Young workers flee midwestern states
Upper Midwestern states are in danger of losing a precious economic commodity: young people. Many are leaving for other parts of the country after finishing school.
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Archive of Economy & Business on Tuesday May 13, 2008
Young workers flee midwestern states
Upper Midwestern states are in danger of losing a precious economic commodity: young people. Many are leaving for other parts of the country after finishing school. Read More
Exxon seeks $800 million for lost leases
Exxon Mobil Corp. asked Monday that Alaska pay $800 million in damages, claiming the state breached a deal when it revoked gas and oil leases on a North Slope oil field. Read More
Palin to offer plans for state energy relief
Gov. Sarah Palin will announce plans for statewide energy relief on Thursday, and legislators are weighing in on what should be in those plans. Read More
Administration announces energy relief special session
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Gov. Sarah Palin has announced the Alaska Legislature will be called into an additional special session this summer. Read More
Palin, lawmakers to revisit energy relief
Gov. Sarah Palin will call the Legislature into a special session this summer meant to provide Alaskans some relief from the soaring cost of energy. Read More
Exxon going after Alaska for $800 million award
JUNEAU, Alaska - Exxon Mobil Corp. wants Alaska to pay $800 million in damages, claiming Monday the state breached a deal when it revoked gas and oil leases on a North Slope oil field. Read More
Legislature votes to overturn emissions standards
State lawmakers gave final approval Monday to legislation overturning newly enacted vehicle emission standards for greenhouse gases, setting the stage for a showdown with Gov. Janet Napolitano. Read More
Governor's deal with builders irks senators
Some Republican state lawmakers on Monday blasted a "backroom deal" between Gov. Janet Napolitano and a Valley home-builders group that would exempt residential developers from sharing a portion of the costs of a major transportation initiative in exchange for a $100,000 contribution to boost the signature-gathering campaign. Read More
Emissions restrictions thwarted
A week after a state panel approved rules for cleaner car emissions, the Legislature Monday passed a bill that would block those rules from taking effect. Read More
Deficit ensnares another governor
The famous catchphrase spoken by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in one his action movies, "I'll be back," can now refer to his handling of the state budget. Read More
Federal judge stays order for governor, Rincon band to reach gambling agreement
SAN DIEGO - A federal judge has put on hold, for now, his order that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and North County's Rincon Indian band reach an agreement on a gambling expansion by July. Read More
CalPERS names interim CEO
SAN FRANCISCO - The California Public Employees' Retirement System has named a longtime administrator within its ranks to serve as interim chief executive of the nation's largest public pension fund. Read More
California Supreme Court rules for prosecutor who advised filmmakers
SAN FRANCISCO - When a Santa Barbara County prosecutor decided to give a filmmaker his files on fugitive Jesse James Hollywood, he figured that the publicity might help catch the accused killer. Read More
Ruling to lift ban on state's unclaimed property program affirmed
A federal appellate court Monday affirmed a Sacramento judge's decision to lift an injunction that had halted operation of the state's multibillion-dollar unclaimed property program. Read More
EdFund executives seek at least $3 million in severance
The executive staff of EdFund, the student loan guarantor the state plans to sell to a private investor, has crafted its own severance package worth more than $3 million. Read More
Fixing state budget is Bass' top priority
Los Angeles Democrat Karen Bass will be sworn in today as the first African American woman to serve as speaker of the Assembly. Bass, a 54-year-old former nurse, physician's assistant and Los Angeles community organizer, sat down Monday with the The Bee's Capitol Bureau. Read More
Tuition waivers, safety training among new state laws
The following are among the bills that passed the General Assembly in its recent session. Read More
Rell restricts use Of purchasing cards
Gov. M. Jodi Rell is directing the state's Department of Administrative Services to restrict the use of state purchasing cards, which are similar to credit cards. Read More
HMO pullouts upend Connecticut Medicaid
NEW HAVEN, Conn. - What started as a legal-aid lawyer's effort to improve health care for poor people has left Connecticut's Medicaid program in turmoil, jeopardizing health care for thousands of poor residents. Read More
Crist declares state of emergency for Florida wildfires
Gov. Charlie Crist on Monday declared a state of emergency for the next 60 days while crews battle wildfires in Brevard, Volusia and Glades County. Read More
Florida wildfires scorch thousands of acres
Scattered brush fires from Central to South Florida forced road closures and evacuations throughout the state on Monday, prompting Gov. Charlie Crist to declare a state of emergency to facilitate firefighting efforts statewide. Read More
Inmates say prison food made them sick
Florida's prison system had already fined its food provider $241,000 this year over staffing and supply issues. And then 277 inmates said they became sick last month after eating chili. Read More
After 3 years of failures, Gov. to sign bill allowing 'credit freeze'
