State News articles from September 2004

State News archives from September 2004

States adjust to demographic shifts.(inside story)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The exciting part about editing State News is the variety of issues we get to read about and share with our readers. This month, for example, The Council of State Governments' associate director of health policy, Trudi Matthews, writes about...

School performance goes online.(tool box)
September 1, 2004... If you've ever wondered how school systems in your community stack up against others in your state or around the country, there's a new Web site that will answer some of your questions. An outgrowth of public/private collaboration, the...

States recognized for IT best practices.(tool box)(Information Technology)
September 1, 2004... If state governments were prize fighters and information technology the knockout punch, Michigan would be the reigning champ. So says the Center for Digital Government. The center's comprehensive 2004 Digital States Survey examined best...

State consumption taxes: a study in contrasts.(state sources)
September 1, 2004... Whereas New Jersey residents pay a $2.05 tax on each pack of cigarettes, Virginia's cigarette tax is only 2.5 cents a pack. Drivers in Georgia pay 7.5 cents a gallon in state gasoline tax, while Rhode Island drivers pay 30 cents a gallon. And...

State of the Cities.(state sources)
September 1, 2004... In a national survey in 2000, 19 percent of city officials surveyed said they were very pessimistic (2 percent) or mildly pessimistic (17 percent) about the general direction the country is heading. This year, however, 45 percent are either...

International trade funding falls as trade deficit rises.(state sources)(State International Development Organizations Survey 2004)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Despite an historic U.S. trade deficit approaching $500 billion, state governments are rapidly cutting the trade promotion programs that small businesses depend on to compete in the global marketplace. According to a recent survey from the...

Unlicensed and unwired: the FCC's signal achievement: wireless networks are changing how we view communications networks.(Federal Communications Commission)
September 1, 2004... Forget for the moment what you don't know about wireless technology and focus on two facts: according to a recent survey by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, more than a quarter of all Americans can now use wireless-enabled devices...

Aging's 'golden opportunities': Gov. Mark Warner calls for policy-makers to rethink policies on aging.(Cover Story)
September 1, 2004... Gov. Mark R. Warner of Virginia turned a personal challenge into a public service powerhouse that is helping thousands of Virginians find health and aging information for senior citizens and their families, Before he was elected governor in...

On the road to recovery: states are transforming mental health care.
September 1, 2004... Marie is a 20-something single mother with bipolar disorder. Her mental illness, coupled with a learning disability and drug addiction, has hampered her efforts to finish her GED and hold down a job. She and her son get by with state assistance...

State mental health agency, mental health actual dollar and per capita expenditures, 2001.(state snapshots)
September 1, 2004... State Mental Health Agency, Mental Health Actual Dollar and Per Capita Expenditures, 2001 Total FY 01 Per State Expenditures Rank Per Capita Capita Rank Alabama ...

Increasing immigrants' access to quality health care.(trends alert)
September 1, 2004... As the number of immigrants grows and the demographic makeup of the immigrant population changes, states must address issues related to population growth as well as social, economic and cultural diversity. Consequently, there are at least two...

Are states really prepared? National report reveals funding is inadequate for natural disasters.
September 1, 2004... Wildfires have raged in Alaska and California in recent months, causing billions of dollars in damage to homes and rearranging the landscape. Yet when these events compete with news of the war on terrorism, the fires lose out. With all the...

North to the future: CSG's Annual State Trends and Leadership Forum andMeeting CSG-WEST Annual offer insights, interaction and excitement.(Council of State Government)
September 1, 2004... It's the biggest state in the nation--more than twice the size of Texas. It was the 49th state to enter the union, in 1959. Its nickname is "The Last Frontier"; its motto, "North to the Future." It's the home of glaciers, fjords and the...

Trends forum: a look ahead in Alaska.(state trends)
September 1, 2004... In the midst of budget debates and partisan battles, many state officials are so busy dealing with pressing, immediate issues that they don't get the chance to look ahead. In September, state officials from around the country will step out of...

States foster college savings revolution.(perspective)
September 1, 2004... Over the past 30 years, college tuition rates have consistently increased at two to three times the rate of inflation each year. During this same period of time, federal financial aid funding has shifted away from student grants and toward...

What's behind youth courts' growth spurt? Innovative programs address delinquency and encourage civic involvement among teens.
September 1, 2004... When Michael J. Elmendorf II first learned about the concept of youth courts, he wasn't convinced. "I was pretty skeptical [about] placing kids out of the traditional justice system into a court with other kids," said Elmendorf, chairman of the...

Midwestern legislators gather for annual meeting.(CSG spotlight)
September 1, 2004... Close to 600 people attended the 59th Annual Meeting of the Midwestern Legislative Conference in Des Moines, Iowa, where legislators from across the region exchanged ideas and participated in various public policy sessions and professional...

Long-time legislators, friends of CSG retire.(CSG spotlight)(Concil of State Government)
September 1, 2004... Two long-time legislators have retired from state government. New Mexico Sen. Manny Aragon and Iowa Rep. John Connors both retired recently after three decades of dedicated service to their constituents and their states. Connors was the...

New Mexico hosts binational legislative forum.(CSG spotlight)(Border Legislative Conference)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... On July 8-10, the New Mexico Legislature hosted the eighth forum of the Border Legislative Conference. The forum, held in Santa Fe, provided legislators the opportunity to discuss border health and economic development issues. BLC members...

Project safe neighborhoods: training probation and parole professionals to reduce gun crime.(CSG spotlight)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The American Probation and Parole Association has been awarded a grant to study current practices among probation and parole organizations nationwide in preventing supervised offenders from possessing and using guns, and in searching for and...

U.S. Department of Justice honored for support of youth courts.(CSG spotlight)(United States)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The American Probation and Parole Association recently gave an award to the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention for its renowned leadership and support for youth courts....

Re-Entry Policy Council releases Preview Report.(CSG spotlight)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The Re-Entry Policy Council released a 20-page Report Preview in June, in advance of the full Report of the Re-Entry Policy Council--a comprehensive, bipartisan document designed to help policy-makers improve the likelihood of individuals'...

CSG welcomes new affiliate.(CSG spotlight)(Council of State Government)(National Association of State Chief Administrators)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... As of July 1, the National Association of State Chief Administrators became an affiliate of The Council of State Governments. NASCA brings together chief officials from administration and general services to discuss matters of mutual concern...

New award honors Virgil Puskarich.(CSG spotlight)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The winner of the first Virgil F. Puskarich State and Regional Staff Leadership Award is Dr. Michael King, executive director of the Legislative Office of Research Liaison in Pennsylvania. The award, named after the late Virgil Puskarich,...

Mental Health Tool Kit.(CSG's New)(Council of State Government)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... At a recent CSG Health Policy Forum on mental health, attendees identified the critical need for tailored information to help them work on mental health issues in their states. In response, CSG has prepared a Mental Health Tool Kit that builds...

CSG Criminal Justice Mental Health Consensus project.(CSG's New)(Counsil of State Government)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... CSG has coordinated The Criminal Justice Mental Health Consensus Project, an unprecedented, national effort to improve the response to people with mental illness who are involved with or at risk of involvement with the criminal justice system....

Conference calendar.(Illustration)(Calendar)
September 1, 2004... This calendar lists meetings as designated by CSG's Annum 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.(historical events of September)
September 1, 2004... 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 government, the more things change, the more...