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WORTH NOTING: Illinois treasurer shows his knowledge of charges

By Daniel C. Vock, Stateline.org Staff Writer — 05/09/2008

U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) endures a bruising charge from Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (D). A new Utah law stirs Salt Lake City bartenders to create a new drink. And Louisiana prison guards get outside help to prevent escapes. In case you missed those stories this week, Worth Noting fills you in.

Neutral govs to remain on sidelines

By Pamela M. Prah, Stateline.org Staff Writer — 05/09/2008

In the homestretch of an unprecedented presidential primary season, spinning with competing sound-bites and endless rhetoric, voters still heading to the polls in four states can’t look to their governors for any pre-election advice. These governors plan to wait until after their states vote to make their own endorsements.

At-risk gubernatorial seats increase

By Louis Jacobson, Stateline.org Columnist — 05/08/2008

After a pair of hard-fought primaries, North Carolina joins Missouri, Washington and Indiana on Out There's list of states where partisan control of the governorship could flip this fall.

Silver Alert helps rescue lost seniors

By Christine Vestal, Stateline.org Staff Writer — 05/07/2008

(Updated 9:30 a.m EST, May 8, 2008)

When an elderly person with dementia is lost, eight states can trigger an alert to let the community know. Proposals in Congress would expand the successful missing persons program to all 50 states.

Will states fix 2012 primary process?

By Pamela M. Prah, Stateline.org Staff Writer — 05/06/2008

While voters in Indiana and North Carolina go to the polls today (May 6) to help Democrats pick Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama as their nominee and Republicans rally behind John McCain, party insiders and state election officials are in informal talks to improve the presidential nominating contests for 2012 and beyond.

A 'green' Rx to save carbon: city density + transit

By Neal Peirce, Special to Stateline.org — 05/06/2008

Earth Day this year was a lot different from the first observance in 1970. Back then, we faced highly visible smog in the air, towns combatting toxic waste sites, and a Cuyahoga River on fire.

Chris Matthews: Ready to play hardball in PA

By G. Terry Madonna & Michael L. Young, Special to stateline.org — 05/06/2008

Now no longer the center ring for the traveling Democratic presidential nomination circus, Pennsylvania’s inventive political community has discovered a new favorite political parlor game to while away the brisk springtime evenings: will Chris Matthews, the irrepressible host of MSNBC’s Hardball, step down from his pundits perch to run for the US Senate against Arlen Specter in 2010? To a remarkable degree, speculation abounds over this possibility in the Keystone State.

July event will celebrate the life of John Parr: counselor to civic America

By Neal Peirce, Special to Stateline.org — 05/06/2008

A national celebration of John Parr and his life’s work to energize civic life in communities and regions across the United States will be held in Pittsburgh, Pa., on the afternoon of Tuesday, July 29. All of John’s friends and associates from all regions are cordially invited to attend.

Oh say, is that banner made in the U.S.A.?

By Kim Mendelsohn, Special to Stateline.org — 05/05/2008

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.

WORTH NOTING: Voters' guide promotes phone sex

By Pauline Vu, Stateline.org Staff Writer — 05/02/2008

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.

Fairness of death-penalty panels questioned

By John Gramlich, Stateline.org Staff Writer — 05/02/2008

Death-penalty supporters are raising questions about the fairness of state commissions charged with studying how capital punishment is carried out in Maryland and Tennessee, claiming the panels will issue reports that ignore their views.

Seeds of social issues dot 2008 elections

By Louis Jacobson, Stateline.org Columnist — 05/01/2008

With a sagging economy and a divisive war occupying Americans’ minds, will social issues be overshadowed in state elections in 2008?

Parents turn to states for autism help

By Daniel C. Vock, Stateline.org Staff Writer — 04/30/2008

(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.

With justices' OK, voter ID moves ahead

By Daniel C. Vock and John Gramlich, Stateline.org Staff Writers — 04/29/2008

A decision Monday (April 28) by the U.S. Supreme Court to let Indiana demand photo identification from voters paves the way for other states to do the same during November’s presidential election, experts say.

Legislators prod Congress on Medicaid, Real ID

By Pamela M. Prah, Stateline.org Staff Writer — 04/28/2008

As some states tumble into what they fear is a recession, state lawmakers from across the country are pushing Congress for relief from impending federal rules that would force states to pick up more Medicaid costs and spend billions to make drivers’ licenses more secure.

23 states face budget gaps in '09

By Pamela M. Prah, Stateline.org Staff Writer — 04/25/2008

Like a college student fishing for stray quarters in the sofa cushions, states are tightening their belts, dipping into their rainy day funds and hoping revenues will pick up. But the faltering economy already has punched a $26 billion hole in 23 state budgets for 2009 – and it could get worse, according to a new report issued today (April 25).

