State politics Subcribe to State politics |
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By Pamela M. Prah, Stateline.org Staff Writer
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| All three types of machines pictured here were once in operation in Alabama before the governor’s task force on illegal gambling confiscated them. Their owners deemed the machines legal electronic bingo, but the task force called them illegal slots. |
It has the drama and suspense of a John Grisham novel: pre-dawn gambling raids by state troopers, rumors of political payoffs, rowdy demonstrations at the State Capitol and a fly-over at this year’s Rose Bowl in California with a banner that read, “Impeach Corrupt Alabama Gov. Bob Riley.” All this fuss over bingo? While many other cash-strapped states are trying to expand gaming as a way to get more revenue, Alabama's outgoing governor is on a mission to stamp out illegal gambling in the Heart of Dixie.
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By The Associated Press, Anchorage Daily News
Rep. Les Gara says a resolution passed by the state House could undercut efforts in Congress to secure a natural gas pipeline in Alaska.
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AK: Push for in-state gas line gets a boost
By Richard Mauer, Anchorage Daily News
The drive to build an in-state gas pipeline, with public funds if necessary, got a boost Thursday with the enthusiastic testimony of two of Alaska's elder statesmen, Ted Stevens and Bill Sheffield, with Frank Murkowski offering more conditional support.
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AK: Hearing held on Sealaska lands bill
By Mary Pemberton, The Associated Press, The Juneau Empire
U.S. Rep. Don Young defended a bill Wednesday to give Sealaska Corp. its remaining lands under the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.
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AL: Mixed emotions over proposed state park bill
By Staff Reports, WAFF.com
FLORENCE, Ala. –- Are you visiting a state park this summer? You could cash in on a pretty sweet deal. A new bill in state legislature would cut rental fees in half for Alabama residents. It might sound good to travelers, but tourism officials say it could cost jobs and create major budget issues.
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AL: Ivey touts record as treasurer in bid for governor
By Jason Morton, Tuscaloosa News
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Alabama gubernatorial candidate Kay Ivey gave an impassioned stump speech today to the Republican Women of Tuscaloosa County, imploring the group to elect proven candidates willing to make tough decisions to correct the state's political and financial situation.
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AL: State Rep. James Buskey to run for re-election
By George Talbot, Mobile Register
State Rep. James Buskey announced that he will seek re-election to the Alabama House District 99 seat from Mobile. Buskey, a Democrat, has no announced opponents for the seat, which includes portions of north Mobile between Schillinger Road and Martin Luther King Ave.
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AZ: Arizona drops children's health program
By Kevin Sack, The New York Times
Arizona on Thursday became the first state to eliminate its Children's Health Insurance Program when Gov. Jan Brewer signed an austere budget that will leave nearly 47,000 low-income children without coverage.
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CA: Schwarzenegger appoints paralyzed lawyer Sara Granda to legal post
By Kevin Yamamura, The Sacramento Bee
Sara Granda, the UC Davis law school graduate who is paralyzed and drew national attention last year when State Bar officials nearly prevented her from taking the exam, has been named by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to a legal position in the state Department of Health Care Services.
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CA: Perez selects new leadership team, committee chairs
By Anthony York, Los Angeles Times
Among the key appointments: Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes (D-Sylmar) will chair the Appropriations Committee and Assemblyman Bob Blumenfield (D-Van Nuys) will head the Assembly Budget Committee. Assemblyman Charles Calderon (D-Whittier) is the new Majority Floor Leader.
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CA: Proposed smoking ban falls short in Assembly
By Kurtis Alexander, The Mercury News (San Jose)
Californians who grumble about cigarette butts in the parks and beaches may have to wait before their wish comes true — if it happens at all. The most far-reaching ban to outlaw smoking in California's state parks, including more than a dozen beaches and wilderness areas in Santa Cruz County, has fallen short of a key legislative hurdle.
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CO: Poll -- Markey right, Gardner wrong on health reform
By John Tomasic, Colorado Independent
In the wake of a Congressional Budget Office report finding that current health reform legislation would cut the deficit by $138 billion in ten years, Colorado Fourth District U.S. Rep. Betsy Markey confirmed that she planned to vote to pass the legislation this weekend.
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CO: CDOT opens bids on C-470/Santa Fe interchange project
By Cathy Proctor, Denver Business Journal
The Colorado Department of Transportation opened bids Thursday for the reconstruction of the C-470 and Santa Fe Drive interchange, a project that will use up the last of the agency's federal stimulus money that it's already been granted.
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DE: Historic panel OKs Woodburn solar plant project
By James Merriweather, The News Journal (New Castle-Wilmington)
The proposal to install a solar power plant atop Woodburn, a 212-year-old house that serves as the state's official governor's residence, Thursday breezed to unanimous approval by the city's Historic District Commission.
