Stateline Headlines

Tesla rides high, but faces formidable foe: car dealers

States bank on online sales tax

U.S. approves expanded gas exports

D.C.-area offices feel a pinch

Mileage fee now: Opposing view

Gas tax alternative drive takes wrong turn: Our view

Rust-Belt reaches for immigrant tide

Obama, Texas and jobs

Republican governors, Congress split on online tax bill

Delay in Implementing Sequester Forces Deeper Unemployment Cuts

Unemployment benefits were already on the chopping block thanks to sequestration. But in three-dozen states, the pain for the long-term unemployed is even greater because states have been slow to enact the across-the-board federal cuts.

NFL Plays Offense to Get Public Money for Stadiums

Why are so many teams asking taxpayers to build new pro football stadiums this year?

States Rack Up Victories in Bids to Collect Online Sales Taxes

After more than a decade of trying, state officials think they may get to collect billions of dollars of taxes on online sales soon. Find out why.

Which States Tax Your Travel the Most?

Your vacation dollar won’t go as far in some destinations because of state and local travel taxes.

Next Wave of State Minimum Wage Proposals Would ‘Index’ To Inflation

Nineteen states and D.C. already offer an hourly wage higher than the current federal $7.25 rate, and that could go even higher as several states weigh increases.

Automatic Defense Cuts Will Deal Blow to States

A Stateline analysis shows automatic defense spending reductions will hit defense contractors hard. This sector comprises as much as 8 percent of some state economies.

States in Recovery: Manufacturing

After decades of decline, American manufacturing is on the upswing: advanced technology is a reason why.

States with Heavy Military Presence Hurt Hardest

The White House published a 50-state list of potential impacts from the automatic budget cuts known as sequestration. States that rely heavily on military spending would be hurt worst.

In State of the Union Speech, Obama Targets Jobs, Energy

With much of his focus on jobs and the economy, the president called for policies aiming to spur a “rising, thriving middle class” and quicken the country’s slow climb from recession. But in the wide-ranging speech, he left plenty more for states to chew on — particularly in energy and environmental issues.

States Hope for Rebound in Construction

Construction jobs are slowing coming back to the states hit hardest by the recession and that includes states you might not think of, like Idaho.

‘Cliff’ Deal Answers a Few Questions for States

Congress averted the much-feared “fiscal cliff” late Tuesday, passing a legislative package to be signed promptly by President Obama. The deal answered a few burning questions for state governments, but many still linger.

Voters Approve More State Debt

Voters in New Jersey and Alabama heed their governors’ call and approve bond issues as a way to boost their states’ economies.

Bond Measures Put Some Governors’ Clout on Line

Some governors are urging voters to approve bond issues as way to boost their states’ economies.

States Struggle With Unemployment Funds Still in the Red

More than $26 billion in lingering debt and billions in mounting interest have forced a number of states to scale back unemployment benefits, raise taxes, tap general funds and even turn to the private bond market.

Sequestration: How a Spending Stalemate Would Affect the States

There is still time for Congress to avoid the “fiscal cliff” that would force billions of dollars in spending cuts and tax increases at the start of next year. But whatever happens, the states run the risk of being big losers.

GOP Targets State Construction Labor Projects

Nearly a dozen Republican governors have already made good on a promise that the GOP laid out as a national priority in Tampa last month: to end a policy that businesses say gives labor unions an unfair advantage when bidding on state construction projects.

Welfare Waiver Proposal Hits Potential Roadblock

It took less than a month for the Obama administration’s move in July to grant states more flexibility in handling their welfare programs to shift from low-profile policy proposal to hot-button political issue that quickly permeated the presidential race.

One of Five Americans Struggling To Afford Food, Survey Finds

Despite record food stamp enrollment around the country and an economy considered to be on a modest upswing, the Great Recession is continuing to take its toll on many Americans, a Gallup survey found.

Losing Your Home to a Small Tax Debt?

When a little old lady is thrown out of her home two weeks before Christmas because she didn’t pay a $496 sewage bill, people take notice.

Report: Without Major Overhauls, State Budget Crises Will Linger

A lack of government transparency and a focus on federal budget woes have masked state budget crisis, leaving them largely unaddressed, according to a report released Wednesday. Without major change, the report warns, soaring costs of Medicaid and shrinking tax collections will only worsen the problem.

States Bolstered by GlaxoSmithKline Settlement

The country’s largest health-care fraud settlement will send millions of dollars back into state Medicaid programs.