WORTH NOTING: Phantom voter stalks Ala. State House

By Christine Vestal, Stateline.org Staff Writer — 04/25/2008

An Alabama lawmaker says someone’s been using his voting machine. Florida’s House Speaker locks the doors and turns off Internet access to make legislators pay attention. And Mayberry’s Sheriff Taylor endorses a North Carolina gubernatorial candidate. In case you missed those stories this week, "Worth Noting" fills you in.

In Pennsylvania, 'tis the season

By G. Terry Madonna & Michael L. Young, Special to Stateline.org — 04/25/2008

To everything there is a season, and for a couple of million now well-seasoned Pennsylvania voters, it can not come soon enough.

Congress encroaching on state priorities

By Raymond C. Scheppach, Special to Stateline.org — 04/15/2008

Far scarier than the economic downturn for states is the growing trend on the part of Congress to restrict state revenue and spending prerogatives and to replace them with congressional priorities, writes Raymond C. Scheppach, executive director of the National Governors Association, in his latest commentary for Stateline.org. He cites provisions in two bills now making their way through Congress as important examples.

The economic downturn: an opportunity for governors?

By Raymond C. Scheppach, Special to Stateline.org — 04/02/2008

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.

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Obama - How bad is it for him in Pennsylvania?

By G. Terry Madonna & Michael L. Young, Special to Stateline.org — 03/28/2008

In Pennsylvania the springtime weather often changes suddenly. Humorist and satirist Mark Twain was describing New England, but he could have been talking about the Keystone State when he quipped, “If you don’t like the weather…now, just wait a few minutes.”

Our aging infrastructure - voices for change mount quickly

By Neal Peirce, special to Stateline.org — 03/23/2008

The infrastructure issue -- the long shadow thrown across America’s future by deteriorating roadways, bridges, railroads, water systems, schools -- finally seems to be getting hot.

Obama's keys to the keystone state

By G. Terry Madonna & Michael L. Young, Special to Stateline.org — 03/22/2008

David Plouffe, campaign manager for Barack Obama, recently shared his views about the upcoming April 22nd Pennsylvania Primary, calling the Clinton campaign “the prohibitive favorite,” who “should win by a healthy margin given where they start….We’ll try and get as many votes and delegates as we can, but our campaign will not be defined by Pennsylvania ….”

Will Democrats grow legislative edge in '08?

By Louis Jacobson, Stateline.org Columnist — 03/20/2008

For the past several election cycles, the Democrats have been on a roll in legislative elections. This year, the party is well-positioned to hold its majority of chambers — but greatly expanding Democratic control may not be in the cards.

New clear look at states - no 'rate and run'

By Neal Peirce, Special to Stateline.org — 03/18/2008

WASHINGTON - We’ve all seen the stories: some publicity-hungry magazine or web site grabs a bunch of statistics and then purports to “rate” American states on measures ranging from “livability” to child care centers, tax climates to quality of schools.

Pennsylvania - breaking the checkmate?

By G. Terry Madonna & Michael L. Young, Special to Stateline.org — 03/18/2008

Against all odds, contrary to most plans, and confounding to many politicians, it has happened. Pennsylvania is about to play a role in determining the presidential nominees.

Summary of the State of the State Address

02/20/2008

Reviving the economy in Illinois was the central focus of Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s (D) Feb. 20 address to the Democratic-controlled General Assembly.

Summary of the State of the State Address

03/04/2008

Despite a $2 billion budget deficit, Gov. Charlie Crist (R) called on the Republican-controlled Legislature to spend $124 million to expand health care to the uninsured and pitched a $200 million economic development package for solar, wind and other renewable energy.

'Purple' states turn a little more 'blue'

By Louis Jacobson, Stateline.org Columnist — 03/06/2008

The national polls point to a tight presidential race in November. But Democrats have a bit more to cheer about than Republicans do, regardless of who wins the Democratic primary, according to the latest state-by-state electoral-vote projections by “Out There.”

Governors rip feds in annual policy speeches

By John Gramlich, Stateline.org Staff Writer — 02/22/2008

If there was any doubt states are frustrated with federal policymakers, the nation's governors provided stark reminders in "state of the state" speeches delivered during the first two months of 2008.

Summary of the State of the State Address

02/20/2008

As Oklahoma celebrates its Centennial year, Gov. Brad Henry (D) laid out his proposals to boost public education by adding five days to the school year, raising teacher pay and adding graduation coaches to lower high school dropout rates.

Summary of the State of the State Address

02/20/2008

In his address to the State Assembly Jan. 23, Gov. Jim Doyle (D) unveiled proposals designed to brace Wisconsin for an economic downturn.

Summary of the State of the State Address

02/20/2008

Gov. Joe Manchin III (D) used his Jan. 9 speech to announce a campaign to stop student bullying, a first-in-the-nation health-screening program for kindergarten pupils and a free prescription-drug program for uninsured workers. He also asked the Democratic-controlled Legislature for better mental-health counseling for returning Iraq soldiers and a tougher anti-drug program.

Summary of the State of the State Address

02/20/2008

Gov. Christine Gregoire (D) — facing a tough re-election bid this year against Dino Rossi, the Republican she narrowly defeated four years ago — used much of her address Jan. 15 to tout her administration’s achievements, including converting a budget deficit into a “huge surplus” in three years.

