Stateline Stories

Health Care Wrangling Could Delay State Aid

TODAY'S TAKE: Federal health care reform has been a divisive issue for states, but for some governors seeking immediate budget relief from Capitol Hill, the wrangling over the legislation is causing uncertainty.

Terror Insurance: A New, Risky Business

Book lovers understand that the J. Willard Marriott Library and its three million-volume collection at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City are, in a sense, priceless.

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.

Election Officials Worry About Nature Of Reform

For the past 23 years, Wendy Noren has seen punch cards, chads, voter mistakes, poll worker errors, new technology and recounts. The Boone County, Mo. election official has watched election reform initiatives develop in state houses, county supervisor hearings and city council meetings since the November 2000 election. But shes particularly worried about what sort of election "solution" might work its way through Congress and potentially change the way she must do her job.

States Suing Feds Over Seniors' Rx Costs

Fifteen states want the U.S. Supreme Court to block the federal government's plan to bill them for a portion of costs for the new Medicare prescription drug benefit passed by Congress. The states call the law "an unprecedented intrusion into each state's sovereignty."

States Use Data To Wrestle With Racial Profiling

Six states trying to stamp out the controversial, alleged police practice of racial profiling - selectively stopping, questioning and searching people based upon arbitrary minor offenses and the color of their skin - have enacted laws requiring officers to police themselves by recording racial data and other pertinent information on all traffic stops. They are North Carolina, Connecticut, Kansas, Missouri, Tennessee and Washington.

States Push to Convert Interstate Highways into Toll Roads

Interstates need money for repairs, and charging toll fees can bring in a lot of it. But the federal government is cool to the idea.

WORTH NOTING: Voters' Guide Promotes Phone Sex

An Oregon voters' guide lists a very wrong number. California's governor insults rural legislators. And Pennsylvania considers selling wine in vending machines. In case you missed those stories this week, "Worth Noting" fills you in.

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.

Govs Start to Back 2008 Candidates

Eleven governors have made endorsements in the 2008 presidential race so far, and the leading beneficiaries of early skirmishing for support from state leaders are Democratic hopeful Hillary Clinton and Republican hopeful John McCain.

Food Banks Drawing Statewide Attention

SOCIAL POLICY BEAT: Emergency food banks are attracting increased interest from state officials this year, but what many of them would like is more money.

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

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.

Several AG Contests Still Tight

As their campaigns wind down to the wire candidates for attorney general in 11 states vie for attention in the flurry of higher-profile contests for president, Congress and governor. "Out There" once more rates how vulnerable the parties in control are.

Missouri State of the State Address 2013

COLUMBIA, Missouri Jan. 28 Following is the prepared text for Gov. Jay Nixon's (D) 2013 State of the State Address

Super-Sized Majorities Shift Legislative Power

After he was reelected by a comfortable margin on Tuesday, Democrat Jay Nixon will serve four more years as governor of Missouri. Whether he’ll really be leading the state, however, is open to debate. Even as Nixon was winning, Missouri Republicans triumphed in enough legislative races to secure a veto-proof two-th

Missouri State of the State Address 2011

JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri. - Jan. 19. - Following is the prepared text of Gov. Jay Nixon's (D) 2011 state of the state address: Thank you, Legislative Leaders; Judges of the Missouri Supreme Court; Lieutenant Governor Kinder; state officials; members of the General Assembly; members of my cabinet; and my fellow Mis

Missouri State of the State Address 2010

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Jan. 20. - Following is the prepared text of Gov. Jay Nixon's (D) 2010 state of the state address: Thank you, Speaker Richard, President Pro-Tem Shields, Leaders Callahan and LeVota, Judges of the Missouri Supreme Court, Lieutenant Governor Kinder, state officials, members of the General Assem

Missouri State of the State Address 2009

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Jan. 27. - Following is the prepared text of Gov. Jay Nixon's (D) 2009 state of the state address: Thank you Speaker Richard, President Pro-tem Shields, Leaders LeVota and Callahan, Justices of the Missouri Supreme Court, Lieutenant Governor Kinder, statewide officials and Members of the Gene

Missouri State of the State Address 2008

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Jan. 15 -- Following is the prepared text of Gov. Matt Blunt's (R) 2008 state of the state address: Click here to visit the governor's website to view the address. Lt. Governor Kinder, President Pro Tem Gibbons, Speaker Jetton, distinguished officials, judges of the Supreme Court, memb

