Stateline Headlines

Wisconsin Lawmakers Battle Over Union Contracts

TRANSITION WATCH: Democrats in Wisconsin look to approve lame-duck labor deals, Arizona contemplates its immigration encore, and other news of the historic shift in power in the states.

Western State Reporters Say Taxes, Education Top 2000 Agenda

Reporters from eight Western states identified tax policy, education funding, health care reforms and apportionment of the states' tobacco settlement funds as the most pressing issues likely to be addressed by their states in the next legislative year. Over 50 journalists from Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming repeatedly mentioned those topics during a recent statehouse reporters' conference in Boise, Idaho.

States May Boost Salaries, With a Catch

Long-awaited salary increases or bonuses will be tied to “ifs” and “buts” for state employees in Arizona and possibly Virginia.

Weekly Wrap: Officials Hope to Dodge Pay Backlash

Top officials in several states took steps to show the public that they, too, are making do with less take-home pay. Meanwhile, state revenues decline for a fourth straight quarter, Oklahoma erects wind turbines among the oil derricks on its capitol grounds and Illinois halts all state lobbyist registration.

Few Governors Tout Bold Initiatives

In his state of the state address last month, Vermont Gov. James H. Douglas said that the state should track convicted drug dealers the same way it does sexual predators, by publicizing their names and addresses. This proposal is one of only a handful of truly innovative programs proposed by governors in their state of the state addresses this year.

Utah among top states for immigration cases; Arizona drops to 3rd

Utah Governor Fumes as Arizona Considers New Highway Tolls

TRANSPORTATION BEAT: Arizona would like to make a toll road out of a remote 29-mile stretch of interstate highway between Las Vegas and Salt Lake City. Utah Governor Gary Herbert has blasted the scheme.

Bush Most 'State Friendly', NGA Official Says

How do the presidential candidates stack up in terms of sensitivity to state issues? Texas Gov. George W. Bush, the only state official in the race for the White House, leads the field, a top official of the National Governors' Association says. NGA executive director Ray Scheppach offered his assessment at a state issues conference sponsored by Governing magazine. To read more about the conference, click on

Conservatives Battle for Tennessee House Speakership

TRANSITION WATCH: The Tea Party becomes involved in the race for Tennessee House speaker, Arizona contemplates a flat tax and other news of the historic shift in power in the states.

Tax-Hike Plan Fuels Pa. Budget Standoff

California this week closed a staggering $24 billion budget deficit. But in a handful of other state capitals, like this one two hours west of Philadelphia, deeply unpopular fiscal choices still loom for lawmakers who have failed to pass long-overdue spending plans.

Rendell Proposal: Allow Prisoners to Care for Dogs

PUBLIC SAFETY BEAT: Pennsylvania's former governor plans a statewide initiative to pair stray dogs with prisoners … Arizona weighs upping corrections spending even as it dramatically slashes funding elsewhere … Michigan considers allowing guns in hospitals, casinos and stadiums, and other public safety news.

Oklahoma Among States Limiting Property Taxes

Lowering property taxes is always popular, and results from the November 6 elections show this year was no exemption

Ohio Governor Backs Medicaid Expansion

Governor John Kasich will press lawmakers to expand Ohio’s Medicaid system, becoming the fifth Republican governor to endorse that key component of President Obama’s controversial health law.

Supreme Court Considers Competency in Death Penalty Cases

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday heard arguments from Ohio and Arizona that federal judges should not be allowed to indefinitely stay a death sentence even if there are questions about an inmate’s mental competency.

Renewable Energy Industry Shows Surprising Clout

Many incoming Republican governors expressed skepticism during their campaigns about reining in greenhouse-gas emissions. But facing a newly influential alternative-fuel business constituency, some are softening their positions.

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.

Lawmakers Act to Preserve Endangered Night Sky

For decades, astronomers have warned that the intrusion of artificial light is threatening to wipe out a dwindling natural resource - the starry night sky. Now a growing number of city and state governments are taking up the fight to reclaim the night. For lawmakers, the issue is about energy efficiency and safety, as well as good stargazing.

As Some States Close Highway Rest Stops, Others See Roadside Revenue

In the South and West, providing drivers a sanctuary on the Interstate costs states dollars they don't have. But many Northeastern states make lots of money by commercializing rest areas. The difference is due to an obscure federal law that critics want to change.

Democrats Struggle to Generate Hispanic Participation

A lower Latino vote would signal trouble for the Democratic Party in November. So far, there are few signs of the confidence and hope that prevailed at the polls in the high-turnout year of 2008.

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.

Higher Health Care Fees for New Jersey's Public Employees

HEALTH BEAT: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie slashes state worker health benefits ... Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley reports that a cost-cutting experiment is not holding down medical costs ... The Arizona Supreme Court refuses to block Medicaid cutbacks, and other health care news.

