State Legislatures articles from June 2006

State Legislatures archives from June 2006

School days.(STATESTATS)(issues concerning the changing of the school calendar)
June 1, 2006... The school calendar is based largely on the agrarian demands of the 1800s, when children were needed to help work the family farm during growing season. It has remained fairly constant over the years and attempts to alter it meet controversy....

John J. Marchi.(People & Politics)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... New York Senator John J. Marchi, who was first elected to the Senate when Dwight D. Eisenhower was president, announced in April he is ending what has been one of the longest political careers in the country. For 50 years, the 85-year-old...

Fred Risser.(People & Politics)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Wisconsin Senator Fred Risser, 79, is tied with New York Senator John Marchi as the longest serving state lawmaker in the United States. Risser, like Marchi, has served for 50 years, and is the longest serving legislator in Wisconsin history....

The surprising primary defeat of Indiana Senate President Pro Tem Bob Garton in the May 2nd primary means that at least two of the top five longest serving legislative leaders in the United States will not be coming back next January--both from the Hoosier State.(People & Politics)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... The surprising primary defeat of Indiana Senate President Pro Tem Bob Garton in the May 2nd primary means that at least two of the top five longest serving legislative leaders in the United States will not be coming back next January--both from...

In 2004, the state of Virginia began restoring its 1788 Capitol, the second oldest working statehouse in America.(People & Politics)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... In 2004, the state of Virginia began restoring its 1788 Capitol, the second oldest working statehouse in America. Designed by Thomas Jefferson, who was living in Paris at the time, the Capitol is recognized as an early American example of...

Dick Folmar, former associate director of New Mexico's Legislative Council Service, died in April at 81.(People & Politics)(Obituary)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Dick Folmar, former associate director of New Mexico's Legislative Council Service, died in April at 81. He was honored as a man who "gave his best to the citizens of New Mexico." according to Paula Tackett, current Council Service director....

E-real estate records.(TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] County clerks and recorders in six states can now accept and store real property records, including mortgages, in electronic form. Arizona, Delaware, Kansas, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia and the District of...

Fiscal footing stable today, uncertain tomorrow.(TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Two thirds of the way through most states' fiscal years, budgets were stable and lawmakers were targeting unexpected revenues toward programs that lost resources during lean budget years, according to a spring fiscal report from NCSL. ...

A boost for state higher-education aid.(TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS)(Table)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... State spending for public colleges is rising as states' financial outlooks improve. State support for higher education increased in 2005-06 by 5.3 percent from the year before, according to the Center for the Study of Education Policy at...

Teen temptations.(TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... When teens want to drink, they seem to be able to get alcohol. And often, adults supply it. A number of states are cracking down on these adults by taking away their driver's licenses if they are caught giving alcohol to underage drinkers. ...

Rural America is changing.(TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS)(Report)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... If you think most rural Americans wear overalls and wake up at 5 a.m. to milk the cows, think again. A new report from The Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire finds, among other significant population and demographic changes,...

Tuition inflation slows down.(TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... This year, for the second in a row, the average annual tuition increase at public colleges shrank from the year before. At public four-year colleges, tuition for 2005-06 rose by an average of 4.8 percent when adjusted for inflation. This is...

Marriage crimes.(STATELINE)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Georgia is considering changing a 1962 law that set the marrying age at 16 but made an exception in the case of pregnancy. The new proposal bars teens under 16 from marrying without juvenile court permission and...

Illinois rehab.(STATELINE)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Illinois is planning a $14 million remodel job of the House and Senate chambers. Money for the work will come from bonds issued for construction projects, money that cannot be diverted to other state expenses. In both chambers, lawmakers will...

Blowing in Iowa.(STATELINE)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Use of wind power is helping a handful of Iowa's schools save money while teaching about the potential of wind energy. "The number of schools that have made this connection is small, but it's growing, and those schools have begun to produce...

Hemlock help.(STATELINE)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Invaders are attacking some of Kentucky's most beautiful hemlock trees. Tiny insects, called hemlock woolly adelgids, are the latest in a series of insects and diseases attacking our forests. American elms and chestnut trees were wiped out in...

Training license.(STATELINE)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Michigan and Utah have joined 31 other states in granting licenses to certified athletic trainers. Trainers--health care providers who specialize in the prevention, assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of sports-related injuries and...