Missouri State of the State Address 2007

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo., Jan. 24 - Following is the prepared text of Gov. Matt Blunt's (R) 2007 state of the state address: Click here to access the governor's Web site and view the address. Lt. Governor Kinder, Mr. President Pro Tem, Mr. Speaker, distinguished state officials, judges of the Supreme Court, membe

Missouri State of the State Address 2006

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo., Jan. 11 - Following is the prepared text of Gov. Matt Blunt's 2006 state of the state address: Click here to access the governor's web page and view or hear the address Lt. Governor Kinder, Mr. President Pro Tem, Mr. Speaker, distinguished state officials, judges of the Supreme Court

Missouri State of the State Address 2005

JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri - Jan. 26 - Following is the text of Gov. Matt Blunt's 2005 state of the state address: Lt. Gov. Kinder, Mr. Speaker, Mr. President Pro Tem, distinguished state officials, judges of the Supreme Court, members of the General Assembly, reverend clergy, fellow Missourians: I come befo

Missouri State of the State Address 2004

Jefferson City, Mo., Jan. 21 - Following is the text of Gov. Bob Holden's (D) 2004 State of the State Address: Mr. President, Madame Speaker, Mr. President Pro Tem, Distinguished State Officials, Mr. Chief Justice, Honored Members of the Missouri Supreme Court, Members of the 92nd General Assembly, First Lady Lori

Missouri State of the State Address 2003

JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri - Jan. 15 - Following is the text of Gov. Bob Holden's 2003 State of the State Address: Mr. President, Madame Speaker, Mr. President Pro Tem, Distinguished State Officials, Mr. Chief Justice, Honored Members of the Missouri Supreme Court, Members of the 92nd General Assembly, First Lady Lor

Missouri State of the State Address 2002

JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri - Jan. 23 - Following is the text of Gov. Bob Holden's 2002 State of the State Address: Mr. President Pro Tem, Distinguished State Officials, Mr. Chief Justice, members of the Missouri State Supreme Court, members of the 91st General Assembly, and citizens of the State of

Missouri State of the State Address 2001

JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri - Jan. 30 - Following is the partial text of Gov. Bob Holden's 2001 State of the State Address: Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, Mr. President Pro Tem, Distinguished State Officials, Mr. Chief Justice, Members of the State Supreme Court, Members of the 91st General Assembly, and Citizens o

Missouri State of the State Address 2000

JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri - Jan. 19 - Following is the full text of Gov. Mel Carnahan's 2000 State of the State Address: Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, Mr. President Pro Tem, Distinguished State Officials, Mr. Chief Justice, Members of the State Supreme Court, Members of the 90th General Assembly, and Citizens of the S

Can Missouri's Governor Holden Hang On?

Missouri Gov. Bob Holden (D) won in 2000 by less than one percentage point in an election year tarnished by the tragic death of U.S. Senate candidate and former Gov. Mel Carnahan (D). After four years marked by missteps plus roadblocks from the GOP-led Legislature, Holden faces an acrimonious re-election battle against outspoken and aggressive State Auditor Claire McCaskill (D) in what may be an uncomfortably close primary and a general-election challenge from popular and well-funded Secretary of State Matt Blunt (R).

Kansas City Develops Internet-Based Security System

A coalition of city governments is preparing to launch an Internet-based homeland security initiative in Kansas City that is meant to help emergency workers better respond to terrorism or natural disasters.

On the Record: NASBE President Betty Preston

Missouri School Official Betty Preston was elected president of the National Associate of State Boards of Education (NASBE) last Fall. STATELINE.ORG talked to her at a meeting in Washington recently about some of the challenges she and her colleagues face.

Missouri Governor First to Name Anti-terrorism Adviser

Missouri Gov. Bob Holden became the first state leader in the country Wednesday to follow President Bush's lead in creating a Cabinet-level advisory position on anti-terrorism.

Missouri Hosts Several Competitive Election Races

Home to arguably the nation's second-most exciting Senate race, a competitive governor's race and a hotly contested battle for control of the legislature, Missouri will be a closely watched place in November. It is also considered a swing state in the presidential race.

Missouri Term Limits Enliven State's Primary

Missouri is about to have one of its liveliest primary elections in recent memory, thanks in large part to the onset of legislative term limits. Passed by voters eight years ago, term limits are finally having an impact: eight state House members are out in 2000, another 105, along with 15 state senators in 2002. That means a lot of known, experienced politicians are looking for new jobs. Many of the five senators and 17 House members seeking higher offices this fall are in the same party and square off in contentious primary battles on Aug. 8.

