State Legislatures articles from April 2003

State Legislatures archives from April 2003

Condition: critical; our healthcare system leaves millions unserved and it's a national shame. (Where we Stand).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Our country is facing a massive healthcare crisis, Millions of Americans don t have access to medical treatment. While we're second to none in medical expertise and technology, we're way behind in making healthcare and health insurance...

Letters.
April 1, 2003... Federal Preemption Lurks in E-sign Editor: I am writing to express my concern over the content of the article entitled "E-signatures for an E-world," published in the January 2003 edition of State Legislatures. Although I was pleased...

Gaining a better understanding of bioterrorism.(Book Review)
April 1, 2003... A Journalist's Guide to Covering Bioterrorism by David Chandler and India Landrigan. 2002. Radio and Television News Directors Foundation, 1600 K Street, NW, Suite 700, Washington, D.C. 20006-2838. 47 pages, $25. Available online at...

A different landscape: rural poverty in America. (Statestats).
April 1, 2003... Images of poverty are typically portrayed with an urban backdrop of run-down public housing units, neglected inner city schools and dilapidated concrete playgrounds. But recently, legislators have intensified their discussions about...

So whose water is it anyway? (On First Reading).
April 1, 2003... It used to be that farmers in the West battled cities for water. Now farmers in Colorado are fighting other farmers, and their urban allies, over continued pumping of wells that are draining water supplies from the South Platte River,...

Identity theft fastest growing white collar crime in nation. (On First Reading).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Identity theft is still considered the fastest growing white collar crime in the nation. The Federal Trade Commission received 162,000 reports of ID theft last year, almost twice as many as the year before. Thieves hack into corporate...

Governor empties death row, sparks contentious debate. (On First Reading).(Illinois governor George Ryan)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Just days before leaving office, Illinois Governor George Ryan emptied his state's death row by granting blanket clemency to all 167 inmates there. This was the largest commutation since the death penalty was overturned in 1972 by the U.S....

Catching cactus criminals. (Stateline).(theft of cacti)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Thieves are raiding the Chihuahuan Desert's rare cacti, and the ecosystem is suffering. Demand for wild cactus and succulent plants is growing rapidly. Since cactus grows so slowly, those who want larger specimens are increasingly looking to...

We've got a deal for you. (Stateline).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Colorado has figured out how to get rid of those 400 to 600 used state vehicles--like a state patrol squad car that once chased speeders, a van that ferried inmates between prisons and an SUV that whisked the governor off to meet the president....

That 1970s issue. (Stateline).(Equal Rights Amendment)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Illinois Representative Lou Lang has resuscitated the Equal Rights Amendment, saying, "Glass ceilings and partial paychecks serve as vivid reminders that equal rights are still eluding American women." Two decades after Illinois helped defeat...

Sprawl spreads. (Stateline).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Sprawl--defined by Smart Growth America as unplanned urban growth outside the existing infrastructure-- continues to plague our cities and countryside. The group recently released a comprehensive assessment of sprawl and its impacts. Smart...

Protecting the manatees. (Stateline).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... New speed zones for powerboats, better enforcement of existing rules, and expansion of refuges and national parks are all part of a settlement between the federal government and environmental groups who sued over what they called ineffective...

Whose urine is it? (Stateline).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Arkansas is looking at punishing anyone who sells urine to defraud drug tests. The House bill would make it a misdemeanor, punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a fine of up to $500, to give or possess urine samples for falsifying drug or...

Bucking the trend. (Stateline).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... This year, the nation's least-populous state plans to beef up spending on Medicaid, expand its community college program, add on to the state prison and set aside nearly $100 million in a reserve fund. And it doesn't even have a corporate or...

House Minority Leader gives it all away. (Stateline).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Minnesota House Minority Leader Matt Entenza made a personal commitment to share more than $12,000 of his legislative salary with nonprofit organizations facing a potential loss of state support during the current budget crisis. "In simple...

Hybrid vehicles are hot. (Stateline).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Vehicles that save gasoline by combining electric motors with internal combustion engines are catching on with consumers and automobile makers alike. Toyota and Honda are already selling tens of thousands of the hybrids and General Motors and...

Take our money, please. (Stateline).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... An Amish group in Holmes County, Ohio, is asking the government for a way to accept their donations to repair and maintain roads abused by the clip-clop of their horses and buggies. In response, Senator Ron Amstutz is drafting legislation to...

Safe and secure. (Stateline).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Keeping science experiments in classrooms both interesting and safe is no easy task. Hands-on experiments make science come alive, but also introduce the danger of mishaps. After recent incidents of exploding methanol and giant fireballs,...

Helping America vote: after more than 200 years of voting, the United States is about to make a massive investment in the neglected elections infrastructure. The feds have made a down payment, but will all the money be there?(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Every vote counts. Nobody has to remind Wyoming Representative Liz Gentile of that. When the votes were tallied in her race for Wyoming House District 36 last fall, the Associated Press reported that she lost--by just one vote. When...

Rx for Medicaid: with Medicaid costs rising and revenues declining, states are looking at what to do.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Medicaid is on the block. Again. Deteriorating financial conditions and depleted rainy day funds are forcing policymakers in some states--reluctantly--to cut the program. With at least 36 states facing 2003 budg1et gaps--despite earlier...

License to drive = proof of identity: in the aftermath of Sept. 11, states are working to make their driver's license systems more secure.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Many of the Sept. 11 hijackers held U.S. driver's licenses--some obtained fraudulently and some legitimately. This revelation focused new attention on flaws in the system and has state and federal lawmakers working hard to improve the integrity...

Welfare and wedding vows: some legislators want to use welfare funds to strengthen marriages; others have questions.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... For most state legislators, welfare reform meant a laser focus on work--work requirements, stronger sanctions, time limits, job training and support services to move parents off welfare and into jobs. But for legislators like Arizona Senator...

Attack of the clones: as cloning technology marches forward, state legislatures are faced with some hard decisions.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... First, it was sheep. Then, it was "CC," the cloned house cat. If a cloned sheep spawned CC's creator Genetic Savings and Clone, where pet owners can bank Fido's DNA, then what could spring from cloned humans? Cloning first hit the front...