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Not your grandma's bingo

By Pamela M. Prah, Stateline.org Staff Writer — 03/18/2010

It has the drama and suspense of a John Grisham novel: pre-dawn gambling raids by state troopers, rumors of political payoffs, rowdy demonstrations at the State Capitol and a fly-over at this year’s Rose Bowl in California with a banner that read, “Impeach Corrupt Alabama Gov. Bob Riley.” All this fuss over bingo? While many other cash-strapped states are trying to expand gaming as a way to get more revenue, Alabama's outgoing governor is on a mission to stamp out illegal gambling in the Heart of Dixie.

AK: Gara -- Emissions resolution hurts gas pipeline efforts

By The Associated Press

Rep. Les Gara says a resolution passed by the state House could undercut efforts in Congress to secure a natural gas pipeline in Alaska.

AK: Ramras to block disclosure bill in favor of different one

By The Associated Press

State Rep. Jay Ramras says he's blocking a House bill aimed at strengthening disclosure requirements for corporations and unions engaged in political campaigning.

AK: Push for in-state gas line gets a boost

By Richard Mauer

The drive to build an in-state gas pipeline, with public funds if necessary, got a boost Thursday with the enthusiastic testimony of two of Alaska's elder statesmen, Ted Stevens and Bill Sheffield, with Frank Murkowski offering more conditional support.

AK: Hearing held on Sealaska lands bill

By Mary Pemberton, The Associated Press

U.S. Rep. Don Young defended a bill Wednesday to give Sealaska Corp. its remaining lands under the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.

AL: Mixed emotions over proposed state park bill

By Staff Reports, WAFF.com

FLORENCE, Ala. –- Are you visiting a state park this summer? You could cash in on a pretty sweet deal. A new bill in state legislature would cut rental fees in half for Alabama residents. It might sound good to travelers, but tourism officials say it could cost jobs and create major budget issues.

AL: State to refine grant application

By Dana Beyerle

Alabama failed in its initial bid for a Race to the Top grant, but the state will try again to get a share of the federal school improvement money.

AL: New initiative focuses on getting Alabamians in shape while promoting local tourism

By Staff Reports, WTVY.com

There are over 300 miles of walking trails across the state of Alabama, and Governor Riley wants Alabamians to get out and enjoy them.

AL: Ivey touts record as treasurer in bid for governor

By Jason Morton

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Alabama gubernatorial candidate Kay Ivey gave an impassioned stump speech today to the Republican Women of Tuscaloosa County, imploring the group to elect proven candidates willing to make tough decisions to correct the state's political and financial situation.

AL: State Rep. James Buskey to run for re-election

By George Talbot

State Rep. James Buskey announced that he will seek re-election to the Alabama House District 99 seat from Mobile. Buskey, a Democrat, has no announced opponents for the seat, which includes portions of north Mobile between Schillinger Road and Martin Luther King Ave.

AR: Proctor files as write-in candidate for circuit judge

By Rob Moritz

Former Pulaski County Circuit Judge Willard Proctor, who was removed from the bench by the state Supreme Court in January, has filed to run as a write-in candidate for his old seat.

AZ: Arizona measure on picking judges awaits changes

By Staff Reports

The sponsor of legislation to revamp Arizona's system of selecting judges says it could be revised before being considered by the Senate.

AZ: Arizona drops children's health program

By Kevin Sack

Arizona on Thursday became the first state to eliminate its Children's Health Insurance Program when Gov. Jan Brewer signed an austere budget that will leave nearly 47,000 low-income children without coverage.

CA: Valero oil firm contributes half-million to suspend AB 32

By Jim Sanders

A Texas-based oil company has contributed more than half of the nearly $1 million collected in a drive to suspend California's landmark greenhouse-gas emissions law, documents filed Thursday show.

CA: Field Poll -- Obama's popularity declining in California

By Rob Hotakainen

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama's popularity is declining in California, with slightly more than half of the state's voters still approving of his job performance, according to a Field Poll released today.

CA: San Joaquin Dems feel the heat of health care debate

By Michael Doyle

WASHINGTON – Public and private pressure is building on Rep. Dennis Cardoza, D-Atwater, and other lawmakers who say they are undecided on a big health care bill. That's the price of wait-and-see.

CA: SMUD, other utilities seek to kick PG&E-backed Proposition 16 off June ballot

By Denny Walsh

A broad coalition of California's public utilities, including the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, sued Thursday to disqualify Proposition 16 from the June 8 ballot "for being false and misleading and for concealing its true nature and purpose from voters."

CA: Schwarzenegger appoints paralyzed lawyer Sara Granda to legal post

By Kevin Yamamura

Sara Granda, the UC Davis law school graduate who is paralyzed and drew national attention last year when State Bar officials nearly prevented her from taking the exam, has been named by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to a legal position in the state Department of Health Care Services.

CA: GOP attorney general candidate gets a job – and ballot title – in South Dakota

By Shane Goldmacher

Republican attorney general candidate John Eastman has picked his job description to show voters on the June ballot -- assistant attorney general. Pretty good modifier for someone seeking the top job. What Eastman isn't telling voters is that he is officially an assistant attorney general in South Dakota.

CA: Perez selects new leadership team, committee chairs

By Anthony York

Among the key appointments: Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes (D-Sylmar) will chair the Appropriations Committee and Assemblyman Bob Blumenfield (D-Van Nuys) will head the Assembly Budget Committee. Assemblyman Charles Calderon (D-Whittier) is the new Majority Floor Leader.

CA: Flags raised over sponsor of Democratic golf fundraiser

By Patrick McGreevy

Democratic state senators will gather in La Jolla this weekend to enjoy rounds of golf, lavish hotel accommodations and gourmet meals at a fundraiser bankrolled largely by a group that wants a favor from them.

CA: Proposed smoking ban falls short in Assembly

By Kurtis Alexander

Californians who grumble about cigarette butts in the parks and beaches may have to wait before their wish comes true — if it happens at all. The most far-reaching ban to outlaw smoking in California's state parks, including more than a dozen beaches and wilderness areas in Santa Cruz County, has fallen short of a key legislative hurdle.

CA: Meg Whitman 'wows away' Latino crowd at San Jose campaign talk

By Julia Prodis Sulek

Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman reached out to Latino business leaders at a San Jose luncheon Thursday, promising to create jobs, improve education and cut spending. She didn't mention a touchier topic: immigration.

CO: Bill to close Old Age Pension loophole withdrawn

By Tim Hoover

A bill to close a loophole in Colorado law that allows elderly legal immigrants to receive a taxpayer-funded pension died in the House on Wednesday after the lawmaker sponsoring the legislation withdrew it.

CO: Penry urges oversight into why child-welfare death investigations not completed

By Colleen O'Connor

The state Department of Human Services failed to complete reviews of the deaths of 10 of 11 kids under age 4 who died while in the custody of county child-welfare programs in 2008.

CO: Pinnacol offers state $130 million more to privatize

By Tim Hoover

Pinnacol Assurance, the state-chartered workers' compensation insurance fund that wants to be privatized, said Thursday it's willing to offer the state more money — $130 million more — to do that.

CO: Hickenlooper expresses a bent for business

By Lynn Bartels

Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper told a business group Thursday that it's "crazy" to raise fees or taxes when revenues are down, or for Colorado to be known as an anti-business state.

CO: Poll -- Markey right, Gardner wrong on health reform

By John Tomasic

In the wake of a Congressional Budget Office report finding that current health reform legislation would cut the deficit by $138 billion in ten years, Colorado Fourth District U.S. Rep. Betsy Markey confirmed that she planned to vote to pass the legislation this weekend.

