Stateline Stories

Despite Governors’ Opposition, Strong Southern Support for Medicaid Expansion

New poll shows Deep South politicians are out of step with their constituents on Medicaid expansion.

The 5 States Most Vulnerable to Sequestration’s Education Cuts

Automatic federal budget cuts will slash more than $1 billion in K-12 education dollars this year, paring everything from Title I money for low-income students to school improvement initiatives.

One of Five Americans Struggling To Afford Food, Survey Finds

Despite record food stamp enrollment around the country and an economy considered to be on a modest upswing, the Great Recession is continuing to take its toll on many Americans, a Gallup survey found.

Best of #StateReads: Illinois Fails to Investigate Abuse and Neglect in Deaths of Disabled

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

More states sanction deadly force

A year-old Florida law sanctioning the use of deadly force against muggers, carjackers or other assailants outside the home is rapidly being adopted by other states and already is being raised as a defense in at least three shootings in Florida.

FEMA Change Sends States Searching For Ice

States looking for free ice from FEMA in the aftermath of a hurricane will be out of luck because of the agency's new policy.

Tracking the Recession – Much Ado About a Small Stimulus Pot

After weeks of speculation and intense political pressure, a reluctant Republican South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford on Friday (April 3) became the last governor to formally notify the White House that he plans to accept at least some federal dollars from the stimulus package - but the controversy is far from over.

Cheers! All 50 States Embrace the Home Brew Boom

As of July 1, all 50 states will allow aspiring brewers to make their own beer at home. But states are still figuring out how to regulate the popular hobby.

States Get More Time to Decide If They Will Run Their Own Health Insurance Exchanges

Only a few new states have opted to build and operate their own insurance exchanges. More are taking a wait and see approach.

Southeastern States Struggle with Teacher-Quality Rules

Southeastern states are lowering the bar for teacher qualifications and using federal rules under the No Child Left Behind Act as a maximum standard rather than a minimum, according to a report released today . The Southeast Center for Teacher Quality concludes that some states are focusing only on what teachers know and not how well they convey that knowledge to students.

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.

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.

'Choose Life' Car Tags Spark Debate

Legislators in seven states Alabama, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and South Carolina have authorized specialty license plates bearing the slogan "Choose Life," an action that has sparked controversy and several lawsuits. Though supporters say "Choose Life" is not a political message and is intended to promote adoption, the plates have been challenged by abortion rights groups whove gone to court to try to block them.

State Revenue Report Finds Everything Slowing

State tax revenue growth last quarter was the weakest in eight years and the economic slowdown, which had been concentrated in the Midwest and the Southeast, has spread to nearly the entire country, according to a report published Wednesday by the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government. "The trend now is toward slowing growth. The fear is that this continues and we start seeing negative growth," says Nicholas Jenny, a fiscal analyst at Rockefeller and one of the report's authors.

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.

Grand Old Party-Poopers

What VIPs are sending regrets to John McCain's convention bash?

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.

Home Insurance Woes Mount in Coastal States

As private home insurers raise rates or pull out completely along the Gulf Coast and in other storm-prone areas of the country, states are scrambling to respond.

States Draw Down Rainy Day Funds

Faced with historic revenue drops, lawmakers in states across the country tapped rainy day funds in fiscal years 2009 and 2010 at levels not seen since the recession following the 2001 terrorist attacks. And more seem poised to join them.

Infographic: Southern Strength

Republican dominance in the South started with presidential elections and only later came to statehouses.

Where Labor is Weak, State Workers Face Huge Cutbacks

As the nation debates collective bargaining in Wisconsin, public workers in Alabama, Texas and many other states are fighting over massive pay cuts, huge increases in health premiums and basic civil service protections.

State AGs Fight Teen Smoking—Onscreen

More than 30 attorneys general are mounting a campaign to add anti-smoking ads to the beginning of films in which actors light up onscreen. The bid to fight teen smoking was prompted by a study that showed a marked increase in smoking among children who watch movie characters puffing away.

