State Legislatures articles from July 2006

State Legislatures archives from July 2006

Maine's Dirigo off to a slow start.(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... Editor: In your article "Prognosis for the Uninsured," in the May issue, you incorrectly state the numbers of enrollees in Dirigo Health, Maine's answer to high health insurance costs. That 15,000 people are enrolled in Dirigo and that...

More school days in South Dakota.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... Editor: There is an error on the "Statestats" page in the June issue. It lists South Dakota as requiring 170 days of school in a school year. In actuality, our law (SDCL 13-26-1) states that schools must conduct school for a minimum of...

Hawaii has an Erisa waiver.(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... Editor: Aloha All--While we always appreciate NCSL's coverage of the hot topics, there is a side bar piece in the article "Prognosis for the Uninsured" in the May issue that says Congress has never granted a waiver from ERISA. In...

State Tax Policy: A Political Perspective.(Book review)
July 1, 2006... STATE TAX POLICY: A POLITICAL PERSPECTIVE BY DAVID BRUNORI. Second Edition, 2006. The Urban Institute Press, Washington, D.C. 148 pages. $26.50. Two reasons it's good to see a second edition of State Tax Policy by David Brunori are that...

A stepping stone to the presidency.(STATESTATS)(state legislature)
July 1, 2006... So you want to be president. The state legislature is a good career path. President George W. Bush is the nation's 43rd president. He didn't spend any time in the legislature (although he was governor of Texas), but 22 of our presidents did....

Representative Ray Barnes of Arizona had "angels hovering over him," according to Speaker Jim Weiers, when he collapsed on the floor of the House in early June and was revived by colleagues, a lobbyist and a 17-year-old page.(People & Politics)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Representative Ray Barnes of Arizona had "angels hovering over him," according to Speaker Jim Weiers, when he collapsed on the floor of the House in early June and was revived by colleagues, a lobbyist and a 17-year-old page. Barnes was not...

Trudi Williams.(People & Politics)(wins National Society of Professional Engineers award)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The National Society of Professional Engineers presented its highest honor to a Florida legislator who is an engineer and CEO of her own civil, structural and environmental engineering firm. Representative Trudi Williams, elected to the Florida...

Jackie Speier.(People & Politics)(nominated for American Medical Association's Dr. Nathan Davis Awards )(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... And speaking of awards, California Senator Jackie Speier has been nominated for the 2006 American Medical Association Dr. Nathan Davis Awards in the state legislator category. The awards are for outstanding public service in advancement of...

Charlene Rydell.(People & Politics)(Obituary)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Charlene Rydell, a former legislator, health policy adviser and expert, died in June from cancer. She was elected to the Maine House in 1984 and served five terms before helping create the state's Dirigio Health Reform in 2003 and serving as an...

In a game of musical chairs brought about by term limits, numerous current or former California legislators won nomination to run statewide this fall.(People & Politics)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... In a game of musical chairs brought about by term limits, numerous current or former California legislators won nomination to run statewide this fall. Senator Debra Bowen defeated another senator, Deborah Ortiz, for the Democratic nomination...

The FBI has arrested two computer services employees of the Pennsylvania Senate on charges of obstructing justice for allegedly destroying e-mails to impede a federal investigation of a powerful state senator.(People & Politics)(Federal Bureau of Investigation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The FBI has arrested two computer services employees of the Pennsylvania Senate on charges of obstructing justice for allegedly destroying e-mails to impede a federal investigation of a powerful state senator. Leonard P. Luchko and Mark Eister...

Oklahoma House Republicans chose 34-year-old Lance Cargill as speaker designate to succeed Speaker Todd Hiett, the first GOP speaker in more than 80 years, who is leaving because of term limits and running for lieutenant governor.(People & Politics)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Oklahoma House Republicans chose 34-year-old Lance Cargill as speaker designate to succeed Speaker Todd Hiett, the first GOP speaker in more than 80 years, who is leaving because of term limits and running for lieutenant governor. Cargill was...

How safe are your telephone records?(TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Cellular and land-line telephone owners may not be aware that a number of unscrupulous companies are selling their confidential information to third parties. These telephone calling records, gathered by local, long-distance and wireless...

Dealing with meth moms.(TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS)(methamphetamine consumption by pregnant women)
July 1, 2006... Methamphetamine is the fastest growing drug threat in the nation. No matter its name--crank, speed, ice or meth--its use is exploding. Women of childbearing age are abusing the drug in growing numbers and lawmakers are re-visiting an old...