Georgians soon will be allowed to freeze their credit to thwart identity thieves. Governor Sonny Perdue is expected to sign a measure Tuesday that allows residents to place a freeze on their credit for $3 - or a total of $9 for the three major credit reporting agencies. Read More
Perdue signs film tax credit
Governor Sonny Perdue has signed legislation designed to make Georgia the Hollywood of the South. Read More
Culver 'very troubled' by allegations
Iowa Gov. Chet Culver has formed a working group of top state officials to help the community of Postville after a raid on its meatpacking plant by federal immigration officials Monday. Read More
State to shrink Hawk-I ad budget
Iowans will see fewer billboards and TV ads for the Hawk-I insurance program starting in July, but administrators remain optimistic that they can enroll thousands more children using other means. Read More
Questions raised about budget bill amendment
Questions are being raised about a last-minute amendment to a budget bill that deals with special 1-cent sales taxes that voters have approved in hundreds of Iowa cities. Read More
Feds say more than 300 arrested in Postville immigration raid
Federal authorities say more than 300 workers at the Agriprocessors meat processing plant in Postville in northeast Iowa have been arrested for immigration violations. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents entered the plant at ten this morning (Monday). Read More
Culver signs ethanol incentives bill
Gas station owners would have heightened incentives to sell renewable fuels under a bill signed Monday by Gov. Chet Culver. Read More
Immigration raid at Postville plant
There's been an immigration raid at the meat packing plant in Postville and sources tell Radio Iowa as many as 700 people may be arrested. Postville Police Chief Michael Halse isn't participating in the action, but the plant on the west corner of town appears to be surrounded. Read More
Immigration raid -- Town's Hispanics shutter businesses, scatter
POSTVILLE, Iowa -- The phone calls started at 5 a.m. They carried the same message: Immigration was coming. Read More
Immigration raid -- Union fears action hurts probe
A union trying to organize Postville meatpacking workers had asked federal immigration authorities earlier this month not to raid the Agriprocessors Inc. plant while a government investigation of possible labor law violations was under way. Read More
ID fraud claims bring state's largest raid
POSTVILLE, Iowa -- The largest workplace raid in Iowa history Monday resulted in the arrest of more than 300 people and reignited the debate over immigration. Read More
Immigration raid -- State agency gathered student data last month
School officials in early April were served with a 21-point subpoena from Iowa Division of Labor Services seeking the records of Postville middle and high school students and information about some school employees, the district's superintendent said. Read More
What Vilsack said -- Ex-governor was not surprised by the raid
Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack said Monday that the Postville investigations may be warranted, despite his concerns that federal officials violated the rights of people during past immigration raids. But a state senator who represents Postville expressed doubt about the motivation for Monday's raid. Read More
Culver expected to wrap up work on legislation by Friday
Gov. Chet Culver will probably sign or veto any remaining bills before he leaves Friday on a trade mission to China, a governor's spokesman said Monday. Read More
What Culver said -- State gathers agencies to aid city in aftermath
Gov. Chet Culver said Monday he has appointed a group of state agencies to assist Postville as the community deals with the effects of the raid. Read More
Zell rejects Wrigley sale to ISFA
The Tribune Co. has reportedly spurned plans by the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority to buy Wrigley Field and instead intends to sell the Chicago Cubs ball club and the historic field together, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Tuesday. Read More
Court clears path for O?Hare expansion
Ending years of litigation, the U.S. Supreme Court has cleared the way for Chicago to acquire and relocate a cemetery needed for the continued expansion of O'Hare International Airport. Read More
The promise of prisoners
THOMSON, Ill. ? Construction workers completed a $140 million state-of-the-art maximum-security prison here seven years ago. But today the prison remains mostly empty, filled only to a fraction of its capacity. Read More
Rezko lawyer savages Levine
CHICAGO ? Political fundraiser Antoin ?Tony? Rezko?s defense attorney ripped into the government?s star witness against his client Monday, describing him as an admitted lifelong liar and swindler whose brain was all but rendered useless by three decades of abusing powerful narcotics. Read More
RTA chief chastises state leaders for failure to fund transit and roads
The chairman of the Regional Transportation Authority lashed out at state politicians Monday for failing to work aggressively toward completing a capital spending plan for mass transit and repairing deteriorating roads. Read More
U.S. Supreme Court will not hear church's appeal on O'Hare cemetery plans
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear an appeal filed by a church attempting to save a cemetery in the path of planned runways at O'Hare International Airport. Read More
Lawmaker wants state to cancel lease with firm linked to Rezko
A state senator on Monday called for the state to cancel its office lease with a firm linked to political fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko and seek the return of $3.4 million in rent the state has paid since 2004. Read More
Corrupt mastermind or victim of frame-up?
