State & Federal Legislation and Unfunded Mandates

May 1, 2007

Greenhouse-gas limits gain steam in states
The White House and Congress are miles apart over proposals to stop
global warming, but the debate is over in many states that are moving
aggressively to curb greenhouse gases blamed for climate change
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=203932

Cable TV bill heads to Governor
The House cleared for the Governor of Florida’s signature a long-
disputed bill that would open the cable TV market to fiber-optic
telecommunications companies
http://www.sptimes.com/2007/05/01/State/As_cable_TV_bill_head.shtml

Missouri Passes State Video Franchise Law, Obtains Video and DSL
Agreement
http://www.govtech.net/news/news.php?id=105259

Cable TV and Phone Calls Are Taxed at Twice the Rate of Other Goods,
Study Finds
http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=21100

Potent methane is an overlooked greenhouse gas
The farm animals produce lots of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that
gets far less public attention than carbon dioxide yet is at the heart of
efforts to fight climate change
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/climate/2007-04-30-methane_N.htm

Generating energy from wind, currents and waves
The government wants to know what people think about generating
energy from wind, currents and waves off the South Carolina coast. The
idea is to harvest energy from wind and water turbines and send the
power back to shore through cables
http://tinyurl.com/2xnfgk

Sevenfold increase in biofuels production
There is an ethanol juggernaut moving through Congress that will call for
a sevenfold increase in biofuels production - almost all of it ethanol - over
the next 15 years
http://tinyurl.com/2ebtvl

Europe's move to biofuels threatens rainforest
Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions may create other problems
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18332282/

Rice as climate change culprit?
Methane emissions from flooded rice paddies contribute to global
warming just as coal-fired power plants, automobile exhausts and other
sources do with the carbon dioxide they spew into the atmosphere
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/environment/2007-05-01-thailand-
rice_N.htm

April 23, 2007

Maryland joins pollution pact
Ten states to seek ways to address climate change
http://tinyurl.com/26df62

Government Straining to Secure Computer Systems
Hackers Increasingly Gaining Access to Networks, Congress Is Told
http://tinyurl.com/37kkwq

State lawmakers ramp up immigration efforts
State lawmakers are stepping up their efforts to deal with illegal
immigration, already submitting double the number of bills proposed in
all of last year and enacting 57 new statutes in 18 states, according to a
new report
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=200717

Katrina Tax Break Spurs $11 Billion in Donations
A tax break that was part of a relief package to aid victims of Hurricane
Katrina spurred $11 billion in donations to charity, the Treasury
Department has estimated, more than triple what had been originally
projected
http://tinyurl.com/3394fa

How Strong Are State Budgets?
A new report from the National Conference of State Legislatures finds
some improvement in state budget conditions for the current fiscal year
(FY 2007), which in most states ends June 30, 2007, and for the
upcoming fiscal year
http://www.cbpp.org/4-20-07sfp.htm

Ohio tries to fend off foreclosures on home loans
Ohio, which leads the nation in highest foreclosure rates on home loans,
is in the forefront of states’ efforts to help homeowners whose once-
affordable mortgage payments are now busting family bank accounts
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=201186

What will lawmakers think of next?
Every restaurant in Florida would be required by law to make sure every
rest-room stall is supplied with toilet paper at all times if a bill okayed by a
state Senate committee winds up on the statute books
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=200716

Wired for failure
In every state where it's been tried, electric deregulation has brought
higher prices for consumers
http://www.pjstar.com/stories/042207/BUS_BCVMP7N4.027.php

Venture capital investments in alternative energy
Getting gold out of green; Venture capital investments in alternative
energy, biofuels and clean technologies jumped from $491M in 2005 to
$884M last year
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2007-04-18-getting-gold-green_N.
htm

April 11, 2007

Stopping Global Warming in the Midwest
When it comes to solving our global warming problems, the Midwest is
the most pivotal region in the most important country in the world
http://tinyurl.com/yumdnr

California 'Green' project makes critics see red
85-mile-long "Green Path" energy corridor designed to bring solar,
geothermal and nuclear power from southeastern California and Arizona
http://tinyurl.com/28pzzd

Nuclear power enters global warming debate
Legislation to cut greenhouse gas emissions creates new alliances and
opens old wounds on Capitol Hill
http://tinyurl.com/ypemca

Maryland will be the first state to provide 'living wage'
Bill sets up pay grades for urban, rural areas
http://tinyurl.com/29krbf

New Jersey's smoking ban blamed
Some firms and organizations say they make far less a year after the law
took effect. But lawmakers say benefits are worth the cost
http://tinyurl.com/yubwcu

Vermont battles car industry
Arguments start in first court test of whether states can set emissions
standards
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?
AID=/20070410/AUTO01/704100328

April 4, 2007

The Consumer Benefits of Video Franchise Reform in Illinois
Illinois has the opportunity to join a growing number of states that have
streamlined the process of competitive entry into cable TV markets by
giving the state the authority to grant a video franchise to a new entrant
seeking to launch service anywhere in the state
http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=20871

Toll roads hit speed bumps
As states increasingly look to toll roads and public-private partnerships
for quick road-funding fixes, the public, consumer advocates and motorist
and trucking associations are putting up barriers to pay-as-you-drive
proposals
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=195164

N.J. Pension Fund Endangered by Diverted Billions
In 2005, New Jersey put either $551M, $56M or nothing into its pension
fund for teachers. All three figures appeared in various state documents
— though the state now says that the actual amount was zero
http://tinyurl.com/26aoaw

Bush Splits With Congress and States on Emissions
At least 300 bills have been filed in 40 states that address heat-trapping
gases and climate change in some form
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/04/washington/04climate.html

The Ethanol Mandate Should Not Be Expanded
The new ethanol mandate is perhaps the most disappointing program in
the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Since taking effect in 2006, this measure
has increased energy and food prices while doing little to reduce oil
imports or improve the environment
http://www.heritage.org/Research/EnergyandEnvironment/bg2020.cfm

Report Examines Ethanol's Potential for Rural Economy
http://tinyurl.com/3cdlu5

New Data Compares Children's Health Coverage in States
http://covertheuninsured.org/media/research/WhoseKidsAreCovered.pdf

March 27, 2007

Is the sale of transportation assets a good idea?
http://americancityandcounty.com/webonly/transportation-assets-sale/

For Texans, the choice is a stark one: It's toll roads or no roads
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/4658942.html

Ohio Governor Proposes Selling Off Tobacco Settlement
Ohio expects to get $18 billion from the nationwide tobacco settlement
over the next 40 years, but the Governor is proposing to sell off the future
payments for a $5-billion lump sum now
http://www.crescent-news.com/news/article/1740811

Pet projects tough to trim from Iraq spending bill
Senate conservatives and the Bush administration are taking aim at
billions of dollars of non-war spending added to President Bush's $100
billion funding request for Afghanistan and Iraq
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/03/27/pet.projects.ap/index.html

The Impact of State Income Taxes on Low-Income Families
In 19 of the 42 states that levy an income tax, the income level at which a
two-parent family of four begins owing taxes for 2006 is below $20,615,
the poverty line for such a family
http://www.cbpp.org/3-27-07sfp.htm

$6.00 Per Gallon Gas: Not High Enough To Fight Global Warming?
It is hard to say which is scarier—apocalyptic global warming scenarios
or the economic impact of some of the proposals designed to prevent
them
http://www.heritage.org/Research/EnergyandEnvironment/wm1408.cfm

States say no to teen tanning
No smoking. No drinking. No talking on cell phones while driving. Now,
the latest no-no in state laws aimed at underage teens is indoor tanning.
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=192972

