Stateline Stories

Young Artists Mark California's Changing of the Guard

According to California schoolchildren, the same things that have historically drawn more people to the Golden State than to any other part of the country will propel it into the 21st Century -- the Pacific Ocean, dreams of fame, and a diverse culture and landscape. Artwork that incorporates those images was assembled into a mosaic and used as a decoration at California Gov. Gray Davis' inaugural events. The "Millennium Mosaic," a compellation of 21 works of art by school kids throughout the state, was also printed on commemorative t-shirts and banners.

California Gov Aggressive on Education Reform

With public opinion polls showing education far and away the top issue among California voters, Governor Gray Davis began his new administration by calling a special session of the Legislature to enact his school overhaul package. "My first priority - in fact, my first, second and third priority - is education," the 56-year-old Democrat said in his State of the State speech." Davis' proposals would place more stress on reading, demand greater accountability from teachers and administrators and otherwise tighten standards. Click On Headline To Read Full Story

Medical Marijuana Use Uncertain Despite Referenda

Nearly one person in five in this country lives in a state that exempts patients who use marijuana under a physician's supervision from prosecution for illegal drug use. But advocates say residents of Alaska, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and California should think again if they believe their state's law assures people ready access to medical marijuana. The White House Office of Drug Control Policy says federal authorities will not sanction pot-smoking until scientific evidence establishes that medical benefits outweigh risks

Medical Marijuana Report Shows Pot Helps Some Patients

Voters who supported medical marijuana initiatives in six Western states now know that science stands behind their vote, based on a government-ordered report on the effectiveness of pot in easing unpleasant side-effects of certain illnesses. The study, conducted at the request of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, was released today by the National Academy of Science's Institute of Medicine. It says a review of all relevant scientific evidence found that marijuana's active components are potentially effective in treating pain, nausea, the anorexia of AIDS wasting, and other symptoms, and should be tested in clinical trials.

Sacramento Computer Woes Belie California's High Tech Image

In California, where the modern electronics industry was born six decades ago, state government has stumbled from one expensive computer purchasing disaster to the next. The Department of Motor Vehicles is the latest agency to fall into a quagmire of expense, delay and legislative criticism. Between 1988-94, the department spent more than $50 million on a new system for driver's license and registration information, only to see the effort fail. The new system simply did not work. In 1995, a new effort was launched, but the state's legislative analyst, Elizabeth Hill, reports that the department does not know when the systems will be installed or how much they will eventually cost. stateline.org examines the problem.

Green's California Assembly Victory: Anomaly or Start Of Trend?

The greening of American politics has taken on new meaning following an upset special election to fill an Assembly vacancy in the California Bay area. Green Party member Audie Bock bested the seasoned Democrat, Elihu Harris, former two-term Oakland mayor and six-term assemblyman, by just 327 votes out of 29,021 cast in late March, ending nearly 30 years of Democratic domination in the district. In this special report, stateline.org looks at Bock's victory in a broader context.

Gov Davis Makes Education Top Priority For California

California is about to embark on a new way to run public education. Gray Davis, the state's new Democratic governor, has signed four bills he proposed in January, when he called a special session of the Legislature to deal with what he calls his "first, second and third priority" - public education. Although rewritten, sometimes substantially, by the Democratically controlled Legislature, the bills are largely what Davis sought. Read more about Davis' education plan in this stateline.org exclusive report.

Supreme Court Overturns State Welfare Laws Against New Residents

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that a state may not treat welfare recipients who recently moved from another state differently than it treats its long-time residents. The 7-2 ruling in Saenz v. Roe strikes down a provision of California law that restricted welfare recipients, for the first year of residence, to the amount of monthly cash assistance they would have received in their old state, if that sum was lower. Click on

California Legislators Duck Euthanasia Debate

The emotionally freighted issue of physician-assisted suicide has turned conventional political wisdom on its head in California. Despite overwhelming public support, a bill in the state Assembly that would let doctors prescribe lethal drugs to terminally ill patients so they could take their own lives has stalled for the year. Although the measure narrowly survived two committee votes, its chief sponsor, Berkeley Democrat Dion Aroner, has put off further action for the moment because "the public is farther ahead than the legislature."