Missouri Senate Race: Religion Is Central Though Unspoken Issue

The candidates in Missouri's U.S. Senate race haven't said much about it, but religion has assumed a major role in a contest between two devout men with dramatically different approaches to their faith.

Missouri Gov Mel Carnahan Killed In Plane Crash

Democratic Lt. Gov. Roger Wilson was appointed acting governor early Tuesday morning after a private plane carrying Gov. Mel Carnahan, his 44-year-old son Roger and a senior campaign aide crashed just south of St. Louis. Carnahan, locked in a tight Senate race against Sen. John Ashcroft, R-Mo., was flying to New Madrid, Mo., to campaign when the plane went down amid fog and rain. Wilson took over as acting governor at 2:13 a.m. after a vote by the disability board, a panel of the state's leading office holders who convene when the governor cannot fulfill his duties.

Missouri Gov-elect Seeks To Emulate Fallen Predecessor

Missouri governor-elect Bob Holden, who won on Nov. 7 with less than 50 percent of the vote, can't claim a mandate to rally support for his agenda. Luckily for the Democrat, he didn't run for the job on a controversial platform. Holden, the state's two-term treasurer, ran a stay-the-course campaign, asking voters repeatedly when stumping or debating, "Do you want to continue to move forward making progress in Missouri, or do we radically change course like my opponent wants to?"

Clinton, 10,000 Attend Tribute for Missouri Gov

More than ten thousand mourners joined President Clinton and other dignitaries in Missouri on Friday to celebrate the life of late Gov. Mel Carnahan.

Missouri Legislature Overturns Veto, Massachusetts, Wisconsin Minus Budget

Democratic Gov. Mel Carnahan became only the third Missouri governor this century to have a veto overridden after the state's House voted 127-34 and the Senate 27-7 to override his veto of a controversial abortion bill. Carnahan's veto of the Infant Protection Act created the most bitter political fight in the state in years.

Stem Cell Debate Goes to Voters

Voters are being asked to weigh job creation and potential life-saving cures against moral concerns over the destruction of human embryos in an impassioned battle over a Missouri ballot measure supporting the science. While the Show Me state is the only one with the question on the Nov. 7 ballot, the controversy over stem cell research is playing prominently in the Wisconsin governor's race and cropping up in state races scattered across the country.

Federal Crime-Fighting Cuts Cause Alarm

Governors, state attorneys general and local law enforcement across the country are warning of an increase in drug trafficking and other serious crime after Congress slashed funding for a key federal grant program by two-thirds this fiscal year.

Missouri Primary Is a Free-For-All

Missouri is the state of the perpetual campaign this year. Its presidential primary in February helped propel Barack Obama and John McCain to their parties' presidential nominations, and its general election in November will help determine who wins the White House.

Watch Your (Official) Language

Missouri, a key presidential swing state and home to one of the most hotly contested gubernatorial races, will test what some see as voters' attitudes toward immigrants with a ballot measure to make English the only language of state government.

Measures Could Bing Youth to State Races

Lawmakers in Colorado and Hawaii aim to ramp up political participation by younger candidates with November ballot measures to lower the qualifying age for some state offices.

Mo. Treasurer Crusades to Deny Funds to Terrorists

Missouri State Treasurer Sarah Steelman may be far from the front lines in the war on terrorism but she's on the cutting edge of efforts to fight it with the power of the U.S. dollar.

Missouri Taps Into the Sale of Student Loans

Missouri is selling off some of its college loan portfolio to finance $350 million in new college buildings - a twist on states' efforts to raise revenue for projects without increasing taxes.

State Abortion Clinic Rules Suspended

(Updated 5:37 p.m. EDT, Monday, Sept. 24)A high-profile court battle over a new Missouri abortion law has fixed a national spotlight on arcane health regulations in at least 28 states that critics have long argued could put abortion doctors out of business.

Tracking the Recession: Stimulus Holds States Accountable

Besides the money, the economic stimulus package is asking states for the first time to prove how many jobs they are creating and how they are spending the money.

Are Sex Offense Laws Too Broad?

Minor misconduct by a teenager can land someone on a sex offender list for life. Some legislators think that’s inappropriate.

Missouri State of the State Address 2012

JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri. - Jan. 17 - Following is the prepared text of Gov. Jay Nixon's (D) 2012 state of the state address: Legislative leaders, Judges of the Missouri Supreme Court, Lieutenant Governor Kinder, state officials, members of the General Assembly, members of my cabinet, and my fellow Miss

Summary of the Missouri State of the State Address

Picking up where he left off a year ago, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon (D) declared Jan. 20 that creating private-sector jobs would be his top priority in the coming year through tax credits, recruitment of high-technology companies and increased job training.