Report: 11 States Emerging From Recession

It's going to be a long, hard climb out of the current economic downturn for many recession-ridden states hit hard by the housing crash, unemployment and shrinking revenues. But as the national economy starts its slow recovery, 11 states and the District of Columbia are showing signs of emerging from the recession, according to a new report.

Manners Still Matter In Statehouses

Legislative customs vary from state to state, but when it comes to decorum on the statehouse floor, blazers are in, and cell phones are out.

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.

Tea on the Menu

Long-time advocates of limited government hope the anti-tax fervor of the Tea Party movement will breathe new life to initiatives aimed at reining in state spending and will reverse a string of ballot box defeats in recent years. Opponents speculate that tea partiers' influence on ballot measures may be limited since their focus is on Washington. Either way, no one is taking Tea Party activists lightly, and the first big test will come next month in Arizona, where voters will consider a temporary sales tax increase - anathema to Tea Party groups everywhere.

Issue To Watch: School Testing

A number of states are pushing to up the stakes on reading tests for younger students and assign letter grades to schools.

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.

WORTH NOTING: Fat Folks Uninvited

A Mississippi legislator wants restaurants to stop serving obese customers. Rooster owners in Riverside, Calif., must muffle cock-a-doodle-doing during daytime hours. And Florida lawmakers want to tax strip-club goers and give the money to poor nursing home residents. In case you missed any of those stories this week, "Worth Noting" fills you in.

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.

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.

For Some States, Medicaid Expansion May Be a Tough Fiscal Call

GOP governors appear poised to leave federal dollars on the table.

New Governors: Deficits Are 'Opportunities'

Even with the economy improving, many states are still struggling to recover from a fiscal hangover induced by two-plus years of program cuts, tax increases and layoffs. The governors-elect of Kentucky, Mississippi and Louisiana soon will lead such states and say they relish this challenge.

Activists Call For Greater Federal Election Role

Civil and disability rights leaders want the federal government to take a more active role in elections, which would overturn a tradition of state and local control over voting. Testifying at a hearing of the National Commission on Federal Election Reform at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library on May 24, advocates of an expanded federal role in the electoral process evoked the name of LBJ and the landmark Voting Rights Act he shepherded.

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.

Weekly Wrap: Govs Seek to Prop Up Budget Reserve Funds

Depleted rainy day funds prompt review; Toyota's temporary sales suspension could impact state revenue; Ohio loses an iconic employer; and new studies released on recession, state stimulus web sites.

Push For Ten Commandments To Return To Schools

The Ten Commandments are experiencing a renaissance in states debating bills that would display the Big 10 in schools alongside historical documents. Emphasizing history, not religion, is a strategy that Commandments backers hope will skirt court challenges.

Gubernatorial Candidates Face Off in Southern States

With hotly contested races for governor in Kentucky, Louisiana and Mississippi, the South is home to three of this year's biggest political battles. While these races are far from the finish line, some analysts are already predicting that Republicans could be in for a good year.

Southern States' Governors' Races Heat Up

Voters in Kentucky, Louisiana and Mississippi elect new governors this fall. With the races well underway, analysts say the best battle is in Mississippi, where incumbent Gov. Ronnie Musgrove (D) is squaring off against political power broker Haley Barbour (R).

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.

GOP Eyes Possible Gains in '07 Races

Click here to see the 2007 state elections guide Location, location, location could make all the difference in the three governors' seats in play this year. All three gubernatorial races - in Kentucky, Louisiana and Mississippi - are in the South, the only region where Republicans made gains in state offices as Democrats in 2006 swept into a majority of governors' mansions and more statehouses than at any time since 1994.

Jindal Stays Put as Isaac Swirls Toward Coast

This week was supposed to be Bobby Jindal’s time in the limelight — a chance at complete redemption for the Louisiana governor, whose star in the Republican Party is rising once again. But a hurricane named Isaac thought otherwise.

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.

Katrina Alters Vista for Barbour, Blanco

Kathleen Babineaux Blanco and Haley Barbour took their oaths as governors of Louisiana and Mississippi two days apart in January 2004. Twenty months later, Hurricane Katrina ripped through the Gulf states, tearing apart landscapes and lives and severely testing the leadership of both governors. This report is from "State of the States 2006," Stateline.org's annual overview of significant policy trends in the 50 states.