Govs and hospitals try to block Medicaid cuts
A coalition of governors and hospital groups says it has the support of
nearly two-thirds of the members of Congress to block a Bush
administration plan to cut $5 billion in Medicaid funding
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=191670

Power prices put utilities in the hot seat
Spurred by skyrocketing power bills, lawmakers in at least six states are
considering reining in electric utilities that were freed from regulation in
the late 1990s
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=191229

Is `No new taxes' mantra fading in states?
Five governors are proposing hefty tax increases to bankroll ambitious
new health-care and education programs
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=190382

March 14, 2007

ID Rule Cutting Medicaid Enrollments
A new federal rule intended to keep illegal immigrants from receiving
Medicaid has instead shut out tens of thousands of U.S. citizens who
have had difficulty complying with requirements to show documents
proving their citizenship
http://tinyurl.com/2ftnc7

Iowa House votes to raise tax on cigarettes $1 per pack
The tax on cigarettes will nearly quadruple, and the tax on cigars, pipe
tobacco and snuff will a little more than double
http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?
AID=/20070314/NEWS10/703140379/1011

The Truth About Improper Firings and Union Intimidation
Labor activists argue that Congress should pass the Employee Free
Choice Act because employers routinely intimidate and fire workers who
try to unionize
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Labor/wm1393.cfm

Smoking in most workplaces could soon be banned in Tennessee, a
state with a long history of producing tobacco
http://www.jointogether.org/news/headlines/inthenews/2007/tennessee-
could-be-first.html

Massachusetts would be first to require drug coverage under proposal
Massachusetts would become the first state in the nation to essentially
require all insurers provide prescription drug coverage, under
recommendations made Tuesday to the board overseeing the state's
landmark health care law.
http://news.bostonherald.com/localPolitics/view.bg?articleid=188415

House to vote on FOIA overhaul legislation
The U.S. House is set to vote on a series of bills intended to expand the
public's access to government documents, in the wake of reports that
agencies are not complying with laws requiring open government policies
http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?
articleid=36339&dcn=todaysnews

Seismic shift in the way our roads are financed
The Interstate highway system is now being sold to the highest bidder
http://www.reason.org/commentaries/poole_20070227.shtml

March 7, 2007

Report: Tolls can't meet future highway needs
State highway officials warned of a looming $11 billion hole in federal
highway funds and said the growing shift toward tolls and private leases
of roads can’t generate enough money to meet the nation’s short- or long-
term transportation needs
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=187179

In Defense of Leasing Toll Roads
Responding to concession critics
http://www.reason.org/commentaries/poole_20070200.shtml

Pension reform panelists' ties to firms questioned
Two appointees tapped by Governor Schwarzenegger to study ways to
rein in public pension costs receive income from firms that invest $750M
annually for the California Public Employees' Retirement System,
business ties that some say could call the panel's independence into
doubt
http://tinyurl.com/2kv75n

Some diversity OK in Prop 2
State programs involving foster care, collective bargaining and even tax
policy may have to change to comply with the constitutional amendment
barring the use of race and gender by schools and government agencies,
according to a report by Michigan's Civil Rights Commission
http://tinyurl.com/2sq5o3

Watchdog group says there's less 'pork' in Washington
After seven record-breaking years in a row, the number and cost of so-
called pork barrel projects is way down, thanks to voter outrage and a one-
year moratorium imposed by Democrats after taking over Congress
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/03/07/congress.pork.ap/index.html

States go after smoking in vehicles with kids
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=186298

February 28, 2007

Indiana Senate approves lottery lease plan
The bill, which cleared the Senate, would allow the Governor to lease the
Hoosier Lottery for 30 years to a private company, which would run it and
collect the profits. In exchange, the company would pay the state at least
$1 billion immediately and give the state annual payments of $200M
http://tinyurl.com/yuxhz6

Five States Pledge to Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions
The Western Regional Climate Action Initiative agrees to set a regional
greenhouse-gas reduction goal within six months. To reach that goal, the
governors gave themselves 18 months to craft an approach, such as a
cap-and-trade program, to reduce carbon dioxide emissions
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0226gov-warming0227.html

Immigrants boost pay, not prison populations, new studies show
Immigrants are less likely to go to prison than U.S.-born residents of the
same ethnic group and they boost pay for natives, research says
http://tinyurl.com/29s2bk

Governor to penalize use of illegal workers
Massachusetts Governor issued an executive order imposing penalties
on contractors who hire undocumented workers for state projects
http://tinyurl.com/yrndy7

Maryland Senate passes 'clean car' bill
Makers must reduce average emissions of all cars sold in Maryland by
30% by 2016
http://tinyurl.com/2abfw2

Health care, REAL ID top govs' priorities
The nation’s governors staked out children’s health care and the National
Guard as top concerns for a Democratic-controlled Congress that is
preoccupied with the war in Iraq, a daunting federal deficit and the
problem of uninsured Americans
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=184481

In their own words: What govs would tell feds
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=184480

Global Warming: A Science and Economics Update
http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=20702

User-Friendly Federal Budget Web Site?
The Washington-based Federal Budget Group announced the launch of
the "first user-friendly, interactive Web site illustrating how the U.S.
government raises and spends public funds"
http://www.govbudget.com/front/

States consider tobacco tax hikes
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-02-26-tabacco-tax_x.htm

Scientists to U.N.: "Tens of billions" needed to combat global warming
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/climate/globalwarming/2007-02-27-
scientists-un_x.htm

February 21, 2007

Health care costs will continue their brisk climb
U.S. expected to spend $1 out of $5 on medicine by next decade
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17248734/

States try to calm ire over high property taxes
Property-tax relief is on the front burner in numerous statehouses this
year. Some proposals look at lessening public schools' heavy reliance on
local real-estate taxes
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=182270

In Energy Conservation, California Sees Light
California, which has held its per-capita energy consumption essentially
constant since 1974, uses less energy per capita than any other state, a
feat it has managed through a mixture of mandates, regulations and high
prices
http://tinyurl.com/2g7cob

Real ID
Bringing driver's licensing into compliance with the federal Real ID Act will
cost states more than $11 billion over five years, according to a study
http://www.ncsl.org/realid/

Governors propose financing options for transportation
Raising taxes isn’t the only way to fund transportation projects, according
to an issue brief released this week by the Washington-based National
Governors Association Center for Best Practices
http://americancityandcounty.com/webonly/governors-financing-
transportation/

How many kids will Congress cover?
Those enrollment efforts, plus changes in the economy that made
medical coverage harder to get, succeeded in making the State Children’
s Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP) a popular choice over the last
decade
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=180828

State Governments Have a Drug Habit: Crack Taxes and Drug Stamps
Feds gave up taxing drugs, but 21 states seek income from illegal drug
taxes
http://www.reason.org/news/taxing_illegal_drugs_021507.shtml

February 13, 2007

Bush's budget puts some 'green' back into parks system
Bush wants to boost park funding by $230 million -- the first installment in
an ambitious plan to spend as much as $3 billion on America's natural
treasures over the next 10 years
http://www.startribune.com/587/story/985524.html

Pennsylvania Governor orders big cut in emissions
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/16692441.htm

California's future may be paved with fees
Voter-approved bonds won't bankroll all of the state's new roads. Up
ahead: public and private tollways
http://tinyurl.com/378uwo

Legislators' pay falling behind
In 28 states, state lawmakers’ salaries have declined when adjusted for
inflation, according to a first-of-its-kind study of legislative pay from 1975
to 2005
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=179978

February 6, 2007

States feel the pinch of tight Bush budget
States would be spared draconian cuts next year under President Bush’s
plan to balance the federal budget by 2012, but health, social and other
programs important to states still would be squeezed
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=177638