Summary of the State of the Commonwealth Address

02/20/2008

Gov. Tim Kaine (D) used his Jan. 9 address to call for tighter gun laws, increased mental-health funding and repeal of the state’s much-maligned abusive driver fees. He also urged lawmakers to enact new protections against identity theft, to make it easier to use absentee ballots and to pump more money into pre-K and higher education.

Summary of the State of the State Address

02/20/2008

Gov. Jim Douglas (R) called for tax reforms and environmental measures and asked the Democratic-controlled Legislature to make affordable health care its top priority in his Jan. 9 speech. For the most part, the governor proposed tweaks to current programs, rather than new initiatives.

Summary of the State of the State Address

02/20/2008

Health insurance and education topped Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.’s (R) priorities in the first state-of-the-state speech in Utah’s newly remodeled Capitol on Jan. 22.

Summary of the State of the State Address

02/20/2008

Gov. Phil Bredesen (D) compared running state government during a national economic slowdown to being the captain of a ship in stormy waters in his address Jan. 28.

Summary of the State of the State Address

02/20/2008

Gov. Mike Rounds (R) highlighted the state’s energy potential in his annual state-of-the-state address Jan. 8 and urged legislators to restrain spending on education and transportation.

Summary of the State of the State Address

02/20/2008

Gov. Mark Sanford (R) repeated his goals for the state during his Jan. 16 speech before the Republican-controlled Legislature: restructuring the government, installing tougher drunk-driving laws and increasing tax cuts.

Summary of the State of the State Address

02/20/2008

Addressing a Democratic-controlled Legislature Jan. 22, Gov. Donald Carcieri (R) said Rhode Island was at a “tipping point” because of an uncertain economy and budget crisis. He proposed to reduce spending by $300 million by making cuts in three areas: social services, employee salaries and benefits and payments to cities and towns.

Summary of the Executive Budget Address

02/20/2008

In his Feb. 5 budget address, Gov. Ed Rendell (D) touted Pennsylvania’s finances but warned that a downturn in the national economy would affect struggling residents.

Summary of the State of the State Address

02/20/2008

Gov. Ted Strickland (D) asked lawmakers to give him more control over the state’s schools and to approve $1.7 billion in borrowing to jump-start Ohio’s flagging economy in his address Feb. 6.

Summary of the State of the State Address

02/20/2008

After a year of partisan battles with the Legislature, Gov. Eliot Spitzer, a Democrat, struck a more conciliatory tone in his Jan. 9 address, outlining an ambitious package to cut property taxes, expand health-care coverage and fund higher education by privatizing the state lottery.

Summary of the State of the State Address

02/20/2008

Gov. Bill Richardson (D) delivered his Jan. 15 state-of-the-state address fresh off the campaign trail after dropping his presidential bid.

Summary of the State of the State Address

02/20/2008

“It is up to those of us in this room to change the ‘credit card’ culture of New Jersey’s finances,” Gov. Jon S. Corzine (D) told legislators during a somber Jan. 8 speech focusing heavily on the Garden State’s more-than-$30-billion debt.

Summary of the State of the State Address

02/20/2008

Gov. John Lynch (D) Jan. 23 called for a new “wellness” program for small businesses and a tax credit to help lure new businesses to the northern part of the state. But he said a slowing economy will prevent launching expensive new programs.

Summary of the State of the State Address

02/20/2008

Gov. Dave Heineman (R) focused on several new tax cuts in his fourth state-of-the-state address on Jan. 15, including nearly doubling a property-tax credit approved last year.

Summary of the State of the State Address

02/20/2008

Gov. Matt Blunt (R) used his Jan. 15 address to recommend spending an additional $400 million on health care and education, while cutting tens of millions in taxes.

Summary of the State of the State Address

02/20/2008

With the economy entering an uncertain period and federal Hurricane Katrina money ebbing, Gov. Haley Barbour (R) called for legislators to show fiscal discipline in his Jan. 21 speech before the politically split Legislature. Lawmakers will have to make tough choices, he said, and some good programs will be unfunded.

Summary of the State of the State Address

02/20/2008

Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) warned the Democratic-controlled Legislature during his speech Feb. 13 not to pass any tax increases — a day after Democrats unveiled a plan to hike gas taxes to pay for infrastructure improvements.

Summary of the State of the State Address

02/20/2008

In her speech Jan. 29, Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) tweaked the battle lines in Lansing, where clashes with the Legislature last year led to a brief shutdown of state government and to sweeping changes to the state’s tax structure, including a hike in the income tax.

Summary of the State of the Commonwealth Address

02/20/2008

Gov. Deval Patrick (D) used his Jan. 24 address to push the Democratic-controlled Legislature to legalize casinos, the first-term governor’s No. 1 revenue-generating initiative. He also renewed his 2007 request for $1 billion to fund life sciences — including controversial embryonic stem-cell research — a program he said would create 250,000 new jobs.