Labor Offer Keeps New Jersey Tolls From Going Private

MANAGEMENT BEAT: Toll collectors will keep jobs but see pay cut by 24 percent … Massachusetts looks to take health care off the bargaining table … Missouri may auction more than 1,000 acres of state property near prisons, and other management news.

Pay Boost on the Horizon for Some State Workers

Far fewer people are working for state governments than before the recession began, but those who remain may get modest salary increases this year.

States Still Resisting National Sex Offender Law

A 2006 federal law calls on states to create a national sex offender registry. But most have not complied, and some have stopped trying.

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.”

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.

States Aim to Cut Energy Bills

The federal economic stimulus law gave states $3.2 billion to spend on energy efficiency. States are finding creative ways to leverage those dollars to retrofit universities, hospitals, schools and prisons for energy savings.

Few Incumbent Governors Likely to Fall

With high unemployment and pervasive bad news about state budgets, it seems incumbent governors would be in jeopardy of losing their jobs this year. But outside the Midwest, most sitting governors have the edge in their races Tuesday.

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.

Two Govs Seek Inquiry Into Women in Military

Two of the country's most powerful Democratic female governors - and commanders-in-chief of their states' National Guard units - have called on the Pentagon to investigate the extent of sexual abuse of women in combat by fellow soldiers.

Can Politics Be Removed From Redistricting?

As state legislatures look ahead to next year's redistricting process, several states, including California and Florida, are discussing how to limit partisan tinkering with the maps. Iowa provides a good example of how to do that. But the experience of other states shows that removing politics from redistricting is harder to do than it sounds.

Illinois Moratorium Puts Fresh Focus On Death Penalty

Seven weeks have gone by since Illinois Gov. George Ryan halted executions in his state pending reforms that assure him "that no innocent person will be executed." No other state has followed suit yet, and executions continue at a record pace. But the fact that other states havent fallen in line behind Illinois since the pro-death penalty governors decision doesn't faze moratorium supporters, who cheer the new scrutiny it is bringing to the nations system of capital punishment.

Primary Season Starts, and Governors Could Fall

Although primary season is typically safe for sitting governors, six of the 15 governors running for re-election in 2010 could face strong competition from within the ranks of their own party.

State School Superintendent Hopefuls Hit Campaign Trail

Voters in eight states will be electing a new state school superintendent this November. Although the job entails sparing public education from the sharp blade of the budget scythe and being responsible for revamping schools to meet new federal demands, the field is full of hopefuls from major and minor political parties.

Georgia Has Infrastructure Money in the Bank

TRANSPORTATION BEAT: Georgia's transportation fund has made only one loan in three years … Ohio moves again to shift money from mass transit … Washington State debates how much money to give ferries and other transportation news.

Love Was in the Air

The music blasting over the Democratic National Convention hall last Tuesday afternoon urged delegates to "start a love train," and it seems some people took that to heart. On Wednesday, a Florida county Democratic chairman, Rick Minor, landed a speaking spot at the delegation's morning caucus and used it to pop the question to girlfriend Jessica Lowe , the Tallahassee Democrat reports.

Conservation Cutbacks Force States to Pass on Buyers' Market

With the housing bust driving down land prices, this is the perfect time for states to boost their conservation efforts. But the recession has forced states to cut funding for land acquisition and to pull back from bond sales. The cutbacks point to a dilemma that often bedevils state land programs: Conservation is easiest to fund when times are good but when land prices are the highest.

With Rick Scott as Governor, Merit Pay Plan for Florida Teachers May Pass

TRANSITION WATCH: Florida conservatives are eager to revisit merit pay, Arizona's Republican Senate President breaks with business groups on tax incentives and other news of the historic shift in power in the states.

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

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

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.

Death Penalty Rulings Raise Issues For Lawmakers

The Colorado Legislature will convene in special session July 8 in order to bring state law into line with a U.S. Supreme Court ruling striking down the authority of judges to impose sentencing in death penalty cases. At least four other states directly affected by the decision may have to hold special sessions as well.

Governor Candidates Bow Out

TODAY'S TAKE: Gubernatorial hopefuls in Arizona and Rhode Island have ended their campaigns, delivering fresh momentum to the front-runners in their respective party primaries. In Colorado, the presumptive Republican nominee for governor is facing calls to drop out amid damaging allegations of plagiarism.

States in Recovery: Housing

The housing crisis that threw states into economic free fall is helping them climb back out.

Best of #StateReads: Ex-Parks Official Had Criminal Past

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

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.

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.

Cash-Strapped State Parks Struggle to Stay Open

ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT BEAT: States are turning increasingly to private money to keep their parks going, but the dollars they take in fall far short of replacing the public funding they have lost.

Arizona for dummies? We’ll vote on it.

