, called for a pilot project in Marion County to establish protection zones for Silver and Rainbow Springs. Creating the zones would lead to reductions in nitrogen from farms, sewage treatment plants and septic tanks. Read More
They're not out founding grandfathers, but . . . Back when big state changes were purer
Some of Florida's modern-day constitutional authors assembled in the Florida Senate chamber last week for a reunion of the surviving members from the last three Constitutional Revision Commissions. Consider them Florida's second wave of founding fathers and mothers. Read More
Legislators made some gains in tough times
Before Miami-Dade's political players stepped up to the plate for the 60-day legislative session, they knew the stats were stacked against them. There was $5 billion less in the state's coffers, five legislators on their way out because of term limits, and a bevy of public agencies lobbying for the least amount of budget cuts. Read More
Wrongful Incarceration Act may not solve problems it was intended to
Lawmakers have called the bill an "automatic trigger" that will make it easier and quicker for those who unjustly lost their liberty to get a measure of financial compensation from the state. Read More
Florida's budget woes could worsen next year
Forced to cut state spending by more than $4 billion, legislators called this the worst budget year ever. Read More
Judicial nominating commission meeting today
The committee that reviews applicants for judicial seats will meet today to schedule applicant reviews and background checks. Read More
Exiting lawmakers diminishing South Florida's legislative clout
This was supposed to be a golden era for South Florida, an unprecedented four-year period of political power where lawmakers with ties to Miami-Dade and Broward counties -- and the clout to bring the area money and push for local priorities -- were firmly in charge of the Florida Legislature. Read More
Lawmakers can't escape cuts for Broward
Faced with $5 billion in cuts to the state budget, Broward lawmakers spent most of their time in Tallahassee this year playing defense as they tried to block deep cuts to county schools, hospitals and courts. Read More
Florida Legislature delivered little on insurance
Last winter was the meanest season the Florida property insurance industry has ever faced. Gov. Charlie Crist asked three prominent lawyers to look into a class-action suit against the industry; a select committee of the Florida Senate spent two days slow-roasting executives from Nationwide, Allstate, Florida Farm Bureau and Hartford; and Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty began trying to shut Allstate down. Read More
Reprimanded DOT chief to help shape conduct policies
The Department of Transportation commissioner who is facing a written reprimand for her conduct will now guide the DOT board as it decides how to re-vamp department conduct and other policies. Read More
Trauma bill supporters preparing for push next year
Reeling from defeat in the Legislature, advocates of state aid for trauma care are calculating the lessons learned and crafting strategies for next year. Read More
Pulse of health care strong at Legislature
It was the year for health care at the state Legislature, advocates say. Lawmakers passed measures helping financially distressed hospitals and the uninsured. Other measures would aid patients needing medicine for severe pain and expand health insurance coverage to children of families losing jobs from closures of airlines or other companies. Read More
Hawaii studies living-space smoke ban
First it was the workplace, then restaurants and most recently Big Island parks and beaches. Now anti-smoking forces in Hawai'i are setting their sights on apartments and condos. Read More
State mental health official resigns
Dr. Thomas Hester, who led Hawaii's mental health system through a turbulent period of change under federal oversight, has resigned as chief of the state Adult Mental Health Division, effective this Thursday. Read More
Doctors press politicians on child health priorities
Politicians love kissing babies and have passed a law called No Child Left Behind, but all too many children are left with inadequate health care, top U.S. pediatricians meeting in Honolulu charged last week. Read More
Bill scraps public OK of switch in tax use
City officials could redirect money collected from local-option sales taxes without the public's vote under a last-minute amendment added to a state budget bill in the final hours of this year's legislative session. Read More
Culver signs bill for new prison
FORT MADISON, Iowa -- There was joy in southeast Iowa Friday, as Gov. Chet Culver signed legislation for $250 million in statewide construction projects that includes money for a new 800-bed maximum-security unit at the Iowa State Penitentiary. Read More
Idaho Supreme Court candidates push reputation, reform
The Idaho Supreme Court race between incumbent Justice Joel Horton and challenger, Second District Judge John Bradbury, is shaping up as a tame affair. Read More
