|
|
Archive of Social Policy on Wednesday July 01, 2009
AL: Ala. closes in on Miss. as most obese state
WASHINGTON -- Mississippi's still king of cellulite, but an ominous tide is rolling toward the Medicare doctors in neighboring Alabama: obese baby boomers. Read More
AZ: Arizona House rejects immigration enforcement bill
With many members absent, the Arizona House early Wednesday defeated a bill to criminalize the presence of all illegal immigrants in the state and draw local police officers deeper into the fight against illegal immigration. Read More
AZ: State lawmakers approve bill allowing guns in bars
The Arizona Senate has approved a bill to allow people with concealed weapons permits to carry a gun into a business that serves alcohol. Read More
CA: Public hearing turns into passionate debate on death penalty
It was supposed to be a dry public hearing on a "notice of proposed regulations," a meeting to let citizens speak about technical aspects of how lethal injection is administered to condemned inmates. Read More
CA: Opposition to death penalty in California voiced at hearing on lethal injection
Corrections officials heard overwhelming condemnation of proposed new lethal injection procedures Tuesday at the first-ever public hearing on execution methods in the state. Read More
CO: Designated beneficiary rules grant unmarried pairs decision-making power
In April, Gov. Bill Ritter signed a bill that gives unmarried couples the right to enter into "designated beneficiary agreements," which guarantee many of the rights usually reserved for husbands and wives. Read More
DE: Law gives public access to Adult Abuse Registry
Gov. Jack Markell signed legislation Tuesday that provides greater protections for senior citizens and residents with disabilities. Read More
DE: State budget passes in marathon session; taxes, fees to jump $206 million
Completing a marathon session that lasted until 4 a.m. today, the General Assembly passed a $3.09 billion budget, $206 million in tax and fee increases and eliminated an unprecedented $800 million revenue shortfall. Read More
DE: Bill would reform handling of sex crimes in prisons
State Rep. James "J.J." Johnson, D-Jefferson Farms, introduced legislation Tuesday that would change the law regarding how sexual crimes inside state detention centers are handled. Read More
DE: In budget, 2.5% cut with 5 days off
The General Assembly was heading into an early-morning special session today after taking up a $3.09 billion budget and passing $206 million in tax and fee increases. Read More
DE: Bill to boost film industry in Del. fails to get vote
A bill that would have helped bring film production to Delaware by providing loan guarantees for certain types of projects did not make it on the General Assembly's agenda by the end of the session Tuesday. Read More
FL: Prescription drug overdose deaths soar in Florida
Florida continues to see a rapid rise in fatal overdoses caused by prescription-drug abuse -- a trend fueled by a cottage industry of cash-only pain clinics -- while deaths from illegal drugs wane, according to a report from the state's medical examiners released Tuesday. Read More
FL: 65 new Florida law changes take effect today
Sixty-five new state laws go into effect today. They include an electronic tracking system to reduce the illicit sale and abuse of prescriptions drugs; requiring felony suspects to provide DNA samples; a limit to lawyer fees in workers' compensation cases; and allowing state universities to put up columbaria for the ashes of deceased alumni. Read More
HI: Hawaii adults less obese, but not isle youth
Hawaii adults continue to be among the most physically active and leanest in the nation, according to a national report released today. Read More
IA: Kids of Spanish-speaking parents more likely to be uninsured
An Iowa Department of Public Health report concludes there are "pockets" of minority children in Iowa who do not have regular access to a dentist and do not get regular medical checkups. Read More
IA: Advocates push to raise Iowa earned income credit
Iowa should boost its tax credit to low-income working families to lift thousands of children out of poverty, an Iowa City think tank says.` Read More
IA: State officials call smoking ban a success
State public health officials are declaring Iowa's year-old anti-smoking law a success. Read More
IA: A first for Iowa -- Alcohol revenue for year tops $100 million
Iowans are buying more liquor, beer and wine, bucking an economic trend that has seen sales of many retail products plunge over the past year. Read More
IA: High court to decide slot jackpot dispute at Prairie Meadows
The Iowa Supreme Court will referee a Des Moines truck driver's fight to reclaim nearly $10,000 in slot machine winnings that were confiscated because he had earlier been barred from the casino. Read More
IA: Law requires increase in childcare center inspections
A new state law will see more and more home-based childcare centers receive annual inspections from the Iowa Department of Human Services over the next five years. Read More
IA: Backers of proposed Franklin County casino move location
