State Legislatures articles from February 2007

State Legislatures archives from February 2007

Democracy at Risk: How Political Choices Undermine Citizen Participation and What We Can Do About It.(Book review)
February 1, 2007... Democracy at Risk: How Political Choices Undermine Citizen Participation and What We Can Do About It, by Stephen Macedo and 18 other authors. 2005. Brookings Institution Press, Washington, D.C. 188 pages. $44.95 hardcover, $17.95 softcover. ...

Aged 21 and under.(LETTERS)(blood alcohol concentration limit)(Letter to the editor)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Editor: I am writing to make you aware of an error in the article "Lower is Even Better" in the December 2006 issue of State Legislatures. The article says that "All U.S. states have adopted a BAC limit of .02 or less for drivers aged...

Correction.(Correction notice)
February 1, 2007... In the "Bloggers Press for Power" article in the January issue, Rob Weber, director of public information at the Kentucky Legislative Research Commission, was misquoted. What he did say was that blogs are "decentralizing the information...

States take the lead on minimum wage.(STATESTATS)
February 1, 2007... Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia have adopted minimum wages that are higher than the federal rate of $5.15. Most raises came from laws passed by legislatures, but citizens in nine states set the minimum wage. Voters in Arizona,...

After two months of counting ballots and political intrigue, the Pennsylvania House has a new speaker.(People & Politics)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... After two months of counting ballots and political intrigue, the Pennsylvania House has a new speaker. It also has a new majority. The Democrats claimed control of the House after a recount Dec. 21 gave Barbara McIlvaine Smith a 27-vote victory...

The election left the Oklahoma Senate tied 24-24, and on Jan. 2, members reached a power-sharing agreement.(People & Politics)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... The election left the Oklahoma Senate tied 24-24, and on Jan. 2, members reached a power-sharing agreement. Democratic Senator Mike Morgan was elected to a second term as president pro tem, but he will share that office with Republican Senator...

Two of Maine's history-making speakers are paired up in the Senate, taking turns at leadership in that chamber.(People & Politics)(Libby Mitchell and John Martin)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Two of Maine's history-making speakers are paired up in the Senate, taking turns at leadership in that chamber. Libby Mitchell was the first woman elected majority leader and speaker (1996) in the Maine House of Representatives. Now she is...

Carleton Turner.(People & Politics)(retirement of Texas Senate Segeant at arms)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Texas Senate Sergeant at arms Carleton Turner is retiring after 23 years in the Legislature. Turner started in the sergeant's office in 1983 and in only three years rose to the top post. There have been a lot of memorable moments during his...

Peter Shumlin.(People & Politics)(new pro tem president of the Vermont Senate)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Peter Shumlin is president pro tem of the Vermont Senate. This is a return engagement for Senator Shumlin. He previously served in the same post from 1997-2002.

Women legislators are making leadership history around the country.(People and Politics)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Women legislators are making leadership history around the country. Colleen Hanabusa is the first woman to serve as president of the Hawaii Senate. The majority leaders in the California Senate and Assembly are both women: Senator Gloria Romero...

New York Assemblyman Ron Canestrari, who has served for almost two decades, is the new Assembly majority leader.(People & Politics)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... New York Assemblyman Ron Canestrari, who has served for almost two decades, is the new Assembly majority leader. He replaces Assemblyman Paul Tokasz, who did not seek reelection. The New York Senate is losing Senator Michael Balboni who was...

Ignition interlocks keep drunks from driving.(TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Convicted drunk drivers will need more than their key to start their cars in a growing number of states. They'll also have to breathe into a tube on an ignition interlock, which can be installed on a car to prevent it from starting or running...

English--it's official.(TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS)
February 1, 2007... Twenty-six states have statutes or amendments to their constitution defining English as the official language. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Women in state legislatures.(TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... There are 1,734 women legislators nationwide, which is 23,5 percent of all legislative seats. TOP 10 STATES 1 Vermont 37.2% 2 New Hampshire 36.3% 3 Minnesota 34.8% 4 Arizona 34.4% 5 Colorado 34.0% 6 Maryland...

Video franchising gets easier.(TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... All companies interested in offering cable services to consumers before 2005 were required to negotiate separate agreements with each city before they could lay cable in the ground or place it along utility poles. In some states these...

Credit for religious classes.(TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS)(South Carolina Legislature's law)
February 1, 2007... The South Carolina Legislature approved a law last summer that allows high schools to give credit to students for off-campus religious study, also known as released time programs. Although other states, including Idaho, Minnesota, New York,...

Reforming health care legislative priority.(TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Health care reform was hot in legislatures across the nation in 2006 and the forecast for this session may be even hotter. Fueled by the increasing number of uninsured Americans, the declining number of employers offering insurance to their...

The benefits of cord blood.(TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS)(stem cell transplantation)
February 1, 2007... In the delivery room new moms can double the rewards of childbirth, by bringing a new life into the world and saving another. Since 1988, doctors have transplanted stem cells taken from umbilical cords and placentas of newborns into patients...

