IL: Real estate outlook grim
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The outlook for commercial real estate nationwide and in central Ohio will remain bleak for 2010, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers and the Urban Land Institute.
"
OH: Ohio yields record corn crop in 2009 harvest
From: feeds.stateline.org
"DAYTON, Ohio -- Farmers are in the final stretch of harvesting the best-yielding corn crop in state history. Ohio's projected yield, 166 bushels per acre, would shatter the previous record of 159 bushels set in 2006.
"
Nightmare scenarios haunt states
From: feeds.stateline.org
"One question keeps coming up as governors and legislators grapple with a seemingly never-ending stream of gloomy budget news that keeps getting worse: How bad can it get? The answer, according to experts and a look through history, is probably that it could get worse than it has been in a generation — maybe even a lifetime — but not catastrophic.
"
Will states budget for a second stimulus?
From: feeds.stateline.org
"TODAY'S TAKE: Maine Gov. John Baldacci (D) this week will submit a budget proposal that assumes Congress will pass additional stimulus measures, according to Maine's Capitol News Service.
"
AK: Governor seeks road to reach Brooks foothills petroleum sites
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. Sean Parnell will ask legislators for $8 million for preliminary work that could lead to construction of a 90-mile road to oil and gas reserves in the northern foothills of the Brooks Range.
"
AK: Health reform may hurt seniors, Alaska economy
From: feeds.stateline.org
"ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Proposed health care reform bills that would extend insurance coverage to thousands of uninsured Alaskans may not be good for seniors or the state economy.
"
AK: Survey -- 90-day sessions causing many 'problems'
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Alaska's voters in 2006 narrowly approved shortening legislative sessions from the constitutionally mandated 120-day maximum to 90 days.
"
AL: Legislature may cut General Fund by 30 percent
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Legislature might have to cut the General Fund as much as 30 percent to balance next year's state operating budget, state finance experts said Monday.
"
AL: Lawmakers -- Alabama cannot maintain retirees' benefits as they are
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Even after the state has kicked in more funds, there is not enough money to fund the retirement benefits for state workers, leading officials to believe that either benefits will have to be cut or those receiving them will have to contribute more for them.
"
AL: Alabama, Georgia, Florida governors talk water
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The governors of Alabama, Georgia and Florida are meeting for the first time in two years to discuss a water sharing dispute that has been going on for two decades. Alabama's Bob Riley, Georgia's Sonny Perdue and Florida's Charlie Crist have a midday meeting scheduled Tuesday in Montgomery.
"
AL: Barron -- No-bid contract ban should apply to all government branches
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A powerful state senator who criticized Gov. Bob Riley for his use of no-bid contracts and who introduced legislation to stop the practice said language in the bill that exempted the Legisla?ture and other state agencies was a drafting error.
"
AL: HK Motors finalizing contracts for manufacturing and supply, company exec says
From: feeds.stateline.org
"BAY MINETTE, Ala. -- Things are quiet at a 3,000-acre industrial megasite northeast of town, but events in China are moving an eco-friendly auto plant closer to reality, a company executive and local economic recruiter said last week.
"
AL: Glenn resigns as head of Alabama Department of Environmental Management
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Trey Glenn has resigned as director of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management. He had led the state agency since January 2005.
"
AL: Holmes defends no-bid contract criticism
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Republicans, including the chairman of the state party and Gov. Bob Riley, have said attacks on a $13 million computer consulting contract are political. State Rep. Alvin Holmes, the Montgomery Democrat vehemently fighting that contract with Paragon Source LLC, has dismissed that allegation repeatedly.
"
AL: Johnson discusses campaign for governor, criticism of Riley
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Bill Johnson might be the most talked-about candidate for governor, but it is not because he is burning up the polls with his numbers. Johnson has stayed on the front page of Alabama newspa?pers and Web sites with allega?tions against his former close friend and boss, Gov. Bob Riley.
"
AR: State board approves LR boys charter school
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Arkansas Board of Education on Monday approved a charter school for boys to open next year. But - in response to Little Rock School District concerns - most students at the school will have to be either low achieving or from low-income families.
"
AR: Study -- Clean energy measure would cost state jobs
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A new study suggests Arkansas would lose tens of thousands of jobs under clean energy legislation before Congress.
"
AR: Lawmakers vote to expand 'double-dipping' probe
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Legislators voted Friday to expand an investigation into possible so-called "double dipping" within state government.
"
AR: PSC approves second area code for 870 area
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The state Public Service Commission approved a plan today to begin assigning a second area code in Arkansas 870 area, possibly beginning in 2011.
