Stateline Headlines

Motorcycle Deaths Climb as States Repeal Helmet Laws

With fatalities rising, safety experts say states should force motorcyclists to wear helmets. But legislators are heading in the opposite direction.

Supreme Court Will Review Michigan’s Affirmative Action Ban

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

States Begin Giving Driver’s Licenses to Young Immigrants

The federal government thrust states back into dealing with the contentious issue of driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants, after years when the practice had become rare and the issue dropped off most legislative agendas.

Best of #StateReads: Michigan Term Limits Encourage Politicians To Go Professional

This week’s extraordinary journalism about state government, tagged to #StateReads on Twitter.

Best of #StateReads: Michigan Confronts Crime by Parolees and Probationers

This week’s extraordinary journalism about state government, tagged to #StateReads on Twitter.

Infographic: S&P State Credit Ratings, 2001–2012

Private, independent credit rating agencies evaluate states’ financial health. States with the lowest grades typically have trouble keeping their spending in line with their tax revenues.

States take lead to fix housing crisis

States are in the forefront of policymaking to minimize damage from the mortgage meltdown. Although President George W. Bush on Thursday (Dec. 6) announced a groundbreaking agreement with major lenders to temporarily freeze sub-prime interest rates that are set to rise, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger got there first: He unveiled a similar deal last month.

Federal Spending Plan Slashes Anti-Crime Grants

Law enforcement officials across the country are lambasting the federal spending plan approved by President Bush on Dec. 26, warning that a 67-percent decrease in funding for targeted state and local criminal justice initiatives imperils public safety.

With Crisis as Catalyst, Govs Push Big Changes

Governors are using the economic crisis to sell big changes in how state and local jurisdictions operate, promising overhauls that could alter the face of government around the country. Their proposals range from sharing state helicopters between Minnesota and Wisconsin to shrinking Pennsylvania's system of 500 school districts to just 100.

Weekly Wrap: Report Questions States' Use of Stimulus Road Funds

States are spending too much stimulus money on new road construction and not enough on public transit projects, a national advocacy group claims in a report issued Monday (June 29). Meanwhile, Michigan and California consider teaming up to solve their prison problems and North Carolina and Rhode Island face off with Amazon.com over taxes.

States Reconsider Juvenile Life Sentences

The Supreme Court ruled that mandatory life without parole for juveniles convicted of murder is unconstitutional. But the court left little guidance for states on what to do next.

Public School Alternatives Gather Steam in States

Louisiana gave advocates of charter schools, vouchers and other publicly funded education alternatives everything they could have asked for, but opposition remained fierce elsewhere.

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.

Nasty Judicial Races Renew Complaints

Another bruising campaign season in judicial elections has spurred calls for reform from advocacy groups, lawyers and others in the legal community, but fierce debate persists over how exactly state judges should be chosen.

Best of #StateReads: Michigan Emergency City Managers Wield Great Power

This week’s extraordinary journalism about state government, tagged to #StateReads on Twitter.

States Scramble to Ease Pain at the Pump

(Updated 3:46 p.m. EDT, May 20, 2008) As Memorial Day weekend approaches and with gas prices around $4 a gallon, many states are offering motorists at the start of the summer driving season suggestions and some solutions for relief.

Report: Women govs get high marks

Women running for governor still have to work harder than men, but once elected, voters think female governors are better at getting things done and solving problems than their male counterparts, new research released Nov. 29 shows.

U.S. Supreme Court To Hear Arizona Voter Registration Case

The U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether states may require a would-be voter to first prove their citizenship — a case likely to answer larger questions about the sometimes conflicting roles of state and federal governments in regulating elections.

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

Border Issues Thrust to Fore: Security vs. Trade

In an effort to reduce the threat of terrorists slipping into the country, Immigration and Customs officials have tightened the nation's northern and southern borders, prompting local and state officials to call for increased border staffing to ease the flow of goods and people. At stake is the economic health of states, regions and industries dependent on open borders for survival.

Education On The Ballot In Several States

November 7 isn't just about electing the next President, Congress, governors or state legislature. It is also the day Americans vote on ballot initiatives that often show what issues have priority among citizens. In at least seven states, education is on the ballot.

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.

