State politics Subcribe to State politics |
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By Pamela M. Prah, Stateline.org Staff Writer
The tax hikes that so many states levied to plug holes in their recession-ravaged budgets this year could endanger a few incumbent governors’ careers in 2010 when 37 gubernatorial contests are at stake.
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By Dan Balz, The Washington Post
AUSTIN, Texas -- Republican governors wrapped up a two-day pep rally here on Thursday with an expression of confidence that the political winds have begun to shift in their direction, thanks to what they called a backlash among many voters against the policies of the Obama administration. (Also see: US: GOP officials urge candidates to avoid shrill tone )
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AR: Fight health bill, ex-Clinton adviser urges
By L. Lamor Williams, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock)
The health-care overhaul bill being considered in the U.S. Senate is "the most serious threat to our lives and our liberties we Americans have faced since World War II," former Clinton adviser Dick Morris told about 250 Arkansans who rallied against the legislation. The group gathered Thursday on the Capitol steps in front of a "Hands Off Our Healthcare" tour bus.
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AR: Morris predicts GOP congressional gains in state
By Rob Moritz, Arkansas News Bureau
Sen. Blanche Lincoln and other congressional Democrats in Arkansas will have difficulty getting re-elected next year because they will have a hard time separating themselves from the national Democratic agenda, political strategist Dick Morris said today.
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AZ: Budget agreement fails in Senate
By Mary Jo Pitzl and Matthew Benson, The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)
Efforts to trim a few hundred million dollars from the state budget fell apart Thursday when the state Senate came up one vote shy of the needed majority.
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AZ: Gould, Verschoor won't support budget plan
By Howard Fischer, Capitol Media Services, East Valley Tribune
Efforts to start plugging the $2 billion hole in the state budget came to a screeching halt Thursday when two Republican lawmakers refused to support the plan.
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CA: Ex-Lt. Gov. Reinecke endorses Whitman
By Dan Walters, The Sacramento Bee
Ed Reinecke, who was California lieutenant governor some 40 years ago until being forced to resign after being touched by the Watergate scandal, has endorsed Meg Whitman for the Republican nomination for governor, the Whitman campaign announced today.
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CA: Regents raise college tuition in California by 32 percent
By Tamar Lewin and Rebecca Cathcart, The New York Times
As the University of California's Board of Regents met Thursday at U.C.L.A. and approved a plan to raise undergraduate fees — the equivalent of tuition — 32 percent next fall, hundreds of students from campuses across the state demonstrated outside, beating drums and chanting slogans against the increase.
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CT: Lawmaker stopped again for using cell phone in car
By The Associated Press, The Hartford Courant
NEWTOWN, Conn. -- A Connecticut lawmaker says he's paid more than $390 in fines and his driver's license has been reinstated after he was pulled over by police a second time for illegally using a cell phone while driving.
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DE: Delaware asked to invest in wind company
By Aaron Nathans, The News Journal (New Castle-Wilmington)
A startup company whose management includes former Lt. Gov. John Carney is seeking a state investment of $350,000 to establish an operation in Wilmington to manufacture support towers for wind turbines.
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FL: Need a job? Senate going to pay budget expert up to $170K a year
By Dara Kam, The Palm Beach Post
Senate budget chief J.D. Alexander is setting up a new office to help him figure out if the state is spending money wisely.
Alexander and his House counterparts have grappled with the state's plummeting revenues and are facing a $2.7 billion projected spending gap in next year's budget.
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GA: Health reform in D.C. could influence gubernatorial race
By Aaron Gould Sheinin, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The fractious debate over health care reform has mostly been a federal affair. But if the version favored by the top Democrat in the U.S. Senate becomes law, leaders in the states could play a huge role by choosing to opt out of the so-called "public option."
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GA: Adelman nominated ambassador to Singapore
By Aaron Gould Sheinin, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
State Sen. David Adelman (D-Atlanta) has been nominated by President Barack Obama to be U.S. ambassador to Singapore, the White House announced late Thursday.
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IA: Branstad -- Iowa Poll encouraging
By Tom Beaumont, The Des Moines Register
Former Gov. Terry Branstad said Iowa voters' early preference of him over Gov. Chet Culver is helping his fundraising as the longtime Republican governor begins cranking up his campaign operation.
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IA: Culver -- It's time for school reform
By Staci Hupp, The Des Moines Register
Gov. Chet Culver said today that Iowa will go after up to $175 million in federal money for schools, but there are strings attached: Schools in Iowa must change.