Honoring our heroes.(TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS)(Hawaii Medal of Honor)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Hawaii recently honored 120 service men and women who died in combat zones in the Middle East since 2003. Their families each received the Hawaii Medal of Honor, which was designed by Hawaii Army National Sgt. 1st Class Aaron Pollack. ...

Kids and states receive a break.(TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS)(Deficit Reduction Act of 2005)
July 1, 2006... At least 12 states and five territories with anticipated short-falls in their State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) will get a break this year under provisions of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. This one-year $283 million...

Smart places to live.(affordable housing locations)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... If you could quit your job, sell your house and move anywhere in the country, how would you decide where to go? Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine has helped. The editors asked hundreds of people for their criteria on choosing a place to...

Protect the ump.(STATELINE)(penalties for assaulting sports officials)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Connecticut lawmakers are looking at new penalties for assaulting sports officials. The legislation also covers coaches and certified teachers. "Regrettably, we have seen too many instances of sports officials being assaulted on the sidelines...

A green Lady Liberty.(energy conservation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... All the electricity that powers the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, where millions of immigrants first set foot in America, now comes from "green power." Windmills in Pennsylvania and West Virginia supply the electricity that powers up the...

Incensed over incense.(STATELINE)(Senator Gene)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Salvia divinorum is a natural substance extracted from sage plants. It often is marketed as incense but can be used as an "herbal meditation supplement." The drug is not widely restricted and is becoming more popular, and that has some people...

Boot camps booted out.(lawmakers' demonstrations)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Lawmakers eliminated Florida's boot camps for troubled youths after a teenager's death at one led to a protest march on the Capitol and the resignation of the state's top law officer. The new plan will increase funding and shift the $10.5...

Foie gras farewell.(STATELINE)(Alderman Joe Moore's ban, )(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Chicago has banned restaurants from selling foie gras, a pricey delicacy made from geese and duck livers. Veterinarians and animal rights activists described in graphic detail how geese and ducks suffer while being force-fed to create enlarged...

When only "sorry" will do.(STATELINE)(medical malpractice regulations in Iowa)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Doctors and other licensed professionals can now apologize for their mistakes in Iowa without it being used against them in court. Supporters of the newly passed bill hope it will help families and doctors resolve conflicts without hiring...

Who would have known?(STATELINE)(self-service gasoline stations in New Jersey by Jon Corzine )(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... When Governor Jon Corzine suggested piloting self-service gasoline stations along the New Jersey Turnpike, he set off an unexpected firestorm. Opponents of the idea flooded the governor's and state lawmakers' offices with e-mails and phone...

Mardi Gras mistake.(STATELINE)(ate's presidential primary date)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Alabama legislators wanted to move the state's presidential primary to a date that matters. So they chose the first Tuesday in February 2008. A February primary, one of the earliest in the country, would force presidential candidates to pay...

Herring heyday.(STATELINE)(Massachusetts fishery policy)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Massachusetts is in the first year of a three-year state ban oil harvesting, possessing or selling river herring. The state approved the moratorium in response to several years of a steadily declining stock of alewives and blueback herring....

Where have all the flowers gone?(planting program stopped ti save revenue)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The West Virginia Turnpike is a little barren this summer. The state Parkways Authority had to cut out its wildflower program, saying it was too expensive and citing the Legislature's recent move to overturn revenue-raising toll hikes. In...

Steroid attack.(STATELINE)(New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association's regulation on performance enhancing drugs use by college athletes)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Athletes in New Jersey's high schools will be randomly tested for a broad range of performance enhancing drugs, from amphetamines to steroids, under a new "first-in-the nation" policy by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic...

Drink milk.(STATELINE)(breastfeeding should be allowed in Rhode Island theaters)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Rhode Island is looking at allowing mothers who are breastfeeding to bring their babies under age 1 to the theater and other live performances for free. Representative Peter Kilmartin introduced the bill alter a mother told him she was required...

Strong states, strong nation: states play a powerful and important role in making our country strong.(National Conference of State Legislatures)
July 1, 2006... The premise of NCSL's 2006 Annual Meeting is that as the states are strong, so is the nation. This has never been so true as it is today. Not all federal systems balance responsibility and power as we do in the United States--in fact, most...

