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By Julia Preston, The New York Times
Responding to pleas from immigration judges and lawyers who say the nation's immigration courts are faltering under a crushing caseload, the American Bar Association called Monday for Congress to scrap the current system and create a new, independent court for immigration cases.
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By Andrew McIntosh, The Sacramento Bee
The Department of Health Care Services said Monday it has breached the privacy of 49,352 people who receive adult day-care services from the state.
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AK: Parnell takes hit for TV ad
By Sean Cockerham, Anchorage Daily News
Candidate for governor Ralph Samuels is calling for a halt to a television ad featuring Gov. Sean Parnell that's being aired by a nonprofit advocating against domestic violence and sexual assault.
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AK: Palin calls global warming studies 'snake oil science'
By Judy Lin, The Associated Press, Anchorage Daily News
REDDING, Calif. -- Former Gov. Sarah Palin called studies supporting global climate change a "bunch of snake oil science" Monday during a rare appearance in California, a state that has been at the forefront of environmental regulations.
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AL: Experts say Christian Coalition poll flawed
By Rob Lowry, The Huntsville Times
A poll conducted by the Christian Coalition on electronic bingo may have been flawed because of the way the questions were worded and the order in which they were asked, polling experts say.
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AZ: Plan -- Lawmakers pick US Senate candidates
By Howard Fischer, Capitol Media Services, Arizona Daily Star (Tucson)
A freshman Southern Arizona lawmaker is leading the effort to strip Arizona voters of the right to decide who should be a candidate for the U.S. Senate.
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CA: State job bias remedies called separate, unequal
By Bob Egelko, San Francisco Chronicle
Californians who complain of job discrimination are steered down two separate paths, a new study says - one for workers who can afford to hire lawyers, and another, less-rewarding road for those who can't.
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CA: Lawmakers lash out at EDD
By Andrew McIntosh, The Sacramento Bee
Lawmakers are fed up with the state Employment Development Department, saying its technology staff is set to rack up $53 million in cost overruns on projects funded with federal stimulus money and is behind on assisting the unemployed.
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CT: Lawmakers urge steps to combat domestic violence
By Amanda Falcone, The Hartford Courant
Domestic violence shelters should be staffed around the clock, teen dating violence should be addressed in schools, and authorities need to better enforce restraining and protective orders by using GPS technology, a legislative task force recommended Monday.
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FL: Unemployment to peak this summer, Florida top economist says
By Marcia Heroux Pounds, The Sun-Sentinel (South Florida)
Florida's unemployment is expected to reach an historic peak, 12.3 percent, by this summer, the state's chief economist said on Monday. The forecast is nearly a half percentage point above the record of 11.9 percent set in May 1975.
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FL: Claims of misconduct at FPL prompt investigation
By Mary Ellen Klas, The Miami Herald
State utility regulators and Florida Power & Light's parent company said Monday they would investigate anonymous allegations that FPL managers broke the law and committed fraud by forcing employees to provide inaccurate and misleading information to regulators and shareholders.
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FL: Billboards on Tampa Bay roads duel over existence of God
By Dong-Phuong Nguyen, St. Petersburg Times
A group representing people who do not believe in God or any gods has revved up an awareness campaign in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. The United Coalition of Reason paid to have two billboards erected that feature a blue sky with clouds and the words: "Are you good without God? Millions are."
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GA: Older students attending Georgia's colleges
By Laura Diamond, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
They're the opposite of the public image of a college student -- someone between the ages 18 and 24, went to college right after high school and earns a degree in just four years. That student is becoming extinct.
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HI: Hawaii DHS restructuring may cut 200 jobs, close 50 offices
By Mary Vorsino, The Honolulu Advertiser
More than 200 state workers who process applications for government assistance programs could lose their jobs, their union said, and at least 50 eligibility offices statewide could close under a cost-cutting proposal that advocates are worried will make it harder for the poor to access key social services.
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HI: Furlough bill vote postponed
By Loren Moreno, The Honolulu Advertiser
The state Senate's education committee again postponed a vote on a bill that would eliminate the remaining public school teacher furlough days through use of the state hurricane relief fund and an increase in the general excise tax by 1 percentage point.
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IA: Grandparents-rights bill advances
By Jennifer Jacobs, The Des Moines Register
Grandparents could seek visitation or custody when a parent of the child dies under a bill before the Iowa Legislature that took a step forward Monday.
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IA: Senate votes to toughen red-light penalties
By Jennifer Jacobs, The Des Moines Register
Jermiah Dosser's mother, Jody, wiped tears as the Iowa Senate voted unanimously Monday to stiffen fines and driver's license sanctions for drivers who fail to stop at red lights.
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IA: Ombudsman concludes lottery safer than in past
By William Petroski, The Des Moines Register
State Ombudsman William Angrick has ended a simmering feud with a top Iowa Lottery official, although he vowed Monday to keep watching whether the lottery is doing enough to protect customers from retailer fraud.
