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US: Obama seeks immediate action to curb emissions

By David R. Baker, San Francisco Chronicle

LOS ANGELES -- In his first speech on global warming since winning the election, President-elect Barack Obama promised Tuesday to set stringent limits on greenhouse gases, saying the need is too urgent for delay. Read More

AK: Palin's pipeline at risk as economy slows

By Russel Gold, The Wall Street Journal (subscription)

The troubled economy that helped sink Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's hopes of becoming U.S. vice president now is undermining prospects for building the $30 billion natural-gas pipeline she touts as her administration's signal achievement. Read More

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RECENT STATELINE.ORG STORIES


	IA: Gay marriage supporters, opponents prep for case The battle to legalize gay marriage in Iowa is intensifying as both sides brace for a pivotal court battle next month that will decide whether gay couples can receive the same tax, medical and social rights as married heterosexuals. (Also see: CA: Recall specter hangs over high court as it considers Prop. 8 challenges)
	MS: Tax hikes, spending cuts in proposal Taxes on cigarettes and health-care providers would be raised. State agencies would make more cuts. Some of the states reserves would be used, but a funding formula for K-12 education would remain intact.
	IL: Governor seeks power to stanch red ink With the economy reeling, Gov. Rod Blagojevich proposed Tuesday to address Illinois multibillion-dollar deficit by asking state lawmakers to give him more power and for federal lawmakers to send more money.
	NY: Albany fails to reach deal on budget deficit An effort by Gov. David A. Paterson to close a $1.5 billion hole in the state budget abruptly fell apart on Tuesday after the governor failed to persuade the Legislature to embrace his plan.
	US: Gaming revenues tumble nationwide Gaming revenues in the 12 states with commercial casinos tumbled 2.6 percent through the first nine months of 2008 and the trend worsened as the year progressed.
	US: Family time - Lawmakers push to expand paid leave No incoming president has set a more ambitious work-family agenda than Barack Obama. The president-elect has said he wants a federal sick-day mandate and expansion of family leave.
	MT: Speaker on power sharing -- 'Trust me' The incoming Democratic speaker of the evenly divided Montana House said Tuesday that hell exercise sole authority for deciding committee chairs and assignments for the 2009 Legislature -- a stance not going over well with Republicans.
	ID: Holiday furloughs for some Idaho state employees BOISE, Idaho -- Hundreds of Idaho state employees are being ordered to take time off without pay at the holidays this year, to help balance the state budget. Gov. Butch Otter praised the moves by two state agencies thus far as good management, saying that employees may be shorted in pay, But theyve got a job.
	CA: State lawmakers overseas during budget crisis More than a dozen state lawmakers have missed much of the special legislative session called to tackle the states fiscal mess, instead traveling to India, China and Hawaii to learn about education, high-speed rail and dams.
	WI: Recent state Supreme Court races have turned 'elections into auctions,' panel says The unrelentingly nasty campaigns of the past two Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, fueled by record-breaking spending by special interests groups and candidates, have created a toxic landscape and turned elections into auctions.
	FL: Sugar land price still $400 million too high, consultant says The state already has shaved $400 million off its bid for U.S. Sugar, but an independent financial advisor says another $400 million whack is necessary to reach a fair price for taxpayers.
	MI: Romney -- Let Detroit go bankrupt Detroit-born Mitt Romney, former governor of Massachusetts and a candidate for this years Republican presidential nomination, taps into the lessons he learned from his dad turning around American Motors in the 1950s, and offers a prescription for fixing the U.S. automotive industry today.
	TX: Perry demands immigration action by feds Gov. Rick Perry and members of the states congressional delegation called on the federal government Tuesday to take steps to help state and local officials ensure that illegal immigrants who commit crimes in Texas remain in custody until they are deported.
	DE: Beau Biden says no to taking dad's job Iraq-bound Attorney General Beau Biden marched away Tuesday from speculation he would immediately follow his father into the U.S. Senate, pulling himself out of political skirmishes over Vice President-elect Joe Bidens short-term replacement.


	Statehouse reporters celebrate awards Against a dismal economic backdrop for the news industry, the nation’s statehouse reporters gathered Saturday (Nov. 15) to honor the best of their work at the ninth annual conference of CapitolBeat, an association of reporters and editors who cover state government.
	Tough economy hammers schools, colleges As states’ budget gaps increase in a worsening economy, schools are among those suffering the fallout — and they’re taking extreme measures to cope.
	States craft plans to stimulate economy States aren’t waiting for help from Washington, D.C., to boost their economies. More than half a dozen have passed or proposed their own economic stimulus packages designed to reinvigorate local businesses with new construction, loans to hometown banks and other job-creating activities.
	Three Western governors float tax hikes Frequently the option of last resort, tax increases are on the table in California, Nevada and Oregon as more states try to confront budget problems and the ailing economy.
	Salt prices put states in a pinch Cold-weather states across the country will need hundreds of thousands of tons of salt to keep roads and highways safe this winter. But prices are running two and three times higher than last year, forcing some states and municipalities to make do with less.
	Ala. seeks civil rights tourism, racial accord Includes interactive map of the black heritage history trail in Selma, Ala. MONTGOMERY, Ala. — As Americans send the country’s first black president to the White House, a growing tourism program in Alabama embraces the states role in the civil rights struggle and salutes the heroes who helped pave the way for Barack Obama’s Election Day victory.
	States made history Nov. 4, too Barack Obama wasn’t the only one to make history Nov. 4 when he was elected the first black U.S. president. Statehouses also broke ground on several fronts.
	Dems take full control in 3 more states (Updated 5:00 p.m. EST, Nov. 10, 2008)Democrats emerged from Election Day gaining control over more state governments, and they now dominate both the legislature and governor’s office in 17 states, compared to just eight for Republicans. With both Democrats and Republicans scoring historic victories, big policy changes could be on the way.
	Election Day mostly smooth Six years after being ordered to overhaul their voting systems, states showed they were largely prepared for 2008’s historic election and near-record voter turnout.
	What Obama could do for states State officials are looking to President-elect Obama for help as the nation faces its worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.
	3 states, including Calif., ban gay marriage (Updated 12 p.m. EST, Nov. 7, 2008)Gay marriage opponents scored major victories in California, Arizona and Florida on Election Day as voters approved ballot measures that limit marriage to a man and a woman. Measures on abortion, affirmative action, stem cell research and physician assisted suicide also were among 153 initiatives on the ballot in 36 states.
	Obama victory crowns Dem gains (Updated 7 a.m. EST, Nov. 5, 2008)President-elect Barack Obama’s overwhelming win over Republican John McCain topped a historic night for Democrats that expanded their power in Congress while keeping their commanding presence in governors’ mansions.



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DAILY STATE NEWS

CA: Supreme Court takes up gay marriage issue

The California Supreme Court agreed Wednesday to consider complaints by opponents of Proposition 8 that it improperly revised the constitution to ban gay marriage. The court declined to stay its enforcement in the meantime.
The Sacramento Bee (registration)
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US: Study of reading program finds a lack of progress

Students in the $6 billion Reading First program have not made greater progress in understanding what they read than have peers outside the program, according to a congressionally mandated study.
The Washington Post (registration)
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NV: Turbulence on the state plane
Testimony by a former state pilot last week painted a disturbing portrait of the operation of the state's jet, which flies elected officials and state workers on official business. According to pilot Jim Richardson, who was fired by the Nevada Department of Transportation in August, three times in recent years the state plane almost ran out of fuel -- once as it carried Gov. Jim Gibbons and, on another occasion, as the plane transported a homicide suspect back to Nevada.
Las Vegas Sun
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