President Bush's proposed budget would put a land conservation
program that protects some 35 million acres on hold in favor of boosting
corn production to meet the growing demand for ethanol
http://tinyurl.com/24t7ff

China to research global warming
http://tinyurl.com/ytqeq8

Australia leader touts emissions trading
http://tinyurl.com/ytbsbo

Climate report builds support for world body
46 countries back France’s appeal for a new global environmental agency
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16961096/

Global Warming
Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore's global warming documentary will be
sent to every secondary school in England as part of a campaign to tackle
climate change, the government said
http://www.journalstandard.com/articles/2007/02/02/ap-
update/d8n1mcbo0.txt

January 29, 2007

Bush administration in hot seat over warming
Lawmakers get survey of scientists, half of whom report political pressure
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16886008/

Global Warming Madness and How to Stop It
Global warming is the biggest environmental issue of our time. Its
political and economic impacts will be larger than those associated with
any other environmental issue
http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=20549

Free Biopower Toolkit
A computer program is now available to help electricity providers judge
the feasibility of using biofuels — such as wood, animal waste and
landfill gas — to generate power
http://tinyurl.com/yooda8

Governor calls for changes to Medicaid
The Governor of Texas called for sweeping changes to Medicaid, saying
the federal-state health insurance program for low-income people is in
danger of bankrupting the state
http://www.statesman.
com/news/content/news/stories/local/01/27/27perry.html

Food sales tax on states' chopping blocks
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=174956

January 22, 2007

National Conference of State Legislature's Top 10 Policy Issue
Forecast Heat is on State Legislatures
http://www.ncsl.org/programs/press/pr070104.htm

Bush wants states to plan coverage of uninsured
Critics say the proposal to give governors more leeway with federal
dollars could undermine health programs
http://tinyurl.com/3y8q9y

In New Jersey, doubts over leasing highways for cash
With New Jersey mired in debt and financial crises, a potential pot of gold
has been tempting the state's leaders - the selling of public assets,
particularly the highways
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/16515348.htm

The Schwarzenegger Health Plan
A Great Leap Forward for Bigger Government
http://www.heritage.org/Research/HealthCare/StateInitiatives/wm1317.cfm
Tax breaks questioned as health costs soar
As health costs and the number of uninsured Americans continue to
climb, policymakers are questioning whether subsidizing hospitals with
tax breaks is an effective way of making health care more affordable
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=173119

January 16, 2007

LEGISLATURES 2007; Issues to Watch
http://www.governing.com/articles/1issues.htm

Senate votes to end secret 'earmarks'
The days of lawmakers slipping pet projects into spending bills at the last
minute are ending after the Senate approved a new rule forcing members
to disclose requests for those "earmarks"
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/01/17/senate.earmarks/index.html

Activists Want Smoking Bans Coast to Coast
http://www.belleville.com/mld/belleville/news/politics/16447895.htm

Common sense in the warming debate
Global warming is the subject of intense debate. But if ideology is getting
in the way of science, maybe both sides of the debate are letting that
happen
http://www.reason.com/news/show/117896.html

Turn the Turnpike Into a Solution
Public-private partnerships are a trend elsewhere and could help
Pennsylvania pay for its paving
http://www.reason.org/commentaries/segal_20070114.shtml

January 9, 2007

Exxon cuts ties to global warming skeptics
Oil major Exxon Mobil Corp. is engaging in industry talks on possible U.S.
greenhouse gas emissions regulations and has stopped funding groups
skeptical of global warming claims — moves that some say could
indicate a change in stance from the long-time foe of limits on heat-
trapping gases
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16593606/

'Smart meters' could generate ways to save on electricity
Imagine an electricity meter that can pinpoint power outages,
automatically turn household appliances off when wholesale electricity
gets too expensive and - with enough of them in use - possibly reduce the
need for new power plants.
http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/news/16698.html

State program will put Master Naturalists on front lines
Virginia has enlisted a statewide corps of volunteers to educate their
communities about stewardship of local natural resources through the
state's Master Naturalist Program
http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/news/16643.html

Solar energy's day is dawning
The California Solar Initiative commits the state to spending more than
$3.4 billion over the next 10 years to subsidize the installation of 1 million
solar roofs, or about 3,000 megawatts of electricity capacity, enough at
peak output to match six modern natural-gas-fired power plants
http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/news/16439.html

Scientist: Global warming could melt ice caps, eliminate half of Earth's
species
The effects of global warming are being felt around the world and unless
international efforts are launched within the next 10 years, species will
disappear and the Earth will be a vastly less habitable planet by the end
of the century, according to a NASA scientist
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/climate/2007-01-11-hansen-
warming_x.htm

Agency Affirms Human Influence on Climate
A lot of government scientists have said it. But until Tuesday, it appeared
that no news release on annual climate trends out of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under the Bush White House
had said unequivocally that a buildup of greenhouse gases was helping
warm the climate
http://tinyurl.com/y8ne9t

California plans major carbon cut in its gasoline
Now that California is on record as mandating a 25 percent cut in the
state's greenhouse-gas emissions by 2020 - a move that made
headlines worldwide four months ago - leaders here are starting to lay
out how they intend to hit that ambitious mark
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0111/p01s01-ussc.html

States press Congress for S-CHIP fix
Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Rhode
Island are projected to run out of federal money for the State Children’s
Health Insurance Program by May, and they want Congress to fix the
problem quickly
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=169147

Senators aim to ease up on Net, phone taxes
Members of the newly seated U.S. Congress wasted no time in
proposing a series of measures designed to extend and expand tax
breaks on Internet and telephone service
http://tinyurl.com/y9o9nz

Canada fights U.S. crop subsidies
Canada is going to the World Trade Organization to challenge American
subsidies for corn and other crops, an action aimed at getting Congress
to overhaul commodity programs
http://www.dmregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?
AID=/20070109/BUSINESS01/701090392/1001

Michigan may tax services
Lawmakers are receptive to extending sales tax to cover things like
haircuts in face of $500M deficit
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?
AID=/20070109/METRO/701090331/1003

January 2, 2007

2007 will be warmest on record, experts predict
Natural cycle cited, but so too are carbon emissions by humans
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16465430/

Sweden hopes to be totally green by 2020
Joint effort by government and consumers to phase out fossil fuels
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16455271/from/RS.1/

Ten Noteworthy Trends of 2006
From the Metropolitan Policy Program
http://www.brookings.edu/metro/2006trends.htm

Immigrant Processors Fall Behind
As the White House and Congress prepare to overhaul the nation's
immigration laws, U.S. officials have concluded that they lack the
technology and resources to handle the millions of applications for legal
residency that could result from the changes
http://tinyurl.com/y2cpxc

States impact child's future
A child growing up in Virginia has the best chance of succeeding in life,
while a child raised in New Mexico has the worst, according to a new
report that predicts success by looking at children’s formative years in
each state, as well as student performance in a state’s K-12 education
system and beyond
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=167638

Overlooked animal fat becomes key biodiesel ingredient
Today, only a tiny fraction of U.S. biodiesel is made from chicken fat, but
that seems likely to change
http://tinyurl.com/yzqeur

Iowa’s road construction funding shortfall
Iowa’s road construction funding shortfall will top $27 billion over the next
20 years, including $4 billion for “critical” repairs along existing highways,
according to a Department of Transportation study issued
http://www.qctimes.
net/articles/2007/01/03/news/state/doc459b3e6e5bb07466201852.txt

