Stateline Headlines about 85899391873http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/electric-utility-deregulation-express-losing-steam-85899391873Barring filibusters and sleeping pills, few things set heads nodding faster than talk about electric utility deregulation. But for the nation's largest business, the stodgy, $208-billion electric power industry, it's big. It's also big for state legislators, consumer advocates and environmentalists. And one day soon, ordinary consumers may also take interest, should this soporific issue deliver promised cost savings in the double-digits.1999-01-28T00:00:00-05:0085899391852http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/electric-utility-deregulation-driven-by-costs-85899391852The push among states to deregulate their electric utilities, triggered by federal laws passed in 1978 and 1992, has entered a second, more cautious phase. Gone is the urgency shown by 18 states that embraced deregulation from 1996 through 1998. Most of those states, including New Jersey, the most recent convert, have residential electric costs well above the national average of 8.43 cents per kilowatt hour. But cheaper electricity elsewhere has taken the edge off the issue.1999-02-23T00:00:00-05:0085899391844http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/oil-crisis-forces-states-into-action-85899391844While dollar-a-gallon gas is a dream for the nation's drivers, $9-a-barrel oil is an all too real nightmare for oil producing states straining to recoup lost revenue. One of them, Alaska, is facing a $1 billion budget gap thanks to the lowest oil prices since 1977. After considering and rejecting other remedies, Gov. Tony Knowles has proposed reviving the state income tax, last collected in 1980. Meanwhile, Texas, Wyoming and Oklahoma are resorting to a mixed bag of legislative actions to protect in-state oil producers and safeguard severance tax revenues that account for a significant portion of their general fund incomes.1999-03-04T00:00:00-05:0085899391831http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/usda-study-raises-questions-about-electric-deregulation-85899391831Electric utility deregulation could cause 19 states to have higher electric costs, especially rural customers in those states, an internal study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture concludes. The study, which runs counter to Clinton administration claims that deregulation will save consumers in every state billions of dollars annually, recently fell into the hands of the National Journal, which reported its findings. Despite this fresh ammunition for foes of deregulation, a powerful congressman is set to start work on a bill that would mandate it in all 50 states.1999-03-17T00:00:00-05:0085899391822http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/early-legislative-sessions-focus-on-taxes-education-cooperation-85899391822From cutting the food tax in Virginia to establishing a Megan's law in New Mexico to attempting to repeal the prohibition on polygamy in Utah, states with early legislative sessions addressed a passel of issues and earned generally positive marks for avoiding partisan conflict. In this special report, stateline.org looks at the work of the eight legislatures that have now adjourned.1999-03-29T00:00:00-05:0085899391818http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/transient-trash-a-garbage-issue-in-33-states-85899391818Tired of talking trash with garbage-exporting New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and not wanting Virginia to become the nation's pre-eminent landfill, Gov. Jim Gilmore signed laws this week capping his state's intake of municipal solid waste. The issue, which fired up Virginia voters and united the Legislature, is also confronted by 32 other trash-importing states. This is especially true in Pennsylvania, whose intake of 6.3 million tons of out-of-state refuse in 1997 makes it first in the nation, according to the Congressional Research Service. stateline.org looks at the problem.1999-04-01T00:00:00-05:0085899391800http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/minnesota-bucks-trend-in-voting-to-end-emissions-testing-85899391800Although vehicle emissions testing is an imperfect science and annoys many motorists, a majority of states maintain testing programs. For one thing, emissions programs do help combat air pollution. For another thing, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency can yank millions of dollars in highway funds if states fail to meet air quality standards. Learn more in this stateline.org report.1999-04-23T00:00:00-04:0085899391741http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/wisconsin-gives-electric-deregulation-debate-different-twist-85899391741Like many other states, Wisconsin is considering restructuring its electric utility system. But its debate has some different wrinkles. A deregulation plan pushed by Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson would likely mean higher electric bills for households and businesses in the short run. And as Jeff Mayers of the Wisconsin State Journal reports, this makes for some strange political bedfellows.1999-06-28T00:00:00-04:0085899391721http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/maine-weighs-tightening-water-use-regulations-85899391721Unregulated diversion of water for farm irrigation, snowmaking and the maintenance of lush golf courses is a potential problem for state policy makers throughout the country. Sandor M. Polster, our correspondent in Maine, looked into what his state is preparing to do about it. For more information, click on1999-07-20T00:00:00-04:0085899391717http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/more-states-climb-on-electric-deregulation-bandwagon-85899391717Arkansas, New Jersey, New Mexico, Maryland, Ohio, Texas, Virginia and Delaware passed laws in 1999 that deregulate their electric utilities, bringing to 23 the number of states that now embrace the policy. But not everyone is ready to take the leap. Nebraska Gov. Mike Johanns appeared before Congress to state his misgivings about opening his state's electric industry to retail competition. To learn more, click on1999-07-26T00:00:00-04:0085899391708http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/drought-worsens-states-take-emergency-measures-85899391708The governors of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware have ordered water rationing and other mesaures to deal with the drought. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman this week designated West Virginia and other parts of the eastern seaboard disaster areas due to excessive heat and lack of rain, making farmers in those areas eligible to apply for emergency loans when drought-related losses are calculated at season's end. For more information, click on1999-08-05T00:00:00-04:0085899391697http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/new-jersey-learns-from-other-states-on-electric-deregulation-85899391697On Aug. 1, New Jersey became one of a handful of states to begin implementing electric utility deregulation. Before opening their borders to competition, officials in the Garden State studied how California, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island implemented deregulation, then sought to replicate successful policies and avoid those that bombed.1999-08-18T00:00:00-04:0085899391664http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/pennsylvanias-electric-deregulation-seen-as-success-story-85899391664Shaped by conflict and confrontation, Pennsylvania's electric utility deregulation program has become a model for its ability to entice consumers to switch power providers. Not so enthusiastic are investor-owned utilities, which grumble that Pennsylvania short-circuits the free enterprise system by helping to establish the price of electricity.1999-09-27T00:00:00-04:0085899391639http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-embracing-use-of-green-power-85899391639Demand for "green power" -- electricity generated by renewable energy sources such as wind and water -- is slowly rising. The movement owes its momentum to state policies. Texas, for example, recently passed an electric utility deregulation law stipulating that a certain percentage of Lone Star electricity must be made with green power. For more information, click on1999-10-21T00:00:00-04:0085899391583http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/electric-deregulation-spreading-rapidly-8589939158331999-12-23T00:00:00-05:0085899392231http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/electric-deregulation-weakens-reliability-study-finds-85899392231An unintended consequence of electric utility deregulation, embraced by 23 states, has been more power outages and other reliability problems within the nations electricity grid, a new study says. Power companies are to blame for this rise in unreliability, as are the state and federal governments, according to a team of U.S. Department of Energy investigators responsible for the study.2000-01-24T00:00:00-05:0085899392206http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/support-swells-for-governor-backed-conservation-funding-bill-85899392206Legislation that would dramatically expand federal aid to state and local governments for a wide array of conservation and environmental impact endeavors took a long stride forward this week when 165 more members of Congress signed on as co-sponsors, bringing the total to 292 -- a level of support that guarantees House passage of the measure. Under H.R. 701, the Conservation and Reinvestment Act (CARA), federal, state and local governments would share a permanent $2.8 billion set-aside of federal revenues from oil and gas drilling on the outer continental shelf, a funding source that could either diminish or end the need for new taxes or fees to support conservation efforts nationwide.2000-02-18T00:00:00-05:0085899392194http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/western-governors-wary-of-federal-road-free-forest-plan-85899392194A nervous group of Western governors says a Clinton administration proposal to make 54 million acres of national forest road-free would wreak havoc with logging, mining and tourism taking place on adjoining state and private property.2000-03-03T00:00:00-05:0085899392177http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-environmentalists-quarrel-over-clean-water-permits-85899392177State and federal regulators in charge of reviewing factory discharge levels and tightening water quality standards for the nations major industrial polluters are failing to do the most fundamental part of their job, according to a new fifty-state study. But state water officials say that the study by two Washington, D.C. environmental groups twists truth by relying on questionable data and ignoring recent efforts by several states to improve water quality rules and streamline a cumbersome permit system.2000-03-20T00:00:00-05:0085899392136http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/electric-restructuring-trend-pauses-in-some-states-85899392136Twenty-four states had embraced electric utility deregulation as of the end of 1999, but the story has been different in 2000. Last week, Iowa's Legislature tabled a bill to open up the sale and production of electricity in the Hawkeye State, and uncertainty in Nevada led Gov. Kenny Guinn to pull the plug on a Mar. 1 implementation deadline. However, in Alabama, big businesses are arguing that deregulation is a concept whose time has come.2000-04-28T00:00:00-04:0085899392124http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/acid-rain-keeps-falling-despite-power-plant-controls-85899392124Congressional adjustments made to the Clean Air Act 10 years ago have reduced acid-rain forming sulfurous emissions from coal-burning power plants. But that doesnt mean the problem has gone away, say the authors of a recently released federal report.2000-05-16T00:00:00-04:0085899392117http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-planting-seeds-of-farmland-protection-85899392117State agricultural officials and anti-sprawl forces won a small but significant victory in their campaign to preserve U.S. farmland May 2 when the Ohio House of Representatives voted unanimously to put Gov. Bob Tafts $400 million brownfields cleanup and open space preservation bond initiative on the November ballot. The farmland preservation campaign is flourishing in nearly 20 states, but it's not without controversy.2000-05-23T00:00:00-04:0085899391900http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/gas-prices-to-challenge-records-over-holiday-weekend-85899391900Gasoline prices are poised to challenge record highs as motorists head for the highways for the Memorial Day weekend, new figures produced