New Food Laws Go Into Effect, Others Blocked

Some new food and tobacco laws went into effect July 1, but others have been blocked.

What Happens to Health Law Money Already in State Coffers?

If the high court overturns all or part of the health law, Congress could seek refunds of the nearly $14 billion in federal money already sent to states to implement it.

Competing Globally: Governors Give, Get Ideas

Politicians in hyper-partisan Washington may shun any proposal from across the aisle, but some governors aren’t shy about stealing a neighboring state’s idea and giving credit, regardless of their counterpart’s political party.

Post-Recall Wisconsin Open for Business, Governor Says

The recent recall election in Wisconsin that let Governor Scott Walker keep his job was apparently also good for businesses in the state, or so says the governor.

Firms Scramble for Homeland-Security Money

Information technology companies with new security-related products or repackaged existing ones are among the many businesses rushing to capture a share of billions of dollars in federal homeland security grants flowing to state and local governments.

Budget Woes, Elections Top Lawmakers Priorities

State lawmakers from across the country are making their way back to their respective capitals for the 2004 legislative session. Two topics reign supreme for most of them: crafting budgets and their own reelections.

Mixed Prospects for States in Election-Year Congress

Election-year politics and a tight congressional schedule might bring both good and bad news for states. Theres a good chance Washington will fork over more federal dollars for highways. But on the downside, Congress could cost states billions of dollars in taxes, sources on and off Capitol Hill tell Stateline.org.

Governors Press Bush for More Highway Dollars, Jobs

State governors went to the White House to register concerns about jobs and highway dollars but failed to win offers for any new funds or programs. President Bush promised to set aside election-year politics and work with members of the National Governors Association. But one of his Cabinet members struck less than a conciliatory tone by calling the nations largest teachers union a terrorist organization.

Legislators Aim to Protect Value of Popular Gift Cards

State legislators are responding to shoppers complaints that some of those plastic gift cards that have become so popular in recent years are a consumer rip-off because they expire or lose value over time. Nearly half of the states are considering following Californias lead and regulating the high-tech presents. Some cards, though, may be caught up in a federal-state tug of war.

Billions at Stake in Internet Tax Debate

Most people yawn and get that cloudy, glazed-eye look when discussing the Internet and taxes. State lawmakers, on the other hand, see a vibrant shade of green--as in money--when discussing ways to convert Internet commerce into sorely needed tax dollars for state coffers.

Job Creation Vexes States in a Weak Economy

State government--not private industry--was the biggest creator of new jobs in the country last month, a development that could explain why states are putting so much energy into keeping and growing new businesses within their borders. With jobs of utmost concern this election year, states are trying an array of strategies: from banning outsourcing of state-contract jobs to incubating high-tech startup companies.

Outsourcing Helps States' Economies, Industry Claims

The growing zeal to keep U.S. jobs from going overseas including state jobs has the high-tech industry scrambling to defuse the anti-outsourcing sentiment surfacing in more than half the countrys statehouses. A new report says global outsourcing of computer-services jobs will create more than 317,000 other new U.S. jobs in 2008, including 34,000 jobs in California and 24,000 in Texas.

Free CDs from Lawsuit Soon to Spice Up Library Shelves

A treasure trove of free music on 5.6 million compact discs featuring tunes from Britney Spears to Beethoven is on the verge of flowing to states, thanks to settlement of a class action lawsuit filed by 40 of the states attorneys general. Shipments are to begin this spring.

States Struggle to Control Prescription Prices

States are experimenting with innovative tactics to rein in prescription drug prices for state workers and people on Medicaid, in an effort to hold down health care costs. The three most prevalent steps to control costs involve: importing less-expensive medicine from abroad, buying drugs in bulk, and regulating pharmacy benefit managers, the for-profit companies that negotiate drug discounts for states.

Going Once, Going Twice, Gone Online

Attention, online shoppers. At least 16 states are using eBay - that nationwide yard sale on the Internet - to unload accumulated junk in government warehouses and turn handsome profits for state treasuries. The goods can range from gold rings to big screen TVs to hand-me-down police cars. Need a bicycle with a pizza delivery box? Oregon is accepting bids. Coming this month to eBay: a new Harley Davidson signed by President Bush and all 50 governors as a fund-raiser.