Texas, California and Georgia Lead In High-Tech Job Growth, Report Says

The booming United States high-tech industry has created more than one million jobs since 1993 and provides a total annual payroll of more than $240 billion, according to Cyberstates 3.0, a report issued earlier this month by the American Electronics Association. The report shows that the U.S. high-tech industry employed 4.8 million workers in 1998, with Texas, California, Georgia, Colorado and Washington leading the way.

Tribes Follow States In Pursuit of Tobacco Money

Emboldened by the $206 billion tobacco lawsuit settlement that has enriched the coffers of 46 states, Native American tribes across the nation are following suit and bringing legal action themselves. In the most recent case, a coalition of 22 tribes from five states filed a federal lawsuit in California on June 3 claiming that the tribes should have gotten a share of the money. For more information, click on

Connecticut Tops in Teacher Pay, Educators' Union Says

Teachers in Connecticut continue to earn more than their peers in other states, a survey by the American Federation of Teachers, a union that represents more than one million educators, shows. The average Connecticut teacher's salary during the 1997-1998 school year - the latest time period for which there are figures - was $51, 727. South Dakota had the lowest average teacher salary -- $27, 839. The national average teacher's salary was $39,347, the AFT said.

Alliance Forms Over Innovative School Reform

An innovative school reform experiment aimed at the lowest performing schools in Boston, Chicago, New Orleans, San Francisco and St. Louis was launched in Washington yesterday. The Ford Foundation is providing a $500,000 grant to help support labor-management partnerships with local school personnel, parents and a host of education associations. The alliance is being formed at a time when the public is impatient with school reforms and some mayors have taken over failing schools, as recently occurred in Detroit.

California Democrats Successfully Exploit Gun Issue

When Governor Gray Davis signed California's new assault firearm ban legislation, he also was putting an end to one of Democrats' most potent campaign issues. And Republican political consultants agree that the gun control issue has been a detriment to GOP candidates since 1989.

Legislative Scorecard: West Virginia Set For Special Session

West Virginia legislators return to Charleston Tuesday for a special session that will consider measures to help the state's drought-stricken farmers. California lawmakers resume deliberations Monday after a brief summer recess.

New Jersey Learns From Other States On Electric Deregulation

On 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.

California Lawmakers End Summer Break, West Virginia Okays Drought-Relief Money

After a monthlong summer recess, California lawmakers returned to Sacramento this week for the final stretch of the legislative session. No sooner were they back at work when Gov. Gray Davis angered fellow Democratic leaders by presenting his HMO reform plan to members of the press before they got a peek at it. Thursday the state Assembly narrowly approved legislation to ban the manufacture and sale of unsafe handguns in the state. West Virginia legislators got right down to business at an 80-minute special session by unanimously passing a bill that would free up as much as $11 million to help farmers and communities hard hit by this summer's severe drought conditions. Click on

Indian Gaming Revenues Spark New Sovereignty Fight

Native American tribes and state governments are fighting over back casino payments in New Mexico. Kansas Gov. Bill Graves is going to court to keep two Oklahoma tribes from opening casinos in his state. California's Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional last fall's Proposition 5, which allowed Indian gambling. These are just a few of the flashpoints in an increasingly bitter dispute over burgeoning revenues from Indian casinos. For more information, click on

California Advances Gun Control, Two States Still Without Budgets

While lawmakers in Wisconsin and Massachusetts remain stalemated over the state budget, the California Legislature, in its second week back in session, has turned its attention to gun control -- again. Earlier this summer, the legislature completed work on two gun control measures, which Gov. Gray Davis, a Democrat, has already signed.