Union -- IDOT has plenty of room
A major state employee union thinks the Illinois Department of Transportation has room in its headquarters building to house the Division of Traffic Safety that is now headed for southern Illinois. IDOT says the union is wrong. Two Springfield lawmakers said they?re thinking about making their own visit to the building to see who is correct. Read More
Student's Facebook effort gains 9,000 friends
When Phil Miatkowski created an online group to support civil union legislation in Illinois, it was meant to be just an easy way to keep friends informed. A year later, the group on the social networking site Facebook has swelled to nearly 9,000 members. Read More
Watchdog barks at governor, assembly
The Civic Federation of Chicago, accusing Gov. Rod Blagojevich and the General Assembly of not facing the state's fiscal crisis, is opposing new spending and borrowing proposals in the governor's proposed budget, but backing across-the-board cuts and sweeping money from special-purpose funds to help the state live within its means. Read More
Embattled Blagojevich's agenda could take hit with Rezko verdict
While there is arguably no good time for a governor to have one of his political insiders on federal trial, the looming verdict in the case of Gov. Rod Blagojevich's pal Tony Rezko likely couldn't come at a worse time. Read More
What to expect on last day
Federal prosecutors termed Antoin "Tony" Rezko's alleged crimes a "pay-to-play scheme on steroids" when they indicted him in 2006. Read More
Pay hike urged for caregivers to the disabled
Sharon Manuel's $9.85-per-hour job caring for developmentally disabled women pays the rent on the Villa Park apartment she shares with her three sons, but it doesn't stretch far enough to cover the rest of their bills. Read More
Review -- CeaseFire effective in curbing violence
An outside review of the Chicago-based anti-violence group CeaseFire found that the program - which lost its state funding - has led to "distinct and statistically significant declines" in violence in neighborhoods across the city. Read More
Gov. Rod Blagojevich's budget plan would make things worse, report says
For a state facing "colossal financial issues," Gov. Rod Blagojevich's proposed 2009 budget fails to address key funding weaknesses and likely would worsen the state's precarious fiscal condition, a prominent watchdog group concludes in a report to be released Monday. Read More
Ex-state official Ali Ata had state leases despite irregularities, records show
Former state agency director Ali Ata, a one-time business associate of political fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko, was paid more than $6.5 million in rent on four state office leases despite failing for years to disclose his partners in the deals as required, state and court records show. Read More
Tony Rezko trial nears conclusion as prosecution, defense strategize on best closing arguments
Closing arguments are the gut-check moment of any trial, the stage at which lawyers try to sway the outcome with brilliance and panache?or at least avoid blowing it big time. Read More
10 key developments in case of gov's indicted fund-raiser
Tony Rezko is accused of wielding his vast influence as a fund-raiser and adviser to Gov. Blagojevich to control two state-government boards on which star prosecution witness Stuart Levine sat. Read More
Payday loan law loophole swallows borrowers whole
Kirk Donald was stuck in financial quicksand and sinking fast. Read More
Cubs chairman raises specter of taxes to pay $400M tab
Former Gov. Jim Thompson said Friday he can't understand why the Cubs are still touting the idea of renovating Wrigley Field with sales and amusement tax growth generated by the project when a plan to finance the $400 million overhaul without raising taxes is sitting on Tribune Co. CEO Sam Zell's desk. Read More
State can't afford gov's $300 child tax credit, group says
Gov. Blagojevich is biting off more than state government can chew in his proposed 2008-09 budget, an independent analysis of his $49.7 billion spending plan concludes. Read More
Long Thompson vaults to top of fractured party
Indiana Democrats have some healing to do as Jill Long Thompson leads them into a long-awaited November bout with Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels. Read More
Political databases track your views, your address
Kyle Bailey knows who you are. He knows whether you believe in more or less gun control. Read More
Legal loophole provides golden parachutes for assessors
More than 100 elected township assessors facing pink slips this summer are entitled to paychecks through year's end, and they also could hit taxpayers for $1,000 bonuses. Read More
USI trustees don't vote on same-sex benefits
EVANSVILLE, Ind. -- The University of Southern Indiana board of trustees opted not to vote on a proposed resolution that would have granted employee benefits to same-sex domestic partners. Read More
Could state turn blue Nov. 4?