Katrina, Rita Create Unexpected Boom

Despite dire forecasts that Gulf Coast governors would have to slash state budgets in the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita one year ago, a new report finds that booming "hurricane economies" have fueled state revenue surpluses across the region.

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.

Gulf States Fear Long-Term Fiscal Effects of Oil Disaster

The Gulf Coast states were hopeful that 2010 would be a year of economic revival. Now, one of the worst environmental tragedies in U.S. history is jeopardizing the future of the tourism, fishing and deep-water oil drilling industries. Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida do not have the money to offset the revenue losses and are counting on BP to rescue them.

Still Too Many Schools?

As states become determined to keep more school money inside the classroom, rather than in an administrative office, they are beginning to turn to the thorny issue of consolidation as a way to save on administrative costs. But consolidation of anything related to schools is notoriously difficult, and doesn't always turn out to provide the fiscal windfall states hope for. Implementation is fraught with complexities. Communities worry about the possibility of local schools closing even when it's promised that proposed changes would be largely administrative.

State Attorney Generals Step Up Child Support Enforcement

Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox is taking the fight to collect child support to the streets, where billboards will warn the states motorists to pay child support on time or do time. The billboards represent one facet of a large-scale effort by Cox to crackdown on Michigans deadbeat parentsa move that follows the lead of state Attorneys General across the country.

Bridge collapse points to national problem

The Minnesota bridge that collapsed this week is just one of 73,518 "structurally deficient" bridges across the country that state and federal inspectors have deemed in need of significant repairs.

Colleges go on offense against binge drinking

To many college students, binge drinking is a rite of passage, as integral a part of the college experience as midterms and all-nighters. But to college administrators, drinking too much is a hazard to students' health and safety, and they're taking steps to curb it.

Fight Over Abortion Rules Could Reverberate Widely

Mississippi could be one step closer to becoming the first U.S. state without an abortion provider after a state hearing Thursday. But the legal fight over the state’s abortion law is far from over, and could have far-reaching implications for other states with similar laws.

States Look to Raise Standards for New Teachers

Would paying teachers more improve the quality of teaching candidates? Some states are considering that and tougher admission standards at education programs.

Mississippi State of the State Address 2013

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Jan. 22 -- Following is the prepared text of Gov. Phil Bryant's (R) 2013 State of the State Address:

Mississippi Tops List Of Fattest States — Again

For the seventh straight year, Mississippi has claimed a dubious title: the nation’s fattest state. That’s according to the latest estimates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In 2011, nearly 35 percent of adult Mississippians were considered obese, according to data released on Monday (Augu

New Anti-Abortion Strategy Pays Off

The past few months have seen a flurry of new state laws restricting abortion, most of them based on the concept of “fetal pain.”

Mississippi State of the State Address 2011

JACKSON, Mississippi - Jan. 11 - Following is the prepared text of Gov. Haley Barbour's (R) 2011 state of the state address: Thank you Speaker McCoy and Governor Bryant, and thanks to you in the Legislature for your warm welcome. General Freeman is with us tonight. While we don't have as many of our National Guard

Mississippi State of the State Address 2010

JACKSON, Miss. - Jan. 18 - Following is the prepared text of Gov. Haley Barbour's (R) 2010 state of the state address: Mr. Speaker, Governor Bryant, members of the Legislature, distinguished guests and fellow Mississippians: For the seventh time I'm honored to come before you to share my view of the State of o

Mississippi State of the State Address 2009

JACKSON, Miss. - Jan. 13 - Following is the prepared text of Gov. Haley Barbour's (R) 2009 state of the state address: Governor Bryant; Speaker McCoy; ladies and gentlemen of the Legislature; and fellow Mississippians: Tonight marks the sixth time you have allowed Marsha and me to join you here to report on th

Mississippi State of the State Address 2008

JACKSON, Miss. - Jan. 21 - Following is the prepared text of Gov. Hayley Barbour's (R) 2008 state of the state address: Governor Bryant; Speaker McCoy; ladies and gentlemen of the Legislature; and fellow Mississippians: This is the fifth time you have allowed Marsha and me to join you in this historic chamber to r

Mississippi State of the State Address 2007

JACKSON, Miss., Jan. 15 - Following is the prepared text of Gov. Haley Barbour's (R) 2007 state of the state address: Madam Lt. Governor, Mr. Speaker, ladies and gentlemen of the Legislature, distinguished guests and fellow Mississippians: For the fourth time I'm honored to report to you on the State of our State.

