Stateline Stories

The Not-So-Fast Track for High-Speed Rail

The last time intercity passenger trains served Madison, Wisconsin's capital city, students at the University of Wisconsin campus there were protesting the Vietnam War. The trains stopped running when Amtrak took over passenger service around the country in 1971. But last month, the federal government announced it would give the state $810 million in stimulus money to return passenger trains to Wisconsin's second-biggest city for the first time in more than four decades.The $8 billion in federal stimulus money billed as "high-speed rail" funding that will pay for the Wisconsin improvements is going to 31 states to improve service on trains of all speeds. But as even the straightforward case of Wisconsin shows, the path for states to actually build high-speed rail promises to be long, costly and, in some cases, politically contentious.

Conservatives Seek to Amend U.S. Constitution Through State Action

States have the legal right to pass constitutional amendments without congressional approval. It's very hard to accomplish, but Tea Party-backed activists are mounting an organized effort.

Pentagon Cuts Have Military States Worried

The federal debt-reduction deal contains at least $350 billion - but perhaps as much as $950 billion - in defense spending cuts over 10 years. Some states see serious problems for their military-dependent economies.

Sagebrush Stirrings

Western states are launching a new round in their periodic challenge to Washington over the use of federally owned land. Authors of the challenge say they mean their effort to be more than a symbolic gesture. Others are skeptical that it will have much effect on federal policy.

States Suing Feds Over Seniors' Rx Costs

Fifteen states want the U.S. Supreme Court to block the federal government's plan to bill them for a portion of costs for the new Medicare prescription drug benefit passed by Congress. The states call the law "an unprecedented intrusion into each state's sovereignty."

Govs' Anger With Feds Boils Over

CHARLESTON, S.C. - As they approach crucial November elections, governors from both parties blame the Republican-led Congress and White House for a widening chasm between the federal government and the states.

Sanford Fights Bailout for States

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) is at odds with most of the nation's governors: He is crusading against calls to send billions of dollars to cash-strapped states to help stimulate the economy.

Summary of the Pennsylvania Executive Budget Address

In his last executive budget address, term-limited Democratic Gov. Edward G. Rendell Feb. 9 proposed a controversial tax plan that would trim the sales tax rate, but apply it to more goods and services. His $26.3 billion budget proposal includes $2.7 billion in federal stimulus money and assumes continued federal help with health care expenses.

Congress Making States Nervous

TODAY'S TAKE: States are anxiously watching Congress wrangle over a series of measures they are counting on to help pay for health care, education and unemployment benefits for millions of their residents. But the federal government's well-documented financial problems - and the growing attention paid to them on the campaign trail - are threatening those measures. Critics say the government can't afford them.

Ohio Governor Declines Federal Disaster Aid

TODAY'S TAKE: While the governors of Indiana and Kentucky accepted federal disaster relief after devastating tornadoes, Ohio Governor John Kasich declined, saying his state could handle the recovery on its own.

States Prepare Timelines for Missed Debt Deadline

TODAY'S TAKE: States are calculating how long it will take before a political impasse over the federal debt ceiling begins to affect their bottom lines. Some are preparing backup plans, including the furlough of thousands of workers.

Obama Sends $50.5 billion Sandy Relief Package to States

Federal aid is finally headed to the Atlantic Coast states, three months after Hurricane Sandy ravaged their shores.

Northeast Governors Outraged About Sandy Aid Delay

Frustration boiled over on Wednesday, the day after the U.S. House, finishing up a compromise to avert the nation’s “fiscal cliff,” scrapped a vote on the $60.4 billion relief plan approved last month by the Senate.

While Congress Stalls, States Worry About Highway Funds

A three-year standoff in Congress makes planning transportation projects harder for states.

Obama Moves Shake Up Maryland Dream Act Debate

A major shift in U.S. immigration policy from the White House could have repercussions for a ballot measure in Maryland in November that would let undocumented students qualify for in-state tuition.

Will The 2008 Election Improve State-Federal Relations?