Public/private venture.(STATELINE)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Public urination violates public nuisance laws, a California state appeals court recently ruled. "Urination on or near a busy commercial street interferes with the comfortable enjoyment of both life and property," presiding Justice J. Anthony...

Fire fighter.(STATELINE)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Cigarettes sold in Illinois would have to be self-extinguishing under a bill being considered in the legislature. Self-extinguishing cigarettes go out soon after a smoker puts them down, and fire safety groups say...

Protecting our pets.(STATELINE)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Maine has enacted a first-in-the-nation law that protects pets entangled in the horrors of domestic violence. The law is designed to assist battered women who do not wish to abandon their animals and would remain in abusive relationships rather...

Sue who?(STATELINE)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... A proposed constitutional amendment to prohibit lawsuits that accuse state lawmakers of underfunding programs is moving its way through the Oklahoma Legislature. If it passes, the proposal will be placed on a statewide referendum for voter...

Whoa, slow down.(STATELINE)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Colorado lawmakers are looking to crack down on street racing. The bill would distinguish speed racing from reckless driving. More penalty points would be assessed to offenders, and repeat offenders could have their cars immobilized at a...

Junior tests.(STATELINE)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... All public high school juniors--not just the college bound--would be required to take the American College Test under a bill progressing through the Kentucky General Assembly. Senator Dan Kelly, sponsor of the legislation, says the bill could...

Sipping only.(STATELINE)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Missouri is looking out for its students. A bill was introduced that allows culinary students to taste, but not consume or drink, any beer, ale, port, wine or other similar malt or fermented beverage as part of the...

Farming bio fuels: growing crops that can be converted into liquid fuels has come a new focus of America's farmers.
June 1, 2006... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Grant Wood's American Gothic farmer would be holding a gas can instead of a pitch fork if the artist were painting him today. Farmers are no longer solely focused on putting food on the table. Now they are looking at...

Federalism at a crossroads: states must do their part to define federalism and shape the future.
June 1, 2006... The U.S. federal system is the most vibrant and effective federal system in the world. It is always dynamic, always evolving. In large part, the success of federalism is a result of the creativity and innovation of the states. Yet the...

An insider's view of world federalism: Robert D. Ebel has a seasoned perspective on international governments. He is research professor at the George Washington University Institute of Public Policy and visiting fellow at the joint Urban Institute/Brookings Institution Tax Policy Center. He consults with the World Bank and foreign nations on peace initiatives.(Interview)
June 1, 2006... State Legislatures: What makes the U.S. federal system so vital? Robert Ebel: Some do not fully appreciate just how important federalism has been to transform this country from a set of colonies to an economic superpower. There are several...

Ominous outlook: America's fiscal future--with unprecedented liabilities and unfunded commitments--is grim indeed.
June 1, 2006... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The outlook for America's fiscal future is grim, says U.S. Comptroller General David Walker. And there are three big reasons: Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. The federal government has made grand promises...

Health care home run: Massachusetts' new universal health care law has everyone watching.
June 1, 2006... It's like the World Series for policy watchers: On April 12, 2006, the Bay State took a swing at universal health care. The game has just begun, but the crowd is excited. Massachusetts passed legislation, by a large majority in both...

Digital doctors: telemedicine improves medical care in remote areas, but faces some policy obstacles.
June 1, 2006... Nancy, mother of a 3-year-old with spina-bifida, lies nervously on the examination table in Pocahontas, Ark. Her husband and mother are with her in the room, along with her obstetrician, who has just performed a prenatal ultrasound. Fortunately...

Foster care vs. families: the feds have a bias toward foster care, but states think they could protect kids better if they had more money for prevention and family support.
June 1, 2006... When it comes to caring for abused and neglected kids, money and the strings attached to it shape policy and practice. Even substantial increases in funding won't necessarily improve the lives of society's most vulnerable children if the money...

Driving under experienced: teens have the highest crash rates of any group, prompting legislation to help protect them.
June 1, 2006... Taking a long view, Maryland Delegate William A. Bronrott regards what happened in the fall of 2004 as the primary reason why his series of bills on teen driving made it out of the state's General Assembly last session. In just one-week,...

As they see it.(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... "I hope that's not a reflection on the session." --Texas Lt. Governor David Dewhurst to the Associated Press after repairing his gavel that came unscrewed when he called the Senate to order. "It's all about keeping and attracting good...