Stateline Stories

Are Voter ID Opponents Winning the Battle but Losing the War?

Voter ID opponents have won high-profile court battles, but may be losing ground on the longer-term legal fight against the laws.

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.

Mumps outbreak tests pandemic plans

State officials in the Midwest are using an outbreak of mumps to test emergency health plans. The real-life exercise is critical for health officials, who have struggled to ready their systems for a possible flu pandemic in the near future.

State Reporters on the Big Stories

Statehouse reporters from across the country are keeping tabs on their home-state politicians' attempts to snatch a piece of the national spotlight in Denver during the Democratic National Convention.

More states worry about revenues

The housing slump impacted revenue in 24 states this year and 18 say they are "concerned" about their revenue outlook, triple the number from last year, a new report released Dec. 10 shows.

New Year ushers in new laws

At least 31 states will enforce new laws that take effect New Year's Day. So as you ring in the New Year, expect some facet of life to change, ranging from where you can smoke in Illinois to how much it costs to enter a strip club in Texas.

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.

Best of #StateReads: Former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman's Political Career Ended with a 'Mighty Fall'

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

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.

State Curbs on Pre-paid Funerals Under Scrutiny

Paying for a funeral is the third largest cost most Americans face, after buying a house or an automobile. The average funeral, including a casket and vault, runs about $6,000. Forty-eight of the 50 states regulate the funeral industry -- the exceptions are Alabama and New Mexico. But a recent investigation in Minnesota suggests that the regulations often do not go far enough.

Debate Continues Over Abortion Waiting Periods

Four state legislatures are debating whether to follow the lead of 14 states that impose a waiting period on women who want an abortion, but pro-choice opponents blocked the measure in Colorado, Iowa and Virginia this year. States where controversial legislation remains an issue are Alabama, Alaska, Delaware and Minnesota.

WORTH NOTING: Phantom voter stalks Ala. State House

An Alabama lawmaker says someone's been using his voting machine. Florida's House Speaker locks the doors and turns off Internet access to make legislators pay attention. And Mayberry's Sheriff Taylor endorses a North Carolina gubernatorial candidate. In case you missed those stories this week, "Worth Noting" fills you in.

Southern Govs Speak Via Videotape to Delegates

Sept. 2, 2008, 1:30 p.m. EDTST. PAUL, Minn. - Hurricane Gustav forced some of the biggest stars in the Republican Party to stay at home to help their consitutents battle the storm that many feared would rival Hurricane Katrina of just three years ago. But four of the five affected southern Republican governors addressed the opening session of the 2008 Republican National Convention Monday (Sept. 1) via taped messages. "I'm sure you can understand why Gov. Jindal couldn't participate," first lady Laura Bush said as she introduced the taped messages, referring to Republican Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal as his state was being pounded by Gustav's strong winds and rain. Jindal had been rumored to be, among others, on Republican John McCain's shortlist of possible vice presidential picks before the senator chose Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. President Bush had been scheduled to address the delegates Monday but instead went to Texas to monitor the storm. The administration had been widely criticized for its handling of Hurricane Katrina. Some Republicans, notably Texas Gov. Rick Perry, stressed that the GOP was ready. "You're seeing Republican governors ... doing a fabulous job of taking care of the citizens. That's what we do," he said via videotape.Texas Gov. Rick Perry on Hurricane Gustav The first lady also noted the governors of the affected states "happen to be Republicans," which drew a thunderous applause from the delegates at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. Florida Charlie Crist, another Republican governor who also was seen as a possible VP candidate, took a less partisan approach in his remarks, remembering his experience during last month's Tropical Storm Fay: "As I traveled our state in the days following Fay's landfall, I was reminded again of the resilience and strength of our people. The kindness they extend to one another. Neighbor helping neighbor. Asking not what party you are, but instead how you can help." Alabama Gov. Bob Riley and Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour also gave videotaped messages. Governor Jindal said Monday that seven states are helping Louisiana to shelter more than 29,000 citizens at 107 shelters. Texas has offered to shelter several thousand patients, Oklahoma has agreed to accept 4,000 general evacuees, and 150 medical patients from southwest Louisiana hospitals are expected to arrive at the Oklahoma Air National Guard Base at Will Rogers Airport in Oklahoma City today. The state Republican chairmen from Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas formed a working group "to regularly brief their delegates and convention planners, provide access to timely information and assistance, and give input on appropriate steps that can be taken from Minnesota." The McCain 2008 campaign also agreed to charter a DC-9 to transport delegates who wished to return to home to their states.AFTER THE JUMP: More video footage of the governors on Hurricane Gustav. - Pamela M. Prah Comments

Governors Sound Off on Medicaid Budget Fix

The National Governors Association is pushing for an economic stimulus plan that would dole out more federal dollars to state Medicaid programs

States Lead Push for Paid Sick Days

In the midst of this year's flu epidemic, nearly half of all U.S. workers who fall ill or have sick kids must decide whether to stay home and lose wages or go to work sick and expose others, a choice many say no one should have to make. Lawmakers in 12 states and the District of Columbia are considering bills that would make paid sick days a minimum labor standard.

