State Legislatures articles from April 2005

State Legislatures archives from April 2005

EITC: money for the working poor.(Statestats)(Earned Income Tax Credit)
April 1, 2005... This month, millions of poor working families will be eligible for the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) when they file their income taxes. When the credit exceeds the amount of taxes owned, the taxpayer collects it as a refund. ...

The George Washington University Homeland Security Policy Institute.(People & Politics)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... New York Senator Michael Balboni, chair of the Committee for Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs, has been named a 2005 senior fellow by The George Washington University Homeland Security Policy Institute. The 34 senior fellows...

Iowa Legislative Research Bureau.(People & Politics)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... When Serge Garrison became the director of the Iowa Legislative Research Bureau (now the Legislative Service Bureau) in 1967, he was the youngest person in the nation named to such a post. He served until 1984 when he left to become executive...

In what has been described as a "major shake-up," new Massachusetts Speaker Salvatore DiMasi has appointed several minority members to key positions and given liberal dissidents banished by predecessor Thomas Finneran important committee chairmanships.(People & Politics)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... In what has been described as a "major shake-up," new Massachusetts Speaker Salvatore DiMasi has appointed several minority members to key positions and given liberal dissidents banished by predecessor Thomas Finneran important committee...

Missouri.(People & Politics)(new House speaker Rod Jetton)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Missouri's new House speaker knows how to make a point. To draw attention to the state's deteriorating roads, he walked halfway across Missouri. Frustrated by the State of the State address, he shouted out during the governor's address. Yet Rod...

On the Senate side, experience also counts.(People & Politics)(Michael Gibbons president pro tem)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... On the Senate side, experience also counts. Twelve-year veteran Michael Gibbons, 45, who started his career in the House, moved from Senate majority floor leader last session to president pro tem this year. Gibbons, a lawyer, was inspired to...

A mere 16 votes put Texas's first Vietnamese lawmaker in the House of Representatives.(People & Politics)(Hubert Vo)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... A mere 16 votes put Texas's first Vietnamese lawmaker in the House of Representatives. Hubert Vo defeated veteran Republican Talmadge Heflin, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, who challenged the November count. Representative Will...

Utah's newest state senator faced a challenge two days after being sworn in.(People & Politics)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Utah's newest state senator faced a challenge two days after being sworn in. Scott McCoy, an attorney and political activist, replaced Senator Paula Julander, who resigned for health reasons. The challenge from an unnamed person is whether...

Guess what are clogging HOV lanes? Popular hybrids.(Trends And Transitions)(high occupancy vehicle lanes)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... As hybrid vehicles become more popular, Virginia's carpool lanes are increasingly congested. Virginia is one of a handful of states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida and Georgia) to allow hybrid vehicles with only one...

Pay your taxes, help a good cause.(Trends And Transitions)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... National interest in income tax check-off programs has mounted steadily since Colorado, the first state to allow taxpayers to use income tax forms to contribute to a nonpolitical charitable program, created the Colorado Nongame and Endangered...

State capitols--the new "hot spots".(Trends And Transitions)
April 1, 2005... Looking for a new wireless Internet access point, of "hot spot," to surf the Web of check e-mail while keeping up with legislative events? Look no farther than your state capitol. They ate the new hot spots, joining the more highly publicized...

The benefits of breastfeeding.(Trends And Transitions)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Mother and baby can both benefit from breastfeeding. But does that mean breastfeeding should be allowed anywhere? That's the question several state legislatures have been dealing with. For a mother, breastfeeding can help her return quickly...

Where the jackalopes roam.(Stateline)(Wyoming's official mythical animal)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Never as well-known or distinguished as the unicorn or the mermaid, the humble jackalope seems at last headed for a little official recognition in Wyoming. A legislative committee has endorsed a bill to crown the jackalope (a jackrabbit with...

Home sweet home.(Stateline)(repairs to state legislature buildings)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Washington lawmakers are thrilled to be back in their beautiful Capitol following a $118 million makeover after the 2001 earthquake twisted the dome, wrecked the plaster and did considerable damage. They've been meeting in cramped temporary...

Cut the losses and run.(Stateline)(foreign capital depository idea costs Montana money)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Montana legislators passed a law back in 1997 allowing foreign capital depositories to set up in their state, as a way to protect their clients' wealth from tax collectors and government regulators back home. (Think Switzerland and the Cayman...

What's good for kids ...(Stateline)(Texas legislators recite Pledge of Allegiance)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... If school kids have to, so should Texas House members. So now, both start their days by saying the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance and the Texas pledge. The House approved the new rule last January. In 2003, the Legislature passed a bill requiring...

Precious taxes.(Stateline)(Idaho tax policy)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... A northern Idaho representative wants residents to have the option to pay state taxes with gold and silver. Representative Dick Harwood thinks it could stimulate the local mining economy. Using gold and silver for legal tender, however, could...