CO: CDOT opens bids on C-470/Santa Fe interchange project

By Cathy Proctor

The Colorado Department of Transportation opened bids Thursday for the reconstruction of the C-470 and Santa Fe Drive interchange, a project that will use up the last of the agency's federal stimulus money that it's already been granted.

CT: Bloomfield resident running for secretary of the state; Corey Brinson seeking GOP nomination

By Amanda Falcone

Corey Brinson, 30, of Bloomfield, is running for secretary of the state. The Republican owns and practices law at Corey J. Brinson LLC in Hartford.

CT: Rell's keno proposal panned in survey of state voters

By Brian Hallenbeck

Add another voice to the chorus of opposition to Gov. M. Jodi Rell's plan to introduce keno at bars, restaurants and convenience stores: that of the voters.

CT: First live Republican Gubernatorial TV debate on day that Greenwich's Tom Foley pulls ahead in latest Quinnipiac poll

By Christopher Keating

Coming off a new poll that puts him solidly in the lead for governor among Republicans, Greenwich business executive Tom Foley said Thursday night that he would cut state spending by $1 billion if elected in November.

CT: Quinnipiac poll -- Bysiewicz's lead in attorney general race a little less huge

By Edmund H. Mahony

Despite two months of bad press about her legal credentials, Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz has held on to a huge lead over her lesser known Democratic opponents in the race for state attorney general, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday.

DE: Delaware House OKs tax refunds to college accounts

By Staff Reports

Legislation to make it possible for people to have their state tax refunds deposited directly into a Delaware College Investment Plan account passed the House unanimously Thursday.

DE: Historic panel OKs Woodburn solar plant project

By James Merriweather

The proposal to install a solar power plant atop Woodburn, a 212-year-old house that serves as the state's official governor's residence, Thursday breezed to unanimous approval by the city's Historic District Commission.

DE: Delaware bill seeks longer protective orders

By J.L. Miller

Legislation to strengthen Delaware's system for protecting victims of domestic violence from further abuse was unveiled Thursday by Gov. Jack Markell and Attorney General Beau Biden.

DE: Delaware River dredge at work while talks go on

By Jeff Montgomery

Ron Wyche restlessly scanned a jumble of readouts and video displays on Thursday as he summed up life in the driver's seat of a controversial $28 million dredging job along the Delaware River near Pea Patch Island.

DE: Baker's budget holds cuts and hikes

By Adam Taylor

The average city resident would pay $216 more in property taxes and water-sewer fees under a budget proposed Thursday by Mayor James M. Baker.

FL: NRA has gotten most of what it wanted in Florida Legislature in 2010

By Marc Caputo

Adoption agencies can't require prospective parents to disclose whether they have a firearm, according to a new bill that rocketed Thursday out of the Legislature and awaits the governor's signature. Gov. Charlie Crist plans to approve the legislation, along with another National Rifle Association-backed bill that would stop legislators from raiding a special trust fund that pays for concealed-weapons permit regulation. The bill could be passed by the Legislature as early as next week.

FL: House loosens contribution rules

By John Frank

The Republican-dominated Florida House pushed through legislation Thursday that allows legislative leaders to raise unlimited dollars from special interests, rejecting a dozen Democratic amendments aimed at limiting the influence of money in politics.

FL: Evers wants teachers to have the right to pray

By Paul Flemming

Rep. Greg Evers wants to stop any other school district in Florida from entering into the same kind of agreement Santa Rosa officials did to prohibit teacher participation in student-led prayer.

FL: Florida plan to kill tax benefit for films that aren't 'family friendly' sparks backlash

By Josh Hafenbrack and Richard Verrier, Tribune Newspapers

Florida, the home of Mickey Mouse and beach-bound vacationers, was trying to polish its family friendly image but instead ran into a PR nightmare: an angry Hollywood.

FL: 2010 Legislature summary

By Staff Reports

The key issues yesterday and what's coming up:

FL: Aronberg expresses concern over security of state employee data

By Bill Cotterell

A lawmaker Thursday demanded to know how a $248-million personnel contract got renewed with a Convergys operation recently sold to a British firm.

FL: Lawson claims spot on November ballot

By Bill Cotterell

With a heavy hometown boost, state Sen. Al Lawson claimed a spot on the November ballot Wednesday in his bid to knock off U.S. Rep. Allen Boyd in the Democratic primary.

FL: Nelson's Medicare Advantage deal cut from health care reform

By Alex Leary

WASHINGTON — House and Senate leaders on Thursday said a provision sparing about 800,000 Floridians from cuts in Medicare Advantage will not be part of the final health care bill, a blow to Sen. Bill Nelson.

FL: New rules assure public can see court records

By The Associated Press

Noting that the courts are moving ``inevitably into the electronic age,'' the Florida Supreme Court adopted new rules Thursday intended to assure public access to court records. The rules include guidelines for sealing and unsealing a limited range of confidential files.

FL: Florida workforce boards bristle at bill to increase spending oversight

By Steve Bousquet

Some Florida job-creation advocates are upset over a Senate proposal to intensify oversight of regional workforce boards following lavish spending on meals and insider dealing by a handful of boards.

FL: Lawmakers push to curb medicating foster children

By Cristina Silva

A year after a seven-year-old boy heavily medicated on powerful psychiatric drugs hanged himself in his Margate foster home, lawmakers are pushing to reform state medical requirements for foster children.

FL: Florida water managers weigh cuts, selloffs to finance U.S. Sugar land deal

By Curtis Morgan

With the odds of borrowing a half-billion bucks growing dicey, water managers are exploring new ways to finance Gov. Charlie Crist's deal with the U.S. Sugar Corp. -- a controversial land buy the governor stood firmly behind Thursday during a South Florida visit. One possible alternative: Pay for a big chunk -- perhaps even all -- of the $536 million price tag in cash.

FL: Our eye's on you, Jackson is warned

By John Dorschner

Jackson's governing body survived four proposals to abolish it Thursday as Miami-Dade County commissioners instead voted unanimously to put the beleaguered public health system on a ``management watch'' in which the mayor will follow it closely but not take control.

GA: Two in Georgia governor's race were accused of misconduct

By Robbie Brown

ATLANTA — Two former high school teachers running for governor in Georgia were suspended from their jobs in the past for sexual misconduct involving students, according to state documents.

GA: House eases way for private-public partnerships on toll roads

By Nancy Badertscher

The Georgia House passed legislation Wednesday that some say could make private-public partnerships on toll roads and other transportation projects more attractive to the private sector. The bill would exempt the private owners of such projects from property taxes.

GA: State taps lottery reserves

By Dorie Turner, The Associated Press

State officials are dipping into reserves to help pay for education programs funded by the Georgia Lottery for the first time in nearly a decade, as ticket sales lag behind the growth of the HOPE scholarship and statewide prekindergarten.

GA: Dear John and Sanford -- Please vote no. Sincerely, Sonny

By Jim Galloway, Columnist

Gov. Sonny Perdue has joined the effort to pressure U.S. Reps. John Barrow of Savannah and Sanford Bishop of Albany, the last two members of Georgia's Democratic delegation who haven't announced how they'll vote on the health care overhaul.

GA: Don Balfour pulls out of race for Congress — and state Senate

By Jim Galloway, Columnist

Huge news. State Sen. Don Balfour (R-Snellville) just announced that, not only is he pulling out of the race for Congress, he's done with the state Senate.

GA: Georgia Senate defiant on U.S. health care reform

By Ashley Speagle

Georgia senators passed a bill Thursday aimed at changing the state Constitution so residents have the right to opt out of possible federal health care coverage.

GA: Bill to raise state user fees, licenses moving quickly

By James Salzer

House leaders trying desperately to fill massive holes in the state budget put a bill to raise more than $90 million worth of state user fees and licenses on the fast track to passage Thursday.