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IL: State GOP tones down heat on Gitmo
By Joseph Ryan, Daily Herald (Arlington Heights)
Meanwhile, Gov. Pat Quinn and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, a Springfield Democrat, seized on the attacks as fear mongering as they tried to sell the deal in a series of news conferences around northern Illinois.
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IL: State senator would consider leasing tollway
By Joseph Ryan, Daily Herald (Arlington Heights)
State Sen. Bill Brady, a Bloomington Republican, says he would consider selling the Illinois tollway to a private company if elected to the state's top post, putting him at odds with at least one challenger in the GOP primary for governor.
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KY: Senate hopefuls squabble about terrorism, coal
By Jack Brammer, Lexington Herald-Leader
LOUISVILLE — Republicans Trey Grayson and Rand Paul exchanged sharp words on the issue of Guantánamo Bay, and Democrats Jack Conway and Daniel Mongiardo squabbled about their alliances with coal.
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MA: Gubernatorial candidates spar over local aid
By John R. Ellement, The Boston Globe
WESTBOROUGH, Mass. -- Timothy P. Cahill has spent 22 years in public life, but the state treasurer said he was nervous as he rose to speak to some 200 business people at a breakfast meeting here yesterday.
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MA: Baker narrows list of running mates
By Frank Phillips, The Boston Globe
As part of a decision that will significantly shape next year's gubernatorial race, Republican Charles D. Baker is reviewing a final list of four potential running mates, including a district attorney, the GOP's two top legislative leaders, and a lawmaker known for her political candor, a campaign adviser said yesterday.
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MA: No agreement, no $147m upgrade
By Meghan E. Irons, The Boston Globe
Massachusetts has missed an opportunity to tap into as much as $147 million in grant money available under the federal stimulus package because of a deep disagreement between the Patrick administration and residents of Roxbury and Mattapan.
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MA: Charles Baker cooks up plan to cut pension abuse
By Hillary Chabot, Boston Herald
Job-hopping to inflate state pensions and out-the-door parachutes higher than $90,000 will be banned under a new proposal by Republican gubernatorial candidate Charles Baker, as a Herald review shows the number of retirees raking in that much or more shot up 30 percent this year.
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MD: Dixon's fate in jurors' hands
By Julie Bykowicz and Annie Linskey, The Sun (Baltimore)
BALTIMORE, Md. -- Twelve Baltimore residents are now deciding the fate of Mayor Sheila Dixon, who stands accused of five criminal charges involving theft or embezzlement of gift cards. The jurors deliberated for about four hours Thursday, sending the judge several questions before the end of the day.
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ME: No probe for city's TABOR fliers
By Susan M. Cover, Kennebec Journal
The state ethics commission decided Thursday against an investigation into whether South Portland should be required to file campaign finance reports because of a flier it sent regarding the Taxpayer Bill of Rights.
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ME: Foes of gay vows face probe
By Susan M. Cover, Kennebec Journal
State ethics commission staff will soon begin an investigation into the fundraising practices of a group that contributed at least $1.6 million to defeat gay marriage in Maine.
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ME: Election money may be scant
By Kevin Miller, Bangor Daily News
The prospect that Maine's clean election fund could run dry before the November 2010 elections is causing some concerns among gubernatorial candidates hoping to tap into the program.
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MS: Lawmakers' trips hit amid revenue crunch
By Elizabeth Crisp, The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson)
Senate leaders have eliminated all taxpayer-funded out-of-state travel for the rest of the fiscal year. Meanwhile, the House is considering a proposal to limit its members to one out-of-state trip each this fiscal year, said House Management Committee Chair J.P. Compretta, D-Bay St. Louis.
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MS: Victims' kin in civil-rights era cases sought
By Jerry Mitchell, The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson)
The FBI is seeking to find family members of 33 people slain during the civil rights movement. A third of those killings took place in Mississippi, including that of Jimmie Lee Griffin, whose body was discovered on a highway near Sturgis on Sept. 24, 1965.
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NC: N.C. Sen. Boseman says she won't run again
By The Associated Press, The Winston-Salem Journal
State Sen. Julia Boseman, the first openly gay person elected to the General Assembly, said yesterday that she won't run for a fourth term in the Senate next year, citing family responsibilities.
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NC: .C. Sen. Boseman says she won't run again
By The Associated Press, The Winston-Salem Journal
State Sen. Julia Boseman, the first openly gay person elected to the General Assembly, said yesterday that she won't run for a fourth term in the Senate next year, citing family responsibilities.
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NC: Perdue rethinks life terms
By Mandy Locke, The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Gov. Beverly Perdue's third take: Prison officials never doled out credits for good behavior to those sentenced to life in the 1970s. It's the latest position Perdue's administration has taken on the question of freedom for dozens of inmates convicted of murder, rape and robbery more than three decades ago.