A view from the top: State Legislatures gathered a group of leaders to talk about the challenges that the global economy and immigration pose against a backdrop of federal mandates, the loss of institutional memory, and a decline in decorum and ethics. Here's what they had to say.(STRONG LEADERS, STRONG LEGISLATURES)(Discussion)
July 1, 2006... IMPORTANCE OF LEGISLATURES State Legislatures: How would you describe the legislature's relationship with other branches of government and do you think it has become more or less important? Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown: It's as...

Flexing the ethics muscle: restoring public confidence in government after a scandal is a legislature's prime goal.(STRONG ETHICS, STRONG DEMOCRACY)
July 1, 2006... They have names like Shrimpscam, Azcam, Bop Trot, Operation Lost Trust, Tennessee Waltz. They are investigations into political corruption and ethics violations that snare legislators and damage legislatures. In 2005, scandals in at least six...

Custodians of American democracy: the strength of the legislature often lies behind the scenes with the sometimes unnoticed but hard-working staff.(STRONG STAFF, STRONG INSTITUTIONS)
July 1, 2006... When he taught at NCSL's Legislative Staff Management Institute, University of Minnesota professor John Bryson often would say, "State legislative staff are the custodians of a central institution of American democracy." By custodian he meant...

On behalf of staff: legislative staff may not always get the respect they deserve, but in Ohio, the institution would grind to a halt without them.(STRONG STAFF, STRONG INSTITUTION)(Ohio Legislative Service Commission)
July 1, 2006... Late one night in April 2005, the door to the compound of the Ohio Legislative Service Commission (LSC) swung open and Speaker Jon A. Husted and his fellow Republican leaders paid a visit to the "boiler room." It was close to midnight. The...

States and the new high Court: states have a different standing in the U.S. Supreme Court without their two champions of federalism.(Sandra Day O'Connor, William H. Rehnquist )
July 1, 2006... Last summer, on successive holiday weekends, the Supreme Court lost its two greatest modern champions of the states and the cause of federalism. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, the only state legislator to serve on the court in recent decades,...

Beating them to the punch (line): there is no shortage of satire in the media these days. Who's the target? More and more it's legislators. What you should know to avoid being fodder.
July 1, 2006... At first glance, it looks like any other television news interview. A well-dressed and dapper man, the interviewer, sits a few feet across from a friendly looking middle-aged woman, the interviewee, in a typical-looking office. But within...

Democracy disaster: the story of Katrina demonstrates how linked government is to life and death and how, in this crisis, it didn't work.
July 1, 2006... Americans like their headlines juicy. So the topics of representative democracy or federalism rarely make the cut for interesting news. While Katrina was the biggest story in years with an angle riveting for a political scientist or historian,...

Hurricane heroes: a crisis can bring people together. For state legislative leaders, Katrina did just that.
July 1, 2006... As soon as Mississippi Speaker William J. McCoy found a way to get to his state's devastated Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina swept through, he was there, trying to find House members whose districts were walloped by the big storm. "I...

Power, politics and the press--a look back: the dean of the Texas Capitol press reflects on what it was like when the media referred to the government as "we" rather than "they.".
July 1, 2006... AUSTIN, Texas -- I reported on my first session of the Texas Legislature in 1963, for The Daily Texan, the student newspaper at The University of Texas at Austin. I'm now the dean of the Texas Capitol press corps. I can tell you that us veteran...

How to write better: there's a knack to putting words together in a way that will draw readers in and keep them interested and reading to the last period.(TOOLS OF THE TRADE)
July 1, 2006... Whether writing a press release, an oped piece, a newsletter article or a letter to the editor, using language that people will want to read is essential. Too often, jargon and complicated phrases creep into our writing and that turns the...

Lifers with a twist: like the Energizer Bunny, some dedicated legislators just want to keep serving.(Paul Dennert)
July 1, 2006... When asked if his move from the Senate to the House feels like a step down, South Dakota Representative Paul Dennert quipped, "Actually, the House here is physically two steps higher than the Senate." Representative Dennert's cheerful...

As they see it.(legislators)
July 1, 2006... "This will keep us around even though the weather in Wisconsin tells us to leave." --Scott Kruchten, injured in a roadside bombing in Iraq in 2004, to the Duluth News Tribune, about a new law there that makes veterans eligible for full...