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DE: Delaware bill seeks longer protective orders
By J.L. Miller, The News Journal (New Castle-Wilmington)
Legislation to strengthen Delaware's system for protecting victims of domestic violence from further abuse was unveiled Thursday by Gov. Jack Markell and Attorney General Beau Biden.
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DE: Delaware River dredge at work while talks go on
By Jeff Montgomery, The News Journal (New Castle-Wilmington)
Ron Wyche restlessly scanned a jumble of readouts and video displays on Thursday as he summed up life in the driver's seat of a controversial $28 million dredging job along the Delaware River near Pea Patch Island.
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DE: Baker's budget holds cuts and hikes
By Adam Taylor, The News Journal (New Castle-Wilmington)
The average city resident would pay $216 more in property taxes and water-sewer fees under a budget proposed Thursday by Mayor James M. Baker.
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FL: NRA has gotten most of what it wanted in Florida Legislature in 2010
By Marc Caputo, The Miami Herald
Adoption agencies can't require prospective parents to disclose whether they have a firearm, according to a new bill that rocketed Thursday out of the Legislature and awaits the governor's signature. Gov. Charlie Crist plans to approve the legislation, along with another National Rifle Association-backed bill that would stop legislators from raiding a special trust fund that pays for concealed-weapons permit regulation. The bill could be passed by the Legislature as early as next week.
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FL: House loosens contribution rules
By John Frank, The Miami Herald
The Republican-dominated Florida House pushed through legislation Thursday that allows legislative leaders to raise unlimited dollars from special interests, rejecting a dozen Democratic amendments aimed at limiting the influence of money in politics.
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FL: Lawson claims spot on November ballot
By Bill Cotterell, Tallahassee Democrat
With a heavy hometown boost, state Sen. Al Lawson claimed a spot on the November ballot Wednesday in his bid to knock off U.S. Rep. Allen Boyd in the Democratic primary.
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FL: New rules assure public can see court records
By The Associated Press, The Miami Herald
Noting that the courts are moving ``inevitably into the electronic age,'' the Florida Supreme Court adopted new rules Thursday intended to assure public access to court records. The rules include guidelines for sealing and unsealing a limited range of confidential files.
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FL: Florida water managers weigh cuts, selloffs to finance U.S. Sugar land deal
By Curtis Morgan, The Miami Herald
With the odds of borrowing a half-billion bucks growing dicey, water managers are exploring new ways to finance Gov. Charlie Crist's deal with the U.S. Sugar Corp. -- a controversial land buy the governor stood firmly behind Thursday during a South Florida visit. One possible alternative: Pay for a big chunk -- perhaps even all -- of the $536 million price tag in cash.
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FL: Our eye's on you, Jackson is warned
By John Dorschner, The Miami Herald
Jackson's governing body survived four proposals to abolish it Thursday as Miami-Dade County commissioners instead voted unanimously to put the beleaguered public health system on a ``management watch'' in which the mayor will follow it closely but not take control.
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GA: House eases way for private-public partnerships on toll roads
By Nancy Badertscher, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Georgia House passed legislation Wednesday that some say could make private-public partnerships on toll roads and other transportation projects more attractive to the private sector. The bill would exempt the private owners of such projects from property taxes.
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GA: State taps lottery reserves
By Dorie Turner, The Associated Press, Chattanooga Times Free Press
State officials are dipping into reserves to help pay for education programs funded by the Georgia Lottery for the first time in nearly a decade, as ticket sales lag behind the growth of the HOPE scholarship and statewide prekindergarten.
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GA: Dear John and Sanford -- Please vote no. Sincerely, Sonny
By Jim Galloway, Columnist, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gov. Sonny Perdue has joined the effort to pressure U.S. Reps. John Barrow of Savannah and Sanford Bishop of Albany, the last two members of Georgia's Democratic delegation who haven't announced how they'll vote on the health care overhaul.
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GA: Water remedies sail through General Assembly
By Dan Chapman and Nancy Badertscher, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gov. Sonny Perdue's water wish list sailed smoothly through the General Assembly on Thursday with his prized conservation bill awaiting his signature. The House overwhelmingly approved the Water Stewardship Act of 2010 to curtail outdoor watering and require builders and apartment building owners to more efficiently manage water.
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GA: Bill to allow time served for juveniles advances
By Nancy Badertscher, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Georgia House passed legislation Thursday allowing juvenile offenders to receive credit for time served. Only adult prisoners are currently given credit for the time they serve waiting for their case to go through court, said the bill's sponsor, Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver.
