State Legislatures articles from December 2007

State Legislatures archives from December 2007

How are the kids?(STATESTATS)(Annie E. Casey Foundation's report on the well being of children across the United States)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Our children's well-being is only slightly better than last year, but still not on par with the gains we saw at the end of the 1990s. Areas that saw some improvement in the last five years are the child death rate, the teen birth rate, high...

People & politics.(TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS)
December 1, 2007... Colorado Representative Debbie Stafford stunned her GOP colleagues in October when she announced she is switching parties. Stafford's move puts the Democrats' majority in the House at 40-25, and they celebrated by giving her a jersey with her...

Lemon-aid.(TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] We call buying a bad automobile getting a lemon; it's deceivingly beautiful in the store, but sour once you bite into it. The precise definition of a "lemon" varies by state, but in general includes vehicles that...

Home to a poem.(TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS)
December 1, 2007... Blessings be with them, and eternal praise, Who gave us nobler loves, and nobler cares! The Poets, who on earth have made us heirs Of truth and pure delight by heavenly lays. --WILLIAM WORDS WORTH (ENGLAND' POET LAUREATE...

Single-sex public education.(TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS)
December 1, 2007... Did you know that the optimal classroom temperature for learning is 68 degrees for boys, but 74 degrees for girls? And that for every 100 girls who repeat kindergarten, 194 boys do. These are just two of the reasons single-sex education is...

The upward looking.(TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS)(community development financial institutions)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The immigrant guilds of Manhattan's Lower East Side in the late 1800s aren't usually recognized as financiers: but in a way, they were. Regular banks wouldn't do business with immigrants, so the guilds became...

Grandparents as parents.(TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 6.1 MILLION Children living with grandparents. 2.4 MILLION Grandparents responsible for most of the basic needs of live-in grandchildren. 920,000 Grandparents who've cared for grandchildren for...

Only the real thing.(TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are cracking down on music group imposters by passing Truth in Music laws. The laws, which thus far have faced little opposition, emerged from the lobbying efforts of the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, an...

Keeping track of sex offenders.(TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Since the 1990s, states have passed many new restrictions on sex offenders, including geographic restrictions, mandatory minimum sentences, and the use of new technologies to monitor them in the community. At least 31 states supervise sex...

Mississippi makeoever.(STATELINE)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Mississippi's 104-year-old Capitol is in need of a $5.5 million makeover in the next couple of years, according to the Associated Press. David Anderson, head of buildings and grounds, said the domed building needs to...

Unhealthy air purifiers.(STATELINE)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... The California Air Resources board has banned in-home ozone air purifiers, citing studies that found they can worsen lung conditions such as asthma, even though many manufacturers claim they help prevent such conditions. The regulation requires...

A world view.(STATELINE)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Some Oregon high schools are adopting Mexico's public school curriculum to help Spanish-speaking students learn math, science and even U.S. history through textbooks, DVDs and CDs provided free by Mexico. Similar programs are happening in...

Dying to light up.(STATELINE)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Although smoking rates have declined over the last several years, 20 percent of Americans still smoke. And smoking is still the leading cause of premature death in America. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the...

Distracted in other ways.(STATELINE)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Arizona's cell-phone industry is protesting Phoenix's new law banning texting while driving by proposing a state law that bans all kinds activities that can distract a driver--including eating, putting on make-up and turning around to talk to...

The power of pink.(STATELINE)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Pink seems to have a calming effect on prisoners. In Walla Walla, Wash., violent inmates placed in all-pink rooms became less aggressive. It also seems to have a deterrent effect. In Mason County, Texas, Sheriff Clint Law puts all inmates in...

Wood boiler rules.(STATELINE)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A new law in Vermont restricts emissions from outdoor wood boilers. It sets a particulate matter (fly ash, soot, etc.) emission limit of 0.44 pounds per million BTUs of heat input for newly manufactured outdoor...

Florida wins.(STATELINE)(Automated Community Connection to Economic Self-Sufficiency)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Florida's Automated Community Connection to Economic Self-Sufficiency (ACCESS) program won the Innovations in American Government Awards presented by the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard this fall. Along with...

Deposit dilemma.(STATELINE)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Michigan has a problem with people smuggling tens of millions of beverage cans and bottles into the state from Ohio and Indiana to get Michigan's 10-cent deposit refund. The state receives about $10 million per year from bottle deposits that...

A duty to dry.(STATELINE)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The "Right-to-Dry" movement is growing. More and more states are looking at legislation to override clothesline bans, often supported by community associations. Supporters want to save energy by drying clothes the...

Pork's out.(STATELINE)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... In order to save money and treat everyone fairly, the Florida Corrections Department no longer provides kosher meals. The Jewish Dietary Accommodation Program had previously provided kosher meals to Jews and Muslims, since it didn't offer halal...

Cyber safety.(STATELINE)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Protecting kids online is what's behind a new cyber safety initiative in Michigan that aims to teach kids how to recognize the language of Internet predators. It provides age-appropriate messages that give children the knowledge they need to...

Ignition interlocks turn the key and blow: can technology stop drunk driving?(Cover story)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Looking around for new weapons to combat impaired driving, states have rediscovered a forgotten ally: the ignition interlock. And it's not the ignition interlock of the 1980s, with all the concerns about how easy it...

SCRAM[R] alcohol monitoring ankle bracelet.(Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SCRAM[R] (Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor) is a non-invasive alcohol-detection system that automatically tests for alcohol at least every hour, 24 hours a day, regardless of the offender's location. ...

Can it work? Three New England states have made bold reforms in how we provide health care in America. What can we learn from their lead?(UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Health reform swept the nation's capitols in 2007 with at least 28 states considering new laws or discussing proposals to change the system--some inching toward the goal of universal coverage and others taking a...

Idling is exhausting: cutting down on idling can save money and improve air quality, a benefit to truck companies and citizens.
December 1, 2007... Each year the trucking industry uses millions of gallons of diesel fuel hauling vital goods to stores across the country. The U.S. economy depends on it. But there are consequences to burning all that fuel. The carbon dioxide emissions lead to...

Kids, not cases: judges make better decisions when children and their families--with adequate legal representation--participate in child welfare proceedings.
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I never went to court. I have been in and out of foster care since I was a baby, and I really resent that I never got the chance to speak on my behalf or even be present when my future was being discussed." This...

Advice to avoid ethical pitfalls: a panel of veteran legislators offers advice on how lawmakers can avoid some of the obvious and not-so-obvious ethical pitfalls.(TOOLS OF THE TRADE)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As legislators tip-toe through the mine fields of policy choices, they face other potential dilemmas. Whether it is building relationships with colleagues, lobbyists and staff, being attentive to their families,...

PE makes a comeback: lawmakers are looking at physical education to improve kids' health and academic achievement.(physical education)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Kids are getting fatter. Obesity rates over the last 30 years have more than quadrupled for children ages 6 to 11 and more than tripled for youths ages 12 to 19. Our children and youths are at risk for developing...

As they see it.(quotes from politicians, government officials and organization executives)
December 1, 2007... "It's a strange thing. The sales tax is without question a regressive tax that hurts the poor. But every income group prefers it to other taxes." --Indiana Senator Lindel Hume, to USA Today, about the popularity of the sales tax. ...