The next president faces a crucial choice in how he'll get along - not just with foreign governments - but with leaders at home in the 50 states. Stop coercing and start cooperating is the advice from Raymond C. Scheppach, executive director of the National Governors Association, in his latest commentary for Stateline.org.

For States, Debt Deal is Short on Details

Spending reductions will eventually scale back some federal aid to states, but almost all of the specifics remain to be decided.

After the Stimulus, Big Shifts in Medicaid Funds

HEALTH BEAT: The extra Medicaid dollars states were getting as part of the federal stimulus program ran out last month. That's not the only change coming to Medicaid funding formulas.

Citing Federal Debt, Moody's Warns Five States

TODAY'S TAKE: Moody's Investors Service is warning that the political impasse over federal debt could result in five states seeing their own stellar credit ratings downgraded.

States Fret Over 'Game of Chicken' on Federal Debt Ceiling

TODAY'S TAKE: State officials are bracing for the impact of what Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam calls "an incredible game of chicken" over the federal debt ceiling, even going as far as calculating how long they can run programs without federal money.

Amid Fiscal Uncertainty, States Prepare for Cuts

TODAY'S TAKE: With the stock market reeling, the federal government's credit rating lowered and major domestic spending cuts from Congress to come, some states see far more fiscal trouble on the horizon.

Federal Budget Cuts Likely for State Justice Programs

PUBLIC SAFETY BEAT: President Obama and House Republicans both seek spending cuts for criminal justice programs important to states … Grover Norquist embraces prison reform … A Florida budget cut raises fears in Kentucky…and other public safety news.

Feds Give States Another Two Years to Comply with Real ID

TRANSPORTATION BEAT: States now have until January 2013 to comply with Real ID … California opts not to issue transportation bonds again, to keep cash on hand… The New Mexico House reverses course on driver's licenses for unauthorized immigrants, and other transportation news.

Bridge collapse points to national problem

The Minnesota bridge that collapsed this week is just one of 73,518 "structurally deficient" bridges across the country that state and federal inspectors have deemed in need of significant repairs.

In Minnesota, soldiers re-learn civilian life

MOORHEAD, Minn. - The 2,600 members of the Minnesota National Guard who recently returned from a 22-month deployment - including a record 16 months in Iraq - are getting their first glimpse at a state program intended to help them overcome the challenges of life at home.

The United Regions of America

President Obama would like to transform the traditional strategy of states battling each other for jobs and replace it with an approach that emphasizes U.S. regions competing against other countries in the global economy.

Balancing State and Federal Roles in Boston Bomber Case

Accused Boston bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was charged with federal crimes of terrorism that carry the potential for a death sentence. Does it matter that Massachusetts doesn’t have the death penalty?

O'Malley Mulls Tax Hikes to Offset Federal Cuts

TAX & BUDGET BEAT: Maryland's governor says tax increases could happen next year ... Virginia's governor wants a new rainy day fund ... Tennessee fights to preserve its credit rating and more tax and budget news.

Illinois Follows Nevada with Highest Unemployment

State unemployment numbers fluctuate and once again Nevada tops the country, but the state that comes in second is new.

Massive Train Bottleneck Leads to a Rare Form of Cooperation

Railroads, shippers and governments disagree all the time about transportation issues. But they are united on one point: Something has to be done about costly delays in getting trains through Chicago.

Report: 9 states May Lose Under Bush Plan

Nine states would receive less money from Washington, D.C., if Congress adopts President Bush's 2007 budget proposal, while most others would see modest increases, suggests a new analysis by Federal Funds Information for States, a subscription service for state officials.

Sequester Cuts at Justice Department Threaten Local Drug Investigations

The partisan gridlock in Washington, D.C. threatens to curb drug investigations in rural communities.

Florida Governor Knocks Obama for Unpaid Port Bill

Florida Gov. Rick Scott wants more than just a presidential visit to Miami’s port; he wants the federal government to pay its share of the bill for big improvements under way at Florida’s biggest ports.