Get on with the show.(Stateline)(new law for movie listings)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Frustrated with lengthy advertisements and previews that delay the start of movies, a lawmaker in Connecticut wants to force theaters to be honest about when a movie actually starts. Representative Andrew Fleischmann is proposing legislation to...

Tax-free youth.(Stateline)(Iowa's attempt to keep young people in state)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Iowa is looking at a proposal to exclude those younger than 30 from taxation. Seems Iowa is losing its young people at an alarming rate and supporters believe this tax break might be a way to stimulate Iowa's economy, create more jobs and keep...

Something to crow about.(Stateline)(cockfighting rules)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Picture this. Tiny boxing gloves and little padded vests for roosters to wear while they go at each other. Cute? Serious? Yes. Oklahoma Senator Frank Shurden, a long-time defender of cockfighting, said the ban against it passed back in 2002 has...

Expanding emergencies.(Stateline)(road graders to be treated as emergency vehicles)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The North Dakota Transportation Department wants drivers to treat a road grader (or any other kind of road maintenance equipment) just like an ambulance, police car of fire truck. Law already requires drivers to change lanes and slow down for...

Fair is fair.(Stateline)(outdated Washington law on slander of women)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Believing a 1909 law in Washington to be a vestige of sexism, Senator Jeanne Kohl-Welles is sponsoring a bill to repeal the statute that makes "slander of a woman" a crime. It prohibits "false of defamatory words or language which shall injure...

Dialing for danger.(Stateline)(bill to ban teen drivers using cellphones)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Virginia lawmakers ate considering a bill to ban teenagers under 18 from using a cell phone while they drive. The bill's sponsor, Representative Michael Scanlon, said the measure comes as a reaction to a near-accident he had with a cell...

Drinking too much, too young: trying to find an answer to the persistent habit of binge drinking among young people vexes the nation's policymakers.
April 1, 2005... The stories have been shocking, abruptly reminding a nation of a problem that remains unsolved: in the last hall of 2004, six college-age students in Colorado died as a result of binge drinking. Although each fatality was different in its...

The allure of alternatives: legislatures are promoting renewable energy development through various incentives.
April 1, 2005... Oil and natural gas are doing more than fueling cars and heating homes. As costs continue to rise, they ate fueling the demand for alternative energy. Wind turbines are spinning throughout the landscape. Twelve percent of the nation's com...

Building green: states are getting involved in making new and old buildings energy efficient.
April 1, 2005... It may be Arizona's greatest contribution to the green building movement: a $36.4 million headquarters for the state's Department of Environmental Quality that is loaded with energy-efficiency features. "We have people coming in here all...

The stem cell race: hoping for a piece of the stem-cell research pie, legislators and governors are hurrying to establish programs. But not all lawmakers are eager to embrace of finance them.
April 1, 2005... In the months since the fall elections, lawmakers in statehouses across the country have been racing to propose stem-cell-research programs worth up to $1 billion in state money. Their actions come at a difficult time for state governments....

Releases: impressing the press: here are seven steps to writing and distributing effective press releases.(Tools Of The Trade)
April 1, 2005... Look at today's newspaper. How many stories do you think were the result of a press release? Probably lots. Many reporters use press releases as a starting point in writing the stories that appear in your local newspapers, magazines, radio and...

States and tribes: a healthy alliance: some of the health care models states and tribes are developing for Native Americans could be used for other residents.
April 1, 2005... The disparities in health between Native Americans and other Americans are nothing short of staggering. American Indians and Alaska Natives rank at of near the bottom of nearly every social, health and economic indicator, according to a...

Indian country concerns: Native Americans want people to know that they have the same interests as everyone else--in improving health care, education and the environment.
April 1, 2005... The number of Native American legislators is on the rise--37 seats in 13 states. Alaska and Montana have the most. Seven Alaska Natives serve in the House and Senate. Montana's numbers have been growing since 2001. Representative Carol...

Securing homeland security funds: efforts are underway to make it easier for states and local governments to access homeland security funds.
April 1, 2005... Follow the yellow brick road! Follow the yellow brick road! If only it were that easy. How do communities track down their portion of the $2.5 billion in federal funding for homeland security available in FY 2005? While the path has...

Overfed but undernourished: not will power, but purchasing power, may determine who eats healthy foods.
April 1, 2005... In the land of plenty, Americans in growing numbers are obese. The reasons seem obvious--consuming too many calories, exercising too little to burn them away. Not necessarily so. In low-income communities all across the country, the story...

As they see it.(opinions of state legislators)
April 1, 2005... "... It's a helluva lot like planning your own funeral." --Mississippi Representative Steve Holland, who happens to be a funeral home operator, on concerns of cutting back on the Medicaid program quoted in The Wall Street Journal. ...