Stateline Headlines

New York Spends Most Per-Student, Utah the Least: Census Report

Where Does Your State Rank In Education Spending?

States Struggle To Keep Online Schools Accountable

As concerns grow about performance in the booming online education sector, some states are working to define their oversight role.

Courts Embrace Technology, Advocacy To Stay Afloat

Investing in technology has helped state courts to better weather the recession, according to a group of state chief justices, court administrators and legislators who met in Washington, D.C. on Thursday (November 15).

Best of #StateReads: Special Interests, Politics Delay Changes After Sandusky Scandal

This week’s collection of #StateReads includes an examination at what derailed child advocacy improvements in Pennsylvania following the Jerry Sandusky scandal, an investigation into the 15 percent of homicides in Washington, D.C. that have gone unsolved and a look at a region in Utah that contains as much as 80 percent of the state’s homeless population.

Democrats Play Defense in Governors’ Races

The race for New Hampshire governor has the hallmarks of the biggest gubernatorial races this fall: heavy involvement from outside groups, a national contest stealing the spotlight and messages that echo themes from this year’s presidential campaigns.

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 make gift cards friendlier to consumer

Pleased with that $30 gift card you got for Christmas? Not so fast. Some cards come with expiration dates or maintenance fees that can make using them a hassle. But some states have made life a little easier by limiting those fees and expirations.

'Opt Out' Proposal Puts Focus on States

U.S. Sen. Harry Reid's call Monday (Oct. 26) for a new public health insurance plan already is prompting debate in state legislatures, which could opt out under the latest proposal being promoted by Democrats on Capitol Hill.

Labor Shortages Lead Businesses to Support Help for Undocumented Workers

Business groups, especially in agriculture, are pushing several state measures to aid immigrant laborers who are in the country illegally. But many of those efforts are treading on uncertain legal ground.

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.

Five States Freeze CHIP Enrollment

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

Western Governors University Improves Its Grade

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

Western Mines Drive Up Toxic Releases, EPA Says

Americans might have been exposed to a higher level of toxic chemicals and chemical compounds in 1999 than they were the year before, according to new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) data. The nations industries generated 7.77 billion pounds of toxic chemicals and compounds in 1999, a 5.3 percent jump from 1998 due largely to increases in emissions and solid waste disposals from metal mining facilities in the West.

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.

Palin strikes a pose in Vogue

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) is set to join the glitterati in the fashion magazine Vogue. Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons (R) gets a whole bunch of charcoal for Christmas. And New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) wins a New Hampshire primary. In case you missed those stories this week, Worth Noting fills you in.

WORTH NOTING: Gov. Palin Expecting No. 5 — Soon

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) in Washington, D.C., Feb. 25.Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) explains her "bump." Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) has a "first girlfriend." And the "governator" reports some unusual gifts from celebrities. In case you missed any of those stories this week, "Worth Noting" fills you in.

States, feds try to keep up with wildfires

With major wildfires burning in more than a dozen states and officials on high alert for more, authorities are scrambling to contain the blazes and keep new ones from igniting, despite unfavorable weather and strained resources.

Arizona Ballot Measure Challenges the Federal Government Over Public Lands

Most western states remain uncomfortable with federal stewardship of their land. A group of activists wants to rewrite the Arizona constitution to change the rules.

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

Tracking Election Reform: NAACP To Issue Report Cards

Civil rights leaders impatient with the pace and scope of election reform legislation in state capitals and in Washington have announced they will begin issuing "report cards" to hold officials accountable. NAACP Chairman Julian Bond announced the campaign Monday (7/9) at the organizations annual convention in New Orleans. "It will help you hold accountability sessions with your governor, legislators and other elected officials to find out what they have done to guarantee every vote is counted in the future," Bond said. "And in the fall, were going to issue a report card on their progress. Well see who gets As and who gets Fs."

Students Press For Guns on Campus

A year after a troubled student gunned down 32 people and then killed himself at Virginia Tech, an Internet-based student movement to allow concealed weapons on public college campuses has drawn thousands of students and prompted debate in 15 state capitols.

