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Archive of Stateline.org RSS - State by State Roundup on Tuesday May 13, 2008
Rove refuses call to testify under oath
WASHINGTON-- A House Judiciary Committee deadline passed Monday with former White House adviser Karl Rove standing by his refusal to testify about allegations that he pushed the Justice Department to prosecute former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman. [Montgomery Advertiser] Read More
Alabama governor Riley says he will sign ban on indoor smoking
Former cigarette smoker Gov. Bob Riley said Monday that he would sign into law a broad ban on indoor smoking at workplaces and public places, if the bill were to pass the Legislature next week. [The Birmingham News] Read More
AEA gives up on several bills
Two-year college Chancellor Bradley Byrne has learned to play political defense in the year since he left the Legislature. Advertisement. He said the Alabama Education Association was pursuing four bills to thwart changes he and the State Board of Education have made at the schools, and all four bills have stalled. [Montgomery Advertiser] 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. [Anchorage Daily News (registration)] 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. [Anchorage Daily News (registration)] Read More
State pledges millions of dollars to help ward off coastal erosion
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - The state is committing millions of dollars to erosion control projects to help protect some of Alaska's coastal villages. [The Juneau Empire (registration)] 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. [The Juneau Empire (registration)] 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. [KTUU.com (Anchorage)] 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. [The Houston Chronicle (registration)] 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. [Arizona Daily Star (Tucson) (registration)] Read More
Legislature to get another look at DUI bill
In a deal struck between Arizona House and Senate Republicans, DUI legislation vetoed by Gov. Janet Napolitano last month is expected to be revived today - without a controversial provision the governor had opposed. [The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)] 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. [The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)] Read More
Napolitano OKs child-custody-enforcement measure
Child Protective Services caseworkers must make a "good-faith effort" to obtain and obey court orders regarding child custody, according to a bill signed into law Monday by Gov. Janet Napolitano. [The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)] Read More
Same-sex-marriage ban advances
Efforts to put a question on the November ballot asking voters to ban same-sex marriage overcame a major roadblock Monday -- passing through a closely divided state House. [Arizona Daily Star (Tucson) (registration)] Read More
House OKs gay-marriage amendment
A state constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman inched closer to the November ballot on Monday after passing the Arizona House of Representatives. [The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)] 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. [The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)] Read More
Three vie for Game and Fish post
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department announced Monday that candidates from Wyoming, Colorado and Arizona make up the three finalists to become the department's new director. [Casper Star-Tribune] Read More
Review order keeping inmate isolated from others, court says
A federal appeals panel Monday told Arkansas prison officials to take another look at an order that has kept a man serving life without parole isolated from other state inmates for 13 years. [Arkansas News Bureau] Read More
Beebe -- Early parolees could pick up litter
As Arkansas continues to dig out from round after round of tornadoes, Gov. Mike Beebe said he would consider offering inmates early parole if they'd help clean up from such disasters. [The Daily Citizen (Searcy)] Read More
Chiefs' hirings need oversight, lawmakers told
Arkansas has about 350 police chiefs, but no state agency checks to see whether the cities conducted the required background checks. [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock)] Read More
Some school districts to get tax windfall; 14 must repay excess
The state Department of Education will pay millions of dollars to several Northwest Arkansas school districts in the coming months to align with a 2007 school-funding law. [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock)] Read More
8th Circuit calls for review of Ark. inmate's isolation
The case of an Arkansas prisoner who has spent 13 years isolated from other prisoners after he was attacked by another inmate should be given a second look, a federal appeals court panel ruled Monday. [The Daily Citizen (Searcy)] Read More
School report cards released