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.

Nine States Hold Primaries Today

Voters in nine states participate in primaries today, with some of the most closely watched races for state office taking place in Arizona, Minnesota and Wisconsin, where gubernatorial and attorney general races will be decided.

Season's Greetings

function holidays() { javascript:mywindow=window.open('http://archive.stateline.org/flash-data/xmascards.swf','mywindow','width=800,height=700,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,scrollbars=no,status=no,toolbar=no,resizable=no');mywindow.focus();screen_height = window.screen.availHeight; screen_width = window.screen.availWidth; left_point = parseInt(screen_width/2)-(800/2); top_point = parseInt(screen_height/2)-(700/2); setTimeout('mywindow.moveTo(left_point,top_point)',100);void(0); } For a holiday treat, Stateline.org presents a gallery of governors' greeting cards: from hand-painted pictures by Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen (D) and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) to a recipe from outgoing Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R). Tour the interactive card gallery and learn more by reading the story.

Economy to Dominate Govs' Meeting

A stream of troubling financial news out of state capitols shows why the sputtering economy is sure to pervade talks among the nation's governors as they meet in Washington, D.C., this weekend.

Arizona's Brewer to Request Federal Waiver to Cut Medicaid

TRANSITION WATCH: Arizona's governor seeks new limits on Medicaid eligibility to balance the budget, Chet Culver's alternative energy program could be eliminated in Iowa and more news of the historic shift in power in the states.

Courts Struggle to Maintain Safety

No one is sure why, but courthouses are becoming more dangerous every year. Better security is needed, but security isn’t cheap.

Governors Races Attract The Colorful

If a former pro wrestler nicknamed The Body can be elected governor, then why not a comedian, an ex-stripper, or a pistol packing candidate? They are among the more colorful contenders for high office this year.

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.

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 Pension Funds Defy Scandal, Stock Crashes

Has the stock market crisis made you dizzy, like youve just stepped off the wildest roller coaster ride of your life? Well, if youre a retired state worker with a lifestyle tied to the ups and downs of your pension fund, take a deep breath; chances are youre going to be okay.

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.

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

Budget Deadline Looms Large in 10 States

The clock is ticking in 10 states that still have not adopted budgets for the fiscal year that begins July 1, with an eleventh-hour showdown threatening a partial government shutdown in Minnesota. Some - but not all - of those states are expected to wrap up their budget process this week.

Commentary: Congress Encroaching on State Priorities

Far scarier than the economic downturn for states is the growing trend on the part of Congress to restrict state revenue and spending prerogatives and to replace them with congressional priorities, writes Raymond C. Scheppach, executive director of the National Governors Association, in his latest commentary for Stateline.org. He cites provisions in two bills now making their way through Congress as important examples.

Turf Wars Rage Over Fake Grass

State legislators are used to political turf wars. Now, debates in a handful of states really are about turf, pitting those who back the artificial variety against supporters of natural grass for playgrounds and athletic fields.

Sex Ed Landscape Shifting in States

While most states still stress abstinence in sex education, lately there has been a movement toward a comprehensive approach that also teaches about contraception.

Weekly Wrap: New Year Brings New Laws

New state laws that take effect across the country on New Year's Day range from affecting the way residents drive to whether they can marry or profit from snapping a celebrity's photograph. (See also:US: State lawmakers, lacking money, took up bad-behavior bans in '09 and US: New 2010 laws -- Cooking to texting)

Budget Woes Dominate Governors' Inaugural Speeches

TODAY'S TAKE: New governors were sworn in Monday (January 3) in California, Minnesota, Nevada, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Most of them warned of painful fiscal choices ahead.

Slowdown on the Public-Private Express

Just a few years ago, there was a rage for public-private highway projects. They're still being done, but on a much smaller scale.

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.