Ultrasound at Center of State Abortion Wars

A new Oklahoma law slated to take effect Aug. 1 requires doctors to show a woman considering abortion an ultrasound image of her fetus and recite details of its development. Experts expect a slew of similar statutes next year as abortion foes push states to require the procedure for all abortions.

Immigration: Will Other States Join Arizona?

TODAY'S TAKE: The national and international debate over Arizona's new immigration law continued Monday (April 26), as critics of the legislation called for an economic boycott of the state and the Mexican president, Felipe Calderon, warned that it "opens the door to intolerance and hatred." Less-noticed, however, was a state lawmaker in neighboring Utah who is drafting a similar bill in his state, and who says he has the support he needs to make it law.

On-Campus Gun Bills Stumble

PUBLIC SAFETY BEAT: Pro-gun Republicans enjoy overwhelming legislative majorities in Arizona and Texas. So why did proposals to allow guns on college campuses fail in both states?

New Governors Off to School

Five of the nation's seven newly-elected governors will get introductory lessons this weekend in the fine art of leading a state. Governors-elect will meet for a National Governors Association (NGA) retreat in West Virginia to learn how to prepare the first family for life in the spotlight, deal with the media, shape their political agendas and work with legislatures.

Governors' Inaugurations Take on Frugal Airs

President George W. Bush's inauguration took center stage in the nation's political arena, drawing most of the 28 Republican governors to Washington, D.C. But 11 recently elected governors threw inaugural parties of their own this month, each bringing his or her own style to the occasion, from collecting aid for tsunami survivors to a gala that garnered a visit from Elvis.

Govs' Speeches Send Grads on Their Way

Like any graduating class, the crop of governors giving commencement addresses in 2007 had its own standouts.

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.

Eco-Terrorists Targeted By Get Tough State Laws

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

More Students Passing College-Prep Tests

New York, Maryland, Utah, Florida and California have the largest percentages of high school students succeeding in college-level Advanced Placement classes, according to a first-ever state-by-state survey from the nonprofit College Board.

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.

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.

Reducing California's Car Fleet a Tough Sell

TRANSPORTATION BEAT: California is well short of Governor Jerry Brown's goal of selling half the state's fleet of cars… A national safety group tells states not to outlaw driving while talking on the phone… Utah adds a designation for veterans on its driver's licenses, and other transportation news.

Provisional Balloting Works Well in Initial Tests

Under the new federal election reform law, voters who claim to be registered but whose names are not on the rolls must be allowed to cast a provisional ballot starting in 2004. A handful of states implemented the new rule in the Nov. 5 election, and generally found that the system worked well.

Tracking Election Reform: This Week's News

Despite last year's fiasco in Florida, several state legislatures this week defeated or pigeon-holed election reform measures, but others plunged into what could be a busy, contentious season of debates on overhauling how Americans vote. Maryland, Colorado and Utah were states where major proposals went nowhere, but there was action in Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, and Iowa. To read the first of a series of weekly reports on this issue, click on

WORTH NOTING: ...And The Lobbyist Makes Three

Three's a crowd when Georgia lobbyists foot Valentine's Day bills. Midget wrestling gets pinned in Iowa. And an epidemic of faux pas hits lawmakers. In case you missed any of those stories this week, "Worth Noting" fills you in.

States Revisit Prohibition-Era Booze Laws

Seventy-five years after the repeal of Prohibition, state lawmakers across the country are marking the anniversary by relaxing or eliminating some laws that have restricted alcohol sales since as long ago as the 1930s.

Western States Wary of Federal Fracking Regs

Representatives from several Western states say draft federal rules on hydraulic fracturing on public lands would stymie natural gas development across states that largely depend on the industry for revenue.

Water a Concern in Western Oil Shale Expansion

As the Obama Administration moves forward on a scaled-down plan to lease Western lands for oil shale development, some still worry about the industry’s impacts on water supplies.

Governors Promote Employment for People With Disabilities

A yearlong initiative at the National Governors Association examines the roles that states and businesses can play in finding jobs for people with disabilities.

Best of #StateReads: Changed Minds on the Death Penalty

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

Republicans Win Big in North Carolina Governor’s Race But Struggle Elsewhere

Despite heavy spending by outside groups in nearly a dozen races for governor, the partisan mix of Democrats and Republicans leading states appeared to change only slightly as a result of Tuesday’s elections.

