Stateline Headlines

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.

States Ease Financing for Energy-Efficient Upgrades

Several states are experimenting with an “on-bill” loan financing program that aims to spur investment in energy efficiency for homes and businesses — even for owners who lack capital.

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 Prepare to Launch New Health Law

Debates over Medicaid expansion got most of the attention, but states enacted dozens of other laws that will affect how millions of Americans receive health care next year.

Q&A: Will Consumers Find Bargains on Health Insurance Exchanges?

Some states are beginning to roll out their plans for health insurance exchanges under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Pat Quinn Rehires His Old Chief of Staff as an Adviser

TRANSITION WATCH: Jerry Stermer returns three months after he resigned in Illinois, charges of nepotism in South Dakota and other news of the historic shift in power in the states.

States Tackle Privacy Loopholes Created By Congress

When Congress voted two years ago to tear down Depression-era barriers that had long kept banks, investment firms, insurance companies and other elements of the financial services industry from merging , Wisconsin State Representative Marlin Schneider had just one comment: "They're nuts," he said of the federal lawmakers. Since then, a growing number of state legislators have come to the same conclusion as they've tried to address privacy loopholes in the Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999.

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.

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.

Several States Wrap Up Their Budgets

TODAY'S TAKE: Lawmakers in Connecticut, Florida, Missouri and Vermont have finished their budgets or are expected to do so this week, while Alaska is closing in on a deal to end a divisive special session over spending.

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.

Minimum Wage Set to Rise in Eight States

TODAY'S TAKE: Workers in eight states will see slightly larger paychecks beginning January 1, thanks to laws requiring minimum wages to rise with inflation.

In New Year, Seven States to Hike Minimum Wage

Nine to twelve cents isn't a lot, but those small, automatically triggered increases in the minimum wage will provide a modest New Year's present for workers in a minority of states that automatically increase their minimum wage levels at the start of every year.

Lt. Governors: Running In the Shadows

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

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.

A Fight Over Food Labels in California

A ballot measure to require labeling of genetically modified foods has brought big money and prominent players to the table.

State Money Key to Fixing Nursing Crisis: Experts

Thirty of the 50 states are experiencing nursing shortages, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services predicts it is only a matter of time before most of the others face the same headache. The nursing shortage is worsening at a time when the countrys aging population is placing ever greater demands on the nations healthcare system. Stateline.org talked to three experts about solutions to the problem.

Same-Sex Couples Seek Marriage Rights

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

Mega-Stores Hitting Political Flak In Several States

Preventing mega-stores such as Wal-Mart and Costco from chewing up competitors is on the agenda of more than just anti-growth groups and environmentalists these days. Policy makers in states and communities are considering restricting so-called "big-box" stores. California Gov. Gray Davis last week vetoed a bill aimed at limiting the growth of these stores. The issue has also been joined in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Vermont and Wisconsin.

WORTH NOTING: Gibbons Used State Cell Phone to Text 'Another Woman'

Nevada state telephone records show embattled Gov. Jim Gibbons (R) sent hundreds of text messages to his alleged paramour on a state-owned cell phone, often late at night. Former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee rescues a North Carolina lawmaker. And Vermont becomes the 29th state to make Juneteenth a state holiday. In case you missed those stories this week, "Worth Noting" fills you in.

Sick Leave Tops State Labor Agendas

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

States Brace for New Safety Net Money

The $789 billion economic stimulus bill includes aid for the poor that most experts agree will quickly flow back into the ailing economy, as cash-strapped families spend it on basic necessities. But already swamped state agencies face the daunting challenge of quickly getting the new money to those who need it most.

Oklahoma House Republicans Question Leader's Conservatism

TRANSITION WATCH: Kris Steele's focus on economic issues angers some right-leaning Oklahoma Republicans, Connecticut's new governor is likely to dictate the fate of tens of millions of state e-mails, and other news of the historic shift in power in the states.

Workforce has changed, but unequal pay has not

Ten states Identified as Legislative Battlegrounds

Political control of legislative bodies in 10 states could change in the November election, the National Conference of State Legislatures said in an analysis that identified the battleground states as Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Maine, Montana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Vermont and Washington.

Northeastern States Seek Terrorist-Intelligence Sharing

Homeland security officials in 10 northeastern states want to establish intelligence-sharing centers that would better disseminate terrorist-related information between federal law enforcement and local police officers. Mark Cohen, who heads the New York State Office of Public Security, said the ability to share intelligence in real time is the most critical component for homeland security in the states.

Lawmakers Press Solicitor General on Maine Rx Case

An eight-state coalition wants the U.S. Solicitor General to support Maine in a controversial prescription drug case pending before the U.S. Supreme Court. The group, known as the Northeast Legislative Association on Prescription Drug Prices, wants the federal government's chief lawyer to weigh in heavily on behalf of states trying to curb prescription costs.

WORTH NOTING: Lt. Governors May Pass on New York

Can New York host a lieutenant governors' shindig without a lieutenant governor? Some New England residents want to air their laundry - the clean kind. And a New Jersey man sues for a bribe that went bust. In case you missed any of those stories this week, "Worth Noting" fills you in.

