Stateline Headlines

'Sovereign Citizens' Make Noise in Wyoming

PUBLIC SAFETY BEAT: A fringe political group that considers the U.S. government illegitimate is something the FBI would rather not talk about ... Michigan's governor asks for major concessions from a correctional officers' union ... Democrats see a chance to gain Pennsylvania's top law enforcement job for the first time in decades, and other public safety news.

Wisconsin’s Scott Walker: Anti-union governor comes to labor town

Walker signs layoff alternative bill

Gov. Scott Walker signs work-share measure

Walker reports state added 32,000 jobs in 2012

Wisconsin adds 62,000 over past 2 years

Measure requiring 4 work searches per week for jobless benefits advances

State budget panel holds up $63 million in WEDC funding over problems

Wisconsin Supreme Court Retains Conservative Tilt

The Wisconsin high court’s perceived conservative tilt will remain after a justice was re-elected in Tuesday’s vote.

Balance of Power, Future of Key Issues at Stake in Wisconsin Court Race

Two years after one of the most contentious and bruising Supreme Court elections any state has ever seen, Wisconsin voters will return to the polls Tuesday to cast their votes in another judicial election.

Should Public Workers Have to Live Where They Work?

Municipal residency requirements have gradually become less common. State efforts to ban them can get ugly as cities fight to maintain their middle class population base.

Feds Slam Wisconsin Public-Private Partnership for Economic Development

Transferring control of Wisconsin’s economic development efforts from a state agency to a new public-private partnership was a focus of Governor Scott Walker’s campaign and one of the first things he accomplished when he took office.

Wisconsin Judge Strikes Down Collective Bargaining Restrictions

A county judge in Wisconsin has thrown out most of Governor Scott Walker’s law that severely restricts collective bargaining for public employees, throwing into question changes to contracts already negotiated under the year-old law.

Wisconsin Budget Proposal Hits State Workers

TODAY'S TAKE: Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker proposed a budget on Friday (February 11) that puts an end to most collective bargaining rights for public worker unions and, according to the governor's own estimates, will cost the average state employee thousands of dollars a year.

Is Wisconsin Standoff Winding Down?

TODAY'S TAKE: Democrats who have fled Wisconsin to strip Republicans of a quorum on controversial labor legislation say they will return to Madison soon. The move would hand the GOP a short-term victory on collective bargaining rights, though Democrats say they will come out ahead in public opinion.

In Wisconsin, Assessing a New Labor Law’s Impact

RACINE, Wisconsin - A year after union protests swept Wisconsin's Capitol, labor and management are still grappling with the collective bargaining law that prompted the backlash. Leaders of local governments and schools enjoy having more options to balance their budgets, but state funding cuts often outweigh the benefits.

A New Pay System for Wisconsin State Workers

MANAGEMENT BEAT: Wisconsin's new compensation plan for state employees, the first in decades to be drafted without significant worker participation, freezes pay and creates a controversial new method of rewarding employee performance.

Wisconsin Unions Allow Bargaining Status to Lapse

MANAGEMENT BEAT: Unions protested this spring when Wisconsin passed a new law restricting collective bargaining rights. Now, the major unions representing the bulk of state workers are deciding not to get certified to bargain for what they're still allowed to under the law.

Wisconsin Dems Flee, Union Discord Grows

TODAY'S TAKE: The battle in Wisconsin over the rights of public employee unions reached a standoff Thursday, as Democrats blocked further action by absenting themselves. The showdown prompted tens of thousands of protesters to swarm the Wisconsin Capitol.

After Union Protests, Next Steps in Wisconsin

MANAGEMENT BEAT: Avoiding a vote on a controversial right-to-work bill, Indiana Democrats flee the state ... A barrage of amendments for Walker's budget bill ... Questionable doctor's notes in Wisconsin, and other government management news.

Bill-job conflict: It’s routine in Olympia

Washington Supreme Court reviews $100 million award for home care workers

Washington Liquor Vote May Open Doors Elsewhere

TODAY'S TAKE: Washington voters removed their state from the liquor business on Tuesday (November 8), giving momentum to similar efforts in other places, including one just across the border in Oregon.

States May Boost Salaries, With a Catch

Long-awaited salary increases or bonuses will be tied to “ifs” and “buts” for state employees in Arizona and possibly Virginia.

No Time to Pass the Bottle

With legislatures thirsty for revenue, getting states out of the booze business has its appeal. Advocates say states could generate millions by auctioning off licenses to sell alcohol. Breaking up state monopolies will also encourage more stores to open, bringing with them higher sales and income tax revenues, advocates argue.But barely a few weeks later, many of those proposals have died quietly. In Virginia and Mississippi, they were withdrawn by their sponsors. In Washington and Vermont, they are bottled up in committee. How could these heavily-touted revenue streams dry up so suddenly?