Mississippi State of the State Address 2006

JACKSON, Miss., Jan. 9 - Following is the full text of Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour's (R) 2006 state of the state address: "Thank you. Lt. Governor Tuck, Speaker McCoy, ladies and gentlemen of the Legislature, fellow Mississippians. Thank you for being here for my third State of the State address. I apologize fo

Mississippi State of the State Address 2005

JACKSON, Miss., Jan. 11 - Following is the text of Gov. Haley Barbour's 2005 state of the state address: Governor Tuck, Speaker McCoy, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Legislature, fellow Mississippians: It is my privilege to report the State of our State is better today than it was last year but not as good as it will

Mississippi State of the State Address 2004

JACKSON, Mississippi - Jan. 26 - Following is the text of Gov. Haley Barbour's 2004 state of the state address: Lieutenant Governor; Mr. Speaker; Fellow State officials, Members of the Legislature, Members of the Executive Council and fellow Mississippians. It is a humbling honor to come before you tonight for

Mississippi State of the State Address 2003

JACKSON, Mississippi - Jan. 9 - Follwoing is the text of Gov. Ronnie Musgrove's 2003 State of the State Address: Lieutenant Governor Tuck, Speaker Ford, President Pro Tem Little, Speaker Pro Tem Clark. Elected officials and distinguished guests, my fellow Mississippians. We meet in troubled economic times. Like

Mississippi State of the State Address 2002

JACKSON, Mississippi - Jan 16 - Following is the text of Gov. Ronnie Musgrove's State of the State Address: Governor Tuck. Mr. Speaker. President Pro Tem Little. Speaker Pro Tem Clark. Members of the Mississippi Legislature. Elected Officials and Distinguished Guests. My fellow Mississippians. Last Sunday, my

Mississippi State of the State Address 2001

JACKSON, Mississippi - Jan. 4 - Following is the text of Gov. Ronnie Musgrove's 2001 State of the State Address: Governor Tuck. Mr. Speaker. Members of the Mississippi Legislature. Chief Justice Pittman and Justices of the Supreme Court. Elected Officials. Agency Directors. Distinguished Guests. My fello

Mississippi Inaugural Address 2000

JACKSON, Mississippi - Jan 11 - Following is the text of Gov. David Ronald Musgrove's 2000 Inaugural Address: When we ordered the weather for today, we had no idea the Lord would bless us with hot weather. But compared to those tremendous events that I've participated (in) in times past, I will take the hot we

Medical Liability Debate Still Roaring in Statehouses

Mississippi and New Jersey are among nearly a dozen states that made headway in addressing costly premiums for medical malpractice insurance by passing new laws during the 2004 legislative session. The issue sucked up time and energy in 42 statehouses this session as lawmakers debated claims that excessive damage awards are driving up physicians' liability insurance costs and threatening doctor shortages. Much of a recent upsurge in lobbying at the state level has been driven by doctors groups and trial lawyers battling over medical malpractice legislation.

Drinking and Driving Legal in Some States

Drunk driving may be a crime in every state, but drinking while driving is still legal in three of them Indiana, Mississippi and Montana -- as long as the driver is sober.

Democrats in Trouble as Kentucky, Mississippi Elect New Governors

Kentucky and Mississippi voters hit the polls Tuesday to elect new governors. Louisiana voters will do the same later in the month. These are the only regularly scheduled gubernatorial elections this year and Republicans are running strong in all of them.

History Might Repeat in Mississippi

Four years ago, the Mississippi governor's race was ultimately decided by the state legislature. Because of the tightness of this year's race and the peculiarities of the state's election process, some experts believe history might repeat itself.