Health Care Law Reaches Voters on Tuesday

TODAY'S TAKE: Should Americans be required to buy health insurance? It's a furiously debated question that Missouri voters will have the chance to answer first.

Cold Medicines Targeted in Missouri

TODAY'S TAKE: Missouri will become the third state to require a doctor's prescription for certain cold and allergy medicines if a plan supported by state leaders is enacted. The idea is to curtail production of methamphetamine, the dangerous and highly addictive drug that is abused nationwide.

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.

Missouri Next to Cut Jobless Benefits

TODAY'S TAKE: Michigan this week became the first state to reduce state-level unemployment benefits. Now, Missouri is the first to opt out of a program that provides more federal money for the jobless. About 10,000 workers will be affected, starting next week.

Travel Woes for Missouri's Leaders

TODAY'S TAKE: Missouri's Democratic governor and its Republican lieutenant governor are expected to face off in next year's gubernatorial race. For now, both are facing allegations of improper taxpayer-funded travel.

Missouri Special Session Collapses Over Jobs Bill

TODAY'S TAKE: A special legislative session in Missouri has dragged on for a month and a half without lawmakers reaching agreement on the economic development proposal that was the reason for their meeting.

Limbaugh Furor Reaches Missouri

TODAY'S TAKE: A debate is raging over a plan by the speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives to install a bronze bust of radio host Rush Limbaugh in the Capitol.

States Try to Help Veterans Find Jobs

With U.S forces out of Iraq and combat troops slated to leave Afghanistan in 2013, states are readying for an influx of returning troops who will be looking for work.

Will States Use Foreclosure Money for Other Purposes?

ECONOMY & BUSINESS BEAT: The vast majority of the $25 billion foreclosure settlement that state attorneys general finalized with big banks on Thursday (February 9) will go to distressed homeowners. But states could use as much as $2.6 billion of it in other ways.

Criticism May Ground Missouri 'Aerotropolis'

The dream of subsidizing a costly new air cargo hub at Lambert International Airport in St. Louis is coming up against skeptical state lawmakers, who see it as a potential boondoggle.

Racial Profiling Laws Yield Data but Few Changes

Lawmakers and police have struggled to handle traffic stop data that is supposed to help identify racial profiling. In many places, the data is collected but not used. In others, the results are subject to challenge.

States Ask Colleges to Perform for Money

More and more states are doling out some of their higher education funds based on graduation rates and other measures of classroom achievement. The effort revives an earlier movement that had mixed success and raises some concerns about whether it will encourage professors to lower standards.

Missouri's Puppy Mill Politics: Dog Breeders Outmaneuver Animal Rights Movement

Animal welfare activists won a victory at the polls last November. They say some of that victory has already been taken away by the legislature.

Missouri Governor Wins Plaudits for Disaster Response

PUBLIC SAFETY BEAT: Tornadoes and severe flooding have devastated Missouri this spring, spurring Governor Jay Nixon to take the lead in helping communities recover.

As States Slash Budgets, Business Tax Breaks Survive

Several states this year have tried getting rid of tax breaks that don't create jobs and keeping the ones that do. That's been harder than it sounds.

Pension Overhaul Treats Lawmakers, Other State Workers Differently

In Missouri, the new retirement age for government employees is 67. For legislators and other elected officials, it's 62. As states look at reining in pension costs, are lawmakers giving themselves a better deal than everyone else?

In Missouri, Getting Serious About Cost-Cutting on Campus

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Public colleges and universities face budget cuts that can't be made up for with tuition hikes alone. Now they need to find ways to decrease spending, not just on administration but on classroom instruction, too.

State Attorney Generals Step Up Child Support Enforcement

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

Kansas, Michigan Primaries Define GOP Battle Ground

When voters cast their ballots Tuesday in the Kansas and Michigan primaries, it could be a defining moment for Republicans fighting to maintain their fragile hold on the governors offices in those two states.

Alliance Forms Over Innovative School Reform

An innovative school reform experiment aimed at the lowest performing schools in Boston, Chicago, New Orleans, San Francisco and St. Louis was launched in Washington yesterday. The Ford Foundation is providing a $500,000 grant to help support labor-management partnerships with local school personnel, parents and a host of education associations. The alliance is being formed at a time when the public is impatient with school reforms and some mayors have taken over failing schools, as recently occurred in Detroit.

More States Announce Mid-Year Cuts

As new holes emerge in their budgets, more and more states are making spending cuts well before their legislatures reconvene next year. Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts and Missouri are the latest.