Summary of the State of the State Address

02/20/2008

In his Jan. 9 address, Gov. John Baldacci (D) asked the Democratic-controlled Legislature to stretch Maine’s flagging revenues without raising taxes or dipping into financial reserves, and without cutting education funding or programs for the needy.

Summary of the State of the Commonwealth Address

02/20/2008

Making his first state-of-the-commonwealth address, Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear on Jan. 16 bluntly warned legislators: “The revenue outlook is grim.” Vowing not to raise taxes, Beshear said his administration would address the state’s unprecedented budget shortfall — estimated at nearly $900 million over two years — by trimming government spending and making state agencies more efficient and responsive.

Summary of the State of the State Address

02/20/2008

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D) focused her Jan. 14 speech on calling for more early childhood education, improving health care and developing more clean and renewable energy.

Summary of the Condition of the State Address

By — 02/20/2008

During his “condition of the state” address Jan. 15, Gov. Chet Culver (D) emphasized the need for lawmakers to limit new spending this year, while he proposed new initiatives in health care, education and the environment.

Summary of the State of the State Address

02/20/2008

Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) spent most of his Jan. 15 speech urging lawmakers to overhaul the state’s property tax system. For the General Assembly, where Democrats control the House and Republicans control the Senate, it is the “one paramount assignment, one act for which it will be remembered,” he said.

Summary of the State of the State Address

02/20/2008

Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter (R) targeted tax relief, crowded prisons and college scholarships in his Jan 7 address.

Summary of the State of the State Address

02/20/2008

In her sixth annual address, delivered to lawmakers Jan. 22, Gov. Linda Lingle (R) asked the Democratic-controlled Legislature to approve the purchase of an embattled, 850-acre resort. Turtle Bay resort on Oahu’s North Shore has met stiff opposition to expansion plans that local residents say will spoil the rural nature of their community. State ownership of the property would preserve the Hawaiian way of life, she said.

Summary of the State of the State Address

02/20/2008

Gov. Sonny Perdue (R) gave an upbeat Jan. 16 state-of-the-state speech before a Republican-controlled Legislature on the same day he released a $21.4 billion budget that would update the state’s water system and give homeowners a small tax cut.

Summary of the State of the State Address

02/20/2008

Gov. Ruth Ann Minner (D) asked lawmakers in her address Jan. 18 to create a registry of health disparities among minorities and ethnic groups, provide cervical-cancer vaccine to all uninsured girls and launch a homeland-security initiative that would fingerprint every fourth-grader in the state. Minner also asked the politically split General Assembly to ease the First State’s already business-friendly tax code.

Summary of the State of the State Address

02/20/2008

Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell called for “fiscal caution, fiscal restraint” in her Feb. 6 address, even though Connecticut was enjoying a modest budget surplus as other states were awash in red ink.

Summary of the State of the State Address

02/20/2008

In his address Jan. 10, Gov. Bill Ritter (D) proposed what he called “the most revolutionary shift in education policy this state has seen in years” — one that treats all primary and secondary students as potentially college-bound.

Summary of the State of the State Address

02/20/2008

Facing a projected $14 billion budget deficit, Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger urged lawmakers to "face our budget demons" and approve a constitutional amendment to rein in spending.

Summary of the State of the State Address

02/20/2008

Facing an estimated $1 billion budget shortfall, Gov. Janet Napolitano (D) listed several higher-education initiatives in her Jan. 14 speech to the Republican-controlled Legislature.

Summary of the State of the State Address

02/20/2008

Wyoming’s economy is booming, and the national subprime mortgage crisis has not affected the state as it has many others, Gov. Dave Freudenthal (D) told the Republican-controlled Legislature in his Feb. 12 speech. But, he cautioned, “the abundance we enjoy requires discipline.”

Summary of the State of the State Address

02/20/2008

In her address to the Republican-controlled Legislature on Jan. 15, Gov. Sarah Palin (R) touted the revenue benefits of the multi-billion-dollar natural gas pipeline deal she helped engineer last year. She also called for significant new education spending, increased energy conservation and alternative power use and lower business license fees.

Summary of the State of the State Address

02/20/2008

Gov. Bob Riley (R) called on lawmakers to expand preschool, cut taxes and pass ethics reform in his Feb. 7 speech before a politically split Legislature.

Govs propose investing in higher ed

By Pauline Vu, Stateline.org Staff Writer — 02/20/2008

While governors addressed many issues — from health care to a bad housing market to tax breaks — in their annual state-of-the-state speeches this year, many targeted higher education as an important state asset worth a larger investment.

Summaries of the governors' speeches

By The Stateline.org Staff — 02/20/2008

A weak economy, the stalled housing market and the high cost of college education are among governors' top concerns heading into 2008. Here is a state-by-state snapshot of governors' key proposals as distilled from their annual addresses to their legislatures.