2004 Governors' Races

Here is a complete rundown of candidates in the nation's 11 governors' races.

Primaries Settle Slates of Open Governor Seats

Tuesdays primary results filled in the final blanks in the slate of candidates running for governor in 11 states. In five states, the race is wide open because incumbents arent competing in the general election. Here's a complete roster of governors matchups this election year.

Elections Will Bring Five Freshmen Governors

A Navy reserve officer who shipped out to Afghanistan weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks and a millionaire businessman whose family invented the clamshell container for McDonalds Big Mac are among the newcomers competing to join the nations corps of governors on Election Day. At least five freshmen governors will be elected this November in 11 gubernatorial races across the country.

Delaware Gov Defends Common Core

A handful of states are reconsidering their pledges to adopt the common national standards in English and math, citing concerns about federal intrusion into the states. Supporters say that’s misguided.

States Warned to Prep for Election Glitches

Eight years after voting irregularities marred the 2000 presidential election, most states still are not as prepared as they should be for Election Day glitches, from machine breakdowns to a shortage of emergency ballots, according to a new report by voter advocacy groups.

Economy Trims Some Govs' Inauguration Plans

In a bleak economy that has led even some of the most financially stable states to grow uneasy, some governors who were elected or re-elected in November are skipping the typical inaugural balls and toning down the glitz at their swearing-in ceremonies to cut costs.

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.

Western Governors Wary of Federal Road-Free Forest Plan

A nervous group of Western governors says a Clinton administration proposal to make 54 million acres of national forest road-free would wreak havoc with logging, mining and tourism taking place on adjoining state and private property.

A sagebrush state shows its spirit

Idaho's governor this month has drummed up support for a statewide, citizen-led volunteer effort to rehabilitate vast areas of wildfire- scorched earth - double what has burned in California this week - by replanting the land with millions of seeds of a native shrub.

WORTH NOTING: Illinois Treasurer Shows His Knowledge of Charges

U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) endures a bruising charge from Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (D). A new Utah law stirs Salt Lake City bartenders to create a new drink. And Louisiana prison guards get outside help to prevent escapes. In case you missed those stories this week, Worth Noting fills you in.

States Move Slowly Toward Digital Textbooks

Despite enthusiasm for digital textbooks at the national level, states have been slow to get on board. But the movement is gaining strength.

State Lawmakers Push Crackdown on Cancer-Causing Radon

Legislation filed in Iowa and Nebraska, and a proposal taking shape in Utah aim to reduce people’s exposure to radon, which kills about 21,000 people each year, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Tracking the Recession: Stimulus Police Funds Catch Legislators Off Guard

The influx of more than $4 billion in stimulus funding for state and local law enforcement initiatives has raised concerns among some state lawmakers who want a say in how the money is allocated and worry about what will happen when it runs out.

States Nervous About New Common Core School Standards

Concerns about local control have make implementation of the national education standards controversial in some states.

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?

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.

States Try New Tactics to Restrict Abortion

State legislatures across the country this year enacted groundbreaking abortion laws prodded, in large part, by national health care reform. Some of the new laws will dramatically change the circumstances women face when trying to end their pregnancies and at least one could lead to a challenge of Roe v. Wade.

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.

States Go After Wall Street

States are following New York's lead and pursuing Wall Street firms whose analysts have publicly touted stocks that they dont really consider good buys in the hopes of helping their companies win more investment-banking business.

Four Legislatures Rapped For Lax Ethics Ignore Criticism

In a scathing report last February called "Hidden Agendas," the Center for Public Integrity, a non-profit, non-partisan government watchdog group, criticized state legislators in Michigan, Idaho, Utah and Vermont for having the laxest ethical standards in the nation. stateline.org looked at the situation again six months later, and found that little has changed.

Managing Govt. Is Key in Fiscal Downturn

Utah, Virginia and Washington got top marks for managing a wide range of responsibilities - from fixing roads and schools to spending tax dollars and sharing public information - that carry a direct impact on their residents' lives, according to a national study that measured state governments' strengths and weaknesses.

