State Legislatures articles from July 2008

State Legislatures archives from July 2008

Pension not guaranteed.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2008... Editor: I just finished reading the article in the May issue entitled "Pension Tension." While it is a very informative article, there is an inaccurate statement that I feel needs to be corrected. Under the section titled "Options...

Efficient coal plants are green.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2008... Editor: I loved the "Cold Shoulder for Coal" article in the April issue. Or should I say the inconvenient truth about coal energy? Coal has powered our nation and the world for the last 100 years and it will continue to do so. For the...

Driving article incomplete.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2008... Editor: I wanted to share concerns i have about "Driving While Distracted" in the May issue. In particular, there are two unsubstantiated claims in the story: the assertion that the "most common distracting activity is using a cell phone...

No slavery in West Virginia.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2008... Editor: In the June issue, a graphic on page 6 highlights the states that have apologized for slavery. An asterisk notes that while Virginia has apologized, West Virginia has not, implying that West Virginia was a slave state. West...

Fighting for the Wetlands.(THIS MONTH)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Efforts to restore the Gulf Coast wetlands are the focus of an interview with Sidney Coffee, a senior adviser to America's WETLAND Foundation. Coffee has spent the last 10 years working on coastal issues in Louisiana. [ILLUSTRATION...

The reflecting pool.(REGULAR FEATURES)
July 1, 2008... NCSL's Deputy Executive Director Carl Tubbesing is State Legislatures' eye on the state-federal relationship. Read what he has to say this month! [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Blog: the thicket.(REGULAR FEATURES)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A bipartisan blog about the legislative institution and federalism written by and for legislative junkies. Updated often.

Leading lawmakers: this year's leadership award winners exemplify integrity and bipartisanship.(Richard Codey and Steve Sviggum)
July 1, 2008... Leaders come in a lot of different packages. This year s recipients of the Excellence in State Legislative Leadership Award--the nation's top legislative honor--are certainly a demonstration of that. Richard Codey, president of the New...

SCHIP Reauthorization.(STATESTATS)(State Children's Health Insurance Program)
July 1, 2008... Twenty-two states and the District of Columbia plan to or do cover uninsured children in families with income above 250 percent of the federal poverty line (FPL) through the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). This has been...

National Conference of State Legislatures.(People & Politics)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Representative Joe Hackney, speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives, becomes president of the National Conference of State Legislatures in July. Hackney, a 28-year veteran of the House became speaker in 2007 when former Speaker...

The Alaska Legislature is hitting the road.(People & Politics)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... The Alaska Legislature is hitting the road. In a prelude to one of its most important decisions--whether to support a $500 million Canadian natural gas pipeline deal--lawmakers are getting some face time with the people. They will be conducting...

The Arkansas Senate in June voted 19-12 to allow Senator Jack Crumbly to keep his seat despite a panel's finding that "flagrant voter fraud and irregularities" existed in the 2006 runoff election between him and former Representative Arnell Willis.(People & Politics)
July 1, 2008... The Arkansas Senate in June voted 19-12 to allow Senator Jack Crumbly to keep his seat despite a panel's finding that "flagrant voter fraud and irregularities" existed in the 2006 runoff election between him and former Representative Arnell...

New Hampshire Republican Tom Eaton used to be the Legislature's Senate president.(People & Politics)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... New Hampshire Republican Tom Eaton used to be the Legislature's Senate president. Then he was ousted as leader in 2005, and defeated by Democrat Molly Kelly in 2006. Now he wants his seat back and has flied for re-election. So has Kelly.

Louisiana lawmakers, who have not seen a pay increase since 1980, voted to raise their salaries by July 1 from $16,800 to $50,700, only to see the measure vetoed by Governor Bobby Jindal.(People & Politics)
July 1, 2008... Louisiana lawmakers, who have not seen a pay increase since 1980, voted to raise their salaries by July 1 from $16,800 to $50,700, only to see the measure vetoed by Governor Bobby Jindal. Sponsored by Senator Ann Duplessis, the bill tied...

E.B. MeClain.(People & Politics)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Alabama Senator E.B. MeClain, a 22-year veteran lawmaker, has been charged in a 50-count federal indictment alleging he took nearly half of $700,000 in state grants meant for poor senior citizens and disadvantaged students. McClain pleaded not...

Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan has been feuding with Governor Rod Blagojevich for more than a year.(People & Politics)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan has been feuding with Governor Rod Blagojevich for more than a year. But the "Velvet Hammer," as Madigan is know around the statehouse, is pummeling the governor even harder by urging Democratic candidates...

In memoriam.(People & Politics)(Obituary)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Jake Flake, one of Arizona's last cowboy legislators, died of a heart attack in June following a fall at his home near Snowflake. Flake, 72, began his legislative career in the House in 1997, where he was speaker for one term. He moved to the...

Donating unused drugs.(TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... With many life-saving drugs selling for a premium, a majority of states now allow prescription drugs to be collected and given away to the uninsured and poor. Called "recycling" or "repository" drug programs, the rules vary, but 36 states...

As nation grows, legislatures don't.(TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... [GRAPHIC OMITTED] In 1938, there were 7,480 state legislators, representing about 131 million people. Since then, the nation's population has grown to more than 304 million. And during that same time, even with the addition of Alaska and...

Don't mess with Texas' website.(TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS)(2008 Online Democracy Award)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Texas Legislature is the winner of the 2008 Online Democracy Award sponsored by two NCSL staff sections, the Legislative Information and Communications Staff Section (LINCS) and the National Association of...

Latino voters.(TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Latino legislators make up 3.7 percent of all lawmakers in the United States including Puerto Rico. Latinos represent 15 percent of the population, however, and both major political parties court the Latino vote....

Newborn screening during an emergency.(TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Keeping newborn screening up and running during an emergency is a daunting but critical task for states. For babies with metabolic conditions, a break from their medications and dietary treatment can be...

Hunting for kids.(TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] With video games, television and MySpace competing for the attention of America's youth, the number of kids interested in patrolling the woods with bows and rifles is in decline. From a peak of 16.5 million in 1975,...

Same-sex marriage.(TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... In May, the California Supreme Court issued a 4-3 decision declaring that the state ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional, opening the door for gay nuptials in California. Even before the decision was announced, opponents had...

Charity profits up in smoke.(STATELINE)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] States that have adopted bans on smoking in all indoor workplaces have seen a large drop in bingo parlors. Many say that smoking and bingo go hand in hand. Minnesota adopted a ban in October 2007 and charity gambling...

Taking the initiative.(STATELINE)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Colorado lawmakers ended their session by mustering a two-thirds vote in each chamber to pass a ballot measure that will ask voters to make it harder to amend the constitution but easier to change state law. Problem is, too many initiatives...

Let there be light.(STATELINE)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... New skylights in the roof of the Wyoming House and Senate Chambers will bring a flood of natural light to the lawmakers' proceedings. This will improve the lighting in the chambers, requiring less artificial lighting and saving energy. "It will...

Nursing home concerns.(STATELINE)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... There is a widespread "understatement of deficiencies"--including malnutrition, severe bedsores, overuse of prescription medications and abuse of residents--in our nation's nursing homes, according to a new report by the Government...

Banning brutality.(STATELINE)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... New York is the first state to ban anal and genital electrocution of fur animals that "causes a protracted and painful cessation of life," according to the bill's memo. The practice is often used by farms operating on the fringes of the...

Guns galore.(STATELINE)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Georgia now allows permitted gun owners who pass criminal background checks to carry concealed weapons in restaurants that serve alcohol (if they don't make more than half their revenue from alcohol sales), aboard...

Vouchers ruling.(STATELINE)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... It is unconstitutional for Arizona to give parents money to help pay private school tuition for their disabled or foster children, the Arizona Court of Appeals ruled in May. It said the 2006 law violates the state constitution's ban on using...

The right to secrecy.(STATELINE)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... The Illinois Supreme Court recently declared unanimously that a 1999 state law banning secret compartments in cars is unconstitutional. The law's intention was to discourage gang members from biding guns from police, but the court found it was...

Hawaii's in with imports.(STATELINE)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Hawaii is the sixth state to enroll in a program called I-SaveRx, which ships inexpensive but un-approved drugs from overseas directly to customers. It will be available to everyone, but will be most beneficial for...