Obama's friends in unlikely places

By Louis Jacobson, Stateline.org Columnist — 02/12/2008

Barack Obama is striking an unlikely connection with voters in the reddest of red states. However the Democratic presidential contest plays out, the Illinois senator has breathed new energy and resources into several long-forsaken state parties.

Commentary: Govs beat White House hopefuls as agents of change

By Gene Gibbons, Stateline.org Executive Editor — 02/06/2008

This column was published simultaneously by The Politico.

It took a while for most of the presidential candidates to figure out that voters want “change” and action on a variety of issues that affect their lives. They might have gotten it sooner if they had noticed the way that many states, led by innovative governors, are moving forward in areas like health care, immigration and global warming.

A tale of two comebacks

By Louis Jacobson, Stateline.org Columnist — 01/30/2008

Not long ago, the approval ratings of California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Alabama Gov. Bob Riley were in the dumps. Both managed to climb back to popularity. Their stories hold lessons for other politicians.

The recession, the states, and economic stimulus

By Raymond C. Scheppach, Special to Stateline.org — 01/28/2008

Red ink in state budgets could prolong the economic downturn and could necessitate a second economic-stimulus package, warns Raymond C. Scheppach, executive director of the National Governors Association, in his latest commentary for Stateline.org.

Budget picture dominates govs' speeches

By Pamela M. Prah, Stateline.org Staff Writer — 01/28/2008

From quoting Shakespeare to invoking images of flying pigs, the nation’s governors offered colorful ways to describe their states’ financial situation. The weak economy and stalled housing market obviously weigh heavy on governors’ minds as reflected in Stateline.org’s exclusive look at the governors’ 2008 state of the state speeches.

Governors pitch ambitious programs

By Pamela M. Prah, Stateline.org Staff Writer — 01/22/2008

Billion-dollar deficits in California, New York and Arizona haven’t stopped governors there and elsewhere from proposing big-ticket items for 2008. Stateline.org looks at proposals from governors’ 2008 "state of the state" speeches and provides an exclusive summary of all the addresses so far.

AG contests attract serious attention

By Louis Jacobson, Stateline.org Columnist — 01/17/2008

Once, races for state attorney general were quiet affairs. No longer. Attorneys general can wield enormous power in such areas as consumer protection and criminal prosecutions – and can use the job to vault into higher office. Here's how this year's 10 state races for attorney general are shaping up.

A compact for post-secondary education

By Raymond C. Scheppach, Special to Stateline.org — 12/17/2007

The United States is falling behind its global competitors in higher education, and states, educators and the private sector need to jointly make new commitments to strengthen public colleges and universities, asserts Raymond C. Scheppach, executive director of the National Governors Association, in his latest commentary for Stateline.org.

Iraq casts shadow on 2008 state races

By Louis Jacobson, Stateline.org Columnist — 12/12/2007

Not a single governor or state legislator wields authority over the conduct of the Iraq War, yet a broad range of party strategists and political analysts agree that state races in 2008 will be shaped, mostly indirectly, by public attitudes towards that conflict. Unless there’s a sea change in public opinion, that’s bad news for Republicans.

W.Va. projects a split personality

By Louis Jacobson, Stateline.org Columnist — 11/29/2007

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The 2008 presidential election will test whether Republican George Bush’s victories were a fluke in the Mountain State, where Democrats continue to dominate in state and local contests.

Time to think global in testing U.S. students

By Raymond C. Scheppach, Special to Stateline.org — 11/19/2007

In today's global economy, it’s less important how students in Iowa or Oregon compare to those in Alabama or Virginia on a national test. What matters most is how students in North Carolina or Texas compare to those in Denmark or Russia, and so on. In his latest column for Stateline.org, the executive director of the National Governors Association writes that the solution to the economic competitiveness challenge is not enacting federal standards or tests for U.S. students. The solution is for the states to work together to adopt internationally benchmarked education standards.

List of popular govs is full of surprises

By Louis Jacobson, Stateline.org Columnist — 11/15/2007

They may be fish out of water, but most Democratic governors in red states – and Republican governors in blue states – boast off-the-charts popularity.

Q & A with Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland (D)

10/25/2007

“Out There” columnist Louis Jacobson spoke by telephone with Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland (D). Here are excerpts from that Oct. 5 conversation.

Strickland leading Ohio Dems' resurgence

By Louis Jacobson, Stateline.org Columnist — 10/25/2007

COLUMBUS, Ohio – For 16 years, the Ohio Democratic Party verged on hapless. Now, after a GOP scandal, a rookie governor is aggressively leading Democrats into a pivotal election year.

Bridges, roads: Big problem demands big new talk

By Neal Peirce, Special to Stateline.org — 08/19/2007

It's time for a Big New Tax in America. The Minnesota bridge disaster is just the latest signal — but perhaps a decisive one. The indisputable reality is that our national infrastructure, led by decaying roads and bridges, is in perilous shape. Bridges alone tell the story: We have 75,621 of them deemed structurally
deficient — potential tragedies waiting to happen.

