The Pew Charitable Trusts - State and Consumer Initiatives from Utah

New York Spends Most Per-Student, Utah the Least: Census Report

Where Does Your State Rank In Education Spending?

After Expanding Coverage, Health Care Pioneer Seeks to Tame Costs

The Affordable Care Act will extend health care coverage to almost everybody. Now states are moving on to the next frontier in health care reform: containing costs. Once again, Massachusetts is taking the lead by putting its health care industry on an annual budget and requiring all insurers and medical providers to make detailed price lists available to the public.

Tensions Rise Amid Demise of Utah-Nevada Water Pact

Will Las Vegas’ thirst spark a water war between Utah and Nevada?

Governors Promote Employment for People With Disabilities

A yearlong initiative at the National Governors Association examines the roles that states and businesses can play in finding jobs for people with disabilities.

States Struggle To Keep Online Schools Accountable

As concerns grow about performance in the booming online education sector, some states are working to define their oversight role.

Utah State of the State Address 2013

SALT LAKE CITY -- Feb. 1 -- Following is the prepared text of Gov. Gary Herbert's (R) 2013 State of the State Address:

State Lawmakers Push Crackdown on Cancer-Causing Radon

Legislation filed in Iowa and Nebraska, and a proposal taking shape in Utah aim to reduce people’s exposure to radon, which kills about 21,000 people each year, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Utah’s Health Insurance Exchange in Limbo

Utah’s attempt to preserve its health insurance exchange is testing the federal government’s flexibility on a key piece of the Affordable Care Act.

Falling Short on Dental Sealants: Utah

How well is Utah protecting kids from tooth decay?

States Nervous About New Common Core School Standards

Concerns about local control have make implementation of the national education standards controversial in some states.

In the West, GOP Governors, Skeptical of Cap-and-Trade, Will Watch California

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.-- Stateline asked several Republican governors about the role of climate change in energy policy in the West, asking them to weigh in on California’s new experiment with large-scale carbon trading.

Courts Embrace Technology, Advocacy To Stay Afloat

Investing in technology has helped state courts to better weather the recession, according to a group of state chief justices, court administrators and legislators who met in Washington, D.C. on Thursday (November 15).

States Get More Time to Decide If They Will Run Their Own Health Insurance Exchanges

Only a few new states have opted to build and operate their own insurance exchanges. More are taking a wait and see approach.

The Impact of the Fiscal Cliff: Utah

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

Republicans Win Big in North Carolina Governor’s Race But Struggle Elsewhere

Despite heavy spending by outside groups in nearly a dozen races for governor, the partisan mix of Democrats and Republicans leading states appeared to change only slightly as a result of Tuesday’s elections.

The State of Voter Registration in the 2012 Election

This infographic discusses the partnership among Pew and seven states to launch the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), a tool which helps securely compare voter records between states to better maintain voter records, save money, and streamline processes. Additionally, 13 states now offer online voter registration.

Best of #StateReads: Special Interests, Politics Delay Changes After Sandusky Scandal

This week’s collection of #StateReads includes an examination at what derailed child advocacy improvements in Pennsylvania following the Jerry Sandusky scandal, an investigation into the 15 percent of homicides in Washington, D.C. that have gone unsolved and a look at a region in Utah that contains as much as 80 percent of the state’s homeless population.

Arizona Ballot Measure Challenges the Federal Government Over Public Lands

Most western states remain uncomfortable with federal stewardship of their land. A group of activists wants to rewrite the Arizona constitution to change the rules.

Online Voter Registration Now Offered in 13 States—Driving Thousands of New Registrants and Updates

Since July, California, Maryland, New York, and South Carolina have introduced online voter registration, bringing to 13 the number of states that currently offer this service. Increased use of online registration and new technologies adopted in these states has resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of registered voters.

Still Risky: Checking Accounts in Utah

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 Utah and hold 7 percent of all deposits in the state. Here’s what consumers in Utah may be paying.

Provo Stars in Utah’s Economic Recovery

Utah’s recovery has been driven by construction projects and high-tech start-ups with Provo, Forbes’ top pick for business and career opportunities, a driving force.

Democrats Play Defense in Governors’ Races

The race for New Hampshire governor has the hallmarks of the biggest gubernatorial races this fall: heavy involvement from outside groups, a national contest stealing the spotlight and messages that echo themes from this year’s presidential campaigns.

Can Digital Recordings Save Money for Courts?

Faced with crippling budget shortfalls, state courts are replacing in-person stenographers with digital recording systems. But do they really save money?

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.

Will Utah Loosen Liquor License Quota?

