Stateline Headlines

Jindal officials say public hospital privatization is ahead of schedule, more expensive

Grand jury looking at possible criminal activity in state Medicaid contract

Jefferson Parish hospitals could be leased without referendum under bill headed to governor's desk

Gov. Bobby Jindal signs first bills of 2013 legislative session into law

Legislature should approve Medicaid money

Louisiana voucher students score almost 30 points below average on LEAP tests

3 criminal justice bills head to Gov. Bobby Jindal's desk

Louisiana Senate passes amended Equal Pay for Women Act

Louisiana Senate panel approves bill to raise LSU student fees

Republicans shout, Democrats shrug over auditor's request for financial statements

Louisiana Senate OKs pay raise for judges, with grumbling from some lawmakers

David Vitter stokes buzz about governor bid

Oklahoma Tops in Disaster Declarations, Ninth in Disaster Grants

Oklahoma ranks behind eight states in the amount of federal money received to help clean up debris and patch public infrastructure since 1998. Who’s number one?

Poll -- Deep South residents, lawmakers at odds over Medicaid

Louisiana House health panel OK's resolution urging state agencies to investigate Planned Parenthood

Louisiana Senate passes 3 gun bills; one is headed to Jindal's desk

Medicaid expansion, Obamacare rejection bills fail in Louisiana House

Amendment to reduce sugar price support program pits sugar producers against candy manufacturers

Senate panel rejects school funding formula, will revert to 2011-12 numbers

Despite Governors’ Opposition, Strong Southern Support for Medicaid Expansion

New poll shows Deep South politicians are out of step with their constituents on Medicaid expansion.

Louisiana House approves bill allowing residents to put 'I'm a Cajun' on license, ID cards

Shale fracking proves $30 billion-a-year boon to waste disposal industry

Louisiana Senate panel kills Medicaid expansion measure

House should approve Medicaid money

Education official commutes from Los Angeles

Ethics Board: Fixes still necessary but not coming soon

BR tax incentives draw mixed reactions

Republicans get poor grades for current legislative session

$30 million crude oil terminal to be built in St. James Parish, officials say

Social media ban for drivers wins Louisiana House backing

House budget compromise meets Senate questions: Do revenue numbers add up?

Interior issues new public land fracking rule

Debate on Louisiana Medicaid expansion bill delayed

Shakeout from school voucher ruling by Louisiana Supreme Court begins

N.O. hotels could impose fee on themselves under bill passing House committee

Legislature kicks public student funding formula back to BESE

Safety Net Hospitals Won’t Be Docked in States That Don’t Expand Medicaid

Hospitals in non-expansion states feared they would be hit with bigger federal funding cuts than those in expansion states. HHS says that won’t happen – at least for the first two years.

New Orleans firefighter pension changes pass Louisiana House

Bill exempting Louisiana guns from federal laws goes to Senate

Louisiana has surplus envy now that other state budgets are doing better

Lawmakers advance bill to cut state contracts

Senate-passed surrogate bill clears House panel

Federal proposal for cutting safety-net money supports Louisiana decision to decline Medicaid expansion, state says

House committee passes bill allowing Louisiana residents to put 'I'm a Cajun' on ID cards

7th Ward second-line shooting injures 19

Louisiana budget sails through House after day-long hearing

Mother's Day second-line shooting on New Orleans' Frenchmen Street injures at least 19 people

Ignoring the Constitution is costly on school vouchers

Obama Administration Poised to Approve Arkansas-style Medicaid Expansions

The Obama Administration is inviting states to apply for Arkansas-style Medicaid expansions in an effort to woo those balking at traditional Medicaid expansion.

Why Tax Revision Is an Inexact Science

Several governors are talking about major change in their state tax structures this year. How do they know how much money a revised tax system will bring in? Often, they don’t.

Bucking Trend, Iowa Senator Seeks Death Penalty’s Return

Following the kidnapping and murder of two young girls, an Iowa lawmaker wants to bring back the state’s long-abolished death penalty.

GOP Lawmakers Look to Abolish Income Taxes

Republican lawmakers in several states are taking aim at something no state has done in more than three decades: eliminate income taxes.

Tax Breaks for Sale: Transferable Tax Credits Explained

States offer billions of dollars of tax incentives that businesses can sell to other businesses. Here’s why they do it and how it works.

Costly Prison Phone Calls Frustrate Families

Most state prisons impose a surcharge on calls made by inmates. Many of the inmates’ families have trouble paying it.