Antoin "Tony" Rezko was attacked by the prosecution as the mastermind of an elaborate fraud scheme but excused by the defense as a total bystander as closing arguments began Monday in the trial of the Blagojevich administration insider. Read More
Zell no to state bid for Wrigley
Tribune Co. Chairman Sam Zell has rejected former Gov. James Thompson's secret plan to acquire and renovate Wrigley Field for at least $400 million without raising taxes and now plans to package the Cubs and their landmark stadium in a private transaction, sources said Monday. Read More
Rezko defense rips Levine as 'Pinocchio'
The star witness in Tony Rezko's corruption trial unwittingly stole the spotlight in Monday's closing arguments, with prosecutors admitting Stuart P. Levine is the "embodiment of corruption," while the defense disgustedly tossed him onto the government's doorstep. Read More
Petition -- BP air permit hurts poor, minorities
Two groups claiming a breach of environmental justice have called for a stop to BP Whiting Refinery's $3.8 billion expansion, according to the first appeal of BP's controversial air permit. Read More
Farm accidents increased across state in 2007
The number of fatal farm accidents in Indiana tripled last year following six years of decline, according to a new report. Read More
Town's last hold-outs see little to stay for
A tornado did what the federal government could not. Ellis Jones had been a holdout in the government's quest to pay everyone to leave Picher, contaminated from its long-closed lead mines. Read More
Docking renovation funds out
Reconstruction of the dilapidated Docking State Office Building will have to wait another year after lawmakers ended the 2008 legislative session last week with state budgets that didn't include money for the $96 million project. Read More
A tax quirk holds out promise for a hard-pressed town
EWING, Ky. - Leaders of this town in the bluegrass country of northeast Kentucky are facing a problem any mayor would envy: how to spend a windfall. Read More
DiMasi fires back at ethics charges
House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi issued a broad and emotionally worded defense of his conduct in office yesterday, saying he was outraged by accounts that he backed legislation and a state software contract that benefited his friends. Read More
Officials seek ban on waste from boats
State environmental regulators are asking federal officials to ban boats from discharging waste in Boston Harbor and Cape Cod Bay, as part of an effort by the Patrick administration to make the state's entire coastline off-limits to sewage. Read More
Public transit grows popular
As gasoline prices climb toward $4 a gallon, more commuters in Maryland are leaving their cars and trucks at home and hopping a bus or train to work. Read More
Gas prices may fuel vacation reroutes
OCEAN CITY, Md. - Mid-Atlantic resorts are hoping gas prices spiraling toward $4 a gallon and a cooling economy won't keep vacationers at home this summer - but they're bracing for shorter stays and less spending on restaurants and entertainment while people holiday. Read More
Bangor-area heating oil prices top $4 a gallon
A number of Bangor-area oil dealers reported cash prices of No. 2 heating oil above $4 per gallon on Monday. Dead River Co. in Brewer was priced at $4.269, Maine Energy in Bangor quoted $4.049, and R.H. Foster Energy in Hampden charged $4.199. Read More
Maine Senator Asks Reopening Of Border Station
A senator from Maine is asking that the U.S.-Canadian border station at Van Buren, which was closed May 1 as a result of flooding, be reopened as soon as possible. Read More
Gas sales tax holiday urged in Mich.