Information on student test scores, teacher pay, per-student spending, dropout rates and many other subjects is contained in the newly released 2007 report cards for Arkansas schools. [Arkansas News Bureau] Read More
Beebe declares two counties disaster areas after weekend storms
Gov. Mike Beebe declared Arkansas and Phillips Counties disaster areas Monday after weekend tornadoes and thunderstorms ravaged the areas. [Arkansas News Bureau] Read More
Schwarzenegger drops plan for early release of 22,000 inmates
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has dumped his plan to release about 22,000 lower-risk inmates from prison before they complete their terms, The Bee learned Monday. [The Sacramento Bee (registration)] Read More
Black woman in powerful job in California
LOS ANGELES - The California Legislature is often first out of the gate with certain laws or to take on a policy issue that other states have yet to grapple with. [The New York Times] Read More
Immigration raids shake California schools
Raids by federal authorities on undocumented immigrants in Northern California panic parents and school officials as fears spread that students might be targeted. Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums and other big-city mayors are denouncing the raids. [National Public Radio (Audio)] 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. [The Sacramento Bee (registration)] Read More
Perry heading to California to help San Diego GOP
Gov. Rick Perry, who made a splash with a let-conservatives-be-conservatives speech to California Republicans in September, is returning to the Golden State on Tuesday to raise money for the San Diego Republican Party, his office announced Monday. [The Austin American-Statesman (registration)] 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. [Los Angeles Times (registration)] Read More
State report sheds light on snooping into UCLA Medical Center files on Farrah Fawcett and Britney Spears
California health regulators have connected 14 more people affiliated with UCLA Medical Center, including four physicians, to the improper viewing of celebrity medical records, bringing the number of current and former workers apparently implicated in the snooping scandal to 68. [Los Angeles Times (registration)] 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. [The Sacramento Bee (registration)] 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. [The Sacramento Bee (registration)] 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. [The San Diego Union-Tribune] Read More
Nunez leaves mixed legacy as Assembly speaker
Fabian N??ez, the eighth and longest-serving Assembly speaker in the 13 years since the legendary Willie Brown was forced to vacate the position in 1995, is being forced out himself by a legislative term limit law he tried, and failed, to persuade voters to change. [The Sacramento Bee (registration)] 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. [The San Diego Union-Tribune] Read More
Fremont Democrat to take a top post in Assembly
The Bay Area, which has been on the verge of losing political power within the leadership of the state Legislature, will bounce back into prominence as early as today when Alberto Torrico of Fremont is elevated to one of the top posts in the Assembly, the Mercury News has learned. [The Mercury News (San Jose) (registration)] Read More
High court lets prosecutor remain on 'Alpha Dog' case
SAN FRANCISCO - The state's high court ruled Monday that a Santa Barbara deputy district attorney who helped in the making of the movie "Alpha Dog" can stay on the real-life death penalty case on which the film is based. [The San Diego Union-Tribune] 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. [The San Diego Union-Tribune] 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. [The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)] Read More
Ritter signs higher-ed projects bill
With the stroke of a pen, Gov. Bill Ritter on Monday paved the way for up to $200 million in construction projects for several state colleges and universities. [The Pueblo Chieftain] Read More
Election hard time to tinker with TABOR
Many political, business and community leaders agree the budget gridlock enshrined in the state constitution needs fixing, but as the continued unraveling of a plan to relax TABOR shows, now may not be the time. [The Denver Post] Read More
First delegates are diverse but share passion for politics
A father and daughter. A campaign worker for John F. Kennedy who now champions the disabled from his wheelchair. A civil-rights advocate who almost believes her selection was divine. The first round of Colorado's pledged delegates selected to attend the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver come from a rich mix of backgrounds and are electrified about the party's chances to make American political history. [The Denver Post] Read More
Three vie for Game and Fish post
