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Q&A With Outgoing Colorado Pension Chief: ‘The 401(k) Experiment Is a Failure’

After more than two decades heading public employee pension systems in Colorado and Kansas, Meredith Williams says Americans are woefully underprepared for retirement.

Should Legislators Hold Two Public Jobs?

In many states, it’s common for members of the legislature to work simultaneously for another branch of government. Some see that as a serious conflict of interest. Others think it improves the legislative process.

Oregon Looks to Shrink Middle Management

An unusual mix of Republicans, Democrats and labor leaders are working together to restructure state government.

States Push to Shake Up Personnel Practices

Civil service rules that haven't changed in decades are being re-assessed by several governors bent on major changes in the system.

Seven Questions for Michigan Governor Rick Snyder

Rick Snyder hasn't followed the confrontational path of many Republican governors elected in 2010. In a Stateline interview, he explains some of his strategies.

Five Lessons From Overwhelmed Agencies

Last week, Stateline took an in-depth look at what's causing growing backlogs of work at state agencies across the country. Here are five lessons gleaned from dozens of interviews with state officials, including those who are currently struggling with a backlog and some who have successfully cleared one up.

Overcoming a Backlog: How Texas Conquered a Mountain of Food Stamps Applications

PART THREE OF THREE: Not long ago, Texas was slower than any other state at telling people whether they could receive food stamps. Today, the state ranks near the top. Here's how Texas did it.

Anatomy of a Backlog: How Vermont Fell Behind on Adult Protective Services

PART TWO OF THREE: State systems to protect vulnerable adults from abuse and neglect are straining under growing caseloads and budgets that don't keep pace with the amount of work. Vermont's backlog of 733 open or unassigned cases highlights the depth of the challenges.

Short-Staffed and Budget-Bare, Overwhelmed State Agencies Are Unable to Keep Up

PART ONE OF THREE: States across the country are seeing growing backlogs of work, as shrinking staffs struggle to meet rising demand for some services. From public housing to crime labs, restaurant inspections to court systems, four years of layoffs, furloughs and hiring freezes are beginning to take a toll.

Federal Health Law Offers New Benefits for Children of State Workers

The end of a ban on state employee's kids enrolling in CHIP could broaden coverage for a substantial number of low-income families.

Indiana Ready to Restart Battle Over Union Rights

TODAY'S TAKE: Republican legislative leaders intend to make Indiana a "right-to-work" state next year, all but ensuring that this year's bruising contests over union rights will return to the Midwest in 2012.

Far-Reaching Pension Overhaul Set to Become Law in Rhode Island

TODAY'S TAKE: Legislators in Rhode Island have passed a contentious measure to rein in the state's exploding public pension costs. Opponents have threatened a lawsuit, saying the lawmakers "are trying to solve a 40-year-old problem in one day."

A New Pay System for Wisconsin State Workers

MANAGEMENT BEAT: Wisconsin's new compensation plan for state employees, the first in decades to be drafted without significant worker participation, freezes pay and creates a controversial new method of rewarding employee performance.

Drive to Reverse SB 5 in Ohio Is Labor's Last, Best Hope for 2011 Win

A law enacted by Republicans in Ohio this spring represents one of the most dramatic challenges to organized labor anywhere in the nation in 2011. But it may be repealed by voters next week.

Why Layoff Notices From States Are More Common Than Layoffs

MANAGEMENT BEAT: The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is in the process of issuing 26,000 layoff notices. But far fewer workers are likely to actually lose their jobs.

Labor Scuffles Continue in New York and Connecticut

MANAGEMENT BEAT: Most of the Connecticut employees laid off as a result of a battle over contract concessions this summer have since been rehired. Meanwhile, New York sent 3,500 workers layoff notices after rank-and-file members of a large union rejected an agreement last week.

Infographic: State and Local Employment Is Down, But Not Everywhere

State and local governments in two-thirds of the states have reduced their workforces in the past three years. The biggest reductions came in Nevada, Hawaii and Georgia. But other states, led by Wyoming, grew their public sector employment base.

