Stateline Stories

Texas Gov Bush A Devolution Fan

George W. Bush, the popular Texas governor and early favorite of political handicappers for next year's Republican presidential nomination, strongly advocates shifting money and power away from Washington to state and local government. In an interview, Bush said he believes accountability is heightened rather than diminished by the current trend toward government decentralization, or devolution.

Bush's Prospective Candidacy Overshadows Work of Texas Legislature

Lone Star state lawmakers are working their way through the biennial 140-day session of the Texas legislature under the white-hot glare of national attention generated by Republican Gov. George W. Bush's probable presidential campaign. Bush earlier this week announced the formation of a presidential exploratory committee that allows him to start raising campaign money. "I do have a compelling reason to consider running for president," he told Texas reporters at a news conference last Tuesday. "For my family and every family in America, I want the 21st Century to be prosperous."

Four States Consider Income Tax; Four States Reject It

Facing education funding woes and a variety of budget shortfalls, lawmakers in New Hampshire and three other states that do not collect income taxes considered reversing course this year--and in each case defeated or abandoned those plans for fear of retribution from the voters. To read about this politically perilous policy issue, click on

Texas, Nevada Legislatures Close Shop, Leaving 19 States In Session

Texas and Nevada ended their 1999 legislative sessions this week, with education issues and tax cuts topping the agenda for the Lone Star state and several new crime bills and privatization of the workers compensation program the major accomplishments in Nevada. Both states paved the way for electric utility deregulation. Of the 16 state legislatures still in session, nine -- California, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin -- meet for most, or all, of the year.

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.

More States Climb On Electric Deregulation Bandwagon

Arkansas, 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 on

Charitable Choice: Welfare Money and the First Amendment

As Texas Gov. George W. Bush travels the country on his quest for the White House, he preaches the power of faith and invites religious organizations to double their efforts against poverty. He says the government will help foot the bill. In Texas, the purse strings have begun to loosen, but the groups Bush praises in his speeches are among the most reluctant to join forces with the state. In this second story in a series of three, stateline.org looks at some of the obstacles in the path of compassionate conservatism.

Bush's Campaign Centerpiece An Unfinished Work In Texas

When presidential hopeful George W. Bush unveiled his philosophy of "compassionate conservatism" in Indianapolis in July, he pledged that his administration would look first to "faith-based" groups and other charities to help those in need. In Fort Worth, Texas, where three religious groups are using government dollars to help women move off the welfare rolls and into jobs, many advocates for the poor welcome the governor's call to action. But it also makes them nervous. In this final installment of a three-part series, stateline.org looks at support for Charitable Choice in Texas.

Journalism Conference Focuses On Statehouse Coverage

More than 100 journalists from 34 states and the District of Columbia are meeting in Denver this weekend to examine the state of state government reporting and share ideas for improvements. The conference opened with a disturbing content analysis that suggests newspaper coverage of state government leans heavily toward politics, ignoring important policy issues and the citizens most effected by them.

Govs Choosing Sides Early In Presidential Race

Twenty-four of the nation's 31 Republican governors are backing the presidential bid of fellow Republican Texas Gov. George W. Bush. Eight of the 17 Democratic governors have endorsed Vice President Al Gore's quest for the White House (There are two non-aligned governors: Maine Independent Angus King and the Minnesota Reform Party's Jesse Ventura). What do these political marriages mean for state politics? According to experts, not much.

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

State Voters Face Range of Critical Issues Tuesday

On Tuesday, Nov. 2, off-year elections will decide if Maine bans late-term abortions, if St. Paul, Minnesota, tries to steal the Twins baseball club from Minneapolis and if Texas will provide $400 million in loans for college students. Kentucky and Mississippi will choose a governor, and voters in Virginia will determine if their legislature goes Republican for the first time since Reconstruction.

Texas, North Carolina Seen As Models Of Education Reform

Texas and North Carolina continue to be pace-setter states in the public school standards and accountability movement. This was the consensus opinion at the National Education Summit which was held in New York's Hudson Valley last month, and it is supported by student achievement test results.

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.

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.

