State Legislatures articles from January 2003

State Legislatures archives from January 2003

Women in office: fivefold increase in 33 years. (Statestats).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The number of women serving in the nation's legislatures has increased fivefold since 1969 when only 301 (4 percent) of all legislators were women. After the 2002 elections, 1,680 women (22.8 percent) of the 7,382 legislators in the United...

Invasive species--don't let them in the door. (On First Reading).
January 1, 2003... Slithering invaders hit the island of Guam three decades ago and have flourished: now up to 26,000 per square mile. Brown tree snakes have gobbled their way through the island's bird species, bitten babies and tangled up in power lines, causing...

Virus gives candidates more than a stomach ache. (On First Reading).
January 1, 2003... It was a campaign mystery--at least for two Democratic legislators who ran for election in Utah: Right in the middle of their campaigns, the incumbents' computers were hit with a couple of particularly nasty viruses. When Representative...

Facelifts for Texas courthouses. (On First Reading).
January 1, 2003... Do you remember as a child, a trip to the county seat and a visit to the courthouse? Do you recall gawking at the broad staircases, high ceilings and imposing courtrooms and wondering what happened in such an important building? Often the...

Clearing the air. (Stateline).
January 1, 2003... New Jersey and Pennsylvania are considering legislation requiring 10 percent of total vehicle sales to be low- or zero-emission cars. These bills, based on a California law, would allow an innovative "hybrid" vehicle to count for one-fifth of a...

Fire deaths down. (Stateline).
January 1, 2003... Where you live can make a big difference in your likelihood of dying in a fire. But everywhere in the United States, you're safer from fire today than you were two decades ago. The National Fire Protection Association found that, although death...

It is better to give. (Stateline).
January 1, 2003... The "Generosity Index" is out again, and once again states with some of the lowest incomes were found to be the most charitable. Compiled by the National Center for Charitable Statistics and reported by the Catalogue for Philanthropy, states...

A new kind of capitol security. (Stateline).
January 1, 2003... New York state is looking into bombproof trash cans as one more defense against terrorists. The cans can withstand a blast equal to two pounds of TNT. Officials would like to see them line the corridors of the state Capitol and the Empire State...

Sex toy rights sacred. (Stateline).
January 1, 2003... A federal court has upheld the constitutional right to privacy (under the First, Fourth, Fifth, Ninth and 14th amendments) of people who use sexual devices and businesses that sell them. The plaintiffs had challenged a 1998 Alabama law that...

Dolly for dinner. (Stateline).
January 1, 2003... Milk, beef and pork from cloned animals could appear on grocery shelves in the near future, according to a report in the Washington Post. The newspaper reported that livestock breeders already are raising clones on U.S. farms, and about 100 now...

College easy street. (Stateline).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The growth of merit scholarships, based on grades rather than need, has fueled a national debate over the very meaning of scholarships, and who should get them. About 10 years ago, some states started offering more of these scholarships in...

Hung up and thrown out. (Stateline).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... We're in love with our cell phones. Well, at least for 18 months, before we get a newer, more sophisticated model. This is starting to add up to a huge amount of waste. By 2005, 130 million cell phones will be thrown out each year, according to...

The new outdoor adventure. (Stateline).
January 1, 2003... What's the fastest growing outdoor activity in America today? Snowboarding? Mountain biking? Mushroom picking? No. (Hint: Don't think aerobic.) Yes, you've got it--bird watching in particular, wildlife watching in general. It is estimated that...

The gift of a car. (Stateline).
January 1, 2003... Young inmates at the Manson Youth Institution in Connecticut are learning valuable vocational skills by fixing up old cars donated to Lutheran Social Services of Southern New England's Good News Garage program. In turn, those cars go to...

Putting the squeeze on: the issues are on the table. But is the money? Our annual look at the session's top 10 issues.
January 1, 2003... Blood out of a turnip. Toothpaste from a 1) flattened tube. Water from a stone. Gold from a miser. Add a new item to the "tough things to squeeze" list: state budgets in 2003. State legislators around the country have a common problem...

What's ahead for the economy? State lawmakers face huge fiscal challenges as they convene their 2003 legislative sessions. What might they expect from the economy as they craft next year's budgets?
January 1, 2003... The 2003 legislative sessions are shaping up to be among the most challenging in more than a decade. To help state legislators get a better sense of the economic picture and what they might encounter in coming months, NCSL interviewed David...

Hurdles of health care reform: the obstacles are enormous, and so are the stakes. But there are some new ideas for reining in health care costs and keeping Americans healthy.
January 1, 2003... Today's health care headlines distress even the most seasoned lawmakers. "Health Costs Soaring" "State's Health Care in Near Crisis" "Uninsured Patients Pack Clinics" "Grim Choices Face States in Making Cuts in Medicaid" ...

Balancing smokers, nonsmokers and health concerns: Delaware and California have banned all public smoking. Other states are looking at requiring separate, well-vented rooms. The problem is no one knows how much ventilation is enough.
January 1, 2003... You can pull the slot machine handle until your arm gets tired or you run Out of money in a Delaware casino, but, as of November, you can't light up. Nor can you smoke in almost any indoor public place, including bowling alleys, restaurants,...

Welfare reform: doing well, trying to do better; welfare reforms have been quite successful, but there's much more to do. Moving ahead in tight budget times, however, is a daunting task for lawmakers.
January 1, 2003... Two years ago, as the economy started to deteriorate, Arizona Senator Ruth Solomon faced a cruel irony. She became chair of the Appropriations committee. In her new job, she had to significantly cut a program that she sponsored earlier in her...

E-signatures for an E-world: states face a thicket of complications born of rapidly changing technology in their quest to regulate electronic commerce.
January 1, 2003... If Paul Revere lived today, how would he announce the invasion of the Internet? One if by mail, two if by e-mail? Despite the economic downturn and the dot.com bust, the Internet is thriving, and electronic commerce continues to grow. More...