Congressional Wrangling Leaves Sales Tax Deduction in Question

TODAY'S TAKE: Residents of seven states without an individual income tax are watching the budget debate on Capitol Hill to see whether they will be able to keep writing off state sales taxes on goods they purchase.

High-Speed Rail Funds En Route

TODAY'S TAKE: A day after delivering his first State of the Union address, President Obama heads to Florida to showcase $8 billion in federal funds for high-speed rail projects in the Sunshine State and 30 others.

Federal Credit Downgrade Hurts Colorado Localities

ECONOMY & BUSINESS BEAT: When Standard & Poors downgraded the federal government's credit rating last year, it also caused problems for municipalities in Colorado, where a unique state law governs local investments.

Forest Service Tries to Claw Back Funds from States

The U.S. Forest Service thinks it has found a way to meet its sequester target – by asking states to return money to Washington.

Delegates Speak: California on Federal Funding

California delegate John Perez, 38, of Los Angeles, representative of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, interviewed by Pamela M. Prah, Stateline.org.

States Brace for New Safety Net Money

The $789 billion economic stimulus bill includes aid for the poor that most experts agree will quickly flow back into the ailing economy, as cash-strapped families spend it on basic necessities. But already swamped state agencies face the daunting challenge of quickly getting the new money to those who need it most.

Arizona’s Border Fence Still Faces Obstacles

After nearly two years of preparation and with more than a quarter million dollars of private donations in hand, Arizona officials still have not unveiled a plan to build a border fence. But a state lawmaker who is leading the effort said that will soon change.

Supreme Court Probes Arizona Voter Registration Law

The Supreme Court justices dissected Arizona’s challenge to a federal voter registration law during arguments Monday, even as they seemed to avoid the broader issues of states’ rights versus federal authority underlying the case.

States In South, West Big Winners In 2000 Census

The historic movement of Americans away from the northeastern states to the west and southwest continued over the last decade, the Census Bureau reported Thursday, and as of 2003, the make-up of the U.S. House of Representatives will be adjusted to reflect the population shift.

Summary of the Arizona State of the State Address

In her Jan. 11 state of the state address that Democrats said sounded more like a campaign speech, first-term Republican Gov. Jan Brewer blamed the state's dire fiscal woes on Washington and former governor Janet Napolitano (D), now head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Alabama Police Start Slowly in Enforcing Immigration Law

CLANTON, Alabama — Alabama is off to a slow start in rolling out its law requiring police to check the immigration status of suspects. But it is ahead of the other states, including Arizona, that approved similar measures.

Alabama Immigration Debate Heats Up

While justices of the U.S. Supreme Court deliberate over the fate of Arizona’s anti-immigration law, Alabama lawmakers are deciding whether to tweak a similar they passed last year that is considered even harsher.

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.

Federal Road Fund Could Go Broke by 2015

With federal transportation money drying up, will the burden fall to the states?

Obama Budget Calls for More Competitive Grants

The White House budget, released Wednesday, envisions making states compete with one another for a host of federal grant programs, similar to the Race to the Top education program.

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.

Sequester Will Force Universities to Scale Back Scientific Research

The sequester is already limiting the amount of money universities can offer to graduate students.

How Federalism Could Doom DOMA, But Save State Bans

Supporters of same-sex marriage are optimistic after this week’s Supreme Court arguments, but some worry about a narrow ruling.

Justices Appear Skeptical of Defense of Marriage Act

A majority of the court seemed skeptical of whether the federal government could justify refusing to recognize state-allowed same-sex marriages.

DOMA: The Supreme Court Justices in Their Own Words

Roll over each Justice to see what they said.

Prop 8: The Supreme Court Justices on Gay Marriage in Their Own Words

Supreme Court justices heard arguments Tuesday in the first of two cases that could dramatically alter the divergent paths the states have taken on gay marriage. See their comments during the arguments by rolling your mouse over each justice.

Divided Court Confronts Gay Marriage

The justices appeared split over same-sex marriage, but the outcome of the case remained unclear.