Delaware Having Special Session This Month, Weary California Lawmakers Irritable

Democratic Delaware Gov. Thomas Carper is holding a special legislative session later this month over a teacher-accountability bill he's championed, a Carper aide said Thursday. Meanwhile, with about a week left before California's lengthy regular session adjourns, a weary assemblymen gives a colleague two options: Lower your voice, or let's take our disagreement outside.

California Lawmakers Adjourn, Others Face Special Sessions

As California wrapped up its legislative season, lawmakers in Missouri, Alaska and Delaware were preparing for special sessions. In California, landmark legislation was approved that will lead to sweeping nursing home reforms.

Mega-Stores Hitting Political Flak In Several States

Preventing mega-stores such as Wal-Mart and Costco from chewing up competitors is on the agenda of more than just anti-growth groups and environmentalists these days. Policy makers in states and communities are considering restricting so-called "big-box" stores. California Gov. Gray Davis last week vetoed a bill aimed at limiting the growth of these stores. The issue has also been joined in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Vermont and Wisconsin.

California Might Set HMO Patients' Rights Trend

California, which boasts the sixth largest economy in the world, is often a national trailblazer in making public policy. So its new laws regulating managed health care will be examined closely by other states. The patients-rights package sailed through the Golden State legislature even as the U.S. Congress in Washington remained deeply divided on HMO reform.

States Embracing Use of 'Green Power'

Demand 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 on

Virginia GOP Seizes Legislature, Dem Re-elected Kentucky Gov

Voters in Virginia Tuesday gave Republican Gov. James S. Gilmore III something the Old Dominion has never seen before -- a state legislature completely controlled by the GOP. In Kentucky, Democrat Gov. Paul Patton coasted to re-election. But a Mississippi governor's race between Democrat Ronnie Musgrove and Republican Mike Parker was too close to call on Wednesday morning, and officials said it might take 10 days before final results are known. In Washington, voters scrapped a car tax and gave the electorate more say over future tax policy.

Globetrotting Governors Push Exports, Commerce

With most state legislatures having finished work for the year, many of the nation's governors are off to faraway places to enage in commercial diplomacy. Three of the highest profile travellers have been Illinois Gov. George Ryan, California Gov. Gray Davis and Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura, but they've had lots of company visiting foreign shores. For more information, click on

States, Cities Tussle With Banks Over ATM Surcharges

A recently approved San Francisco referendum has refocused attention on state and local efforts to ban Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) surcharges. Iowa and Connecticut have forbidden the fees altogether, moves that are being challenged in federal court, while Arkansas, Mississippi and Wyoming have set surcharge limits.

Debate Over Internet Tax Policy Intensifies

A congressionally-created advisory panel trying to formulate an Internet tax policy began a two-day meeting in San Franscisco Tuesday amid conflicting signals about where the public stands on the issue. Many states fear an important revenue stream will be lost if foes of any taxation of e-commerce prevail in the increasingly contentious policy debate.

Internet Panel Far Apart On E-Sales Taxation

The congressionally-created Advisory Commission on Electronic Commerce ended two days of meetings in San Francisco Wednesday with a glimmer of agreement on keeping the Internet free of international tariffs and banning access taxes. But the panel continued to disagree sharply about collecting sales taxes on cyber-transactions.

California State of the State Address 2000

SACRAMENTO, California - Jan. 5 - Following is the full text of Gov. Gray Davis' 2000 State of the State Address: Lieutenant Governor Bustamante, Speaker Villaraigosa, President Pro Tempore Burton, distinguished Members of the Legislature, my fellow Constitutional Officers, honorable Justices of the Supreme Court,

E-Voting: States Better Get Ready, Experts Say

When it comes to Internet voting, Gov. George Pataki of New York and Gray Davis of California have a similar message: Proceed with caution. "We want to accelerate the pace of Internet voting," Davis said. But he stipulated that "we need to develop a secure, reliable system" before offering voters online ballots. Davis predicted that Californians would be voting via Internet within five to seven years, though some Internet executives expect it to happen a lot sooner.