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.

Gubernatorial Candidates, Louisiana - North Dakota

Find a comprehensive list of gubernatorial candidates in Louisiana through North Dakota

Why Rainy Day Funds Can’t Always Be Used on Rainy Days

Nearly all states put aside money for tough fiscal times. But the rules for using the money are dramatically different from state to state.

To Raise Revenue, Raise Tobacco Taxes, Kentucky Commission Says

Kentucky’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Tax Reform recommended the state increase its cigarette tax from 60 cents to $1 per pack, along with a proportional hike on other forms of tobacco.

Even in Hard Times, States Find It Difficult To Recruit Talent

As state government hiring picks back up, competing with the private sector for highly skilled workers is becoming a challenge for some agencies.

In Kansas Primary, Results Could Advance Governor’s Agenda

On a busy primary day in four states, conservatives in Kansas are looking to oust moderate Republicans, freeing up room for the governor to push his ambitious agenda.

Ten States Lose Federal Education Money for Poor Children

Federal money to educate poor children is increasing, but 10 states and more than half of the nation's school districts will see a drop in their share of the dollars in the next school year, according to a report released June 15. Overall, nearly 56 percent of school districts will get less federal money, despite a $647 million increase in the Title I program that allocates money for low-income students.

State Elections Boost Women Candidates

State primary elections Tuesday gave a big boost to women candidates, raising the possibility Michigan could get its first female governor come November. But voters in at least two states rejected new tax initiatives and the candidates pushing them.

WORTH NOTING: Missouri Sets Sights on Kansas Rivals

A Missouri legislator proposes hunting down Kansas' mythological Jayhawk. New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D) catches flak for arrests outside a toll hike hearing. And New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) sprouts a new beard. In case you missed those stories this week, "Worth Noting" fills you in.

Seven States Lead in Budget Transparency

TODAY'S TAKE: A report released Tuesday (April 13) finds that seven states - Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, Minnesota, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Texas - lead the nation in budget transparency, providing the public with comprehensive and easily searchable information about government spending. Eighteen states flunked the scorecard created by U.S. PIRG, a Boston-based research and public-interest advocacy group.

Proposals Would Shift Utility Infrastructure Costs to Ratepayers

Electricity and gas bills could creep higher in several states, as lawmakers consider whether to allow utilities to charge customers upfront for upgrades to aging infrastructure.

Push For Ten Commandments To Return To Schools

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

GOP Governors Trim State Employees' Bargaining Clout

State employees in Indiana and Missouri will have less clout the next time they seek a pay raise or try to alter their working conditions. As a first order of business, newly inaugurated Republican Govs. Mitch Daniels of Indiana and Matt Blunt of Missouri each rescinded the collective bargaining rights of state workers.

States Retooling Laws to Bury Coal's CO2

Pumping air pollution into underground caverns may seem far-fetched, but friends of the coal industry, the federal government and some environmentalists are talking about burying coal-fired electric plant emissions to fight global warming. States have lots to do to make the experimental projects attractive.

Religious Liberty Emerges as Sensitive Political Issue

Freedom of religion is a universal American ideal, but there is growing disagreement about just what it means.

Activists Call For Greater Federal Election Role

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

States Ask Hospitals to Come Clean

Faced with a modern-day medical challenge, states increasingly are taking steps to track the number of patients who acquire serious infections while hospitalized. Eight states -- including four with new laws this year -- now require hospitals to tally their infection rates, amid indications that the cost of these medical complications -- in both dollars and lives -- is mounting.

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.

States Buying in Bulk to Stretch Rx Dollars

A growing number of states are using an age-old bargain shopping strategy buying in bulk to save money on prescription drugs. States are looking within and beyond their borders for ways to leverage the combined buying power of consumers, such as state employees, retirees and Medicaid patients, to negotiate better prices from drug makers.

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.

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.

Special Legislative Sessions to Focus on Jobs

ECONOMY & BUSINESS BEAT: Deficit reduction may be the talk in Washington, but job creation is the priority in the states. Connecticut and Missouri are planning special sessions on economic development.

Special Sessions: A Calculated Risk

The legislative year ended for most states during the summer, but special sessions are bringing many lawmakers back to their capitals. The success of such sessions can depend on the behind-the-scenes deal-making that precedes them.

Provisional Ballots Source of Anxiety in Swing States

One of the central safeguards of a new federal law designed to tamp down controversies at the ballot box has spawned pre-election confusion and court fights reminiscent of the hanging-chad hullabaloo after the 2000 election.

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.