Legislatures Consider Limits on Prisoner Deportations Through Secure Communities

As Congress considers major revisions to federal immigration laws, legislators in a few states are trying to curb the federal government’s power to deport immigrants who land in jail.

Supreme Court Will Review Michigan’s Affirmative Action Ban

The nation’s highest court will decide whether a Michigan affirmative action ban passed by voters in 2006 can prevent colleges and universities from using race when they decide which students to admit.

AGs Split Ahead of Gay Marriage Arguments

Gay marriage has divided the states, and as the Supreme Court takes up arguments this week, attorneys general are as divided as the public.

Congress May Reverse Some of Sequester’s Cuts to WIC

An effort to keep the federal government open could also deliver relief to pregnant women, mothers and young children in need of food.

Voter Registration in Supreme Court Spotlight

It’s gotten less attention than the challenge to the Voting Rights Act, but an Arizona challenge to the National Voter Registration Act could upset elections administration around the country.

Nullification: Old Arguments Against Feds Get New Life

States challenging Washington is not new, but Second Amendment worries have breathed new life into a movement championing a wider range of topics than ever before.

Congress Debates Highway Safety Funding Cuts

Budget battles on Capitol Hill could cost states federal money to fight distracted driving and to roll out graduated licenses for teen drivers.

The 5 States Most Vulnerable to Sequestration’s Education Cuts

Automatic federal budget cuts will slash more than $1 billion in K-12 education dollars this year, paring everything from Title I money for low-income students to school improvement initiatives.

Price tag of Sequester to States: $6 Billion

The belt-tightening from Washington begins in earnest, but states still aren’t sure just what the sequester will mean for them.

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: Revenues

For nearly half the states, recovery is tenuous, with revenues still below peak levels before the recession.

Deep Divide Apparent as Supreme Court Considers Voting Rights Act

The justices divided along ideological lines in the Voting Rights Act case, leaving the outcome in doubt.

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.

Supreme Court to Weigh States’ Rights vs. Voting Rights

States’ rights will once again take center stage at the Supreme Court Wednesday as arguments are heard over a challenge to the Voting Rights Act.

States, GOP Lawmakers Eye Tougher Election Laws

The run-up to the 2012 elections was one of court battles and legislative jockeying over Republican-backed voter ID and elections laws that critics called bald-faced attempts to suppress turnout and disenfranchise Democratic voters.

Social Issues Challenge State-Federal Relationship

States have leapt ahead of Washington on key social issues, ushering in a new era of stress between the two levels of government.

Uncertainty from Washington Continues for States

States trying to craft their budgets for the upcoming year will have to wait until March for more details from Washington.

‘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.

Congress Likely to Postpone Online Sales Tax Collection

A bipartisan group of state elected officials has pushed hard for federal legislation that would allow states to require the collection of sales taxes on internet purchases. For now, though, that effort hasn’t overcome congressional gridlock.

Fiscal Cliff Jitters Could Boost Early State Tax Revenue

When filmmaker George Lucas sold his company and the Star Wars franchise to Walt Disney Co. this fall, he saved hundreds of millions of dollars in state and federal taxes by not waiting until next year when higher tax rates are anticipated. He’s hardly alone.

Medicaid Trumps `Fiscal Cliff’ as Top State Budget Concern

Medicaid is still the biggest budget worry for the coming year, according to a new survey of state legislative directors to be released soon. Nowhere is the problem larger than in Texas, which faces a $4.3 billion Medicaid deficit.

Supreme Court Takes Up Gay Marriage Cases

The high court has accepted two gay marriage cases for its spring term. One case, out of New York, concerns whether the federal government can deny benefits to gay couples married in states that allow same-sex marriage. It will also review California’s ban on same-sex marriage.

After Obama Vow, Washington Weighs Role in Election Management

President Obama has brought renewed attention to the issue of voting difficulties around the country, and in the process has set in motion a variety of proposals to change election law.

