State News articles from November 2005

State News archives from November 2005

Collective wisdom drives Innovations Awards.(Council of State Governments )
November 1, 2005... In his 2004 book, The Wisdom of Crowds, business writer James Suroweicki contends, "under the right circumstances, groups are remarkably intelligent, and often smarter than the smartest people in them." For 30 years, The Council of State...

APCO releases extensive 9-1-1 staffing tool kit.(Association of Public Safety Communications Officials)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... The Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) released a tool kit to assist public safety communication center managers, human resource personnel, police chiefs, sheriffs, fire chiefs and elected officials address the...

Census Bureau releases 2004 income, poverty and health insurance report.(state sources)
November 1, 2005... The U.S. Census Bureau released its annual income, poverty and health insurance report, which indicated that the U.S. poverty rate rose to 12.7 percent in 2004, up from 12.5 percent in 2003. These numbers indicate 1.1 million more people fell...

Report says states don't provide adequate parental leave.(state sources)
November 1, 2005... According to a report released by the National Partnership for Women and Families, parental leave policies in the United States are among the worst in the world. To date, Expecting Better: A State-by-State Analysis of Parental Leave Policies is...

Despite states' efforts to improve exit exam pass rates, achievement gaps remain.(Center on Education Policy study)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... According to a study by the Center on Education Policy (CEP)--a national independent advocate for public education and more effective public schools--English language learners are more likely to fail exit exams, and therefore are not permitted...

Restoring the soul of America: Louisiana Lt. Gov. offers strategic plan to rebuild his state.(NEW ORLEANS REBIRTH LOUISIANA)(Kathleen Blanco)
November 1, 2005... On Aug. 29, 2005, the most destructive storm ever to strike the United States, Hurricane Katrina, hit southeast Louisiana, Mississippi and parts of Alabama. Four parishes in Louisiana, including the city of New Orleans, were severely damaged....

The response continues: as relief continues to flood into the Gulf Coast, Congress considers ways to improve disaster response.
November 1, 2005... More than two months after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, it continues to exert its strength. Not only did the nation's costliest hurricane create the ongoing demand for resources to aid in the relief, but it also spurred activity in...

The power to convene: state legislators can take the lead in decision making by convening public and private sector parties to tackle problems.
November 1, 2005... When hurricanes Frances and Jeanne made landfall in Florida in 2004, there was a group ready to handle the aftermath. They had not been convened for that purpose; however, they have a hand in setting the agenda for how the region can move...

Keeping a close eye: officials increasingly turn to camera networks and monitoring devices for public surveillance.
November 1, 2005... After the London terrorist attacks in July, law enforcement officials identified the suicide bombers through a network of more than 6,000 cameras in the transit system and on street corners. Although the cameras aided in identifying the...

A world of possibilities for agri-business in China.
November 1, 2005... Three legislators from the Northeastern states visited Inner Mongolia in China to promote Northeast agricultural exports. Their site visits ranged from small family-owned dairy farms to briefings by Chinese and American government officials in...

Innovations Awards winners: state responses to 21st century challenges.(Cover Story)
November 1, 2005... State officials face unprecedented, turbulent times in which to govern. The Council of State Government's national trends mission helps state officials address the near- and long-term trends that affect their states by providing the critical...

BILLD graduates class of 2005.(Bowhay Institute for Legislative Leadership Development)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... This year's graduates of the Bowhay Institute for Legislative Leadership Development (BILLD) are the 11th class of lawmakers to complete the intensive five-day program in Madison, Wis. The annual event helps develop legislators' leadership...

Lt. governors 'significant, visible'.(National Lieutenant Governors Association)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... "Lieutenant governors, once the fifth wheel of U.S. politics, are playing an increasingly significant, visible and controversial role in state government," wrote Rick Hampson in USA Today on July 24, 2005. "Their importance has been underscored...

Management training featured at CSG-WEST fall staff seminar.(Council of State Governments-WEST)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Senior nonpartisan staff leaders for Western legislatures focused on customer service and stress management at the fall staff seminar in Sedona, Arizona. The annual professional development seminar is offered by the Legislative Service...

MLC elects officers at annual meeting.(2005 Midwestern Legislative Conference Annual Meeting)(Kim Koppelman, Donne Trotter, Patricia Birkholz, Tom Dempster, Kevin Coughlin)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... More than 600 people attended the 2005 Midwestern Legislative Conference Annual Meeting, held in a Canadian province for the first time in the event's 60-year history. The four-day meeting in Regina, Saskatchewan, was highlighted by...

New home for CSG Midwest.(Council of State Governments)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... The Midwestern Office of The Council of State Governments moved to a new office in Chicago's western suburbs on October 3. The new mailing address for the office is 701 E. 2nd Street, Suite 110, Lombard, Illinois, 60148-5651. The new phone...

NAST Annual Conference a success.(National Association of State Treasurers, State Debt Management Network)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... The National Association of State Treasurers (NAST) recently hosted one of its most successful conferences to date. Held jointly with the State Debt Management Network (SDMN), the NAST Annual Conference in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, drew more than 300...

State officials gather for inaugural Eastern Leadership Academy.(csg spotlight)(Council of State Governments)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... In September, The Council of State Governments' Eastern Regional Conference held its inaugural Eastern Leadership Academy in Philadelphia. The program, presented by the University of Pennsylvania's Fels Institute of Government, helped the...

Conference calendar.(Calendar)
November 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...

Timeline.
November 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...