A casino and hotel complex that's being proposed in Franklin County will now be built near Dows, just off Interstate-35, if state regulators give it the go ahead. Developer Gayle Burnett, of Rockford, says it's a move of about six miles to the north for the Landmark Hotel and Casino, which was announced in 2005. Read More
IA: Advice for schools on new sex offender rules
Attorneys with the Iowa Association of School Boards are issuing advice to schools about complying with a new law that goes into effect tomorrow. Anyone on the sex offender registry must have written permission to be on school grounds, or they can be charged with loitering. Read More
IL: As new fiscal year begins, Illinois remains without budget
The clock ran out on Illinois' fiscal year Tuesday without a new state budget in place, raising the specter of mass state service cuts in the coming weeks or days. Read More
IL: Quinn wants tax hike -- even if it takes months
State government limped into a new budget year Wednesday without a solid spending plan and rookie Gov. Pat Quinn threatened to drag the fight out all summer until he gets an income tax increase. Read More
IL: Judge orders state to meet child welfare rules
A federal judge says planned cuts in child-welfare services envisioned under the so-called doomsday budget passed by both houses of the Illinois legislature violate basic, court-ordered standards. Read More
IL: Quinn -- Adults don't 'put off decisions'
Like a parent scolding misbehaving children, Gov. Pat Quinn admonished lawmakers Tuesday for putting off the state's problems and warned them a long, hot summer awaits in the capital city if they don't vote to raise taxes. Read More
IN: Budget brings good, bad news for state schools
Indiana's lawmakers passed a $27.8 billion two-year budget Tuesday that supporters touted as a triumph in a recession but critics said came at the expense of students in urban and rural districts. Read More
KS: State cuts DUI program's funds by 70%
State money to treat repeat drunken driving offenders has been cut by 70 percent, even as a new law calls for the program to expand. Read More
KS: Cuts may mean end to assistance
Christy Tatum moved four times in two months and is praying for a fifth move to a place she can really call home. Read More
KS: New Kansas laws kick in today; how do they affect you?
You can get wine delivered to your home, but you can't linger in the left lane of rural highways under state laws that take effect today. Many of the 144 bills signed into law after the 2009 legislative session become law today. Read More
KY: Minimum wage goes up Wednesday
Nikki Duvall can't work up a lot of enthusiasm about the prospect of Kentucky's minimum wage increasing to $7.25 an hour Wednesday. Read More
LA: Fireworks use OK in some areas, not all
HAMMOND, La. — Even with a statewide burn ban in place, residents in Tangipahoa and Livingston parishes will be able to celebrate the Fourth of July with fireworks where they are legal. Read More
LA: State budget year begins with cuts
The new state fiscal year starts today with far less drastic budget cuts than Gov. Bobby Jindal originally proposed. Read More
LA: Jindal signs sex predator bills into law
Gov. Bobby Jindal signed nine bills into law Tuesday to crack down on sexual predators in Louisiana. Read More
MA: Lawmakers vow to 'fast track' elderly driver legislation
Leading state lawmakers yesterday promised to "fast track'' legislation regulating older drivers, as yet another serious accident involving an elderly motorist underscored growing concern about the safety of Massachusetts roads. Read More
MA: Pension laws pare police, fire rolls
This week's rash of retirements by Boston firefighters seeking disability pensions is but one part of a wave of such departures across Massachusetts, as a pair of new state laws that could greatly diminish the pension benefits of public safety workers take effect today. Read More
MD: Federal grant will help juvenile offenders get jobs
Maryland received a $3.1 million federal grant to help young offenders in Baltimore enter the work force, the U.S. Department of Labor announced Tuesday. Read More
MD: New state laws will take effect tomorrow
Businesses that violate liquor laws will face steeper penalties and the local tourism bureau will be on track for a funding boost under new state laws set to take effect tomorrow. Read More
MI: State reps urge quick action on failing schools
Three state representatives today called on the Senate to act quickly on legislation targeting failing schools. Read More
MN: Minn. has lowest rate of overweight kids
Another victory of sorts for Lake Wobegon: Minnesota has the lowest rate of overweight children in the nation, according to a new report on obesity in America. Read More
MS: Miss. lawmakers finish most of $6B budget, not PSC
Bleary-eyed Mississippi lawmakers approved most of the $6 billion budget before the state fiscal year started early Wednesday, addressing Medicaid and public safety while leaving only the state's utility regulatory agency unfunded. Read More
MS: Hundreds of laws take effect in Miss.