Republicans Elect Governors in Kentucky, Mississippi

Republican candidates won the governors races in Kentucky and Mississippi Tuesday, continuing a decades-long trend toward Republican domination of the South.

Healthcare Crisis Feeds Mississippi Tort Reform Fight

Soaring medical malpractice insurance premiums are creating crises in many states as physicians abandon or limit their practices because of costs. In Mississippi, the legislature will hold a special session soon to tackle the issue, and theres growing public pressure for action.

Mississippi Flag Debate Heads Toward Showdown

With one eye on the turmoil endured by South Carolina, Mississippi business, athletic and religious leaders here uniting in an uphill battle to convince voters to retire this states controversial flag -- a banner that includes the Confederate battle flag in one corner. Voters go to the polls for a special, one-issue referendum Tuesday (4/17) to choose between the present flag and a new design that replaces the Confederate battle flag with 20 white stars on a blue field.

Listening Sessions Help Mississippi Gov Stay in Touch

Mississippi Gov. Ronnie Musgrove is taking political accessibility to a new level. Once each month, the Magnolia State Democrat sets aside time to meet with ordinary citizens. While its not clear that any of this interaction has resulted in tangible changes in policy, Musgrove says the meetings are nonetheless important. "Every time I have the opportunity to hear people across the state, I get a new appreciation for the concerns and challenges and problems people have," he says

Mississippi Lawmakers Make Musgrove State's Governor

Mississippi's House of Representatives kicked off its 2000 legislative session Tuesday by making Democrat Ronnie Musgrove the Magnolia State's new governor.

America's Newest Governor Gets Delayed Start

Mississippi's new Gov. Ronnie Musgrove starts from behind when he takes office next Tuesday -- the state House of Representatives ratified Musgrove's election just this week after he and former Rep. Mike Parker, his Republican opponent, finished in a near-draw in the November election. What's ahead for the newest Democrat in a Deep South governor's mansion? Click on

Mississippi Poor Leave Welfare, But For What?

If the overhaul of the nation's welfare system meant poor families would replace public aid with paychecks, that has not occurred in Mississippi. If welfare reform meant states would make investments to help people move from welfare to work, that has not happened either. Under former Republican Gov. Kirk Fordice, Mississippi did not reform welfare, it practically dismantled it. A new administration headed by Democratic Gov. Ronnie Musgrove is moving to change things, but given the state's historical apathy toward its poorest citizens, it's unclear if the effort will succeed.

Mississippi Leads In Creating Service Industry Jobs

Mississippi led the way in increasing jobs and revenue in the service sector between 1992 and 1997, a new Census Bureau report shows. Service industry jobs, in hotels, restaurants, computer rental firms, technical training schools, temp agencies and other similar enterprises, accounted for more than half of all new jobs created nationwide in the non-farm private economy during the most recent five-year period for which complete information is available.

Mississippi Faces Special Session; Oregon, North Carolina Near End

With legislators in Oregon and North Carolina working feverishly to wind up their 1999 sessions and Mississippi's governor calling back lawmakers for what promises to be a contentious special session on taxes, the count of legislatures still working remains at ten.

Southern, Western States Lag In Preventing Hunger

A report released this week by the U.S. Department of Agriculture draws a map of a United States rimmed along the south and west by hunger, but increasingly plump and prosperous as you look north and east. As expected of the state that recently captured the unenviable title of the nation's poorest, New Mexico claims the highest rate of hunger. The upper Midwest boasts the most success in feeding the needy.

Republican Favored in Mississippi Gov's Race

When the race to succeed term-limited Republican Kirk Fordice as Mississippi governor began earlier this year, Democratic Lt. Gov. Ronnie Musgrove had a big lead in the polls. But that lead appears to have evaporated in the face of a relentlessly upbeat campaign by U.S. Rep Mike Parker, a Republican convert. Musgrove is hoping for a heavy turnout of African-American voters in Mississippi's Delta region to help him squeak to victory, but Parker is the favorite on the eve of the election.