A grizzly debate.(STATELINE)(removal of grizzly bears in Yellowstone National Park)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Sometime soon the decision to remove grizzly bears in Yellowstone National Park from endangered species protections is expected to become final. "Delisting does not mean walking away from the bears," says Chris Servheen, grizzly recovery...

Golden Gate for sale.(STATELINE)(Golden Gate Bridge district looking for sponsors)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... The Golden Gate Bridge district's board of directors is seeking corporate sponsors to help lower the district's $87 billion deficit. This might include installing signs at the south visitors area or on benches and sidewalks at the ends of the...

Wild palm potential.(STATELINE)(Saw Palmetto)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... A common plant that grows abundantly in the forests and undeveloped pastures of southern Georgia may be an alternative cash crop for the state. Saw palmetto, a dwarf palm that also thrives in Florida and coastal South Carolina has berries that...

Tick takeover.(STATELINE)(deer ticks spread in Rhode Island)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Rhode Island is being run over by ticks. Deer ticks, which can carry Lyme disease and babesiosis, have grown in numbers in recent years and spread across most of the state. Lyme disease causes high temperatures, muscle pain and headaches. More...

No problem at the top.(STATELINE)(income of college presidents)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Although tuition is skyrocketing, more college presidents are earning an annual compensation of $500,000 or more, fueled in part by stiff competition from schools looking for the best candidates. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education,...

A focus on freshmen.(STATELINE)(Southeastern High School in Detroit, Michigan)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Across the country, high school freshman are considered more likely to drop out or be held back than other students. So programs aimed at this particular grade are popping up in hopes of keeping kids in school. The programs are designed to ease...

Factory farm fears.(STATELINE)(feedlots causing pollution)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Big feedlots are contaminating water supplies with pathogens and chemicals, and polluting the air with foul-smelling compounds that can cause respiratory problems. The health of their neighbors, however, goes largely unmonitored, according to a...

Cruise crime.(STATELINE)(Celebrity Cruises fined for polluting Strait of Juan de Fuca)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Washington state is fining the Celebrity Cruises company $100,000 for dumping more than half a million gallons of dirty water and sewage into the Strait of Juan de Fuca in the fall of 2005. The company blamed the spill on confusion about...

Driving dot to dot.(STATELINE)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Minnesota recently joined a few other states using highway "distance dots" to reduce tailgating. Highway 55 near Buffalo was chosen for the oval dots (about 2.5 feet wide by 7 feet in length) because it has a higher-than-average crash rate and...

Senioritis vaccine.(STATELINE)(admissions of senior students being revoked by college authorities)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Once accepted at the college of their dreams, too many seniors are "checking out" of high school. From coast to coast, colleges and universities are revoking admission for students whose senior grades drop dramatically or who do not complete...

Capitol wings.(STATELINE)(government planning to construct underground wings)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Idaho is looking at adding two underground wings to the state Capitol. "The Legislature has approved the construction, the bonds have been sold, the money's out there," says commission chairman Jack Kane. The underground wings are part of a...

A cool down.(STATELINE)(Illinois plans effective energy consumption)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Illinois has turned down the temperatures this winter to save money. About 2,000 facilities including office buildings, warehouses and garages will lower daytime temperatures from the 70- to 72-degree range down to 68 degrees. When facilities...

On the road to wellness: lawmakers want Americans to eat better, stop smoking, exercise and relax.
February 1, 2007... Dave Barry was kidding, but he was way ahead of the curve in 1985, when he advised everyone to "stay fit and healthy until you're dead." U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Mike Leavitt, however, was dead serious when he said, in...

The battle against base closures: state lawmakers were prepared to fight the most recent round of recommended closings of military bases.
February 1, 2007... Maine's Speaker John Richardson was stunned when the Department of Defense in May 2005 recommended closing 33 major military bases as well as a host of smaller facilities across the country and realigning another 22. "I was pretty sure...

Brain drain: many legislative staffers are due to retire soon--taking with them a ton of experience.
February 1, 2007... When it comes to legislative proposals, Eddye McClure and her counterparts in Montana Legal Services have seen it all. "Don't try to reinvent the wheel," McClure tells rookie bill drafters. "There are no new ideas that haven't already been...

Connecting kids and lawmakers: students are getting involved in American democracy, and legislators are helping them.
February 1, 2007... The younger generation typically skips Election Day. Their interest in politics and government is dismal. But this past election, 2 million more young people voted than in the 2002 midterm election, a 24 percent increase. What's going on?...

The unexpected legislator: in the midst of their grief, and with little time to prepare, these widows stepped into the political spotlight to fill their late husbands' legislative seats.
February 1, 2007... Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross identified five steps to grieving--denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. But many widows whose husbands die while serving in their state legislatures have added a step to the process: serving out his...

As they see it.
February 1, 2007... "I'll look back on this one day and remember being there when the first female governor was sworn in, and I was there and I was only in the sixth grade." --Tina Persinger, 11, to the Daily News-Miner, at the inauguration of Alaska's first...