State Legislatures articles from February 2003

State Legislatures archives from February 2003

Stronger in the Broken Places: Nine Lessons for Turning Crisis into Triumph. (Books).(Book Review)
February 1, 2003... Stronger in the Broken Places: Nine Lessons for Turning Crisis into Triumph, by James Lee Witt and James Morgan. 2002. Times Books, Henry Holt and Company, New York. 241 pages. $25 "It's been my experience, both personally and...

Letters.
February 1, 2003... WISCONSIN ALSO PROHIBITS DISCRIMINATION IN EMPLOYMENT Editor: The table on Page 7 in the December issue of State Legislatures shows Wisconsin as not having disability as a prohibited reason for employment discrimination. Wisconsin...

Correction.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... In the December 2002 issue of State Legislatures magazine, the chart on Page 14 incorrectly shows Republicans gaining two seats in the Indiana House. Democrats hold control with the same number of seats they had going into the election, 51-49....

How much more evidence do we need? The case for all-day kindergarten is too strong to ignore. (The AFT on Critical Issues in Public Education).
February 1, 2003... To inner-city elementary school teachers, it's as plain as the nose on your face: High-quality, all-day kindergarten gives at-risk children a better chance to succeed in school. That's because poor kids often enter school without knowing their...

States get ranked for privacy. (Statestats).
February 1, 2003... California protects its citizens best against invasions of privacy, according to a survey by the Privacy Journal. Its Legislature passed a raft of new protections in the last two years. And its courts and constitution provide the strongest...

Teen injuries prompt review of job safety. (On First Reading).
February 1, 2003... A 15-year-old grocery store employee severely injures his arm in a meat grinding machine; a 17-year-old has both legs amputated after falling into a horizontal hydraulic baler at a recycling center. Injuries of this magnitude to teenage...

Rapid HIV test--how available should it be? (On First Reading).
February 1, 2003... A new blood test for HIV-1 (the most prevalent form of the virus in the United States) and its availability to public health clinics has been under political scrutiny lately because of approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). ...

States attack deadly deer disease. (On First Reading).
February 1, 2003... In an effort to contain the chronic wasting disease (CWD) afflicting deer and elk across the United States, thousands of captive elk have been killed in Colorado and other states. Wisconsin set a special summer season when hunters were asked to...

Got milk? How about calcium? (On First Reading).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... U.S. dairy farmers have a real marketing coup in the ubiquitous Got Milk? ads. Numerous celebrities, rock and television stars tell us it's pretty cool to sport a milk moustache. But Indiana Representative Bill Friend hopes more...

Fairness for the fair sex. (Stateline).(women's political participation)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... You've come a long way, baby... kind of. The Institute for Women's Policy Research has recently reported on the political participation of women across the states, and the results are mixed. Washington state received the highest score for...

Doing double duty. (Stateline).(mail carriers in Nebraska)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... In some rural areas of the country, the mailman is the most reliable visitor. So in Nebraska, state officials use them to keep track of the wild creatures they see as they traverse the prairies. For a few days every April, July and October, the...

Paper promises. (Stateline).(environmental policy of Tennessee and International Paper)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Tennessee and International Paper have announced a formal partnership to protect and manage special areas on more than 220,000 acres of the company's forestland in the state. Under the three-year agreement, the state and the company will...

Integrity in government. (Stateline).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Another ranking of states has come out, and this one has to do with integrity. States were ranked by the Better Government Association on the strength of their laws that promote integrity--that is, how protected the government is against...

America, the Beautiful. (Stateline).(Keep America Beautiful organization )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The Keep America Beautiful organization is celebrating its 50th year of improving local communities by setting ambitious goals for the future. To mobilize a volunteer spirit, the organization will strive to increase by 50 percent: the number of...

No butts about it. (Stateline).(anti-smoking laws)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... A Massachusetts man has become the first firefighter to be fired under a state law that prohibits firefighters and police officers from smoking. The no-smoking law calls for the dismissal of any firefighter or police officer hired after Jan. 1,...

Hearing the voice of youth. (Stateline).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Maine has a new Legislative Youth Council that will be advising the Legislature on youth issues, developing legislation and representing young people. The 18-member council includes young people from across the state between the ages of 15 and...

From crimes to computers. (Stateline).(preventing juvenile delinquency)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Utah has found one program for juvenile delinquents that seems to be breaking the cycle of crime. Selected teenage boys serving time at some state youth correctional facilities are given the opportunity to take computer classes and earn...

Court uncorks wine law. (Stateline).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... A New York law banning out-of-state wineries from directly shipping their products to New York consumers was found unconstitutional by a federal judge in November. The New York law, similar to those in at least 28 other states, requires that...

A veto first. (Stateline).(North Carolina)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Joining the 49 other states, North Carolina voters approved the veto in a statewide vote, and Governor Mike Easley chose an obscure appointments bill to be the first stamped with a veto in that state's history. No one knows for sure why he...

Cell phone etiquette. (Stateline).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Has it happened to you? You're watching a beautiful, touching scene in a movie theater when the cell phone of the jerk behind you starts playing Fur Elise. After he finishes the conversation, you've missed half the dialogue. Although many...

A blueprint for streamlining sales taxes: an agreement on how to simplify sales taxes across state lines has been reached. Now it's up to legislatures to concur.
February 1, 2003... We'd been in so many hotels over the past two or three years," remembers Oklahoma Senator Angela Monson. "The same people, the same hollow square table, the same milling around, the same hallway conversations. "Then, that morning last...

Pharmacy plus: the perfect cure? States are experimenting with using medicaid to cover drug costs for the "not-quite-so-poor".
February 1, 2003... If seniors 65 and over have reasonable care under Medicare, but lack vital prescription drug coverage, can Medicaid make up the difference? Last year, three states were determined to find out. connecticut, Illinois and Maryland each...

Democracy works: democracy in action is not appealing, so it's hard for people to appreciate it. It's up to legislators to teach a little "democracy appreciation," and help the public understand how the legislature works.
February 1, 2003... What looks worst when it's working best? The answer is the legislature--which is not supposed to look good. Its job is to resolve conflicts one way or another, and neither fighting it Out nor working it out appeal to most of us. We would just...

Sharing criminal records: two new interstate compacts enhance public safety by improving the exchange of information.
February 1, 2003... Demand for criminal history information has skyrocketed as an increasing number of states require background checks; some of this is due to the events of Sept. 11. The USA Patriot Act passed by congress in the fall of 2001, for example,...

The genetic key to public health: strides in genetics research are making a difference in public health.
February 1, 2003... Of mice and men. Scientists often study mice to understand human diseases. At Harvard Medical School, for example, they have discovered genetic variations in mice that protect against anthrax. Finding similar characteristics in humans could...

Paying for family leave: California was the first to pass a paid family leave law. Now other states are considering following in the Golden State's footsteps.
February 1, 2003... The United States is a leader in protecting workers' rights. We offer unemployment benefits to the jobless and compensate those injured on the lob. Despite these worker friendly policies, this country is one of only two industrialized nations...

Looking for school leaders.
February 1, 2003... School districts across the country are facing a shortage of qualified school leaders so state policymakers are looking at different ways to increase the pool of qualified and interested candidates. Wanted: An energetic individual with...