Stateline Stories

Legislation Would Take State Mineral Revenue off Chopping Block

Proposals in Congress would save tens of millions of dollars in mineral payments to states from sequestration’s sweeping cuts.

Wyoming State of the State Address 2013

CHEYENNE, Wyoming -- Jan. 9 -- Following is the prepared text of Gov. Matt Mead's (R) 2013 State of the State Address:

Wyoming Lawmakers Seek to Block Federal Gun Restrictions

Wyoming lawmakers proposed legislation this week that would block federal restrictions on guns — any of them.

Wyoming State of the State Address 2011

CHEYENNE, Wyo. - Jan. 12 - Following is the prepared text of Gov. Matt Mead (R) 2011 state of the state address: Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, members of the 61st Wyoming Legislature, fellow elected officials, Chief Justice and members of the judiciary, and to you, the citizens of Wyoming, including those in our sch

Wyoming State of the State Address 2010

CHEYENNE, Wyo. - Feb. 8 - Following is the prepared text of Gov. Dave Freudenthal's (D) 2010 state of the state address: Good morning to the members of the Sixtieth Legislature, special acknowledgment to Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, also to the Chief Justice and the members of the Wyoming Judiciary, but mo

Wyoming State of the State Address 2009

CHEYENNE, Wyo. - Jan. 14 - Following is the prepared text of Gov. Dave Freudenthal's (D) 2009 state of the state address: Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, members of the 60th Legislature, and the citizens of Wyoming, I appreciate this opportunity to speak with you today. Yesterday I came up through the back way to

Wyoming State of the State Address 2008

CHEYENNE, Wyo., Feb. 11 - Following is the prepared text of Gov. Dave Freudenthal's (D) 2007 state of the state address: Thank you. Thank you. Please be seated. Thank you. Thank you. Please. Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, members of the 59th Legislature, thank you for this opportunity to appear here today. I convey

Wyoming State of the State Address 2007

CHEYENNE, Wyo., Jan. 10 - Following is the prepared text of Gov. Dave Freudenthal's (D) 2007 state of the state address: Thank you. Thank you. Please be seated. Told me right off I'm supposed to check the microphone, but I see that Senator Larson is in the front of the room so he has to stay awake today.

Wyoming State of the State Address 2005

CHEYENNE, Wyoming - Jan. 14 - Following is the text of Gov. Dave Freudenthal's 2005 state of the state address: The year is 1963. Clifford P. Hansen is Wyoming's Governor. The 37th Legislature has assembled to hear the governor's constitutionally prescribed message. Governor Hansen, speaking with an eloquence w

Wyoming State of the State Address 2004

CHEYENNE, Wyoming - Feb. 9 - Following is the full text of Gov. Dave Freudenthal's (D) State of the State address: Mr. Speaker, Madame President, Members of the Wyoming State Senate and House of Representatives, Mr. Chief Justice and Members of the Court, Fellow Elected Officials and Citizens of our belo

Wyoming State of the State Address 2003

CHEYENNE, Wyoming - Jan. 15 - Following is the text of Gov. Dave Freudenthal's 2003 State of the State Address: Upon us has been bestowed the opportunity to serve. To serve and to strengthen our citizens, our economy and the Wyoming community is our task----may the heavens guide our steps. Mr. Speaker, Madame P

Wyoming State of the State Address 2001

CHEYENNE, Wyoming - Jan. 10 - Following is the partial text of Gov. Jim Geringer's 2001 State of the State Address: Building Capacity Through Community Connections Speaker Tempest, President Coe, First Lady Sherri, Supreme Court Justices, Tribal Leaders, distinguished legislators, our staff, students, teacher

Wyoming State of the State Address 2000

CHEYENNE, Wyoming - Feb. 14 - Following is the partial text of Gov. Governor Jim Geringer's 2000 State of the State Address: Speaker Bebout, President Twiford, First Lady Sherri, Supreme Court Justices, Tribal Leaders, distinguished legislators, staff, students, teachers and others watching by TV, listening statewi

Wolf Comeback Has Wyoming Officials Howling

Gray wolves roam the Northern Rockies by the hundreds just eight years after federal wildlife officials reintroduced them into a habitat where they had been hunted into near extinction. Many Westerners still consider wolves a threat, however, and Wyoming is refusing to back down on its plan to allow the unregulated killing of wolves outside of national parks.