GA: Water remedies sail through General Assembly

By Dan Chapman and Nancy Badertscher

Gov. Sonny Perdue's water wish list sailed smoothly through the General Assembly on Thursday with his prized conservation bill awaiting his signature. The House overwhelmingly approved the Water Stewardship Act of 2010 to curtail outdoor watering and require builders and apartment building owners to more efficiently manage water.

GA: Bill to allow time served for juveniles advances

By Nancy Badertscher

The Georgia House passed legislation Thursday allowing juvenile offenders to receive credit for time served. Only adult prisoners are currently given credit for the time they serve waiting for their case to go through court, said the bill's sponsor, Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver.

GA: Press group opposes proposed change in open meetings law

By Nancy Badertscher

The Georgia Press Association is opposing legislation that would let Sandy Springs and other north Fulton cities meet behind closed doors to discuss the private companies handling most of their government functions.

GA: Senate moves to close same-sex loophole in incest law

By Ernie Suggs

On Thursday, the Senate voted 42-0 to provide gender neutrality in incest cases. What does that mean? That if a man rapes his son, or a woman rapes her daughter, that person would also be charged with incest, along with rape or sodomy.

GA: Zero Tolerance bill passes out of Senate, moves to House

By Ernie Suggs

An overhaul on Georgia's zero-tolerance policies, the kind of law that Emanuel Jones said he was elected to the Georgia Senate to write, passed his chamber Thursday and now heads to the House. SB 299 would give principals and school systems more discretion in how they handle disciplinary cases in their schools.

GA: Senate approves ban on texting while driving

By Ernie Suggs

The green band that wraps around Katherine Key's cellphone is not for show. For the Morgan County High School junior, it is a reminder: Don't send text messages while driving.

HI: Hawaii state auditor -- 'Lack of integrity' in administration

By Sean Hao

A feud between state auditor Marion Higa and Gov. Linda Lingle grew more heated yesterday with Higa challenging the administration to take a lie detector test.

HI: Hawaii state workers face more pay cuts under 6-year plan

By Derrick DePledge

Gov. Linda Lingle presented an updated six-year financial plan to the Legislature yesterday that presumes another round of pay cuts for state workers and reduces benefits for people in Quest, the state's health plan for the poor and disabled.

IA: Iowa's gubernatorial race gets tighter

By James Q. Lynch

On the eve of the filing deadline for the primary election, a potential opponent for Gov. Chet Culver decided to bypass the Democratic primary and run as an independent in November.

ID: Election 2010 -- Another candidate files in the governor's race

By Kevin Richert

The governor's race just got more crowded Thursday, the ninth and next-to-last day in Idaho's 2010 candidate-filing period.

ID: Rep. Steve Kren -- No abortion for race- or sex-selection

By Brian Murphy

A Canyon County legislator says the same type of discrimination laws that apply across state and federal statutes should pertain to the unborn.

ID: Gov. Otter gets some good marks on health care plans for Idaho

By Colleen Lamay

With President Obama and Congress concentrating on health care reform, Gov. Butch Otter says Idaho is getting the ball rolling right here, right now.

ID: Forced raises could be cut next year Temporary pay cut of 4% proposed for state's constitutional officers

By Ben Botkin

The state's seven constitutional officers could face a 4 percent pay cut next year under legislation introduced on Thursday.

IL: Suburban residents seek lt. gov. nomination

By Timothy Magaw

Stevan Kreger worked in at a plastic-coloring plant for more than 30 years until his job was outsourced to China. Now, the 60-year-old South Elgin native has his sights set on a new job - lieutenant governor of the State of Illinois.

IL: Madigan -- The party, not Quinn, will make lt. gov. decision

By Timothy Magaw

Gov. Pat Quinn said picking his running mate is a decision largely up to him despite repeated claims by members of the state Democratic Party that choosing the nominee is their prerogative.

IL: Plan to elect U of I trustees rejected

By Mike Riopell

A plan to have voters pick trustees to run the University of Illinois was rejected in the Illinois House Wednesday.

IL: U.S. planning to go ahead with plan to buy Illinois prison

By Christi Parsons

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration plans to purchase the state prison in rural Thomson, Ill., regardless of whether Congress allows terrorism suspects to be transferred there, a Justice Department official said Thursday.

IL: Gov. Pat Quinn eyeing suburban senator as potential running mate

By Ray Long and Rick Pearson

Veteran suburban lawmaker Sen. Susan Garrett has emerged as a leading choice of Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn to become his running mate, top party sources familiar with the discussions said today.

IL: Senate approves lease restriction measure

By Doug Finke

Without dissent, the Illinois Senate today approved a bill aimed at providing more oversight of state building leases.

IN: Lawmakers 'did no harm' in session

By Bob Caylor

State legislators were willing to claim that victory Wednesday when they gathered at the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce, 826 Ewing St., to reflect on the General Assembly session that ended last weekend.

KS: State Senate panel approves 'shield' law

By The Associated Press

A Senate committee on Thursday recommended approval of a "shield" law that is designed to protect journalists from being forced to reveal information.

KS: Senate approves rules for campaigns to oust, retain sitting judges

By The Associated Press

A Kansas Senate committee has endorsed a bill regulating campaigns in Kansas to oust or retain appellate court judges.

KS: Davis says Speaker O'Neal crossed the line; O'Neal vehemently denies wrongdoing

By Scott Rothschild

House Democratic Leader Paul Davis on Thursday said House Speaker Mike O'Neal, R-Hutchinson, crossed the ethical line in his capacity as the lead attorney for a group suing the state.

KS: Proposed constitutional amendment to block federal health care reform fails

By Scott Rothschild

A proposed constitutional amendment to block federal health reform in Kansas failed to advance today.

KS: Bill would limit gifts in judicial campaigns

By The Associated Press

A Kansas Senate committee has endorsed a bill regulating campaigns in Kansas to oust or retain appellate court judges.

KY: Proposal to alter principal hiring process gains new life

By Linda B. Blackford

In a surprise move Thursday, the Senate Education Committee tacked a controversial and embattled bill about school principal selection onto a House measure to create a Kentucky Literacy Day and then approved it without discussion.

KY: Bill would create ATV trails in Eastern Kentucky

By Andy Mead

A bill that would lead to a system of ATV trails in Eastern Kentucky was approved by a House committee Thursday. House Bill 173, sponsored by Rep. Keith Hall, D-Phelps, would connect to similar trail systems in West Virginia and south-western Virginia.

KY: Senate passes bill to move filing deadline, primary date

By Tom Loftus and Joseph Gerth

The state's primary elections would be moved from May to August, and the deadline for candidates to file would be changed from January to April, under a bill passed by the Senate Thursday.

KY: Time running out on alternative energy bill

By James S. Bruggers

With time in the General Assembly running out, a key House leader on Thursday tried to sell his alternative energy bill as a multi-billion dollar job-creation measure that would protect Kentuckians from a future spike in utility rates.

KY: Instant Racing advocate tries again with Republican caucus

By Gregory A. Hall

The primary advocate for Instant Racing made a pitch to the Senate Republican Caucus on Thursday, but said afterward he doesn't feel any better about the prospects of resurrecting the legislation.

KY: Kentucky Human Rights agency marks 50 years

By Joseph Gerth

Back when Kentucky formed the South's first state human rights commission in 1960, Gov. Steve Beshear noted that African Americans could be kicked out of swimming pools, movie theaters, hospitals and restaurants. Yesterday, he and the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights celebrated Kentucky's strides in human rights and called for more progress in the future.

KY: Bill to ease college transfers advances

By Tom Loftus

A bill to make it easier for community college students to transfer to four-year public universities cleared the Senate Education Committee on Thursday in a weaker — but satisfactory — form, the bill's original sponsor said.