State Laws Stand In Way Of Direct Online Car Sales

When the world's two largest automobile manufacturers --General Motors and Ford--announced Internet partnership deals with two of the biggest names on the Internet--America Online and Yahoo-- at a Detroit car expo, many analysts said it took the car companies one step closer to offering the ultimate point-and-click shopping experience: buying a car online.

California Juvenile Justice Measure Reflects State Trend

How to deal with violent juvenile crime is an issue confronting many states. In California, voters will decide in a March 7 ballot initiative whether to dramatically strengthen potential penalties for youthful killers and sex offenders. Similar measures are being considered by other states. But experts are divided on whether the "get tough" sentiment on juvenile crime is justified.

Western Governors Wary of Federal Road-Free Forest Plan

A 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.

Critical, Whimsical Issues on California Ballot

The ballot for California's Mar. 7 ballot bombards Golden State voters with 20 propositions, the most that state residents have slogged through in more than a decade. Despite its length, in many ways the ballot is classic California. It demonstrates once again that anyone with sufficient gumption -- and financial backing -- can muster enough signatures in Californias initiative process to stick something on the ballot.

Illinois Moratorium Puts Fresh Focus On Death Penalty

Seven weeks have gone by since Illinois Gov. George Ryan halted executions in his state pending reforms that assure him "that no innocent person will be executed." No other state has followed suit yet, and executions continue at a record pace. But the fact that other states havent fallen in line behind Illinois since the pro-death penalty governors decision doesn't faze moratorium supporters, who cheer the new scrutiny it is bringing to the nations system of capital punishment.

State Attorneys General Discuss Microsoft Case

Alternately cocky and cautious, three of the 19 state attorneys general who joined the U.S. Department of Justice in successfully filing antitrust claims against Microsoft Corp. discussed a federal judge's ruling in the case Monday. The attorneys general of California, New York and Iowa downplayed reports that friction between the states and Justice led a federal mediator to scrap settlement talks last week. They refrained from discussing what penalties Microsoft should face.

California First In Revenue, Spending In 1998

The nation's most populous state, California, collected more revenue than any other state and also outspent the other 49 states in 1998, the latest year for which data is available, according to a report released Wednesday by the U.S. Commerce Department's Census Bureau. New York claimed second place with $96.1 billion in revenue and $87.3 billion in spending. Texas was third, with revenue of $57.8 billion and expenditures of $51.1 billion in 1998.

UPDATE: More States Decriminalize Safe Baby Abandonment

In February, Stateline.org reported that seven states were considering abandoned baby laws; that number has now climbed to at least 23. Since mid-April alone, Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Louisiana, Minnesota, and West Virginia have enacted abandoned baby or "safe haven" laws, often in response to tragic stories of infants left in dumpsters, alleyways, shallow graves, public restrooms or parking lots. For an in-depth report on this policy trend, click on

Tobacco Money Triggers Political Row

In what some local political observers call the nastiest fight in decades, a battle over control of tobacco windfall money has consumed one Southern California county. Arguing that it is the only way to guarantee settlement funds are spent on health care, a private hospital has initiated a ballot measure to divert all payments from public to private control. Ventura County officials say the move is a brazen attempt by a financially unstable private hospital to hijack public funds to shore up its bottom line.

California Tries Landmark School Reform Plan

Faced with the need to hire 300,000 new teachers by 2010 California Gov. Gray Davis used his State-of-the-State speech in January to call the legislature to action. As it turns out, Davis got everything he asked for and then some. This month, Davis signed a $99.4 billion budget that funds one of the most comprehensive education reform packages in the Union. The $1.35 billion reform plan focuses on teachers, technology and raising student achievement.

California, Michigan Voters To Decide Voucher Debates

The school voucher debate is no place for the rhetorically faint of heart. Supporters claim they would breathe some much-needed life into failing public school systems and provide an escape route for poor children. Foes claim vouchers would drive another nail into the coffins of poorly performing public schools. This November 7, voters in California and Michigan will decide whom to believe as they cast ballots to vote on one of the year's more fiercely contested school reform measures.