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GA: Senate moves to close same-sex loophole in incest law
By Ernie Suggs, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
On Thursday, the Senate voted 42-0 to provide gender neutrality in incest cases. What does that mean? That if a man rapes his son, or a woman rapes her daughter, that person would also be charged with incest, along with rape or sodomy.
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GA: Zero Tolerance bill passes out of Senate, moves to House
By Ernie Suggs, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
An overhaul on Georgia's zero-tolerance policies, the kind of law that Emanuel Jones said he was elected to the Georgia Senate to write, passed his chamber Thursday and now heads to the House. SB 299 would give principals and school systems more discretion in how they handle disciplinary cases in their schools.
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HI: Hawaii state workers face more pay cuts under 6-year plan
By Derrick DePledge, The Honolulu Advertiser
Gov. Linda Lingle presented an updated six-year financial plan to the Legislature yesterday that presumes another round of pay cuts for state workers and reduces benefits for people in Quest, the state's health plan for the poor and disabled.
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IA: Iowa's gubernatorial race gets tighter
By James Q. Lynch, Quad-City Times
On the eve of the filing deadline for the primary election, a potential opponent for Gov. Chet Culver decided to bypass the Democratic primary and run as an independent in November.
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IL: Suburban residents seek lt. gov. nomination
By Timothy Magaw, Daily Herald (Arlington Heights)
Stevan Kreger worked in at a plastic-coloring plant for more than 30 years until his job was outsourced to China. Now, the 60-year-old South Elgin native has his sights set on a new job - lieutenant governor of the State of Illinois.
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IN: Lawmakers 'did no harm' in session
By Bob Caylor, The News-Sentinel (Fort Wayne)
State legislators were willing to claim that victory Wednesday when they gathered at the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce, 826 Ewing St., to reflect on the General Assembly session that ended last weekend.
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KY: Bill would create ATV trails in Eastern Kentucky
By Andy Mead, Lexington Herald-Leader
A bill that would lead to a system of ATV trails in Eastern Kentucky was approved by a House committee Thursday. House Bill 173, sponsored by Rep. Keith Hall, D-Phelps, would connect to similar trail systems in West Virginia and south-western Virginia.
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KY: Time running out on alternative energy bill
By James S. Bruggers, The Courier-Journal (Louisville)
With time in the General Assembly running out, a key House leader on Thursday tried to sell his alternative energy bill as a multi-billion dollar job-creation measure that would protect Kentuckians from a future spike in utility rates.
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KY: Kentucky Human Rights agency marks 50 years
By Joseph Gerth, The Courier-Journal (Louisville)
Back when Kentucky formed the South's first state human rights commission in 1960, Gov. Steve Beshear noted that African Americans could be kicked out of swimming pools, movie theaters, hospitals and restaurants. Yesterday, he and the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights celebrated Kentucky's strides in human rights and called for more progress in the future.
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KY: Bill to ease college transfers advances
By Tom Loftus, The Courier-Journal (Louisville)
A bill to make it easier for community college students to transfer to four-year public universities cleared the Senate Education Committee on Thursday in a weaker — but satisfactory — form, the bill's original sponsor said.
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KY: 'Sexting' bill clears Senate panel
By Stephanie Steitzer, The Courier-Journal (Louisville)
A measure that would give law enforcement a new option for dealing with teens caught "sexting" — sending sexually explicit photos through cell phones — cleared a Senate committee Thursday.
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LA: State looks at insurer laws
By Ted Griggs, The Advocate (Baton Rouge)
Louisiana may need to strengthen a consumer protection law that stops homeowners' insurance companies from canceling policies so that other insurers don't try the same complicated strategy The Hanover Insurance Group is using to shed half its book of business, the Senate Insurance Committee chairman said Thursday.
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LA: Black Caucus -- La. in 'dire straits'
By Will Sentell, The Advocate (Baton Rouge)
Leaders of the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus and others tossed around ideas Thursday on how to cope with state budget problems without unduly harming citizens.
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LA: State staffers rip pay freeze
By Marsha Shuler, The Advocate (Baton Rouge)
The state Civil Service Commission has been flooded with e-mails from rank-and-file state employees angry about a proposed suspension of pay raises.
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LA: Higher education cuts loom
By Jordan Blum, The Advocate (Baton Rouge)
State higher education leaders Thursday were preparing to cut another $85 million from their budgets after receiving word from the Jindal administration.
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MA: More cuts loom as state faces $295m in red ink
By Michael Levenson, The Boston Globe
Massachusetts is potentially facing a new budget gap of up to $295 million this year, a grim forecast that state officials said could spell yet another round of painful cuts before the fiscal year ends in June.