KY: 'Sexting' bill clears Senate panel

By Stephanie Steitzer

A measure that would give law enforcement a new option for dealing with teens caught "sexting" — sending sexually explicit photos through cell phones — cleared a Senate committee Thursday.

LA: State looks at insurer laws

By Ted Griggs

Louisiana may need to strengthen a consumer protection law that stops homeowners' insurance companies from canceling policies so that other insurers don't try the same complicated strategy The Hanover Insurance Group is using to shed half its book of business, the Senate Insurance Committee chairman said Thursday.

LA: State to refinance debts; millions in savings projected

By Marsha Shuler

The state Bond Commission on Thursday approved refinancing up to $600 million in state borrowing to lower debt payments.

LA: Black Caucus -- La. in 'dire straits'

By Will Sentell

Leaders of the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus and others tossed around ideas Thursday on how to cope with state budget problems without unduly harming citizens.

LA: State staffers rip pay freeze

By Marsha Shuler

The state Civil Service Commission has been flooded with e-mails from rank-and-file state employees angry about a proposed suspension of pay raises.

LA: Higher education cuts loom

By Jordan Blum

State higher education leaders Thursday were preparing to cut another $85 million from their budgets after receiving word from the Jindal administration.

LA: Property insurance industry 'cherry-picking' targeted in draft legislation

By Ed Anderson

Property insurance companies that leave the state then want to return to cash in on profitable premiums would have to wait five years to re-apply, according to a proposal being considered by some legislators Thursday.

LA: Bills filed to end smoking in bars, riverboats and casinos for March 29 session

By Ed Anderson

A Baton Rouge area lawmaker late Thursday filed two bills aimed at banning smoking in bars as well as gambling outlets like riverboats and the New Orleans land-based casino.

MA: More cuts loom as state faces $295m in red ink

By Michael Levenson

Massachusetts is potentially facing a new budget gap of up to $295 million this year, a grim forecast that state officials said could spell yet another round of painful cuts before the fiscal year ends in June.

MA: Mass. GOP taps Sen. Brown for convention keynote speech

By The Associated Press

Massachusetts Republicans have landed a hot speaker for their party convention. Chairwoman Jennifer Nassour announced today that newly elected Sen. Scott Brown will deliver the keynote remarks at the DCU Center in Worcester on April 17.

MA: State reduces bridges in disrepair

By Noah Bierman

The Patrick Administration announced yesterday that it has reduced the number of structurally deficient bridges in Massachusetts from 543 to 494, with the help of a major bridge rebuilding program initiated in May 2008.

MA: Bullying bill OK'd in House, 148 to 0

By David Abel

The Massachusetts House, after an emotional debate, unanimously approved a bill yesterday that seeks to curtail bullying in schools and in cyberspace, mirroring similar legislation passed last week by the Senate.

MD: Md. lists top tax deadbeats, hopes to press them to pay

By Nicole Fuller

Maryland's 50 biggest tax scofflaws owe the state nearly $8 million in unpaid taxes, according to the state comptroller, who released names of top offenders on Thursday in hopes of pressuring individuals and companies into paying.

MD: New law may require D.C., Md. to abandon Sept. primary dates

By Tim Craig

Every four years, for more than three decades, voters in Maryland and the District have been going to the polls for primary elections in September after the kids are back in school and the summer travel season had ended.

MD: Democrats question Ehrlich's use of firm

By Julie Bykowicz

The Maryland Democratic Party is questioning whether the Republican former governor is using his current employer's resources for an undeclared campaign.

MD: EPA calls for more study on State Dept. Shore training facility

By Paul West

WASHINGTON - Federal environmental officials are recommending a more thorough study of a controversial State Department security facility on Maryland's Eastern Shore, a step likely to delay construction into next year. The plan to build a training center for diplomats on 2,000 acres of privately owned farmland in Ruthsburg has been pushed back several months by local opposition that caused some politicians to backpedal from their support.

MD: Rebidding slots overshadows the possibility of table games

By Adam Kerlin

Bills that would allow Maryland's slot machine facilities to have table games were overshadowed this week by legislation aimed at attracting more contractors to the rebidding of the state's two unlicensed slots sites.

MD: House panel split on private school funding

By Liam Farrell

The fate of controversial legislation granting tax credits for contributions to private and public schools now rests in the hands of a divided House of Delegates committee.

MD: Maryland legislators seek to tighten restrictions on sex offenders

By Aaron C. Davis

In response to the Christmastime killing of 11-year-old Sarah Haley Foxwell, Maryland delegates are expected to pass bills Friday that would form the backbone of lawmakers' efforts to tighten restrictions on sex offenders.

ME: Senate gives initial OK to concealed weapons in Acadia

By Kevin Miller

The state Senate on Thursday gave its initial approval to a bill that would allow the holders of concealed weapons permits to carry loaded guns within Acadia National Park.

ME: Medical pot deal reached

By Ethan Wilensky-Lanford

A legislative committee on Thursday reached unanimous, bipartisan accord on implementing Maine's citizen initiative that expanded the rights of medical marijuana users.

ME: Money there for some schools

By Matthew Stone

Maine school districts will have access to $41.4 million in school construction bonds this year, but they have to move fast to get the money.

ME: Sick time bill shift

By Susan Cover

A bill that would have required large Maine businesses to provide paid sick days was scrapped Thursday.

ME: GOP challenger pushes Michaud for debate on health care plan

By Nick Sambides Jr.

Jason Levesque, the presumptive Republican nominee to run for the 2nd Congressional District seat, on Thursday challenged Democratic U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud to hold a town hall-style meeting with voters on President Barack Obama's health care initiative.

ME: Several towns eye hold on tower construction

By Rich Hewitt

BLUE HILL, Maine — With interest in wind power and communications increasing in Maine, several Hancock County towns are considering slowing things down to make sure they can effectively regulate construction of the associated towers.

ME: Gaming pact lacks committee support

By Kevin Miller

A last-minute compromise negotiated by the Passamaquoddy Tribe, Hollywood Slots and the backers of an Oxford County casino failed to earn the endorsement of a legislative committee on Thursday.

MI: Michigan tax shift pits cities vs. Big 3

By Matthew Dolan

DETROIT—A tax change in Michigan has sparked a conflict between the Big Three auto makers and the cities and towns that are homes to their plants, normally a big source of support for the car companies.

MI: State panels to probe embezzler's $9M tax break

By Mark Hornbeck

House and Senate committees will open hearings next week to investigate how the Michigan Economic Development Corp. awarded a $9.1 million tax break to a Flint company led by a convicted embezzler.

MN: Bill seeking to ban gang databases is opposed by cops

By Chao Xiong

A bill by state Sen. Mee Moua that bans computerized databases tracking people in or affiliated with gangs is drawing criticism from law enforcement officials, who say it endangers officers and the public.

MN: DFLers look to D.C. for lifeline

By Baird Helgeson

Legislators are inching closer to plugging a $1 billion budget hole as optimism has spread through the Capitol that a big infusion of federal cash could spare the state from the most painful cuts -- at least for now.

MN: Supporters see health care bill aiding many Minnesotans

By Warren Wolfe and Kevin Diaz

More than 120,000 uninsured Minnesotans would gain health coverage under the bill headed for a climactic vote in the U.S. House this weekend, according to congressional Democrats, while another 1 million Minnesota consumers would get tax credits and other subsidies to help defray the cost of health insurance.

MN: Emmer, Seifert face off in GOP governor's race

By Rachel E. Stassen-Berger

Tom Emmer and Marty Seifert, Republican candidates for Minnesota governor, hold much in common -- they're conservative, they're state lawmakers and they both favor blue ties. But in Plymouth Thursday night, they put their differences very much on display.