Minnesota Senate Votes to Shrink State Government

MANAGEMENT BEAT: There may be 15 percent fewer workers in Minnesota state government … California Governor Jerry Brown weighs in with a pension overhaul plan … Nebraska looks to compromise on collective bargaining, and other government management news.

Interior issues new public land fracking rule

States Eye Possible Changes to No Child Left Behind

State lawmakers will ask Congress to give states more flexibility in meeting the Bush administrations sweeping No Child Left Behind education law, but the White House has made it plain theyll have to wait at least until after the 2004 elections.

Lame Ducks Ruffle Feathers in 3 Statehouses

Lame-duck legislators are feeling some heat in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, where some groups are calling for changes to post-Election Day legislative sessions that let departing lawmakers cast key votes just before their replacements take over. In Utah, legislative leaders have banned lame ducks from taking taxpayer-sponsored trips.

Christie Proposes to Slash Medicaid in New Jersey

HEALTH BEAT: Governor's plan would drop 23,000 adults who are currently receiving coverage. The federal government would have to approve the change in eligibility rules.

States Tackling Public Employee Retirement Benefits in 2010

Since legislatures convened last month, at least 16 states are weighing changes to their worker pension plans. Employees, retirees and unions say they will contest some of the proposals.

Feds: New Mexico, other western states see oil production jump over 3 years

E-Voting: States Better Get Ready, Experts Say

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

Cities, Counties Hurt By Budget Cuts

Starved for cash due to slumping sales tax revenues and rising Medicaid costs, North Carolinas Mecklenburg County needs another revenue hit like a fish needs a bicycle. But thats exactly what it got in February. Through April of this year, 10 states Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont and Washington have cut local revenue sharing dollars to balance fiscal year 2002 budgets.

Three States to Let Overseas Soldiers Vote by E-mail

For the first time, members of the U.S. armed forces stationed in Iraq or other international hot spots can use e-mail to vote in the Nov. 2 election if their legal residence is Missouri, North Dakota or Utah. Those states are pioneers in trying to make it easier for U.S. troops based overseas to cast absentee ballots. But the effort is not without its critics, who say the program raises privacy concerns and fears about possible vote tampering.

Gubernatorial Candidates, Ohio - Wyoming

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

Governors Launch Anti-Terror Network

Declaring that direction of future national homeland security efforts "has to come from the governors," a leading member of the National Governors' Association has announced plans for a multistate interagency anti-terror information network. Its purpose: To help officials operate more effectively across all levels of government and the private sector to prevent or respond to terrorist activity.

States Scrutinize For-Profit Colleges

Rhode Island is considering whether to approve a for-profit osteopathic medical school, as Kentucky leads 22 other states in investigating the for-profit education industry.

Poverty Rate Increases in Most States

The nations economic slowdown fueled an increase in the poverty rate in most states last year, with the greatest jumps in Utah and South Carolina.

Voucher Groups Seek to Oust Opponents

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

WORTH NOTING: South Carolina's Shampoo Specialists

The Palmetto State cleans up a law requiring hairstylists to get more training than cops. Frog legs are frowned upon by Florida health officials. And an aide to Utah's lieutenant governor gets way ahead of his boss. In case you missed those stories this week, "Worth Noting" fills you in.

It’s about money

UDOT listened, made a good choice

Utah GOP weighs next step in election reforms

Charity care offered as alternative to Medicaid expansion

Veterans push child identity protection in immigration bill

Utah governor: Grand bargain and state taking fed lands ‘complementary’

Is Common Core an upgrade or ‘cookie-cutter’ education?

Separating church, state and Twitter

Water at risk

Senator wants to offer incentives to attract gunmakers to Utah

Utah Regents approve boosting college presidents’ pay up to 24 percent

State to shoulder Utah counties’ RS2477 court costs

Swallow needs administrative leave

Herbert signs legislation to prevent teen suicide

Democrats call for legislative hearings into state executive scandals

Utah added 43,000 more jobs in April 2013 compared to April 2012

Utah facing $1.2 billion-dollar water pollution problem

No solution

Utah GOP again rejects reforms to nomination process

Health care reform about to 'get real' for Utahns

West Davis Corridor project unveiled amid criticism