Gas Prices Hit State Fleets, Consumer Wallets

Memorial Day, meant to honor soldiers' sacrifices, this year will mean consumers' wallets get pinched as they hit the road for the ceremonial start of summer. Soaring gas prices are also affecting state vehicle fleets and fuel budgets. California and Florida are launching price-gouging investigations, and a few states are thinking about suspending their state gas tax.

See the U.S.A., Win a Chevrolet

It's summer vacation season, and the competition among states for tourists is fierce. No state wants to be left without vacationers and their wallets. Even with slim promotional budgets, state and local tourism officials are enticing Americans with sweepstakes and freebies to help secure their share of an anticipated summer tourism surge.

New State Laws Take Effect July 1

The beginning of the new budget year means no more talking on cell phones while driving in New Jersey, the start of Sunday liquor sales in Ohio, and Colorados dangerous dogs must wear microchips. Hundreds of new statutes that change people's daily lives are about to go into effect.

States Have Role to Play in New Global Challenge

From editorial boards to Capitol Hill to living rooms across the United States, much has been made of the outsourcing of American jobs overseas. Outsourcing is not, however, the cause, but rather a symptom of a larger and more critical issue the U.S. may be losing its competitive edge and its leadership is once again being challenged in the increasingly global marketplace.

Corporate Dollars Buy Access to NGA Meeting

There's a price to pay to mingle with governors at this weekend's summer meeting of the National Governors Association in Seattle. Some 65 sponsors, mostly businesses, have plunked down $10,000 to $150,000 each -- for a total of $2.2 million -- to help host the annual event, which isn't open to the public, and gain face time with state officials with whom they often do business.

Democrats Say Kerry Would Bring Better Times for States

If John Kerry is elected president, Democrats foresee a new partnership between the federal government and states. The U.S. senator from Massachusetts accepted his party's presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention Thursday night, and he and his supporters said a Kerry White House would pursue new strategies to create jobs, lessen health care costs and boost state economies.

States Stung by Work Sent Overseas

State governments are caught up in a national political firestorm over outsourcing U.S. jobs to cheaper operations overseas. Paying foreign workers to do state taxpayer-funded jobs touches a political nerve that has motivated 35 statehouses to consider anti-outsourcing legislation this year and nearly a dozen states to curb offshoring. Surprisingly, many states didnt even know their work had left the country.

States Score Political Points with Sales-Tax Holidays

Back-to-school shoppers in 12 states are ringing up savings with a little help from their state lawmakers. From Connecticut to Texas, states are giving shoppers a temporary break this summer from paying sales tax on clothes, shoes, even computers. But critics say these state tax holidays are political gimmicks that score points with voters, but arent good fiscal policy.

On the Record: FDA on Rx Imports

Tensions are rising between a growing number of states that are helping citizens import cheaper prescription drugs from Canada and the federal government, which maintains that importing drugs from abroad is dangerous and illegal. Stateline.org spoke with William Hubbard, associate commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, about Illinois broad new plan to join a handful of states in defying the federal ban on drug imports, the U.S. Customs Services recent seizure of a foreign drug shipment, and FDA threats to take legal action.

New Census Data Show Rise in Uninsured, Poor

Just-released national statistics on health insurance coverage and poverty rates show Texas once again leads the nation with the highest rate of uninsured residents, followed closely by New Mexico. The poverty rate decreased in Mississippi and North Dakota, but increased in Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, South Dakota, Texas and Virginia in 2003. The statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau give a state-by-state snapshot.

GOP Touts Bush's Record on State Affairs

Republicans made the case this week for a second term for President George W. Bush, saying his policies already are helping states budget prospects and will help states deal with the ongoing challenges of health care costs and job growth. Bush formally accepted his partys nomination at the Republican National Convention Thursday and sketched out his domestic agenda for a second term.

Governors' Associations' 527 Groups Gain Greenbacks, Influence

The Republican and Democratic governors associations are little known to the public, but they now rank as the two biggest players in garnering millions of dollars in soft money contributions from corporations and labor groups to help sway state elections. In fund raising, the two associations eclipse headline-grabbing groups such as the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and MoveOn.org, which are trying to sway the presidential election.

Big Spenders Bolster State Party War Chests

The top 20 contributors to state Democratic and Republican parties this election include the chairman of the Arizona Democratic Party, Californias most famous legislator, the owner of the San Diego Chargers football team, and a mortgage-lending magnate, according to preliminary campaign finance figures. State party organizations facing new campaign finance laws are wooing more mega-contributors, many of them first-time givers.