Mississippi Legislators To Choose Governor Next Month

Nearly a month after the balloting, the outcome of the Mississippi governor's election is still officially undecided. So the state House of Representatives will select the winner on January 4. Democrat Ronnie Musgrove is almost certain to be the lawmakers' choice, but Republican Mike Parker seems determined to hold out until the bitter end.

States Promote Nursing, Protect Moms

Mississippi, the state with the lowest breastfeeding rate in the country, has passed a broad new law allowing mothers to nurse at work and in public. In addition, five other states - Arizona, Kentucky, Kansas, South Carolina and Alabama - passed laws protecting mothers from charges of indecent exposure when they nurse in public places.

Will Obama Have Coattails in the South?

High turnout among African-Americans and younger voters could reshape the Southern political landscape this fall. But Democrats may find gains in statewide contests thwarted by bad timing and a potential conservative backlash.

States Try GPS to Protect Social Workers

Last year, a Kentucky social worker was murdered in the line of duty. Although fatalities are rare, this case and others like it are a call to arms for state child-welfare agencies already battling high worker-turnover rates and a nationwide shortage of skilled new social workers. Two states are equipping their frontline caseworkers with Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking devices to boost worker safety and efficiency.

State pols catch sports fever

An attorney general candidate in Mississippi gets blitzed by the Dallas Cowboys. A Democratic governor chides his Republican counterparts over Major League Baseball. Pittsburgh Pirate Roberto Clemente wins support from the Pennsylvania General Assembly 35 years after his death. In case you missed those stories this week, "Worth Noting" fills you in.

Supreme Court stops Mississippi execution

For the third time in five weeks, the U.S. Supreme Court last night (Oct. 30) halted an execution while it considers whether lethal injection illegally inflicts cruel and unusual punishment. The postponement - 19 minutes before a Mississippi inmate was to be put to death - is the strongest signal to date that a national moratorium on lethal injection is taking hold.

Legislatures: before and after

Three states put their entire legislatures up for election Tuesday (Nov. 6). Democrats flipped control of legislative chambers in Virginia and Mississippi on Election Day and made gains in four of the six chambers with seats on the ballot, including adding one seat to their majority in the New Jersey Senate although they lost two seats in the Assembly.

Recession Ushers in More Tobacco Taxes

In a double-whammy for smokers, the federal government and seven states raised taxes on cigarettes this year. But the new taxes plus President Obama's vow to sign a bill imposing sweeping regulation of the tobacco industry threaten to shrink cigarette sales - and revenues for state coffers.

Weekly Wrap: Bullet Point Dramatizes Crisis

Mississippi's "down budget times" have led to the rationing of highway patrol ammo. Fallout from the recession is likely to mean higher fees for would-be Cal State students. It's delaying tax refunds in several states. Vermont had some good news - it ended the budget year that ended June 30 in the black. For a quick update on how the economic crisis is affecting states, read Stateline.org's "Weekly wrap."

Mississippi State of the State Address 2012

JACKSON, Mississippi - Jan. 24 - Following is the prepared text of Gov. Phil Bryant's (R) 2012 state of the state address: Thank you Governor. First, let me congratulate you on your excellent appointments of committee chairs. I know them all very well and look forward to our successes together. Mr. Spea

Amid Recall, Four Governors Defend Toyota

TODAY'S TAKE: The governors of Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky and Mississippi - all states that are home to Toyota plants -on Wednesday (Feb. 10) defended the Japanese automaker amid its worldwide recall of millions of cars.

A Tale of Two Governors

TODAY'S TAKE: One Mississippi governor talks down the damage of the Gulf oil spill. Another has been given the task of managing the cleanup.

Mississippi Budget Proposal: Sign of Those to Come?

TODAY'S TAKE: Mississippi's Haley Barbour on Monday (November 15) became one of the first governors to propose a state budget for the new year. The plan is full of deep cuts - and could resemble what other Republican governors will propose in the months ahead.

Mississippi Lieutenant Governor May Succeed His Boss

TODAY'S TAKE: Mississippi Lieutenant Governor Phil Bryant became the Republican choice for governor on Tuesday (August 2) and awaits the winner of a Democratic runoff election later this month.