Most teens now will need their parents' permission before using a tanning facility, 16-year-olds can donate blood, and Internet pharmacies face stricter regulations. Read More
MS: Medicaid bill goes to gov
Lawmakers sent a Medicaid reauthorization plan to Gov. Haley Barbour hours before the new fiscal year began today, along with dozens of other funding bills intended to keep state government running smoothly. Read More
MT: Abortion foes to submit initiatives
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Abortion opponents in Colorado and Montana want to try again to pass amendments giving human rights to embryos. Read More
NE: Nebraska judge rejects flag-desecration case appeal
OMAHA, Neb. — A judge agreed Tuesday to let prosecutors move forward with their case against a Kansas woman accused of violating Nebraska's flag-desecration law. Read More
NE: Nebraska ACLU says wedding bias allegations resolved
OMAHA, Neb. — A civil liberties group said Tuesday that five Nebraska counties accused of discriminating against immigrants seeking marriage licenses have changed or are working to change policies. Read More
NH: Judge freezes $9 m contested NH funding
A superior court judge has frozen $9 million in surplus funding the state and New Hampshire's nursing homes both claim. Read More
NH: $11.5b state budget given OK by Lynch
Gov. John Lynch signed an $11.5 billion state budget Tuesday as one judge threatened to blow a $110 million hole in it and another put at risk a $9 million state government money grab. Read More
NH: No new contract for SEA
A midnight deadline came and went last night and most state employees still don't have a new contract, leaving unresolved a looming question of whether budget-mandated personnel cuts will come through widespread unpaid furloughs, benefits cuts or hundreds of additional layoffs. Read More
NM: NM gets $13 million to help with jobless benefits
New Mexico is getting $13 million in federal stimulus money to pay jobless benefits and to administer its unemployment insurance program. Read More
NM: Attorney General's Office trains local law enforcement in human trafficking
Slavery in the United States didn't end with the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. It still exists today, in the form of human trafficking. Human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act. Read More
NV: Court moves to mediate -- foreclosure hearings coming
The court action put into effect a law passed by the 2009 Legislature. Read More
NY: Big Apple at core of state's population rise
The Big Apple is still the country's biggest draw. A yearly estimate from the U.S. Census says New York City grew by more than 53,000 residents for the 12-month period ending July 2008, the biggest numerical increase of any city in the country. Read More
NY: Board -- Gay Natl. Guard Lt. should be discharged
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - A military administrative board is recommending that a gay New York National Guard officer should be discharged for violating the military's 'don't ask-don't tell' policy against homosexual conduct. Lt. Dan Choi is the first New York National Guard member discharged for violating the military's policy against homosexual conduct. Read More
OH: Strickland signs week's budget as slots fight rages
A temporary, one-week budget cleared the Ohio House and Gov. Ted Strickland's desk Tuesday with another in the pipeline - just in case. Read More
OH: Stalemate continues as interim budget is signed
Like many Ohioans, state government now is living paycheck to paycheck. Read More
OH: Ohio House passes seven-day temporary budget extension while slots plan remains blocked
One state budget extension might not be enough. As the standoff over slots continued between Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland and Republican Senate President Bill Harris Tuesday, the Ohio House passed a seven-day temporary budget while queuing up a second stopgap measure for a possible vote if needed. Read More
PA: Rendell lines up loans, credit for state employees
In a sign that state budget talks could drag on for weeks or months, Gov. Ed Rendell today announced that 10 banks and credit unions are offering no-interest loans and lines of credit for up to 69,000 state employees whose paychecks could halt July 17. Read More
PA: Bill to expand Pa. health insurance sparks debate
Democratic leaders in Pennsylvania hope to double the number of residents who receive state-sponsored health insurance, known as adultBasic, but Republicans fear the costs may be too high. Read More
RI: Carcieri OKs $7.8-billion R.I. budget
Governor Carcieri on Tuesday reluctantly signed into law a $7.8-billion budget package that raises Rhode Island's gas tax by 2 cents per gallon, cuts millions of dollars from cities and towns, and trims pension benefits for thousands of state workers and teachers. Read More
RI: R.I. Senate recesses with bills in limbo
Just before 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Senate President M. Teresa Paiva Weed banged her gavel and sent the Senate into extended recess for at least part of the summer, capping a chaotic month on Smith Hill that ended with both chambers on indeterminate breaks and major legislation still up in the air. Read More
RI: School's now in session for state's new education chief
WOONSOCKET, R.I. — Deborah A. Gist, Rhode Island's new commissioner of elementary and secondary education, is so excited about her new job that she began a day early, attending a news conference Tuesday morning to announce the launch of five summer learning programs in urban districts. Read More