New Governors Make Jobs a Priority

From the Appalachian hollows of West Virgina to the big skies of Montana, the nations seven new governors have a common priority -- creating employment opportunities. Despite regional diversity and party differences, most of the new governors come from corporate backgrounds and are promising to reform their states tax codes, reduce health care costs for business and employees and improve education and job training.

Less Tobacco Suit Money Goes to Stop Smoking

States are spending fewer and fewer of the dollars they get from a 1998 settlement with the tobacco industry on smoking prevention, a new report shows. Altogether, states allocated $538 million toward prevention programs in fiscal 2005, a decrease from $542.6 million the year before, according to the annual ranking of state spending by four anti-smoking groups. State spending to curb tobacco use peaked at $749.7 million in 2002, falling to $674.4 million in 2003.

527s Target State Races with Money, Professionals

Record spending by nonprofit 527 groups in 2004 turned some state elections into high-stakes contests financed by national corporations and labor groups and polished by Washington, D.C., political professionals, campaign finance watchdogs say. Of more than 300 tax-exempt 527 groups nationally, 63 actively helped elect Democratic and Republican governors, state legislators and other state officials. Those groups raised and spent $94 million in 2004 -- more than double the $45.2 million they raised and spent in the 2002 elections.

Wall Street Deal Will Mean $450 Million for States

A proposed $1.4 billion settlement between regulators and top U.S. investment firms is expected to put an estimated $450 million in states coffers once the agreement is formally inked and approved.

Federal Oversight Urged for State Boxing Commissions

State boxing commissions go unnoticed unless a controversial prize fight, such as one featuring heavyweight Mike Tyson, is being considered. But new federal legislation would oversee state commissions, whose divergent rules are rife for exploitation.

Legislators Weighing School Soda Bans

State lawmakers throughout the country are introducing legislation to ban soda from school vending machines to help curb the growing rate of childhood obesity. But at a time when cash-strapped states are cutting education budgets, opponents of the bans say schools need the soda revenue more than ever.

Workplace Smoking Bans Gain Momentum

Smoking bans gathered legislative momentum this year as New York joined California, Delaware and Florida in outlawing smoking in the workplace as well as restaurants and bars. Lawmakers in 35 states introduced clean indoor air bills this session, leading policy analysts to conclude that the issue is here to stay.

States Reaching for Corporate Profits

Reeling from gaping budget gaps, states are starting to explore ways to crack down on the complex accounting schemes businesses use to avoid paying state taxes. New Jersey, which is being watched closely by many other states, changed its tax laws in 2002 to keep businesses from shifting profits to affiliates in low tax states.

States in Forefront of Agricultural Biotech Debate

States took the lead in debating regulation of genetically modified food and the agricultural biotechnology industry in 2001-2002, with 158 bills introduced in 39 states, a new report finds. Despite a flurry of legislative activity, only 45 measures were enacted by last year and the majority were designed to protect the research and growth of genetically modified food from vandalism, a new report finds.

States Scrutinize Wage Policies

A handful of states are debating raising their minimum wage beyond the federal rate of $5.15 an hour, but just as many states are acting to block grassroots efforts to force government contractors to pay living wages that typically far exceed the federal minimum wage.

Governors Gather in Indianapolis for Annual Meeting

Officially, education, health care and the economy top the agenda of the annual summer meeting of the National Governors Association (NGA), which this year takes place in Indianapolis. But the California recall election is likely to be the prime topic of discussion.

Contracting Out IT Jobs Vexes States

States are wrestling over whether they should contract out or "outsource" their information technology projects to private companies, including those located overseas. While farming out state high-tech work may be cheaper and more efficient, state politicians are leery of the possible voter backlash about losing state jobs to foreign companies, industry and government officials said.

New Sales Tax Tool For States Proposed

States will have a new patch for their hemorrhaging budgets, if legislation introduced Thursday gets through Congress. The bill would enable states to collect sales tax on purchases through catalogues and the Internet, allowing them to generate billions of dollars in new revenue each year.

States Woo Biotech Firms

From miracle drugs that cure cancer to genetically-modified foods, the multi-billion dollar biotechnology industry is hot, and states are doing their best to get a piece of the action. Nine governors and more than a dozen states used the Biotechnology Industry Organizations annual Washington DC meeting to aggressively woo the industry.

