Stateline Headlines

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How much does it cost Wyoming to hate Obama?

Wyoming's investment returns likely to help budget

Tight budgets limit Wyoming school safety options

State of Wyoming oil and gas lease auction brings in $10.4 million

Wyoming Dept. of Revenue head retires July 1; replacement named

Feds: Budget cuts to make wildfire season tougher; Wyoming braces for late-summer concerns

2 counties may lobby Wyo Legislature for airline aid

Wyoming: Where independent people rely on federal funds

Western lawmakers push to restore mineral funds

Saving mineral funds is an uphill battle for Wyoming

Legislation Would Take State Mineral Revenue off Chopping Block

Proposals in Congress would save tens of millions of dollars in mineral payments to states from sequestration’s sweeping cuts.

Per Capita, New Anti-Terror Funds Still Favor Wyoming

The federal government is targeting more homeland security funds to high-risk urban areas this year, but more anti-terrorism money still is being spent to protect each resident in the most sparsely populated states than in populous ones. New Yorkers gained funding, but residents in Wyoming once again top a list of anti-terrorism grants ranked on a per capita basis, according to a report from the Congressional Research Service. Stateline.org also has included a state-by-state ranking of 2005 per capita security funding.

States Call For Block Grants in 2002 Farm Bill

Wyoming agriculture director Ron Micheli doesn't believe a "one-size-fits-all farm bill" works for every farmer and rancher in his state, much less the whole country. So he has joined with other state agriculture officials to recommend that Congress adopt a limited block grant approach to doling out federal agriculture dollars.

Wyoming One of Few States Facing Economic Hard Times

Smack in the middle of the longest economic boom in U.S. history, Wyoming is one of a handful of states saddled with a deficit, instead of a record-setting surplus.

Wyoming Adopts Health Insurance For Kids Of Working Poor

Wyoming, the second to last state to construct a plan to provide health insurance to kids of the working poor, has finally adopted the necessary legislation, but it took two years and a contentious battle among lawmakers. On March 1, Republican Gov. Jim Geringer signed into law a bill that launches KidCare, Wyoming's version of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Congress established the program in 1997 as part of the Balanced Budget Act, but Geringer and conservative legislators had long opposed the structure of CHIP, labeling it an "entitlement" program rather than a block grant, and a threat to "personal responsibility."

Summary of the Wyoming State of the State Address

Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal, a Democrat, called on the Republican-led legislature to use a "conservative" approach while drafting this year's budget.

Wind Tax Debate Not Over in Wyoming

TODAY'S TAKE: A first-in-the-nation tax on wind energy production in Wyoming is being cited by the industry as one reason why it is looking elsewhere to do business.

What Do Record Low Natural Gas Prices Mean for States?

Newly abundant and cheap natural gas has slashed home heating bills for many Americans. But in some states, the continued price drop has thinned state budgets and shifted energy production.

In bipartisan vote, lawmakers recommend UW System tuition freeze

Wis. budget committee approves DNA upon arrest

Budget gap delays roadwork

Wisconsin budget panel limits challenges to large wells

Budget panel makes changes for public retirees to stop double-dipping

Child support enforcement cuts will backfire

Budget committee approves $50 tobacco use fee

Change would reverse declining funding for child support enforcement

Budget panel makes changes for public retirees to stop double-dipping

Taxpayers will pay more under Scott Walker health plan, study says

State stewardship funds trimmed by $18 million

Scott Walker proposes UW tuition freeze, much smaller funding increase

Lawmakers forgo real work and focus on junk

Scott Walker proposes UW tuition freeze, much smaller funding increase

State stewardship funds trimmed by $18 million

Wis. budget committee OKs stewardship reductions

Walker revises UW budget, calls for tuition freeze

State Senate passes bill to cut budget of Milwaukee County Board

Wisconsin conservation groups hope to ward off stewardship program cuts

Pro-Baseball Franchise Hit with Unusual State Audit

More than three dozen new professional sports stadiums and arenas opened in the United States in the last decade, many of them built with taxpayer money. Some taxpayers and the people who represent them seem satisfied with the bargain, but others are beginning to ask why some of the teams that benefited have provided so little to cheer about.

States Offer Tax Breaks to Spur Organ Donation

A new Wisconsin initiative to boost organ donations in the state by giving an income-tax deduction to living donors is gaining steam in statehouses across the country. Since January, Georgia lawmakers approved an identical bill, and similar measures have been introduced in 10 other states.

Budget Plan Gives Wisconsin Big Political Issue

Wisconsin Gov. Scott McCallum has triggered an election year battle with his proposal to phase out a 90 year-old program of state aid to local governments to erase a $1.2 billion state budget deficit. The politically risky plan, fiercely opposed by many urban leaders and Democratic legislative leaders, would reduce the $1 billion per year "Shared Funding" program by more than one-third this year alone.