Bush Most 'State Friendly', NGA Official Says

How do the presidential candidates stack up in terms of sensitivity to state issues? Texas Gov. George W. Bush, the only state official in the race for the White House, leads the field, a top official of the National Governors' Association says. NGA executive director Ray Scheppach offered his assessment at a state issues conference sponsored by Governing magazine. To read more about the conference, click on

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.

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

States Confront Challenges of Changing Economy

State economic development used to be viewed as a zero-sum game -- states advertised low costs in their competition for large manufacturing plants -- a process that some criticized as a race to the bottom. While this kind of development is still common, a new perspective is taking hold. The focus now is on grooming an educated workforce that can grow its own jobs from within and attract high-paying technology firms looking for a new home.

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.

New Faces Replace Washington-Bound Governors

Aficionados of state politics, think quickly: Who are Rick Perry, Donald DiFrancesco and Scott McCallum? The question may sound like a quiz show stumper, but soon the answer may not be so trivial. They either are, or are in line to be, the nations newest state chief executives from Texas, New Jersey and Wisconsin, respectively.

Texas State of the State Address 2001

AUSTIN, Texas - Jan. 24 - Following is the full text of Texas Gov. Rick Perry's 2001 State of the State Address: Governor Ratliff, Speaker Laney, members of the judiciary, members of the House and Senate, distinguished guests, friends and fellow Texans: we descend upon this historic chamber today from towns and fam

State Officials Meet on Election Reform

Hoping to head off congressional interference in elections, the nation's secretaries of state unveiled their own recommendations on election reform Monday (2/5), calling on Washington, D.C. to steer clear of state affairs and allow local officials to correct outdated and error-prone voting systems on their own. The only thing the secretaries want of the federal government is more financial help to do the job right so that states won't be forced to rely on the courts to resolve election standoffs.

SPECIAL REPORT: States Mull Suit Against Drug Companies

In an action modeled on their 1998 class action lawsuit against the tobacco industry, at least six states are poised to go to court to try to force pharmaceutical companies to lower prescription prices, law enforcement and health care officials tell Stateline.org. "The goal is nothing less than changing the way the industry does business," says Mark Schlein, director of Florida's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit in the Attorney General's office.

Election Officials Worry About Nature Of Reform

For the past 23 years, Wendy Noren has seen punch cards, chads, voter mistakes, poll worker errors, new technology and recounts. The Boone County, Mo. election official has watched election reform initiatives develop in state houses, county supervisor hearings and city council meetings since the November 2000 election. But shes particularly worried about what sort of election "solution" might work its way through Congress and potentially change the way she must do her job.

Tracking Election Reform: Movement In Congress

Congress efforts to pass federal election reform have received new life after House and Senate leaders agreed on the framework for legislation. But the newfound momentum could be tempered. Leaders in the voting equipment industry said Congress has already taken so much time that all of the companies working together to produce high-tech machines would be unlikely to meet demand before the next presidential election.

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.

State Commemorative Quarters Boost Coin Collecting

Two years into the U.S. Mint's State Commemorative Quarter program, the mint estimates that millions of Americans are collecting the coins. Many of the twenty-five cent pieces put into circulation so far have been subjects of public debates, so states that are still designing their coins are trying to submit proposals that are unique and non-controversial.

Health Care Data Website Unveiled

Did you know Arizona, New Mexico and Texas have the largest percentages of people without health insurance or that Connecticut, New Hampshire and New York spend the most Medicaid money per person of all the states? If you didn't know those bits of trivia, the Kaiser Family Foundation can help you track that information and more. Check out the group's new website known as State Health Facts Online.

Election Officials Report Mixed Success on Reform

Members of the National Association of State Election Directors, a reform-minded group long before last year's presidential election mess in Florida, met in Arkansas last weekend (July 14-15) to compare notes on the progress of election reform around the country -- and found there was little to cheer about.

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.

State Lawmakers Hold Largest Meeting Ever

SAN ANTONIO, Texas Dear World, lets have peace, kindness and freedom forever and ever. Well, delivering on that prayer might be a lot to hope for, but state lawmakers are here at the annual meeting of the National Conference of State Legislatures exchanging ideas on how to do a better job of governing.

