State News articles from January 2005

State News archives from January 2005

The challenge of change.(inside story)(Editorial)
January 1, 2005... While the only thing certain in state government is change, it seems the pace of that change is accelerating. It wasn't too long ago when mastering voice mail was the most technologically challenging piece of office equipment. Soon there were...

Voting centers, election seasons on horizon?(tool box)
January 1, 2005... What began last year in Larimer County, Colorado as an idea to make voting easier, more efficient and faster has already begun to spread to other states, as elections officials debate the idea of voting centers. The concept is this:...

Web site promotes best practices in emergency management.(tool box)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Protecting our nation against the threat of terrorism is an increasingly complex effort. But everyday, front-line responders at the local, state and federal levels are creating new and innovative best practices. Exercises and real-world...

Report highlights tools to help states address aging population.(state sources)(Merck Institute of Aging and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report)
January 1, 2005... A new report by the Merck Institute of Aging and Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spotlights serious health issues for older Americans and effective state strategies for addressing them. The State of Aging and...

Out with the old, in with ... what?(state sources)(Brookings Institution, National League of Cities report, state government finance)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... State and local governments have been hard-pressed in the last few years to make ends meet. So now that the economy is picking up, are blue skies in sight? Probably not, according to a recent report by the Brookings Institution and the National...

'Clawback': may fuel federalism debate: medicare provision makes states federal revenue sources.(federalism)
January 1, 2005... THE DISTINCTIVELY AMERICAN doctrine of federalism polices the uneasy frontier demarcating the domains of state and national legislative power in the United States. Constantly evolving, ever controversial, and invariably complex, this doctrine...

10 change drivers for the future: these emerging patterns of change are reshaping state government resources and policy.(state trends)(Cover Story)
January 1, 2005... IN 2005, MANY states will be dealing with tax reform. Those states and others will be trying to rein in the rising costs of prescriptions drugs. And improving access to broadband and wireless Internet service will be at or near the top of many...

Stopping the revolving door: access to federal benefits is one key to helping mentally ill offenders re-enter the community.(public safety and justice)
January 1, 2005... IMAGINE JOE, a man diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and drug dependence. He is homeless, and after setting up a makeshift home in front of a store, he is picked up by police for panhandling, public intoxication and vandalism. Joe is...

Mind your manners: can legislative civility survive polarized voters and contentious politics?(legislatures)
January 1, 2005... It's really no surprise that elected officials hold sharply divergent views. So do their constituents. That was the message from Shawnta Watson Walcott, director of communications for polling firm Zogby International, when she spoke at the...

2005 executive officials.(politics)(Illustration)
January 1, 2005... 2005 Executive Officials State Governor Lt. Governor Alabama Bob Riley (R) Lucy Baxley (D) Alaska Frank Murkowski (R) Loren Leman (R) American Samoa...

2005 legislative sessions.(politics)(Illustration)(Calendar)
January 1, 2005... state news 2005 Legislative Sessions State Convene Length Adjourn Alabama Feb. 1 30 L in 105 C May 16 Alaska Jan. 10 121 C May 10...

Protecting rural America: rural areas face special challenges.(public safety and justice)
January 1, 2005... "Nobody in Arcadia, the only incorporated city in DeSoto County, with a population of 7,000, expected to grapple with Charley. With just a few hours' warning and tornadoes touching down, most of the residents hunkered down in their bathrooms...

Healthy Schools, State Solutions: fixing the sedentary and the super-sized in school systems.(health)
January 1, 2005... New Year's Day is traditionally the kick-off day for diets in America. Across the nation, the beginning of the year marks a time when adults pledge to lose weight by eating more healthfully and working out more frequently. What is sometimes...

Minner, Hettrick lead CSG in 2005.(CSG spotlight)(Council of State Governments)
January 1, 2005... Delaware Gov. Ruth Ann Minner and Nevada Assembly Member Lynn Hettrick begin their yearlong terms this month as the 2005 leaders of The Council of State Governments. The CSG Governing Board elected Minner and Hettrick to their leadership...

Adult commission elects new officers at annual meeting.(CSG spotlight)(Council of State Governments)(Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... The Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision held its third annual meeting October 25-27 in Atlanta, Georgia. Forty-seven states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico were represented at the three-day meeting, during which...

Prize-winning historian to address Midwestern legislators.(CSG spotlight)
January 1, 2005... Joseph Ellis, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author known for his scholarly work on the nation's Founding Fathers, will be a featured speaker at the 2005 Midwestern Legislative Conference Annual Meeting in Saskatchewan. The history professor's...

Midwestern legislative service directors share ideas.(CSG spotlight)(Midwestern Legislative Service Agency )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... At a two-day meeting held in October in Chicago, directors of the region's nonpartisan legislative service agencies shared ideas on how to meet some of the current and future challenges that their organizations face. The event's seven...

Western legislative staff learn mediation skills, elect officers.(CSG spotlight)
January 1, 2005... When members of the CSG-WEST Legislative Service Agency/Research Directors Committee met October 28-30 in San Diego for their annual fall training seminar, their attention turned to mediation skills. Lisa Maxwell, senior trainer for the...

Project examines community supervision of impaired driver offenders.(CSG spotlight)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... The American Probation and Parole Association has entered into a cooperative agreement with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to conduct a project on the community supervision of impaired driver offenders. The purpose of the...

Northeast businesses establish trade ties in Poland.(CSG spotlight)(Northeastern United States)
January 1, 2005... Businesses in the Northeast are increasingly looking for markets overseas to export their products. With the help of the Eastern Trade Council, companies in the region are diversifying their opportunities. Representatives from 12 American...

Public Officials of the Year have CSG ties.(CSG spotlight)(Counci of State Governments)
January 1, 2005... Five state officials with ties to The Council of State Governments were among the eight 2004 Public Officials of the Year named by Governing magazine. State Sen. John Chichester and Gov. Mark Warner were cited for their bipartisan efforts...

Interstate compact aids hurricane response.(CSG spotlight)(Emergency Management Assistance Compact)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... More than 500 people from 26 states assisted Florida in response and recovery efforts for Hurricanes Bonnie, Charley, Frances and Ivan through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact. EMAC assistance was also provided to Alabama in the wake...

Conference calendar.(Calendar)
January 1, 2005... 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...

Time line.(state government)(Chronology)
January 1, 2005... 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...