"
AR: New lottery game debuts today
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Lottery retailers can now sell tickets for Cash 3, a game that allows players to pick three numbers in hopes of matching them to numbers selected by a random number generator at the lottery's headquarters in Little Rock.
"
AZ: Legislative Dems hold key to vote on sales-tax hike
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The decision on whether Arizonans will get vote on a sales-tax increase to balance the state budget has landed in the laps of House Democrats.
"
AZ: Phoenix Coyotes sale to Ice Edge Holdings appears near
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The National Hockey League on Friday announced plans to sell the Phoenix Coyotes to an investor group that says it will keep the franchise in Glendale.
"
AZ: Lawmakers will hold special session on Thursday
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Lawmakers appear ready to convene their fourth special session of the year on Thursday in their latest attempt to resolve the state's budget crisis.
"
AZ: Copper-mine land swap moves closer to reality
From: feeds.stateline.org
"WASHINGTON - Democrats and Republicans on the Senate energy committee confirmed Monday that they have reached a compromise on a controversial federal land swap that could lead to the development of North America's largest copper mine near Superior.
"
AZ: Phoenix, Las Vegas, Boise still struggling from recession as other areas heal
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Although many parts of the country are seeing a "fragile recovery," the Phoenix, Las Vegas and Boise, Idaho, areas remained the most troubled metro areas in the country in the third quarter, says a Brookings Institution MetroMonitor study released today.
"
AZ: Plan to hike sales tax in limbo
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A plan to ask voters to hike the state sales tax has been thrown into doubt because of a dispute between House and Senate Republicans.
"
AZ: AZ economic forecast is a somber one
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Despite nationwide indicators of economic growth, Arizona will remain mired in a recession through the middle of next year, a UA economist said Friday, adding that statewide unemployment likely will grow to more than 10 percent.
"
AZ: Road runner -- Arizona shuns stimulus signage, but Pima posts plenty of information
From: feeds.stateline.org
"U.S. Sen. John McCain came out with a report last week detailing 100 projects of "questionable" value that received stimulus funding. One of the problems he had was millions spent on signs to tell people about stimulus projects.
"
AZ: Benefits reaching jobless more quickly
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Arizonans who collect unemployment benefits are getting their money faster and encountering fewer bureaucratic delays from the state agency that administers the program.
"
AZ: No vote March 9 for state sales tax hike
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A plan to ask voters to hike the state sales tax has been thrown in doubt because of a dispute between House and Senate Republicans.
"
CA: Schwarzenegger names new finance director
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Ana Matosantos will become Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's new finance director this month as he prepares to deliver his final budget proposal to cover a projected $21 billion shortfall, his office announced Monday.
"
CA: Measure to legalize pot may be on California's November ballot
From: feeds.stateline.org
"California voters could decide whether to legalize marijuana in November after supporters announced Monday that they have more than enough signatures to ensure that it qualifies for the ballot.
"
CA: Distribution plans fall short for H1N1 vaccine
From: feeds.stateline.org
"State and county health leaders based their vaccination plans on supply estimates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that turned out to be wildly optimistic.
"
CA: Governor s ties to charter schools driving Race to Top goals?
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Charter school advocates were livid. The Assembly's "Race to the Top" legislation was trying to "change the DNA of charters," as one charter school leader put it, by clamping down with "stifling" oversight provisions.
"
CA: Gubernatorial candidate Poizner to inject $15 million into anemic campaign
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Trailing both in the polls and the race to raise campaign cash, Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner will inject $15 million of his personal wealth into his effort to become California's next Republican governor, his campaign spokesman said Sunday.
"
CA: State spends big on prison health temps
From: feeds.stateline.org
"If state employees had done the work, $22 million could have been saved in a year of dire budget cuts, layoffs and furloughs.
"
CA: State speeds up payments to 121,000 long-term jobless Californians
From: feeds.stateline.org
"SACRAMENTO and LOS ANGELES -- Stung by criticism over delayed unemployment extension checks, the Schwarzenegger administration acted to speed up payments to 121,000 long-term jobless Californians, many of whom have been without benefits for more than a month.
"
CA: Casino group wants to set up Internet poker sites and share revenue with cash-strapped state
From: feeds.stateline.org
"With the state bracing for billions of dollars in budget shortfalls, a group of casinos is offering California leaders a stake in a new pot of money if they allow Internet poker sites to set up business in the state.
"
CO: Sierra Nevada to bring 200 new jobs to Colorado
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A Nevada aerospace company is promising 200 additional jobs for its Colorado operations, taking advantage of a new state tax law designed to encourage business expansion.