Federal Officials Call For Rx Pricing Reforms

After years of investigations that show physicians can buy pharmaceuticals at a tenth of what the government pays, Congress is considering cutting reimbursement rates for some prescription drugs under Medicare and Medicaid.

Education Summit Attracts Govs, Business Leaders

Michigan Governor John Engler and IBMs Louis V. Gerstner opened the National Education Summit 2001 Tuesday against the backdrop of last months terrorist attacks on New York City. Engler and Gerstner cited the destruction of the World Trade Towers as an urgent new incentive to improve education.

Election Officials Move to Avoid 'Another Florida'

Election officials in two states and host of cities, towns and counties holding elections tomorrow (11/6) have put in place a number of voting reforms to avert "another Florida" as they prepare for the first major balloting since Republican George Bush defeated Democrat Al Gore in last year's disputed presidential race.

State Budget Forecast Calls For Rain

Despite recent indications that the slumping national economy may have turned a corner, state budgets are suffering from a shortage of money and probably will be for some time, state fiscal experts say. More than three-quarters of the states have made budget cuts or implemented spending freezes, and more than half are tapping their rainy day accounts, reserve funds built up during the economy's better days. Even the sacred cow of spending priorities, K-12 education, has come under the budget axe in some states.

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.

Disabled Lawmakers Overcome Barriers

At a recent GOP convention near Elbow Lake, Minn., candidates were allowed to speak until the conventions sergeant stood up to signal five minutes were up. Minnesota Rep. Torrey Westrom, who is blind, says, I went on, and looked over toward him, and said, Im going to keep talking until I see you standing up.

Innovations Help Control Prison Health Costs

Because people in jail have a constitutional right to quality health care, Texas, Ohio and most other states are relying on new medical technology and taking other steps, such as requiring inmate co-payments, to ease the cost burden on their taxpayers.

Census Bureau Reports on States Tax Burden

If you live in one of these five states -- Connecticut, Hawaii, Delaware, Minnesota and Massachusetts you can boast, or complain, that you shoulder the heaviest tax burden in the nation.

States Strive to Protect E-Gov Gains Post-9-11

For states in the vanguard of e-government the delivery of government services via the Internet -- post 9/11 security concerns are posing new challenges at a time when the fiscal squeeze felt by most of the states is affecting information technology budgets.

State Races See Corporate Scandal Spillover

Call it the Enron effect. From New Hampshire to Texas to California, candidates running for governor on the strength of their business records have been thrown on the defensive by a falling stock market, corporate scandals and the publics growing mistrust of big business.

Failing Schools Forced to Offer School Choice

For two years in a row, 8,652 public schools across the country have failed to meet state performance standards, according to the U.S. Education Department. Under orders from Washington DC, these schools must now offer their students the option and funding to switch to a better performing school within their district.

'You've Got Mail' Risky Message For Candidates

Politicians are finding that sending e-mail is a way to reach people and save money on postage. But in several states, that has backfired. An Internet Service Provider pulled the plug on a California candidates Web site, an e-mail recipient list fell into an opponents hands in Florida, and voters complained about unsolicited messages from candidates in Hawaii and Texas.

Lt. Governors: Running In the Shadows

You may not know them, but theyre running for governor this year, trying to break out of the shadows cast by long-serving chief executives who, because of term limits or other reasons, arent running for re-election. They are lieutenant governors who have served without much recognition. Seven of them hope to change that on Nov. 5

Southern Governors Talk Conservation

More than a football field lost to the ocean every half-hour. Twenty-one thousand football fields lost each year. Such is the situation along Louisianas gulf coast, where rising seas and ongoing erosion are destroying wetlands and imperiling roads, towns and wildlife, according to the states governor, Mike Foster (R).

Southern Governors to Coordinate Emergency Response

With the nation approaching the first anniversary of last Septembers terrorist attacks, governors from across the South have unveiled a plan to link their health and emergency agencies to better coordinate response and relief efforts.

South Lags in Industry Research

The New South looks uncomfortably like the Old South, as industry research in the region - a key component of economic and wage growth - lags behind the rest of the country, a new report shows.