Democratic mid-term gains affecting policy

By Louis Jacobson, Stateline.org columnist — 08/02/2007

So complete was the Democratic rout in the 2006 midterm elections that the party even gained legislative influence in Alaska, Idaho, North and South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming – states long dominated by the Republicans. And those gains, though small, are translating into policy achievements.

Getting U.S. regions past sleepwalking

Neal Peirce — 07/01/2007

BOSTON – Far too many of America’s metro regions have been sleepwalking into the 21st century, only mistily aware of how severely global economic competition and climate change may hit them. Or if aware, so splintered politically they’re dangerously slow to respond.

WORTH NOTING: Illinois gov runs up travel tab

By Christine Vestal, Stateline.org Staff Writer — 06/22/2007

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. California corrections officials install “flushometers” to control wasteful toilet flushing in prisons. In case you missed any of those stories this week, "Worth Noting" fills you in.

Embryonic stem cell research divides states

By Christine Vestal, Stateline.org Staff Writer — 06/21/2007

President Bush’s second veto of a bill to allow federal funding of stem cell research puts the ethical issue squarely in states’ hands. So far, seven states have moved to fund the research, six have banned it, three have affirmed its legality but do not fund it and a handful of others continue to debate the issue.

Second Term Troubles

G. Terry Madonna and Michael Young — 06/19/2007

There’s good news and bad news these days for the Bush Administration. The bad news is that President Bush’s anemic approval rating is hovering around 30 percent. The good news is that it probably can’t go much lower. But, what may be news to the Bush administration isn’t new in American politics. In fact, Bush’s slow but inexorable erosion of political support is a depressingly old pattern in modern American politics.

States outpace feds on minimum wage

By Christine Vestal, Stateline.org Staff Writer — 06/20/2007

When the new federal minimum wage takes effect July 24, 30 states will require employers to pay hourly workers more than federal law requires.

'Green' Wal-Mart: An Oxymoron?

By Neal Peirce, special to stateline.org — 06/24/2007

Wal-Mart has been harvesting kudos for its dramatic ``green''
promises. Even Environmental Defense and the Natural Resources Defense
Council have gone on record praising the massive retailer's intentions to
reduce electricity usage in its stores 20 percent by 2013 and to double the
fuel economy of its trucks by 2015.

A Detroit charter school's amazing '90-90' pledge -- and success

By Neal Peirce, Special to Stateline.org — 06/03/2007

In 1999 Doug Ross and his colleagues made an outrageous “90-90" promise. In 2007, they would graduate at least 90 percent of ninth graders going through their brand new University Preparatory Academy, an inner-city charter school. And, 90 percent would go on to post-secondary education.

Politically Uncorrected: The next big one

By G. Terry Madonna & Michael L. Young, Special to Stateline.org — 05/22/2007

Pennsylvania has conducted some big elections lately: big presidential races, big gubernatorial races, and big congressional races. Indeed, big, important, and eventful elections have become a regular feature of the State’s political landscape.

Global warming: A state and local rescue?

By Neal Peirce, Syndicated Columnist to Stateline.org — 05/27/2007

Thirty-one states representing 70 percent of the country's population announced on May 8 that they had signed on to a new Climate Registry to measure, track, verify and publicly report the greenhouse gas emissions by major industries.

Bloomberg's Climate Initiative Points to a Big Capitalist Solution

By Neal Peirce, Syndicated Columnist to Stateline.org — 05/06/2007

Global praise has been rolling in for Mayor Michael Bloomberg's remarkably encompassing ``green'' climate agenda and goals for New York's future, which he unveiled on Earth Day.

Bloomberg's Pathbreaking "PlaNYC": A Model for Urban America?

By Neal Peirce, Syndicated Columnist to Stateline.org — 04/25/2007

NEW YORK -- Mayor Michael Bloomberg's revolutionary proposal for "congestion pricing" -- road fees for private vehicles entering Manhattan's business district during business hours -- has dominated news coverage of the "PlaNYC" for "A Greener, Greater New York" that he unveiled in a major Earth Day address.

Corporate Location Subsidies: Do they feel the sprawl too?

By Neal Peirce, Syndicated Columnist to Stateline.org — 04/22/2007

Are government subsidies to job-promising corporations the waste of taxpayers’ money that critics have long claimed -- a zero-sum city-to-city and state-to-state shell game?

City Bikes: Clean, Healthy, Fun -- And Faster Than Cars?

By Neal Peirce, Syndicated Columnist to Stateline.org — 04/15/2007

Are we ready to go bicycling? Could these times of climate change, gas price inflation and bulging waistlines be prepping us for new waves of weekend biking adventures? Maybe even to leave cars parked and cycle to work daily?

Can 'Gentrifying' Cities Create New Bridges To Wealth?

By Neal Peirce, Special to Stateline.org — 03/25/2007

WASHINGTON - Love, social equity and shelter. With those ideals, the Rev. Jim Dickerson in 1982 founded Manna Inc. to provide housing for people in crime-ravaged, sometimes burned-out neighborhoods of this capital city.