by the American Automobile Association show. A gallon of regular unleaded will cost drivers an average of $1.52 and could top two dollars in Chicago.2000-05-26T00:00:00-04:0085899392114http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/persistent-drought-prompting-new-state-action-plans-85899392114Barring a series of unforeseen spring soakers, states in the Midwest and Sunbelt face a drought that could be just as harsh as the one that devastated the eastern U.S. last year, offering many of them the chance to test their drought action plans for the first time.2000-05-29T00:00:00-04:0085899392067http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/new-federal-water-rules-threaten-to-swamp-state-epas-85899392067New rules touted by the Clinton administration as the best way to get states on the fast-track toward eliminating non-point source pollution and cleaning up U.S. waterways will strain states environmental protection resources some possibly to the breaking point state analysts say. But federal officials counter that the rules are needed to help states, the vanguard of national environmental protection efforts, meet the goals of the federal Clean Water Act.2000-07-19T00:00:00-04:0085899392053http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/electric-deregulations-side-effects-vex-several-states-85899392053Electric utility deregulation is supposed to bring about lower power prices by exposing utility monopolies to competition. At least that's what the 24 states that have opted for deregulation anticipated. But it has been more of a pain than panacea for a number of states, producing everything from tax shortfalls to power blackouts to exorbitant rate increases.2000-08-03T00:00:00-04:0085899392050http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/tobacco-states-cool-crops-slow-burn-85899392050Writing as Virginias governor during the last days of the American Revolution, Thomas Jefferson described tobacco farming as "a culture productive of infinite wretchedness" and looked forward to the crops decline in his state and Maryland after the war. Two hundred years of Chesapeake history appeared to have proven the father of modern democracy dead wrong. But with total acreage at its lowest level since 1874, the Old Dominion putting half of its first installment of the 1998 tobacco settlement in the hands of leaf growers, and Maryland offering them a full-scale buyout, Jeffersons vision seems less crackpot than prophetic.2000-08-07T00:00:00-04:0085899392046http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/california-sprawl-sparks-competing-ballot-initiatives-85899392046Hollywood painting contractor Paul Harding was skeptical when his wife started talking about escaping the hectic pace of big-city Los Angeles eight years ago. But on a weekend drive through the rolling hills of Ventura County, which includes the northern suburbs of the sprawling Southern California metropolis, the couple discovered Fillmore. On that first visit, the Hardings found a home. But now their vision of a quieter time and a gentler place are under threat -- in great part by people just like themselves, successful city dwellers yearning for a taste of rural life.2000-08-09T00:00:00-04:0085899392040http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/soaring-natural-gas-prices-hold-good-bad-news-for-states-85899392040From Washington to New Jersey, states are coping with price spikes in the nation's $51 billion natural gas industry. In Indiana, Democratic Gov. Frank O'Bannon is weighing suspending his state's sales tax on the clean-burning fossil fuel. Experts say industry developments will ease natural gas prices nationwide, but the bad news is that relief won't come in time to lower costs by winter.2000-08-17T00:00:00-04:0085899392035http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/sprawls-long-arm-touching-state-parks-report-warns-85899392035Sprawl, long reviled for tearing the heart out of America's cities and gobbling up the greenery, is now the greatest threat to her state park system, according to a report card released Friday by a non-profit park conservancy in honor of the 84th birthday of the National Park Service. It says the 10 most threatened state parks in the country are in Georgia, North Carolina, Minnesota, Nevada, West Virginia, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Montana.2000-08-25T00:00:00-04:0085899392033http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/california-caucus-stokes-smart-growth-debate-85899392033As a rallying cry, "smart growth" can be a political chameleon, adapting to suit the land use visions of preservationists, home and road builders, local governments, mass transit advocates, environmentalists, Republicans or Democrats but rarely all of them at once. Earlier this year, a group of powerful Democrats in the California legislature organized themselves around the idea, staking a claim to the smart growth mantle in a state that could welcome as many as 24 million new residents over the next 40 years.2000-08-25T00:00:00-04:0085899392027http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/perrier-bid-for-wisconsin-water-steams-environmentalists-85899392027The Perrier Group of North America is once again asking Wisconsin for permission to bottle pristine Badger State water. However, as state officials are discovering, Perrier, environmentalism and Wisconsin politics can make for a volatile mix.2000-09-06T00:00:00-04:0085899392021http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-showcase-successes-pitch-new-vision-85899392021Confronted with a new set of environmental challenges, states are leading the public policy charge toward a cleaner, healthier America. But the current structures of cooperation linking environmental protection authorities are doing more harm than good to their efforts, a handful of top state officials and analysts testified to a Congressional committee.2000-09-15T00:00:00-04:0085899391990http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/sprawl-spurs-tucson-search-for-urban-cowboy-85899391990Looking to corral development, Tucson, Ariz., took over a 41,000-acre ranch 10 miles outside city limits. In the meantime, Tucson needs one tough son of a gun to tend to 84 head of cattle.2000-09-19T00:00:00-04:0085899392005http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/epa-chief-looks-past-november-to-environmental-future-85899392005Carol