"
CO: Raid violated privacy rights of alleged illegal immigrants, Colo.'s top court rules
From: feeds.stateline.org
"GREELEY, Colo. — The Colorado Supreme Court ruled Monday that a 2008 raid of a local tax preparer's office aimed at building identity-theft cases against hundreds of suspected illegal immigrants violated their Fourth Amendment right to privacy.
"
CO: Romer proposes state support medical marijuana industry in federal cases
From: feeds.stateline.org
"If federal authorities in the future prosecute Colorado's medical cannibis growers and wholesalers, the state could pay to defend them in court under a provision unveiled Sunday by state Sen. Chris Romer at a Denver medical-marijuana health fair.
"
CO: Colorado sales-tax collections down from year ago
From: feeds.stateline.org
"State sales-tax collections have dropped again, falling in November compared with the same month the previous year, according to reports from the Department of Revenue.
"
CO: Colorado counties' benefits from stimulus funds disparate, not tied to need
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Trailblazer Motel in Hugo might have temporarily closed this fall if it had not been for the $12 million reconstruction of a highway through Lincoln County.
"
CT: Dems slam Rell on deficit plan
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Democratic House leaders Monday said Gov. M. Jodi Rell's budget mitigation plan would add thousands of workers to the unemployment rolls, while failing to take advantage of millions in federal aid.
"
CT: Democrats promise action on budget, but not today
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Democratic-controlled legislature won't be voting on any deficit-cutting measures in a special session today that Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell called for that purpose.
"
CT: Former state tourism chief named head of local group
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Edward D. Dombroskas, a former state tourism chief, took the helm Monday as executive director of the Mystic-based Eastern Regional Tourism District.
"
CT: Democrats won't vote on Rell deficit plan, prefer their own
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Connecticut lawmakers won't vote Tuesday on Gov. M. Jodi Rell's plan to cut the state's latest deficit, with Democratic leaders claiming her proposal would slash more than 5,000 jobs across the state.
"
CT: Connecticut's new 475 area code in effect, in one town only
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A new area code became available in Connecticut on Saturday — the 203 part of the state now has 475, too. At least in theory.
"
CT: Blumenthal blasts credit card issuers for raising rates
From: feeds.stateline.org
"This year's massive reform by Congress of credit card industry practices was supposed to protect consumers and businesses from abusive rate increases and fees, but major issuers have jacked up rates ahead of the Feb. 22 deadline for the law.
"
CT: Conn. lawmakers to return for budget session
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell has called the General Assembly back to the Capitol for a special session to deal with the state's budget deficit.
"
CT: State stem cell funding possibly in jeopardy
From: feeds.stateline.org
"State money has helped Connecticut carve a niche in stem cell research, luring top scientists to the state and funding more than 200 researchers at the University of Connecticut, Yale and Wesleyan as they pursue treatments for cancer, Parkinson's and other diseases using promising new methods.
"
CT: Rell pressed on high-speed rail financing
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The state's congressional delegation is pressuring Gov. M. Jodi Rell to get financing back on schedule for the Hartford-to-Springfield high-speed train system.
"
CT: Connecticut faces winter of discontent
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Let's see. Senator Dodd is in big trouble. There's a rare wide-open governor's race in both parties. The natives are restless because of an unpopular war, a shaky economy, gaping state deficits and unhappiness with politics as usual.
"
DE: University of Delaware works to benefit from Aberdeen expansion
From: feeds.stateline.org
"University of Delaware leaders expect to sign an agreement by early January with Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland that would pave the way for a massive expansion in research partnerships and bring hundreds of jobs to the site of the former Chrysler property in Newark.
"
FL: Crist defends DOT secretary after CFO Sink calls for resignation over 'pancake' e-mails
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The use of breakfast-related code words by the state's top transportation officials in the subject lines of e-mails dealing with rail legislation has provoked outcry among two candidates for governor, public records advocates and a tax watchdog group.
"
FL: 'Wafflegate': SunRail critics say email subject lines were an attempt to dodge public-records requests
From: feeds.stateline.org
"SunRail critics are calling it "Wafflegate." To Florida Department of Transportation administrators, it was just a cute attempt to keep things light in the frantic days before a special legislative session — but it has blown up in their faces.
"
FL: State jobs shrink as recession continues
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The recession has hit state government and employees are clinging to their jobs as Florida legislators cut job rolls.
"
FL: Taxpayers may be hit in finance woes
From: feeds.stateline.org
"MIAMI -- Miami taxpayers could bear the brunt of severe penalties if federal investigators find that city leaders misrepresented the city's financial problems when they sought millions for public projects, say legal experts.