Six Republican senators stood tall today

Arizona House passes bill protecting religion

Arizona Senate Democrats: we won’t stall Medicaid debate

Bipartisan Senate passes budget, AHCCCS expansion

Arizona Senate committee approves inflation funding for schools

Arizona Senate approves Brewer's Medicaid expansion plan

Court rules in favor of Brewer policy that refuses driver's licenses to those in federal 'deferred action' program

Arizona Senate approves $8.8 billion budget plan

Attorneys General Prepare to Defend Controversial Laws

State attorneys general are about to head to court to defend controversial state laws. Are they required to defend laws that might not survive legal scrutiny?

Stateline Headlines

Wisconsin Lawmakers Battle Over Union Contracts

Western State Reporters Say Taxes, Education Top 2000 Agenda

States May Boost Salaries, With a Catch

Weekly Wrap: Officials Hope to Dodge Pay Backlash

Few Governors Tout Bold Initiatives

Utah among top states for immigration cases; Arizona drops to 3rd

Utah Governor Fumes as Arizona Considers New Highway Tolls

Bush Most 'State Friendly', NGA Official Says

Conservatives Battle for Tennessee House Speakership

Tax-Hike Plan Fuels Pa. Budget Standoff

Rendell Proposal: Allow Prisoners to Care for Dogs

Oklahoma Among States Limiting Property Taxes

Ohio Governor Backs Medicaid Expansion

Supreme Court Considers Competency in Death Penalty Cases

Renewable Energy Industry Shows Surprising Clout

E-Voting: States Better Get Ready, Experts Say

Lawmakers Act to Preserve Endangered Night Sky

As Some States Close Highway Rest Stops, Others See Roadside Revenue

Democrats Struggle to Generate Hispanic Participation

Christie Proposes to Slash Medicaid in New Jersey

Higher Health Care Fees for New Jersey's Public Employees

Labor Offer Keeps New Jersey Tolls From Going Private

Pay Boost on the Horizon for Some State Workers

States Still Resisting National Sex Offender Law

New Anti-Abortion Strategy Pays Off

States Promote Nursing, Protect Moms

States Aim to Cut Energy Bills

Few Incumbent Governors Likely to Fall

States Slow To Tackle Campaign Finance Reform

Two Govs Seek Inquiry Into Women in Military

Can Politics Be Removed From Redistricting?

Illinois Moratorium Puts Fresh Focus On Death Penalty

Primary Season Starts, and Governors Could Fall

State School Superintendent Hopefuls Hit Campaign Trail

Georgia Has Infrastructure Money in the Bank

Love Was in the Air

Conservation Cutbacks Force States to Pass on Buyers' Market

With Rick Scott as Governor, Merit Pay Plan for Florida Teachers May Pass

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

Govs' Travel Makes People Talk

Death Penalty Rulings Raise Issues For Lawmakers

Governor Candidates Bow Out

States in Recovery: Housing

Best of #StateReads: Ex-Parks Official Had Criminal Past

Mega-Stores Hitting Political Flak In Several States

California's Brown Shifts Gears in Debate Over Prisons

Cash-Strapped State Parks Struggle to Stay Open

Arizona for dummies? We’ll vote on it.

Six Republican senators stood tall today

Arizona House passes bill protecting religion

Arizona Senate Democrats: we won’t stall Medicaid debate

Bipartisan Senate passes budget, AHCCCS expansion

Arizona Senate committee approves inflation funding for schools

Arizona Senate approves Brewer's Medicaid expansion plan

Court rules in favor of Brewer policy that refuses driver's licenses to those in federal 'deferred action' program

Arizona Senate approves $8.8 billion budget plan

Attorneys General Prepare to Defend Controversial Laws

Brewer, McComish faulted for working with local church group on Medicaid

Brewer picks people over politics

Senate leaders move to revive election bills

McComish becomes key player in Medicaid expansion drama

Senate committee advances budget; final vote set today

Senate debates Brewer’s plan to expand health-care program for poor today

Arizona Senate committee approves inflation funding for schools

Brewer, McComish faulted for working with local church group on Medicaid

Arizona public schools wait for budget answers

Biggs’ budget plan does not include Brewer’s Medicaid expansion

Gov. Brewer to attend 4th Medicaid Rally

2 new ideas for Medicaid in Arizona

Arizona budget stalemate broken by Senate leader

AZ house speaker: Brewer's Medicaid proposal unacceptable, let voters decide

Gov. Jan Brewer supports Hugo Salazar but not Joey Strickland?

Brewer, McComish faulted for working with local church group on Medicaid

Lawmakers to see cut in daily pay this week

When bills get hung up, is it policy or personal?

Controversial Arizona laws rack up big legal fees

Ariz. legislative members' 'per diem' gets cut as session continues

Medicaid plan will bring affordable health care to the uninsured

Bill makes Arizona landlords tell tenants of foreclosures