Vermont Senate defeats child care unionization bid

Vermont's Pension Experiment

Like many states, Vermont faces rising public employee pension costs while trying to close a budget shortfall. A state panel recommended cutting pension benefits, angering employee unions. Legislative leaders and the state treasurer tried something different: inviting the teacher's union for a series of private talks that ended with a novel compromise. So far, everyone's happy.

Utah Senate confirms Pierpont to head Workforce Services

Four-Day Workweek Grows on Utahns

The U.S. Postal Service has suggested cutting one day of mail delivery a week. Now California is about to shut down state government every other Friday. One state - Utah - already is experimenting with four-day-a-week government, with encouraging results.

As Four-Day Workweek Ends, Utah Opens on Fridays

The nation's most ambitious experiment with an alternative work schedule is over. While many public sector employers offer four-day schedules to some employees, Utah was the only state to try it for most of its workforce.

Summary of the Tennessee State of the State Address

Term-limited Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen (D) unveiled a new budget plan that would cut state spending and use up about $200 million in rainy day funds during his final state of the state address Feb. 1.

Haslam Asks For Overhaul to 'Broken' Civil Service System

TODAY'S TAKE: Governor Bill Haslam wants to make it easier to hire, fire and promote state workers. His plans would overturn longstanding rules intended to fight patronage.

South Carolina Dials Up Pressure Over Boeing Plant

TODAY'S TAKE: South Carolina officials are complaining about an effort by the National Labor Relations Board to derail a $1 billion Boeing plant in their state, saying the NLRB would be undermining free enterprise.

South Dakota Weighs Ban on Public Sector Collective Bargaining

MANAGEMENT BEAT: As the debate on a new labor law heats up, the bill's sponsor unexpectedly switches sides.

S.C. State Workers Challenge Health Insurance Hike

This year, the South Carolina legislature budgeted to give state workers, university employees and teachers their first raise in four years in exchange for increasing what they contribute to their retirement plans.

Is it Really a Great Day in South Carolina?

Governor Nikki Haley’s mandatory telephone greeting for state employees has gotten mixed reviews since it went into effect in September, but the governor sees the policy as a wholly positive development.

Governor Promises Tough Session for South Carolina Unions

ECONOMY & BUSINESS BEAT: In this year's legislative session, Republican Governor Nikki Haley says, "We'll make the unions understand full well that they are not needed, not wanted and not welcome in the state of South Carolina."

Labor Dept.: Time for Station nightclub owners to pay fine for lack of workers' comp coverage

Governor Chafee withdraws pay raise proposal for R.I. agency heads

Should States Get Out of the Booze Business?

Pennsylvania is as close as it has ever come to privatizing liquor sales following a House vote in March. Tricky questions await the Senate as it considers whether to modernize or dismantle the state’s multifarious system.

Pennsylvania Governor Wants State to Exit Liquor Business, Use Proceeds for Schools

Corbett on Wednesday unveiled a plan that would remove Pennsylvania from liquor business and funnel to schools proceeds from the sale of alcohol licenses.

Keystone State Extends Same-Sex Benefits

Pennsylvania recently became the sixth state to allow gay and lesbian employees to use family or sick leave time to care for their domestic partner. The provision allowing use of sick leave, which had been on the table in union negotiations for more than a decade, was included in a four-year contract between the state and 13,000 unionized workers.

Should States Be in the Liquor Business?

Several states that tightly control liquor sales are debating whether to turn them over to the private sector.

Liquor Privatization on Tap in Pennsylvania, Too?

TODAY'S TAKE: Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Tom Corbett is the latest Republican to propose a major privatization project to raise revenues. Corbett wants to the privatize the state's liquor stores.

The Latest in Office Supplies: Treadmills

Oregon state workers may test treadmill desks as a way to improve health and increase productivity.

Weekly Wrap: Recession Setting Records in Wisconsin, Oregon

Sales tax revenue drops for the first time in Wisconsin. Demand for food stamps and food boxes sets records in Oregon. Cigar-smoking Pennsylvania lawmakers reject tobacco tax increase.

Oregon Governor Stands Firm on Worker Health Care

TODAY'S TAKE: Oregon is one of a handful of states in which current state employees pay nothing toward health insurance for either individual or family plans. Governor John Kitzhaber wants to change that.

Oregon Looks to Shrink Middle Management

An unusual mix of Republicans, Democrats and labor leaders are working together to restructure state government.

State Hiring Freezes Tend to Melt Away

It's easy for a governor to announce a halt to new state employment. It's very difficult to maintain it.