Woodrow Wilson did it. So did Franklin D. Roosevelt and Lyndon B. Johnson. All three Democrats bucked the trend and won the hearts and minds of the majority of Hoosiers voting in presidential elections. Read More
GOP race for AG begins
The battle for the north has begun in the Republican race for Indiana attorney general. Read More
Kansas Capitol Notebook - two state lawmakers to bid farewell
Two of the area's longest-serving Kansas lawmakers are calling it quits this year. Read More
Analysis - coal debate far from over
Pigs became a favorite metaphor as legislators debated proposals clearing the way for expansion of two coal-fired power plants in southwest Kansas and restricting the power of the regulator who has blocked it. Read More
Kansas group appointed to look at climate change
A new group will soon tackle the politically charged issue of reducing climate-changing carbon dioxide emissions in Kansas. Read More
Archbishop urges governor to refrain from Communion
The Roman Catholic archbishop for northeast Kansas said Friday that Gov. Kathleen Sebelius should refrain from taking Communion until she publicly repudiates her support for abortion rights. Read More
Senate leader's cousin out of job
Gov. Steve Beshear has not reappointed a cousin of Senate President David Williams as an administrative law judge though Tom Davis of Tompkinsville was selected by a nominating committee for another four-year term. Read More
Primary belongs to Clinton
It's the economy, stupid. Again. The same issue that became the focus of Bill Clinton's upstart 1992 presidential campaign is overwhelmingly the top concern of Kentuckians in the 2008 race, according to a Herald-Leader/WKYT Kentucky Poll. Read More
Mongiardo says he's backing Obama
Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo is backing U.S. Sen. Barack Obama in Kentucky's May 20 Democratic primary, the Obama campaign announced Sunday. Read More
Why some Democrats still can't decide
Believe it or not, some Kentucky Democrats still can't decide which presidential candidate they'll support in the May 20 primary election. Read More
Beshear appoints 5 to state Board of Education
Gov. Steve Beshear yesterday appointed a Republican who ran for governor last year and four Democrats to the Kentucky Board of Education. Read More
Ethics panel reprimands Fletcher administration official
The Executive Branch Ethics Commission yesterday reprimanded former Fletcher administration personnel official Robert H. Wilson Jr. for taking part in hirings and firings based on politics rather than merit. Read More
Panel cuts budget
Lawmakers slashed Gov. Bobby Jindal's $30 billion state government spending plan by $120 million Sunday. Read More
Legislature looking to streamline recovery effort
After Hurricane Katrina roared ashore, Louisiana officials set up a patchwork of recovery efforts, a fractured system without a clear recovery chief, where one agency devised recovery plans and another agency signed the contracts to pay for them. Read More
Money, mailers big part of election
Money and mailers were flying from political groups in the days leading up to the May 3 election for the 6th U.S. Congressional District. Read More
Last week at the state Capitol
Lawmakers are meeting in a regular legislative session that must end by June 23. A look at the happenings so far: Read More
Lawmakers hop aboard disclosure bandwagon
Legislators wrestled vigorously in February before tweaking and then adopting Gov. Bobby Jindal's proposals to impose extensive new personal financial disclosure requirements on public officials. Read More
'Sleeper' bills rouse the Capitol
As in most legislative sessions, state lawmakers say this one has its share of "sleeper" bills. But this time the sleepers are overshadowing the intended focus: work-force development. Read More
Jindal's budget takes $120M hit
Gov. Bobby Jindal's $30 billion budget proposal for next year was pared down Sunday by $120 million after a House committee stripped millions in health care and education spending sought by the governor. Read More
Donelon -- Phase in coverage increase
If lawmakers pass a bill raising the limits of mandatory vehicular insurance, they should phase it in over three years, Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon said Friday. Read More
State definition of lobbyist is deemed to be too broad
State lawmakers are grappling with a complicated question that hangs over a major portion of the state's ethics laws: What exactly is a lobbyist? Read More
$120 million cut from Jindal budget
A House committee cut $120 million from Gov. Bobby Jindal's budget proposal Sunday and shifted millions of dollars into local projects before moving the spending plan forward for more debate. Read More
State tallies $824 million more