New Ploys Devised to Boost Voter Turnout

Political scientists expect voter turnout to be up nationally in this November's mid-term elections, despite lackluster participation in most primaries. Amid the anticipated upswing, Arizona and Michigan voters are being targeted with new tactics to get them to cast ballots.

Report: State Deficits Loom Despite Stimulus

The federal government paid out all but $1 billion of the anticipated $49 billion in stimulus money for states and localities for fiscal 2009, a Congressional watchdog reported Sept. 23. But some states are still coming up short.

Best of #StateReads: Years After Immigration Law’s Passage, Much Has Changed in Arizona

This week’s extraordinary journalism about state government, tagged to #StateReads on Twitter.

Arizona's Brewer Vetoes School Bill

EDUCATION BEAT: An education bill is rejected by the governor in Arizona ... California universities seek to attract more out-of-state students ... Detroit schools send out thousands of pink slips, and more education news.

States to Try Outsourcing Economic Development

Which works best - a government-run business promotion agency or a private one? We're about to learn some lessons.

Petition Drives to Ban Gay Marriage Succeeding

A state-by-state push for constitutional bans on same-sex marriage has met with success in Arkansas, Michigan, Montana and Oregon, where ballot initiative groups appear to have collected more than enough signatures to place amendments before voters in November. If validated by state election officials in these states, the number of states that will vote on constitutional gay marriage bans this fall will increase to 11.

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

Credit Crunch Hits States' College Loans

The credit crisis has led some state lending agencies to suspend their federal and private student loan programs, forcing thousands of students to search elsewhere for money to pay for college.

New York, California Seek Ways to Help Fiscally Fragile Cities

Top officials in two of the nation’s largest states have decided they need to do more to avert disaster in communities that are having budget trouble.

Best of #StateReads: California Leads U.S. Pay Giveaway

This week’s extraordinary journalism about state government, tagged to #StateReads on Twitter.

California Reconsiders “Three Strikes”

Voters in California will decide whether to revise the state’s “three strikes” law, largely considered to be the nation’s harshest on repeat offenders. Polling is strong for revision, but many police officers, victims’ advocates and district attorneys oppose the change.

Schedules Get a Makeover in Schools Across the Country

Tourism and budget cuts have dictated, and in some cases shortened, the school year in some states, but a growing movement thinks students need more time in school.

States Lose Track of Sex Offenders

A child rapist could become your neighbor, and youd never know it. Thats because many state laws requiring sex offenders to register for inclusion in databases arent working. California has lost track of more than 30,000 sex offenders, and Wisconsin, Minnesota and Oregon can't account for more than 10 percent of their registered sex offenders.

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.

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.

States Scramble to Implement New Education Law

Scores of schools arent making the grade when it comes to complying with the new No Child Left Behind education law. Some states are reworking their policies to make it easier for students to pass muster while some districts are finding excuses not to take students from schools with poor marks.

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.

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.

WORTH NOTING: Rival school's 'nay' is fodder for April Fool's Day

Connecticut Gov. Jodi Rell (R) invites her state's top cop to investigate basketball rivals in Tennessee. Communists could get a break in California. And Missouri lawyers are told to pipe down when talking to kids. In case you missed those stories this week, "Worth Noting" fills you in.

Teachers Lured From Struggling States

One state's misfortune is another's opportunity, as out-of-state recruiters hire teachers away from states with large budget gaps.

Stem-Cell Science an Election Issue in 3 States

Also see: • A comprehensive list of state elections• A printable PDF of major ballot issues While both presidential candidates agree that the federal government should fund controversial stem-cell research, voters in Michigan, North Carolina and Washington state are being asked to take a fresh look at whether the science, which offers potential cures for millions of Americans, is worth the moral cost of destroying human embryos.

Voters Could Relax Marijuana Penalties

Also see: • A comprehensive list of state elections• A printable PDF of major ballot issues Ballot questions next month will give voters in California, Massachusetts and Michigan a chance to revisit their states' policies on marijuana. If approved, the measures are likely to exacerbate tensions between states and the federal government over the drug.