Education Initiatives Take New Approach

Vouchers are out. After-school programs are in. Education reform is a perennial at the ballot box, but the initiatives that voters will examine Nov. 5 go beyond the standard subjects.

Gubernatorial Candidates, Ohio - Wyoming

For a comprehensive list of gubernatorial candidates in Ohio through Wyoming.

Governors Races Break The Bank

This year's gubernatorial races were the costliest in history and defied conventional wisdom that mid-term elections are less expensive than elections in years the White House is at stake. Spending tallies wont be final for several more weeks but the 2002 campaign shattered many records for money spent and candidate self-financing.

Same-Sex Couples Seek Marriage Rights

The battle over legal benefits for same-sex relationships will be fought in at least seven state legislatures next spring with supporters and foes of recognizing gay relationships planning to introduce opposing legislation.

States Unhappy with Bush's Welfare Initiative

While President Bush urged Congress this week to quickly extend the expired 1996 welfare reform law, state officials criticized the president for not revising proposals that will impose stricter work mandates that they say states cannot meet during an economic downturn.

State-Tax Systems Need Fix, Report Finds

Like a Model T in the Daytona 500, many state tax systems are too dated and inefficient to enable state governments to run effectively in a 21st-century economy. That's the conclusion of "The Way We Tax: A 50-State Report" by Governing magazine, an ambitious study undertaken with the support of the Pew Center on the States (parent body that funds Stateline.org).

Texas State of the State Address 2003

AUSTIN, Texas - Feb. 11 - Following is the text of Gov. Rick Perry's State of the State Address: Lieutenant Governor Dewhurst, Speaker Craddick, statewide office-holders, members of the House and Senate, my fellow Texans: It is an honor to speak to you again from the dais of this historic chamber. On the floor

Wall Street Settlement Yields Millions for States

California, New York and Texas will get the biggest chunk of an estimated $487 million that states will share as part of a settlement that aims to end conflict of interest in Wall Street investment firms. The amount each state gets is based on state population and an estimate of the number of investors possibly hurt, Juanita Scarlett of the New York Attorney Generals office said.

AWOL Texas Lawmakers Enrich Legislative Lore

Legislative shenanigans are part of the lore of state politics. Texas lawmakers who fled to Oklahoma to deprive the legislature of a quorum - a move that succeeded in killing a redistricting bill - provided the latest chapter.

States Use Driver's Education to Boost Organ Donation

Virginia is one of a handful of states that use drivers education as a vehicle to boost organ donation. At least eight others -- Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio, Texas and Wisconsin have adopted similar policies in the past few years.

Bloggers Train Sites on State Governments

Some of the best sources for information on the California recall election and other state news are not newspapers, not television stations and not radio shows, but blogs. Short for weblogs, these iconoclastic Web sites are a new kind of media, both newsy and personal.

Texas Efficiency Program Sparks Political Squabble

Although much-loved by fiscal conservatives, e-Texas -- the states money-saving and efficiency program -- is under assault from the Republican-dominated Legislature.

Southern Governors Oppose Federal Plan To Upgrade Grid

With an abundance of cheap, reliable electricity at their fingertips, governors from across the South are against federal plans to spread the costs of transmission grid upgrades among all the states. They say the proposal represents an assault on the South's economy, which depends on low cost energy to attract big manufacturers.

Five States Freeze CHIP Enrollment

Several cash-strapped states are opting to freeze enrollment in their childrens health insurance program (CHIP). Theyve turned to this measure as a way to stretch funds rather than tighten eligibility or cut back services for those who are already enrolled.

Harassment of Muslims Up in Arizona, 9 Other States, Report Says

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Washington-based nonprofit organization, reported Monday that discrimination and violence against Muslims increased in 10 states in 2003. Arizona, California and New York saw the largest reported increases.

Legislative Hopefuls Break Political Molds

Statehouse candidates following an unbeaten path into politics this year include a former Middle East hostage in Ohio and a California woman who could be the first Saudi-born elected official in the United States. In Kentucky, a former governor is vying for a seat in the state Senate after 25 years away from the Capitol and is running against the big brother of Kentuckys current governor. More than 78 percent of the nation's 7,382 state legislative seats are up for grabs on Nov. 2.