December 26, 2006

Shift in Congress Puts Health Care Back on the Table
Expecting a Mixed Reaction Across the Aisle, Democrats Plan to Offer
Ideas on Drug Cost, Safety
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2006/12/24/AR2006122400589.html

Prescription drug costs
Politics is the art of wealth redistribution; but it is also a struggle over the
fundamental principles that decide specific policy outcomes. Nowhere is
this reality clearer than in the looming battle over federal negotiation of
prices and formularies (lists of approved drugs) for the new Medicare Part
D drug benefit
http://washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20061226-093747-6813r.htm

Bipartisan Effort to Draft Immigration Bill
Counting on the support of the new Democratic majority in Congress,
Democratic lawmakers and their Republican allies are working on
measures that could place millions of illegal immigrants on a more direct
path to citizenship than would a bill that the Senate passed in the spring
http://tinyurl.com/y84nck

Surpluses, social issues mark 2006
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=165982

A flap over recouping costs of Medicaid
States try harder to recover their losses from providing healthcare to the
poor – even seizing homes
http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/1226/p03s03-ussc.html

Dems set sights on Big Oil money
House Democrats in the first weeks of the new Congress plan to
establish a dedicated fund to promote renewable energy and
conservation, using money from oil companies
http://tinyurl.com/tcl8u

Democrats pledge to restrain spending
Determined to banish their old tax-and-spend image, Democrats want to
shrink the federal deficit, preserve tax cuts for the middle class and
challenge the president to raise money for the Iraq war when they take
control of Congress next week
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16356151/

December 21, 2006

Indiana lottery plan draws firm's interest
The Governor’s proposal to lease the Hoosier Lottery and use the profits
to fund higher education initiatives has attracted the attention of one of the
world's leading lottery operators
http://tinyurl.com/yad5cr

Transportation - Private Assistance
Not since the expansion of railroads in the 19th century has such a horde
of international capitalists been so eager to invest in our transportation
http://www.governing.com/articles/12trans.htm

The ball drops here: new laws for '07
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=165645

Welfare Privatization to Get One-Year Tryout
Indiana will receive just one year of federal funding for the Governor’s
proposed 10-year state welfare privatization plan so federal officials can
monitor the program
http://tinyurl.com/szcdt

Arizona is growing fastest of all states
Arizona has ended Nevada's 19-year reign as the nation's fastest-
growing state, fueled by immigrants and Americans moving from other
states
http://tinyurl.com/yx3vgh

December 13, 2006

Hoosier Lottery Lease
A top Indiana House Republican says leasing out the Hoosier Lottery
could generate a one-time payment of around $1 billion
http://tinyurl.com/ujrtf

Illinois Governor To Announce New Benefits For Immigrants
Illinois Governor will announce a wide-ranging set of measures meant to
better integrate immigrants, legal and illegal, into the state's economy,
education system and workforce
http://tinyurl.com/yz57g9

Affirmative action
Buoyed by a landmark victory in Michigan in November, backers of the
anti-affirmative action Michigan Civil Rights Initiative -- also known as
Proposal 2 -- are set to announce plans today for similar ballot proposals
in other states in 2008
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?
AID=/20061213/NEWS06/612130303/1008

New era arrives for cable customers
Consumers can prepare for a new world of cable television, phone and
Internet services as legislation to open up telecommunications to more
competition in Michigan speeds toward enactment
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?
AID=/20061213/NEWS06/612130311/1008

From Surplus to Deficit:
Legislation Enacted Over the Last Six Years Has Raised the Debt by $2.3
Trillion
http://www.cbpp.org/12-13-06bud.htm

December 5, 2006

Western states team up to fight global warming
California, 3 neighbors share strategies, urge federal action
http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/news/16224.html

Gifts That Keep On Giving
A Shopping List for Improving State Fiscal Policies in the 2007 Legislative
Sessions
http://www.cbpp.org/12-6-06sfp.htm

States expand Food Stamp programs
In the war on hunger, a handful of states have made big strides in getting
federally funded Food Stamps to more poor families, while others have
lagged behind
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=162244

November 29, 2006

Blind Trusts Urged for Statewide Officials
The Florida Commission on Ethics wants to require the governor and four
other statewide elected officials to put their stock holdings in a blind trust
before taking office to avoid potential conflicts of interest
http://www.sptimes.com/2006/11/30/State/Blind_trusts_urged_fo.shtml

Study: Those in public sector earning more
State and local government employees in New Jersey now earn more
than private-sector workers, mainly because the income of those working
for private companies has eroded over the last few decades, a Rutgers
University study found
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/16085849.htm

Global Warming Goes to Court
A group of 12 states, including New York and Massachusetts, is suing the
Environmental Protection Agency for failing to properly do its job
http://tinyurl.com/y7syel

Global Warming
Frustrated by Bush administration inaction on global warming, states and
environmentalists urged the Supreme Court to declare greenhouse
gases to be air pollutants that the government must regulate
http://tinyurl.com/y8h7fo

November 21, 2006

A pitch to lease Pennsylvania Turnpike
The Governor and House Speaker of Pennsylvania separately pitched the
idea of leasing the Pennsylvania Turnpike to private investors to raise
money for highways and mass-transit systems
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/16064229.htm

Governors want action on immigration, health care
The nation’s governors, in their first gathering since Election Day, urged
Congress and the White House to stop bickering and work with them to
address illegal immigration and the country’s broken health care system
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=158933

November 14, 2006

States hope for better deal in new Congress
State lawmakers of both parties will be looking for relief from some
federal policies imposed on states under the GOP’s watch, including
expensive new rules for driver’s licenses and education mandates under
the No Child Left Behind Act
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=157535

Harsh words for Washington on immigration
Governor Schwarzenegger told Mexican President-elect Felipe Calderon
that the inability of the U.S. government to approve a comprehensive
overhaul of its immigration policies, especially a guest worker program,
represents a "total failure"
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/11/11/BAGETMAKBI1.
DTL

Congress, states pledge wage hikes
In the wake of overwhelming voter approval of minimum wage initiatives
in six states on Election Day, politicians in at least three more states –
Illinois, Iowa and New Mexico -- have vowed to raise wages as soon as
their legislative sessions open
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=157858

Congress Returns to Spending Bills Loaded With Pork
As Congress returns to finish the final 11 appropriations bills for fiscal
year 2007, it will take up House and Senate bills currently containing an
estimated 10,000 pork projects, about as many as last year
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Budget/wm1256.cfm

Funding for Domestic Programs
As a result of action Congress took before adjourning for the elections,
widespread cuts in domestic appropriated programs are likely to be
made during Congress’ lame-duck session
http://www.cbpp.org/10-13-06bud.htm

State Children’s Health Insurance Program shortfall
17 states face federal funding shortfalls that could jeopardize health
coverage for more than 600,000 children in 2007
http://www.cbpp.org/6-5-06health2.htm

Smokers, obese should pay more health insurance: poll
Most Americans believe smokers and obese people should pay more for
health insurance, but they have mixed views on how to help the millions
without any health insurance, according to a survey
http://tinyurl.com/ufu4p

November 7, 2006

Voters ban affirmative action in Michigan
Race and gender can no longer be considered in college admissions,
public hiring and contracting, under a hotly contested constitutional
amendment that voters approved by a wide margin.
http://tinyurl.com/y42r77

How Much Does the Federal Government Spend on Homelessness?
http://www.nationalcitynetwork.org/showdoc.html?id=400044

Transportation Remains a Hot Issue at the Ballot Box in November
The APA reports on five of the 30 transportation initiatives up for vote on
election day
http://planning.org/apaadvocate/default.htm#article5