Sick Leave Tops State Labor Agendas

Now that a majority of states have boosted wages above the federal minimum, lawmakers in at least seven states want to guarantee workers paid sick days. Buoyed by overwhelming approval of a San Francisco ballot initiative that would allow workers at least nine sick days per year, lawmakers in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Vermont, Maine, Montana, Michigan and Maryland are expected to propose similar measures.

Budget Insiders See Worse Ahead in Calif., Mich.

Two of the states hit hardest by the Great Recession-California and Michigan-are bracing for an even tougher time making ends meet next year, putting big spending cuts or outright elimination of some services on the table, top budget officials from both states said Friday (Nov. 13).

California Looks to Current Workers' Pensions for Savings

MANAGEMENT BEAT: Pension commission argues for tough choices in California … Republican governors back off opposition to collective bargaining … No more "SWAG" in California, and other government management news.

California's Brown Shifts Gears in Debate Over Prisons

PUBLIC SAFETY BEAT: Governor Jerry Brown says tax extensions are necessary in California for public safety ... Crime labs close because of Alabama budget cuts ... Michigan reconsiders its sex offender rules, and other public safety news.

Revenues Look Better in Three Big States

TODAY'S TAKE: California, Michigan and New Jersey are projecting significant increases in tax collections over the coming months, though serious fiscal problems remain.

California Republicans Riled by Brown's Union Deals

MANAGEMENT BEAT: Limitless payouts for unused vacation time in California … A crackdown on using union dues to purchase magazine subscriptions … A comprehensive audit of Missouri state government, and other management news.

Bush Leaves States Holding Environment Bag, Critics Say

President Bush's new budget gives states more responsibility to protect the environment and conserve natural resources, but state officials say it fails to give them much new cash to get the job done. State officials say theyd like more support from an administration that would scale back the federal regulatory role if Bush has his way.

Another Mass Shooting Revives Debate on Gun Laws

Another mass shooting is fueling another debate about the nation’s patchwork of gun laws. But this time some new and prominent faces are calling for the stricter gun measures.

New Governors Spell Change - Road Sign by Road Sign

The transition to a new governor is about more than handing over the reins of power or even the keys to the executive mansion. Sometimes its about pesky issues, such as what to do with 4,000 boxes of salt-water taffy that carry the name of New Jersey Gov. James McGreevey, who left office unexpectedly this year. Nine states face such delicate dilemmas as they adjust to new governors taking office.

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.

Shifting Economy Keeps States Guessing

A month from the start of many legislative sessions, state leaders still don't know how much money they will have to cut from budgets.

Surprisingly Small Tuition Increase in Connecticut

EDUCATION BEAT: Connecticut avoids big tuition hike ... School consolidation resisted in Arkansas ... New law cracks down on teacher strikes in Michigan, and other education news.

States See Fourth Quarter Tax Revenue Slowdown

States had a prosperous year overall in 2000 with record surpluses and tax revenue growth. But there were signs of weakening economies in many states as the year drew to a close, and a new report suggests a major slowdown in tax collections could just be the tip of the iceberg.

States Increasingly Unprepared For Recession, Study Warns

Five of eight states that in early 1999 had sufficient financial reserves to weather a recession have since lost those cushions due to tax cuts, according to a Center on Budget and Policy Priorities study.

Four States Share Bonus For Curbing Out-of-Wedlock Births

Four states and the District of Columbia have bucked the national trend and are reporting dips in their rates of births to unmarried mothers, the Department of Health and Human Services reported Friday. While the percentage of out-of-wedlock births in the nation as a whole climbed slightly over the two years from 1997 to 1998, it fell in Alabama, Arizona, Illinois, Michigan and the District of Columbia.

Few States Regulate Outside Campaign Money

Out-of-state money is pouring into Florida to influence the outcome of the race for governor in the Sunshine State, which political experts regard as a a bellwether for the 2002 election and possibly the 2004 presidential race. It's a phenomenon that occurs in most states in election years.

Don't Pin Me Down: Candidates Avoid Budget Specifics

It's a priorities issue. No new taxes. I won't touch education. These are nice campaign slogans, but they don't close budget gaps, despite what some candidates for governor would have you believe.

State Agencies Search for Foster Kids

Following the high-profile disappearance of a 5-year-old foster child in Florida who was discovered missing last spring after a social worker failed to check on her for 16 months, several states are under pressure to account for hundreds of missing foster kids that ran away or were abducted from state care.