Green Bay Packers Seeking Legislative Touchdown

While most football fans focus on the clash of the St. Louis Rams and the Tennessee Titans in the NFL's Super Bowl XXXIV, Wisconsin "Cheeseheads" are debating the merits of an expensive public/private plan to renovate the home field of the legendary Green Bay Packers. Gov. Tommy Thompson is an enthusiastic supporter, but many lawmakers are taking a cautious approach to the proposed Lambeau Field makeover.

Wisconsin Typical Of State Tobacco Settlement Debate

More than 440 bills dealing with how to allocate tobacco settlement funds have been introduced in the state legislatures since the $206 billion dollar settlement between 46 states and the five major tobacco companies was reached last November. With Congress moving to bar any federal claim to share in the settlement, it looks likely that states will have complete control of the money. In many, there is sharp debate on how to spend it. For a special report on how the debate is playing out in Wisconsin - click on

Wisconsin Budget Stalemate Goes On

Three months ago today (Friday), the Wisconsin Legislature should have been putting the finishing touches on a two-year, $41 billion state budget. But top legislators still are at it, and for the second budget cycle in a row the budget is delayed far past the July 1 start of the new fiscal year. There's no budget crisis, because unlike the federal government when lawmakers fail to act, Wisconsin government doesn't shut down. It continues to run at previously set budget levels, as the state discovered in 1997.

New York Senate Back At Work, Wisconsin Gets Budget

New York's state Senate returned to work after a two-month break, Wisconsin lawmakers approved a $41-billion budget three months late and squabbling between two powerful Massachusetts politicians is keeping that state without a budget well past its July 1 fiscal deadline.

Wisconsin's Gov Thompson Vows To Reshape Budget Tax Package

Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson signed the 1999-2001 state budget today, but a power struggle over the Badger State budget is not yet over. Thompson has some firm ideas about how he wants the budget's tax cut features to work, and he's used his line-item power to get what he wants. The four-term governor has cast thousands of vetoes, and has yet to suffer an override. So he's likely to prevail in the fiscal test of wills.

Wisconsin Legislative Outlook: Skirmishing Over Substance

Wisconsin was the second to last state in the Union to pass a budget this year because of partisan wrangling (Massachusetts brought up the rear), and the state's lawmakers and lobbyists say the acrimonious climate in Madison that caused the lonmg budget stalemate is likely to spill over into year 2000. Because of this, few people expect much in the way of legislative accomplishments in the next twelve months.

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.

Wisconsin Pension Plan Among Most Secure

Pension benefits are a major issue in Wisconsin's current legislative stalemate. In fact, though, Wisconsin is one state where they aren't much of a problem.

Summary of the Wisconsin State of the State Address

It's been a difficult year for Wisconsin, but Gov. Jim Doyle (D) struck an upbeat tone during his Jan. 26 state of the state address. Despite budget cuts, furloughs and pay and hiring freezes, Doyle warned that more cuts were on the horizon, although he vowed to continue "protecting education, health care and public safety and protecting the middle class against tax increases."

Panel -- Up to $1.28 billion needed for roads

W.Va. gets $1M to offset costs from fall snowstorm

Still ranked 5th highest for business taxes

State clinics to receive $2.5 million in U.S. funds

W.Va. cultural budget cut 8 percent

Tomblin appoints acting tax commissioner

Officials hope Internet tax law keeps more revenues in-state

W.Va. school meal effort not starting from scratch

Road Funding a Big Issue in Contest for Governor of West Virginia

TRANSPORTATION BEAT: Highways emerge as a crucial topic in West Virginia's Democratic gubernatorial primary … Atlanta area officials have a long wish list of transit projects … Kansas and Texas move forward with plans for higher speed limits, and other transportation news.

Inslee vetoes $81M for CRC

State budget writers bound by pasts, not vision

Senate majority names 33 bills for Washington state budget talks

State budget writers bound by pasts, not vision

Lawmakers still tinkering with budget plans

Budget plans in flux at start of Legislature's special session

Lawmakers to consider changes to estate-tax law

School Ruling Roils Race for Washington Governor

School funding is playing an outsized role in the Washington gubernatorial race, but it may be a while before new money comes from Olympia.

Few in Northwest Neutral on Eyman Initiatives

People who live in the state of Washington either love or hate Tim Eymans political involvement. Supporters say he's fighting for taxpayers and keeping the legislature in check. Detractors say Eyman is a hired gun for special interests who abuses the initiative process.

Initiative 695 Haunts State Government In Washington

Election year for Washingtons part-time Legislature normally means a short session, just enough time to tweak the biennial budget, pass a few bills, and create an issue or two for the campaign. But this year would hardly qualify as normal.

Western State Reporters Say Taxes, Education Top 2000 Agenda

Reporters from eight Western states identified tax policy, education funding, health care reforms and apportionment of the states' tobacco settlement funds as the most pressing issues likely to be addressed by their states in the next legislative year. Over 50 journalists from Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming repeatedly mentioned those topics during a recent statehouse reporters' conference in Boise, Idaho.