New Policy Means It's Always 'a Great Day in South Carolina'

TODAY'S TAKE: To improve her state's image, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley is asking state workers to answer their phones by saying, "It's a great day in South Carolina. How can I help you?" It's not the first time a governor has intervened in state workers' etiquette.

Iowa Centralizing Hiring of State Workers

MANAGEMENT BEAT: Many states are moving toward centralized human resources management systems as a way to cut costs. But in Iowa, the change is largely in response to a series of lawsuits alleging discrimination in hiring, firing and promotions.

As Four-Day Workweek Ends, Utah Opens on Fridays

The nation's most ambitious experiment with an alternative work schedule is over. While many public sector employers offer four-day schedules to some employees, Utah was the only state to try it for most of its workforce.

Salary Database Is Big Hit in Ohio

TODAY'S TAKE: A new database of state worker salaries in Ohio drew so much attention when it went live this week that it crashed the server supporting the state treasurer's office.

Infographic: State Jobs: The Long-Term View

Recessions over the past 35 years have led to slight declines in the number of state employees, but the state workforce has always risen again when the downturn is over. The most recent recession appears to be different.

Higher Health Care Fees for New Jersey's Public Employees

HEALTH BEAT: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie slashes state worker health benefits ... Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley reports that a cost-cutting experiment is not holding down medical costs ... The Arizona Supreme Court refuses to block Medicaid cutbacks, and other health care news.

States Overhaul Pensions but Pass on 401(k)-Style Plans

This year, many states were poised to switch from traditional pension plans to a kind similar to the ones popular in the private sector. That didn't happen. But states did cut employee benefits, raised the retirement age and increased the amount that public workers were expected to contribute to their own pensions.

State Workers Target New Jersey Dems

TODAY'S TAKE: New Jersey state workers are furious over a legislative plan that would dramatically increase the cost of the benefits they receive, doubling or even tripling their annual health insurance fees.

State Workers to Pay More for Health Benefits

Whatever the result of this year's contentious debate over collective bargaining and pay for public workers, one thing is certain: Health care coverage for state employees is going to change for good.

All Public Sector Employees in New Jersey Will Have to Live In-State

MANAGEMENT BEAT: No more commuting from New York and Philadelphia for New Jersey workers … Governments are spending more time collecting and organizing data than using it … A collective bargaining showdown in Nevada, and other management news.

Pink Slips Go Out to 4,743 Connecticut Workers

MANAGEMENT BEAT: Malloy makes a final push for union concessions … Washington debates privatization of back-office functions … A pension compromise in Kansas, and other management news.

Is the State Retirement Boom Finally Here?

Shifting demographics present challenges for public workforces. Many Baby Boomers have been delaying their retirements because of the economy, but retirement incentive programs and cuts to benefits may be changing that.

Connecticut Governor Seeks to Avoid Public Employee Layoffs

MANAGEMENT BEAT: The struggle over public employee concessions in Connecticut ... the prospect of salary cuts in Pennsylvania ... arguments about a pro-worker mural in Maine, and other government management news.

Where Labor is Weak, State Workers Face Huge Cutbacks

As the nation debates collective bargaining in Wisconsin, public workers in Alabama, Texas and many other states are fighting over massive pay cuts, huge increases in health premiums and basic civil service protections.

Minnesota Senate Votes to Shrink State Government

MANAGEMENT BEAT: There may be 15 percent fewer workers in Minnesota state government … California Governor Jerry Brown weighs in with a pension overhaul plan … Nebraska looks to compromise on collective bargaining, and other government management news.

Is Wisconsin Standoff Winding Down?

TODAY'S TAKE: Democrats who have fled Wisconsin to strip Republicans of a quorum on controversial labor legislation say they will return to Madison soon. The move would hand the GOP a short-term victory on collective bargaining rights, though Democrats say they will come out ahead in public opinion.

Labor Union Discord Reaches New England

TODAY'S TAKE: Maine's Republican Governor Paul LePage wants public employees to work longer and pay more for their retirement benefits, igniting protests in Augusta resembling those recently seen in the Midwest.