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MA: Mass. GOP taps Sen. Brown for convention keynote speech
By The Associated Press, Boston Herald
Massachusetts Republicans have landed a hot speaker for their party convention. Chairwoman Jennifer Nassour announced today that newly elected Sen. Scott Brown will deliver the keynote remarks at the DCU Center in Worcester on April 17.
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MA: State reduces bridges in disrepair
By Noah Bierman, The Boston Globe
The Patrick Administration announced yesterday that it has reduced the number of structurally deficient bridges in Massachusetts from 543 to 494, with the help of a major bridge rebuilding program initiated in May 2008.
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MA: Bullying bill OK'd in House, 148 to 0
By David Abel, The Boston Globe
The Massachusetts House, after an emotional debate, unanimously approved a bill yesterday that seeks to curtail bullying in schools and in cyberspace, mirroring similar legislation passed last week by the Senate.
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MD: EPA calls for more study on State Dept. Shore training facility
By Paul West, The Sun (Baltimore)
WASHINGTON - Federal environmental officials are recommending a more thorough study of a controversial State Department security facility on Maryland's Eastern Shore, a step likely to delay construction into next year. The plan to build a training center for diplomats on 2,000 acres of privately owned farmland in Ruthsburg has been pushed back several months by local opposition that caused some politicians to backpedal from their support.
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ME: Medical pot deal reached
By Ethan Wilensky-Lanford, Kennebec Journal
A legislative committee on Thursday reached unanimous, bipartisan accord on implementing Maine's citizen initiative that expanded the rights of medical marijuana users.
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ME: Money there for some schools
By Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal
Maine school districts will have access to $41.4 million in school construction bonds this year, but they have to move fast to get the money.
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ME: Sick time bill shift
By Susan Cover, Kennebec Journal
A bill that would have required large Maine businesses to provide paid sick days was scrapped Thursday.
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ME: GOP challenger pushes Michaud for debate on health care plan
By Nick Sambides Jr., Bangor Daily News
Jason Levesque, the presumptive Republican nominee to run for the 2nd Congressional District seat, on Thursday challenged Democratic U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud to hold a town hall-style meeting with voters on President Barack Obama's health care initiative.
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ME: Several towns eye hold on tower construction
By Rich Hewitt, Bangor Daily News
BLUE HILL, Maine — With interest in wind power and communications increasing in Maine, several Hancock County towns are considering slowing things down to make sure they can effectively regulate construction of the associated towers.
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ME: Gaming pact lacks committee support
By Kevin Miller, Bangor Daily News
A last-minute compromise negotiated by the Passamaquoddy Tribe, Hollywood Slots and the backers of an Oxford County casino failed to earn the endorsement of a legislative committee on Thursday.
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MI: Michigan tax shift pits cities vs. Big 3
By Matthew Dolan, The Wall Street Journal
DETROIT—A tax change in Michigan has sparked a conflict between the Big Three auto makers and the cities and towns that are homes to their plants, normally a big source of support for the car companies.
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MN: DFLers look to D.C. for lifeline
By Baird Helgeson, Minneapolis Star Tribune
Legislators are inching closer to plugging a $1 billion budget hole as optimism has spread through the Capitol that a big infusion of federal cash could spare the state from the most painful cuts -- at least for now.
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MN: Supporters see health care bill aiding many Minnesotans
By Warren Wolfe and Kevin Diaz, Minneapolis Star Tribune
More than 120,000 uninsured Minnesotans would gain health coverage under the bill headed for a climactic vote in the U.S. House this weekend, according to congressional Democrats, while another 1 million Minnesota consumers would get tax credits and other subsidies to help defray the cost of health insurance.
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MN: Emmer, Seifert face off in GOP governor's race
By Rachel E. Stassen-Berger, Minneapolis Star Tribune
Tom Emmer and Marty Seifert, Republican candidates for Minnesota governor, hold much in common -- they're conservative, they're state lawmakers and they both favor blue ties. But in Plymouth Thursday night, they put their differences very much on display.
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MO: Trim waste, Missourians plead online
By Terry Ganey, Columbia Daily Tribune
Read the ideas from all over the state about how to deal with Missouri's budget crisis and you come away with the feeling there's a lot of common sense out there.
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MO: Missouri may trim holidays for state employees
By Virginia Young, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Missouri has long been criticized for giving state employees the day off on some unusual holidays that few workers in the private sector enjoy, such as the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Harry Truman.
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MS: Legislative highlights
By Staff Reports, The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson)
Criminals convicted of a felony may have to reimburse the investigating agency under a new law.
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NC: Bill on personnel records planned
By Dan Kane, The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Personnel information on salaries, disciplinary actions and hiring decisions for public employees could be more available to taxpayers under legislation a Republican leader says he will seek to introduce in the coming session.