MN: At the state Capitol, veterans license plate flap ... flops

By Dennis Lien

State Sen. Steve Murphy got to eat crow Thursday — not once, but twice.

MN: Vikings focused on Metrodome as site of new stadium

By Staff and Wire Reports

If the Vikings manage to insinuate themselves into this legislative session, it likely will be with a bill to build a new stadium on the current site of the Metrodome, the team said Thursday.

MO: Trim waste, Missourians plead online

By Terry Ganey

Read the ideas from all over the state about how to deal with Missouri's budget crisis and you come away with the feeling there's a lot of common sense out there.

MO: Missouri may trim holidays for state employees

By Virginia Young

Missouri has long been criticized for giving state employees the day off on some unusual holidays that few workers in the private sector enjoy, such as the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Harry Truman.

MS: Legislative highlights

By Staff Reports

Criminals convicted of a felony may have to reimburse the investigating agency under a new law.

MT: What happens to Otter Creek coal revenue, regarding schools and other programs

By Mike Dennison

While Thursday's lease of state coal in the Otter Creek Valley creates an $86 million windfall for the state next month, the ultimate decision on how to spend it is a year off — at the 2011 Legislature.

MT: Montana secretary of state says ballot issue signature gathering brings complaints

By Matt Gouras, The Associated Press

Secretary of State Linda McCulloch said Thursday that the start of the ballot initiative process has brought complaints over the way signatures are being gathered.

NC: Bill on personnel records planned

By Dan Kane

Personnel information on salaries, disciplinary actions and hiring decisions for public employees could be more available to taxpayers under legislation a Republican leader says he will seek to introduce in the coming session.

NC: DOT -- Bridge wasn't feasible

By Bruce Siceloff

Asked to referee a fight between a powerful coastal senator and an environmental group, the state Department of Transportation has sided with the senator. Mostly.

NC: A state payday for Dex One

By Mary Cornatzer

The state giveth and the state taketh away. That was the message of a Thursday meeting from the committee that oversees the state's incentives programs.

NC: Legislators' grades weighted - heavily

By Staff Reports

The N.C. Association of Educators, an organization of mostly teachers, released its grades for legislators Thursday.

NC: Poole faces more counts

By Benjamin Niolet

A federal grand jury added tax evasion and other charges Thursday to the corruption case against Ruffin Poole, a key aide to former Gov. Mike Easley. The new charges add dozens of years in prison and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines to the potential penalties hanging over Poole's head.

ND: Seven attorneys apply for Fargo judgeship

By The Associated Press

North Dakota's labor commissioner and a county prosecutor are among seven attorneys who have applied for a state district judgeship in Fargo.

ND: Flooding might affect North Dakota Republican convention

By Ryan Johnson

The North Dakota Republican Party's state convention kicks off today at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, but spring flooding could skew which delegates make it to the convention and even have an impact on who gets nominated.

NE: Complaint against AG Bruning won't be investigated

By Catharine Huddle

The Counsel for Discipline of the Nebraska Supreme Court has declined to pursue a complaint that Attorney General Jon Bruning violated rules of professional conduct. That doesn't mean Counsel for Discipline Dennis Carlson approved of or defended what Bruning said during a January radio interview.

NE: Around the Rotunda -- Legislative staff will take day off without pay

By Nancy Hicks and JoAnne Young

The staff of the Nebraska Legislature, about 250 workers, will take a furlough day on Good Friday, April 2, and save the state budget $51,000.

NE: State joins in EPA challenge

By Martha Stoddard

Nebraska joined 11 other states Thursday in seeking to participate in a legal challenge to the federal Environmental Protection Agency's recent findings about greenhouse gases.

NE: Ashford sees abortion epidemic

By Paul Hammel

Six low-income women have told a south Omaha health clinic that they will opt for abortions because they cannot afford prenatal services, which are no longer government-funded. The report from the OneWorld Community Health Centers, coupled with the earlier confirmation of an abortion by a Schuyler, Neb., woman, prompted at least three state senators to say Thursday that the issue has reached a "crisis" level.

NH: Litchfield hears sales pitch for Hudson casino

By Chelsey Pollock

LITCHFIELD, N.H. – If a proposed casino complex in Hudson is approved, neighboring towns could gain jobs, business and direct revenue sharing.

NH: Rally gives dummy a rail ride

By Mark Hayward

Conservative and Tea Party activists symbolically rode a congressman out of downtown on a rail yesterday, joined by a conservative stalwart of the 1980s -- Gordon Humphrey.

NH: Court workers okay furloughs

By Annmarie Timmins

The 363 judicial branch employees in the State Employees' Association will join judges and other court staff in taking unpaid furloughs to meet a $3.1 million budget shortfall. The measure passed yesterday 149-4, with 80 percent of the eligible members voting.

NH: Panel okays gambling, denies cuts

By Shira Schoenberg

Faced with difficult budgetary decisions, the Senate Finance Committee yesterday signaled a desire to find new revenue sources rather than make drastic cuts to social services.

NJ: Warren Wilentz, attorney and political leader, dies at 85

By Sue Epstein

MIDDLESEX COUNTY, N.J. -- One of the titans in the political and legal communities in New Jersey has died.

NJ: Unions decry advancement of bills on public pensions

By Angela Delli Santi, The Associated Press

An Assembly panel yesterday approved legislation that would make public-worker pension and health benefits less generous, a move designed to put the state retirement system on sounder financial footing for tens of thousands of future retirees.

NJ: State aid to municipalities may be cut by $445 million

By William Lamb and Barbara Williams

Governor Christie's proposed $29.3 billion budget would trim $445 million in state aid to New Jersey's recession-weary municipalities, forcing town officials to contemplate layoffs and service cuts to make up for the lost income.

NJ: Same-sex marriage issue heading back to N.J. Supreme Court

By Peggy Ackermann

Calling the state's civil unions law a failed experiment, six same-sex couples yesterday asked the state Supreme Court to grant them the right to marry.

NJ: New energy budget will give smaller rebates for solar panels on roofs

By Scott Fallon

Residents and small business owners looking to put solar panels on their roofs will receive smaller rebates under a new state Clean Energy Program budget made public Thursday.

NJ: NJ property tax bills rise as rebates face the ax

By John Reitmeyer

Property tax bills in New Jersey have gone up 56 percent since 2001. But the rebate checks that once offset those bills by as much 20 percent may vanish this year.

NJ: Christie vetoes 5 service contracts approved by Turnpike Authority

By Tom Davis

Governor Christie on Thursday vetoed five professional services contracts that were approved by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority a month ago.

NJ: State school board group ask Christie to suspend school budget elections

By Matt Friendman

The New Jersey School Boards Association yesterday called on lawmakers and Gov. Chris Christie to suspend this year's school budget elections so districts can grapple with unprecedented cuts in aid announced this week.

NJ: Assembly panel approves bills that will change public pensions, health care benefits

By Lisa Fleisher

To hoots and hisses from public employee union leaders who packed a committee room, an Assembly panel approved five bills yesterday that would make broad changes to public workers pension and health care benefits. Three of the five bills have already passed the Senate.

NM: BasketBill

By Steve Terrell

Gov. Bill Richardson continued what might be called his "basketball tour" Thursday.

NM: Joe Campos Now on Lt. Gov. Ballot

By Steve Terrell

State Rep. Joe Campos, D-Santa Rosa, who everyone thought had fallen just a bit short of the magic 20 percent mark need to get on the ballot for lieutenant governor, will be on the ballot after all.

NM: State urged to monitor stray voltage

By Tom Sharpe

A New Jersey company on Thursday urged the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission to require monitoring of stray electricity like that which was shocking dogs in downtown Santa Fe late last year.