Per Capita, New Anti-Terror Funds Still Favor Wyoming

The federal government is targeting more homeland security funds to high-risk urban areas this year, but more anti-terrorism money still is being spent to protect each resident in the most sparsely populated states than in populous ones. New Yorkers gained funding, but residents in Wyoming once again top a list of anti-terrorism grants ranked on a per capita basis, according to a report from the Congressional Research Service. Stateline.org also has included a state-by-state ranking of 2005 per capita security funding.

States Call For Block Grants in 2002 Farm Bill

Wyoming agriculture director Ron Micheli doesn't believe a "one-size-fits-all farm bill" works for every farmer and rancher in his state, much less the whole country. So he has joined with other state agriculture officials to recommend that Congress adopt a limited block grant approach to doling out federal agriculture dollars.

Wyoming One of Few States Facing Economic Hard Times

Smack in the middle of the longest economic boom in U.S. history, Wyoming is one of a handful of states saddled with a deficit, instead of a record-setting surplus.

Wyoming Adopts Health Insurance For Kids Of Working Poor

Wyoming, the second to last state to construct a plan to provide health insurance to kids of the working poor, has finally adopted the necessary legislation, but it took two years and a contentious battle among lawmakers. On March 1, Republican Gov. Jim Geringer signed into law a bill that launches KidCare, Wyoming's version of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Congress established the program in 1997 as part of the Balanced Budget Act, but Geringer and conservative legislators had long opposed the structure of CHIP, labeling it an "entitlement" program rather than a block grant, and a threat to "personal responsibility."

On the Record: Wyoming Chief of Homeland Security

No state gets more federal money per resident to fight terrorism than Wyoming, a high plains state with three times more cattle than people. That distinction has the state in the forefront of a national dispute over whether billions of federal homeland security dollars are being targeted at the greatest risks. For Wyomings view of anti-terrorism spending, Stateline.org spoke with Joe Moore, head of the states Office of Homeland Security since its inception in March 2003.

Wyoming State of the State Address 2012

CHEYENNE, Wyo. - Feb. 13 - Following is the prepared text of Gov. Matt Mead (R) 2011 state of the state address: Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, members of the 61st Wyoming Legislature, Secretary Maxfield, Auditor Cloud, Treasurer Meyer, Superintendent Hill, Chief Justice Kite and

Summary of the Wyoming State of the State Address

Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal, a Democrat, called on the Republican-led legislature to use a "conservative" approach while drafting this year's budget.

Wind Tax Debate Not Over in Wyoming

TODAY'S TAKE: A first-in-the-nation tax on wind energy production in Wyoming is being cited by the industry as one reason why it is looking elsewhere to do business.

'Sovereign Citizens' Make Noise in Wyoming

PUBLIC SAFETY BEAT: A fringe political group that considers the U.S. government illegitimate is something the FBI would rather not talk about ... Michigan's governor asks for major concessions from a correctional officers' union ... Democrats see a chance to gain Pennsylvania's top law enforcement job for the first time in decades, and other public safety news.

Wyoming Governor to Decide on Cap for ATM Fees

Wyoming Governor Matt Mead must decide whether his state will remain the only one in the nation to impose a cap on ATM fees, the Casper Star Tribune reports. Mead is deciding whether to sign or veto legislation that would

Wyoming Governor Explains Threat to Sell Grand Teton Land

In a Stateline Q&A, Governor Dave Freudenthal discusses why he thinks the U.S. Interior Department should agree to exchange state-owned land inside the famous national park for federal land elsewhere in the state to help finance public education. Also: See Stateline's series on developing state lands.

What Do Record Low Natural Gas Prices Mean for States?

Newly abundant and cheap natural gas has slashed home heating bills for many Americans. But in some states, the continued price drop has thinned state budgets and shifted energy production.

Teachers Increasingly Look to Mountain States for Jobs

States that have fared better than most in the recession, such as Wyoming and Montana, have seen a spike in applications from teachers outside their borders.

Fresh Air in Wyoming

Outgoing Governor Dave Freudenthal and the Wyoming Legislature have agreed on a bipartisan plan to enact the nation's first tax on wind-energy production. So why don't other wind-state governors agree?

Coal States Fear for Future of the Industry

This is an unsettling time for states whose economies revolve around coal. But the future may not be as bleak as doomsayers predict.

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.