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department announced Monday that candidates from Wyoming, Colorado and Arizona make up the three finalists to become the department's new director. [Casper Star-Tribune] 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. [The Wall Street Journal (subscription)] 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. [The Hartford Courant (registration)] Read More
Connecticut prison inmate donations help police departments
BROOKLYN, Conn. - Two eastern Connecticut police departments have received $3,000 donated by prison inmates to help investigate domestic abuse cases. [The Hartford Courant (registration)] 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. [New Haven Register (registration)] Read More
UD adopts residence hall program
NEWARK, Del. -- The University of Delaware Faculty Senate approved a new educational program for campus residence halls Monday. [The News Journal (New Castle-Wilmington)] Read More
Del. AG finds abuse at hospital
The Delaware Attorney General's Office has found "systemic violations" of the state's Mental Health Patient's Bill of Rights during a 10-month investigation into allegations of patient abuse at the Delaware Psychiatric Center. [The News Journal (New Castle-Wilmington)] 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. [The Capital (Annapolis)] Read More
State's coastal habitat could be altered
Those massive, pounding waves and extreme high tides that contributed to flooding and beach erosion Monday also may have significantly altered the state's coastal and marshland habitat. [The News Journal (New Castle-Wilmington)] Read More
Seatbelt awareness program resumes
People driving in or through Delaware should be buckled up -- that is the message Office of Highway Safety officials want to get across in their 2008 Click It or Ticket campaign, which began Monday and runs through May 26, just after Memorial Day. [The News Journal (New Castle-Wilmington)] Read More
DelDOT to spruce up Elkton Road soon
NEWARK, Del. - Full-scale improvements to Elkton Road in Newark aren't slated to begin for a few years. But crews from the state Department of Transportation will be out this summer doing temporary repaving work on part of the road. [The News Journal (New Castle-Wilmington)] Read More
Party leaders weigh Florida primary delegation
U.S. Rep. Allen Boyd, an uncommitted superdelegate to the Democratic National Convention, Monday suggested that Florida's 211 presidential nominating delegates should be seated in Denver next summer with a half-vote each. [Tallahassee Democrat] Read More
Obama plans Hollywood fundraiser during S. Florida swing
After months of virtually ignoring Florida, Barack Obama plans to come to Hollywood to raise money on May 22 and to rally supporters in other parts of South Florida. [The Sun-Sentinel (South Florida)] 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. [Tallahassee Democrat] 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. [St. Petersburg Times] Read More
Florida delegate drama nearing a finale
Florida Democratic leaders are expecting some mercy from the national party on May 31 when it reconsiders the state's delegates to the nominating convention. But as Barack Obama continues to expand his lead over Hillary Clinton, Florida's delegates matter less and less. [The Miami Herald (registration)] 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. [The Miami Herald (registration)] Read More
State gets C+ on Nation's Report Card
Florida rated a C+ for difficulty on reading and math tests used to meet requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act last year, a study released Monday showed. [The Miami Herald (registration)] Read More
Florida town pushed to brink to battle wildfire
A wildfire sapped a Florida town's resources Monday as it damaged or destroyed at least 50 homes, according to city officials who are investigating the blaze as a possible arson. [CNN.com] Read More
Florida administrator chosen as chancellor of Pa. university system
The new chancellor of the 110,000-student Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, John Cavanaugh, will be moving from the presidency at the 10,400-student University of West Florida. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette] Read More
Company fined over prison food
One of the two companies that feed state prisoners has racked up nearly $250,000 in fines since the beginning of the year for violations including not having enough food and staffing shortages. [The Palm Beach Post] Read More
Clinton running hard as West Virginia votes
Forget the calls for her to quit the presidential race: Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton is determined to rack up two big primary victories in the next eight days - in West Virginia and Kentucky - as she seeks to prove her continued political viability and claim bargaining chips that might help her exit the race on her terms, her advisers say. [The New York Times] Read More
High cost of gas affecting GA public service
The high cost of fuel is increasing the demand for a public service provided by the Georgia Department of Transportation. Robert Sims is a supervisor for Highway Emergency Response Operators or HEROs. [The Macon Telegraph] Read More