NM: Three senators who voted for food tax now oppose it, Think NM says

By Gwyneth Doland

Think New Mexico, a non-profit think tank, counts three Democratic state senators who voted for a budget package that included a food tax, but now say they're urging Gov. Bill Richardson to veto the measure.

NV: Marketplace -- Tax status hurts attracting out-of-state business, Gibbons warns

By Valerie Miller

The uncertainty of Nevada's future tax environment is hurting the state's ability to attract new companies, and fears of possible tax hikes are driving companies looking to move to pick other Western states, Gov. Jim Gibbons said Thursday.

NV: Gibbons offers trip on campaign bus for $250 donation

By The Associated Press

Gov. Jim Gibbons is offering trips on his campaign bus to a Southern Nevada tea party rally in exchange for campaign contributions.

NV: Special legislative session advocated for water rights

By Cy Ryan

The Nevada Legislature should be called into special session soon to clarify confusion created by the Nevada Supreme Court on thousands of water rights, say advocates for homebuilders, organized labor and the Southern Nevada Water Authority.

NV: Gibbons -- Shortfall will give government a new look

By Kyle Hansen

Gov. Jim Gibbons told the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce on Thursday that state government will have a new look because of a projected $3.5 billion shortfall next year.

NV: Governor, Legislature seek to keep $62 million for state budget

By Cy Ryan

Gov. Jim Gibbons and the Nevada Legislature have joined to ask the state Supreme Court to force the Clean Water Coalition in Las Vegas to turn over $62 million to help the financially troubled state government.

NV: Gibbons' education task force to meet behind closed doors

By David McGrath Schwartz and Cy Ryan

Gov. Jim Gibbons declared this week that Nevada's future education policy will emerge from a blue ribbon task force he created by executive order.

NY: NY's health coverage plunges

By Carl Campanile

The number of New York state residents receiving health insurance through private-sector employers has plummeted by 500,000, a new study has found.

NY: Party-switcher roils New York race

By Michael Howard Saul

The entrance of Steve Levy, a Democrat turning Republican, into the New York governor's race threw the contest for the Republican nomination into flux, with some calling the Suffolk County executive the GOP's best hope for victory and others fearing he will splinter the party.

NY: Will Republicans split?

By Jimmy Vielkind

Republican State Chairman Ed Cox will stand beside Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy today as the Democrat renounces his party and publicly kicks off his campaign for the GOP gubernatorial nomination.

NY: Paterson claims he was article's source

By Danny Hakim and Nicholas Confessore

In a radio town hall appearance this morning in New York City, Gov. David A. Paterson claimed that he was the one who first told the news media that he had talked to a woman involved in a domestic violence complaint against one of his top aides.

NY: Cuomo probes pension 'spiking'

By Gina Chon

New York became the latest state to shine a light on the practice of pension "spiking"—big increases in a government worker's salary just before retirement to boost the lifelong pension payout.

NY: Lazio goes after new challenger in governor's race

By Jeremy W. Peters and David M. Halbfinger

The campaign for the Republican nomination for governor was blown wide open on Thursday as the party's presumptive frontrunner, Rick A. Lazio, lost key support after a last-minute entry into the race by a conservative Long Island Democrat.

NY: A flurry of calls after a Paterson aide's domestic dispute

By Danny Hakim and William K. Rashbaum

The dispute had ended, and his companion had called 911, saying she had been a victim of domestic violence. Sometime before 10 p.m. on Oct. 31, David W. Johnson left the Bronx apartment he shared with the woman and began making a series of phone calls.

NY: Bid to thwart Medicaid fraud

By Carl Campanile

State Senate Republicans yesterday proposed restoring extensive background checks to deter fraud in New York's $52 billion Medicaid program.

NY: Refund-amentally flawed fiscal state

By Fredric U. Dicker and Carl Campanile

Amid new warnings that the state's finances are worsening, Gov. Paterson has decided to delay income-tax refunds for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers for at least two more weeks, officials said yesterday.

NY: State audit finds area ethic codes OK

By Jill Terreri

The city of Rochester, Monroe County and the town of Greece do not have provisions in their codes of ethics relating to relatives who work together, but do not appear to have significant weaknesses in their ethics practices. The findings were included in the release of 31 audits of municipalities and their practices around ethics, conducted by the Office of the State Comptroller.

NY: Protecting public safety while helping parolees

By Brendan J. Lyons

State parole officials defended their agency's practices during a Senate hearing that focused on whether parolees who repeatedly violate rules such as drug use are left on the streets.

NY: Senate backs school tax cap but fate uncertain

By Rick Karlin

The idea of a school tax cap refuses to die in the Senate, despite earlier failed efforts, and an apparent cold shoulder from the Assembly.

NY: Tell-all offensive offering defense

By The Associated Press

Gov. David Paterson said Thursday that he was the first to reveal a conversation he had with a woman at the center of a domestic violence scandal, the second consecutive day the once-silent governor defended his actions.

NY: Sweet exit kiss?

By Rick Karlin

Saratoga County has come under Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's pension microscope, with the state's top lawyer including it on a list of 28 government entities that appear to have unusually high pension costs.

OH: Broadview Heights mayor found in violation by Ohio Elections Commission

By Jennifer Karpus, Sun News

BROADVIEW HEIGHTS, Ohio -- The Ohio Elections Commission has ruled that Broadview Heights Mayor Sam Alai violated elections regulations in 2009 campaign literature, but chose not to take the matter any further.

OH: Kasich wants changes but will save details for fall

By Laura A. Bischoff

DAYTON, Ohio -- Republican John Kasich can talk at length about what he thinks Ohio needs to do to get out of the economic ditch — phase out the state income tax, reform regulations, cut government spending — but the gubernatorial candidate is reticent about the details.

OH: Dems seek applicants to hold Ujvagi House seat for 9 months

By Jim Provance

Ohio House Democrats have begun looking for a placeholder to complete the nine months left in Peter Ujvagi's term in the wake of prior heir-apparent Teresa Fedor's decision to stay in the Senate.

OH: Elections panel throws out 'liar' complaint

By Mark Niquette

An Ohio Elections Commission panel voted unanimously this morning to dismiss a complaint from a congressional candidate that either Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner or U.S. Rep. Zack Space lied.

OH: Ohioans can vote on new statue for Capitol

By Alan Johnson

Ohioans can begin voting Saturday on who they want to represent them in the U.S. Capitol's Statuary Hall.

OK: Oklahoma medical examiners struggle, official says

By Nolan Clay

The state medical examiner's office has a backlog of more than 1,100 uncompleted cases, its chief administrative officer revealed Thursday. The backlog will continue to increase until more doctors are hired, Tom Jordan told the Board of Medicolegal Investigations, which oversees office operations.

OK: 11 lawmakers back bid for review of ruling on HB 1804

By Robert Boczkiewicz

DENVER — Opponents of illegal immigration have joined the state of Oklahoma in asking an appeals court to reverse its decision barring enforcement of employment provisions in the state's immigration-control law.

OK: Oklahoma Capitol briefs

By Michael McNutt

Oklahoma is one of a dozen states seeking permission to challenge an Environmental Protection Agency finding that could potentially cripple economic development in the state, Attorney General Drew Edmondson said Thursday.

OK: Oklahoma lawmaker to seek law change

By Michael McNutt

The flap over releasing security camera footage to determine who moved the president's portrait in the House of Representatives is an illustration why legislators should fall under the same laws as everyone else, a lawmaker said Thursday.

OK: Oklahoma gubernatorial candidate lands safely after plane engine stalls

By Barbara Hoberock, Tulsa World

Sen. Randy Brogdon got a pretty good scare Thursday.