The Not-So-Dependable Sales Tax

In a recession, people cut back on buying things they don't really need. States that depend heavily on sales tax revenue for their budgets have been hit hard as a result.

Delegates Speak: Health Care, Vetetans' Assistance

Aug. 29, 2008, 9:00 a.m. EDT Q. What serious issue in your state would you like the next president to address? Wyoming on health careHealth care is number one still. We still have a lot of people who don't have adequate health care in this nation. Someone has to do something…The cost and price of energy, although helping our state tremendously as far as giving us surpluses, but still causing a lot of heartache for the people of Wyoming. So those are the two issues: energy costs and health care. (As president, Barack Obama) will push forward some kind of national health care… I think we are going to see some additional help with health care dollars and getting people covered. -Wyoming delegate, State Sen. John Hastert, 50, of Green River, interviewed by Pamela M. Prah, Stateline.org Virginia on veterans' assistanceI served one year in Vietnam and three years in the military and then went to school on the GI Bill after that. The veterans from the war in Iraq are coming home and have no place to go …I'm thinking about these GIs now, after 12 months, ready to come home and then (their tour) is extended for another six months. You don't know how much pressure that is on a young GI. I was 19 in Vietnam and most of the vets in the volunteer Army are between 18 and 25 years old. They may say they love it ….but the reason they go in the first place is because they are looking for a better life for themselves. They are not going to war because they want to kill and maim someone else, and they don't want to be killed or maimed themselves. When they get out of there, we don't take care of them. -Virginia delegate Willie L. Brown, 62, of Chesapeake, Army veteran, interviewed by Pamela M. Prah, Stateline.org AFTER THE JUMP: Audio from Stateline.org's interviews with Hastert and Brown Comments

In the West, GOP Governors, Skeptical of Cap-and-Trade, Will Watch California

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.-- Stateline asked several Republican governors about the role of climate change in energy policy in the West, asking them to weigh in on California’s new experiment with large-scale carbon trading.

Food Tax on Chopping Block

Shoppers in four states -- Mississippi, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming -- soon may be paying less at the supermarket checkout counter, thanks to reduced taxes on groceries.

State School Funds On Trial, Again

Texas, Colorado, Kansas and others will see action on school finance lawsuits next year, but it could be years before they make a difference in the classroom.

Republican to Advise Democrat Kitzhaber on Oregon Health Policy

TRANSITION WATCH: Oregon's new governor picks a Republican for a key post, Florida's incoming governor faces delays filling his administration, and more news of the historic shift in power in the states.

Oklahoma's Ban on Sharia Law Gains Traction in More States

TODAY'S TAKE: In the wake of a controversial ballot measure last year that banned Oklahoma courts from applying Sharia law, at least seven states are considering similar legislation.

Easter egg flap fries Wyoming artists

A White House Easter tradition leaves Wyoming out, West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin III (D) disses New Jersey and "The Donald" provokes a fight over Old Glory in the Florida Legislature. In case you missed those stories this week, "Worth Noting" fills you in.

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.

Four States Consider Income Tax; Four States Reject It

Facing education funding woes and a variety of budget shortfalls, lawmakers in New Hampshire and three other states that do not collect income taxes considered reversing course this year--and in each case defeated or abandoned those plans for fear of retribution from the voters. To read about this politically perilous policy issue, click on

No double-spacing? No funds for you!

First Dog Jag Iowa's Department of Education punishes state school districts for not following instructions. Michigan's Republican Party struggles with the German language. And Montana's first dog releases a tell-all memoir. In case you missed those stories this week, "Worth Noting" fills you in.

State Budget Forecast Calls For Rain

Despite recent indications that the slumping national economy may have turned a corner, state budgets are suffering from a shortage of money and probably will be for some time, state fiscal experts say. More than three-quarters of the states have made budget cuts or implemented spending freezes, and more than half are tapping their rainy day accounts, reserve funds built up during the economy's better days. Even the sacred cow of spending priorities, K-12 education, has come under the budget axe in some states.

Failing Schools Forced to Offer School Choice

For two years in a row, 8,652 public schools across the country have failed to meet state performance standards, according to the U.S. Education Department. Under orders from Washington DC, these schools must now offer their students the option and funding to switch to a better performing school within their district.