"
FL: EDC in line for $450,000 in federal funds
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Economic Development Council of Tallahassee/Leon County is designated to receive $450,000 in federal funding for small business as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2010 that the House passed Thursday in Washington.
"
FL: Federal grant may give Florida schools up to $700 million
From: feeds.stateline.org
"MIAMI -- As Florida races to win up to $700 million in federal grant money, teachers unions in the state's two largest school districts are balking.
"
FL: Amid dealing on SunRail, many had eye on 2010 elections
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Florida Legislature's vote to launch the SunRail commuter system this week was an act steeped in political calculation, with congressional, gubernatorial and even U.S. Senate aspirations on the line.
"
FL: Florida, others battle for federal rail grants
From: feeds.stateline.org
"WASHINGTON -- Florida lawmakers invested in commuter rail this week, believing the support would help the state win a slice of federal stimulus money set aside for rail projects. But the competition is stiff.
"
FL: Car dealer Ed Morse sues Scott Rothstein for malpractice
From: feeds.stateline.org
"FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- South Florida mogul Ed Morse on Friday sued disbarred lawyer Scott Rothstein for legal malpractice -- one week after the feds charged him with swindling $57 million from the prominent car dealer, among other fraud offenses.
"
FL: FPL plays hardball in campaign for rate hike
From: feeds.stateline.org
"When Florida Power & Light's chief executive visited newspaper editorial boards across the state this month as part of a public relations campaign to win support for the company's $1.3 billion rate-increase request, he vowed to ``strive for transparency in everything we do.''
"
GA: GA college debt among lowest in the nation
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The average debt at graduation from one of Georgia's universities in 2008 was $17,296, compared with a national average of $23,200, according to The Institute for College Access & Success' Project on Student Debt report.
"
GA: Ga. economic forecast expected
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Robert T. Sumichrast — who heads the University of Georgia's business school — will deliver the state's economic forecast at a luncheon Tuesday. He'll be joined by David Wyss, chief economist for Standard & Poor's in New York, who will offer a national picture.
"
GA: Seven new charter schools approved by state commission
From: feeds.stateline.org
"For the first time, the charters -- including one all-boys' school concentrating on aeronautics -- were approved for schools that will start from scratch.
"
GA: Congressional ethics committees inquire about Deal's business
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Congressional ethics investigators have interviewed Georgia Department of Revenue officials and received dozens of records regarding U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal's business dealings with the state and indicated at least one subpoena would be issued.
"
GA: New rules help public agencies harness free legal help
From: feeds.stateline.org
"New rules published Monday by the Georgia Supreme Court will make it easier for public agencies to take advantage of free legal aid in the midst of an economic downturn that has trimmed their budgets to the bone.
"
GA: Will Gold Dome turmoil cost the GOP?
From: feeds.stateline.org
"It's taken just two weeks for scandal and rumor to transform the once triumphant leaders of the Georgia Republican Party into a posse of recluses.
"
GA: Perdue -- No easy alternatives to Lake Lanier
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Lake Lanier remains the most economical and environmentally friendly water supply for metro Atlanta, Gov. Sonny Perdue said Friday during the final meeting of a task force he created to look for alternatives.
"
GA: Jekyll Island regroups after ending developer deal
From: feeds.stateline.org
"JEKYLL ISLAND, Ga. — The board of the Jekyll Island Authority is regrouping after ending its partnership with a private developer that had been chosen to oversee a $100 million makeover of the state park.
"
GA: Georgia political blogger holds nothing back
From: feeds.stateline.org
"After the implosion of Georgia House Speaker Glenn Richardson - who resigned after his ex-wife alleged he'd had an affair with a lobbyist - Erickson last week dusted off some long-lingering statehouse rumors, named names and issued a call to purge Georgia's Republican Party.
"
GA: History of scandal at state Capitol
From: feeds.stateline.org
"It's enough to make Tiger Woods blush.
"
GA: Biden to join Perdue for stimulus announcement
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Vice President Joe Biden will be in Georgia on Thursday to make an stimulus-related announcement with Gov. Sonny Perdue, the vice president's office told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Sunday.
"
GA: Complaints against insurers rise
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Inquiries to the Georgia Department of Insurance related to homeowners coverage almost doubled from 2007 through 2009.
"
HI: Isle seniors face crisis with lack of services and shortage of homes
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A crisis is looming in Hawaii if the public system is not fixed to address Hawaii's rapidly aging population, shortage of nursing homes and lack of home and community-based services, says AARP's national expert on long-term care.