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NC: DOT -- Bridge wasn't feasible
By Bruce Siceloff, The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Asked to referee a fight between a powerful coastal senator and an environmental group, the state Department of Transportation has sided with the senator. Mostly.
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NC: A state payday for Dex One
By Mary Cornatzer, The News & Observer (Raleigh)
The state giveth and the state taketh away. That was the message of a Thursday meeting from the committee that oversees the state's incentives programs.
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NC: Poole faces more counts
By Benjamin Niolet, The News & Observer (Raleigh)
A federal grand jury added tax evasion and other charges Thursday to the corruption case against Ruffin Poole, a key aide to former Gov. Mike Easley. The new charges add dozens of years in prison and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines to the potential penalties hanging over Poole's head.
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NE: Complaint against AG Bruning won't be investigated
By Catharine Huddle, Lincoln Journal Star
The Counsel for Discipline of the Nebraska Supreme Court has declined to pursue a complaint that Attorney General Jon Bruning violated rules of professional conduct. That doesn't mean Counsel for Discipline Dennis Carlson approved of or defended what Bruning said during a January radio interview.
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NE: State joins in EPA challenge
By Martha Stoddard, Omaha World-Herald
Nebraska joined 11 other states Thursday in seeking to participate in a legal challenge to the federal Environmental Protection Agency's recent findings about greenhouse gases.
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NE: Ashford sees abortion epidemic
By Paul Hammel, Omaha World-Herald
Six low-income women have told a south Omaha health clinic that they will opt for abortions because they cannot afford prenatal services, which are no longer government-funded. The report from the OneWorld Community Health Centers, coupled with the earlier confirmation of an abortion by a Schuyler, Neb., woman, prompted at least three state senators to say Thursday that the issue has reached a "crisis" level.
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NH: Rally gives dummy a rail ride
By Mark Hayward, The Union Leader (Manchester)
Conservative and Tea Party activists symbolically rode a congressman out of downtown on a rail yesterday, joined by a conservative stalwart of the 1980s -- Gordon Humphrey.
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NH: Court workers okay furloughs
By Annmarie Timmins, Concord Monitor
The 363 judicial branch employees in the State Employees' Association will join judges and other court staff in taking unpaid furloughs to meet a $3.1 million budget shortfall. The measure passed yesterday 149-4, with 80 percent of the eligible members voting.
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NH: Panel okays gambling, denies cuts
By Shira Schoenberg, Concord Monitor
Faced with difficult budgetary decisions, the Senate Finance Committee yesterday signaled a desire to find new revenue sources rather than make drastic cuts to social services.
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NJ: Unions decry advancement of bills on public pensions
By Angela Delli Santi, The Associated Press, The Philadelphia Inquirer
An Assembly panel yesterday approved legislation that would make public-worker pension and health benefits less generous, a move designed to put the state retirement system on sounder financial footing for tens of thousands of future retirees.
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NJ: State aid to municipalities may be cut by $445 million
By William Lamb and Barbara Williams, The Record of Bergen County
Governor Christie's proposed $29.3 billion budget would trim $445 million in state aid to New Jersey's recession-weary municipalities, forcing town officials to contemplate layoffs and service cuts to make up for the lost income.
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NM: BasketBill
By Steve Terrell, Santa Fe New Mexican
Gov. Bill Richardson continued what might be called his "basketball tour" Thursday.
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NM: Joe Campos Now on Lt. Gov. Ballot
By Steve Terrell, Santa Fe New Mexican
State Rep. Joe Campos, D-Santa Rosa, who everyone thought had fallen just a bit short of the magic 20 percent mark need to get on the ballot for lieutenant governor, will be on the ballot after all.
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NM: State urged to monitor stray voltage
By Tom Sharpe, Santa Fe New Mexican
A New Jersey company on Thursday urged the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission to require monitoring of stray electricity like that which was shocking dogs in downtown Santa Fe late last year.
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NV: Special legislative session advocated for water rights
By Cy Ryan, Las Vegas Sun
The Nevada Legislature should be called into special session soon to clarify confusion created by the Nevada Supreme Court on thousands of water rights, say advocates for homebuilders, organized labor and the Southern Nevada Water Authority.
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NY: NY's health coverage plunges
By Carl Campanile, New York Post
The number of New York state residents receiving health insurance through private-sector employers has plummeted by 500,000, a new study has found.
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NY: Party-switcher roils New York race
By Michael Howard Saul, The Wall Street Journal
The entrance of Steve Levy, a Democrat turning Republican, into the New York governor's race threw the contest for the Republican nomination into flux, with some calling the Suffolk County executive the GOP's best hope for victory and others fearing he will splinter the party.
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NY: Will Republicans split?