California Sprawl Sparks Competing Ballot Initiatives

Hollywood 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.

Handicappers See State, Local Faces In A Gore Lineup

Should Al Gore and Joseph Lieberman make it to the White House, Gore would probably rely on congressional contacts to fill most of his cabinet slots, political analysts speculate. However, they say there are some state and local politicial leaders who could wind up in a Gore administration.

States Use Red Tape To Shrink Food Stamp Program

To determine how much in food stamps a family can receive, some states want to know what a child earns from a paper route or part-time job. A handful go so far as to demand information on the sale of personal items, including blood, from food stamp applicants. By using unnecessarily long applications and intrusive questions, states are preventing needy families from obtaining food assistance, a study released Monday by the national anti-hunger organization, America's Second Harvest, found.

California Caucus Stokes 'Smart Growth' Debate

As 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.

California Adopts Sweeping New College Aid Plan

In what backers say is the greatest increase in access to higher education since the GI bill, California has created an entitlement program that guarantees poor kids with good enough grades financial aid for college. Starting next year, the state's neediest students scoring a 3.0 or 2.0 grade point average have the right to receive a grant from the state for community colleges, California State University, University of California or a private four-year college.

Education Measures Get Pass or Fail Grades

Ballot measures dealing with education got a mixed reception from U.S. voters on Nov. 7. In some of the most closely-watched contests, far-reaching school voucher initiatives were defeated in California and Michigan, while a ban on bilingual education was approved in Arizona.

Electric Deregulation California's Christmas Grinch

Hailed 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.

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.

California Gov Proposes Fix For Energy Crisis

SACRAMENTO, California - Jan. 8 - Following is the full text of Gov. Gray Davis' 2001 State of the State Address: Lieutenant Governor Bustamante, Speaker Hertzberg, President Pro Tempore Burton, distinguished Members of the Legislature, my fellow constitutional officers, Chief Justice Ronald George and honorable J

Utility Deregulation Vexes Californians

If 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.

California's Woes Cast Pall Over Electric Deregulation

Pundits 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.

Power Shortage Not California's Only Energy Problem

Californians 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.

Facilities, Job Conditions Blamed For Medical Errors

Two new studies say understaffed health care facilities and poor working conditions for health care professionals are to blame for "medical errors" that annually kill more people in the United States than traffic fatalities, breast cancer and AIDS.

State Lawmakers Balk At Election Reform's Price Tag

Despite public cries for election reform, lawmakers in Florida and California have soured on the idea of making wholesale changes to antiquated voting systems for lack of funds, careful study, or both.

Santee Shooting Highlights States' Efforts To Curb School Violence

Despite Californias sweeping gun restrictions and $101 million the state set aside to prevent school violence, two students at a San Diego high school were killed Monday (3/5) and at least 13 others wounded by a lone gunman.

California Study Shows Ethnic Gaps Persist

While quality of life has improved for most racial and ethnic groups in California over the last three decades, non-Hispanic whites and most Asians are still more likely to enjoy better health care, greater education and higher-paying jobs, a study by the Public Policy Institute of California has found. African-American and Latino populations have narrowed the gap, but continue to live in poorer neighborhoods, where they are more likely to be victims of crime and have less access to health care, according to "A Portrait of Race and Ethnicity in California," the first comprehensive sourcebook comparing how different racial and ethnic groups fare in the Golden State.

California Braces For Redistricting Battle

The long-awaited release of census data for California confirms what most pundits have been projecting for some time: the state no longer has a single racial or ethnic majority. With the white population dipping below 50 percent for the first time since the 1800s and the biggest growth in the Hispanic and Asian populations, California now stands as both the most populous and diverse state in the nation. Weighing in with 33.9 million residents and boasting a booming economy, the state's population grew by over 4 million people since 1990. And with the year 2000 Census figures now available, the real sport begins: using that data to redraw political district boundaries.