James Webb's Equity Challenge: What If We Got Serious?

Neal Peirce, Special to Stateline.org — 02/04/2007

Cheers for Sen. James Webb. His Democratic rejoinder to the State of the Union address provided a blast of fresh politics we hear all too rarely, either in Washington or the state capitals.

Congress' Minimum Wage Vote: Prelude to a Better Politics?

By Neal Peirce, Special to Stateline.org — 01/25/2007

Are we truly on a swing back to centrist and pragmatic politics? Like a first robin of spring, the House’s fast vote to raise the minimum wage to $7.25 in a phased two-year process, up from the $5.15 figure at which the Republican-controlled Congress left it frozen for the past decade, is a good omen.

Could a farm bill serve us all?

By Neal Peirce, Special to Stateline.org — 01/21/2007

No big surprise: As Congress girds to debate a 2007 farm bill, the big commodity interests -- cotton, rice, corn, wheat, soybeans -- are lining up to protect their rights to billions in future subsidies, notwithstanding recent market prices increases that should hearten them all.

Farm bill - candidate for a bipartisan breakthrough?

By Neal Peirce, Special to Stateline.org — 1/14/2007

WASHINGTON -- Could the farm bill give the new Democratic Congress a chance for dramatic reform -- and perhaps even a way to collaborate with President Bush?

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Stateline.org's news roundup sources

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Stateline.org's 2006 interactive elections guide

Follow races for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and secretary of state as well as statewide ballot measures with Stateline.org’s interactive elections guide

ELECTIONS

Election '06 -- GOP edge at stake

By Pamela M. Prah and Eric Kelderman, Stateline.org Staff
At least a dozen governors' races and 14 of the most competitive statehouses are still up in the air as Democrats aim to overturn the edge Republicans gained at the state level in 1994. What’s at stake in races for 36 governors, 30 attorneys general, 27 secretaries of state, and 6,119 state lawmakers in 46 states? Read More

ELECTIONS

Longer ballots pose many questions

By Daniel C. Vock,
Stateline.org Staff Writer

Voters in 37 states will have 205 ballot measures to consider Nov. 7, including 81 from citizens, a banner year. The questions range from the politically explosive – gay marriage and abortion – to the quirky, such as Arizona’s proposal to enter voters in a $1 million lottery.
Read More

ELECTIONS

Impassioned voters head for polls

By Joshua Brockman, Stateline.org Staff Writer
Voter turnout is projected to be larger than normal for a midterm election. But that still means a minority of the electorate in most states will decide a bevy of close races that will determine control of Congress and state capitols. Read More

Stateline.org has also compiled ongoing coverage of the statewide elections in one place, our 2006 elections page is the place to go to find every Stateline.org election story and reference guide.

State data resources

Stateline.org has put together a comprehensive list of state data available online. Organized by issue, you will find useful links to essential information from government, academia, and think tanks.

State-oriented blogs

Stateline.org has compiled an extensive list of state issue and state political blogs to make it convenient for you to follow different aspects of state government. These sites are not affiliated in any way with Stateline.org or the Pew Research Center, and the opinions expressed on them are theirs alone. Neither Stateline.org nor the Pew Research Center bears any responsibility for the content of these sites - they are listed solely as a public service.

Issue-oriented blogs

Medicaid: Biggest insurer is a budget buster

By Daniel C. Vock, Stateline.org Staff Writer — 08/03/2006

Medicaid went largely unnoticed when it first came into being in mid-1965, meriting only passing mention from President Lyndon B. Johnson at a bill-signing ceremony in Independence, Mo., where he trumpeted passage of the Medicare health plan for Americans over age 65. But four decades later, Medicaid’s numbers are eye-popping. It is now the nation’s largest health insurance program, covering 59 million poor people, or one in six Americans, according to the National Association of State Budget Officers. It pays for 37 percent of all births in the United States and helps foot the bills for more than 60 percent of all patients in nursing homes.

2006 interactive elections guide

Keep track of this fall’s elections by using Stateline.org’s interactive map to follow the 36 gubernatorial, 30 attorney general and 27 secretary of state races. Following Nov. 7, results will be added to the guide, so check back often.

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Katrina paradox: Calamity but fresh ideas

By Neal Peirce, Special to Stateline.org — 01/24/2006

Hurricane Katrina was the worst natural disaster in American history; it remains daily pain and misery for hundreds of thousands. But calamity has begun to unleash some inventive ideas.

School choice: Besting the lobbies

By Neal Peirce, Special to Stateline.org — 01/19/2006

Can a single state bring off a reform that sways a nation -- even in an era of extraordinarily tenacious lobbying by entrenched interests?

Managing our borders: Not another 'war,' please!

By Neal Peirce — 01/10/2006

Hundreds of new Border Patrol and immigration agents. Gigantic, double-layer steel fences along the California and Arizona borders. Infrared and daylight cameras. Stadium lighting. A new surveillance drone. Expanded detention facilities.