Browner, the longest-serving administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), says she used to describe the relationship between state and federal environmental regulators as something like an arranged marriage. "We had to stay together for the children," she quipped this week to an audience of journalists, environmentalists and representatives of government, labor and industry at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.2000-10-04T00:00:00-04:0085899391997http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/school-pesticide-question-challenges-policymakers-85899391997To spray or not to spray? That's the dilemma facing increasing numbers of school districts engaged in perennial battles with six-legged classroom intruders and harmful campus weeds. It's also a question state and federal officials are under mounting pressure to answer.2000-10-13T00:00:00-04:0085899391991http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/on-the-record-the-sierra-clubs-ed-hopkins-85899391991Observers on both sides of the green policy issue realize the nations environmental laws arent getting any younger. Revamping them calls for a fresh look at how states have done as frontline enforcers. Stateline.org Staff writer John Nagy recently asked environmentalist Ed Hopkins for his assessment.2000-10-20T00:00:00-04:0085899391989http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/on-the-record-michigan-environmental-head-russell-harding-85899391989With a Republican-dominated administration and a history of being a staunch friend of industry, Michigan isn't generally viewed by environmentalists as a champion of the environment. Nonetheless, the Great Lakes State launched a $675 million investment in brownfields recovery and related programs two years ago and has won national laurels for its pollution prevention efforts. Stateline.org recently spoke with Michigan Department of Environmental Quality director Russell Harding, who served in Alaska and Missouri before taking over as Michigans top environmental regulator in 1992.2000-10-20T00:00:00-04:0085899391985http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/delay-of-inventory-leaves-sprawls-pace-in-question-85899391985Federal data released nearly a year ago that shows an alarming state-by-state disappearance of open space remains unverified after the discovery of a computer error in March cast doubt on its validity. Federal officials now say say state and local planners and others waiting for corrected data will have to keep waiting at least until the end of the year.2000-10-27T00:00:00-04:0085899391977http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/statewide-growth-measures-loom-large-on-tuesdays-ballot-85899391977It should not be surprising that 2000 would yield another bumper crop of growth-related statewide ballot measures, rooted as most are in the anti-sprawl fever feeding voter interest in local elections. Voters in 22 states will weigh in on how to channel growth through 35 statewide measures, according to a new report released by the Brookings Institute. Local ballots will offer residents "hundreds" of additional opportunities to shape their cities and counties.2000-11-06T00:00:00-05:0085899391971http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/on-the-record-wisconsin-dnr-secretary-george-meyer-85899391971Logging. Breweries. Large dairy farms. These are a few of Wisconsins favorite things. Perched between two of the worlds largest bodies of fresh water, the Badger State has as long a tradition of capitalizing on its natural resources as it does of backing the kind of progressive politics that led then-Sen. Gaylord Nelson to inaugurate Earth Day in 1969. Stateline.org caught up with the man currently in charge of balancing these interests at the first annual meeting of the Association of Capitol Reporters and Editors (ACRE), where he came to talk about the states role in protecting the environment.2000-11-15T00:00:00-05:0085899391949http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/electric-deregulation-californias-christmas-grinch-85899391949Hailed in many states as a way to increase competition and lower customers' power bills, electric utility deregulation in California has turned out to be the grinch that is stealing Christmas cheer. As the state faces an unprecedented power supply emergency, residents are being urged to curb their use of electricity, including shutting off elaborate holiday displays. And in a tacit acknowledgement that California still has much to learn in its deregulation experiment, Gov. Gray Davis said last week that much of the crisis could be attributed to its newly deregulated power system.2000-12-11T00:00:00-05:0085899391943http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/anatomy-of-a-debacle-arizonas-alt-fuels-program-85899391943Arizona lawmakers have gutted the states disastrous alternative-fuel vehicle program, ending a costly debacle that outraged taxpayers, sparked a criminal investigation and brought down one of the state's most powerful politicians. On Thursday, Dec. 14, Gov. Jane Hull signed a bill into law that will shrink what was a potentially devastating $600 million budget liability to a more manageable $200 million. Still, that is more than $190 million more than the state wanted to spend on the program, which gave Arizonans generous incentives to buy vehicles converted to run on propane or compressed natural gas.2000-12-19T00:00:00-05:0085899392606http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/utility-deregulation-vexes-californians-85899392606If California's lingering power crisis left any doubt about the future of the state's attempts at utility deregulation, state energy officials have dispelled it. "We are voting the epitaph for deregulation in California today. Deregulation is dead," said Public Utilities Commissioner Carl Wood last Thursday, when the board approved a 90-day emergency rate hike to bail out failing utilities.2001-01-08T00:00:00-05:0085899392291http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/corrected-federal-data-crops-picture-of-lost-lands-85899392291Valuable forests and agricultural land slipped under the wheels of the nations sprawling commercial and residential juggernaut at a rapid rate over the last decade but not quite at as quickly as first believed, recently corrected federal data shows. The Natural Resources Conservation