Officials Doubt Election Holiday Would Have Impact

As Maryland nears approval of a universal statewide voting system, top election officials in two western states are skeptical of proposals to make presidential election day a national holiday. Los Angeles County registrar Conny McCormack who oversees the largest election district in the country said last week that experiments with weekend voting indicate a national day off will probably not bring more Americans to the polls or get more qualified workers at the polls. Her views were echoed by Oregon Secretary of State William Bradbury.

California Crisis Overshadows Power Plant Building Boom

Citizens 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.

States, Women's Groups Slow To Address Women's Smoking

Lung cancer will kill nearly one in four cancer-stricken women this year, a higher rate than deaths from breast cancer, U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher recently reported. Among additional stark findings of importance to the 22 million adult women who smoke in America, researchers say that tobacco companies have stepped up marketing efforts to women, stalling progress in programs that support those who try to stop smoking. Yet states and women's groups are slow in dealing with the problem.

Nursing Profession Isn't Diverse Enough, Study Finds

As troubling as the nursing shortage is for the country, experts say the profession also has another problem -- it isn't diverse enough. According to researchers at the University of California's Center for the Health Professions, nursing seriously lags in reflecting racial differences of the patients being served..

Tracking Election Reform: Back in a Holding Pattern

Its summer in Washington, and the pace of life and legislation is slowing down. The Democratic Senate has placed election reform in a holding pattern perhaps until late this year - despite a new emphasis on the topic.

Saving History: States Push For Preservation Funds

Congress celebrated the U.S. bicentennial in 1976 by establishing the Historic Preservation Fund, a $150 million a year treasure chest for state-administered efforts to save the countrys architectural treasures. But as with most dedicated funding sources for noble-minded cultural and environmental efforts, the money actually set aside has never met the programs grand designs. That could change this year if Congress passes the 15-year, $45 billion Conservation and Reinvestment Act (CARA), now beginning its second run up Capitol Hill.

Eco-Terrorists Targeted By Get Tough State Laws

Boise Cascade Inc. recently dedicated its newest timber and wood products office in Monmouth, Ore. The imposing building is a steel-capped, cinderblock fortress. That's because the original log-cabin office was burned to the ground on Christmas Day, 1999, by a fringe environmentalist group called the Earth Liberation Front (ELF).

Texas, Others Tackle Managed Care Complaints Via Appeals, Not Lawsuits

President George W. Bush and members of Congress have been trading barbs on the right-to-sue provision in a federal patient's bill of rights. Will patients truly flood the courts if such a bill is enacted? State officials from California, Maryland and Texas say the answer is no.

Western Cities Most Efficient With Land, Sprawl Report Says

Metropolitan population trends documented by the 2000 Census confirmed what land use analysts have known for a long time: most of the nations cities are eating up land for new development much faster than theyre gaining new residents.

Economic Slump Has States Tightening Belts

The slowing national economy has many states facing budget deficits and shrinking account balances for the first time since the early 1990's, according to a report released this week by the National Conference of State Legislatures. NCSL surveyed the 46 states that have passed budgets for fiscal year 2002 -- which began July 1 for all but four states -- and found that 20 states took "extraordinary actions" to pass balanced ones.

States Make Strides on Medical Marijuana Programs

The U.S. Supreme Court's first-ever opinion on medical marijuana two months ago hasn't put a dent in state efforts to help seriously ill patients, as critics hoped it would. State medical marijuana programs in Alaska, Hawaii and Oregon are moving ahead despite the ruling.

Southern States Poorest, Census Says

Making ends meet is harder in Louisiana, West Virginia and Mississippi, states with the highest poverty rates in the country. State poverty rates range from 6.1 percent in New Hampshire to 20.3 percent in Louisiana, according to new figures from the U.S. Census Bureau based on a survey of 700,000 households. States with large minority populations tended to have above-average poverty rates including New York (13.5 percent), California (14 percent), and Texas (15.3 percent), according to an analysis of the survey data by the Washington-based Economic Policy Institute.