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

Sunshine Overruns: Hawaii’s Solar Tax Credits Carry Soaring Price Tag

The widespread popularity of Hawaii’s solar energy incentive — and mass confusion over how to implement it — have dealt a blow to the state’s treasury and become a major topic in state politics.

In Iowa and Florida, Judges Survive Expensive Ouster Attempts

Three justices in Florida and one in Iowa held off conservative efforts to remove them from office. In Michigan and North Carolina, conservatives retained power on the Supreme Court following expensive campaigns.

Historically Black Colleges Contemplate a More Diverse Future

This summer, two private HBCUs faced extinction. Public HBCUs are exploring new ways of operating to avoid the same fate.

Jindal Stays Put as Isaac Swirls Toward Coast

This week was supposed to be Bobby Jindal’s time in the limelight — a chance at complete redemption for the Louisiana governor, whose star in the Republican Party is rising once again. But a hurricane named Isaac thought otherwise.

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.

Choices Often Limited in ‘School Choice’ Programs

Many top private schools have chosen not to participate in statewide voucher and scholarship tax credit programs in states such as Ohio, Louisiana and Florida.

Infographic: S&P State Credit Ratings, 2001–2012

Private, independent credit rating agencies evaluate states’ financial health. States with the lowest grades typically have trouble keeping their spending in line with their tax revenues.

For Some States, Medicaid Expansion May Be a Tough Fiscal Call

GOP governors appear poised to leave federal dollars on the table.

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.”

More GOP Officials Vow to Decline Medicaid Expansion

Republican state leaders say they’d rather forfeit federal money than dip into state coffers to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.

Public School Alternatives Gather Steam in States

Louisiana gave advocates of charter schools, vouchers and other publicly funded education alternatives everything they could have asked for, but opposition remained fierce elsewhere.

Facing Off Over Funerals

A Federal judge last month ordered the Pennsylvania state board of funeral directors to rewrite their “outmoded” regulations that limited the numbers of funeral homes any one director could own, restricted the naming of homes, and prohibited funeral homes from serving food. Industry experts say the ruling could have broad implications for other states.

Best of #StateReads: Why Louisiana Leads the World in Imprisonment

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

Next Class of Teachers Enters Changing Profession

Indiana is among several states across the country that have changed the way they evaluate, pay and retain teachers. The changes are controversial, but advocates say they will improve student performance and keep better teachers in the profession.

Best of #StateReads: Inside Deals for Louisiana Oil Leases Last Decades

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

Tax Revenue Lags in Louisiana

Some top oil producing states like Alaska and North Dakota are enjoying revenue booms. Louisiana isn’t.

Indiana Gov Squashes VP Speculation

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels said Sunday that if Mitt Romney asked him to be his running mate that he would “demand reconsideration” and send a list of people who “could suit better.” But he declined to say what names would

Louisiana Weighs Deeper Pension Cuts

Forecasters fear the last round of pension plan reforms will not be enough to guarantee solvency in the long run.

GOP Governors Examined as Potential Running Mates

Several Republican governors have already taken their names out of consideration for the second spot on the national ticket.

Onetime Democratic Speaker to Become GOP Leader in Louisiana

TODAY'S TAKE: In 1996, John Alario was the Democratic speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives. Today (January 9), he will be named the Republican president of the state Senate.

State School Board Races Dominate Louisiana Elections

EDUCATION BEAT: A state at the forefront of some controversial changes in education is seeing more than $1 million in campaign donations pour into what are usually quiet elections.

States Rewrite Education Rules, With or Without Race to the Top

Six states were near-miss finalists in the first two rounds of a federal competition that rewards changes in state education policy. Most of them are continuing the school reform process with their own money.

Infographic: Southern Strength

Republican dominance in the South started with presidential elections and only later came to statehouses.

States Hope to Win on New District Maps in Federal Court

For a generation, states have been taking their legislative district maps to the U.S. Justice Department for clearance on issues of racial fairness. There's another route to approval, however, and several of the states are using it.

Health Care Law is Bigger Challenge for Some States

TODAY'S TAKE: Eight states will face the greatest difficulties in handling the influx of new Medicaid patients expected after the federal Affordable Care Act goes into full effect in 2014, a new study says.

In Louisiana, Privatization Schemes Hit a Snag

MANAGEMENT BEAT: Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal is pushing to outsource an array of government functions to the private sector. But his efforts lost momentum this week.

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.

Budget Session Begins in Louisiana Legislature

TODAY'S TAKE: While most states have been debating their budgets for weeks, Louisiana lawmakers are only now turning their attention to a $1.6 billion shortfall - an already difficult task complicated by election-year politics and a just-ended battle over redistricting.