Some Lawmakers Take Unusual Path to Power

Of the 5,804 state legislators elected on Nov. 2, a few stand out from the crowd. In 2004, voters elected three candidates on military duty abroad, the first Vietnamese-American legislator, a wife running to replace her term-limited husband, a daughter running to serve alongside her father and a Connecticut candidate who was both elected and rejected for the same office.

Western Governors University Improves Its Grade

Western Governors University, an online academic institution established by 19 states in 1997, has more than doubled its enrollment in the past year to 3,000 students. The surge in enrollment came as e-learning at colleges and universities across the country recorded a dramatic rise. While the number of students taking courses on the Internet is increasing, academics and entrepreneurs disagree over whether the trend is good or bad.

Save Your Quarters: States Build More Toll Roads

States are taking the free out of freeway. Toll roads are booming because gas tax revenues are woefully inadequate to pay for constructing and improving highways. Pay-as-you-go roadways may not please motorists but are gaining favor with cash-strapped state officials.

Texas State of the State Address 2005

AUSTIN, Texas - Feb. 27 - Following is the test of Gov. Rick Perry's 2005 state of the state address: Thank you. Statewide officials and members of the judiciary, members of the Legislature and distinguished guests, friends and fellow Texans: I am honored to uphold our constitutional tradition and speak to you toda

In Case of Attack, Who Would Run the Legislature?

An obscure Cold War statute would allow South Carolina legislators to designate successors in case lawmakers were wiped out in an attack on the United States. Problem is no one now serving in the General Assembly has submitted a list of emergency successors. At least three other states have similar succession laws on the books.

States Ask Hospitals to Come Clean

Faced with a modern-day medical challenge, states increasingly are taking steps to track the number of patients who acquire serious infections while hospitalized. Eight states -- including four with new laws this year -- now require hospitals to tally their infection rates, amid indications that the cost of these medical complications -- in both dollars and lives -- is mounting.

Texas Minorities Now the Majority

Texas is no longer mostly white. The Lone Star State joined three other states in 2004 with "majority-minority" populations-- in which non-Hispanic whites make up less than half the state's citizenry. Hawaii, New Mexico and California have similarly diverse populations, and Arizona, Georgia, Maryland, Mississippi and New York are closest to becoming majority-minority.

Emergency! Declarations Help States Cope

If it seems as if the whole country is in a "state of emergency," that's because most of it is. And that's before Hurricane Rita makes landfall.

State Lawmakers Bag Online Hunting

Lawmakers in 11 states jumped on the bandwagon to outlaw online hunting this year, and California may soon do the same. Why all the fuss? It's over a single website that briefly offered Internet users a chance this spring to shoot live animals on a Texas ranch and that netted a single customer.

State Parks Reeling From Budget Drought

State parks across the country suffered years of cutbacks so states could balance their budgets after the 2001 recession. Now, all but a handful of states are running surpluses, but state parks are still hurting. Park visitors in Kansas find more potholes, less cleanly campground bathrooms and higher admission fees. In East Texas, a 110-year-old railroad and key park attraction is threatened.

Houston's engaging 'Flower Man' and the 'shifting sands' of neighborhoods

HOUSTON -- Imagine a bicycle copiously bedecked with flowers front and rear, ridden by a wiry, smiling 71-year old, sailing through a city neighborhood.

Internet Becoming Campaign Mainstay

Some political hopefuls are animating themselves and popping up on your computer screen and in your inbox for the chance to relay a message, raise money and show off their personalities -- a new trend in the short history of campaign Web sites.

Border Plan Reignites an Old Debate

President Bush's plan to send 6,000 National Guard troops to the Southern border has rekindled debate in states about the role of the Guard, particularly on whether the new assignment will strain a force drained by extensive deployments. But some governors called the plan a bold step in the right direction.

States Suing Feds Over Seniors' Rx Costs

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

Texas Pharmacist to Head NCSL

Leticia Van de Putte brings 26 years of experience as a pharmacist to the National Conference of State Legislatures. She also brings a reputation as a bipartisan leader -- except when it comes to Texas redistricting.