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NC: Stam sees a chance for eminent domain bill
By Benjamin Niolet and Rob Christensen, The News & Observer (Raleigh)
The departure of state Sen. Tony Rand has a lot of people wondering how the Senate will operate without the powerful master of rules, legislative maneuvers and hardball politics. It even has state Rep. Paul Stam wondering whether he'll finally get a favorite bill passed in the Senate.
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NE: Senators will work around Heineman's schedule to wrap up session
By JoAnne Young, Lincoln Journal Star
Gov. Dave Heineman called 49 senators to Lincoln 2 1/2 weeks ago to find a solution to a budget crisis. He met with the Appropriations Committee and other key committee chairs Nov. 2, and held briefings with others, to outline his proposal to cut the two-year budget to fill a gap in revenue. Then, according to a few senators, he more or less disappeared.
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NE: McGill named head of Urban Affairs Committee
By JoAnne Young, Lincoln Journal Star
Lincoln Sen. Amanda McGill was elected Thursday to chair the Legislature's Urban Affairs Committee.
She will succeed Omaha Sen. Mike Friend, who resigned this summer to become the first director of the state's Office of Violence Prevention.
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NE: University weighs tighter limits on stem cell research
By Monica Davey, The New York Times
LINCOLN, Neb. — In an unusual pushback against President Obama's expansion of federal financing of human embryonic stem cell research, the University of Nebraska is considering restricting its stem cell experiments to cell lines approved by President George W. Bush.
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NJ: A forceful entry by Christie, and a sober exit by Corzine
By David M. Halbfinger, The New York Times
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — In a vivid contrast of their styles and standing, a soft-spoken Gov. Jon S. Corzine delivered a choked-up goodbye here Thursday while Governor-elect Christopher J. Christie vowed to "force change" on New Jersey even if it meant dragging his adversaries to the table.
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NJ: Governors don't call this home
By David M. Halbfinger, The New York Times
It is a 20-room Greek Revival mansion, with Italian gardens, a music room and a wood-paneled library. But no one seems to want to live in Drumthwacket, the governor's residence in Princeton Township, N.J.
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NJ: Essex Democrat is on track as next Assembly speaker
By Chris Megerian and Josh Margolin, The Star-Ledger (Newark)
Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver now has a clear path to become speaker of the lower house, after her only remaining competition for the post, Assembly Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman, dropped out of contention yesterday.
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NJ: Dem leader -- Economy trumps gay marriage
By Staff Reports, The Star-Ledger (Newark)
Following a dust-up over gay marriage in which he said he was taken out of context, Senate Majority Leader Stephen Sweeney said it would be irresponsible for Democrats to bring a bill to vote if they are not sure it will pass.
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NJ: Christie lays down his law for state
By Staff Reports, The Star-Ledger (Newark)
In his first major speech since Election Day, Gov.-elect Chris Christie told local officials yesterday they better step up and become part of the solution, or he would become their problem.
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NY: Giuliani eyes Senate run
By Suzanne Sataline, The Wall Street Journal
Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City mayor who has been widely rumored to be interested in running for governor, is weighing "a real possibility" of seeking a U.S. Senate seat next year, a former Giuliani campaign aide said.
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NY: Governor -- 'There is no deal'
By Casey Seiler, Times Union (Albany)
The work goes on, but the legislators are gone. Members of the state Senate and Assembly left the Capitol on Thursday with plans to return on Monday -- if, that is, their leaders manage to hammer out a package to close the state's estimated $3.2 billion budget deficit.
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NY: For Bruno, how Albany works is also on trial
By Nicholas Confessore, The New York Times
The longtime secretary for one of the most powerful politicians in New York spent as much time on his private business, handling bills and correspondence, as she did on his public duties, like arranging meetings with lawmakers.
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NY: Pork politics key to Bruno reign
By James M. Odato, Times Union (Albany)
Under Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno's rule, $85 million a year in discretionary funds known as member items were doled out by senators with political considerations in mind, a high-level Senate aide said Thursday under oath in Bruno's federal criminal trial.
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OH: Casino issue won big with absentee voters
By Mark Niquette, The Columbus Dispatch
Voters who cast an absentee ballot in the Nov. 3 election generally were much more likely to support the statewide issue authorizing casinos than those who went to the polls Election Day, final unofficial results show.