Tracking the Recession: Buyouts Lure 9,000 State Workers Into Retirement

As layoffs and furloughs undermine the job security traditionally associated with state employment, at least six states are offering buyouts to tighten their belts without fracturing morale. But some worry this payroll-reduction technique may not save as much money as anticipated.

State Commissioners Ask EPA for Stricter Vehicle and Fuel Standards

ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT BEAT: Several state environmental commissioners say that new federal vehicle and fuel standards would be a boon to public health.

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.

States, Feds Poised to Write New Chapter in Public Safety Communications

As a plan for a national emergency network takes shape, many questions remain unanswered.

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.

Minimum Wage Set to Rise in Five States

Employers in five states Illinois, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington will dole out fatter paychecks to their lowest-paid workers in 2005. Florida will soon follow suit voters there approved a constitutional amendment that will hike its minimum wage to $6.15 per hour sometime next year.

Few States Regulate Outside Campaign Money

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

Tourist States Suffering But Hopeful

Las Vegas and Reno were reduced to ghost towns the weekend after the attacks of September 11. Hotels that rarely see weekend vacancies were left wondering if they could even fill every other room. The next weekend, Las Vegas' hotel occupancy rate was up to 80 percent, not far from its usual 95 percent mark, and Reno could boast a 100 percent occupancy rate. This weekend? Well, no one knows what to expect. But Bruce Bommarito, the head of Nevada's Commission on Tourism, thinks the safe bet is on continued improvement.

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.

WORTH NOTING: Illinois Roads To Be Roadkill-Free Again

Illinois has enough money to start clearing roadkill again after months of letting the coyotes "remove" it. Kentucky and Ohio lawmakers fight over an eight-ton rock. And Vermont teenagers who trashed Robert Frost's house are punished by having to learn about the poet. In case you missed those stories this week, "Worth Noting" fills you in.

Nuclear Power Makes a Quiet Comeback in the States

After shunning nuclear power for decades, legislatures around the country are warming to it as a way to address the nation's increasing demand for electricity. In states such as Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota and Wisconsin, where bans on new plants are in place, lawmakers are trying to open the door to new reactors. Although none of their efforts has succeeded yet, that hasn't stopped some energy analysts from talking about a "nuclear renaissance."

Drug Database Dilemma

No one disputes the need for more information about prescription drug abuse. But who should have access to the information is a divisive issue.

Northeastern States To Drastically Cut Emissions Cap

Nine Northeastern states will drastically cut the region’s carbon cap under proposed changes to the region’s cap-and- trade program, they announced Thursday.

States Continue Rx Onslaught

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

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.

States Slow To Tackle Campaign Finance Reform

When it comes to curbing the influence of special interest money in politics, state lawmakers are sometimes credited with doing more to end questionable practices than the U.S. Congress, which has voted to ban so-called soft money. But reform advocates say campaign fundraising is as open to mischief at the state level as the federal level and that change is unlikely anytime soon.

More States Consider Diverting Foreclosure Money

TODAY'S TAKE: Officials in a growing number of states are considering diverting money from a $25 billion foreclosure settlement between big banks and attorneys general to help pay for programs that have nothing to do with housing.

Report: Six States Changing the Way Health Care is Governed

HEALTH BEAT: Fiscally strapped states are using more managed care, cutting doctors' fees and limiting drugs and medical services to contain rising Medicaid costs. A few are taking a broader approach to health care spending.

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.

RX Costs To Top State Agendas In 2001, Experts Say

Access to prescription drugs will be the number one issue before state legislatures in 2001, according to participants at the fourth annual National Health Policy Conference. The conference, which took place in Charlotte, N.C. last weekend, brought together nearly 400 lawmakers, lobbyists, legislative staffers and health policy officials from more than 40 states to discuss the prescription drug cost crisis and other health issues such as maintaining rural hospitals, dealing with nursing shortages and developing policies governing the use of genetic technology.

States Take The Lead On Minimum Wage

The movement toward a higher minimum wage accelerated this year as four states voted to set wages above the federal floor of $5.15 an hour. Ten states and the District of Columbia now require employers to pay more than the federal minimum. As more states raise wage levels, they pressure Congress to act. While a federal increase is unlikely this year, analysts predict a minimum wage hike in 2000.

State Workers to Pay More for Health Benefits

Whatever the result of this year's contentious debate over collective bargaining and pay for public workers, one thing is certain: Health care coverage for state employees is going to change for good.

States Teaming Up to Combat Rx Drug Costs

Theres strength in numbers. At least thats the rationale of freshmen governors in Michigan, Vermont, Wisconsin and South Carolina who are mounting a joint attack on the soaring cost of prescription drugs for Medicaid beneficiaries.

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.

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."

Missouri is Toughest on Crack Cocaine

PUBLIC SAFETY BEAT: Missouri punishes crack dealers more severely than those who sell the powder version of the same drug… Police are stretched thin in one of the nation's most dangerous cities… The Colorado probation agency comes under scrutiny, and other public safety news.