Experts: Global warming threatens ruins
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/K/KENYA_CLIMATE_TALKS?
SITE=ILBLO&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Voters OK minimum wage hikes
Ballot measures raising pay poised to pass in Ohio, Arizona, Missouri,
Montana and Colorado
http://money.cnn.com/2006/11/07/news/economy/minimum_wage/index.
htm?postversion=2006110803

November 1, 2006

State sets rules for renewable resources
Arizona corporation commissioners voted to require regulated electric
utilities to generate 15 percent of their energy from renewable resources
by 2025
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1101a1-renewables1101.html

Historic election year in governor races
This year's sweepstakes for 36 governors' seats is shaping up as one for
the history books. Democrats could regain a majority of governorships,
and the nation could see its second elected black governor and more
women chief executives
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=151275

October 24, 2006

Humans are stripping nature at an unprecedented rate and will need
two planets' worth of natural resources every year by 2050 if current
trends continue
Report published by the World Wildlife Fund and the Global Footprint
Network
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/15398149/?GT1=8618

Beltway Toll Plan May Need Virginia Funds
A privately backed plan to build express toll lanes on the Virginia portion
of the Capital Beltway, which was promoted as a way to ease traffic
without using taxpayer money, has become so expensive that the firms
behind the project could require more than $100M in public funds to
make it work
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2006/10/22/AR2006102201081.html

October 17, 2006

Anti-tax ballot box revolt stifled
A nationwide campaign to use the ballot box to rein in state spending has
fizzled even before voters had a chance to weigh in on Nov. 7.
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=149788

Civil rights proposal has voters conflicted
Michigan voters have definite -- but often conflicting -- opinions about
affirmative action, and remain closely divided overall on the proposed ban
on race and gender preferences in government hiring, contracting and
university admissions
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?
AID=/20061018/NEWS06/610180301/1008

Poll: Most Americans say Congress out of touch
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/10/18/congress.poll/index.html

The First-Ever International Ranking of Budget Transparency
On October 18, 2006 civil society organizations from 59 countries around
the world will unveil the Open Budget Index. This is the first index to rate
countries on how open their budget books are to their citizens
http://www.openbudgetindex.org/

October 13, 2006

Long list of laws headed to voters
Voters next month will decide the most citizen-sponsored referendums in
a non-presidential election in nearly 100 years, as groups step up efforts
to shape policy by putting measures directly to popular vote
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-10-12-ballot-
initiatives_x.htm

Decision favors legal immigrants battling for state insurance money
Maryland's highest court sided with the families of 13 legal immigrant
children in a long-running battle over their right to state health insurance
that the Governor eliminated more than a year ago
http://tinyurl.com/y7v5tn

October 11, 2006

Scrutiny by the People
Washington State is making a big push to get citizens more involved in
the performance auditing process
http://www.governing.com/manage/pm/perf1006.htm

Federal deficit falls to smallest level in 4 years
Decline seen helped by higher tax revenues
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15220076/

October 3, 2006

Watchdog group previews federal spending search tool
A watchdog group previewed a federal spending search tool, providing a
glimpse into a new system designed to provide user-friendly public
access to federal contract and grant information
http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?
articleid=35194&dcn=todaysnews

Border Fence Called Impractical
Building a 700-mile fence in an attempt to secure the U.S. border with
Mexico, as Congress has voted to do, is impractical and would simply
lead illegal immigrants to cross elsewhere, according to former U.S.
Customs and Border Protection agents and other experts
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2006/10/02/AR2006100201117.html

Survey Indicates House Bill Could Deny Voting Rights to Millions of U.S.
Citizens
This analysis finds that although the bill's supporters present it as a
measure intended to prevent non-citizens from voting, the bill's main
impact will be on U.S. citizens themselves
http://www.cbpp.org/9-22-06id.htm

September 25, 2006

Pennsylvania Turnpike Plazas to Get Makeover in Lease Deal
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and a Maryland firm plan a 30-
year, multibillion-dollar expansion and modernization of turnpike service
plazas. HMSHost will pay $100 million to renovate or rebuild 18 of the 21
service plazas in return for a 30-year lease on the properties
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/15607922.htm

State red tape trips up green energy efforts in California
As Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger prepares this week to sign into law the
nation's most ambitious effort to address global warming, a key
component of California's push to reduce greenhouse gas emissions --
increasing the use of renewable power to create electricity -- has faltered
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?
file=/c/a/2006/09/24/MNGFTLBL0B1.DTL

Wilderness Designation Trade-Offs Faulted
Congress is on the verge of approving half a dozen bills that would
protect as much as 1 million acres of wilderness areas across the West,
but the move has infuriated environmentalists who charge that
lawmakers are giving away too much pristine public land to real estate
developers and local communities in the process
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2006/09/23/AR2006092301124.html

Congress Tackles Key Issues Before Recess
With a Sept. 29 recess date looming for the mid-term elections,
Congress stepped up action on several issues including immigration
reform and funding for critical housing programs
http://www.nlc.
org/Newsroom/Nation_s_Cities_Weekly/Weekly_NCW/2006/09/25/11945.
cfm

We Worked Until July 12 to Pay for Gov't
The typical American this year worked until July 12 to earn enough gross
income to pay his or her share of spending and regulatory burdens
imposed by federal, state, and local governments, according to the
annual Cost of Government Day (COGD) report issued by Americans for
Tax Reform
http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=19645

Few in Congress Want Spending to Be Reduced, NTUF Study Shows
Fewer than 1 in 10 members of Congress sponsored legislation last year
that would have reduced federal spending
http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=19649

Still Spending: Senate Set to Bust Budget Caps by $32 Billion
Federal spending in 2006 is set to rise 9 percent, the largest increase
since 1990
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Budget/wm1222.cfm

Property rights is the hottest new topic on state ballots, cropping up in
13 states
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=144295

Minimum-wage hikes sweep states
Voters in a record number of states will decide Nov. 7 whether to hike the
minimum wage, continuing an unprecedented two-year trend of state
action on an issue that remains bottled up in Congress
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=143470

August 29, 2006

State to Be Top Purchaser of Green Power
Pennsylvania is poised to become the largest state purchaser of
renewable energy sources in the country
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06242/717412-85.stm

Wisconsin Governor: Cut Mercury Emissions 90%
Wisconsin Governor announced plans to reduce mercury emissions by
90% at coal-fired power plants
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=488113

Bush says federal commitment to N.O. endures
In his 13th visit to New Orleans in a year, President Bush sought to
reassure residents that he and the federal government will stand by the
region as it struggles to emerge from the darkest year in its history, with
no end in sight
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-
6/1156918462263560.xml&coll=1

States ranked on pocketbook issues
Snapshot of Americans’ economic situation released by the Census
Bureau
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=137851

The Number of Uninsured Americans Is at an All-Time High
Data released by the Census Bureau show that the number of uninsured
Americans stood at a record 46.6 million in 2005, with 15.9 percent of
Americans lacking health coverage
http://www.cbpp.org/8-29-06health.htm

Security will dominate Congress's short fall session
When Congress returns from its August recess, the fireworks will come
from three interrelated issues—counterterrorism, border and port
security, and national security
http://www.heritage.org/Press/Commentary/ed082606a.cfm

August 22, 2006

Even With New Budget Projections, Budget Deterioration From 2000-
2006 Will Be the Largest 6-Year Deterioration in Half a Century
http://www.cbpp.org/7-20-06bud.htm

What Is Really Happening to Government Revenues: Long-Run
Forecasts Show Sharp Rise in Tax Burden
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Taxes/bg1957.cfm