Governor rules out relief for other drivers
Farmers and timber companies got a break from record-high fuel prices Monday as Gov. Sonny Perdue suspended the state sales tax on diesel for off-road uses. [The Athens Banner-Herald] Read More
Perdue says no to gas tax moratorium for Georgia
Farmers and timber companies got a break from record-high fuel prices on Monday as Gov. Sonny Perdue suspended the state sales tax on diesel for off-road uses. But Georgians driving the state's roads shouldn't be expecting any such relief. Instead, the state's gasoline tax will rise on July 1. [The Macon Telegraph] 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. [The Macon Telegraph] Read More
Election held to fill House District 93 seat
Voters in parts of DeKalb and Rockdale counties go to the polls on Tuesday in a special election to replace state Representative Ron Sailor. [The Macon Telegraph] Read More
Perdue signs film tax credit
Governor Sonny Perdue has signed legislation designed to make Georgia the Hollywood of the South. [The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (registration)] Read More
Off-road diesel tax suspended to aid struggling farmers
Local farmers are feeling the pain of rising fuel prices, and Gov. Sonny Perdue's suspension of the tax on off-road diesel fuel only will help a little. [The Athens Banner-Herald] Read More
HMSA offers free Part D talks
Members of Hawaii Medical Service Association who have questions about their medications under Medicare Part D plans can get the answers from a free HMSA program. [Honolulu Star-Bulletin] Read More
Group returns to palace this week
The Hawaiian Kingdom Government sovereignty group is back on the makai lawn at 'Iolani Palace for a third week. [The Honolulu Advertiser] Read More
UH Manoa students can get $20 for bikes today
The group Cycle Manoa is sponsoring a Bicycle Buy-Back end-of-semester event today at which it will pay $20 per used bike to UH M?noa students. [The Honolulu Advertiser] Read More
DOE to Honor Students' National Achievement
Approximately 370 public secondary school students who represented their schools and Hawaii in national competitions will be honored a luncheon today. [The Honolulu Advertiser] Read More
Kempthorne still owes $15,000 from '02 campaign
WASHINGTON -- Six years after his last election, supporters of Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne are still raising money to pay off debts from his final bid for Idaho governor. [The Idaho Statesman (Boise)] Read More
If these papers could talk, what would they say about Idaho?
Recent talks between officials with former Gov. Dirk Kempthorne and the Idaho State Historical Society finally could open Kempthorne's gubernatorial records, which he has controlled since leaving office two years ago. [The Idaho Statesman (Boise)] Read More
Idaho Supreme Court candidates keep it civil
Previous election campaigns for the Idaho Supreme Court bench have garnered a reputation for being nasty affairs, complete with contentious advertisements and bitter feelings. But so far the race between incumbent Idaho Supreme Court Justice Joel Horton and his challenger, 2nd District Judge John Bradbury, is anything but. [The Idaho Statesman (Boise)] Read More
State's last superdelegate to pick chooses Obama
Idaho's last Democratic superdelegate holdout is backing Sen. Barack Obama for president, meaning an almost certain clean sweep of Idaho's unpledged delegates for Obama. [The Idaho Statesman (Boise)] Read More
Republicans' lawsuit against Idaho stalled
It's been a month since the Idaho Republican Party filed a federal lawsuit against the state, attempting to restrict the Republican primary election to registered GOP party members. But the second step in moving the case forward -- formally serving the state with a summons or notice of the lawsuit -- has yet to be taken. [The Times-News (Twin Falls)] Read More
Idaho responds to ballot lawsuit
The Idaho secretary of state has asked the Idaho Supreme Court to throw out a lawsuit from a man who says he is illegally being kept off the primary election ballot. [The Times-News (Twin Falls)] Read More
Otter aides to tout ID state retiree benefits changes
Aides for Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter plan meetings with government workers and retirees in August and October across Idaho over proposed changes to their benefits plan. [The Times-News (Twin Falls)] Read More
Sullivan seeks re-election as Idaho GOP chairman
The chairman of Idaho's dominant Republican Party is running for re-election this June despite a rift with some compatriots over a move to close the GOP's primary election to all but registered party members. [The Times-News (Twin Falls)] 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. [Chicago Sun-Times] 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. [The State Journal-Register (Springfield)] 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. [Rockford Register Star] Read More