Service, the land and water conservation arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, released the long-awaited update to its Natural Resources Inventory (NRI) last week.2001-01-12T00:00:00-05:0085899392593http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/californias-woes-cast-pall-over-electric-deregulation-85899392593Pundits who predicted Y2K would be a nightmare for the computer industry picked the wrong business. Instead, 2000 turned out to be a trying year for the electric power industry as utility deregulation produced a stream of high-profile snafus ranging from price spikes to tax revenue dips to power outages.2001-01-16T00:00:00-05:0085899392581http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/power-shortage-not-californias-only-energy-problem-85899392581Californians who have thus far avoided the sting of rising electricity costs in the midst of the state's power crisis should brace themselves for the trip to the mailbox when this month's natural gas bill arrives. But it's not just Californians who will feel the pinch. With supply tight, demand increasing and prices soaring, natural gas bills nationwide for this December could be twice as high as last year's winter bills.2001-01-26T00:00:00-05:0085899392574http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/western-governors-meet-on-electric-deregulation-crisis-85899392574A meeting in Portland, Oregon last week could help shape a state policy response to the nation's latest energy headache -- the electric deregulation crisis. Although the crisis is rooted in California's flawed electric deregulation plan, it has other causes as well and it is starting to have adverse economic consequences in several Western states.2001-02-01T00:00:00-05:0085899392558http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/shortage-fears-hit-water-rich-policy-poor-louisiana-85899392558Perched on the eastern bank of one of the largest river systems in the world, Louisiana's capitol of Baton Rouge has a potential drinking problem. Drop a well 1500 feet from the middle of a neighborhood south of town into the sands of the states Southeast aquifer system and youre likely to bring up something that tastes more like Gulf Coast brine than a bottle of spring water.2001-02-21T00:00:00-05:0085899392547http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/state-lawmakers-concerned-about-lack-of-focus-on-farm-issues-85899392547Farmers 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.2001-03-05T00:00:00-05:0085899392282http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-push-flexibility-at-environmental-policy-forum-85899392282State and local leaders who hope to expand their influence over environmental policy and get more flexibility in meeting national standards for protecting the air, water, land and public health are receiving encouragement from key members of Congress and the Bush administration. At a Washington, DC policy summit Thursday (3/8), top administration officials promised that states would have more input from now on.2001-03-09T00:00:00-05:0085899392532http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/state-brownfields-programs-take-national-stage-85899392532When Kentuckys Democratic-controlled House and Republican-led Senate both voted unanimously to expand brownfields programs last week, they committed the Bluegrass State to a decade-long push to make investment in cleaning up abandoned industrial sites more attractive to private redevelopers. They also signed on to one of the few nationwide environmental causes to generate real interest in both major political parties since Congress first acted to protect natural resources and public health and set up the Environmental Protection Agency over 30 years ago.2001-03-19T00:00:00-05:0085899392526http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/governors-push-conservation-on-private-lands-85899392526The $17.6 billion that voters in state and local elections have approved for land purchases since 1998 is a powerful index of citizens concern for the environment, but buying up open space wont accomplish enough on its own, a key group of governors said this month at a land policy summit hosted by the National Governors Association (NGA) in Washington, DC.2001-03-26T00:00:00-05:0085899392510http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/bush-leaves-states-holding-environment-bag-critics-say-85899392510President Bush's new budget gives states more responsibility to protect the environment and conserve natural resources, but state officials say it fails to give them much new cash to get the job done. State officials say theyd like more support from an administration that would scale back the federal regulatory role if Bush has his way.2001-04-17T00:00:00-04:0085899392504http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/western-mines-drive-up-toxic-releases-epa-says-85899392504Americans might have been exposed to a higher level of toxic chemicals and chemical compounds in 1999 than they were the year before, according to new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) data. The nations industries generated 7.77 billion pounds of toxic chemicals and compounds in 1999, a 5.3 percent jump from 1998 due largely to increases in emissions and solid waste disposals from metal mining facilities in the West.2001-04-23T00:00:00-04:0085899392502http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/california-crisis-overshadows-power-plant-building-boom-85899392502Citizens throughout the country are finding there's little they can do to stop an unprecedented power plant construction boom as states seek to prevent California-sized electricity problems by building more power plants and private investors move to cash in on fears of power outages. Although precise figures are hard to come by, an estimated 700 plants are under construction or on the drawing boards to be completed by 2007 at a cost of about $140 billion, according to Arlington, Va.