Foreclosure Aid Program Gets Underway in Florida

SOCIAL POLICY BEAT: Florida rolls out a program to help homeowners avoid foreclosure … A GOP plan to turn food stamps into a block grant gets mixed reviews … Texas experiences a child boom, and other social policy news.

Louisiana State of the State Address 2011

BATON ROUGE, La. - March 20 - Following is the prepared text of Gov. Bobby Jindal's (R) 2011 state of the state address: Mr. Speaker, Mr. President, fellow state wide elected officials, and the Senators and Representatives. Family and friends fellow residents of the great state of Louisiana. Thank you for the pri

Are 'Charter Universities' the Future of State-Funded Higher Ed?

With more budget cuts on the horizon, many flagship universities are warming to a new bargain with state government: In exchange for less state funding, they would get more say in running day-to-day operations as well as the ability to impose some tuition increases.

Child Support Collections Dip, Except in Louisiana

SOCIAL POLICY BEAT: Most states are seeing declines in child support collections, but not Louisiana … The number of unauthorized immigrants goes down in Colorado, Florida and New York … Teen birth rates remain steady everywhere except in West Virginia, and other social policy news.

Seeing Red, Louisiana Democrats Become Republicans

TODAY'S TAKE: The only Democratic attorney general to formally oppose the Obama administration's health care law in court, Louisiana's James "Buddy" Caldwell, has switched parties. He becomes the latest in a string of Louisiana Democrats to switch to the GOP.

Is Health Care Ruling a Game-Changer?

TODAY'S TAKE: Partisan state politicians either cheered or denounced a federal judge's ruling Monday (December 13) that a key provision of the Obama administration's new health care law is unconstitutional. Meanwhile, Virginia's governor urged his peers to support an idea to fast-track the case directly to the U.S. Supreme Court, and critics of Massachusetts' broad-based health care program saw a new opportunity to challenge it.

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.

Trickle of Democratic Legislators Become Republicans

TRANSITION WATCH: Fewer state-level Democrats are becoming Republicans than in 1994, new Speakers of the House are elected in Montana and Tennessee and other news of the historic shift in power in the states

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.

Pressure Mounts Over Drilling Moratorium

TODAY'S TAKE: Oil companies -- and the Gulf Coast states that depend on them -- won a court victory Wednesday (Sept. 1) when a federal judge refused to dismiss a lawsuit challenging a temporary federal ban on deepwater drilling. Despite the BP oil spill, Louisiana and Texas are among the states that want drilling to resume as soon as possible, citing lost revenues and economic activity.

Bashing Oil Industry is Tricky Politics in Gulf States

Now that oil has stopped gushing in the Gulf of Mexico, state and local governments are tallying the economic losses they have suffered-and vowing to hold BP accountable. But they are moving carefully, mindful that much of the region's economy depends on the industry they are confronting.

Louisiana Economy Dealt a Fresh Blow

TODAY'S TAKE: The BP oil spill is taking a back seat to another piece of crippling economic news in Louisiana this week. A Northrop Grumman shipyard that builds vessels for the U.S. Navy will close by 2013, taking as many as 12,000 jobs with it.

States Try New Tactics to Restrict Abortion

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

Gulf States Fear Long-Term Fiscal Effects of Oil Disaster

The Gulf Coast states were hopeful that 2010 would be a year of economic revival. Now, one of the worst environmental tragedies in U.S. history is jeopardizing the future of the tourism, fishing and deep-water oil drilling industries. Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida do not have the money to offset the revenue losses and are counting on BP to rescue them.

Gulf Govs Hail Judge's Ruling on Drilling Moratorium

TODAY'S TAKE: A federal judge's decision overturn the federal ban on offshore drilling drew praise from Gulf state governors who had complained that idling oil production would put workers out of work.

Jindal Warns Obama: 'We're Not Winning This War'

TODAY'S TAKE: During President Obama's fourth tour of the Gulf Coast since oil began spilling from an offshore well, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal told the president that the country is losing the "war" against the spill. The governor's admonition came at the same time Louisiana's state treasurer urged Jindal to prepare for the possible bankruptcy of BP.

Spill Reignites Offshore Drilling Debate

TODAY'S TAKE: The oil spill caused by the explosion of a rig off the coast of Louisiana last week is reigniting a debate in the states over whether offshore drilling is environmentally safe. Florida Governor Charlie Crist toured the site of the spill on Tuesday (April 27) and called on lawmakers to hold off on plans to expand drilling in the coming years.