Michigan motorists would get a three-month holiday from the state sales tax on gas this summer -- a break of about a quarter per gallon -- under a plan unveiled Monday by a couple of House Republican lawmakers. Read More
Protecting Michigan's water wonderland
State lawmakers are carefully maneuvering Michigan toward joining a historic international compact reserving Great Lakes water for the states and Canadian provinces around them. Read More
Immigration bill loses steam
This just in from the Missouri legislature, which wraps up its 2008 session Friday: A Senate immigration bill was sent back to committee today, lessening the chances that legislators will enact measure to crackdown on those who employ illegal immigrants. Read More
Mo. House panel rejects Senate immigration bill
A House committee rejected a Senate-approved immigration bill Monday while the governor's office touted state troopers' arrest of 250 illegal immigrants since last summer. Read More
State high court gets wind-water case
The Mississippi Supreme Court should follow federal precedent and rule out insurance coverage for hurricane damage caused by a combination of wind and water, the USAA insurance company argues. Read More
Barbour says Toyota delay good for state
Toyota's decision to delay the startup of manufacturing at its $1.3 billion plant near Blue Springs will be beneficial to the state, Gov. Haley Barbour said Monday. Read More
Easley tax proposals greeted coolly
Gov. Mike Easley's proposal to raise taxes on alcohol and cigarettes ran into nearly immediate skepticism from senior lawmakers Monday, who characterized the idea as anywhere between "ambitious" and "unlikely." Read More
Bruning takes housing discrimination fight to CNN
OMAHA, Neb. -- Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning on Monday defended his refusal to prosecute housing discrimination cases on CNN's "Lou Dobbs Tonight," again couching his stance in the nationwide debate over illegal immigration. Read More
NJ budget shifts to black from red
Legislative budget analysts are set to announce today that they believe New Jersey is heading into the next budget year with a windfall, not a shortfall. Read More
N.J. hospital workers rally against proposed budget cuts
TRENTON, N.J. -- Gov. Corzine said yesterday that he was "bound and determined" to right troubled state finances as New Jersey hospital workers rallied outside the Statehouse against his plan to cut state hospital aid by 14 percent. Read More
Legislators uncap bottle bill debate
Could paying an extra dime for a bottle of water stop New Jerseyans from tossing it out the car window or dumping it in the trash? Or would it amount to a tax on already-squeezed consumers and a burden on small businesses? Read More
Environmentalists say state standards fail to protect water
New Jersey regulators have rejected tougher standards for cleaning and removing soil at contaminated industrial sites, angering environmentalists who claim water supplies are in jeopardy. Read More
Economic chief named
Mike Skaggs, who has made a career of expanding business activity in southwest states, was named Monday as executive director of the Nevada Commission on Economic Development. Read More
Despite few layoffs, workers feel fear
After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, thousands of hourly Strip workers were laid off as tourists stayed home, and profit at some casinos was halved. It took more than a year to recover. Read More
Negotiations under way to ease Ground Zero deal
In 2005, state and city officials were so eager to keep Goldman Sachs downtown that they provided the investment bank with one of the biggest incentive packages in city history to build itself a new headquarters across West Street from ground zero. Read More
Blurred line in pension rules
An Albany County judge accrued nearly two decades' worth of taxpayer-funded pension credits while working as the legal adviser for the Albany City School District. Read More
N.Y. farmers fear a shortage of skilled workers
BATAVIA, N.Y. - New York farmers say a shift in state policy is making it harder for them to hire experienced seasonal workers through federal guest-worker contracts. Read More
Member Exchange - Soaring costs may strain welfare changes
CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio - The vegetable garden is going in now, and Heather Algoe will tend it with a fervor not afforded a mere hobby. She needs this food to feed her family. Read More
Northwest Ohio 'wind belt' attracting energy companies
Jon Berry has spent much of his life bracing against the wind. Read More
Oregon tries new economic development strategy
The state of Oregon is going to try a new strategy when it comes to job creation. Read More
Kulongoski orders overhaul of economic development agency
Gov. Ted Kulongoski signed an executive order Monday that will begin a reorganization of the state's economic development agency. Read More
Jobs in Oregon's tourist industry take a hit
Sales are flat or down at Mo's seafood restaurants along the coast. At the Pine Tavern Restaurant in Bend, year-over-year sales have plunged by double-digit percentages in each of the past four months. Read More
Bills to improve conditions in puppy mills to be introduced today
A western Pennsylvania legislator today will introduce long-awaited revisions to Pennsylvania's dog law pushed by Gov. Ed Rendell, the biggest step forward in a tortuous, two-year-long process geared toward improving the lot of thousands of dogs in puppy mills. Read More
Fumo appeals new assessment on his Phila. home
