State Legislatures articles from September 2007

State Legislatures archives from September 2007

Testing out of high school.(STATESTATS)(Center on Education Policy)
September 1, 2007... Testing remains hot in education policy. Students in 22 states must now pass a state exit examination in order to receive a high school diploma. And four more states will be phasing in exit exams by 2012. Texas lawmakers, however, just recently...

P.J. Hogan.(People & Politics)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Maryland Senator P.J. Hogan is leaving the state house to become a lobbyist for the state s university system. Hogan, a 13-year veteran of the Senate, was originally elected as a Republican but switched to the Democratic Party in 2000, saying...

South Dakota's Old Governor's Mansion has found a new home and a new assignment.(People & Politics)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... South Dakota's Old Governor's Mansion has found a new home and a new assignment. Built in 1937, close to the State Capitol in Pierre, it was uprooted in 2003 when the state replaced it with a 73-room building on the same site. It was put on...

A partisan battle of wills shut down Pennsylvania government in July as the Democratic governor and GOP-controlled Senate could not reach agreement on the budget nine days into the new fiscal year.(People & Politics)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Apartisan battle of wills shut down Pennsylvania government in July as the Democratic governor and GOP-controlled Senate could not reach agreement on the budget nine days into the new fiscal year. Some 24,000 state employees were furloughed, as...

In Michigan, where the budget deficit is estimated to be $920 million after the governor approved $1 billion in cuts, the Department of Corrections is suspending 208 of its 250 public work crews and closing a minimum security work camp to cut costs and restore prison staff at other facilities.(People & Politics)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... In Michigan, where the budget deficit is estimated to be $920 million after the governor approved $1 billion in cuts, the Department of Corrections is suspending 208 of its 250 public work crews and closing a minimum security work camp to cut...

Rodney Tom.(People & Politics)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Washington Senator Rodney Tom has announced he is running for Congress in 2008. Tom, a Republican turned Democrat who began his legislative career in the House and then switched parties before the 2006 Senate election, hopes to unseat GOP...

The GOP-controlled New York Senate is ready to take on Democratic Governor Eliot Spitzer in a campaign to save their majority--and they're using new technology and an old game to win.(People & Politics)
September 1, 2007... The GOP-controlled New York Senate is ready to take on Democratic Governor Eliot Spitzer in a campaign to save their majority--and they're using new technology and an old game to win. They've set up a website, www.nyinjeopardy.com to lambaste...

Would the Utah Legislature respond to an invitation to view "Sicko," Michael Moore's latest documentary that takes on the nation's health care system?(People & Politics)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Would the Utah Legislature respond to an invitation to view "Sicko," Michael Moore's latest documentary that takes on the nation's health care system? The prognosis was poor. And so 102 declined the invitation by Salt Lake City lawyer Dr. Clark...

Tax trading on the rise.(TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS)
September 1, 2007... Would you like to swap that grocery tax for a cigarette tax? How about trading property tax cuts for a sales tax increase? It might just happen as lawmakers across the country consider changing the mix of taxes that flow into state coffers. ...

Legislators go back to school.(TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... The results are in. More than 1,200 legislators from all across the country spoke with students last school year and let them know that their ideas count through the America's Legislators Back to School Program. Every legislator in...

Exotic animal regulations.(TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... [A] Have a ban on private ownership of exotic animals, including some or all large cats, wolves, bears, reptiles and most non-human primates. [B] Have a partial ban that allows ownership of some exotic animals. [C] Require the owner...

Is legislation against Narc doomed?(TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS)(video games)
September 1, 2007... Video games involving intense action and violence, such as Grand Theft Auto." San Andreas, Narc, Killzone, and Doom, have caught the attention of legislators. Since 2003, nine states have passed laws that make the sale of violent video games to...

Diesel turns green.(TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Clean diesel has arrived! It is increasingly being used in new heavy-duty diesel vehicles, as well as being applied to old diesel vehicles and equipment. Clean diesel technology incorporates clean fuels, clean engines and emissions controls....

Trash troubles.(STATELINE)(Honolulu, Hawaii)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Honolulu's trash may soon be headed for the mainland--most likely to Washington or Oregon. The city is seeking proposals to ship about 80,000 tons over six months. A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision cleared the way, finding that municipal...

Detours ahead.(STATELINE)(Reason Foundation)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Nearly 52 percent of our cities' interstates are congested, but road and bridge conditions improved in 2006, according to the Reason Foundation's latest annual highway performance report. The foundation studied pavement and bridge conditions,...

Stuck on stucco.(STATELINE)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Oregon is looking at banning the older generation of "synthetic stucco" on homes and commercial buildings because of concerns that the stucco causes mold that can cause serious health problems. The material generated dozens of lawsuits around...