RI: R.I. hospitals agree on safety protocol for surgeries
All the hospitals and outpatient surgical centers in Rhode Island have agreed to follow the same process to prevent errors in surgery. Read More
SC: State's Labor Dept. checking for illegal immigrants
Major businesses in South Carolina are being audited by the state's labor agency to determine if they are hiring illegal immigrants. Read More
SD: One in six kids in S.D. fighting poverty
One in six South Dakota children live in poverty, according to a report issued Tuesday by a children's advocacy group. Read More
TX: Perry insists on short special session agenda
Gov. Rick Perry is being pressed to add issues ranging from children's health care to voter identification to the agenda of the special session that begins Wednesday, but his answer is still no. Read More
US: Colorado the least obese state
WASHINGTON—Mississippi's still king of cellulite, but an ominous tide is rolling toward the Medicare doctors in neighboring Alabama: obese baby boomers. Read More
US: Abortion foes try again on 'personhood' amendments
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Abortion opponents in Colorado and Montana want to try again to pass amendments giving human rights to embryos. Read More
UT: Utah faith leaders urge repeal of SB81
Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Protestant leaders gathered Tuesday evening in a Lutheran Church to pray, preach, plead and lament the passage of an immigration bill. They even called for it to be repealed. Their words cannot stop Senate Bill 81 from taking effect today, but they hoped to provide comfort and express solidarity with Utah's undocumented immigrants. Read More
VA: Texting ban, other new laws in effect today across Virginia
The following laws, passed by the Virginia General Assembly, go into effect July 1, 2009. Read More
VA: Prohibition on texting by drivers starts in Va.
Virginia drivers will face new restrictions today, when hundreds of laws take effect, including a ban on sending or reading text messages and e-mails. Read More
VT: Today is first day for new state laws
All new statutes that don't have other specified effective dates go into law today. That means everything from new tax increases to new programs to new rules for citizens, regulators and businesses. Read More
VT: VA secretary touts new vets' benefits
Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs Tammy Duckworth toured Vermont on Tuesday with a double dose of good news for the state's veterans. Read More
VT: State asks for hospitals' plans
This week the Department of Mental Health queried every hospital in the state and Dartmouth Hitchcock in Lebanon, N.H., about their interest in providing psychiatric acute care services that would replace care now provided at the Vermont State Hospital -- which state officials want to close. Read More
WA: State will use emergency funds to buy flu medication
Gov. Chris Gregoire on Tuesday authorized emergency funds to purchase flu medication to prepare for a busy flu season. Read More
WA: State Fire Marshal's Office warns of fireworks dangers
With fireworks season and dry weather upon us, the state Fire Marshal's Office on Tuesday urged South Sound residents to be safe with their Fourth of July celebrating. Read More
WA: WSDOT employee under investigation for overtime fraud
The State Patrol is investigating an employee with the state Department of Transportation after a payroll audit showed $67,000 in unearned overtime and compensation during the past two years. Read More
WA: Cell phone law a year old, but problems persist
A year ago, a top research official at the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety made a prediction about Washington's law prohibiting drivers from using hand-held cell phones in most cases. Read More
WA: State budget year begins with 3,200 jobs on the block
Many state agencies are keeping employees on the payroll a bit longer as Washington's government starts a new budget year today with 3,200 jobs on the chopping block. Read More
WA: Gregoire OKs emergency money for flu season
Gov. Chris Gregoire has approved $700,000 in emergency spending to buy more antiviral medicine for the next flu season. Read More
WI: Some budget gains for immigrants
Children of parents in this country illegally will be able to pay in state UW tuition, under a provision of the budget signed by Governor Jim Doyle Monday. Read More
WI: 'Frankenstein' veto returns from the grave
So, voters, you thought you banned the "Frankenstein" veto last year? Not so fast. Read More
WI: More reasons to quit
Wisconsin is just one year away from implementation of a statewide smoking ban and smokers will start paying even more for cigarettes in September. Read More
WV: Manchin says BSA, state will be good partners
Gov. Joe Manchin said Monday's announcement that the Boy Scouts of America selected the New River Gorge region for the location of a National Scouting Center "speaks volumes" for West Virginia. Read More
Furloughs cut into state services
With states facing a $121 billion shortfall in the next fiscal year, a growing number of them have turned to squeezing their workforce for savings, and effects both great and small will be felt. Read More
Ga. hotline aims to cut mental health costs
Read More
New section follows stimulus spending
Read More |
Powered by