Businesses Urge Congress to Stay the Course on Federal Education Law

The federal No Child Left behind education law may give states and schools major fits, but the business community is urging Congress to hold off making any changes to that sweeping law and give it time to work. In a letter to legislators, business leaders say Congress should keep its eyes on the prize a quality education for all.

New Year Rings in Hundreds of New Statutes

The new year brings more than just a change of calendars. Hundreds of new state laws are taking effect from coast to coast, covering such diverse matters as the creation of a highway fast lane, determining who pays for birth control pills and dictating how you can split your tongue to resemble a snakes. And thats just in Illinois!

Farm Links Cultivate New Generation

Web sites like HotJobs and Monster.com offer employers and career seekers thousands of opportunities to find each other every day, but you likely wont find listings on them for one of the nations most visible and time-honored occupations: Farming

States Turn Up Heat On Wall Street

Emboldened by New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzers landmark settlement with Merrill Lynch, securities officials and attorneys general from numerous states are investigating at least a dozen other financial firms for allowing conflicts of interest to distort their investment advice.

States Teaching Financial ABCs

Teaching peo ple of all ages and backgrounds how to save and invest is becoming a priority for state officials and educators across the country. And they're winning support from the private sector, which is bankrolling many of the more significant efforts.

Visionary 'Smart Growth' Program Wins National Laurels

Ever wonder what your city or town will look like in 20 years if current trends continue? In Massachusetts, a community development program that uses computer wizardry to let civic leaders, urban planners and ordinary citizens see results of various growth options has just won a new federal Smart Growth award.

States Vie For Innovation Awards

Who says you cant be creative in state government? Thirty-one state government programs are semifinalists competing for one of five $100,000 grants in the Innovations In American Government Awards.

Census Bureau Releases Income, Poverty Data

Median household income increased between 1998 and 2000 in six states-- California, Delaware, Iowa, Maine, Missouri, and New York. But it fell in Alabama, Louisiana, and Washington. During the same period, the poverty rate dropped in 10 states and increased in none, according to U.S. Census data released this week.

State Lawmakers Concerned About Lack of Focus on Farm Issues

Farmers may be wondering if there's room left in the "new economy" for them after listening to the nation's governors deliver their State of the State addresses this year. The state of American agriculture garnered barely a mention amid all the talk about commitments to education, technology development, and holding the line on government spending. Only three governors -- Judy Martz of Montana, Dirk Kempthorne of Idaho and John Hoeven of North Dakota -- devoted much time to it.

State Attorney Generals Issue Privacy Guidelines

Responding to increased public concerns about privacy issues, the National Association of Attorneys General released a set of fairly strong guidelines Friday (3/16) urging the adoption of laws that would force commercial interests to actively seek permission from people before selling or trading their personal information.

On The Record: Drug Industry Lawyer Marjorie Powell

In the current debate that pits states against the prescription drug industry, pharmaceutical firms look to some like a proverbial big bad wolf--they huff and they puff and they keep raising prices. In an interview with Stateline.org, Marjorie Powell, who serves as Assistant General Counsel for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), tells the drug company side of the story -- in the court room, laboratory and across the country.

States Face Budget Cuts As Economies Slump

For nearly a decade, state legislators had an easy job deciding how to spend because they were riding a wave of unprecedented surpluses. But this year, coming up with a budget could be turbulent because many states must cut expenses. Despite a sagging economy, most states are required by constitution or statute to balance their budget.

Managing Growth: Calm Before A Policy Storm?

Whatever happened to the growth issue? Nothing. Its still out there, as fresh in the minds of many Americans as the memories of this mornings traffic jam. Lawmakers and governors in at least two dozen states made proposals to deal with the issue this year. Action is still possible in several, but so far only a few have followed through.

State Surplus Auctions Go High-Tech

In an effort to reach a larger buying audience and reduce overhead, a number of states have jumped on the online auction bandwagon. Some, such as Michigan, have built their own online auction sites. Others, such as Oregon, have taken advantage of large commercial sites like Yahoo!, Amazon.com and eBay. But almost all the states are at least taking a look at where Internet technology is going and how it might enable them to more efficiently sell unwanted items.

State Census Comparisons Yield Wealth of Data

Massachusetts boasts the highest percentage of college graduates among the states, and West Virginia the lowest. The highest percentage of non-English speakers live in California. Hawaii claims the highest median value of owner-occupied housing at $284,536. Such state-by-state comparisons on demographic, housing, and economic characteristics come from a survey of 700,000 households by the U.S. Census Bureau.