Ill. lawmakers return with long list of unfinished business
The calendar says Illinois lawmakers are supposed to finish their spring session in just three weeks, but it may take far longer. [Chicago Tribune (registration)] 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. [Crain's Chicago Business] 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. [Chicago Tribune (registration)] 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. [Chicago Tribune (registration)] Read More
Lawmakers hear, see diabetic study
If lawmakers can see the prevalence of diabetes in their communities on a big screen, they may be more motivated to set aside dollars necessary to better prevent the disease. [Rockford Register Star] 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. [Northwest Indiana Times (Munster)] Read More
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. [National Public Radio (Audio)] Read More
Why all the potholes? City blames the state
Chicago is fighting a losing battle against potholes because arterial street re-surfacing has been put on hold for the last two years, aldermen were told Monday. [Chicago Sun-Times] 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. [Crain's Chicago Business] 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. [The Detroit News] 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. [Chicago Tribune (registration)] 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. [Chicago Tribune (registration)] 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. [Chicago Sun-Times] Read More
Daniels makes endorsements for AG, state school chief
Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels endorsed Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas for attorney general on Monday and Tony Bennett, superintendent of Greater Clark County Schools, for superintendent of public instruction. [The Indianapolis Star] 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. [Northwest Indiana Times (Munster)] Read More
Indiana State board might pick new president next month
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- Indiana State University officials hope to decide on the school's next president by June 21. [The Indianapolis Star] Read More
Schellinger campaign was full of missteps
For years to come, in back rooms and over beers, Indiana Democrats will ponder the question: What doomed Jim Schellinger's bid for governor? [The Indianapolis Star] Read More
State blames county for voters left off poll books
A state election official said Monday the county is responsible for an error that left several new and longtime voters off the lists provided to most polling places. [Northwest Indiana Times (Munster)] Read More
Star Plaza eyed for gubernatorial debate
The Star Plaza Theatre in Merrillville is among 10 sites being considered for a proposed series of fall debates between Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels and Democratic challenger Jill Long Thompson. [Northwest Indiana Times (Munster)] 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. [The Indianapolis Star] Read More
Daniels backs Costas for attorney general
Gov. Mitch Daniels sent state Republican Party leaders a letter Monday endorsing Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas' bid for Indiana attorney general. [Northwest Indiana Times (Munster)] Read More
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. [National Public Radio (Audio)] 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. [The Des Moines Register] 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. [The Des Moines Register] 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. [The Des Moines Register] 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. [Sioux City Journal] 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. [Sioux City Journal] 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. [Sioux City Journal] Read More
New agency will deal with Native American issues
The Iowa Commission on Native American Affairs was created with the stroke of a pen Monday, as Gov. Chet Culver signed legislation creating the new agency. [Sioux City Journal] 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. [The Des Moines Register] 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. [The Des Moines Register] Read More
Group provides translated forms for voters
Translations of Iowa voter registration forms will be available today in foreign languages through a Web site run by international relations advocates. [The Des Moines Register] 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. [The Des Moines Register] 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. [The Des Moines Register] 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. [The Des Moines Register] 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. [Radio Iowa] 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). [Radio Iowa] Read More
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. [National Public Radio (Audio)] 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. [Wichita Eagle (registration)] 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. [The Topeka Capital-Journal] Read More