-based Energy Ventures Analysis Inc., a leading consultant in the energy field.2001-04-27T00:00:00-04:0085899392485http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-defend-environmental-record-85899392485State officials have claimed for years that they, not the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), do the vast majority of traditional environmental work the inspections, assessments and enforcement actions on potential and real polluters carried out each year in the United States. Now, they say, as the debate over their capacity to handle environmental responsibility continues, they have the numbers to prove it.2001-05-14T00:00:00-04:0085899392274http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-crack-down-on-gasoline-thieves-85899392274More and more U.S. motorists have become "fuel shoplifters." With the price of gasoline at near record-high levels, gas stations are reporting that more drivers are filling up their gas tanks and fleeing without paying. Twelve states have responded by pumping up criminal penalties for those convicted of stealing gas. Most of them have added a punishment to the usual "petty theft" penalty - suspending violators' drivers licenses for six months.2001-05-28T00:00:00-04:0085899392464http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/conservationists-strive-to-protect-eastern-forests-85899392464While economic realities alter the viability of forestry and land ownership in the eastern United States, conservation groups are pooling resources to ensure that the regions woods will remain much the way Robert Frost saw them 80 years ago when he wrote "Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening." Outright open space acquisitions are popular, but the less expensive tool of choice is becoming the easement, the purchase of the development rights to lands that could otherwise attract new construction. Conservationists are buying them up in larger chunks than ever before.2001-06-12T00:00:00-04:0085899392456http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/cara-push-begins-anew-85899392456The Conservation and Reinvestment Act (CARA) is back on Congresss list of legislative priorities, looking much the same as it did when it failed to come to a floor vote in the U.S. Senate last fall.2001-06-20T00:00:00-04:0085899392462http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/on-the-record-us-rep-don-young-r-alaska-discusses-cara-85899392462Last year, Alaska Republican Don Young convinced three-fourths of the U.S. House of Representatives to support his Conservation and Reinvestment Act of 2000 (CARA), only to see it die in the Senate despite support from state and local governments, thousands of outdoor advocacy groups, and more than sixty Senators.2001-06-20T00:00:00-04:0085899392452http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-weigh-role-on-export-of-electricity-85899392452Mid-America is fast becoming ground zero for the biggest power plant construction boom since the 1970s. But much of the electricity generated by these new facilities will be exported to other parts of the country, leaving states without any real economic benefits from the plants' construction and with the financial burden of having to monitor their impact on local communities.2001-06-29T00:00:00-04:0085899392439http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-vary-in-addressing-power-plant-construction-85899392439Putting an addition on your home can bring more regulatory hassles than building a power plant in many states. But in a few states like Minnesota, new generating facilities must meet a tough "needs test" to enter today's new electricity market.2001-07-18T00:00:00-04:0085899392435http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-call-for-block-grants-in-2002-farm-bill-85899392435Wyoming 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.2001-07-24T00:00:00-04:0085899392269http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/nga-meeting-ends-with-fed-state-plan-on-electric-ills-85899392269Providence , R.I. - The National Governors' Association Tuesday unveiled a plan to work with the Bush administration to identify and fix problems with the U.S. transmission grid, the nation's electric power distribution system.2001-08-06T00:00:00-04:0085899392422http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/cooling-economy-slows-growth-of-state-tourist-income-85899392422It's official. The sagging U.S. economy has become a drag on tourism and business travel in most parts of the country. At least that's what the Federal Reserve Board says in its latest "Beige Book" report, which monitors the burps and sputters of the nation's economic engine. However, travel industry officials predict overall business and leisure travel this year will finish the summer slightly above last year's rate, one of the best in history.2001-08-14T00:00:00-04:0085899392266http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/dont-go-near-the-water-environmental-group-says-85899392266With all the hype about sharks in the water this summer, one would think death by man-eating fish would be the only thing to worry about when going near the ocean. Well, think again. In its 11th annual report on beach closings, the Natural Resources Defense Council noted that closings in 2000 due to disease-causing pollution had nearly doubled from the 1999 figure of 6,160 to 11,270.2001-08-21T00:00:00-04:0085899392414http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/riding-an-oil-and-gas-wave-into-the-black-85899392414The past several months found lawmakers in most states lowering their legislative sights as the slowing U.S. economy drained dollars from state coffers. But a handful of states are bucking this trend as they ride a wave of higher than average oil and gas prices to better fiscal health. Alaska, Louisiana, Montana New Mexico, Oklahoma and Wyoming are all enjoying an unexpected windfall from taxes on the oil and gas industries in their states. Analysts caution, however, that just as in the past, the wave of high prices won't last long. Already there are signs it is petering out.2001-08-24T00:00:00-04:0085899392409http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/california-sets-pace-in-renewable-energy-development-85899392409If most states had followed California in developing renewable energy resources in the 1980s, experts say, the United States today would be significantly less dependent on pollution-causing fossil fuels and close to compliance with the Kyoto climate change accord the Bush administration recently repudiated. California has invested heavily and consistently in energy conservation programs and the development of wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, hydro and other forms of alternative power generation - even in the face of its electricity