States Dent Welfare Surplus in First Half of 1999

After warnings from Congress to 'use it or lose it,' many states have finally begun to tap into the massive welfare surpluses that have accumulated due to the unprecedented drop in caseloads. According to their latest reports to the Department of Health and Human Services, more than half the states are on track to spend more this year than last. Still, caseloads continue to fall and the welfare money keeps coming, so many states, even though they are spending more, are also continuing to stockpile hundreds of millions of dollars.

Seven States Woo Clean-Coal Power Plant

Seven states are competing with dollars and regulatory breaks to be the host for a $1 billion federal and private energy initiative being billed as the world's cleanest coal-burning power plant. The project is expected to provide 1,300 construction jobs and 150 facility positions and to generate 275 megawatts of electricity through a process that would eliminate nearly all air pollutants.

Craig Scandal: All Eyes on a Governor, Again

For the third time in less than a year, the sudden departure from office of a U.S. senator - or the threat of a departure - has thrust a governor into the national spotlight, calling attention to the sometimes murky and often politicized process of how states choose congressional replacements.

In Northern Rockies, Wolves Raising Howls

A recent decision by the federal government to lift protections for gray wolves living in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming means the three states now are responsible for managing the animals - and inherit a years-old debate between conservationists and ranchers over what should be done with them.

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.

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.

Medical Malpractice Fights Go to Voters in Four States

Voters in four states will pick sides Nov. 2 in the contentious debate over costly malpractice insurance premiums for doctors, an issue rife in statehouses across the country this year. Physicians and health insurance groups in Florida, Nevada, Oregon and Wyoming are lobbying voters to approve tort reform ballot measures, in the face of fierce resistance from trial lawyer groups. The issue also is being raised in three governors races and other state contests.

Seven States Win Federal Tax-Break Extension

Taxpayers in seven states without income taxes are poised to keep a federal tax break while four Gulf Coast states stand to gain millions of dollars in new oil royalties, thanks to the outgoing Republican-controlled Congress.

Congressional Wrangling Leaves Sales Tax Deduction in Question

TODAY'S TAKE: Residents of seven states without an individual income tax are watching the budget debate on Capitol Hill to see whether they will be able to keep writing off state sales taxes on goods they purchase.

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.

States Challenge New Mercury Rules

Several Northeastern states are mounting legal and legislative challenges to new federal rules on mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants, charging that relaxed standards ignore serious health hazards and undermine their own environmental efforts.

Western States See Natural Gas Drilling Boom

High prices, rising demand and static domestic supplies of cleaner-burning natural gas are fueling a drilling bonanza across the West and setting up a potential battle between gas companies and a coalition of ranchers and environmentalists.

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.

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.

'As States, We Compete,' Wyo. Governor Says

Gaining the competitive edge seems to be on the minds of state officials more than usual.

Higher Ed Cuts Mean Major Tuition Hikes

Tuition at public colleges in Arizona and California has spiked more than 70 percent over the past five years, the result of massive cuts to state higher education funding in those states and most others.

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

Best of #StateReads: Years After Immigration Law’s Passage, Much Has Changed in Arizona

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

Alaska Gambles With Major Oil Tax Cut

A multi-billion dollar tax experiment could make or break Alaska’s economy and provide a lesson for other states.

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.

Amidst Fat, Happy Neighbors, Four States Tighten Belts

The axiom about rising tides lifting all boats apparently doesnt apply to states. Because while much of the country is awash in budget surpluses, Alaska, Louisiana, Tennessee and Wyoming have struggled to surmount shortfalls.

Slumping Economy Hits Prosperous States

With the fall in energy and farm prices, many well-off states are finding they can't escape the national recession.

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.

New Health Exchanges Unlikely to End Insurance Monopolies in Some States

The new health insurance exchanges are supposed to lead to lower prices by spurring competition between carriers. But what if insurers stay away?

Best of #StateReads: Wyoming Depends on Business to Reduce Workplace Deaths

This week’s collection of #StateReads covers on the job fatalities in Wyoming, secrets in Alabama’s execution protocol and the far reaching effects of drought in Texas. These examples of extraordinary journalism about state government were recommended in tweets using the #StateReads hashtag on Twitter.

Gas Tax Loses Favor as Governors Look for New Transportation Money

In the search for more transportation money, governors and state lawmakers are largely avoiding one of the most obvious and straightforward funding sources: state gasoline taxes.

Safety Net Hospitals Imperiled by High Court Ruling

Hospitals that serve the poor thought they would be helped by the Affordable Care Act. Now it looks as if they will be hurt by it.