Facts Are Hazy on Public Employee Pay

TODAY'S TAKE: An uproar over a USA Today story claiming that public employees in 41 states earn more than their private-sector counterparts underscores the difficulty in making such comparisons.

Wisconsin Budget Proposal Hits State Workers

TODAY'S TAKE: Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker proposed a budget on Friday (February 11) that puts an end to most collective bargaining rights for public worker unions and, according to the governor's own estimates, will cost the average state employee thousands of dollars a year.

Even in this Economy, States Struggle to Recruit IT Personnel

MANAGEMENT BEAT: Qualified IT staff remain difficult for states to recruit … Legislators eye state websites for ad revenue … A defined contribution plan may raise pension costs in Kentucky, and other government management news.

Public Workforce Is Major Target of Budget-Cutters

MANAGEMENT BEAT: States move early to take on unions ... California considers a realignment of responsibilities ... too many managers in Connecticut, and other government management news.

As State Budgets, Payrolls Shrink, So Do Ambitions

Three years after the official beginning of the Great Recession, state governments are smaller, stingier versions of what they were a few years ago, a fact that is reflected in everything from the way they compensate their tens of thousands of employees to the way they process driver's license applications.

Chris Christie's Budget Bruiser

TRENTON, N.J. - New Jersey's new governor wants to erase one of the nation's largest budget deficits almost entirely with spending cuts. The governor's proposal has made him a villain to mayors, teachers, superintendents and other public employees. But Christie, perhaps more than any other governor these days, has captured the imagination of conservatives who admire his eagerness to take on powerful public worker unions.

Summary of the Iowa Condition of the State Address

Iowa Gov. Chet Culver (D) called on lawmakers Jan. 12 to eliminate certain tax breaks and adopt his "government efficiency" proposals that he said could provide enough savings to allow the state to restore recent cuts in education and other key programs and invest in more "green-collar" jobs.

States Turn to Employee Furloughs

No Teaser

Human Capital Trends and Innovations

This September 2009 report identified a number of creative management practices that states are using to increase employee productivity and meet agency goals.

Weekly Wrap: Streamlining State Government

State leaders warn that the recession may force fundamental changes in state government. Louisiana and Virginia prepare to lay off more than 1,100 state workers. And two months into the current fiscal year, Arizona and Connecticut pass budgets, leaving only Pennsylvania without a 2010 spending plan.

Tracking the Recession: Buyouts Lure 9,000 State Workers Into Retirement

As layoffs and furloughs undermine the job security traditionally associated with state employment, at least six states are offering buyouts to tighten their belts without fracturing morale. But some worry this payroll-reduction technique may not save as much money as anticipated.

Weekly Wrap: California Faces July 1 Deadline

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) vows to let government operations come to a "grinding halt" if state lawmakers don't plug a $24 billion budget gap by July 1. As Detroit automakers GM and Chrysler deal with bankruptcy, Michigan announces the six dates that state government offices will close this summer to save money. For a quick update on the top recession news in the states, read Stateline.org's "Weekly wrap."

States Shave Workforce to Save Money

State employees, once thought to have one of the most secure jobs with the best benefits, are increasingly worried as the recession deepens and states look to trim their salaries to balance their budgets.

Several AG Contests Still Tight

As their campaigns wind down to the wire candidates for attorney general in 11 states vie for attention in the flurry of higher-profile contests for president, Congress and governor. "Out There" once more rates how vulnerable the parties in control are.

State Workers: Thank God It's Thursday

(Updated 1:45 p.m. EDT, June 30, 2008)In the face of $4-a-gallon gasoline, Utah is imposing four-day workweeks for most of its state employees in a newly invigorated trend at the state and local level to combat record-high energy costs.

States Save The Date

(Updated 5:45 p.m. EDT, June 20, 2008)Don't try to renew your driver's license Friday (June 20) in West Virginia. State agencies' doors are closed for West Virginia Day. Lawmakers in 41 states have added at least 37 state holidays to the annual calendar, celebrating the likes of King Kamehameha I in Hawaii, Casimir Pulaski in Illinois and Cesar Chavez in California and Colorado.