OK: Speaker Benge turns down request for security camera footage

By Michael McNutt

The portrait of President Barack Obama in the House of Representatives has been moved several times this year, not just once as a GOP House member admitted to doing earlier this week, House Democratic leaders said Thursday.

PA: Candidates learn ballot positions

By Staff Reports

They held a lottery Wednesday in Harrisburg, and the winner - one of them, anyway - was Steve Johnson.

PA: Big labor still undecided in Pa. governor's race

By Tom Infield

When Democrat Dan Onorato received a thumbs-up last week from the Pennsylvania State Education Association, it marked the third time in recent weeks that he had gained a statewide union endorsement.

PA: Pa. Turnpike inspector says he's saved $1 million

By Paul Nussbaum

The Pennsylvania Turnpike's new inspector general, hired to root out corruption and waste at an agency long regarded as a patronage haven, has forced the termination of 32 turnpike workers during the last year.

PA: Health insurance program for Pennsylvania children lauded

By Chris Ramirez

Ten years ago, affordable health care for Mary Jo Sprague's two children seemed out of reach.

PA: PUC sets hearing on Marcellus shale pipes

By Don Hopey

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission is holding a special hearing as part of efforts to clarify and possibly expand its role in regulating burgeoning Marcellus shale gas well and gas pipeline development.

PA: Bonusgate jury ends 5th day of deliberation with no verdict

By Tracie Mauriello

Jurors ended a fifth day of deliberation this afternoon without reaching a verdict in the government corruption trial of former state Rep. Mike Veon and three associates.

PA: Court rejects ex-lawmaker's plea to overturn conviction

By James O'Toole

A federal court has rejected a former legislator's plea to overturn his 35-year-old conviction for extortion and perjury.

RI: Fox talks about pensions, gambling, taxes

By Katherine Gregg and Randal Edgar

Thirty eight years later, the new speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives is a bit more reserved in his choice of words — but not much — when he talks about gambling, taxes, public employee pensions and the difficulty every incumbent will have in a year when he acknowledges: "People are angry. They are hurting. They are scared, and they want to lash out."

RI: Carcieri against move to decriminalize marijuana

By Katherine Gregg

Governor Carcieri opposes the move to decriminalize marijuana, according to spokeswoman Amy Kempe. Stopping short of saying he would veto any such proposal, Kempe said: "The governor opposes any legislation that weakens the drug laws, and has vetoed every piece of legislation that weakens those laws that has been sent to him."

RI: Insurers see planned rate hikes slashed

By Felice J. Freyer

The state health insurance commissioner has slashed proposed premiums, keeping rate increases in the single digits –– in some cases just barely –– for people covered through their employers.

RI: NAACP's Monteiro notes Thompson's elevation as a historic step

By Katie Mulvaney

The Providence branch of the NAACP praised Superior Court Judge O. Rogeriee Thompson's elevation to the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals as a historic step in black history and for women. Thompson, 58, of Cranston, became the first black person and the second woman to serve on the Boston-based federal appeals court with her confirmation by the Senate Wednesday.

RI: Some R.I. flood victims eligible for faster jobless benefits

By Neil Downing

Workers laid off due to the recent flooding in Rhode Island may obtain unemployment benefits a week earlier than usual if their employers apply for a special waiver, the state Department of Labor and Training said Thursday.

RI: Number of jobless in R.I. declines

By Cynthia Needham

For the second month in a row, Rhode Island added jobs in February while its jobless rate held steady at 12.7 percent, fueling hopes that the state's economy may at last be leveling off, according to new figures to be released Friday.

SC: Sanford to pay $140,000, admits no wrongdoing

By John O'Connor

Gov. Mark Sanford has settled charges that he broke state ethics laws, admitting no guilt but agreeing to pay $74,000 in fines. The governor also agreed to pay $66,223 to reimburse the cost of the state investigation into his travel and to pay for his use of state aircraft, pricey airline tickets and misspent campaign money.

SC: House approves budget

By Yvonne Wenger

Smokers would pay 30 cents more for a pack of cigarettes and thousands of state workers could lose their jobs under a $5 billion budget that the state House approved early Thursday after a marathon session.

SC: Gov. Sanford accepts fine in ethics case

By Robbie Brown

Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina agreed Thursday to pay $74,000 to settle charges that his personal travel and campaign spending violated state ethics laws, but he continued to deny wrongdoing.

SC: Senate sets new spending limits

By Roddie Burris

Senate Finance Committee members settled on a new spending limitation plan for state revenue Thursday, after state economists told lawmakers their previous plan would not work.

SC: Judge finalizes SC Gov. Mark Sanford's divorce

By Bruce Smith

After the governor's mysterious disappearance, his tearful, public admission of an affair, and a revealing memoir by his wife, the 20-year marriage of South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford and his wife Jenny is over.

TN: Tennessee's unemployment rate won't get much relief from jobs bill

By Bonna Johnson

A jobs package signed into law on Thursday is not expected to create enough jobs to improve Tennessee's persistently high unemployment rate.

TN: TennCare postpones some cuts for a year

By Lucas L. Johnson, The Associated Press

TennCare officials said Thursday they will be able to use a federal refund of $121 million to postpone some cuts to the state's expanded Medicaid program for a year.

TN: Health bill gives TN hospitals $99M

By Alan Fram and David Espo, The Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- Bye bye, Cornhusker Kickback. Hello, special treatment for Tennessee and North Dakota. Democrats unveiling revisions Thursday to their health-care overhaul bill decided to kill the extra $100 million in Medicaid funds for Nebraska that has become a symbol of backdoor deal making. But the 153 pages of changes to the package include an additional $99 million in 2012 and 2013 for Tennessee hospitals that treat many poor people.

TN: English-only push resurfaces

By Nate Rau

Nashville voters rejected an English-only proposal last year, but the divisive issue is creeping back as lawmakers try to push similar proposals statewide.

TN: Gubernatorial Election 2010 fact check -- Jobs claim overstated

By Chas Sisk, The Tennessean

The claim: Knoxville Mayor and GOP gubernatorial hopeful Bill Haslam says he "helped create over 11,000 new jobs" as an executive with Pilot Travel Centers LLC.

TN: Environmentalists critical of number of meetings regulatory office has had with opponents to new coal ash rules

By Michael Collins

WASHINGTON - The White House regulatory office that is reviewing proposed standards for the storage of toxic ash from coal-fired power plants has met behind closed doors more than two dozen times with industry groups and other parties who oppose the new rules.

TX: The runoffs -- SBOE District 10

By Abby Rapoport

State Board of Education candidate Brian Russell has got the social conservative circuit covered.

TX: Mayor's aide -- State sees risk in Metro rail debt plan

By Mike Snyder

Metro's plans for repaying $2.6 billion in bonds to finance five light rail lines could be threatened by the Texas attorney general's objections to one revenue source, a leader of Mayor Annise Parker's transition team said.

TX: Special election set May 8 to fill Terri Hodge's seat

By Gromer Jeffers Jr.

Rep. Terri Hodge, who has pleaded guilty federal tax-evasion charges, has resigned her state House seat, and Gov. Rick Perry has set a special election to choose her replacement for May 8.

TX: 5 former justices endorse Lehrmann for Texas Supreme Court

By Terrence Stutz

In a hotly contested judicial race where endorsements are important, Republican Debra Lehrmann won the backing of Tom Phillips and four other former justices Thursday in her bid for a spot on the Texas Supreme Court.

TX: White, Perry camps spar over border security

By Christy Hoppe

Democrat Bill White pressed for help with federal border security in a call to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, and he said Thursday that Republican Rick Perry, the governor he is challenging, also should have picked up the phone.

