State Legislatures articles from June 2009

State Legislatures archives from June 2009

Clarification.(Correction notice)
June 1, 2009... CLARIFICATION: A photo of Senator Fred Risser of Wisconsin that appeared on page 33 of May's State Legislatures was taken by Brent Nicastro. The photo appeared with no photo credit. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Prisons are expensive.(STATESTATS)
June 1, 2009... One in every 31 adults in the United States is under some form of correctional supervision, according to the Public Safety Performance Project of the Pew Center on the States. There are 2.3 million people incarcerated in state or federal...

The Colorado Senate paid tribute in April to a "Renaissance woman who has left her mark on our hearts and on this state.".(People & Politics)(Elaine Calzolari)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Colorado Senate paid tribute in April to a "Renaissance woman who has left her mark on our hearts and on this state." After the adjournment, senators stood in honor of Elaine Calzolari, a sergeant-at-arms in 2001...

Nancy Munoz, widow of New Jersey Assemblyman Eric Munoz, will serve out the rest of her husband's term after defeating two others in a special county Republican convention to fill his seat.(People & Politics)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... Nancy Munoz, widow of New Jersey Assemblyman Eric Munoz, will serve out the rest of her husband's term after defeating two others in a special county Republican convention to fill his seat. Eric Munoz, a trauma physician and professor of...

Colorado Senate President Peter Groff left his post at the end of the session in May to join the U.S. Department of Education as director of its Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Center.(People & Politics)
June 1, 2009... Colorado Senate President Peter Groff left his post at the end of the session in May to join the U.S. Department of Education as director of its Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Center. A long-time champion of education reform, Gruff has...

Virgin Islands Senate President Adlah Donastorg was ousted by his colleagues in April when ruling party members were frustrated by the slow pace of work.(People & Politics)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... Virgin Islands Senate President Adlah Donastorg was ousted by his colleagues in April when ruling party members were frustrated by the slow pace of work. "Ninety-five days and we have nothing to show. We have nothing at all," said Senator...

John Marchi, whose 50 years in the New York Legislature made him that state's longest serving lawmaker and one of the longest serving in the nation, died in April at age 87.(People & Politics)
June 1, 2009... John Marchi, whose 50 years in the New York Legislature made him that state's longest serving lawmaker and one of the longest serving in the nation, died in April at age 87. Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee for decades, he is credited...

Jewell Williams.(People & Politics)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... Pennsylvania Representative Jewell Williams came to the aid of a constituent stopped by police and wound up handcuffed in the back seat of a cruiser. Williams, an ex-policeman, stepped to the aid of a frail, elderly man who had been stopped and...

Art Palmer.(People & Politics)(Obituary)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... Art Palmer, former director of the Nevada Legislative Counsel Bureau and founding member of the National Legislative Services and Security Association, died in February. He began his career with the Nevada Legislature in 1968 and rose from...

Death penalty under examination.(TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... In March, New Mexico abolished the death penalty, replacing it with a sentence of life without parole. Lawmakers were influenced by a fiscal report prepared by the Legislative Finance Committee citing research by the Public Defender Department....

In-state tuition for immigrants.(TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS)
June 1, 2009... Heated emotional debates have filled legislative halls in several states this session over whether to allow undocumented students to attend college at in-state tuition rates. With the faltering economy and limited skills-based jobs, improving...

The happiness index.(TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... MainStreet.com looked at household income, debt, employment rates and foreclosures, and ranked states on how well they are weathering the current economic storm. THE TOP FIVE STATES 1 [smiley] [smiley] [smiley] [smiley] [smiley]...

Getting Americans to buckle up.(TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... Buckling up is the quickest and least expensive way to reduce death and injuries on the nation's highways. Primary seat belt laws allow police to stop and ticket a motorist if the driver and passengers are not buckled up. "Non-conforming"...

Keeping kids healthy.(TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] During the past 40 years, the obesity rate for children ages 6 to 11 has more than quadrupled (from 4.2 percent to 17 percent). And for adolescents ages 12 to 19, it has more than tripled (from 4.6 percent to 17.6...

Green clean.(STATELINE)(Spokane, Washington)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Spokane, Wash., has adopted a near total ban on the sales of dishwasher detergents containing phosphates--a first in the nation, according to the Los Angeles Times. The concern is over the Spokane River. Phosphates...

Silence survives.(STATELINE)(public school students to observe silence)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... A federal appeals court has upheld a Texas law that requires public school students to observe a moment of silence every day. Students can pray silently, reflect or do nothing during the minute. The appeals court ruled it is constitutional...

School's out.(STATELINE)(Utah school districts)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... Utah school districts now have permission from the State Board of Education to cancel up to five school days in the 2010 school year to save money. The board requires school districts cutting days, however, to have local school board approval...

A license to read.(STATELINE)(Illinois Library Association sells Barack Obama license plates)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... The Illinois Library Association sold Obama license plates this winter to raise money for its 2010 summer reading program. The plates, which read "Illinois Salutes President Barack Obama" made $50,000 for the program that encourages kids to...

It's official.(STATELINE)(Arizona's nickname, Grand Canyon State)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... California fifth-grader Tori Smith chose to research Arizona for her state report, and she found out a lot about the state. Its official neckwear is the bola tie, the official tree is the paloverde, and the official butterfly is the two-tailed...

A sinking feeling.(STATELINE)(boat owners economic condition)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The bad economy is causing boat owners to abandon ship, literally. Like overstretched homeowners, boat owners who can no longer afford payments, cannot sell their used boat or simply can't afford to maintain it are...

Shipping emissions.(STATELINE)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... The United States has asked the International Maritime Organization to create an emission control area around the nation's coastline to force domestic and foreign ships to curb harmful emissions they spew into the air. The restrictions would...

Ban on gas.(STATELINE)(use of carbon monoxide gas chambers)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... Several states are considering banning the use of carbon monoxide gas chambers in animal shelters as a means of euthanasia. Animal rights supporters say the process is inhumane. "During the process, which can take 30 minutes, panicked animals...

A pint no less.(STATELINE)(bill on how much beer is served)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... A bill in the Oregon House calls for honesty at the bar. It would allow the Liquor Control Commission to issue decals to establishments that meet the "honest pint" standard--by monitoring how much beer a serving contains. "If someone advertises...

Let's make money.(STATELINE)(printing of local money)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Some cash-strapped communities--about a dozen so far--are printing their own money, according to USA Today, to help consumers make ends meet while supporting struggling local businesses. Customers benefit since they...

Whose land is it?(STATELINE)(Hawaii)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... The Supreme Court ruled recently that even though Congress apologized for the "illegal overthrow" of the Kingdom of Hawai'i in 1893, that did not strip the state of its authority to sell or transfer about 1.2 million acres of land (29 percent...

Libel protection.(STATELINE)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... New York passed Rachel's Law last year to protect writers and publishers from libel judgments in countries where laws are inconsistent with the freedom of speech granted in the United States. Author Rachel Ehrenfeld was sued for libel by a man...