Jerry Brown to Abolish California Inspector General Office

TRANSITION WATCH: California's governor-elect kills a watchdog office to save $700,000, Nevada's incoming governor considers budget plans that trouble local governments and more news of the historic shift in power in the states.

Backers See Momentum As 6th State Allows Same-Sex Civil Unions

Colorado becomes the latest state to allow same-sex civil unions, as marriage supporters see victories around U.S.

Colorado Governor to Sign Civil Union Law

Colorado becomes the latest state to allow same-sex civil unions, as marriage supporters see victories around U.S.

Govs' Travel Makes People Talk

Want to dodge congested airline ticket counters and long security lines? Fly on government aircraft or corporate jets? You might -- if you get yourself elected governor.

Oh Say, Is That Banner Made in the U.S.A.?

Lawmakers in 10 states have taken steps to require that American flags bought with state funds be manufactured in this country. While not all the legislation has passed, one state's new law even bans the sale of foreign-made American flags in that state.

Tuesday's Primary Night is a Nail-Biter

TODAY'S TAKE: Primary elections for governor in four states Tuesday provided plenty of drama. The run-off election between the top two Georgia Republicans still appeared too close to call Wednesday morning, while Minnesota Democrats look to have narrowly avoided a recount. In Colorado and Connecticut, victory went to candidates who, until recently, were largely unknown.

Three States to Weigh in on Republican Candidates

TODAY'S TAKE: It's not quite "Super Tuesday," but today (February 7) marks the first day of the 2012 presidential campaign that will see more than one state cast ballots.

Judges Uphold Cost-of-Living Cuts to Pensions

TODAY'S TAKE: Colorado and Minnesota lawmakers could legally reduce cost-of-living adjustments for currently retired state employees, judges said. The rulings could prompt more states to try the same thing.

Independents Making Noise on Gubernatorial Scene

With so many independents and third-party candidates for governor making a strong showing this year, now is a good time to ask: How do independents do as governor?

Seven States To Compete for Innovation Awards

Seven state-run programs in areas such as education, public safety, and the environment are among 15 policy initiatives competing for five $100,000 awards for being the most innovative programs in American government. The awards are given annually by the Institute for Government Innovation at Harvard Universitys John F. Kennedy School of Government in conjunction with the Council for Excellence in Government. The 15 finalists were chosen from 1,300 applicants, and each will receive a $20,000 grant.

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

Two Governors See Need for Major Tax Increases

TODAY'S TAKE: Democratic Governors Dannel Malloy in Connecticut and Mark Dayton in Minnesota are detailing plans to sharply hike taxes as a way out of multi-billion dollar budget shortfalls.

Connecticut Governor Seeks to Avoid Public Employee Layoffs

MANAGEMENT BEAT: The struggle over public employee concessions in Connecticut ... the prospect of salary cuts in Pennsylvania ... arguments about a pro-worker mural in Maine, and other government management news.

First State Last on 2008 Drunken Driving Law

Delaware is the last state in the nation to resist cracking down further on drunken drivers by lowering the blood-alcohol level that determines intoxication. Other holdout states -- Colorado and Minnesota -- joined the rest of the country last month in enacting laws to lower the blood-alcohol concentration threshold to .08 percent from .10 percent. Delaware is jeopardizing millions of dollars in federal highway construction funds if state lawmakers don't lower the limit this session. Opponents of .08 argue states' rights.

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.

Abuses in Delaware Weatherization Program Revealed

ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT BEAT: Delaware's troubled energy efficiency efforts ... a deal to remove protections for wolves ... Iowa leads in wind power and other energy and environment news.

Primary Turnout May Prolong Downtrend

This election year may go down in the record books alongside 1998 when states posted an average voter turnout in the primaries of only 17 percent, the worst in U.S. history.

States Showcase Successes, Pitch New Vision

Confronted with a new set of environmental challenges, states are leading the public policy charge toward a cleaner, healthier America. But the current structures of cooperation linking environmental protection authorities are doing more harm than good to their efforts, a handful of top state officials and analysts testified to a Congressional committee.

Republicans Deal With More Stormy Weather

The weather isn't being kind to the Republicans. The threat from Hurricane Gustav, which hit the Gulf Coast and canceled partisan festivities at the start of the Minnesota convention, is dissipating just as another potential hurricane threatens to send East Coast delegates fleeing before the close of the convention.

Fate of Florida Commuter Rail Line Up to Governor

TRANSPORTATION BEAT: Florida's governor weighs the arguments for a commuter rail line ... California regulators deal with the unintended consequences of a clean fuel requirement … Minnesota drivers could be caught in traffic if a budget is not passed on time, and other transportation news.