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ID: ID Senate backs bill to kill tax check-off
By The Associated Press, The Times-News (Twin Falls)
A three-decade-old provision that's allowed Idaho residents to chip in a buck of their taxes to their favorite political party is a step closer to falling victim to a tough economy.
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ID: Day care judgment marred by bankruptcy
By Andrea Jackson, The Times-News (Twin Falls)
The family that filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Happy Feet Day Care in Twin Falls may never see their $1.26 million judgment, since Happy Feet's owners lacked insurance and have filed for bankruptcy.
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IL: Illinois plans reforms for processing DNA
By Megan Twohey, Chicago Tribune
Illinois is moving to reform the way DNA evidence from sexual assaults is processed after a Tribune review found that many rape kits were being placed in police storage untested, robbing the state of opportunities to solve crimes and exonerate the wrongfully convicted.
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IN: State report critical of heath-care bill
By Kevin Allen, South Bend Tribune
Indiana's attorney general says the health-reform bill that passed the U.S. Senate in December is potentially unconstitutional and would add hundreds of millions of dollars to the state's annual health care costs.
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IN: Indiana bills target dangerous driving
By Kevin Allen, South Bend Tribune
Habitual traffic violators, including those with histories of drunken driving, would have to submit to stricter monitoring if two bills moving through the General Assembly become law.
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KS: School funding loophole in peril
By David Klepper, Kansas City Star
The Shawnee Mission School District's clever interpretation of state law now has other school districts urging legislators to close a loophole in school finance law.
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KY: Payday lending bill hits snag in House
By Beth Musgrave, Lexington Herald-Leader
A measure that would cap interest rates on all short-term loans at 36 percent might never get a hearing in the Democratic-controlled House, despite the backing of Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear.
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LA: Tourism official wants governor to take control
By Ed Anderson, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)
Shifting the state's tourism office to the Department of Economic Development would give the governor more say in how the state's tourism dollars are spent and underscore the importance of the industry, one of the state's leading tourism officials said Monday.
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MA: On the clock, clerk is a wedding casher
By Jessica Van Sack and Richard Weir, Boston Herald
Wedding bells are ringing at Boston City Hall - and so is the cash register - as the city clerk is nearly doubling her salary hitching couples as a justice of the peace on taxpayer time, raising questions whether her profits should be going back to Hub coffers instead.
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ME: Legislators debate bills on petitions
By Kevin Miller, Bangor Daily News
Lawmakers heard conflicting testimony Monday about whether proposals to change Maine's citizen initiative process would discourage fraud by signature gatherers or gut the 100-year-old law intended to empower voters
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MI: Big ideas for Michigan schools
By Chastity Pratt Dawsey, Robin Erb and Lori Higgins, Detroit Free Press
Education experts and observers say Michigan needs big, provocative ideas for turning around its low-performing schools and raising academic performance in general across the state.
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MN: Redesign' sought to shore up Minnesota's finances
By Jason Hoppin, St. Paul Pioneer Press
Desperate times call for desperate measures. Facing a $1.2 billion state deficit and future deficits of up to $5.4 billion, lawmakers in the Minnesota House unveiled proposals they hope lead to a government "redesign." It is being pitched as a bipartisan effort that focuses on results rather than whether to adjust the levers of government by raising taxes or cutting spending.
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MN: DFLers hope tax breaks put jobless back to work
By Bill Salisbury, St. Paul Pioneer Press
In an attempt to spark building construction, Minnesota Senate President Jim Metzen and other Democratic senators Monday introduced a "jobs bill" that would provide tax credits for investments in small businesses, start-up technology companies and the rehabilitation of historic buildings.
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MN: Courts -- Should child-porn victims get restitution?
By James Walsh, Minneapolis Star Tribune
Every day, "Misty" finds out that another pedophile has been caught with images of her. He could be a pastor, a cop or a mechanic busted with pornographic pictures taken when she was 8 or 9 years old. In each case, another person is making her a victim again and again, said her attorney James Marsh.
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MS: Huge crowd turns out for Martin eulogy, burial
By Billy Watkins, The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson)
TUCKER, Miss. — They came by the hundreds Monday to tiny Holy Rosary Catholic Church in this community of Neshoba County, about five miles southeast of Philadelphia, to pay their final respects to Phillip Martin, former tribal chief of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.
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ND: NDSU to go smoke-free on March 1
By Amy Dalrymple, The Forum (Fargo)
North Dakota State University will become a smoke-free campus on March 1. President Dick Hanson has signed a new smoking policy that was recommended to him by the University Senate.
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NH: Evergreen 'pay plan' irks towns
By Tom Fahey, The Union Leader (Manchester)
A two-year-old law that guarantees municipal and school workers raises even when their contracts expire is just now starting to make itself felt at town and school district meetings.