Texas pharmacist to head NCSL(2)

SAN ANTONIO -- A working pharmacist and mother of six, Texas state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte led Democrats on a 45-day walkout to New Mexico in 2003 to protest a Republican-backed redistricting plan. Now, the straight-talking 51-year-old is ready to add another job to her already full plate.

Seven States Woo Clean-Coal Power Plant

Seven states are competing with dollars and regulatory breaks to be the host for a $1 billion federal and private energy initiative being billed as the world's cleanest coal-burning power plant. The project is expected to provide 1,300 construction jobs and 150 facility positions and to generate 275 megawatts of electricity through a process that would eliminate nearly all air pollutants.

States Stumble Privatizing Social Services

It sounds like a good idea: Replace state employees with a high-tech contractor to more efficiently screen thousands of applications for state support, and save taxpayers millions. That's what Texas and Indiana policy-makers thought. But early results of a privately run social services project in Texas and troubles with the Indiana bidding process have caused both states to put their plans on hold.

For Texas Speaker, Suite Gets Sweeter

As the first Republican speaker of the Texas House of Representatives since Reconstruction, Tom Craddick has reshaped Lone Star State politics. Now, Craddick wants to leave a lasting mark on the Texas Capitol itself, with a controversial $500,000 project to deck out his own apartment there.

Voucher Groups Seek to Oust Opponents

This year, school choice - or using public money to pay for private school tuition - is a big election issue in states where voucher plans have been defeated by narrow margins in recent years, such as Utah, South Carolina and Texas. Meanwhile, those same states have pro-school choice organizations that are well-funded and increasingly politically savvy.

Seven States Win Federal Tax-Break Extension

Taxpayers in seven states without income taxes are poised to keep a federal tax break while four Gulf Coast states stand to gain millions of dollars in new oil royalties, thanks to the outgoing Republican-controlled Congress.

Mega-Donors Get Mixed Election Results

The power of personal fortunes to sway political outcomes was put to the test in state races across the country last year. With help from billionaire activist Jon Stryker, an heir to a medical products fortune, Democrats captured control of the Michigan state House for the first time in 12 years. But other super-rich donors got less bang for their buck.

Texas State of the State Address 2007

AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 2 - Following is the prepared text of Gov. Rick Perry's (R) 2007 state of the state address. Members of the Legislature, distinguished guests, my fellow Texans: It is an honor to speak from this historic dais once again just three weeks since I took the oath to serve as your governor for four m

Power Prices Put Utilities in the Hot Seat

Spurred by skyrocketing power bills, lawmakers in at least six states are considering reining in electric utilities that were freed from regulation in the late 1990s.

Attacks on Homeless Spur New Laws

A nationwide surge in violence against homeless people has at least six states considering stiffer punishments by adding attacks on the homeless to state hate crime laws.

Toll Roads Hit Speed Bumps

As states increasingly look to toll roads and leases for quick road-funding fixes, the public, consumer advocates and motorist and trucking associations are putting up barriers to pay-as-you-drive proposals.

Paris pleads for a pardon

Socialite Paris Hilton appeals to the California governor's vanity to get a "stay out of jail" pass. Wisconsin declares one of its towns the birthplace of the hamburger. And a teenager is bombarded with calls meant for Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D). In case you missed those stories this week, "Worth Noting" fills you in.

Lawmakers Want to Pump Kids Up

Florida's school children next fall will be part of a trend reversal in which state lawmakers are starting to bring back physical education classes to combat childhood obesity.

States Urge Hurricane Awareness

The governors of Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia have declared official awareness periods to highlight the beginning of what forecasters say could be a dangerous hurricane season.

High School Athletes Next for Steroid Tests

(Updated 12:45 p.m. EDT, Monday, June 18)A year after New Jersey became the first state to mandate random steroid testing for high school athletes, Texas and Florida are on the verge of launching their own testing programs, and Illinois may not be far behind.

States Seek Alternatives to More Prisons

Swelling inmate populations are cutting into state budgets, and lawmakers are exploring new ways to ease overcrowding and save money.

Copper Thefts Trigger Widespread Crackdown

Copper is a hot commodity these days, leading 20 states this year to enact laws to protect homeowners and businesses from criminals stealing gutters, cables and other scrap metals.