Florida and Michigan Get Out of the Penalty Box

DENVER - The Democratic Party's decision Aug. 25 to lift the sanctions against Florida and Michigan for holding their primaries too early doesn't end the debate whether something should be done to prevent a repeat of states' mad dash to the front of the nominating pecking line.

Florida and Michigan: So Much for Punishment

Democratic convention delegates from Florida and Michigan are finding that party leaders do indeed forgive and forget - at least in terms of seating.

GOP Sticks With Prez Primary Rules

For all the complaining about the 2008 presidential primary season starting too early, the GOP has done little to change the 2012 contest schedule.

Foreclosure Aid Program Gets Underway in Florida

SOCIAL POLICY BEAT: Florida rolls out a program to help homeowners avoid foreclosure … A GOP plan to turn food stamps into a block grant gets mixed reviews … Texas experiences a child boom, and other social policy news.

Georgia's Nathan Deal Hands Off Personal Finances

TRANSITION WATCH: Georgia's incoming governor creates a blind trust, Ohio's new governor tries to keep Race to the Top money and other news of the historic shift in power in the states.

Lawmakers Chew on Weighty Issues: ‘Whose shad fry is the best?’

Photo Slideshow: Lawmakers call time out to weigh delicious legislation.

Jobless Benefit Gap Opens Even As Recession Eases

Despite recent indications the national economy is pulling out of its nearly yearlong slump, unemployment is a continuing problem in the states, as more than a million laid-off workers have exhausted their jobless benefits in recent months.

Report: 9 states May Lose Under Bush Plan

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

Graduate Students Campaign to Unionize

Can a graduate research assistant be a public employee? States and universities are struggling to sort that question out.

Federal Charge Doesn’t Thwart Illinois Lawmaker’s Reelection Bid

Derrick Smith’s return to the Illinois General Assembly isn’t much of a welcome back party. With the dust barely settled on his easy win on Election Day, a top Republican lawmaker is already calling for the Chicago Democrat’s ouster — again.

Rx Cost-Cutting Puts Governors at Odds with Federal Government

Several governors are sparring with the federal government over their cutting-edge tactics to lower prescription drug costs. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has branded efforts by Minnesota and other northern tier states to help their residents buy less expensive medicines from Canada illegal and unsafe. And in a separate case, Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) is complaining about a bureaucratic delay of federal approval of a multi-state prescription drug purchasing pool.

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 Lawmakers Form Great Lakes Caucus

Forty lawmakers representing eight states have launched the Great Lakes Legislative Caucus to create uniform laws in their respective states to curb water pollution, regulate water diversion projects and control non-native organisms that threaten the Great Lakes ecosystem.

State Brownfields Programs Take National Stage

When Kentuckys Democratic-controlled House and Republican-led Senate both voted unanimously to expand brownfields programs last week, they committed the Bluegrass State to a decade-long push to make investment in cleaning up abandoned industrial sites more attractive to private redevelopers. They also signed on to one of the few nationwide environmental causes to generate real interest in both major political parties since Congress first acted to protect natural resources and public health and set up the Environmental Protection Agency over 30 years ago.

Salt Prices Put States in a Pinch

Cold-weather states across the country will need hundreds of thousands of tons of salt to keep roads and highways safe this winter. But prices are running two and three times higher than last year, forcing some states and municipalities to make do with less.

Illinois Debates School Consolidation

EDUCATION BEAT: School consolidation plan earns mixed reviews in Illinois ... Georgia's first-of-its-kind HOPE scholarships are in danger of running out of money ... Budget cuts could force some Michigan colleges and universities to close, and more education news from the states.

The Uncertain Effects of Right-to-Work

Michigan and Indiana endured divisive and bruising political battles to enact right-to-work legislation in 2012. It will be years before the full impact on economic development and on labor unions becomes clear.

Unions Make Strong Showing at the Polls

Labor won big contests in Indiana, California and New Hampshire, while results were mixed in Michigan.

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.

Great Lakes States Protect Their Water

Congress begins work Wednesday (July 30) on the Great Lakes Compact, an agreement among eight states designed to preserve their drinking water and promote shipping, electric power and tourism by restricting water diversion from the lakes.