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Post-hurricane gleams of light?

By Neal Peirce, Special to Stateline.org — 09/26/2005

A few gleams of light are appearing in the paths of families made homeless and communities devastated by the monster hurricanes that hit the Gulf Coast.

Katrina's Opportunity - A New New Federalism

By Neal Peirce, Special to Stateline.org — 09/20/2005

WASHINGTON -- If the nation's heart in responding to the challenges of Hurricane Katrina is even half as large as President Bush now says it is, we face a set of perplexing "how?s."

Post-Katrina super-manager: Great idea, time is wasting

By Neal Peirce, Special to Stateline.org — 09/13/2005

Former House speaker Newt Gingrich's suggestion that President Bush appoint a powerful super-manager to oversee the federal government-wide efforts to recover from Hurricane Katrina's ravages is logical -- if not imperative.

Purging pop from the schools: Wake-up call for the states

By Neal Peirce, Special to Stateline.org — 09/12/2005

It's time for state governments to take tough action to cut down their young citizens' sugar and fat intake. For the kids' sake -- and the state's sake.

Katrina aftermath: Tears of a civic warrior

By Neal Peirce, Special to Stateline.org — 09/02/2005

WASHINGTON - "I got out at the last moment, driving 16 straight hours to Birmingham with Evelyn Cox, my 96-year-old neighbor, and Coco the French cat. We are very fortunate to have made it."

Energy bill strikes out: What can we do?

By Neal Peirce, Special to Stateline.org — 08/28/2005

A fervid wave of criticism has followed Congress' new omnibus energy bill -- and who's to say it's not deserved?

Addictive, expensive, dangerous: "The Great American Jobs Scam"

By Neal Peirce, special to Stateline.org — 08/07/2005

Call it, if you will, the crack cocaine of state and local governments' economic development practices -- their endless flow of tax breaks and outright gifts to private corporations they want to land, or figure they have to pay off to stay put.

Communities by smart design: Mayors' effort spreads to the Governors

By Neal Peirce, Special to Stateline.org — 07/31/2005

"Gee, I wish my colleagues back home could see this," Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. of Charleston, S.C., recalls thinking as he admired the handsome old urban forms and new design initiatives of European cities on a 1984 trip organized by the German Marshall Fund of the United States.

Medicaid reform -- A new race to the top

By Raymond C. Scheppach, Special to Stateline.org — 07/12/2005

Last month, the National Governors Association released a set of policy recommendations to reform Medicaid. This latest package of reform proposals differed significantly from previous governors? recommendations since the focus was not only on making the Medicaid program more efficient, but also on slowing the growth rate of Medicaid eligible populations.

Privatized neighborhoods - the future we want?

By Neal Peirce, Special to Stateline.org — 07/10/2005

Don't let the recent Supreme Court decision on the New London, Conn., eminent domain case fool you -- the powers of local governments aren't expanding, they're actually receding.

Britain's focus on its cities: Painful contrast for U.S.

By Neal Peirce, Special to Stateline.org — 06/29/2005

Britain cares about its cities; the United States does not. It was tough for Americans, attending the Urban Land Institute's World Cities Forum here last week, to reach any other conclusion.

A new local food scenario: wave of the future - or chimera?

By Neal Peirce, Special to Stateline.org — 07/03/2005

How you feel about food is how you feel about the world.

Medical marijuana decision: Bad news all around

By Neal Peirce, Special to Stateline.org — 06/13/2005

There are three big reasons to believe the Supreme Court made a big mistake in its June 6 ruling that the laws in California and 10 other states allowing medical use of marijuana are no protection against federal raids and prosecutions.

New federal transportation bill: Bloated, full of earmarks, no national strategy

By Neal Peirce, Special to Stateline.org — 06/06/2005

WASHINGTON - It's a standard Washington story of clashing forces. The president threatens a veto if Congress passes a new multibillion-dollar transportation bill costing more than his budget allows. The House goes along with the $283.9 billion he recommends, but the Senate adds an extra $11 billion. The measure heads for conference. Will Congress dare defy the president? If it does, will the president veto -- or flinch?

A small Conn. hospital leads a health care revolution

Commentary by Neal R. Peirce — 06/02/2005

DERBY, Conn. - From Main Street merchants to U.S. senators, health care and its ballooning costs qualify as the new century's worst fiscal migraine. Now the problem is hitting not just government and employer budgets, but millions of people forced into big co-payments or unable to get coverage at all.

Metro food policy: Is the time right?

By Neal Peirce, Special to Stateline.org — 05/24/2005

Is America ready for a metropolitan agriculture policy?

Gay marriage decisions ripe in Calif., Conn.

By Christine Vestal, Stateline.org Staff Writer — 03/01/2007

(Updated March 6, 2008)

More than four years after its historic court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage, Massachusetts stands alone in blessing gay marriages — more than 10,000 to date — and its example has spurred no imitators but lots of backlash. All eyes now are on the highest courts in California and Connecticut.