Report chronicles downside of term limits
Statehouses under term limits are growing less diverse, less powerful
and less civil, according to a new study by three non-partisan
organizations that support state lawmakers nationally.
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=134247

Flood of issues makes for heavy state ballots
More than 120 ballot proposals could greet voters in the various states by
Election Day, according to research by the National Conference of State
Legislatures
http://tinyurl.com/hze3v

Bush orders transparent health price, quality data
President Bush signed an executive order that requires agencies to
provide enrollees in their health care services information about the
quality and price of common procedures. Agencies have until Jan. 1,
2007, to comply
http://www.gcn.com/online/vol1_no1/41767-1.html

August 15, 2006

Feds now control Mount Soledad cross site
With President Bush's signature on a bill that transfers the Mount
Soledad cross to federal control, the 17-year parochial battle over the
memorial could become a national cause for supporters and foes of
religious symbols on public property
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20060815-9999-1n15cross.
html

States’ Finances Healthiest in Decades
State balance sheets are the best they’ve looked in decades. States
closed their fiscal 2006 books with nearly 25 percent more money than
the previous year, according to the National Conference of State
Legislatures' latest survey of states' fiscal conditions
http://www.stateline.org/live/ViewPage.action?
siteNodeId=136&languageId=1&contentId=134248

Prevailing wage
"Prevailing wage" laws that require state and local governments to pay
union wages on public works projects are coming under increasing
attack by taxpayers and courts
http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=19408

August 10, 2006

Govs' anger with feds boils over
As they approach crucial November elections, governors from both
parties blame the Republican-led Congress and White House for a
widening chasm between the federal government and the states
http://www.stateline.org/live/ViewPage.action?
siteNodeId=136&languageId=1&contentId=132632

Cities prevail in phone tax dispute
The Missouri Supreme Court tossed out a new state law changing the
way local governments tax telephone services, siding with cities in their
challenge to the law that adjusted tax rates on telephone service and
invalidated cities’ lawsuits against phone companies over back taxes
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/politics/15228759.htm

The National Governors Association reiterated its strong opposition to
H.R. 1956, the Business Activity Tax Simplification Act (BAT)
An unfunded mandate that would cost states more than $6 billion
annuallyhttp://tinyurl.com/fjzgp

Advanced Telecommunications and Opportunity Reform—Consumer's
Choice and Broadband Deployment Act
The executive director of the National Governors Association and leaders
of a number of state and local government organizations voiced
opposition to the Advanced Telecommunications and Opportunity
Reform—Consumer's Choice and Broadband Deployment Act
http://tinyurl.com/gdu6s

National Defense Authorization Act
A provision in the House-passed version of the National Defense
Authorization Act (H.R. 5122) would allow the President to federalize the
National Guard of the states without the consent of the governor
http://tinyurl.com/zogpa

July 26, 2006

Grand jury criticizes state laws, Ethics Commission
Texas public officials are hiding sources of income and potential conflicts
of interest by calling themselves consultants on state financial disclosure
forms, and an investigation into "obvious misconduct" by one official was
thwarted by the practice, a Travis County grand jury has complained in a
two-page report
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/07/26ethics.
html

Plan bans computers in landfills
Five Midwestern states - Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan and
Wisconsin - have joined to formulate a policy that, if approved by their
legislatures, will lead to banning home computers, monitors, televisions
and other electronic waste from going into landfills. In a major shift in
state recycling policy, manufacturers would be responsible for collecting
and recycling old home computers
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=475670

Stanford professor stumps for electoral alternative
A Stanford University computer science professor has come up with an
idea to circumvent the more than 200-year-old Electoral College system
and institute a national popular vote to elect the president of the United
States
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?
file=/c/a/2006/07/24/MNGIHK4CSQ1.DTL

Immigration Consensus: Elusive as Ever
While 30 states have passed 57 laws to address illegal immigration this
year, the prospect that conservative policy makers can reach consensus
on immigration policy appears as distant as ever as experts debate the
issue at the American Legislative Exchange Council's annual meeting
http://www.governing.com/news/7immig.htm

Budget Surpluses Fuel State Initiatives
Statehouses afloat in budget surpluses in 2006 ventured into new
projects, from a first-in-the-nation statewide preschool for 3-year-olds in
Illinois to a space pad in New Mexico, and also made strides on issues
that stymied Congress, including health care, immigration and the
minimum wage
http://www.stateline.org/live/ViewPage.action?
siteNodeId=136&languageId=1&contentId=129313

Leasing highways is gaining traction
Public-private deals like the one Missouri seeks for an I-70 bridge have
met with mixed success.
http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/news/13638.html

July 19, 2006

House Backs $1.5 Billion For Metro -- With a Hitch
The House of Representatives passed legislation yesterday that would
commit $1.5 billion over 10 years to improve the Metro transit system as
long as the District, Maryland and Virginia guarantee to match that money
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2006/07/17/AR2006071701315.html

Most States Moving on e-Health Networks
In the past two years, most states have begun to plan, operate or support
electronic health information exchanges, according to initial results of a
survey by a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit
http://www.fcw.com/article95307-07-18-06-Web&newsletter%3Dyes

Massachusetts Law: The Big Dig of Health Care?
The health bill passed earlier this year in Massachusetts continues to
attract attention nationwide, with lawmakers in other states wondering
whether their Bay State counterparts have solved the twin problems of
covering the uninsured and bringing Medicaid and other health costs
under control
http://www.governing.com/news/7alec.htm

Some Dry Cleaners Told to Phase Out Toxic Solvent
The Environmental Protection Agency tightened public health standards
for dry cleaners, saying that cleaning shops in residential buildings must
stop using a toxic solvent, perchloroethylene, in their machines by 2020
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2006/07/14/AR2006071401366.html

Even With New Budget Projections, Budget Deterioration From 2000-
2006 Will Be the Largest 6-Year Deterioration in Half a Century
http://www.cbpp.org/7-20-06bud.htm

Paperwork burden up by by 441 million hours last year
The national paperwork workload increased by 5.5 percent in fiscal 2005
over the previous year to reach about 8.4 billion hours, according to a new
Office of Management and Budget report
http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?
articleid=34578&dcn=todaysnews

Turning food crop into fuel 'not very wise'
Soybeans more efficient than corn, study finds
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/business/story.html?
id=445278e7-17bb-4443-9931-2d4b6a131fb4&p=1

N.C. GreenPower
A growing number of North Carolina residents are financing increased
production of energy from renewable sources, and it's easy to join them
by signing up with N.C. GreenPower
http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A33795

July 12, 2006

Administration might seek $110 billion more for Iraq, Afghanistan
Request would boost military spending in those countries to about $560
billion since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks
http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?
articleid=34531&dcn=todaysnews

July 10, 2006

States try to block illegal workers
At least 30 states have passed laws or taken other steps this year to
crack down on illegal immigrants, often making it harder for
undocumented workers to find jobs or receive public services
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-07-09-states-illegal-
workers_x.htm

Congress having trouble passing even sure things
Divisions within the GOP are creating logjams
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/07/10/do.littlecongress.ap/index.html

Virginia Counties Face Cuts In Social Services
Virginia will be docked $42 million in federal funds after an audit showed
that cities and counties throughout the state were improperly diverting
federal funds intended for foster care to similar but broader programs
such as counseling and parent education
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2006/07/09/AR2006070900716.html

Massachusetts state pension fund has ties to firms operating in Sudan
The Massachusetts state worker pension fund holds investments worth
more than $300 million in 23 overseas companies doing business in
Sudan, where a violent campaign in the Darfur region has been called
genocide and drawn worldwide condemnation, a Boston Globe review
found
http://www.boston.
com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2006/07/08/state_pension_fund_
has_ties_to_firms_operating_in_sudan/

