State News articles from August 2004

State News archives from August 2004

States recover slowly: state revenues not bouncing back with U.S. economy.(inside story)
August 1, 2004... State officials can be forgiven for their skepticism in recent months when they read upbeat stories about improvement in the U.S. economy. In July, when the 59th Annual Meeting of the Midwestern Legislative Conference gathered in Des...

Utah Spyware legislation on hold.(tool box)
August 1, 2004... New Utah legislation that went into effect this May restricting Internet marketing tactics like spyware and popup ads has been put on hold. A Salt Lake City judge issued an injunction after a New York popup ad company, WhenU, challenged the...

California Secretary of State demands paper trail.(tool box)
August 1, 2004... The race is on to make electronic voting more accountable and secure and California and Nevada are out in front. A June 17 San Jose Mercury News editorial reads, "The pivotal player has been Shelley. He's done what a public official should...

Biobased data tracks hot new trend in rural development.(tool box)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Last month the "State Trends" section of State News spotlighted the tremendous rural economic development potential of biobased products--products made from domestic agricultural sources like corn, soybeans, sunflowers and canola. The growing...

The price of government.(state sources)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... In 2002, faced with more than a $2 billion budget deficit for the upcoming biennium, Washington Gov. Gary Locke decided to try something different. Rather than simply cutting the existing budget, he decided to focus on what state government...

The road to 21st Century learning.(state sources)
August 1, 2004... At Anderson New Technology High School, questions are often more important than answers. The curriculum is based on projects and solving problems, and the emphasis is on teamwork. Students are partners, not subordinates. They learn how to...

Time to get smart on crime.(state sources)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... The United States imprisons more people than any other country in the world: 2.1 million Americans are behind bars. The prison population has exploded in recent years, driven largely by state and federal drug laws--especially mandatory minimum...

Clean Air Compliance in the South.(state sources)
August 1, 2004... The federal Clean Air Act of 1990 sets limits on the amount of air pollution allowed across the nation so that all Americans can enjoy the same clean air standards. While Southern states have made tremendous strides in meeting the federal law's...

State officials to be elected in 2004.(state snapshots)(Directory)
August 1, 2004... State Officials to be Elected in 2004 State or other House/ Lieutenant jurisdiction Senate * Assembly * Governor Governor Alabama 0/35 0/105 ... ...

Life with term limits: who wins, who loses and who cares.
August 1, 2004... Here's how state Sen. Shane Broadway, former speaker of the Arkansas House, tells the story: A new legislator encounters a veteran staff member in the men's room at the statehouse. "How's it going?" asks the staff member. "Let's put it this...

Heavy Lifting: the Job of the American Legislature.(reading room)
August 1, 2004... For more than 30 years, Alan Rosenthal has been studying U.S. legislatures, earning a reputation as one of the nation's most respected and knowledgeable scholars on the subject. Only recently, though, has Rosenthal focused his research on...

Prescription drug importation gains momentum.(trends alert)
August 1, 2004... Escalating prescription drug prices have prompted some state and local government officials to explore importing prescription drugs from Canada and Europe to save money Officials in at least 13 states and seven municipalities have expressed...

State technology becomes personal.(perspective)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... At a NASTD meeting of state telecommunications and technology/professionals earlier this year one of the hot topics was why some of their customers, other state agencies and employees, bought services elsewhere. It is those customers, not...

A new game plan for disasters: the National Response Plan has implications for states.
August 1, 2004... The threat of terrorism has created a new playing field in how the nation responds to disasters--some say an uneven one. Many people in the field of emergency management and homeland security believe that in order to best handle a variety of...

New roles for civilian soldiers: National Guard takes on increased responsibilities at home and abroad.
August 1, 2004... National defense is a mission often associated with the federal government, yet increasingly states are playing a vital role, overseas and at home, in providing troops, technology and manpower. When they are deployed, troops in the Guard...

States prepare attacks on public health: assessing state health powers and readiness.
August 1, 2004... In 1894, an outbreak of smallpox in Milwaukee ended with 10,679 cases and 244 deaths. Fifty-three years later, a similar outbreak in New York City resulted in just 12 cases and two deaths. How did New York officials in 1947 effectively control...

The business of caring.(perspective)
August 1, 2004... When caring is your business, you must take care of the business side of your organization. This is the operating philosophy of Delaware's Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families and one that could be employed in state...

States adopt technology: from mapping wildlife to health care management, technology helps states.(state trends)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... State governments' adoption of new technologies has varied not only from state to state but also among jurisdictions within the same state. While a revenue agency may be completely wired, allowing seamless sharing of data across invisible...