TX: Mayor Cook warns Americans should avoid Juarez

By Diana Washington Valdez, El Paso Times

EL PASO, Texas -- Mayor John Cook, in a striking turnabout, is telling Americans not to venture into Juarez because of the violence.

TX: Perry plans to call voters about national healthcare bill

By Tim Eaton

Interest groups on both sides of the debate are directing people to let their congressmen and congresswomen know how they feel about the health care bill. And now, the campaign of Gov. Rick Perry is getting in on the action.

TX: Legislative candidate Schulte comes out, officially

By John Wright, Dallas Voice

Texas officially has an openly gay candidate for state Legislature in 2010. Pete Schulte, a Democrat who's running for the District 108 House seat, confirmed this week for the first time publicly that he's gay.

TX: UT, A&M joining others in transition to federal direct loan program

By Melissa B. Taboada

As federal lawmakers prepare to possibly eliminate the primary program through which students currently obtain loans to pay for college, Texas universities are joining thousands across the country abandoning the bank-based system.

TX: A border runs through it

By Julian Aguilar

Steeped in the annals of the America's symbiotic relationship with Mexico is the two countries' long-standing and sometimes tense agreement over an issue more far-reaching than border security and immigration: water.

TX: The secret pardon

By Brandi Grissom

Every couple of minutes, attorney Rob Owen glances nervously at the calendar in his office. Barring the intervention of the U.S. Supreme Court, a reprieve from the secretive Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles is the last hope for his client, Hank Skinner, to avoid the poison-filled syringe that awaits him on Wednesday.

US: GOP plots strategies to nullify health bill

By Naftali Bendavid

WASHINGTON—Republicans are looking beyond Sunday's expected vote on the Democrats' health-care overhaul to focus on strategies for striking back should it pass, ranging from challenges to the measure by individual states to a national repeal campaign.

UT: Utah counting on you to send in census form

By Brandon Loomis

Utah could have been $900 million richer during the past decade if everyone in the state had returned the U.S. census forms in 2000, according to members of Salt Lake City's Complete Count Committee.

UT: $1,050 for a voter list?

By Cathy McKitrick

State Records Committee members sympathized with Steve Maxfield Jr. After all, charging more than $1,000 for a public record that takes the state all of 20 minutes to compile seems a bit steep.

UT: WVC wants UTA to delay rail designs for 5600 West

By MarÃa VillaseÃ±or

West Valley City officials are concerned that, with no guarantee that light rail will travel along the 5600 West corridor in the near future, the Utah Transit Authority wants to acquire too much right of way in that area for mass transit.

UT: Joblessness in Utah at 26-year high

By Mike Gorrell

Utah's unemployment rate jumped to 7.1 percent last month, its highest level since February 1984.

UT: Former Utah Senate Majority Leader Sheldon Killpack DUI hearing rescheduled

By Linda Thomson

A Thursday pretrial conference hearing for former Utah Senate Majority Leader Sheldon Killpack, who is facing a DUI charge, has been rescheduled for April 12.

VA: Cuccinelli renews threat to challenge health-care reform

By Jim Nolan

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli took to the national airwaves yesterday to discuss his letter to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and threatened legal action if the House employs the "deem and pass" method of voting on President Barack Obama's health-care overhaul.

VA: Double-dip recession unlikely, economist tells Richmond group

By David Ress

The numbers this summer likely will show economic growth is slowing. The pundits likely will start muttering about a double-dip recession.

VA: Convicted killer, rapist executed in Va.

By The Associated Press

JARRATT, Va. -- A man who killed a teen girl and then bragged about it to prosecutors once he thought he could not face the death penalty was executed Thursday.

VA: State schools will lose $700 million in 2 years

By Lauren Roth

Budget cuts this year could have negative implications for Virginia schools for years to come, members of the State Board of Education said Thursday.

VT: Billions for student aid will help VSAC

By Staff Reports

WASHINGTON -- A $36 billion boost in student aid could preserve a role for Vermont Student Assistance Corp. in the student-loan process. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., announced Thursday that an agreement on student aid legislation would provide billions in new spending on Pell grants -- rescuing VSAC jobs in the process.

VT: Vermont lawmakers hear about single-payer health care

By Terri Hallenbeck

An economist who helped Taiwan and other nations create their health care systems told Vermont lawmakers Thursday that a single-payer plan can lower costs, but is not necessarily a foolproof remedy.

VT: PIRG challenges Vermont Yankee application

By Terri Hallenbeck

The Vermont Public Interest Research Group filed a request with the state Public Service Board on Thursday asking the panel to throw out Vermont Yankee's application for continued operation because of misinformation the nuclear plant's owners provided.

VT: Leopold -- Moody's was aware of $17M Burlington Telecom debt

By John Briggs

Chief Administrative Officer Jonathan Leopold said Thursday that Moody's Investor Service learned last summer of the $17 million the city spent from the city's cash pool on Burlington Telecom between late 2007 and June 2009.

WA: More lawmakers turning down per diem pay

By Brad Shannon and Jordan Schrader

The cost of the special legislative session in Olympia has shrunk to less than $14,000 a day, thanks to a growing line of state legislators who are refusing to accept their $90-per-day expense allowances.

WI: Wis. group stops using Citizens United name

By Ryan J. Foley

A Wisconsin group protesting a landmark U.S. Supreme Court campaign finance ruling will stop using the name "Citizens United" in a petition protesting the decision after being asked by that group not to.

WV: Game farm bill flaw prompts Manchin veto

By The Associated Press

Another technical error has prompted Gov. Joe Manchin to veto a recently passed bill, this one addressing private game farms. The legislation proposed a new misdemeanor when someone kills or injures a game farm animal without the owner's permission.

WV: Some state officials block access to NCAA tourney

By Ry Rivard

Some 20,000 state employees will be unable to watch the NCAA basketball tournament on their work computers.

WV: Finished budget includes money for Medicaid waiver programs

By Phil Kabler

House and Senate conferees completed work on the 2010-11 state budget bill Thursday afternoon. House Finance Chairman Harry Keith White, D-Mingo, said the budget includes an additional $15 million for Medicaid waiver programs to provide in-home care to senior citizens and for persons with developmental disabilities.

WV: Raleigh couple can't get off Wood County ballot

By The Associated Press

Stan and Janet Norman are running for office whether they like it or not. The Beckley couple are in the middle of a mix-up that has them on the ballot for seats on the state Republican Executive Committee in Wood County, about 135 miles from their home. They want to be on the Raleigh County ballot, but state and local elections officials say the ballots have been certified and have to remain as they are.

WV: Ad blitz seeks to push Mollohan to vote for health-care bill

By Paul J. Nyden

Several groups are running television advertisements this week urging U.S. Rep. Alan Mollohan to vote in favor of the comprehensive health-care legislation before Congress.

WY: Wyo House Speaker Simpson enters Governor's race

By Mary Angell

Framed by the open doors of the Wyoming House chamber, Rep. Colin Simpson, R-Park County, stood beside his wife and sons this morning and told supporters who crowded the House lobby what they already knew: he will run for governor of Wyoming.

WY: Wyoming Coalition for Open Government looks for sunshine

By Mary Angell

If you want to know the annual salaries of state elected officials or find out what happened at the last meeting of your city council, you have the right to that information.

WY: Wyoming state senator mulls political future

By Jeremy Pelzer

Whatever state Sen. Mike Massie's political future is, it won't include a fifth term in the Wyoming Senate.

The empire strikes out

By Stephen C. Fehr, Stateline.org Staff Writer — 03/19/2010

New York Governor David Paterson replaced a governor caught up in a scandal. Now Paterson is accused of wrongdoing himself and has declined to run for election. Facing a myriad of challenges, including a $9 billion budget shortfall, Paterson is finding it difficult to be effective in his final months in office.

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