Mosaic makeover.(STATELINE)(Nebraska Capitol)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Anne Rosenthal, conservator, is renovating the aging tiles and mortar of six mosaics in the Nebraska Capitol. They've been there since that state's centennial celebration in 1967, but have suffered from rain damage, humidity, natural decay and...

Emergency equity.(STATELINE)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... The longest average visits for emergency medical care are in Arizona--nearly five hours--A according to a national survey by Press Ganey Associates, a company that measures patient satisfaction. The national average is three hours, 42 minutes....

A burger war.(STATELINE)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Americans love their hamburgers, with or without cheese. But who first came up with the idea? Wisconsin lawmakers have adopted a proclamation stating that Charles Nagreen of Seymour was the first to start calling ground beef patties in a bun...

ID everyone.(STATELINE)(showing of identification before buying beer)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... In an effort to cut underage drinking, all Tennesseans must now show identification before buying beer in stores, no matter how old they are. Tennessee is the first state to make this universal requirement. "I'll be very pleased when I'm...

Greenhouse gas producers.(STATELINE)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Wyoming leads the nation in per capita carbon-dioxide emissions, according to a study by the Associated Press. That's because it burns coal to produce nearly all of its electricity. It is also the largest exporter of energy to other states. In...

Economics everywhere.(STATELINE)(National Council on Economic Education)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Although more schools are teaching personal or consumer finances, only 17 states require students to take a basic course in economics. According to the latest national report card on the state of economics and personal-finance education,...

Student satellite success.(STATELINE)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... A project by three high school students in Arkansas to map school bus routes using satellite technology has state lawmakers' attention. "These kids have done more to save the taxpayers money than most of us in this room," said Senator Shane...

A benefit for beer makers.(STATELINE)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Indiana recently passed a law to help beer distributors who are losing too many of their beer kegs to the scrap market. With the rise in stainless steel and aluminum scrap prices during the past several years, the value of kegs makes them...

Steroid attack.(STATELINE)(high school athletes to be tested for drug use)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Florida will begin random testing for steroid use among high school athletes this school year. One percent of the students who participate in football, baseball and weightlifting will be subject to the tests. Testing will last just one year. If...

Who should command the National Guard? The National Guard has traditionally been under the control of the states. Section 1076 of the 2007 Defense Authorization Act change that, concerning many.(National Defense Authorization Act of 2007)(Cover story)
September 1, 2007... When Washington Representative Larry Seaquist learned of a provision included in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2007 enhancing the president's authority to command the National Guard for domestic purposes, he was instantly concerned....

Make every vote count: a national popular vote would make sure no state is disadvantaged and every vote is equal.(PRO)(Viewpoint essay)
September 1, 2007... Throughout our country's history, we have been vigilant in expanding democracy, empowering individuals and correcting injustices through the ballot box. We have remedied the disenfranchisement of women, African Americans and many others since...

Don't circumvent the constitution: perhaps direct election of the president is a good idea. But trying to work around the Constitution isn't.(CON)(Essay)
September 1, 2007... In Federalist No. 10, James Madison identified our Constitution with "popular government." Power belongs to the people, but popular government does not mean unimpeded majority rule. Instead, the Founders sought to constitute the will of the...

Yielding to transportation needs: as baby boomers get older, states need to be ready to meet the demands they'll make on special transportation programs.
September 1, 2007... Getting around is central to life in America. On a daily basis, we travel to work, school, medical appointments, the grocery store, movie theaters, sporting events, piano lessons and church. For many people, mobility is only as difficult as...

Keeping the homeownership dream alive: with foreclosures at an all-time high, lawmakers are working to help people keep their homes.
September 1, 2007... Long touted as the American dream, homeownership is at its highest ever. But with rising interest rates and the growing number of houses in foreclosure, owning a home may be some people's worst nightmare. Buying a home can be a confusing,...

Replenishing our food deserts: in tightly packed urban neighborhoods and isolated rural areas, fresh and healthy food is unavailable to many Americans. Lawmakers hope to remedy that.(The Food Trust)
September 1, 2007... Whether you live in an urban or rural community, access to fresh produce and meat is a basic need," says Pennsylvania Representative Dwight Evans in sizing up an issue that is finding its way on to the agendas of America's state legislatures....

Environmental enemies: environmental factors may be causing many chronic diseases. Tracking the link between them helps.
September 1, 2007... As the largest producer of agricultural products in this country, California applies enormous amounts of pesticides to its farmland. But pesticides can cause acute poisoning, cancer, birth defects and damage to the nervous system if they come...

As they see it.(Cartoon)
September 1, 2007... "We collect state capitols." --Wayne Cottam of Mesa, Ariz., one of a group of people whose goal it is to tour as many state capitol buildings as possible, to the Casper Star Tribune, while in Cheyenne, Wyo. THEY ATE CHINESE SHRIMP,...