Record energy prices and strong income-tax collections helped boost Louisiana's already robust revenue picture by $824 million Friday, raising the pressure on Gov. Bobby Jindal and the Legislature to make room in the state budget for a substantial tax cut. Read More
Coveted tickets land at Lottery
The Massachusetts Lottery has paid out millions of dollars over the last six years on sponsorship deals and other transactions that have allowed the agency to obtain thousands of coveted tickets to the Red Sox, the Celtics, the Patriots, and the Bruins. Read More
Gifts for governor include books, knickknacks, Spitzers' produce
During his first year on the job, Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) netted numerous books, T-shirts, baseball caps, candy and assorted trinkets and treasures, according to a recently filed disclosure form. Read More
Domestic violence bills languish on judiciary panel
Members of Maryland's defense bar don't just go to court to guard the rights of clients accused of domestic violence. Some of their biggest victories come in Room 101 of the House Office Building in Annapolis, where many victims' rights bills go to die. Read More
Church wants gay bill vetoed
Catholic leaders in Maryland are asking Gov. Martin O'Malley to veto legislation defining domestic partnerships in Maryland. Read More
Legislator, lobbyist - a delicate dance
Maryland lawmaker Heather R. Mizeur shepherded a bill through the General Assembly this year to establish a new fund supporting the emerging field of nanobiotechnology. In the process, she also succeeded in securing a potential funding source for companies she had registered to represent on Capitol Hill. Read More
Michael Brennan sets himself apart with a tone of collaboration
On the campaign trail, Michael Brennan sometimes states that today's young adults will have an average of three to five different careers before their working lives end. Read More
Running for office
PITTSFIELD, Maine -- Rep. Stacey Allen Fitts, R-Pittsfield, has announced that he is seeking re-election to House District 29, which includes Detroit, Clinton and Pittsfield. Read More
Congressman Allen To announce presidential support
PORTLAND, Maine -- Congressman and U.S. Senate candidate Tom Allen will announce his choice for president today. Read More
Many in state say finances will perk up
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan adults are anxious about their finances but hopeful that they'll be better off in a year, according to Michigan State University's State of the State 2008 winter survey. Read More
Worthy puts all gun cases on hold
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy has brought all gun cases in Detroit to a standstill in an effort to stem a deluge of appeals from defense lawyers while the Detroit Police firearms analysis unit is under scrutiny. Read More
Debate on river crossings resumes
State legislators plan to launch an effort today to keep plans for a new bridge between Detroit and Windsor in the public spotlight -- a scheme likely to shine equal light on the debate over the necessity of another crossing and a competing Ambassador Bridge expansion. Read More
Kilpatrick lawyer who chided Worthy owes taxes, too
A member of Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's legal team who scolded Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy for not paying taxes owes $23,602 to the state of Alabama for unpaid income taxes, public records show. Read More
Term limits have politicians playing musical chairs
Every two years, a mad scramble begins as politicians, would-be politicians and sons, daughters, spouses and other relatives of politicians search for jobs. Read More
House and Senate to vote on national farm bill
A new five-year farm bill is ready for final approval in the U.S. House and Senate. Congress is expected to pass the bill this week, then it heads to the president's desk for a likely veto. Read More
Amid the festivities at the state's 150th birthday, American Indian marchers also marked the day.
After years of preparation, Minnesota kicked off its 150th birthday celebration week Sunday, the actual anniversary of Minnesota's statehood. There was no cake and it was too windy to light 150 candles anyway, but the citizens who came out to remember Minnesota's past and ponder its future were treated to a wagon train, remarks by several politicians and, on a more solemn note, a protest. Read More
Hard-to-peg attorney general defined by those around her
In a Hennepin County courtroom last month, a corporate lawyer urged a judge to throw out a lawsuit alleging insurance fraud against the elderly, arguing that the insurer had reached a settlement with the Commerce Department.Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson defended the suit she had filed. Read More
Was Ohio bridge scare a warning?