Jon Wefald, K-State's president, to retire next year
Kansas State University President Jon Wefald, who is credited with turning around a once-declining institution, will step down next year after more than two decades leading the school. [Kansas City Star (registration)] Read More
K-State leader retiring in '09
Spend much time on hold waiting to talk to Kansas State University president Jon Wefald, and this is what you will hear: the K-State marching band behind a peppy voice touting university accomplishments. [The Topeka Capital-Journal] Read More
Missouri Senate panel endorses voter ID measure
Voter ID legislation most likely will see action on the Senate floor this week as lawmakers rush to approve the measure before the session adjourns on Friday. [Kansas City Star (registration)] Read More
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. [National Public Radio (Audio)] Read More
State lab's DNA testing halted in 1979 murder
With Kentucky lab technicians just hours away from completing DNA testing that could exonerate death row inmate Brian Keith Moore in the 1979 murder of a Louisville man, the testing was halted at the request of state prosecutors last week, Moore's attorney said. [The Courier-Journal (Louisville)] 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. [The New York Times] Read More
Ky.'s new chief justice hailed for fairness
Kentucky Supreme Court Justice John D. Minton Jr., a moderate Democrat from Bowling Green, has been chosen by his peers on the high court to replace Joseph Lambert as the state's chief justice. [The Courier-Journal (Louisville)] Read More
State's universities assist homeland security
SOMERSET, Ky. - Several federally funded homeland-security projects at Kentucky universities are nearly ready for commercial use. [Lexington Herald-Leader] Read More
State chief justice chosen
The Kentucky Supreme Court elected Justice John D. Minton on Monday to be the next chief justice. [Lexington Herald-Leader] Read More
Clinton running hard as West Virginia votes
Forget the calls for her to quit the presidential race: Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton is determined to rack up two big primary victories in the next eight days - in West Virginia and Kentucky - as she seeks to prove her continued political viability and claim bargaining chips that might help her exit the race on her terms, her advisers say. [The New York Times] Read More
Panel backs doubling lawmakers' pay
A bill that would more than double the salaries of state senators and representatives sailed out of a Senate committee Monday after supporters argued that lawmakers often work full-time hours in their part-time positions. [The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)] Read More
Senators back budget overhaul bill
The Senate approved legislation Monday that would change the way the state handles funding for construction projects. [The Advocate (Baton Rouge)] Read More
Bill would cut N.O.'s health care
The New Orleans region could lose up to $70 million a year in health care financing under a bill approved overwhelmingly by the Senate on Monday that aims to redistribute the way money is divided among southern Louisiana charity hospitals. [The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)] Read More
Athletics officials criticize allowing guns on campus
Legislation that would allow some handguns on college campuses was delayed on Monday after more than 20 LSU athletics officials, including football coach Les Miles, signed a letter in opposition. [The Advocate (Baton Rouge)] Read More
Bill would compensate landowners near canal
Residents along the 17th Street Canal won quick and unanimous approval Monday for a plan that would require they be compensated for the Army Corps of Engineers' using portions of their lots for levee improvements. [The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)] Read More
Radio ad targets tuition grant foe
An advocacy group has ratcheted up the debate over Gov. Bobby Jindal's proposed private school tuition grant program for New Orleans public school students with a radio advertising campaign criticizing a leading opponent of the plan. [The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)] Read More
Bill to end income tax stalls
Behind-the-scenes negotiations are under way at the State Capitol to scuttle a proposal that would gradually eliminate the state income tax, lawmakers said Monday. [The Advocate (Baton Rouge)] Read More
Bill to end Causeway panel rejected
An indirect way of abolishing the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway Commission by mandating that span officials start construction of "an additional lane and shoulder" by Jan. 1 or face extinction failed by one vote in a House committee Monday. [The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)] Read More
Smoking bill clears House committee