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NJ: N.J. probes Passaic County deer kill
By Richard Cowen, The Record of Bergen County
The state is investigating whether all of the deer killed during the culling on Garret Mountain have been properly accounted for — and why so many of the harvested animals were sent to an uncertified butcher.
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NJ: N.J. lawmakers tout jobs bill
By Hugh R. Morley, The Record of Bergen County
Saying small businesses desperately need credit but banks refuse to lend, two New Jersey congressmen touted a bill Monday that would give the job to the Small Business Administration (SBA).
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NM: Senate takes rare vote to override gov.'s veto
By Barry Massey, The Associated Press, Santa Fe New Mexican
Simmering disagreements between lawmakers and the administration of Gov. Bill Richardson boiled over Monday, as the Senate sought to force state agencies to provide the Legislature with confidential information about contracts and programs.
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NM: Tougher DWI penalties derailed
By Steve Terrell, Santa Fe New Mexican
Some state senators cited financial reasons as a Senate committee on Monday effectively killed a bill that would have increased DWI penalties.
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OH: State to fund 350 home fix-ups
By Staff Reports, The Cincinnati Enquirer
The state approved spending $510,000 to fix up homes for needy Hamilton County families, state Rep. Denise Driehaus said Monday.
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PA: Jack Wagner's strong state committee showing a surprise to some
By Mike Wereschagin, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Elections are won at the ballot box, not the bank teller's window, and Auditor General Jack Wagner's majority support from the state Democratic Committee over the weekend served as a reminder that the governor's race is just getting started, observers said Monday.
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RI: Candidates back gay marriage
By Jim Baron, The Pawtucket Times
Three of the four announced candidates for governor — Democrats Frank Caprio and Patrick Lynch and Independent Lincoln Chafee — are pledging to sign a bill allowing same-sex marriage if they are elected governor.
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SC: Segregation spurred S.C. school building spree
By Joey Holleman, The State (Columbia)
For the two generations of children who have attended integrated public schools, it's hard to fathom South Carolina spent $124 million on buildings and buses from 1951 through 1955 with the express purpose of preventing black and white kids from attending school together.
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SD: Bike safety bill nears review
By Thom Gabrukiewicz, Argus Leader (Sioux Falls)
The South Dakota Bicycle Coalition would like to see at least a 3-foot safety clearance - about the length of using your left arm to signal a turn - when motorists pass cyclists on state roads.
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SD: 'No Child' reform starts
By David Montgomery, Capital Journal (Pierre)
Local educators have a mixture of hopes and fears as President Barack Obama and Congress set about to reform the No Child Left Behind education program.
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TX: This might hurt
By Abby Rapoport, The Texas Tribune
Advocates for vaccination records say they're vital to a robust public health system, that a complete registry of those shots would help the state navigate major health crises.
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UT: Lawmakers discuss early high school graduation
By Lisa Schencker, The Salt Lake Tribune
Sen. Chris Buttars isn't talking about dropping 12th grade any more. Now, he's talking about making 12th grade optional for those students who finish their required credits early -- and some lawmakers are listening to the idea with interest.
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UT: State scholarships face another shortfall
By Brian Maffly, The Salt Lake Tribune
Higher education officials cautioned lawmakers Monday that they will have to substantially shrink the state's two popular merit-based scholarships next year absent an increase in funding beyond what the Legislature currently envisions.
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VA: Va. Senate passes anti-discrimination bill for state workers
By Rosalind S. Helderman, The Washington Post
RICHMOND, Va. -- The Virginia Senate passed a bill Monday that would make it illegal to discriminate in the state workforce, including on the basis of sexual orientation, marking the first time such legislation has passed either chamber of the Virginia General Assembly.
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WI: Feds admit wrongly tracking Wis. abortion groups
By Ryan J. Foley, Wisconsin State Journal (Madison)
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security conducted a threat assessment of local pro- and anti-abortion rights activists before an expected rally last year, even though they did not pose a threat to national security.
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WV: Lottery chief predicts revenue will level off
By Phil Kabler, Charleston Gazette
After three consecutive years of declining revenues, West Virginia Lottery Director John Musgrave said he believes state Lottery revenues will level off in future years -- despite a weak economy and increased competition from neighboring states.
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WY: 'Take your cue from the private sector'
By Joan Barron, Casper Star-Tribune
Gov. Dave Freudenthal pushed for his wind energy package, called for more money for school capital construction and repeated his admonition to leave the state's reserve funds alone during his message to the Legislature on Monday.
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WY: Code of the West stamped into a bill?
By Phil Noble, Cowboy State Free Press
The State of Wyoming has adopted a State Flower, a State Bird and other symbols of the state and now Rep. Pete Illoway, R-Laramie County, and others want to have the legislature adopt the "Code of the West" as the State Code.
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