When the Interstate 90 bridge over Ohio's Grand River buckled and nearly collapsed 12 years ago, painters under the deck scrambled for stable ground and highway officials ordered a shutdown that lasted through five months of repairs. Read More
Pawlenty tops Post VP list
Gov. Tim Pawlenty is back in the national spotlight. With the presidential race firming up between Democratic Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois and Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the media are moving on to vice presidential speculation, and Pawlenty was listed Sunday as McCain's most likely choice for a running mate by the Washington Post Read More
Republicans try to pass a voter ID bill before session ends
As quick as a camera flash, Republican lawmakers have resurrected a plan to require photo identification for voters. They will press to pass it this week, lest their political opportunity to do so disappears. Read More
Gadfly Quinn transforms image as he clashes with Blagojevich
The political shotgun marriage of Gov. Rod Blagojevich and Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn was never what you'd call blissful. But during Blagojevich's first term, they at least were able to keep up appearances. Read More
Missouri legislators look for common ground as session enters final week
In a Missouri legislative session notable for its lack of hard-charging issues, the final week could resemble a steady jog more than a mad dash. Read More
10 to vie for 4 high court seats
This fall Mississippians will elect four state Supreme Court justices, and three Appeals Court judges will run unopposed, the Secretary of State's office announced Friday, which was the deadline to qualify for judicial races. Read More
Conservative Dems surging in strength
WASHINGTON - The Deep South held fast against the surge that swept the Democratic Party into power in Congress two years ago. But today, there are cracks in Republican defenses. Read More
Subplots in advertising issue to be on display during special session
Numerous subplots lurk beneath the issue of the Legislature regulating the expenditure of taxpayer money on advertising. Read More
Airport parkway bill may be considered
The fate of a bill expected to be considered in an upcoming special legislative session could mean the difference between having a road connecting downtown Jackson to the city's international airport in four years or in 15, state transportation officials say. Read More
Speakers fire up crowd at Democrats? Truman Dinner
BILLINGS, Mont. -- Former President Bill Clinton wasted no time painting his wife as the right candidate for Montana, citing her support for the farm bill, coal energy and other important state issues. Read More
Excitement builds for nation's last primary
It may be too soon to tell just how high voter registration will be, but early indications are pointing to a big turnout for Montana's last-in-the-nation presidential primary election on June 3. Read More
Pogreba running for governor to support schools
Democrat Don Pogreba of Helena is running for governor primarily because he doesn't think the state has lived up to its constitutional responsibility to fund quality K-12 schools. Read More
N.C. voters accept female candidates
Sen. Hillary Clinton lost out in North Carolina last week, but most of the other women running for statewide office were victorious in Tuesday's primary. Some see the results as a sign that 2008 will be a landmark year for the increasing number of North Carolina women seeking top positions in public life. Read More
Mental health report delayed
A legislative office created to examine the benefit of public programs was ready to give its report last week on the state's mental health services. Read More
Gov. Easley sees storm damage in Triad
Gov. Mike Easley toured tornado damage Saturday in three North Carolina counties and said in addition to one fatality that eight people were injured and scores of homes were damaged. Read More
Governor sets priorities for short session
The same sour economy that has pinched family budgets will force state budget writers to be more austere as the General Assembly reconvenes this week. Read More
Farm bill includes $2.5 billion for research
WASHINGTON -- For decades, interests as diverse as North Carolina strawberry growers, Florida citrus farmers and California wine grape growers had little interest in the farm bill that Congress passes every five years. Read More
Legislature's decision on annexation bill will affect Wilmington's plans
The legislative short session that begins Tuesday could be shorter than usual and that means members of the General Assembly will be rushing to get their local issues passed into law. Read More
McCrory assails Perdue over policy on which they concur
The Republican candidate for North Carolina governor, Pat McCrory, in his first attack of the general-election campaign, slammed his Democratic rival yesterday for supporting a policy that allows illegal immigrants to attend the state's community colleges. Read More
Easley budget halves spending increase