Smoking should be prohibited in vehicles with passengers 16 and younger, a House committee said Monday. [The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)] Read More
Airport proposals pass legislative hurdles in House
Companion bills that would allow the state to assume control of the Louis Armstrong International Airport and, in exchange, funnel about $500 million in bond money to the city of New Orleans as a way to develop biomedical research, entertainment and sports districts cleared separate committees Monday with no opposition. [The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)] Read More
Panel approves bill tripling legislative pay
A pay raise that would triple the base salaries of state legislators was approved Monday by the Senate Finance Committee without opposition. [The Advocate (Baton Rouge)] Read More
Ethics bill altered, passed in House
Legislation that backers said would impose a more reasonable standard for judging ethics violations won House approval Monday 45-42. [The Advocate (Baton Rouge)] Read More
Retiree benefits proposals rapped
A Senate panel on Monday approved two separate retirement increases despite opposition from state officials who seek a uniform fix to the differences between different kinds of state employees. [The Advocate (Baton Rouge)] Read More
Rep. Allen endorses Obama bid
Democratic Rep. Tom Allen announced Monday that he is backing Sen. Barack Obama for president, saying that now is the time to end the party's nomination fight gracefully. [Portland Press Herald] 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. [NEWS 8 WMTW] Read More
King, Allen postpone fundraiser
Democratic Rep. Tom Allen on Monday postponed a campaign fundraiser with bestselling horror writer Stephen King, who asked for the delay after being criticized for remarks he made about the U.S. Army. [Portland Press Herald] Read More
Cote says work on energy issues, Army service equip him for office
Running for Congress is tough. To compete, you must work hard ? criss-crossing the district, shaking thousands of hands, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars, depriving yourself of sleep. [Portland Press Herald] 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. [Bangor Daily News] 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. [The Capital (Annapolis)] Read More
Bikers join lawmakers to applaud driving bill
Leather jackets will mingle with pin-stripped suits today when motorcycle clubs arrive at the State House to see their driving-safety bill signed into law by Gov. Martin O'Malley. [The Washington Times] 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. [The Sun (Baltimore)] 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. [The Boston Globe (registration)] Read More
DiMasi looks to clear 'good name,' vanquish 'enemies'
In an extraordinary bid to reassert control over a divided House, Speaker Sal DiMasi yesterday accused unnamed "enemies" of concocting ethics charges to undermine his authority. [Boston Herald] Read More
Mass. bill would help protect, manage state's coastal waters
BOSTON - A landmark bill designed to better manage everything from wind farms to whale watching in the coastal waters off Massachusetts is making its way through the Statehouse and could emerge from a key legislative committee as soon as this week. [Times Argus (Barre/Montpelier)] 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. [The Boston Globe (registration)] Read More
Most Mass. doctors face lower cost for malpractice coverage
Despite assertions that high malpractice rates are driving them out of the state, Massachusetts doctors are paying less than they were in 1990, after adjusting for inflation, according to a Suffolk University Law School study. [The Boston Globe (registration)] Read More
UMass chief asks degree be rescinded
University of Massachusetts president Jack M. Wilson backed growing calls yesterday to rescind an honorary degree awarded to President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, who is facing international scorn and sanctions for his authoritarian regime's bloody campaign against political opponents. [The Boston Globe (registration)] Read More
Confident Obama coming to woo Michigan voters
Sen. Barack Obama returns to Michigan on Wednesday for the first time in 10 months, his campaign increasingly looking like that of a Democratic nominee unwilling to let his Republican rival hustle freely for votes this fall in battleground states. [Detroit Free Press] Read More
Detroit City Council to vote on Mayor Kilpatrick ouster options
A fragile majority of City Council members could be poised today to launch a double-barreled effort to topple Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick by starting their own impeachment-like process and petitioning Gov. Jennifer Granholm to oust him. [The Detroit News] Read More
Hoogendyk to challenge Sen. Levin
Republican State Rep. Jack Hoogendyk turned in more than 30,000 nominating petition signatures Monday, making official his candidacy to be a giant slayer -- or sacrificial lamb -- against 30-year veteran U.S. Sen. Carl Levin. [The Detroit News] 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. [The Detroit News] Read More
