The Pew Charitable Trusts - State and Consumer Initiatives from Louisiana

Safety Net Hospitals Won’t Be Docked in States That Don’t Expand Medicaid

Hospitals in non-expansion states feared they would be hit with bigger federal funding cuts than those in expansion states. HHS says that won’t happen – at least for the first two years.

Obama Administration Poised to Approve Arkansas-style Medicaid Expansions

The Obama Administration is inviting states to apply for Arkansas-style Medicaid expansions in an effort to woo those balking at traditional Medicaid expansion.

Why Tax Revision Is an Inexact Science

Several governors are talking about major change in their state tax structures this year. How do they know how much money a revised tax system will bring in? Often, they don’t.

Bucking Trend, Iowa Senator Seeks Death Penalty’s Return

Following the kidnapping and murder of two young girls, an Iowa lawmaker wants to bring back the state’s long-abolished death penalty.

GOP Lawmakers Look to Abolish Income Taxes

Republican lawmakers in several states are taking aim at something no state has done in more than three decades: eliminate income taxes.

Public Safety in Louisiana

TBA

Falling Short on Dental Sealants: Louisiana

How well is Louisiana protecting kids from tooth decay?

Tax Breaks for Sale: Transferable Tax Credits Explained

States offer billions of dollars of tax incentives that businesses can sell to other businesses. Here’s why they do it and how it works.

Costly Prison Phone Calls Frustrate Families

Most state prisons impose a surcharge on calls made by inmates. Many of the inmates’ families have trouble paying it.

Oklahoma Among States Limiting Property Taxes

Lowering property taxes is always popular, and results from the November 6 elections show this year was no exemption

The Impact of the Fiscal Cliff: Louisiana

Federal and state finances are closely intertwined, and the fiscal cliff’s tax and spending provisions will have consequences for states.

Sunshine Overruns: Hawaii’s Solar Tax Credits Carry Soaring Price Tag

The widespread popularity of Hawaii’s solar energy incentive — and mass confusion over how to implement it — have dealt a blow to the state’s treasury and become a major topic in state politics.

In Iowa and Florida, Judges Survive Expensive Ouster Attempts

Three justices in Florida and one in Iowa held off conservative efforts to remove them from office. In Michigan and North Carolina, conservatives retained power on the Supreme Court following expensive campaigns.

Still Risky: Checking Accounts in Louisiana

Checking accounts, the most widely used financial product in America, contain hidden risks that can harm consumers. Three of the 12 largest banks nationwide offer checking accounts in Louisiana and hold 46 percent of all deposits in the state. Here’s what consumers in Louisiana may be paying.

Historically Black Colleges Contemplate a More Diverse Future

This summer, two private HBCUs faced extinction. Public HBCUs are exploring new ways of operating to avoid the same fate.

Jindal Stays Put as Isaac Swirls Toward Coast

This week was supposed to be Bobby Jindal’s time in the limelight — a chance at complete redemption for the Louisiana governor, whose star in the Republican Party is rising once again. But a hurricane named Isaac thought otherwise.

Safety Net Hospitals Imperiled by High Court Ruling

Hospitals that serve the poor thought they would be helped by the Affordable Care Act. Now it looks as if they will be hurt by it.

Nine States Where Lenders Take Your Paycheck

Payday loans — small, short term loans secured against a customer’s next paycheck — are highly controversial. A new study from Pew Charitable Trusts explains that opponents believe the practice “preys” on people who, because of the high interest rates

Choices Often Limited in ‘School Choice’ Programs

Many top private schools have chosen not to participate in statewide voucher and scholarship tax credit programs in states such as Ohio, Louisiana and Florida.

Infographic: S&P State Credit Ratings, 2001–2012

Private, independent credit rating agencies evaluate states’ financial health. States with the lowest grades typically have trouble keeping their spending in line with their tax revenues.

For Some States, Medicaid Expansion May Be a Tough Fiscal Call

GOP governors appear poised to leave federal dollars on the table.

New Anti-Abortion Strategy Pays Off

The past few months have seen a flurry of new state laws restricting abortion, most of them based on the concept of “fetal pain.”

More GOP Officials Vow to Decline Medicaid Expansion

Republican state leaders say they’d rather forfeit federal money than dip into state coffers to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.

Widening Gap Update: Louisiana

Louisiana failed to pay its full annual pension contribution three times from 2005 to 2010. The state’s pension system was 56 percent funded in fiscal year 2010 and faced an $18 billion funding gap.

Public School Alternatives Gather Steam in States

Louisiana gave advocates of charter schools, vouchers and other publicly funded education alternatives everything they could have asked for, but opposition remained fierce elsewhere.

Facing Off Over Funerals

A Federal judge last month ordered the Pennsylvania state board of funeral directors to rewrite their “outmoded” regulations that limited the numbers of funeral homes any one director could own, restricted the naming of homes, and prohibited funeral homes from serving food. Industry experts say the ruling could have broad implications for other states.