By Jimmy Vielkind, Times Union (Albany)
Republican State Chairman Ed Cox will stand beside Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy today as the Democrat renounces his party and publicly kicks off his campaign for the GOP gubernatorial nomination.
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NY: Paterson claims he was article's source
By Danny Hakim and Nicholas Confessore, The New York Times
In a radio town hall appearance this morning in New York City, Gov. David A. Paterson claimed that he was the one who first told the news media that he had talked to a woman involved in a domestic violence complaint against one of his top aides.
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NY: Cuomo probes pension 'spiking'
By Gina Chon, The Wall Street Journal
New York became the latest state to shine a light on the practice of pension "spiking"—big increases in a government worker's salary just before retirement to boost the lifelong pension payout.
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NY: Lazio goes after new challenger in governor's race
By Jeremy W. Peters and David M. Halbfinger, The New York Times
The campaign for the Republican nomination for governor was blown wide open on Thursday as the party's presumptive frontrunner, Rick A. Lazio, lost key support after a last-minute entry into the race by a conservative Long Island Democrat.
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NY: A flurry of calls after a Paterson aide's domestic dispute
By Danny Hakim and William K. Rashbaum, The New York Times
The dispute had ended, and his companion had called 911, saying she had been a victim of domestic violence. Sometime before 10 p.m. on Oct. 31, David W. Johnson left the Bronx apartment he shared with the woman and began making a series of phone calls.
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NY: Bid to thwart Medicaid fraud
By Carl Campanile, New York Post
State Senate Republicans yesterday proposed restoring extensive background checks to deter fraud in New York's $52 billion Medicaid program.
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NY: Refund-amentally flawed fiscal state
By Fredric U. Dicker and Carl Campanile, New York Post
Amid new warnings that the state's finances are worsening, Gov. Paterson has decided to delay income-tax refunds for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers for at least two more weeks, officials said yesterday.
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NY: State audit finds area ethic codes OK
By Jill Terreri, Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester)
The city of Rochester, Monroe County and the town of Greece do not have provisions in their codes of ethics relating to relatives who work together, but do not appear to have significant weaknesses in their ethics practices. The findings were included in the release of 31 audits of municipalities and their practices around ethics, conducted by the Office of the State Comptroller.
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NY: Tell-all offensive offering defense
By The Associated Press, Times Union (Albany)
Gov. David Paterson said Thursday that he was the first to reveal a conversation he had with a woman at the center of a domestic violence scandal, the second consecutive day the once-silent governor defended his actions.
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NY: Sweet exit kiss?
By Rick Karlin, Times Union (Albany)
Saratoga County has come under Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's pension microscope, with the state's top lawyer including it on a list of 28 government entities that appear to have unusually high pension costs.
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OH: Kasich wants changes but will save details for fall
By Laura A. Bischoff, Dayton Daily News
DAYTON, Ohio -- Republican John Kasich can talk at length about what he thinks Ohio needs to do to get out of the economic ditch — phase out the state income tax, reform regulations, cut government spending — but the gubernatorial candidate is reticent about the details.
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OH: Elections panel throws out 'liar' complaint
By Mark Niquette, The Columbus Dispatch
An Ohio Elections Commission panel voted unanimously this morning to dismiss a complaint from a congressional candidate that either Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner or U.S. Rep. Zack Space lied.
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OK: Oklahoma medical examiners struggle, official says
By Nolan Clay, The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City)
The state medical examiner's office has a backlog of more than 1,100 uncompleted cases, its chief administrative officer revealed Thursday. The backlog will continue to increase until more doctors are hired, Tom Jordan told the Board of Medicolegal Investigations, which oversees office operations.
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OK: Oklahoma Capitol briefs
By Michael McNutt, The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City)
Oklahoma is one of a dozen states seeking permission to challenge an Environmental Protection Agency finding that could potentially cripple economic development in the state, Attorney General Drew Edmondson said Thursday.
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OK: Oklahoma lawmaker to seek law change
By Michael McNutt, The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City)
The flap over releasing security camera footage to determine who moved the president's portrait in the House of Representatives is an illustration why legislators should fall under the same laws as everyone else, a lawmaker said Thursday.
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PA: Pa. Turnpike inspector says he's saved $1 million
By Paul Nussbaum, The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Pennsylvania Turnpike's new inspector general, hired to root out corruption and waste at an agency long regarded as a patronage haven, has forced the termination of 32 turnpike workers during the last year.
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PA: PUC sets hearing on Marcellus shale pipes
By Don Hopey, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission is holding a special hearing as part of efforts to clarify and possibly expand its role in regulating burgeoning Marcellus shale gas well and gas pipeline development.