Gov. Mike Easley will propose increasing state government spending Monday by less than half as much as last year, as he tries to provide for his signature education programs and leave a sound budget for his successor. Read More
Corn, cattle producers prefer quieter approach to ethanol debate
The argument over how much of a factor ethanol has become in driving up food prices has gotten hot enough in the recent days to put Rick Tolman, the president of the National Corn Growers, at a podium to play some defense. Read More
McGreeveys' custody deal done; more to go
ELIZABETH, N.J. -- Former Gov. James E. McGreevey and his estranged wife, having reached a deal on custody of their child, return to court today in a bid to settle other issues as they work to dissolve their marriage. Read More
Like McGreeveys, lawyers a case study in contrasts
After a morning of negotiation in a difficult divorce case, the opposing lawyers -- John Post for the wife, Stephen Haller for the husband -- decided to take a stroll in the afternoon sunshine outside Union County Courthouse in Elizabeth. Read More
Outgoing lawmakers late with final reports
Four months after a historic turnover in the New Jersey State Legislature, close to half its newest alumni have yet to fulfill their final duties as officeholders. Read More
New Mexico moves ahead on spaceport
Undaunted by widespread skepticism, New Mexico's effort to build the world's first commercial spaceport is nearly on schedule to open in late 2010. Read More
Horsford to lead Nevada Senate Democrats
LAS VEGAS - Sen. Steven Horsford, D-Las Vegas, has been selected to replace Sen. Dina Titus as Democratic caucus leader in the Nevada Senate. Read More
Political Notebook - Nevadans still back Clinton
Don't look for Rep. Shelley Berkley or state Sen. Dina Titus to push Hillary Clinton out of the race for the Democratic nomination for president. Read More
Keeping the heat on OSHA
WASHINGTON - Citing the deaths of 10 workers on the Las Vegas Strip, a House panel will hold a hearing to review construction safety standards and the conduct of government agencies responsible for overseeing workplace safety. Read More
Lawmakers get budget cuts
CARSON CITY, Nev. - A package of budget cuts was submitted Friday to Nevada lawmakers by Gov. Jim Gibbons, who's trying to cope with a projected revenue shortfall that could approach $1 billion by mid-2009 and lead to staff cuts and layoffs. Read More
Supporters - Divorce could hurt Nevada governor
RENO, Nev. - Some supporters of Gov. Jim Gibbons said they're concerned about the potential political fallout of his decision to seek a divorce from his wife of 22 years midway through his first term. Read More
Paterson and Schumer in Skaneateles
SKANEATELES, N.Y. - Gov. David Paterson and Sen. Chuck Schumer are in town to announce a solution to truck traffic in the area. Read More
GOP bill would raise pension
Republican lawmakers want the former secretary to the state GOP chairman to get a bigger public pension than the one she's on course to receive. Read More
Police attitude on race faulted
NEW YORK -- Civil rights advocates said Sunday that a recent incident in which a high-ranking black police official was ordered out of his car by a white officer points out ongoing racial problems in the city's police department. Read More
Ethics panel works in secret
A special commission that legislators claim is their "independent" ethics watchdog is anything but, a month long Times Union investigation has found. Read More
Harlem flips on Clinton
Harlem was once the only place in the nation where Hillary Rodham Clinton could count on black support. Now it's hard to find any Clinton backers there, even in the shadow of her husband's 125th Street office. Read More
Bloomberg asks Albany to oppose union-backed retirement bills
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York is appealing to Gov. David A. Paterson and legislative leaders to hold firm against two bills that the city believes would cost as much as $300 million a year. Read More
A.G. scandal divides Dems
The Ohio standoff between Gov. Ted Strickland and company against Attorney General Marc Dann ought to appear to followers of this year's contentious Democratic presidential primary as just more of the same. Read More
Democrats vote to distance themselves from Dann
In an episode of political Shakespeare, Ohio Democrats have voted not to bury Marc Dann but to keep the scandal-ridden Ohio attorney general as far away from the party as possible. Read More
Home medical equipment suppliers call Medicare bidding process unfair
Home medical equipment suppliers nationwide made a lot of noise on Capitol Hill last week about a bidding process that aims to save Medicare $1 billion a year but could put many of the suppliers out of business. Read More
Democrats revoke '06 endorsement of Dann
The shunning has begun. With one negative vote, the Ohio Democratic Party's state executive committee yesterday retroactively stripped Attorney General Marc Dann of its endorsement for the 2006 election. Read More
Voter turnout 'fickle,' according to area election officials
