State Legislatures articles from May 2002

State Legislatures archives from May 2002

Education act sends after-school money to state education agencies. (Statestats).(Community Learning Centers program; includes related article on states' role)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2002... The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is the centerpiece of the Bush administration's education policy. It has reauthorized the federal government's 21st Century Community Learning Centers program that provides grants to local education agencies...

Poison Control Centers save lives and money. (On First Reading).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2002... A child writhes in pain. What did he eat? What did he drink? What's happening? Fortunately, many terrified parents can turn to help at the touch of a telephone speed dial button--the local poison control center--for calm, authoritative advice....

Nevada Senator still enjoys going back to school. (On First Reading).(Valerie Wiener)
May 1, 2002... The fourth and fifth graders held their heads a little higher when they heard that they, too, could become lawmakers some day. "I can be in office for 11 more years, if the voters send me. That means that one of you could take my place when...

Florida seeks federal INS powers for local law enforcement. (On First Reading).(Immigration and Naturalization Service)
May 1, 2002... Citing long waits for Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) agents who are the only ones who can arrest suspected undocumented aliens, Florida wants to give local police limited INS powers to detain people on immigration violations. ...

States try to stymie child porn. (On First Reading).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... New laws in Pennsylvania and South Dakota make Internet service providers (ISPs) responsible for working with citizens, law enforcement and state government to put a dent in child pornography. The Pennsylvania law, signed by the governor in...

Legislators clean up warrant backlog in Massachusetts. (On First Reading).(warrants compared with drivers' licenses and other state lists)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... In Massachusetts, Charles Jaynes murdered Jeffrey Curley in October 1997. At the time, Jaynes was wanted on 75 outstanding warrants. In another case, Eddie Morales allegedly shot and killed police officer John DiNapoli in December 1999. Morales...

Toilet paper wipes away potholes. (Stateline).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... You could call it TP-ing for the public good. Toilet paper has been thwarting potholes in St. Louis, Mo., for about two years. The idea came from North Dakota years ago and is just now starting to unfurl across the country. It's inexpensive,...

Electronic embarrassment. (Stateline).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2002... North Carolina is hoping people would rather pay up on their tax debts than see their names listed on the Web as tax dodgers. The Department of Revenue launched the North Carolina Tax Debtors page to try to recoup some of the $379 million owed...

Flying without fear. (Stateline).(avoiding accidents)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... In a state that averages an aviation fatality every nine days, Alaska officials are excited about new navigation equipment that visually displays terrain that may be impossible to see during whiteout conditions. Travel by small plane is common...

Broccoli battle brewing. (Stateline).
May 1, 2002... A House bill in Ohio would eliminate the authority of the Board of Dietetics to investigate and regulate nutrition counseling, and it is causing quite the squabble. Opponents contend that the bill would subject consumers to quackery and would...

College or the military? (Stateline).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Legislators in Michigan recently approved legislation allowing military recruiters as much access to Michigan high schoolers as colleges and universities. "In the past 20 years," said Representative Wayne Kuipers, "it became quite common that...

Insuring against terrorism. (Stateline).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Insurance regulators in 45 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have approved contract language that allows insurers to exclude terrorism coverage from commercial policies. California and New York declined the request by Insurance...

On-line winners. (Stateline).(best online services in Kansas and Illinois)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Kansas and Illinois (not particularly known as hi-tech hubs) topped a survey by the Progress and Freedom Foundation of state governments' on-line services in areas from business regulation to education to law enforcement. Citizens in Illinois,...

There's only one me. (Stateline).(identity theft)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... There were more complaints about identity theft in 2001 than any other charge made to the Federal Trade Commission. In fact, 42 percent of the 204,000 complaints last year were about identity theft, according to a new report by the commission....

Wheels to get to work. (Stateline).(Wheels to Work, local government program)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... A program In New Hampshire is helping low-income workers buy reliable used cars so they can get to work and keep their jobs, In three years, Wheels to Work has provided 58 people with a steady way to get to their lobs. The New Hampshire...

Soldier and Legislator. (Stateline).(Lee Tafanelli)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... For the first time in 60 years, there is a soldier serving in the Kansas Legislature. Representative Lee Tafanelli was working as an adviser to the assistant secretary of the Army at the Pentagon until two days before the start of the 2002...

French fun for all. (Stateline).(legislator promoting French language)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Conversations In French will become commonplace in the Maine State House If Representative Rosaire Paradis (from Frenchville) has his way. Speaking French with others and raising awareness of the French language and culture in Maine are two of...

The new competition for college: traditional academia's new competitors are for-profit, virtual and corporate universities. Can state schools keep up?
May 1, 2002... Five years ago, Martin Boyle, a newly minted bachelor of science, had no immediate plans to pursue an advanced degree. Graduation at age 42 had been a matter of personal pride. Despite a successful career managing corporate security for UPS,...

Things we know: what works and what doesn't. A look at managing legislative staff.
May 1, 2002... Editor's note: The National Conference of State Legislatures has studied legislative staff organization and management for more than 25 years. Dozens of legislatures have asked NCSL to work with them to reorganize staff, improve management...

States continue quest for simple sales tax: watching millions in revenues slip away on Internet sales, states have to simplify and coordinate their various tax systems with an acceptable, universal way to collect sales taxes.
May 1, 2002... Forty-four state legislators, revenue officials and retailers met in Salt Lake city, Utah, late last November to take the next step in an unprecedented effort to simplify state sales tax systems. The occasion was the first meeting of the...

The battle over term limits: concluding that term limits were bad for the state, Idaho lawmakers this session repealed a term limits law passed by voters in 1994. Now they face a political quagmire the likes of which they have never seen.(Interview)
May 1, 2002... Bruce Newcomb had become the lightning rod. And he knew it. A straight-talking rancher from the small town of Burley in southern Idaho, Newcomb's slightly slurred speaking style and easy-going disposition could easily leave a person...

Violent acts of sadness: The tragedy of youth suicide; youth violence is increasingly turning inward, and kids are killing themselves at an alarming rate. Can lawmakers do more to prevent youth suicide?
May 1, 2002... More teenagers and young adults die from suicide each year than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia, influenza and chronic lung disease combined. The sad reality is that youth suicide is a growing epidemic, ending...

Corrections.
May 1, 2002... Michigan did not postpone a scheduled tax cut as reported in the sidebar to Dan Weintraub's article on California's budget woes in the April issue of State Legislatures. The tax cut will take place as scheduled. And to clarify information...