State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo has filed an appeal of the property-tax hike on his Spring Garden mansion, contending that the city illegally singled him out for a 281 percent increase. Read More
Rendell vows veto if state bill preempts Philadelphia smoking ban
Gov. Rendell yesterday said he would veto any legislation to ban smoking in public places statewide if it would weaken Philadelphia's existing law. Read More
Last, best turnpike offers solicited
Pennsylvania received multiple bids from companies wanting to lease its turnpike but has given at least some bidders until the end of this week to produce a final offer, Gov. Ed Rendell said Monday. Read More
Rendell says he'll veto weakened ban on smoking
A House-Senate panel had been expected to adopt a compromise bill yesterday outlining which workplaces had to be smoke-free, but Gov. Ed Rendell changed things with just a few words at a news conference. Read More
New regulations tighten state's film tax credits
Spurred by questions about how much Rhode Island has benefited financially from the $55 million-plus in tax write-offs it has offered television and movie producers as an incentive to film here, state officials took steps yesterday to tie the credits more closely to money spent here. Read More
Court rules R.I. needn't hear cases on asbestos
In a matter closely followed by national business groups, the state Supreme Court is ordering the dismissal of 39 asbestos cases that Canadian residents had filed in Rhode Island. Read More
SC Supreme Court -- Casino boats don't have to report wagers
The state Supreme Court says casino boats operating out of South Carolina do not have to report how much money they take in each month to the state Revenue Department. Read More
Panel rebukes Rounds on tax memo
The Legislature's Executive Board on Monday sent a stern message to Gov. Mike Rounds to rescind what they say is a new tax on mid-range ethanol blends. Read More
Obama campaign reaches out to rural South Dakota
Two former state agriculture leaders made a pitch to rural South Dakota on Monday for presidential hopeful Barack Obama, touting farm-policy initiatives aimed at strengthening disaster assistance, helping beginning farmers and boosting alternative fuel supplies. Read More
Vote sets up battle on video lottery
Sioux Falls and the state of South Dakota could be heading for a legal showdown after councilors Monday expanded restrictions on video lottery businesses. Read More
$100M fund to attract jobs
Gov. Phil Bredesen proposed Monday a revised state budget that puts $100 million into a new economic development "contingency fund" while cutting $80 million from a TennCare program for the "medically needy." Read More
Bredesen budget cuts jobs, TennCare, pre-K
Funding for state universities will be cut $56 million and 80,000 fewer people with huge medical bills will be enrolled in TennCare. Read More
Buyout talk changes state workers' retirement plans
The prospect of lucrative buyout packages is leading some state employees to put their retirement plans on hold. Read More
Budget cuts won't touch fund for recruiting industry
A $100 million state fund designed to help land new manufacturing plants and corporate headquarters for Tennessee won't be cut, despite the budget crisis, state officials said Monday. Read More
Bredesen focuses cuts on three areas
The state should cut from TennCare spending, higher education and employees' salaries to respond to its deepening economic downturn, Gov. Phil Bredesen told lawmakers Monday, saying the state must act "decisively and conservatively" to weather its financial crisis. Read More
Nashville - Megasite incentives on tap despite cuts
Tennessee Finance Commissioner Dave Goetz said Monday that Gov. Phil Bredesen intends to merge $100 million from reserves with savings from several other areas as a "contingency" fund for "some potential large economic-development projects that we hope are going to bear fruit." Read More
Bredesen focuses cuts on three areas
The state should cut from TennCare spending, higher education and employees' salaries to respond to its deepening economic downturn, Gov. Phil Bredesen told lawmakers Monday, saying the state must act "decisively and conservatively" to weather its financial crisis. Read More
Allstate settlement means 700,000 Texans could get some money back
As many as 700,000 Texans who have or had Allstate insurance on their homes could be getting a check in the mail by November as part of a $71.3 million settlement over past rate increases. Read More
Texans take on big debts, taxes
A weak economy and angst over ever-rising property taxes didn't keep Texas voters from approving 66 school bond elections this past weekend. Read More
Allstate cuts deal on excess charges in Texas
Allstate Insurance agreed Monday to refund $51.6 million to Texas customers it overcharged for homeowners insurance, but the company will not have to return another $19.2 million in overcharges under a settlement with state regulators. Read More
Study says foreigners in U.S. adapt quickly
Immigrants of the past quarter-century have been assimilating in the United States at a notably faster rate than did previous generations, according to a study released today. Read More
33% say card debt stayed steady in '07
As the Federal Reserve reports an uptick in borrowing nationwide, a poll of Utah residents indicates their credit-card spending isn't as bad as it could be. Read More
Kaine, GOP clash over transit solution for Virginia
Gov. Timothy M. Kaine yesterday raised the specter of aging bridges, traffic-clogged hurricane evacuation routes and the financial impact of gridlock to make his case for $1 billion in new taxes and fees for transportation. Read More
Guns in restaurants fail to cause outcry in N.Va.