Kasich's BWC proposal includes $113M going to schools, local governments

Ohio Tries to Unclog Courts by Limiting Asbestos Suits

Ohios first-in-the-nation attempt to curb the tens of thousands of asbestos injury lawsuits filed in the state became law this month. But the battle over the controversial tort reform measure has just begun.

Ohio is Next in Collective Bargaining Crackdown

TODAY'S TAKE: The fight in the states over collective bargaining shifts this week to Ohio, where the House of Representatives could vote on a Senate-approved measure to limit negotiation powers for public employee unions.

A Three-Year College Degree in Ohio?

EDUCATION BEAT: Ohio governor wants colleges to offer three-year degrees ... Idaho ends its legislative session after approving three controversial education bills ... Oregon lawmakers want the governor to double as school superintendent and other education news from state governments.

Ohio Republicans Backtrack on Labor Law

TODAY'S TAKE: Republican leaders in Ohio now say they will compromise on a tough new collective bargaining law that they approved earlier this year - and which labor unions are working to repeal in November. "I hate what is about to happen here," the House speaker says.

Drive to Reverse SB 5 in Ohio Is Labor's Last, Best Hope for 2011 Win

A law enacted by Republicans in Ohio this spring represents one of the most dramatic challenges to organized labor anywhere in the nation in 2011. But it may be repealed by voters next week.

New labor commissioner appointed

Continuing U.S. Trend, North Carolina Helps Military Spouses With Licensing

Governor Bev Perdue signed into law Tuesday (July 24) legislation aimed at helping military spouses land jobs after they arrive at North Carolina military bases, continuing a trend in statehouses to reduce barriers of entry into the workforce for military spouses across the U.S. Under the law, military spouses tr

Johnson out as GOER director

The shame of New York

Assembly acts to extend farm workers' rights

Tracking the Recession: Prison Economics

FALLSBURG, N.Y. -- New York and other financially struggling states are trying to save millions of dollars by closing prisons. But a look at one rural community's anxiety over the closing of a local prison shows why it's a particularly challenging cost-cutting move.

In New York, State Worker Layoffs to Begin July 15

TODAY'S TAKE: New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has started the process of laying off up to 9,800 state workers, according to a memo obtained by a newspaper in Albany.

Union Vote Sets Stage for 3,500 Layoffs in New York

TODAY'S TAKE: New York Governor Andrew Cuomo says he will begin notifying 3,500 state workers today (September 28) that they are being laid off. The move comes after a major public employee union rejected Cuomo's contract offer.

New York State Workers Mull Strength of Layoff Protections

MANAGEMENT BEAT: As the ratification process for contracts swings into full gear, some state workers worry that they are being asked to choose between layoffs or more layoffs.

N.J. rejects union protest of lottery privatization, allowing contract to advance

Labor unions form N.J. Super PAC

NJEA names new president, officers

State's largest teacher union forms Super PAC

Christie Vetoes Minimum Wage Hike, Offers Compromise

Governor Chris Christie has conditionally vetoed legislation that would have boosted New Jersey’s minimum wage. Instead, he proposed a compromise that New Jersey lawmakers appear unlikely to accept.

New Jersey Lawmakers Send Minimum Wage Boost to Governor

Minimum wage workers in New Jersey would get a major raise under legislation that’s been sent to the governor’s desk. But it is unlikely Governor Chris Christie will sign the bill as is.

N.J. Lawmaker to Replacement Refs: ‘Keep Out’

New Jersey’s Senate president plans to introduce legislation that would ban the use of replacement officials in professional sporting events played on state soil.

New Jersey Enacts Paid Family Leave

New Jersey this month joined California and Washington in adopting family leave insurance plans that allow workers to take time off with pay to care for sick family members or newborn and newly adopted children. New York and Oregon are expected to consider similar laws next year.

Live from New York, uh, Jersey!

New Jersey lawmakers fume that their state does the work but New York gets the glory. A bubblegum-rock song inspired by a North Carolina bureaucrat gives new meaning to the term "elevator music." And preschoolers make fun of New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D). In case you missed any of those stories this week, "Worth Noting" fills you in.

State employees to N.J. gov: 'No thanks'

Thanksgiving is a national holiday that reconciles the haves and the have-nots. But the day after Thanksgiving is a sore point, at least for state workers in New Jersey who don't have the day off for only the second time in 45 years.

N.J. Teachers Rush Into Retirement

TODAY'S TAKE: Chris Christie, the outspoken New Jersey governor who has become synonymous with spending cuts, appears to have instilled fear in state labor unions. New numbers show that teachers, in particular, are retiring in waves, apparently fearful that the Christie administration will go after their pensions and benefits.

State Workers Target New Jersey Dems

TODAY'S TAKE: New Jersey state workers are furious over a legislative plan that would dramatically increase the cost of the benefits they receive, doubling or even tripling their annual health insurance fees.