Ice cream impersonators.(STATELINE)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Could your local ice cream truck driver be a sexual predator in disguise? Some communities want to know. In California, a convicted sex offender was found to be driving an ice cream truck last summer. And cases in...

New again in Nebraska.(STATELINE)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... After 80 years, the Nebraska Capitol is getting a thorough facelift. Professional cleaners will scour the legislative chamber's ceiling and walls, every inch of every 23-karat gold-leaf decoration, acoustical tile, limestone block, walnut beam...

No to Italian waste.(STATELINE)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... The eight western states of the Northwest Compact on Low-Level Radioactive Waste voted unanimously that foreign waste is not permitted within their states' boundaries. Energy-Solution wants to import waste from Italy and bury some of it in its...

Karen Bass: coalition builder: the first African-American female speaker in the nation has taken the reins in California.
July 1, 2008... When Karen Bass came to California's Capitol in 1993 to be honored as one of 120 "women of the year," she was not impressed with what she saw. Then a community organizer in Los Angeles, Bass sat in on a committee and watched in horror as the...

Somber tribute: life-size paintings of the fallen of Lima Company take center stage at the Ohio State House Rotunda.(Lima Company Memorial: A Remembrance of Spirit & Choice)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] An artist's vision initially financed with a home-equity loan is expected to draw thousands of people to the Ohio State House this summer to view a tribute to one of the most hard-hit military units in the Iraq War....

Test drive for annual sessions: Oregon lawmakers, who meet every other year, decided to see how a more frequent approach would work.
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] To meet or not to meet? That's the question these days in Oregon as lawmakers wrestle with the issue of whether to go from biennial to yearly sessions. The Oregon Legislative Assembly has met every other year...

Worry over wetlands: the environment and the economy face a crisis in Louisiana's wetlands.
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] For more than 200 years, the wetlands along the coast of Louisiana have been melting into the Gulf of Mexico. Today the area is shrinking at the rate of one football field every 30 minutes. What people in...

Adding it up: Bob Lang's nonpartisan number crunching helps Wisconsin legislators navigate tough financial times.
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] For 31 years, Wisconsin state government has run on Robert "Bob" W. Lang's numbers. As director of the Legislative Fiscal Bureau, and the nation's longest-serving senior budget adviser to legislators, Lang has...

A lesson in fiscal federalism: the father of sound money management reflects on how tax policies shifted the state-federal balance.(John Shannon)(Interview)
July 1, 2008... Sometimes even success has its pitfalls. Just ask John Shannon, who spent 24 years in a variety of roles at the U.S. Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations. He recalls with wry humor how one state that had asked for advice on...

He's 21. She's 92. New Hampshire's legislature boasts the oldest and youngest lawmakers in the country, but there's not generation gap in Concord.(Interview)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Representatives Angeline Kopka and Jeff Fontas have a lot in common. Both serve in the New Hampshire General Court, are Democrats and represent legislative districts in Hillsborough County. They also are from...

Walking the talk: a senator hit the road to write a book about what's on the minds of Pennsylvanians.(ONE OF OUR OWN)(Rob Wonderling)
July 1, 2008... Rob Wonderling is the first to admit that it sounds kind of corny. But he has a passion for the citizens of Pennsylvania and for public service. "I love the simple notion that by serving in elected office, the people have given me the...

Learning to legislate: new member orientation is critical in term-limited states like Louisiana.
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Call it boot camp for lawmakers. When members of the Louisiana House of Representatives realized term limits approved in 1995 were finally going to force out nearly half of the body, they launched a plan to...

Freshman snapshots.(Brief article)(Photograph)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Representative Herbert Dixon discusses an amendment during the mock floor debate. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Freshman legislator Patricia Haynes Smith asks a question during the House orientation program. Also...

Building the perfect perks: legislatures need to emphasize fair, competitive pay plans and strong benefits to attract and retain good employees.(TOOLS OF THE TRADE)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Most people drawn to legislative work are motivated by a desire for public service. The opportunity to participate in the policymaking process and the chance for a meaningful career go beyond earning a paycheck....

As they see it.(Quotation)
July 1, 2008... I don't think anybody anticipated the consequences of a three-term career. You spend your first term locking down your district, the second term trying to do some policy initiatives and your third term looking over your shoulder to see where...