It might be easier to get a cocktail or beer in Utah after the Legislature finishes its special session today (June 20). Lawmakers are expected to consider increasing the number of liquor licenses available statewide, an issue that has divided the GOP leadership there. Utah Governor Gary R. Herbert says a shortage

Widening Gap Update: Utah

Utah paid its full annual pension contribution from 2005 to 2010, but the system was 82 percent funded in fiscal year 2010 and still faced a $5 billion funding gap. Most experts agree that a fiscally sustainable system should be at least 80 percent funded. The state also had a $400 million bill for retiree health care costs, 22 percent of which was funded, well above the 8 percent national average in 2010.

Time Served in Utah

The average offender in Utah released in 2009 served 3 years in custody, 17% more than the average offender released in 1990.

Delaware Gov Defends Common Core

A handful of states are reconsidering their pledges to adopt the common national standards in English and math, citing concerns about federal intrusion into the states. Supporters say that’s misguided.

Study: Economic Opportunity Better in Northeast, Worse in South

They call it the American Dream, but it doesn't seem to be stretching from sea to shining sea.

Study: Economic Mobility Depends on the State You Live In

The ability of individuals to achieve the American dream depends on where they live, according to the first state-by-state look at the opportunity to move up the economic ladder.

Western States Wary of Federal Fracking Regs

Representatives from several Western states say draft federal rules on hydraulic fracturing on public lands would stymie natural gas development across states that largely depend on the industry for revenue.

States Move Slowly Toward Digital Textbooks

Despite enthusiasm for digital textbooks at the national level, states have been slow to get on board. But the movement is gaining strength.

States Scrutinize For-Profit Colleges

Rhode Island is considering whether to approve a for-profit osteopathic medical school, as Kentucky leads 22 other states in investigating the for-profit education industry.

Best of #StateReads: Changed Minds on the Death Penalty

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

Labor Shortages Lead Businesses to Support Help for Undocumented Workers

Business groups, especially in agriculture, are pushing several state measures to aid immigrant laborers who are in the country illegally. But many of those efforts are treading on uncertain legal ground.

Herbert Reverses Course, Vetoes Abstinence Education Bill

EDUCATION BEAT: Proposed legislation would have banned sex education teachers from discussing any method of contraception other than abstinence.

Utah is Fifth State to Adopt 'Health Care Compact'

Utah has joined four other states in a compact aimed at wresting control of Medicare and Medicaid from the federal government. But the proposal would require congressional approval.

Citing Risks of Cancer, States Seek to Limit Teen Tanning

HEALTH BEAT: Concerned by research linking indoor tanning to skin cancer, legislators are trying to restrict teens use of tanning beds.

Water a Concern in Western Oil Shale Expansion

As the Obama Administration moves forward on a scaled-down plan to lease Western lands for oil shale development, some still worry about the industry’s impacts on water supplies.

Utahns With Untreated Dental Problems Turning Up in ERs

Scott Youngquist is trained to save lives, not pull teeth. But rarely does the emergency room doctor end a 12 hour shift at University Hospital without seeing at least one dental complaint — from cavities to abscesses. It is a national problem spotlighted Feb. 26 in a report by the Pew Center on the States.

Political Minorities and Perception of Privacy

Data from the 2008 Cooperative Congressional Election Study show that among individuals concerned about privacy when casting ballots, those in the political minority had greater concerns about voting confidentiality.

Herbert Makes His Case as Foes on the Right Loom

TODAY'S TAKE: Facing opposition from fellow Republicans for another term, Utah Governor Gary Herbert used his state of the state address yesterday to celebrate Utah's economy and to attack the federal government.

Utah State of the State Address 2012

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - Jan. 25 - Following is the prepared text of Gov. Gary Herbert (R) 2012 state of the state address: Lt. Governor and Mrs. Bell; President Waddoups; Speaker Lockhart; members of the Utah Legislature; members of my Cabinet; Justices of the Utah Supreme Court; Utah's First Lady, my be

Election Websites: Utah

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.

Utah Governor Fumes as Arizona Considers New Highway Tolls

TRANSPORTATION BEAT: Arizona would like to make a toll road out of a remote 29-mile stretch of interstate highway between Las Vegas and Salt Lake City. Utah Governor Gary Herbert has blasted the scheme.

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.

Utah Is No GOP Battleground After All, Poll Finds

TODAY'S TAKE: Utah is not nearly as divided as some political analysts claim when it comes to Republican presidential contenders Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman Jr., according to a new poll.

Reducing California's Car Fleet a Tough Sell

TRANSPORTATION BEAT: California is well short of Governor Jerry Brown's goal of selling half the state's fleet of cars… A national safety group tells states not to outlaw driving while talking on the phone… Utah adds a designation for veterans on its driver's licenses, and other transportation news.

Will Utah Move Its Primary at Romney's Request?

TODAY'S TAKE: Mitt Romney's presidential campaign wants Utah election officials to move up the state's primary so it has more influence in the Republican nominating process.

Christie Proposes to Slash Medicaid in New Jersey

HEALTH BEAT: Governor's plan would drop 23,000 adults who are currently receiving coverage. The federal government would have to approve the change in eligibility rules.