Tax Dispute Heats Up in Washington

TODAY'S TAKE: A tax battle is brewing in Washington state, where Democrats have proposed the first general sales-tax hike in 27 years - suspending a voter-approved initiative in order to do so. Minority Republicans, unable to stop the plan, instead have used delaying tactics to shine an election-year spotlight on Democratic tax proposals, which are meant to address a $2.7 billion budget shortfall.

Marijuana Bills Tempt Cash-Starved States

A history of marijuana laws This has been a bumper year for marijuana legislation, according to state policy observers. Crushing state budget deficits gave advocates in California, Washington, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, New York and elsewhere an opening to pitch marijuana as a new source of tax revenue. At the same time, the Obama administration gave users and distributors some breathing room by signaling in October that it would scale back on prosecuting them as long as they comply with state law.

Tim Eyman’s Signature Strategy

Anti-tax activists in Washington State love him. The state's legislative leaders wish he'd go away. The one thing everyone agrees on is that nobody knows how to run a ballot initiative campaign like Tim Eyman.

Rich and Famous Take Sides on Washington's Income Tax Initiative

TODAY'S TAKE: A ballot initiative that would create an income tax on top earners in Washington State is dividing some of its most famous - and wealthy - residents.

Washington Special Session: One Day, $600 Million Cut

TODAY'S TAKE: A one-day special session in Washington State on Saturday (December 11) resulted in nearly $600 million in budget cuts. But the reductions represent only about half of what is needed to close the state's $1.1 billion budget shortfall.

Tax Amnesty Pays Off in Washington State

TODAY'S TAKE: Lawmakers in Washington State face plenty of fiscal problems, but their job became a little easier Tuesday (May 3) with the announcement that a three-month tax amnesty program for businesses produced more than double the amount expected.

Washington State Braces for Bad News

TODAY'S TAKE: Lawmakers in Olympia are worried that a budget shortfall of $1 billion to $2 billion could emerge from a new state revenue forecast to be issued today (September 15).

Liquor Privatization Initiative Polls Well in Washington State

TODAY'S TAKE: Washington could become the first state since West Virginia in 1991 to sell off its retail liquor stores under a proposal facing the voters next week.

Revenue Increase on Table in Washington Special Session

TODAY'S TAKE: Lawmakers in Washington State return to Olympia today (November 28) to address a $1.4 billion budget gap. Among the proposals being considered is a sales tax hike pushed by Governor Chris Gregoire.

Industry Lobbying Turns Soda Taxes From Fizzy to Flat

The beverage industry's fight against soda taxes shows how far an industry will go to keep its products from being lumped with alcohol, tobacco and others subject to so-called "sin taxes."

Boeing and Microsoft Boom, but Washington State Busts

Lawmakers in Olympia are finding that a common narrative about their state's economy - the notion that airplanes and software will carry the day - masks a more complicated and frustrating reality.

Summary of the Washington State of the State Address

"Jobs are the way out of this recession," Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire (D) told the Democratic-led Legislature in her state of the state address Jan. 12, laying out a series of proposals she said would create as many as 40,000 new jobs this year.

Health Care Wrangling Could Delay State Aid

TODAY'S TAKE: Federal health care reform has been a divisive issue for states, but for some governors seeking immediate budget relief from Capitol Hill, the wrangling over the legislation is causing uncertainty.

Billions on the Ballot

In November, voters in a number of states will consider ballot measures that, if passed, would have enormous fiscal consequences. Some would raise taxes, others would slash them, and still others would impact state spending in dramatic ways.

The Not-So-Dependable Sales Tax

In a recession, people cut back on buying things they don't really need. States that depend heavily on sales tax revenue for their budgets have been hit hard as a result.

Va. measuring hours for state employees who might meet benefits threshold

Tuition rise might have been suppressed

Senators' bill aims to allow drilling offshore, get Virginia a share

Va. OK’d for dual Medicaid pilot project

Bill to eliminate public's vote on leasing Jefferson hospitals up for Senate debate

Letters show top IRS official knew of targeting

Region to get nearly $1 billion for transportation projects

Ken Cuccinelli wants to scrap local business taxes

McDonnell to sign transportation bill today

Va. public college presidents among nation's top paid

Richmond Tea Party says it was among IRS targets

Tax Restructuring Plan Tops Virginia Governor's Agenda

Virginia Gov. Mark Warner (D) is pushing the most ambitious tax package in the nation to maintain his states renowned education system and shore up its economy. But even Warner agrees he faces a real challenge getting the plan through the Republican-controlled General Assembly, which reconvenes Jan. 14.

Virginia Tax Hike Could Lead to Higher Taxes Elsewhere

The impact of the tax increase in Virginia likely will be felt beyond the Old Dominion. The $1.36 billion tax hike that Virginia Republicans gave to its Democratic governor may give other cash-strapped states cover to raise taxes on their own.

Virginia Car Tax Cuts: County-By-County Impact

Click here to see a list of Virginia car taxes by county or city.