ARDMORE, Okla. - Would you pay $600 to vote? How about $11? Read More
Oregon political races hit the airwaves
It's finally starting to look like an election is around the corner in Oregon. Television airwaves are filling up with political ads as the May 20 deadline to vote approaches. And it's not just presidential candidates buying time. Read More
Ex-President Clinton making another swing through Mid-Valley
Former President Clinton will appear at five "bring your ballot" events today in northwest Oregon on behalf of his wife, Sen. Hillary Clinton. Read More
Clinton down, but not out in Oregon
Hillary Clinton returned to Oregon last night with a stop at the fairgrounds in Central Point outside of Medford. The Senator from New York made it clear she plans to stick with her campaign at least through Oregon's primary on May 20. Read More
Obama backers hope Oregon gives him the delegates to win
BEND, Ore. -- With Sen. Barack Obama looking more and more like the Democratic presidential nominee, supporters looked forward Saturday to the possibility that Oregon could put him over the top in pledged delegates. Read More
Bill Clinton campaigns across Oregon -- east to west and north to south
Former President Bill Clinton said Sunday that Sen. Hillary Clinton refuses to be counted out in Oregon -- or in the larger battle for the Democratic presidential nomination. Read More
Intern shredded papers sought in House inquiry
A former intern for the House Democratic Caucus says he was instructed to shred boxes of personnel records later sought in a grand jury probe into whether state employees were given taxpayer-funded bonuses in return for political work. Read More
State parties reveal their financial status
To get more Republicans elected to the Rhode Island General Assembly and to federal offices, state GOP Chairman Giovanni Cicione promised to "spend every penny" of the party's campaign war chest, which the GOP nearly did in the first quarter of this year. Read More
R.I. politicians planning ahead
If fundraising prowess is any indication of who is best positioned to run for Rhode Island governor in 2010, state Treasurer Frank Caprio and Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline have strong early leads. Read More
Rex pushing to scrap PACT
State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex is pulling out all the stops to try to get the Senate to act on a bill that would, among other things, replace the Palmetto Achievement Challenge Test with one that he says is more useful and less time-consuming. Read More
Election 2008 -- Will House District 79 swing Democratic?
Unprecedented growth and shifting demographics could make House District 79, which includes portions of Northeast Richland and southwest Kershaw County, less reliably Republican than it has been over the past two decades. Read More
Indigent defense -- System gets 'win-win' overhaul
South Carolina's patchwork system that provides attorneys to defendants who can't afford them is undergoing a multimillion-dollar transformation -- one that advocates say is long overdue. Read More
One week remaining to register to vote in primary
Only one week remains until the deadline for South Dakota residents to register to vote, and Secretary of State Chris Nelson is asking voters to take the time to register at several registration locations or by downloading registration from from the Internet. Read More
Clinton draws crowd of old and young
The people in the crowd Saturday at former President Bill Clinton's campaign speech on behalf of his wife were as diverse as the reasons Clinton urged supporters to vote for Hillary. Read More
Crowd for Clinton exceeds expectation
The Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Highway Patrol and the Pennington County Sheriff's Office teamed up with the United States Secret Service in efforts to increase security for the visit of former President Bill Clinton. Read More
State senator says college disinvited her
ABERDEEN, S.D. -- State Sen. Nancy Turbak Berry, who was scheduled to deliver the Presentation College commencement address Saturday, says she was told earlier in the week that she could not speak there because of her views on abortion. Read More
HOPE scholarship plans still up in air
Amber Odom believes she would still have her HOPE scholarship if a proposal were in place for an across-the-board reduction in the cumulative grade point average needed to maintain the award. Read More
Some state workers put retirement on hold to consider buyout
The prospect of lucrative buyout packages is leading some state employees to put their retirement plans on hold. Read More
Republican proposal on judicial selection changes faces deadlock
A Republican-led effort to overhaul the state's method of selecting appellate court candidates appears to be running out of steam just as two more judicial vacancies await being filled. Read More
Lawmakers ask, knowing they're not likely to receive special requests
