State News articles from April 2006

State News archives from April 2006

Public-private partnerships.(inside story)
April 1, 2006... The Indiana legislature in March approved Gov. Mitch Daniels' plan to lease the Indiana Toll Road to a consortium of foreign companies. The deal gives the Hoosier State a $3.8 billion cash infusion that will help finance statewide road...

Kentucky, Texas model higher education planning.(toolbox)(according to By the Numbers, a report by Jobs for the Future)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... How many states have set numerical targets for higher education attainment and enrollment? Do states have a clear goal and a plan of action to get there? According to By the Numbers, a report by Jobs for the Future, eight states have goals...

Virginia: proposed bill requires Internet safety instruction in schools.(toolbox)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... A bill awaiting Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine's signature would require the state's school superintendents to file an acceptable use policy with the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The policy would contain provisions that would: * Prohibit...

Public Retirement Systems in crisis.(state sources)
April 1, 2006... Tight state fiscal conditions over the past few years have put state retirement systems in a particularly difficult spot. Ninety-three percent of the nation's 123 state retirement systems are underfunded, according to Tim Phoenix, a principal...

New report shows Quality Counts.(state sources)(Quality Counts at 10: A Decade of Standards-Based Education by the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center)
April 1, 2006... State efforts to devise standards, tests and accountability systems have a positive relationship with gains in student achievement on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). That's the good news in Quality Counts at 10: A...

Women's share of leadership lacking.(state sources)(share of elected or appointed offices for women increased only slightly between 1998 and 2005)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Although women have achieved some progress within each branch of government, the share of elected or appointed offices for women increased only slightly between 1998 and 2005. (See Snapshot, page 8.) According to the winter 2006 report by...

State data on total women policy leaders in executive, legislative and judicial branches combined.(state snpashots)(Table)
April 1, 2006... State Data on Total Women Policy Leaders in Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branches Combined '05 % Women % Women in State Policy Leaders Population '98 Rep. Ratio Alabama ...

The Interstate Compact for Juveniles: promoting positive outcomes for youth: a new Interstate Compact for Juveniles will be a more effective instrument for today's juvenile justice system. The compact--adopted by 28 states--seeks to enhance a critical, yet out-dated, system for preserving public safety and ensuring positive outcomes for youth.
April 1, 2006... The current Interstate Compact on Juveniles was established in 1955 to manage the interstate movement of adjudicated youth--allowing the transfer of community supervision to another state and ensuring the return of runaways and charged...

Waging war on sexual crimes: states target sex offenders through policy and practice.
April 1, 2006... Megan Kanka. Dylan Greene. Jessica Lunsford. Sadly, the names of these children--all victims of convicted sex offenders are too familiar to the American public. And for policymakers, these children have become the inspiration for dozens of...

Critical crossroads: increased freight movement calls attention to inadequate national transportation infrastructure.
April 1, 2006... The movement of freight impacts daily life from consumer goods sold on store shelves to congestion on highways to the national employment rate. Yet, as a transportation issue without passenger concerns, freight often lacks high priority status...

Toll roads tip to privatization: Indiana's Major Moves' may signal a trend for maintaining some state highways.(Cover story)
April 1, 2006... Chicago's decision in 2004 to lease the Skyway Bridge for 99 years to a private corporation introduced the notion of toll road privatization in the United States. It was the first example of privatization of an existing United States toll road....

Bonus points for teachers: Gov. Mark Sanford believes in the benefits of having teachers with National Board Certification in South Carolina's classrooms. He's just not sure the state is getting all it can from the $7,500 bonuses it gives to teachers who pass the rigorous, voluntary process.
April 1, 2006... "There's no question that having highly qualified teachers is a key component of educational achievement," Sanford said. "But the fact is when you have consistently underperforming schools and less than 4 percent of Nationally Certified...

Trends Alert: State Energy Solutions: the Energy Policy Act of 2005, signed by President Bush last August, left many tough energy decisions to the states. Because federal legislation has been slow to meaningfully decrease U.S. foreign oil dependence, states are finding ways to diversify energy supplies and increase conservation and energy efficiency.
April 1, 2006... Traditional fossil fuel costs are increasing--a trend that, according to experts, is only going to continue. As gasoline prices rise along with heating and electricity costs, state officials are looking for solutions that will help move the...

EMAC: a success story: compact praised as "critical part" of emergency management framework.(HURRICANE EVACUATION ROUTE)(Emergency Management Assistance Compact )
April 1, 2006... In its recent investigation of the Hurricane Katrina response, the U.S. House of Representatives cited one entity as a success story. The Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), the state-to-state mutual aid agreement that allows...

Eastern Trade Council successfully blocks 300 percent increase in Gold Key service fees.(csg spotlight)
April 1, 2006... Lobbying efforts by the Eastern Trade Council (ETC) sparked a reversal in plans by the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) to increase fees for the Gold Key Service, a program that provides a customized appointment service designed to introduce...

NEMA Mid-Year Conference.(csg spotlight)(National Emergency Management Association meets in Alexandria, Virginia)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... State emergency management and homeland security officials from across the nation came together in Alexandria, Va., at the recent National Emergency Management Association Mid-Year Conference. The conference is held annually to bring together...

CSG-West plans annual meeting in the rockies.(csg spotlight)(Colorado General Assembly will host Council of State Governments meeting)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... The Colorado General Assembly will host the CSG-WEST 2006 annual meeting in the historic town of Breckenridge Aug. 10-13. The meeting theme, "Alliance with an Altitude," sums up this year's annual networking and coalition-building...

'Passionate economist' to open Midwestern meeting.(csg spotlight)(Diane Swonk, senior managing director and chief economist for Mesirow Financia will speak at Midwestern Legislative Conference's Annual Meeting )(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... One of the world's most sought-after economists will open the 2006 Midwestern Legislative Conference's Annual Meeting in Chicago with a speech on Midwestern economic trends and indicators. Diane Swonk, a senior managing director and chief...

Pawlenty begins term as MGA chairman.(csg spotlight)(Tim Pawlenty to lead Midwestern Governors Association)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty has begun his term as chairman of the Midwestern Governors Association. Under Pawlenty's leadership, the MGA will examine ways states and the federal government can work together to increase the production and...

MLC asks for delay in WHTI implementation.(csg spotlight)(Midwestern Legislative Conference urges alternatives to border-crossing requirements under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Midwestern state and provincial legislators passed a resolution in February urging the U.S. government to explore alternatives to the proposed border-crossing requirements under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). At its...

Conference calendar.(Council of State Governments)(Calendar)
April 1, 2006... This calendar lists meetings as designated by CSG's Annual Meeting Committee. For details of a meeting, call the number listed."CSG/" denotes affiliate organizations of CSG.Visit www.csg. org for updates and more extensive listings. Other...

Timeline.(pay for public defenders)(California Clean Air Act)(Americans with Disabilities Act)(Chronology)
April 1, 2006... Although the federal government tends to get more attention, state officials are often on the front lines of cutting-edge trends and issues. On the other hand, sometimes in the community of state governments, the more things change, the more...