debacle.2001-08-28T00:00:00-04:0085899392407http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/seven-states-to-compete-for-innovation-awards-85899392407Seven state-run programs in areas such as education, public safety, and the environment are among 15 policy initiatives competing for five $100,000 awards for being the most innovative programs in American government. The awards are given annually by the Institute for Government Innovation at Harvard Universitys John F. Kennedy School of Government in conjunction with the Council for Excellence in Government. The 15 finalists were chosen from 1,300 applicants, and each will receive a $20,000 grant.2001-09-05T00:00:00-04:0085899392403http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/bush-out-to-polish-federalism-image-with-pending-order-85899392403President George W. Bush is in the process of drafting an executive order on federalism that might help defuse criticism that he has betrayed his roots by overriding state authority on patients rights, taxes, education, energy, the environment, and the faith-based initiative. Bush, a former Texas governor, called in his campaign and early in his administration for a more even balance of power between Washington, D.C. and the states, but state officials say he has not practiced what he preached.2001-09-11T00:00:00-04:0085899392622http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/crop-duster-groundings-might-hit-harvest-85899392622Farmers in many states might feel some impact at harvest time this fall from the post-September 11 grounding of 5,000 crop dusters. Planes and helicopters used to spray fertilizer and chemicals on millions of acres of U.S. farmland are flying again now, but they had to stand down for a day or more three times in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon -- and the groundings occurred during a phase of the growing season crucial to the survival of crops susceptible to disease and insects.2001-09-25T00:00:00-04:0085899392305http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/electricity-deregulation-deadline-nears-in-some-states-85899392305Undeterred by the California power crisis, four states will complete their own electricity deregulation efforts in 2002 as they seek to give customers a greater choice of providers and new industry players a better shot at making money.2001-10-16T00:00:00-04:0085899393029http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/california-power-crisis-eases-but-worries-remain-85899393029A year ago, electrical power in California was in short supply in some areas and exorbitantly expensive because of an unrestricted wholesale market dominated by the now-bankrupt Enron Corp. and a handful of other energy brokers. Since then, the state has worked itself into a power glut thanks to conservation efforts, moderate weather and state and federal intervention. But experts say underlying problems remain.2002-01-02T00:00:00-05:0085899393015http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/enrons-troubles-include-state-probes-85899393015Hoping to spearhead the fight to recoup billions of dollars of retirement fund losses, representatives of five states are asking to lead a nationwide class-action lawsuit against bankrupt energy giant Enron Corp.2002-01-31T00:00:00-05:0085899393000http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/enron-helped-push-electric-deregulation-85899393000Enron has been among the most active players in state politics in recent years, lavishing over $1 million on state lawmakers during the 2000 election cycle alone. Its goal in doling out these dollars? Deregulation of electricity markets, experts say.2002-02-13T00:00:00-05:0085899392999http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-offering-more-energy-incentives-85899392999If you've thought about going solar in the face of rising electricity costs, now may be the time to do it. With only a few exceptions, states are offering tax credits, sales rebates and other incentives to promote the use of alternative, or renewable energy sources.2002-02-14T00:00:00-05:0085899392994http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/state-environmental-budgets-take-200m-hit-85899392994President Bushs FY2003 budget proposal for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency would give states an additional $15 million to enforce clean air and water regulations, but that won't even begin to offset the substantial cuts many states are already making to their own environmental spending because of budget problems.2002-02-21T00:00:00-05:0085899392986http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/farm-links-cultivate-new-generation-85899392986Web 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: Farming2002-02-28T00:00:00-05:0085899392944http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/open-space-questioned-as-anti-sprawl-tool-85899392944Your local playground, county park, preserved farm, state forest or national monument came at a high price and may serve an important purpose, but theres scant hard evidence to prove that it's stopping sprawl as advertised, according to a new report from the Brookings Institution.2002-04-19T00:00:00-04:0085899392936http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/lengthy-drought-takes-toll-on-states-85899392936Three-minute showers in Pennsylvania. A run on low-flow toilets in New Mexico. Early spring fires in Colorado. And the extension of low-interest loans to farmers across the country. All are the result of a long-running, near-nationwide drought that has prompted local and state governments to implement new water conservation guidelines and forced some governors to ask the U.S. Department of Agriculture to declare their states drought disaster areas.2002-04-29T00:00:00-04:0085899392907http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/radioactive-waste-a-political-hot-potato-85899392907Its dij` vu all over again: A Republican rules the White House and the U.S. Department of Energy is pushing for plutonium shipments to a state that doesnt want them, where a Democratic governor is threatening to use armed state troopers to block the shipments.2002-05-22T00:00:00-04:0085899392855http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/arizona-wildfires-trigger-heated-rhetoric-85899392855The only thing that may be hotter than Arizona's Rodeo-Chediski wildfire that has burned more than 400,000 acres of forest is the