Health information technology.(state trends)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Health information technology including electronic prescribing and paperless medical records has tremendous potential to reduce medical errors and improve quality. Concerns about patient privacy, high costs and uncertainty surrounding the...

GIS guides natural resources management.(state trends)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Ongoing advances in computer technology have greatly expanded the quantity and quality of information available to state natural resources management agencies, thereby facilitating improved planning and decision-making. The evolution of...

Improving schooling, easing rigors.(state trends)
August 1, 2004... Technology in schools has changed not only when, where and how students and their teachers learn, but it also has vastly improved the ability for local and state education agencies to collect and report mountains of data related to academics,...

Drunken drivers don't start.(state trends)
August 1, 2004... European car maker Saab recently announced a prototype ignition-locking system called "Alcokey'" which could lead to revolutionary advances within the industry and, ultimately, improve public safety across the states. Like traditional...

2004 Toll Fellows develop leadership skills.(csg spotlight)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... The 2004 Henry Toll Fellowship Class met in Lexington, Ky. June 26 July 2. The class enjoyed fellowship with other leaders from around the country and engaged in leadership training from some of today's well known leaders, including Arkansas...

Teleconference series explores health policy.(csg spotlight)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Understanding the wide range of problems and issues that affect Americans' health can be a daunting task for state policy-makers. To ease this burden and provide quick access to information on current health policy, CSG has developed the Health...

CSG Health Task Force studies emerging trends.(csg spotlight)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... The Health Task Force met during CSG's spring meeting held in April in St. Paul, Minnesota to study a number of important emerging state issues and trends in health care. A subcommittee discussed the top 10 health care trends, covering areas...

Conference focuses on mental health policy.(csg spotlight)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Developing sound health care policy to serve people with mental illness is a delicate task. During a Health Policy Forum on Mental Health held in May, CSG brought together state officials and mental health experts to discuss the complex issues...

Lieutenant governor becomes governor.(csg spotlight)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Connecticut is experiencing the first party split between the office of governor and lieutenant governor in 25 years. On July 1, Gov. M. Jodi Rell succeeded to the office from the position of lieutenant governor, after former Gov. John Rowland...

Eastern Trade Council to open office in China.(csg spotlight)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... The Eastern Trade Council, an affiliate of CSG/Eastern Regional Conference, voted in April to hire a trade representative in China. The trade representative will focus primarily on developing export opportunities for companies in the Northeast...

CSG/CSG-WEST convene in Alaska September 25-29.(csg spotlight)(Calendar)
August 1, 2004... Anchorage, Alaska beckons elected officials from 50 states, Canada, islands and territories September 25-29 for a joint annual meeting of the CSG State Trends and Leadership Forum and the CSG-WEST Western Legislative Conference. This is the...

Treasurers honored at annual meeting.(csg spotlight)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... The National Association of State Treasurers and the College Savings Plans Network recently concluded their annual conference in Norfolk, Virginia. During the conference treasurers from around the country discussed the economy, the...

Conference promotes watershed planning and management.(csg spotlight)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Ind., was the site of CSG's "Watersheds: Growth, Land Use and Opportunity" conference from June 6-10. The activities began with a pre-conference grants workshop, followed by presentations focused on...

CSG awards environmental grants to 10 states.(csg spotlight)
August 1, 2004... The Council of State Governments recently awarded nearly $900,000 in grants to 10 states through the State Environmental Initiative program. The grants will support the efforts of California, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Maine, Maryland,...

Lieutenant governors support military relief funds.(csg spotlight)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Illinois Lt. Gov. Patrick Quinn testified to the U.S. Veterans Affairs Committee in June regarding innovative state efforts to assist military personnel. Quinn appeared on an invitation issued by The Council of State Governments and its...

Conference calendar.(Brief Article)(Calendar)
August 1, 2004... 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...

40 years ago--August 1964: by the numbers.(time line)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... "In six sweeping decisions the United States Supreme Court ruled June 15 that districts in both houses of bicameral state legislatures must be based on population," we reported. Writing for the majority, Chief Justice Earl Warren based the...

25 years ago--August 1979: crisis or conspiracy?(timeline)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... The August 1979 issue focused on "The Energy Mess." The 1979 energy crisis, the second that decade, was brought on partly by oil shortages early in the year caused by the Iranian revolution. But State Government News editor Elaine Knapp...

10 years ago--August 1994: teens in trouble.(timeline)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... "Kids who should be getting in trouble for chewing gum in class are serving time for stabbing and shooting their peers. Legos and Barbies are out; Lugers and Brownings are in. States and communities are searching for answers," we wrote 10 years...