Best of #StateReads: When a State Runs Out of Psychiatric Beds

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

States Dubious Of Federal Testing Plan

Nebraskas testing system is better for the Cornhusker State than the testing system mandated by the new federal school aid bill, state Commissioner of Education Douglas Christensen says. If that means bucking Washington, D.C. by failing to comply with new federal requirements to test every child in grades 3-8 annually, then Christensen is willing to do so.

Mystery Web Site Tracks New Jersey Politics

Politicsnj.com, a New Jersey Web site that dishes up political news, regularly scoops the mainstream media and now is being replicated outside the Garden State. But politicsnj.com is a story in itself because nobody seems to know whos behind it.

Civil Unions Spread, But Gays Want to Wed

A fourth state just agreed to offer civil unions, but the alternative to gay marriage is proving more popular with lawmakers than with gay rights activists.

New Jersey Wants Shorter DMV Lines

TRANSPORTATION BEAT: A proposal to reduce wait times to get driver's licenses gets the backing of the agency's chief … Maryland demands more disclosure from a French train operator about its role in the Holocaust … Louisiana's Bobby Jindal kills a highway bill the day it is announced, and other transportation news.

Why State Debates Don't Last Forever

If the United States Senate followed the rules of the New Jersey General Assembly, it wouldn't take 60 votes for Democrats to overcome a Republican filibuster. It would take 75, or three-quarters of the chamber, one of the highest such thresholds of any legislative body in the nation. So why don't filibusters grind business to a halt in New Jersey as they do in the U.S. Senate?

Lawmakers In New Mexico, Missouri And Vermont Call It Quits

In New Mexico, Missouri and Vermont, lawmakers scrambled last week to complete last-minute haggling over end-of-session tax and budget measures. Each of these legislatures has now adjourned, bringing to 24 the number of state lawmaking bodies which have completed work for 1999. Click on

Defense of Marriage Act Discriminates Against Gays, Federal Court Rules

The federal government’s refusal to recognize same-sex marriages — including those considered legal in several states — is unconstitutional, a federal court has ruled.

States Back Challenge to Federal Law on Marriage

Three states say that the federal law failing to recognize same-sex marriages considered legal within their borders violates the U.S. Constitution.

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.

Handicappers See State, Local Faces In A Gore Lineup

Should Al Gore and Joseph Lieberman make it to the White House, Gore would probably rely on congressional contacts to fill most of his cabinet slots, political analysts speculate. However, they say there are some state and local politicial leaders who could wind up in a Gore administration.

State Programs Win Innovation Awards

A New York anti-drug plan and a program to help rural Ohioans get college educations have won the Oscars of government prizes. The Innovations in American Government Award honors successful new approaches to tackling societys problems.

Gubernatorial Candidates, Ohio - Wyoming

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

WORTH NOTING: R.I. Sweeps Out Cleaning Staff

The Rhode Island attorney general's office is duped by a janitor. A South Carolina lawmaker gets defensive over an incriminating photo. And Ohio cracks down on very tiny, but unwanted overnight guests. In case you missed those stories this week, "Worth Noting" fills you in.

States Advance With Patient-Centered Care

As President Obama pushes for widespread health care reform, state-based programs for chronically ill patients that focus on prevention and improving long-term health - and cutting costs - are emerging as working models.

Utah Considers Opting Out of No Child Left Behind

Some key Republicans are taking aim at President Bush's prized No Child Left Behind education program. Case in point: The heavily Republican state of Utah may walk away from federal education dollars rather than comply with the law.

Utah Legislators Skeptical of Governor's Tax Proposal

TRANSITION WATCH: Utah Republicans grapple over the budget, Michigan's incoming governor mulls a new bridge to Canada, and more news of the historic shift in power in the states.

State employees raise safety concerns over move to Barre

Blitz about to begin on health insurance exchange

State workers union fires executive director

Google maps Vermont Statehouse with virtual tour

IBM still not talking about Vermont layoffs

Layoffs hit IBM, but the numbers stay secret

Give airport neighbors their voice

Vermont lawsuit spotlights privatization versus access

Vermont political leaders respond to questions on F-35

Air Force: We overstated F-35 support for Burlington

Shumlin's neighbor gets lawyer who is a familiar foe of the governor

Vermont board begins review of rates under exchange

Supporters rally to block deportation of Vermont activist

Secrecy critics fought and lost NSA data collection fight in Vermont

What comes after decriminalization

With Vermont in front, GMO labeling fight heats up

Settlement reached in secure residence appeal

Unions compete to organize under new Vermont law

As of July 1, pot possession draws a ticket, not a charge in Vermont

Shumlin to sign marijuana decriminalization bill

Leader in immigrant license push faces deportation

Lawyer: Shumlin willing to sell land back to neighbor

F-35 decision must be open process

R.J. Reynolds ordered to pay Vermont $8.3 million

ACLU says Vermont blacks face more marijuana charges

New law expands effort to protect student-athletes from concussions