Cooling Economy Slows Growth Of State Tourist Income

It'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.

California Sets Pace In Renewable Energy Development

If 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.

States Move To Deal With Attack Effects

Gov. James Gilmore of Virginia Wednesday lifted the one-week waiting period for unemployment benefits so workers hurt by the closing of Reagan-National Airport can get immediate financial help. Gilmore also announced establishment of the Virginia Post-Attack Economic Response Task Force to assess the adverse impact on the state's economy and develop a plan for dealing with it. A similar task force is contemplated by Hawaii Gov. Ben Cayetano, who scheduled a special meeting with local officials and business leaders Wednesday about the potential impact of revenue losses on businesses directly related to the state's travel and tourism industry.

California Mulls A Punch-Card Free Future

The Golden State will become the fourth in the country to outlaw punch cards, following the lead of Maryland, Florida and Georgia. It could also face the most complicated and costly upgrade as it looks to move its punch card machines from polling places to scrap heaps by 2006.

Fear of Terror, Fraud Dogs Vote-By-Mail

Holding elections through the post office rather than the polling place is becoming popular in Western states. But fears of violations of privacy, widespread voter fraud, a failure to follow instructions and even terrorism are appearing to grow just as quickly, casting doubt on the future of vote-by-mail.

Census Releases Data on Homeless

Census-takers counted more people sleeping in homeless shelters in California and New York last year than in any other state. Nationally, 170,706 people were in emergency and homeless shelters on March 27, 2000, according to a controversial Census Bureau report released last month. (10/30).

Education, Public Safety Programs Win Innovation Awards

Two state-run programs on education and public safety are among five policy initiatives that won $100,000 awards for being the most innovative programs in American government.

California Power Crisis Eases But Worries Remain

A 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.

California State of the State Address 2002

SACRAMENTO, California - Jan. 8 - Following is the full text of Gov. Gray Davis' annual State of the State Address:. Thank you, Lieutenant Governor Bustamante. Speaker Hertzberg, President Pro Tempore Burton, Speaker-designate Wesson, distinguished Members of the Legislature, Chief Justice Ron George and honorab

Term Limits Hit Lawmakers In 11 States

Legislatures in 11 states face fallout from term limits in this year's elections with 330 lawmakers being forced to step down after 12 or fewer years in office. The Michigan state Senate, which will lose 27 of its 38 members, will be hardest hit. The Missouri Legislature will suffer heavily as well -- it bids farewell to 75 of its 163 House members and 12 of its 34 Senators

Enron's Troubles Include State Probes

Hoping 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.

States Support Nursing Mothers

Nobody seriously doubts the value of breast-feeding, but until recently the connection between nursing and employment hasnt been on policymakers radar screens. Now, in what appears to be a trend, lawmakers in 31 states have approved breast-feeding legislation within the last eight years.

State Support For Ending Cuban Embargo Growing

What do Illinois Gov. George Ryan and Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura have in common with Arkansas chicken producers, Texas rice growers and Utah medical companies? They'd all like to see an end to the 40-year-old U.S. embargo on trade with Cuba.

Enron Helped Push Electric Deregulation

Enron 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.

Technology Helps States Boost Efficiency

More and more states are using electronic tools ranging from web portals to interagency data sharing to make delivery of government services all a taxpayer could hope for, according to two recent studies on the use of digital technologies.

Cigarette Taxes, Public Health Show Little Correlation

Twenty-one states are mulling cigarette tax increases to help ease the pain of massive budget shortages. New York and Connecticut governors have already okayed such taxes, with increases of 39 and 61 cents per pack respectively. Proponents of higher tobacco taxes say upping the rates will improve the health of citizens. But health experts say the tax must be coupled with prevention programs that help people quit smoking and make sure young people don't start.