John Ramsey drops bid for Mich. House
John Ramsey won't run for the Michigan House after all. Like a few other candidates, Ramsey has withdrawn from the 105th district House race after incumbent Kevin Elsenheimer reconsidered and decided to run for re-election. [The Detroit News] 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. [The Detroit News] Read More
State extends dioxin advisories for consuming wild game
The state has extended advisories for consuming wild game from the Tittabawassee River and Saginaw River flood plains because of dioxin contamination from Dow Chemical Co. [The Detroit News] Read More
EMU hopes presidential pick allows it to start new chapter
Eastern Michigan University regents are poised to hire a new president, marking what they hope will be a new chapter for the Ypsilanti campus that has been dogged by scandal over the cover-up of a student's murder. [Detroit Free Press] 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. [Northwest Indiana Times (Munster)] Read More
Efforts to remove Detroit mayor to go to vote
DETROIT - The Detroit City Council has spent weeks debating what to do with scandal-plagued Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick: force his ouster or slap him on the wrist. [The New York Times] Read More
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. [National Public Radio (Audio)] Read More
Clinton running hard as West Virginia votes
Forget the calls for her to quit the presidential race: Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton is determined to rack up two big primary victories in the next eight days - in West Virginia and Kentucky - as she seeks to prove her continued political viability and claim bargaining chips that might help her exit the race on her terms, her advisers say. [The New York Times] Read More
Hints of an agreement have Capitol on standby
Action on bills that could change Minnesotans' taxes and alter programs they depend upon came to a halt Monday amid hints of progress in negotiations for a "global agreement" to resolve the major issues of the 2008 legislative session. [Minneapolis Star Tribune (registration)] Read More
Deal eludes Pawlenty, lawmakers
It was a week before they must go home for a year, but with no deal to balance the budget Minnesota legislators Monday debated health-care reform, a constitutional amendment and whether to allow dogs on cafe patios. [Duluth News Tribune] Read More
Pawlenty signs groundbreaking biofuel bill
Other states will look at Minnesota as a leader in an emerging area of renewable fuels, lawmakers and Gov. Tim Pawlenty said as the governor signed a bill mandating more biofuel use. [Duluth News Tribune] Read More
At The Capitol / Health bill OK'd in House, Senate
Minnesota lawmakers defied a veto threat from Gov. Tim Pawlenty on Monday in approving a reform measure that would define affordable health care, offer more Minnesotans state-subsidized health care and promote public health. [St. Paul Pioneer Press (registration)] Read More
Property tax cap stalling legislators
End-of-session negotiations between legislative leaders and Gov. Tim Pawlenty are still focused on property tax relief. [Minnesota Public Radio (St. Paul)] Read More
Minnesota Legislature / Few answers about spendy conference
Minnesota lawmakers hoped to learn more Friday about how and why public money was used for an international game-warden conference last July in St. Paul. [St. Paul Pioneer Press (registration)] Read More
Voters may have say in pay
The House of Representatives on Monday passed a plan to ask Minnesotans whether an appointed body should set salaries and reimbursement rates for state legislators and constitutional officers. [St. Cloud Times] Read More
As school districts look to save, athletic programs lose out
Even when it's not basketball season, Brock Tesdahl likes to shoot baskets in the gym at Crosby-Ironton High School. The sophomore was part of the Rangers team that finished second in Class 2A at the boys' state tournament in March, and he's already thinking about next season. But his junior year might be the last chance he gets to play high school basketball. [Minneapolis Star Tribune (registration)] Read More
U of M light rail tunnel could be back on the table
Minnesota Rep. Jim Oberstar said recently passed federal legislation could resurrect debate over an underground light-rail tunnel through the University of Minnesota. [Minnesota Public Radio (St. Paul)] 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. [The Detroit News] Read More
House passes bill with rules on surrogate-mom contracts
The House passed a bill Monday that would set legal guidelines for surrogate-mother agreements after opponents were unable to tighten rules under which a woman could agree to bear a child for someone else. [Minneapolis Star Tribune (registration)] Read More
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. [National Public Radio (Audio)] Read More
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