There's the $48,000 request for a high school weight room, and $500,000 for the Pink Palace Museum in Memphis. Then there's the $30,000 to send volunteers for training in Illinois, $97,000 for the Chattanooga Zoo, and a $50,000 security fence. Read More
Advocates fear vulnerable group will lose medical benefits
Healthcare advocates fear that 140,000 TennCare enrollees will lose their benefits in the coming year, and they are urging legislators to create a safety net now. Read More
Tennessee - Lawmakers eye jury system overhaul
Being the town drunk used to be a guaranteed way to dodge jury duty. Read More
Nashville - Bredesen to outline budget cuts today
Proposed new state spending such as $10 million for a state fund used to respond quickly to opportunities for preserving land could fall victim today to Gov. Phil Bredesen?s budget knife, a top administration official said. Read More
Nashville: Job reduction plan removes 42% of Bredesen additions
Gov. Phil Bredesen's proposal to eliminate 2,011 state workers represents about 42 percent of the positions created in state government during his administration. Read More
Schools say inflation puts them at risk
The school funding system approved by Texas lawmakers two years ago provides no new money to cover rising costs ? especially for fuel, utilities and health insurance ? and officials warn the plan's tax revenue straightjacket will allow inflation to push some school districts into bankruptcy. Read More
Mental health workers criticize state's care of sect children
SAN ANTONIO, Texas - Mental health workers sent to help care for the women and children removed from a polygamist sect's West Texas ranch are criticizing Child Protective Services, saying the state's decision to seek custody of the children was unnecessary and traumatizing. Read More
Texas state historical markers disappearing
LA VERNIA, Texas - A steel bridge nearly the length of a football field has weathered floods, the South Texas heat and a century's worth of traffic to survive as a rare engineering marvel of its era and to earn recognition as a Texas and national historic landmark. Read More
Texas' early currency offers look at young republic's shaky financial roots
SAN ANTONIO - The birth of Texas as a republic is often told in stirring tales of heroic battles for independence. Often lost in history, however, are the hard lessons those long-ago heroes learned: Revolution is easy. Creating a workable government is hard - and expensive. Read More
Texas polygamist sect seeks Bush's help
SALT LAKE CITY - A member of an embattled polygamous church likened a raid by Texas authorities to an act of terrorism in a letter to President Bush. Read More
Ice cream sellers under scrutiny
Rapid City is among the latest in a growing number of communities across the nation moving to prevent sexual predators from becoming ice cream truck drivers. Read More
Confusing ballot designs still plague elections
The solution should have been a no-brainer, voting experts say. After all, it was a badly designed ballot that enflamed the 2000 election meltdown and introduced the vagaries of chads to the political lexicon - pregnant, hanging and otherwise. Read More
The hunger paradox
About 35 million Americans regularly go hungry each year, according to federal statistics. Last year, a Harvard domestic policy expert who studies hunger issues calculated that it would cost about $12 billion annually in federal spending to eliminate hunger through additional funding for food stamps and other nutritional programs. Read More
Obama from obscurity to verge of history
WASHINGTON -- The amazement was on their faces. Hundreds waited for Barack Obama on that evening in South Carolina, 15 weeks ago, to claim victory -- a surprising victory, surprisingly large. Read More
States remove local barriers to eco-friendly homes
States eager to promote renewable energy are increasingly passing laws that allow homeowners to overcome local opposition to home solar panels and wind turbines. Read More
Analysis -- Italian waste proposal stokes fear of a toxic precedent
It might seem like a relatively small thing, EnergySolutions' plan to take about six railroad cars of radioactive waste from Italy. Read More
'Squaw' still Utah moniker
PROVO, Utah -- While states across the nation move to sweep the word "squaw" -- a term deemed derogatory by many American Indians -- from state and federal maps, Utah has yet to broach the subject. Read More
Shurtleff donation wrongly attributed
Both Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and Utah Democrats raised eyebrows when the Deseret News reported Wednesday that Shurtleff's campaign had donated $2,300 to the presidential campaign of John McCain. Read More
Bickering in Va. General Assembly leaves judicial posts open
RICHMOND, Va. - The task of selecting judges for Virginia's courts led to an unprecedented level of squabbling this year in the General Assembly, dividing legislators by political party, chamber and geography. Read More
Kaine will seek millions for roads
Gov. Timothy M. Kaine will propose boosting the titling tax on car sales and car registration fees statewide for road upkeep. Read More
Kaine - raise car fees
Gov. Timothy M. |