Issue to Watch: Renewable Energy

Here is a look at states considering major action on renewable energy policy.

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.

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.

Midwest Governors Eye Canadian Rx Imports

Several Midwestern governors and legislators from seven states are pressing the federal government to remove legal hurdles to importing lower-priced prescription drugs from Canada.

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.

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.

States Vary in Addressing Power Plant Construction

Putting an addition on your home can bring more regulatory hassles than building a power plant in many states. But in a few states like Minnesota, new generating facilities must meet a tough "needs test" to enter today's new electricity market.

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

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.

Seven States Lead in Budget Transparency

TODAY'S TAKE: A report released Tuesday (April 13) finds that seven states - Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, Minnesota, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Texas - lead the nation in budget transparency, providing the public with comprehensive and easily searchable information about government spending. Eighteen states flunked the scorecard created by U.S. PIRG, a Boston-based research and public-interest advocacy group.

Shutdowns Loom in Iowa, Minnesota

TODAY'S TAKE: This week could see the first state government shutdown since 2007, when Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell ordered a partial closure that lasted nine days.

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.

Can Digital Recordings Save Money for Courts?

Faced with crippling budget shortfalls, state courts are replacing in-person stenographers with digital recording systems. But do they really save money?

Gubernatorial Candidates, Louisiana - North Dakota

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

Health Of Nation Measured In Report Card

A national report card on health places New Hampshire at the top of the list of states that have healthy residents with decent access to healthcare. Mississippi ranked 50th in the study sponsored by the United Health Group of Minneapolis. Minnesota, Utah and Massachusetts also ranked high among states for all round good health and longevity. Louisiana, South Carolina and West Virginia joined Mississippi at the bottom of the list.

NCSL Conference Focuses on Floods, Energy

As state lawmakers gather in New Orleans this week for a policy conference, they'll be reminded often of what can happen if public works are allowed to deteriorate.

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.

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.

LePage Struggles to Fill Maine Cabinet Due to Salary Concerns

TRANSITION WATCH: Maine's governor-elect says top choices for key roles have turned him down, Alaska Governor Sean Parnell promises a fight with the feds over Medicaid funding, and more news of the historic shift in power in the states.

State DOTs Hope Drivers See Dots

Test programs in Maryland, Minnesota and Pennsylvania aim to curb tailgating by using road markers that alert motorists to distances between vehicles. The markers serve as a tangible reminder of commonly taught driving guidelines such as the "two-second rule," which urges drivers to stay at least two seconds behind the car ahead.

After Expanding Coverage, Health Care Pioneer Seeks to Tame Costs

The Affordable Care Act will extend health care coverage to almost everybody. Now states are moving on to the next frontier in health care reform: containing costs. Once again, Massachusetts is taking the lead by putting its health care industry on an annual budget and requiring all insurers and medical providers to make detailed price lists available to the public.

In Massachusetts, Mobilizing Private Investment for Public Good

Massachusetts to tap private investors who want to help pay for money-saving public programs

Study Grades States On Higher Education

Connecticut, Illinois, New Jersey, Minnesota, Kansas and Massachusetts get the highest grades in a new state-by-state report card that measures performance in higher education. According to the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, these six states do the best job of preparing students for post-high school education, providing academic opportunities, making them affordable, attaining a high graduation rate and reaping the benefits of an educated workforce. The lowest grades in the report entitled Measuring Up 2000 went to Arkansas, Louisiana, Nevada, Oregon, Tennessee and West Virginia.

Stumbles Aside, States Press to Cover All

More than a dozen states are entertaining the idea of making health insurance available to all kids or all residents, but the same problems that stymied such ambitious proposals for years again are tempering expectations.

State Programs Named Finalists for Innovation Awards

Five state-run programs are among finalists in the competition for Innovations in American Government Awards.

Mining Boom in Great Lakes States Prompts Environmental Concern

PART ONE OF TWO: Mining is a thriving industry again in the upper Midwest. But there are questions about whether current state regulations can handle the environmental impact.

Snyder's Detroit Outreach Could Include New Office

TRANSITION WATCH: Michigan's Republican governor looks to strengthen a troubled Democratic city, revolving door rules could trip up a Rhode Island appointment, and other news of the historic shift in power in the states.

With Vote, Minnesota Is 12th State to Allow Gay Marriage

Minnesota becomes the 12th state to allow gay marriage and the third state to do so this month.