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OH: Strickland vows to punish domestic abusers
By Mike Wagner, The Columbus Dispatch
In response to a Dispatch investigation that showed Ohio's tolerance of and indifference toward domestic violence, Strickland called for a sweeping examination of, and reforms to, Ohio's approach to the crime.
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OR: Tax measures represent next economic crossroads
By Peter Wong, Statesman Journal (Salem)
With Oregon's economy and tax collections apparently stabilizing, the next development affecting state services and aid to public schools will hinge on how Oregon voters decide the Legislature's budget-balancing tax measures Jan. 26.
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PA: State taking heat for 'chaotic' flu shots
By Steve Twedt, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
In the last several weeks, as the H1N1 flu has swept through the nation and health officials scrambled to find scarce vaccine, questions have been raised about how Pennsylvania chose to handle the process of distributing the limited doses available.
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SC: Sanford relents on ethics report
By Staff and Wire Reports, The Post and Courier (Charleston)
Gov. Mark Sanford agreed Thursday to remove the last hurdle to a long-delayed House of Representatives impeachment investigation of his travel and campaign expenses.
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SC: Candidate for governor raises Confederate flag issue
By Gina Smith, The State (Columbia)
The Confederate flag must be removed from the State House grounds if South Carolina is to attract jobs, according to one Democrat running for governor. Thursday, Mullins McLeod, a Charleston attorney, released a plan to create jobs and reopened an old S.C. wound about whether it's appropriate to fly the flag on Capitol grounds.
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SC: Ethics panel votes to charge Sanford
By John O'Connor, The State (Columbia)
Gov. Mark Sanford agreed Thursday to remove the last hurdle to a long-delayed House of Representatives impeachment investigation of his travel and campaign expenses.
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SD: Pricey fight over ban expected
By Peter Harriman, Argus Leader (Sioux Falls)
Backers of a statewide smoking ban say they expect to be outspent by opponents in what's expected to be a hard-fought campaign after deciding Thursday not to appeal a judge's ruling.
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TX: State (board) of agitation
By Abby Rapoport, The Texas Tribune
Legislative frustration and national efforts to standardize state curricula threaten to diminish the State Board of Education's authority. For now, members are just trying to get along — but the rifts are still as big as ever.
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TX: Investment firm stands by reports on gifts to State Board of Education official
By Jeff Horwitz, The Dallas Morning News
State Board of Education member Rick Agosto has accused an investment company of incorrectly reporting that it gave him more than $1,000 in gifts before it sought a lucrative contract with the board. But the company has insisted that its disclosures are generally correct and said in letters to the Texas Education Agency that the disagreement may partially result from differences in accounting.
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TX: Perry rejects clemency in death penalty case
By Mike Ward, The Austin American-Statesman
Rejecting a rare recommendation to commute a death sentence, Gov. Rick Perry refused Thursday to stop the execution of a man convicted of murder for his role in the 1996 shooting death of a Houston convenience store clerk. Less than an hour later, Robert Lee Thompson, 34, was executed at a state prison in Huntsville.
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TX: Despite his millions, Shami faces steep climb to governor's office
By Corrie MacLaggan and Jason Embry, The Austin American-Statesman
HOUSTON — With hundreds of supporters watching, businessman Farouk Shami leapt into the Democratic gubernatorial primary field Thursday with plenty of hoopla and a promise to spend millions more than his opponents will likely raise, but he will face obstacles that even money may not allow him to overcome.
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US: GOP officials urge candidates to avoid shrill tone
By Peter Wallsten, The Wall Street Journal
AUSTIN, Texas -- Republican governors Thursday urged GOP candidates competing in 2010 elections to not harshly attack President Barack Obama, citing polls that show his personal popularity remaining strong despite unease over his policies.
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UT: Abortion bill approved by Utah legislative committee
By James Thalman, The Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City)
A bill that would make seeking an illegal abortion a second-degree felony as well as remove any immunity for Utah women seeking illegal abortions was approved by a legislative committee Wednesday morning.
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VT: 5 Democrats make pitch for governor
By Terri Hallenbeck, Burlington Free Press
Marcella and Chris Chiarello of Shelburne went to Thursday night's gubernatorial candidate forum hoping for hints that will help them choose from a field of five Democratic candidates with strikingly similar viewpoints.
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WV: Vote block extends special session to fourth day
By Staff and Wire Reports, Charleston Daily Mail
House Republicans on Thursday blocked the Legislature from voting on two bills sought by the Manchin administration, throwing a special session into a fourth day. In a largely symbolic move, the Republicans prevented Democrats from suspending House rules Thursday to advance one bill that would have made changes to the state gasoline tax and another to encourage the use of energy sources other than coal by state utilities.
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