In Fiscal Cliff Talks, Governors Get White House Seat

A group of governors on Tuesday called for Washington to find a solution — any solution — to the nation’s budget woes as the federal government’s so-called ‘fiscal cliff’ grows nearer.

Jobless Benefits At Risk in Fiscal Cliff Debate

Amid the fervor over the fiscal cliff in Washington, there’s one federal program also facing a Dec. 31, 2012 deadline that if allowed to pass could cost unemployed Americans thousands of dollars and deprive states of crucial federal funding that’s helped them weather the worst of the Great Recession.

More States Dig into Libor Scandal

As lawsuits and inquiries mount, more states are looking into the rate-rigging scandal.

Budget Cuts, Revenue Swings Await States In ‘Fiscal Cliff’ Drama

State budgets and economies would be hit particularly hard by the automatic tax increases and spending cuts caused by the looming “fiscal cliff,” if it’s not averted, according to a new report by the Pew Center on the States’ Fiscal Federalism Initiative, which explored how the fiscal cliff would affect states in a number of ways.

Despite Governor’s Push, Puerto Rican Statehood Unlikely

Puerto Rico Governor Luis Fortuno is pressing President Obama and Congressional leaders to get the ball rolling on statehood for the island commonwealth, after a historic referendum. But don’t expect action anytime soon.

Obama's and Romney’s Tax Plans: What Do They Mean for States?

Overlooked during the presidential campaigns is how Obama and Romney’s tax proposals could affect states. Here’s a look.

Law Enforcement Predicts Dire Impact from Automatic Cuts

Law enforcement officers fear that if the automatic funding cuts, known as sequestration, take effect on Jan.2, 2013, layoffs and program closures are sure to follow, according to a survey from the National Criminal Justice Association and the Vera Institute of Justice.

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.

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.

Statehood for Puerto Rico? Romney Supports a 51st State

Would a Mitt Romney presidential win help pave the way for Puerto Rican statehood? On Wednesday, Puerto Rico’s governor said Romney has assured him of it.

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.

Heat Wave, Budget Cuts Strain Utility Safety Net

Budget cuts and a blistering hot spell wave left states short on cash this summer while tackling high energy demand. Now many worry about having enough heat when winter comes.

With VP Pick, Romney Endorses Fed-State Overhaul on Food Stamps, Medicaid

By choosing Paul Ryan as his running mate, Mitt Romney has endorsed large changes in federal-state relations, particularly in dealings with food assistance and health care.

Still No Farm Bill, But More Assistance to Drought-Ravaged States

With Congress still at an impasse over the farm bill, the Obama Administration this week pledged $30 million more to aid farmers and ranchers hit hard by drought.

A Likely Reprieve for Food Stamp Program

The food stamp program has been facing the threat of deep reductions that would cut off benefits for millions in states all over the country. But a stalemate in Congress may stave off the pain.

Health Care Ruling Casts Doubts on Billions in State-Federal Funding

By making the federal health law’s Medicaid expansion optional for states, the U.S. Supreme Court has cast doubt on decades of established state-federal programs and billions of dollars in funding tied to them.

Are States’ Unemployment Insurance Loans Dragging Down Economies?

Most states are still paying off those unemployment benefits that went out to millions of those without work during the recession, but it’s the way some are doing it that raises concern.

Health Care Ruling, Elections Dominate Governors’ Meeting

The typical low-key summer gathering of the nation’s governors was anything but subdued this year. The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision leaving it up to the states whether to expand their Medicaid programs topped headlines coming from the National Governors Association meeting in Virginia.

Iowa Governor Blasts Pentagon Air Guard Cuts

Just days before he and other governors are scheduled to meet with Pentagon brass, Iowa Governor Terry Branstad attacked the Defense Department Thursday (July 12) for failing to work with governors on plans to drastically cut the size of the Air National Guard.

Food Stamp Fight on Capitol Hill

Congress is considering dramatic changes in the way states administer their food stamp programs.

All Eyes on U.S. Supreme Court

States await key decisions this week from the U.S. Supreme Court on health care, immigration and elections.