States Unleash the Hounds! Sniffing Out Invasive Mussels

Minnesota officials hope man’s best friend will help the state quash its zebra mussel invasion.

The End of ‘No New Taxes’ in Minnesota

After more than decade of budget deficits balanced without tax increases, Democrats have taken power in Minnesota promising a different path.

Illinois State Government Narrowly Averts Labor Strike

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

Why Tax Revision Is an Inexact Science

Several governors are talking about major change in their state tax structures this year. How do they know how much money a revised tax system will bring in? Often, they don’t.

Minnesota State of the State Address 2013

ST. PAUL, Minnesota Feb. 6 Following is the prepared text of Gov. Mark Dayton's 2013 State of the State Address

State Test Results Questioned

Minnesota education officials this week credited tougher standards and a new online testing system as part of the reason 5 percent more students passed the state’s math test this year than last. Brenda Cassellius, the state’s education commissioner, predicted that those tougher standards, adopted in 2007, will lead to

Minnesota State of the State Address 2011

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Feb. 9 - Following is the prepared text of Gov. Mark Dayton's (D) 2011 state of the state address: On January 29, 2002, as a Minnesota Senator, I attended President George W. Bush's first State of the Union address. It occurred just four months after the terrible events of September 11, 2001. He

Minnesota State of the State Address 2010

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Feb. 11 - Following is the prepared text of Gov. Tim Pawlenty's (R) 2010 state of the state address: This state of the state address is not the most important thing that happened in Minnesota this week - not by a long shot. The most important thing that happened this week is that our Red Bulls

Minnesota State of the State Address 2009

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Jan. 15 - Following is the prepared text of Gov. Tim Pawlenty's (R) 2009 state of the state address: Click here to access the governor's Web page and view or hear the address. One hundred years ago, John Johnson, another 48-year-old Minnesota governor, returned from the national campaign tr

Minnesota State of the State Address 2008

ST. CLOUD, Minn. - Feb. 13 - Following is the prepared text of Gov. Tim Pawlenty's (R) 2008 state of the state address: Click here to visit the governor's web site to view the address. More than 80 years ago, a young man from Central Minnesota made an historic journey, alone, in an airplane across the Atlanti

Minnesota State of the State Address 2007

Thank you. Well this is now my fifth State of the State address. I never really thought I had that much to say. In all the years I spent in this chamber, I sometimes saw Mr. Lincoln looking down on us and wondered what he might have thought. I think he might say that politics and politicians aren't too popular the

Minnesota State of the State Address 2006

St. Paul, Minn., March 9 -- Following is the full prepared text of Gov. Tim Pawlenty's (R) 2006 State of the State Address. Click here to access the governor's web page and hear the address. Not far from here is a St. Paul city park called "Swede Hollow." For decades it was a disadvantaged area of the city. There w

Minnesota State of the State Address 2005

ROCHESTER, Minnesota - Jan. 18 - Following is the text of Gov. Timothy Pawlenty's 2005 state of the state address: At 1:00 this morning, a dozen huge garage doors behind me flew open and this facility came alive as more than 15,000 blood and tissue samples began arriving from across the country and

Minnesota State of the State Address 2004

SAINT PAUL, Minnesota - Feb. 5 - Following is the text of Gov. Tim Pawlenty's 2004 state of the state address: "Why do we live here in Minnesota?" It's been 25 below, it seems like we only see the sun for a few hours during winter days, and we spend a lot of time shoveling snow. There are other places to live.

Minnesota State Of The State Address 2003

ST. PAUL - Feb. 6 - Following is the text of Gov. Tim Pawlenty's 2003 State of the State Address: Distinguished guests, distinguished members of the Legislature, thanks for the opportunity to report to you and the good people of Minnesota on the condition of our State. Our State is awesome. It remains one of th

Minnesota State of the State Address 2002

ST. PAUL, Minnesota - - Following is the text of Gov. Jesse Ventura's 2002 State of the State Address: Good evening--I'm speaking to you from the Governor's residence in St. Paul. This past year the longest lasting economic expansion in United States history came to an end. For years we had been warned that what goe

Minnesota State of the State Address 2001

ST. PAUL, Minnesota - Jan 4 - Following is the partial text of Gov. Jesse Ventura's 2001 State of the State Address: Mr. Speaker, Mr. President, and honorable Legislators. Thank you for allowing me the privilege of this prestigious venue to deliver my second state of the state address. Governor Wendell Ande