July 5, 2006

Blanco signs price control for new ethanol requirement
Louisiana Governor has signed into law a price control provision to make
sure Louisiana motorists don't have an even higher price at the pump
because of new alternative fuel requirements
http://hosted.ap.
org/dynamic/stories/L/LA_XGR_ALTERNATIVE_FUELS_LAOL-?
SITE=LABAT&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Growing Acidity of Oceans May Kill Corals
The escalating level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is making the
world's oceans more acidic, government and independent scientists say.
They warn that, by the end of the century, the trend could decimate coral
reefs and creatures that underpin the sea's food web
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2006/07/04/AR2006070400772.html

Problems Plague Army Weapons-Burning
In 1987, the Army estimated it would cost $2 billion to dispose of the
27,768 metric tons of chemical weapons in its stockpile. Today, the price
has mushroomed to $28 billion, and the military is about a third of the
way through the job
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2006/07/03/AR2006070301207.html

Bloomberg: Economy relies on illegal immigrants
The economy of the country's largest city and the entire nation would
collapse if illegal immigrants were deported en masse, New York Mayor
Michael Bloomberg told a Senate committee hearing
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/07/05/immigration.hearing.ap/index.
html

Illegals offset 70% of costs
Illegal immigrants pay enough in taxes to offset at least 70 percent of the
costs for services the state is required to provide for them, a new study
says
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,
DRMN_15_4816170,00.html

Budget woes looming beyond N.J.
Although New Jersey is one of the last states in the nation to resolve its
budget problems this year, problems are looming for a rising number of
states in coming years. They're facing structural deficits, meaning they
are committed to spend more - especially in the healthcare and
education sectors - than they are projected to collect
http://www.christiansciencemonitor.com/2006/0705/p02s02-usec.html

June 29, 2006

All 3 losing bidders at least a billion short
Three investment groups, including one American firm, were willing to
pay billions for a 75-year lease of the Indiana Toll Road, but none came
within a billion dollars of winner Cintra-Macquarie
http://www.nwitimes.
com/articles/2006/06/30/business/business/6f3d1b4050504ffc8625719c
0077aaec.txt

Accounting rule could bust state budgets
Just when states found some breathing room after years of belt-
tightening, a new accounting rule is about to force them to deal with some
$500 billion in hidden costs. The new rule, effective later this year, also
has state employees worried their benefits soon might be on the
chopping block.
http://www.stateline.org/live/ViewPage.action?
siteNodeId=136&languageId=1&contentId=123266

Restriction of Insanity Defense Affirmed
States can significantly restrict the insanity defense and still give mentally
troubled defendants a fair trial, the Supreme Court ruled, upholding an
Arizona law under which a judge found a paranoid schizophrenic
teenager guilty of killing a police officer
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2006/06/29/AR2006062901901.html

Medicaid Rule Called A Threat To Millions; Proof of Citizenship Needed
for Benefits
A Medicaid rule about to take effect, intended to curb fraud by illegal
immigrants, will require more than 50 million poor Americans to prove
their citizenship or lose their medical benefits or long-term care
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2006/06/29/AR2006062902093.html

Medicaid ID Rule Could Put Health Coverage at Risk for 3 to 5 Million U.
S. Citizens Starting July 1
State-by-State Data Show Millions to Be Affected
http://www.cbpp.org/6-30-06health-pr.htm

June 22, 2006

Indiana Supreme Court ruling removes barrier to $3.8B Toll Road deal
The Indiana Supreme Court removed the last legal hurdle to the state's
lease of the Indiana Toll Road to a private consortium in a historic $3.8
billion deal that will help fund road-building projects statewide, rejecting
claims that the deal was unconstitutional
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?
AID=/20060621/NEWS02/606210425

Initiative signatures submitted
An initiative that says Montana property owners must be compensated
when use of their property is "impaired" by government regulations has
enough signatures to qualify for the Nov. 7 ballot, its supporters said
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2006/06/20/news/state/65-
signatures.txt

Court rules against petition on eminent domain protection
The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Tuesday struck down an initiative
petition to protect landowners in eminent domain actions, saying it
violates the constitution because it deals with more than one subject.
The petition was circulated by Oklahomans in Action, the same group that
circulated one to limit state government spending
http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/EndUser?
Action=UserDisplayFullDocument&orgId=1593&topicId=21355&docId=l:
399084849

Court makes it tougher on illegal residents
The Supreme Court dealt a blow to some longtime illegal residents,
upholding the deportation of a Mexican man who lived in the United
States for 20 years
http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/06/22/scotus.immigration.ap/index.html

Kentucky state workers denied access to political blogs
Gov. Ernie Fletcher's administration yesterday blocked state employees'
access to many Web logs -- a day after a prominent political "blogger"
was critical of the governor in a New York Times story
http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/14873924.htm

Groups Call on Congress to Immediately Disable Technology that
Blocks E-Mails from Constituents
http://www.govtech.net/news/news.php?id=99939

June 20, 2006

Justices Rein In Clean Water Act; Still-Divided Court Leaves Reach of
The Law Unclear
The Supreme Court ruled that new limits could be placed on the federal
government's power to enforce the 34-year-old Clean Water Act, but the
set of opinions handed down by the justices did little to define what those
limits might be
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2006/06/19/AR2006061900400.html

High court muddies wetlands rules
2 Michigan developers get new chance
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006606200420

Pension checks for some of them nearly as big as current pay checks
Some Pennsylvania lawmakers who lost their jobs in the May primary
partly as result of public backlash over legislative pay raises will collect
pensions almost as big as their salaries
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06169/698958-85.stm

Louisiana lawmakers approve insurance perk bill
Lawmakers have voted themselves and their former colleagues a
substantial perk, authorizing the state to pay 75 percent of health and life
insurance premiums for life for anyone who has served in the House or
Senate for at least 10 years
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/capital/index.ssf?/base/news-
3/1150783858311680.xml

Minimum Wage purchasing power lowest since 1955
http://www.cbpp.org/6-20-06mw.htm#f2

States scramble to follow Medicaid ID law
Health officials in many states warn that a federal law requiring Medicaid
recipients to prove citizenship starting July 1 could lead to long lines,
dropped coverage and general confusion for the program's participants
http://www.stateline.org/live/ViewPage.action?
siteNodeId=136&languageId=1&contentId=121040

Senators urge better system to enforce immigration laws
Number of employers given notices of intent to fine for hiring illegal
workers fell from 417 in 1999 to three by 2004, GAO says
http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?
articleid=34360&dcn=todaysnews

June 16, 2006

Google launches federal search engine
http://www.google.com/ig/usgov

Govs want say on Guard changes
Governors insisted at a Capitol Hill hearing that no major changes
should be made to the nation’s National Guard without first consulting the
troops’ local commanders-in-chief -- the governors
http://www.stateline.org/live/ViewPage.action?
siteNodeId=136&languageId=1&contentId=120271

June 14, 2006

Judge overturns initiative on property tax
A King County, Washington Superior Court judge has tossed out an
initiative by an anti-tax guru, finding that the measure limiting property-tax
growth to 1 percent a year, passed by voters in 2001, was
unconstitutionally deceptive
http://seattletimes.nwsource.
com/html/localnews/2003059972_eyman14m.html

Strapped States Try New Route, Lease Toll Roads to Foreign Firms
Indiana's decision to hand the Indiana Toll Road to an Australian and
Spanish team for $3.8 billion places Indiana at the leading edge of a
nascent trend for states and local governments that started 1 1/2 years
ago when Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley pushed through a 99-year,
$1.8 billion lease of the Chicago Skyway
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2006/06/09/AR2006060901775.html