political rhetoric over how it might have been prevented or, at least, kept from becoming so destructive. For an in-depth report courtesy of the Arizona Capitol Times, click on2002-06-28T00:00:00-04:0085899392827http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/state-parks-hit-hard-times-85899392827If you're planning a hike, a cookout or a fishing trip at your favorite state park this weekend, you may want to call ahead to make sure it's open. Especially if you'd rather not run into vandals or risk arrest for trespassing.2002-07-23T00:00:00-04:0085899392825http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/transporting-nuclear-waste-may-be-bumpy-ride-85899392825The U.S. Congress has approved locating the nations nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain and President Bush signed the legislation this week. But the question remains, how will spent nuclear reactor fuel be safely and efficiently shipped to Nevada?2002-07-25T00:00:00-04:0085899392738http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/environmental-measures-trigger-ballot-fights-85899392738A campaign to require labels on genetically-modified foods in Oregon is one of several ballot measure fights that pit consumer rights and environmental groups against corporate interests at the polls on Nov. 5.2002-10-10T00:00:00-04:0085899392648http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-vie-for-innovation-awards-85899392648Who 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.2002-12-02T00:00:00-05:0085899392633http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/alien-species-another-costly-state-headache-85899392633State agriculture and wildlife officials are the first line of defense against a bio-pollution problem that costs the country billions each year in environmental damage the invasion of foreign plants, insects, animals and diseases.2002-12-17T00:00:00-05:0085899393410http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/alaska-officials-eye-oil-fund-in-budget-crisis-85899393410Alaska, like most states, is facing a major budget deficit. But Alaska, unlike any other state, has enough money in the bank to cover this year's deficit nearly 50 times over.2003-02-06T00:00:00-05:0085899393404http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-target-greenhouse-gases-85899393404In the absence of national policy, states have created programs that are resulting in the reduction of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane.2003-02-13T00:00:00-05:0085899393349http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/pennsylvania-land-program-gets-kudos-knocks-85899393349Pennsylvania is in the forefront of an environmental movement to preserve farmland from development, but the Keystone State program is controversial. Proponents say natural resources are being protected, but the programs critics call it a money machine for cash-strapped landowners.2003-04-09T00:00:00-04:0085899393327http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/land-preservation-programs-survive-the-ax-85899393327Even though most states face major budget problems, voters and state government leaders have shown that preserving land from development is a top priority, no matter what the cost. All across the country, expensive land acquisition programs have survived the budget ax and continue to receive full funding.2003-04-29T00:00:00-04:0085899393314http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/state-programs-win-innovation-awards-85899393314A New York anti-drug plan and a program to help rural Ohioans get college educations have won the Oscars of government prizes. The Innovations in American Government Award honors successful new approaches to tackling societys problems.2003-05-09T00:00:00-04:0085899393285http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-in-forefront-of-agricultural-biotech-debate-85899393285States 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.2003-06-12T00:00:00-04:0085899393276http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/governors-kick-off-fire-season-with-call-to-action-85899393276A group of Western governors attending a forest health summit in Montana called on Congress for immediate action to protect high-risk communities from wildfires in Western states.2003-06-19T00:00:00-04:0085899393273http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/kempthorne-says-hed-accept-epa-post-if-offered-85899393273If President Bush asks Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne (R) to become the new head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Kempthorne said Thursday (6/19) it would be his responsibility to take the job.2003-06-19T00:00:00-04:0085899393264http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/colorado-forecasting-fewer-fires-return-of-tourists-85899393264Despite ongoing budget concerns, Colorado legislators are breathing a little easier this summer than they were a year ago, when massive forest fires, stoked by a five-year drought, consumed hundreds of thousands of acres and turned tourism taxes to ash.2003-06-30T00:00:00-04:0085899393225http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/budget-cuts-take-toll-on-state-parks-85899393225The campgrounds, historic sites and lush forests in U.S. state parks cant escape the effects of the budget crisis. State park officials report that financial woes are hacking at recreation programs and prompting fee increases, reductions in personnel and deals with corporations in parks across the United States at a time when many state officials report increases in park visitors.2003-08-06T00:00:00-04:0085899393127http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/governors-mull-blackout-solutions-85899393127Responding to the recent blackouts in Midwestern and Northeastern states, governors gathered here for the National Governors Association's (NGA) annual summer meeting said the nations electricity grid needs an upgrade, but did not agree on how to make it happen.2003-08-17T00:00:00-04:0085899393205http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/hazmat-incidents-show-downward-trend-85899393205Illinois led all states in the number of accidents involving chemicals, petroleum, medical waste or other hazardous materials in 2002, but most of the accidents there as elsewhere were minor, and there was a downward trend in the overall number of hazmat incidents.2003-08-25T00:00:00-04:00