States Ring In Do Not Call Laws

The dinner bell in America has come to mean a telemarketers ill-timed effort to persuade you to open your wallet. But 24 states are cracking down on sales calls by creating do-not-call lists or forbidding telemarketers to block caller I.D. Seven states have adopted do-not-call laws in the past six months. Florida started the trend in 1998.

Private Prison Boom Shows Signs of Slowing

A private prison in Whiteville, Tenn., a town with 1,100 residents 60 miles east of Memphis, incarcerates as many convicted Wisconsin killers as any Wisconsin penal institution. States seeking the cheapest way to jail people have shipped felons beyond their borders rather than expand their own prisons. But studies show private prisons cost taxpayers nearly as much as public ones, and critics argue that punishing criminals shouldnt be left to organizations whose primary motive is profit.

States Split on Microsoft Settlement

Nine states and the District of Columbia Tuesday (11/6) rejected the proposed settlement of an antitrust case brought against computer giant Microsoft by the U.S. Justice Department. Nine others said they would go along with the deal.

Unemployment Hits Tourist, Western States Hard

Unemployment rates increased or remained level in 42 states during October, with the sharpest rate jumps occurring in Hawaii and Nevada, according to data released last week by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Income Gap Widens In Most States

Despite modest growth in incomes among the nations' poor in the late 1990s, the wealthiest Americans continued to increase their earnings at a faster pace. A new report released this week breaks down the income gap for all 50 states and finds that the wealthiest 20 percent of American families now earn more than 10 times as much as the poorest.

New Economy Spurs States' Science and Technology Efforts

Technology and science have increasingly become prime state policy issues as communications technologies of the new economy supplant the older manufacturing technologies in investment popularity and job creation. Ever since the 1960's, states -- led by Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey, New York, California and Massachusetts -- have tried to integrate research and technology with their economic development programs. Lately, however, technology issues have been given even higher priority because of the Internet/Ecommerce explosion and the formation of high tech enterprises.

New Report Details State Growth Strategies

For a growing number of governors, the conversion of open space to suburban houses and office parks illustrates a lesson that fictional Iowa farmer Ray Kinsella first learned in the film Field of Dreams: If you build it, they will come. But the lesson is more complicated for governors because it is less about "if" than "where" to channel the growth that they recognize is inevitable.

States Hark Back In Choice of Designs For Quarters

For the first time, the U.S. Mint is allowing each of the 50 states a chance to breath new life into our most prized piece of change, the quarter. So far -- 18 months and eight new designs into the project -- the states have stuck with the tried and true and, of course, the politically correct. Critics, both amateur and professional, agree: Connecticut is winning the aesthetic competition for its choice of an ancient, majestic tree, known as the Charter Oak.

Model Policies Help South Recast Image

Once regarded nationally as branches of a regional backwater with few high-paying jobs or modern conveniences, several Southern states are now seen as political trailblazers, leading the way with innovative education, healthcare and economic development policies. Florida, Texas, Georgia and North Carolina are all in the forefront of education reform; Tennessee has pioneered a new approach to health insurance coverage; and Virginia portrays itself as a model for high tech development.

Family Incomes Rise, Poverty Lowest In 20 Years

The long arm of the American economy -- in its ninth year of growth -- has now reached into millions more households, boosting incomes and reducing poverty among all racial groups and particularly among the most vulnerable -- children and the elderly, the Census Bureau reported Tuesday.

Nation's Poor Families Gain, But Troubles Remain, Study Finds

A study of the economic, physical and emotional well-being of America's families has found no evidence that the push to cut the public welfare rolls has hurt the nation's poor. Recent economic gains, however, have yet to sink deeply into family life, the report found. The privately funded survey by the Urban Institute and Child Trends is one of the most comprehensive attempts to gauge the fallout from recent decisions to shift authority over social programs to the states.

Focus On Education Spurs Government Job Growth

A sharp increase in state and local education hiring caused the largest government job growth in five years in the third quarter of 1998, according to a newly released report from the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for the Study of the States. The center said its calculations showed state government job growth from July to September exceeded the private job growth rate for the first time since 1992.

South, West Lead Nation In Public Service Hiring

In the South and West, state and local government filled 270,000 new positions last year, eighty percent of the total non-federal public service hiring and a number that shows how these regions are growing. Overall 1998 state and local hiring also continued to expand, according to a new study by the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government.