RESTON, Va. -- The patrons at Champps, a restaurant and bar chain, were eating ribs and drinking beer on a recent Saturday when customer Bruce Jackson stood up and made an announcement. He was armed, and so were dozens of other patrons. Read More
Kaine says more taxes necessary to fix highways
Gov. Tim Kaine said Monday that the mounting cost of highway maintenance and the possible consequences of ignoring it led him to propose another statewide tax increase for transportation, despite opposition from key Republican legislative leaders. Read More
Kaine - state needs $1.1 billion for roads
Governor Tim Kaine asked legislators to boost state taxes by about $1 billion a year to improve roads Monday, and Republican lawmakers swiftly said no. Read More
Hearing on Dominion rate increase June 24
Dominion Virginia Power customers and others who want to comment on the company's proposed fuel rate increase may do so during a public hearing scheduled for 10 a.m. June 24 in Richmond. Read More
Va. regulators set hearing on Dominion rate increase request
The State Corporation Commission says it has scheduled a public hearing on Dominion Virginia Power's request to raise rates about 18 percent due to higher fuel costs. Read More
GOP says Kaine's road tax plan will go nowhere
Minutes after Gov. Timothy M. Kaine unveiled a plan Monday afternoon for an almost $860 million tax increase to help transportation, House Republican leaders declared it all but dead. Read More
Kaine pitches highway program
Gov. Tim Kaine unveiled a transportation plan yesterday that would raise about $1 billion a year for roads. Read More
Va. GOP lawmakers reject Kaine's latest transportation fix
RICHMOND, Va. - Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine proposed Monday raising $1.1 billion in taxes and fees to build and repair roads, including boosting the sales tax by 1 cent in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads. Read More
Budget fix includes borrowing, some cuts, but no hospital tax
Legislative leaders announced a deal Monday to fix a $527 million hole in the state budget by nixing a major tax hike, cutting some spending, increasing borrowing and delaying payments. Read More
State lawmakers set plan to fix budget
Legislative leaders on Monday announced a budget-repair package they intend to pass over the next two days - a plan Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle said he expects to rework with vetoes when it hits his desk. Read More
Full faculty at WVU to assemble on Garrison
Embattled West Virginia University President Mike Garrison tomorrow will face his second vote of no confidence in as many weeks, this time from the 1,800-member faculty of the state's flagship university. Read More
Job gains cut W.Va. unemployment rate to 5.2 percent
Job gains in construction and other sectors cut West Virginia's unemployment rate by one-tenth of a percentage point in April to 5.2 percent. Read More
Questions about uranium
Ranchers and rural residents in northeast Wyoming say they've seen the brochure on how uranium producers perform in-situ leach mining. What they don't know is how it's going to work in their neighborhood, with the soils and aquifers under their homes. Read More
Groups form to discuss reform of property taxes
CODY, Wyo. -- Despite relatively low property tax rates compared with most other states, some Wyoming homeowners say that sharply rising real estate values and a lack of market transparency are putting a big pinch on taxpayers. Read More
Bill stalls in Senate committee
A bill that would bring an estimated $27.2 million in new state revenue stalled in a Senate committee Monday after some provisions were criticized by lawyers and lobbyists representing affected businesses. 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
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 |
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