Time Served in Louisiana

The average offender in Louisiana released in 2009 served 2.5 years in custody, 9% less than the average offender released in 1990.

Best of #StateReads: Why Louisiana Leads the World in Imprisonment

This week’s extraordinary journalism about state government, tagged to #StateReads on Twitter.

Next Class of Teachers Enters Changing Profession

Indiana is among several states across the country that have changed the way they evaluate, pay and retain teachers. The changes are controversial, but advocates say they will improve student performance and keep better teachers in the profession.

Louisiana Incarcerated

Louisiana has more citizens in prison than anywhere else in the world. A New Orleans Times-Picayune team of reporters led by Cindy Chang along with photographer Scott Threlkeld investigates why. Here is a video preview of this Times-Picayune special Report.

Best of #StateReads: Inside Deals for Louisiana Oil Leases Last Decades

This week’s extraordinary journalism about state government, tagged to #StateReads on Twitter.

Tax Revenue Lags in Louisiana

Some top oil producing states like Alaska and North Dakota are enjoying revenue booms. Louisiana isn’t.

Indiana Gov Squashes VP Speculation

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels said Sunday that if Mitt Romney asked him to be his running mate that he would “demand reconsideration” and send a list of people who “could suit better.” But he declined to say what names would

Louisiana Weighs Deeper Pension Cuts

Forecasters fear the last round of pension plan reforms will not be enough to guarantee solvency in the long run.

GOP Governors Examined as Potential Running Mates

Several Republican governors have already taken their names out of consideration for the second spot on the national ticket.

Onetime Democratic Speaker to Become GOP Leader in Louisiana

TODAY'S TAKE: In 1996, John Alario was the Democratic speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives. Today (January 9), he will be named the Republican president of the state Senate.

Election Websites: Louisiana

Being Online Is Still Not Enough provides state-by-state reviews and analysis based on detailed criteria of election websites for all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

State School Board Races Dominate Louisiana Elections

EDUCATION BEAT: A state at the forefront of some controversial changes in education is seeing more than $1 million in campaign donations pour into what are usually quiet elections.

States Rewrite Education Rules, With or Without Race to the Top

Six states were near-miss finalists in the first two rounds of a federal competition that rewards changes in state education policy. Most of them are continuing the school reform process with their own money.

Louisiana Dispatch: The Cost of Special Elections

It’s challenging to measure election costs accurately, but Louisiana has developed an advanced auditing system that is improving the cost-effectiveness of special elections.

Infographic: Southern Strength

Republican dominance in the South started with presidential elections and only later came to statehouses.

States Hope to Win on New District Maps in Federal Court

For a generation, states have been taking their legislative district maps to the U.S. Justice Department for clearance on issues of racial fairness. There's another route to approval, however, and several of the states are using it.

Health Care Law is Bigger Challenge for Some States

TODAY'S TAKE: Eight states will face the greatest difficulties in handling the influx of new Medicaid patients expected after the federal Affordable Care Act goes into full effect in 2014, a new study says.

In Louisiana, Privatization Schemes Hit a Snag

MANAGEMENT BEAT: Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal is pushing to outsource an array of government functions to the private sector. But his efforts lost momentum this week.

Pew: Cuts to Nurse-Family Partnership Now Would Cost More Later

Libby Doggett, director of the Pew Home Visiting Campaign, an initiative of the Pew Center on the States, released the following statement in response to Louisiana’s proposed cuts to the state’s home visiting program.

New Jersey Wants Shorter DMV Lines

TRANSPORTATION BEAT: A proposal to reduce wait times to get driver's licenses gets the backing of the agency's chief … Maryland demands more disclosure from a French train operator about its role in the Holocaust … Louisiana's Bobby Jindal kills a highway bill the day it is announced, and other transportation news.

Measuring Transportation Investments: Louisana

A May 2011 report, Measuring Transportation Investments: The Road to Results, found considerable differences among the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Children's Dental Health: Louisiana

Louisiana meets three of the eight benchmarks aimed at addressing children’s dental health needs, one more than it achieved in 2010. The state surpassed the threshold for providing dental services to Medicaid-enrolled children and submitted basic screening data for the first time to the National Oral Health Surveillance System.

Budget Session Begins in Louisiana Legislature

TODAY'S TAKE: While most states have been debating their budgets for weeks, Louisiana lawmakers are only now turning their attention to a $1.6 billion shortfall - an already difficult task complicated by election-year politics and a just-ended battle over redistricting.

Foreclosure Aid Program Gets Underway in Florida

SOCIAL POLICY BEAT: Florida rolls out a program to help homeowners avoid foreclosure … A GOP plan to turn food stamps into a block grant gets mixed reviews … Texas experiences a child boom, and other social policy news.