A Hidden Side to New Jersey's Privatization Push

Chris Christie's administration recommended contracting out 40 state services to the private sector. It's one that wasn't on the list that's spurring the most controversy.

Chris Christie's Budget Bruiser

TRENTON, N.J. - New Jersey's new governor wants to erase one of the nation's largest budget deficits almost entirely with spending cuts. The governor's proposal has made him a villain to mayors, teachers, superintendents and other public employees. But Christie, perhaps more than any other governor these days, has captured the imagination of conservatives who admire his eagerness to take on powerful public worker unions.

Issue to Watch: Collective Bargaining

While this year’s legislative battles in the states over collective bargaining rights are likely to be more restrained than previous years, the legislation put forward would still have a significant impact on employer-labor relationships, if passed.

In New Hampshire, a New Way on Retiree Health Costs

State and local governments across the country are wrestling with how to pay the medical bills of retired public-sector workers. New Hampshire is trying a model that won't solve the whole problem but almost certainly will help.

Pay Boost on the Horizon for Some State Workers

Far fewer people are working for state governments than before the recession began, but those who remain may get modest salary increases this year.

The Wal-Mart Struggle: Shaping America's Future

The Wal-Mart Watch campaign, a labor-environmental group highly critical of America's mega-mega retailer, recently launched more than 1,000 events nationwide for its Higher Expectations Week.

Union Showdown Spreads

TODAY'S TAKE: With Wisconsin still engulfed protests, union members in several other Midwestern states are stepping up their efforts against proposals to weaken labor negotiating provisions. Indiana, Michigan and Ohio are all getting ready for hundreds of demonstrators inspired by the events in Madison.

On Average, Governors' Salaries Show Decline in Pay

After steadily inching upward, the average pay for states' chief executives slid a bit in 2010. A big pay cut in California offset a big raise in Tennessee and modest pay increases in a few other states.

Schweitzer courts unions as he considers 2014

No double-spacing? No funds for you!

First Dog Jag Iowa's Department of Education punishes state school districts for not following instructions. Michigan's Republican Party struggles with the German language. And Montana's first dog releases a tell-all memoir. In case you missed those stories this week, "Worth Noting" fills you in.

Montana Employee Unions File Unfair Labor Practice Complaint

MANAGEMENT BEAT: Public employees in Montana reached agreement on a pay increase deal with Democratic Governor Brian Schweitzer, but the Republican legislature has opted not to honor it.

Legislation would require consent for union member fee collections in Missouri

Summary of the Missouri State of the State Address

Picking up where he left off a year ago, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon (D) declared Jan. 20 that creating private-sector jobs would be his top priority in the coming year through tax credits, recruitment of high-technology companies and increased job training.

Illinois State Government Narrowly Averts Labor Strike

After more than 15 months of negotiations, Democratic Governor Pat Quinn and Illinois’ largest state-worker union have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract.

Minnesota Senate Votes to Shrink State Government

MANAGEMENT BEAT: There may be 15 percent fewer workers in Minnesota state government … California Governor Jerry Brown weighs in with a pension overhaul plan … Nebraska looks to compromise on collective bargaining, and other government management news.

State Worker Strikes: Rare but Momentous

Public employee unions in Wisconsin are not talking about going on strike right now, but growing labor unrest increases the chances of a work stoppage. If state workers resort to picket lines, the consequences for both sides may be great.

Court rules for union in Michigan child-care dues dispute

Michigan bill would impose fines on unions for illegal picketing

Michigan Employee Unions Race to Beat Right-to-Work

Unions try to beat the clock and set long-term contracts before Michigan’s right-to-work law takes effect March 28. Legislature may respond with cuts to education.

Amid Protests, Michigan Leaders Press for Quick Enactment of Right-to-Work Legislation

Michigan would be the 24^th state to pass legislation making it illegal to require workers to pay union fees as a condition of their employment.

Michigan Unions Seek Constitutional Protection

A ballot measure in Michigan would give labor’s collective bargaining rights an almost impregnable status.

Michigan’s Emergency Managers Seen as Major Threat by Labor

In Michigan, state-appointed emergency managers can assume vast powers over distressed localities. The state thinks that’s necessary. Localities and labor think it’s undemocratic.

Detroit and Its Unions Fight Over Work Rules

As Detroit’s workforce shrinks, labor and city leaders face tough questions about how to make do with the employees they have left. Antiquated work rules are at the heart of the dispute.

Seven Questions for Michigan Governor Rick Snyder

Rick Snyder hasn't followed the confrontational path of many Republican governors elected in 2010. In a Stateline interview, he explains some of his strategies.