Finding Money for the NAFTA Highway
The tribulations of funding the Canada-to-Mexico superhighway are front
and center in Texas and Indiana, where governors are looking to private
partners and tolls
http://www.governing.com/articles/5highway.htm

States' Changes Reshape Medicaid
After winning greater freedom from federal Medicaid rules, states are
moving aggressively to transform the nation's largest public health
insurance program, adding fees, restricting benefits and creating
incentives for patients to take responsibility for their health
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2006/06/11/AR2006061100815.html

Western Governors Take Aim at Global Warming
Bipartisan group passes a resolution calling on states and cities to
reduce human-caused emissions. But it fails to detail specific action.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-govs12jun12,1,3315832.story?
ctrack=1&cset=true

Giuliani Says Nation Lacks Energy Policy
Challenging fellow Republicans in Washington, former Mayor Rudolph W.
Giuliani said yesterday that the Bush administration lacked an energy
policy and that greater reliance on nuclear power, ethanol-based fuels
and hybrid vehicles was more realistic than President Bush's goal of
independence from foreign energy sources
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/14/nyregion/14rudy.html

Court bars immigration vote
The Colorado Supreme Court ruled Monday that a proposed initiative to
eliminate state services to illegal immigrants won't be on the November
ballot, dealing a major setback to a three- year effort to get the proposal
before voters
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_3929774

State finances stable, but governors wary
States regained their financial footing this fiscal year, increasing
spending to levels not seen since the 2001 economic downturn
hammered state budgets, according to the latest report on state finances
from the National Governors Association and the National Association of
State Budget Officers
http://www.stateline.org/live/ViewPage.action?
siteNodeId=136&languageId=1&contentId=119510

Senate bill paves way for pay-for-performance
A senator highly involved in government reform introduced a bill Tuesday
to heighten the federal government's focus on employee performance
http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?
articleid=34318&dcn=todaysnews

June 9, 2006

Judge Delivers Blow to Bush Faith Initiative
A prominent faith-based prisoner rehabilitation program funded by the
state of Iowa is an unconstitutional violation of the separation of church
and state, a federal judge has ruled
http://www.jointogether.org/news/headlines/inthenews/2006/judge-
delivers-blow-to-bush.html

Negotiators reach deal on supplemental spending bill
House-Senate negotiators reached agreement on a $94.5 billion fiscal
2006 supplemental spending bill for Iraq and Afghanistan and hurricane
relief, ending a weeks-long standoff over funding levels and avoiding a
veto fight with the White House
http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?
articleid=34302&dcn=todaysnews

June 8, 2006

States looking to cash in assets
States and local governments across the USA are preparing to cash in
valuable public assets for one-time windfalls that could reap tens of
billions of dollars
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-06-07-state-assets_x.htm

New State Patrol unit, employer checks mandated
Colorado Governor signed into law bills that will create an immigration
unit in the Colorado State Patrol and require state contractors to sign up
for an online federal program that checks a worker's immigration status
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/government/article/0,2777,
DRMN_23906_4755879,00.html

Texas installs cameras on border
The state of Texas will spend $5 million to place hundreds of video
cameras along its border with Mexico that will broadcast surveillance
footage on the Internet to help prevent crime and illegal border crossings
http://www.gcn.com/online/vol1_no1/40979-1.html

Americans want universal health coverage, group says
The federal government should guarantee that all Americans have basic
health insurance coverage, says a committee set up by Congress to find
out what people want when it comes to health care
http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/06/07/universal.coverage.ap/index.html

June 6, 2006

In 2007, 17 States Will Face Federal Funding Shortfalls of $800 Million
in their State Children’s Health Insurance Programs
http://www.cbpp.org/6-5-06health2.htm

The State of the Estate Tax as of 2006
With the Senate preparing to vote on permanent repeal of the estate tax in
June, it is important to take stock of the changes that have already been
made to the tax
http://www.cbpp.org/5-31-06tax2.htm

Analysis: Medicaid's Huge Hidden Costs
In the 40 years since it was created to provide medical care to the needy,
Medicaid has expanded far beyond that original mission. In 2004,
Medicaid spending totaled $309 billion. The program now consumes a
larger share of state budgets than elementary and secondary education.
http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=19080

Power Trips: Congressional Staffers Share the Road
A new study of more than 25,000 public documents reveals that
members of Congress are not alone in taking millions of dollars worth of
privately funded trips. Lawmakers and their aides took nearly 23,000
privately sponsored trips to places from Kansas to Kazakhstan, at a cost
of almost $50 million, according to a new study
http://www.publicintegrity.org/about/release.aspx?aid=54

States want cash for costs of illegals
States are raising their voices in the Capitol Hill debate over immigration
reform, telling Congress they have a financial stake in how the United
States deals with those here illegally
http://www.stateline.org/live/ViewPage.action?
siteNodeId=136&languageId=1&contentId=117419

June 2, 2006

Leasing the Ohio Turnpike
Imagine Ohio reaping a $4 billion to $6 billion windfall that allows
millions to be invested in Cleveland, Dayton and other struggling cities
where Democrats dominate - without raising taxes. Instead, it would be
done by leasing the Ohio Turnpike
http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/EndUser?
Action=UserDisplayFullDocument&orgId=1593&topicId=21355&docId=l:
392839275

Senate Bill Would Add 20 Million Legal Immigrants, Report Says
The nation's population of legal immigrants would increase by nearly 20
million over the next decade if the recently passed Senate immigration bill
becomes law, and taxpayers would spend more than $50 billion to
operate a new guest-worker program and pay for extra welfare, Social
Security and public health-care costs, according to a Congressional
Budget Office report.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2006/06/01/AR2006060101696.html

State must repay retirees $30M, plus interest
South Carolina has until July 1 to issue refunds — with interest — to
about 14,000 working retirees who were forced to contribute toward their
pensions, the S.C. Supreme Court ruled; The state collected more than
$30 million from those retirees.
http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/14721318.htm

Govs' hiring under fire
Governors in Kentucky, Maryland and Illinois are facing scrutiny for hiring
practices that test the legal limits of the historic “spoils system” in state
government -- rewarding jobs to partisan supporters
http://www.stateline.org/live/ViewPage.action?
siteNodeId=136&languageId=1&contentId=116789

Support for Nuclear Power Is Growing
A March 2006 Gallup poll shows a majority of Americans support the
construction of more nuclear power plants, while the founder of
Greenpeace has added his voice to those supporting nuclear power as
good for the environment
http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=19123

June 1, 2006

Global U.S. Troop Deployment, 1950-2005
http://www.heritage.org/Research/NationalSecurity/cda06-02.cfm

California Assembly Passes National Popular Vote Plan
Seeking to force presidential candidates to pay attention to California's
15.5 million voters, the state Assembly approves legislation that would
award electoral votes to the candidate who wins the popular vote
nationwide. The same 888-word bill is pending in four other states
http://www.opednews.
com/articles/genera_ryan_o_d_060531_california_assembly_.htm

Arizona tax cuts irk cities; Revenue sharing would be reduced
Lawmakers will move forward with a 10 percent income tax cut today
despite warnings from dozens of Arizona mayors, police officers and
firefighters that the plan will hurt their efforts to protect citizens from crime,
fire and terrorism
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0601shared-revenue0601.html

Ethanol mandate clears Louisiana House
The Louisiana House gave final legislative approval to a bill that would
require the state's motorists to buy gasoline blended with ethanol, a
measure supporters say is needed to attract ethanol-producing
businesses.
http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/2900906.html

State & Federal Government