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RI: Fox talks about pensions, gambling, taxes
By Katherine Gregg and Randal Edgar, The Providence Journal
Thirty eight years later, the new speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives is a bit more reserved in his choice of words — but not much — when he talks about gambling, taxes, public employee pensions and the difficulty every incumbent will have in a year when he acknowledges: "People are angry. They are hurting. They are scared, and they want to lash out."
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RI: Carcieri against move to decriminalize marijuana
By Katherine Gregg, The Providence Journal
Governor Carcieri opposes the move to decriminalize marijuana, according to spokeswoman Amy Kempe. Stopping short of saying he would veto any such proposal, Kempe said: "The governor opposes any legislation that weakens the drug laws, and has vetoed every piece of legislation that weakens those laws that has been sent to him."
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RI: Insurers see planned rate hikes slashed
By Felice J. Freyer, The Providence Journal
The state health insurance commissioner has slashed proposed premiums, keeping rate increases in the single digits –– in some cases just barely –– for people covered through their employers.
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RI: NAACP's Monteiro notes Thompson's elevation as a historic step
By Katie Mulvaney, The Providence Journal
The Providence branch of the NAACP praised Superior Court Judge O. Rogeriee Thompson's elevation to the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals as a historic step in black history and for women. Thompson, 58, of Cranston, became the first black person and the second woman to serve on the Boston-based federal appeals court with her confirmation by the Senate Wednesday.
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RI: Number of jobless in R.I. declines
By Cynthia Needham, The Providence Journal
For the second month in a row, Rhode Island added jobs in February while its jobless rate held steady at 12.7 percent, fueling hopes that the state's economy may at last be leveling off, according to new figures to be released Friday.
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SC: Sanford to pay $140,000, admits no wrongdoing
By John O'Connor, The State (Columbia)
Gov. Mark Sanford has settled charges that he broke state ethics laws, admitting no guilt but agreeing to pay $74,000 in fines. The governor also agreed to pay $66,223 to reimburse the cost of the state investigation into his travel and to pay for his use of state aircraft, pricey airline tickets and misspent campaign money.
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SC: House approves budget
By Yvonne Wenger, The Post and Courier (Charleston)
Smokers would pay 30 cents more for a pack of cigarettes and thousands of state workers could lose their jobs under a $5 billion budget that the state House approved early Thursday after a marathon session.
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SC: Gov. Sanford accepts fine in ethics case
By Robbie Brown, The New York Times
Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina agreed Thursday to pay $74,000 to settle charges that his personal travel and campaign spending violated state ethics laws, but he continued to deny wrongdoing.
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SC: Senate sets new spending limits
By Roddie Burris, The State (Columbia)
Senate Finance Committee members settled on a new spending limitation plan for state revenue Thursday, after state economists told lawmakers their previous plan would not work.
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SC: Judge finalizes SC Gov. Mark Sanford's divorce
By Bruce Smith, The State (Columbia)
After the governor's mysterious disappearance, his tearful, public admission of an affair, and a revealing memoir by his wife, the 20-year marriage of South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford and his wife Jenny is over.
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TN: TennCare postpones some cuts for a year
By Lucas L. Johnson, The Associated Press, The Tennessean (Nashville)
TennCare officials said Thursday they will be able to use a federal refund of $121 million to postpone some cuts to the state's expanded Medicaid program for a year.
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TN: Health bill gives TN hospitals $99M
By Alan Fram and David Espo, The Associated Press, The Tennessean (Nashville)
WASHINGTON -- Bye bye, Cornhusker Kickback. Hello, special treatment for Tennessee and North Dakota. Democrats unveiling revisions Thursday to their health-care overhaul bill decided to kill the extra $100 million in Medicaid funds for Nebraska that has become a symbol of backdoor deal making. But the 153 pages of changes to the package include an additional $99 million in 2012 and 2013 for Tennessee hospitals that treat many poor people.
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TN: English-only push resurfaces
By Nate Rau, The Tennessean (Nashville)
Nashville voters rejected an English-only proposal last year, but the divisive issue is creeping back as lawmakers try to push similar proposals statewide.
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TX: White, Perry camps spar over border security
By Christy Hoppe, The Dallas Morning News
Democrat Bill White pressed for help with federal border security in a call to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, and he said Thursday that Republican Rick Perry, the governor he is challenging, also should have picked up the phone.
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TX: A border runs through it
By Julian Aguilar, The Texas Tribune
Steeped in the annals of the America's symbiotic relationship with Mexico is the two countries' long-standing and sometimes tense agreement over an issue more far-reaching than border security and immigration: water.
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TX: The secret pardon
By Brandi Grissom, The Texas Tribune
Every couple of minutes, attorney Rob Owen glances nervously at the calendar in his office. Barring the intervention of the U.S. Supreme Court, a reprieve from the secretive Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles is the last hope for his client, Hank Skinner, to avoid the poison-filled syringe that awaits him on Wednesday.