State Officials Uneasy With Bush's Welfare Changes

Alabama, Michigan and the District of Columbia split $75 million in extra federal welfare funds last year for achieving the largest decreases in out-of-wedlock births and abortion rates between 1996 and 1999. But the program that brought this windfall may soon disappear because President George W. Bush's welfare reform reauthorization plan does away with bonuses to states that do the best job of reducing illegitimacy and medically terminated pregnancies.

Crematories Need More Regulation, Experts Say

Twenty-three states are considering new regulations on cremation, some of them because of the sensational scandal in Georgia, where officials recently found the remains of more than 300 people whose loved ones had arranged to have them cremated. Currently, California is the only state that requires the inspection of cremation facilities.

Lt. Govs More Than Spare Tires, Study Shows

When a lieutenant governor shakes hands with the boss, a couple of fingers check the governors pulse -- because, as an old joke goes, no pulse equals a promotion. The joke stems from conventional wisdom, which holds that, like the U.S. vice president, the main duty of whoever occupies the number two state job is to take over if the state's numero uno dies or becomes disabled. But a new study by a Georgia political science professor argues that conventional wisdom is wrong.

Pending Farm Bill Rekindles Regional Divisions

It seems like it's North versus South all over again. Lawmakers in some Midwestern and Southern states fear that an amendment to the 2002 farm bill now wending its way through the U.S. Congress will cripple farmers in their states dependent on federal crop subsidies. But smaller farm states, which tend to be in the North and Northeast, say this farm bill is more equitable than previous ones.

States Fret About Child Care Needs

Only 12 percent of families eligible for child care get the help they need. But President Bushs welfare reform reauthorization plan doesnt have any new money for child care, which concerns advocates for the poor and some state lawmakers.

State Policymakers Push Marriage Education

A divorced California state senator thinks lovesick couples should know what theyre getting into before they tie the knot. So State Sen. Bill Morrow, now remarried, wants to cut the cost of the marriage license if altar-bound couples take a marriage education course before saying I do. Such measures are also under discussion in at least 18 other states.

April Cruellest Month For State Budgets

April is the cruellest month, T.S. Eliot lamented in his epic 1922 poem, The Waste Land. State lawmakers might be inclined to agree after tallying up April income tax collections.

Immigrant Licensing: Security Vs Safety Concerns

After learning that most of the 19 hijackers responsible for the Sept. 11 terrorist attack had obtained drivers licenses in Florida, New Jersey or Virginia using faked credentials, many state lawmakers rushed to introduce legislation aimed at restricting licenses for immigrants as a security measure. Nine months later, most of those initiatives have stalled amid competing concerns over highway safety and anti-terror policy.

Aging Prison Populations Drive Up State Costs

Longer sentences and repeat offenders mean states now have aging prison populations, requiring special care for elderly inmates and driving up costs to the taxpayers. It costs about three times as much as the norm to incarcerate elderly inmates, according to the National Institute of Corrections.

Sex Offender Registries Face Legal Challenge

Courts throughout the country, including the U.S. Supreme Court, are taking a second look at a practice common in all 50 states the listing of names of convicted sex offenders in an official registry.

State School Superintendent Hopefuls Hit Campaign Trail

Voters in eight states will be electing a new state school superintendent this November. Although the job entails sparing public education from the sharp blade of the budget scythe and being responsible for revamping schools to meet new federal demands, the field is full of hopefuls from major and minor political parties.

Govs' Gaffes Sometimes Overshadow Policies

When Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, a Republican, recently told a group of high school girls its about time a woman became governor of the Sunshine State, he apparently forgot about Janet Reno, a leading contender for the Florida Democratic gubernatorial nomination. Its not the first time a governor has put a proverbial foot in his or her mouth. And it wont be the last.

Terror Insurance: A New, Risky Business

Book lovers understand that the J. Willard Marriott Library and its three million-volume collection at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City are, in a sense, priceless.