Transit Gets Republican Boost in Indiana and Michigan

TRANSPORTATION BEAT: Republican governors of two Midwestern states helped along proposals to expand public transit, but transit funding remains controversial in other statehouses.

In Iowa and Florida, Judges Survive Expensive Ouster Attempts

Three justices in Florida and one in Iowa held off conservative efforts to remove them from office. In Michigan and North Carolina, conservatives retained power on the Supreme Court following expensive campaigns.

State School Chiefs Concerned About Details of Education Bill

State school officials generally praised the US Senate for recognizing the importance of education with passage earlier this month (6/14) of their version of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the lions share of Federal K-12 funding. But many remain concerned about details such as cash for mandatory exams, the definition of a failing school and the implementation of sanctions against states and districts.

WORTH NOTING: Ex-State Senator Leaves Phone Greeting - From Jail

A former Maryland senator won't be answering his phone for a few years. A Michigan ballot reform group needs a better proofreader. And South Carolina's new license plates won't be heading off into the sunset. In case you missed those stories this week, "Worth Noting" fills you in.

Public Still Wary of Gas Tax Hikes

TRANSPORTATION BEAT: With federal funding for transportation up in the air, many states are looking for new ways to finance repair work on roads and bridges, as well as the building of new ones. But recent polls from Iowa, Maryland and Michigan show residents are in no mood to pay higher state gas taxes.

Republican Governors Push for Biennial Budgets

For decades, states have been moving toward an annual budgeting process. Now, a GOP strategy is emerging in several states that focuses on budgeting over longer periods of time.

In Kansas Primary, Results Could Advance Governor’s Agenda

On a busy primary day in four states, conservatives in Kansas are looking to oust moderate Republicans, freeing up room for the governor to push his ambitious agenda.

Art for the Economy’s Sake

After years of budget cuts, state funding for the arts is making a comeback.

Ten States Lose Federal Education Money for Poor Children

Federal money to educate poor children is increasing, but 10 states and more than half of the nation's school districts will see a drop in their share of the dollars in the next school year, according to a report released June 15. Overall, nearly 56 percent of school districts will get less federal money, despite a $647 million increase in the Title I program that allocates money for low-income students.

State Elections Boost Women Candidates

State primary elections Tuesday gave a big boost to women candidates, raising the possibility Michigan could get its first female governor come November. But voters in at least two states rejected new tax initiatives and the candidates pushing them.

States Scramble for Gambling Jackpot

States are aggressively tapping into one of the easiest ways to bring cash to their coffers: Let gamblers lose on slots, poker and roulette - and carve out a big take for state treasuries. Kansas is taking that approach one step further with a plan to own and operate its commercial casinos.

Medicaid Directors to Feds: Give States Flexibility

HEALTH BEAT: In a new report, the leaders of state Medicaid programs say federal rules discourage them from experimenting with ideas that could save money and improve care.

New Governors Drive to Reorganize Agencies

An unusually high number of states are debating merging the functions and offices of state government. But consolidation is often easier to do on the organizational chart than it is in real life.

Seniors Are New Target for Tax Increases

Over the years, states have carved out ever more generous tax breaks for the elderly. Now, Kentucky and a few other states are beginning to question whether these policies cost too much.

Governors To Congress: Help Us Help Economy

With congressional leaders and President Bush hashing out the details of an economic stimulus package that could reach $75 billion, the nation's governors have weighed in with some proposals of their own. Concerned by double-digit revenue drops in some states, the governors want measures that would save them from having to raise taxes or cut programs at a time when doing either could further damage the economy.

Gubernatorial Candidates, Louisiana - North Dakota

Find a comprehensive list of gubernatorial candidates in Louisiana through North Dakota

States Loosen Up on Fireworks Laws

In amateur hands, fireworks are as dangerous as ever. But states have a hard time passing up the revenue they bring in.

States Continue Rx Onslaught

Vermont is poised to enact a landmark prescription drug law within the next few weeks, a move that adds fuel to state battles against rising prescription drug costs. Lawmakers borrowed parts of at least five different programsincluding Maine, Florida, Michigan, West Virginia and Illinois to come up with a plan that is sweeping and controversial.