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US: GOP plots strategies to nullify health bill
By Naftali Bendavid, The Wall Street Journal
WASHINGTON—Republicans are looking beyond Sunday's expected vote on the Democrats' health-care overhaul to focus on strategies for striking back should it pass, ranging from challenges to the measure by individual states to a national repeal campaign.
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UT: Utah counting on you to send in census form
By Brandon Loomis, The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah could have been $900 million richer during the past decade if everyone in the state had returned the U.S. census forms in 2000, according to members of Salt Lake City's Complete Count Committee.
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UT: $1,050 for a voter list?
By Cathy McKitrick, The Salt Lake Tribune
State Records Committee members sympathized with Steve Maxfield Jr. After all, charging more than $1,000 for a public record that takes the state all of 20 minutes to compile seems a bit steep.
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UT: WVC wants UTA to delay rail designs for 5600 West
By María Villaseñor, The Salt Lake Tribune
West Valley City officials are concerned that, with no guarantee that light rail will travel along the 5600 West corridor in the near future, the Utah Transit Authority wants to acquire too much right of way in that area for mass transit.
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VA: Cuccinelli renews threat to challenge health-care reform
By Jim Nolan, Richmond Times-Dispatch
Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli took to the national airwaves yesterday to discuss his letter to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and threatened legal action if the House employs the "deem and pass" method of voting on President Barack Obama's health-care overhaul.
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VA: Convicted killer, rapist executed in Va.
By The Associated Press, The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk)
JARRATT, Va. -- A man who killed a teen girl and then bragged about it to prosecutors once he thought he could not face the death penalty was executed Thursday.
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VT: Billions for student aid will help VSAC
By Staff Reports, Burlington Free Press
WASHINGTON -- A $36 billion boost in student aid could preserve a role for Vermont Student Assistance Corp. in the student-loan process. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., announced Thursday that an agreement on student aid legislation would provide billions in new spending on Pell grants -- rescuing VSAC jobs in the process.
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VT: PIRG challenges Vermont Yankee application
By Terri Hallenbeck, Burlington Free Press
The Vermont Public Interest Research Group filed a request with the state Public Service Board on Thursday asking the panel to throw out Vermont Yankee's application for continued operation because of misinformation the nuclear plant's owners provided.
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WA: More lawmakers turning down per diem pay
By Brad Shannon and Jordan Schrader, The Olympian
The cost of the special legislative session in Olympia has shrunk to less than $14,000 a day, thanks to a growing line of state legislators who are refusing to accept their $90-per-day expense allowances.
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WI: Wis. group stops using Citizens United name
By Ryan J. Foley, Wisconsin State Journal (Madison)
A Wisconsin group protesting a landmark U.S. Supreme Court campaign finance ruling will stop using the name "Citizens United" in a petition protesting the decision after being asked by that group not to.
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WV: Game farm bill flaw prompts Manchin veto
By The Associated Press, Charleston Daily Mail
Another technical error has prompted Gov. Joe Manchin to veto a recently passed bill, this one addressing private game farms. The legislation proposed a new misdemeanor when someone kills or injures a game farm animal without the owner's permission.
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WV: Finished budget includes money for Medicaid waiver programs
By Phil Kabler, Charleston Gazette
House and Senate conferees completed work on the 2010-11 state budget bill Thursday afternoon. House Finance Chairman Harry Keith White, D-Mingo, said the budget includes an additional $15 million for Medicaid waiver programs to provide in-home care to senior citizens and for persons with developmental disabilities.
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WV: Raleigh couple can't get off Wood County ballot
By The Associated Press, Charleston Gazette
Stan and Janet Norman are running for office whether they like it or not. The Beckley couple are in the middle of a mix-up that has them on the ballot for seats on the state Republican Executive Committee in Wood County, about 135 miles from their home. They want to be on the Raleigh County ballot, but state and local elections officials say the ballots have been certified and have to remain as they are.
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WY: Wyo House Speaker Simpson enters Governor's race
By Mary Angell, Cowboy State Free Press
Framed by the open doors of the Wyoming House chamber, Rep. Colin Simpson, R-Park County, stood beside his wife and sons this morning and told supporters who crowded the House lobby what they already knew: he will run for governor of Wyoming.
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The empire strikes out
By Stephen C. Fehr, Stateline.org Staff Writer
 New York Governor David Paterson replaced a governor caught up in a scandal. Now Paterson is accused of wrongdoing himself and has declined to run for election. Facing a myriad of challenges, including a $9 billion budget shortfall, Paterson is finding it difficult to be effective in his final months in office.
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