"
HI: Number of school planning days varies on Mainland and in Hawaii
From: feeds.stateline.org
"While the teachers union is fighting to preserve 10 planning days in Hawai'i, a survey of several public school systems on the Mainland shows the number of planning days varies from seven to 13.
"
HI: Water panel deals blow to farmers, environmentalists
From: feeds.stateline.org
"In what appears to be a blow to East Maui Native Hawaiian taro farmers and environmentalists — and a potential much-needed win for struggling Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co. — the state Commission on Water Resource Management staff has recommended that water diverted by HC&S be restored to only one of the 19 streams it uses to irrigate its sugar crop.
"
HI: Isles to gain $387M in funding
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Hawaii stands to gain more than $387 million for a myriad of projects affecting schools, transportation and other initiatives under a spending bill passed yesterday by the U.S. Senate.
"
HI: Hawaii starts e-waste recycling on Jan. 1
From: feeds.stateline.org
"On Jan. 1, Hawai'i will join the ranks of about a dozen states that have e-waste recycling programs.
"
IA: UI directs stimulus to retirees
From: feeds.stateline.org
"More than $43 million of federal stimulus money meant to save or create jobs is being spent on salaries and benefits for outgoing employees by Iowa's three state universities.
"
IA: Iowa corn 96% done, while other states lag
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Iowa farmers made some harvest progress despite last week's blizzard, with 96 percent of Iowa's corn crop now out of the fields, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported Monday.
"
IA: EPA warrant seeks documents at Muscatine firm
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Field inspectors from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources accompanied the EPA agents to help them find what they were looking for, said DNR spokesman Kevin Baskins.
"
IA: Report leaves cloud over state tax incentives
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A report released Monday by Gov. Chet Culver's office on the costs and benefits of tax credit programs provides no clear documentation of a return on investment for the state for more than half of the 32 active programs.
"
IA: Some optimism in revenue report
From: feeds.stateline.org
"State revenues continue to look grim, but indications show the revenue slide appears to be leveling off and revenues might go up slightly from this year to next.
"
IA: Iowa's six-month revenue outlook worsens a bit more
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A long-lasting recession will likely shrink state revenues even more in the next six months, revenue forecasters said Friday, but state leaders vowed no more layoffs, furloughs or program cuts in that period.
"
IA: IDED moves to recover funding from 4 firms
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Iowa's Department of Economic Development has sought to recoup tax credit incentives granted to four companies through Iowa's Department of Revenue.
"
IA: Other tax credits raised red flags
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Iowa's incentives for filmmaking may have been the most generous in the country, but they were not the first of the state's tax credits to skyrocket in cost.
"
IA: Lawmakers to mediate spat over Iowa Lottery security
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Relations have become so strained between feuding directors of two state agencies that a couple of Iowa lawmakers have agreed to step in as mediators.
"
ID: Idaho Power hits new winter peak in power demand
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Idaho and eastern Oregon residents turned up their thermostats during the December cold snap and Idaho Power hit a new winter peak record for power use.
"
ID: PUC seeks comment on moratorium
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Idaho Power customers have through Dec. 22 to comment on a proposed moratorium on base-rate increases until January 2012.
"
ID: Change to state lotto payments adds options and uncertainty
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Idaho Lottery, first started in 1989 after the state's voters approved it in 1988, has poured millions into school coffers for building maintenance and facility needs.
"
ID: Housing numbers show that tough times likely will continue through 2010, experts say
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The number of homes sold in the Treasure Valley is up dramatically, while foreclosures are down and short sales up - all good news.
"
IL: Governor releases funding for TEC
From: feeds.stateline.org
"CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Funding to begin construction on Southern Illinois University Carbondale's Transportation Education Center has been released by Gov. Pat Quinn, SIU President Glenn Poshard announced Monday.
"
IL: President Abraham Lincoln Hotel sells for $6.5 million
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Decatur developer who submitted a winning $6.5 million bid for the President Abraham Lincoln Hotel and Conference Center in downtown Springfield said Monday he wonders how anyone managed to lose money on the property.
"
IL: GOP gubernatorial candidates square off in debate
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Republican candidates for governor differed during a debate Monday over whether they'd borrow to pay state bills, invest in high-speed rail service and cast out hundreds of state employees hired by ethically tainted previous administrations.
"
IL: Quinn's economic recovery plan has campaign feel
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. Pat Quinn used an afternoon appearance before the City Club of Chicago to unveil his latest economic recovery program for the state, though the plan reads more like a review of what he's done in office as the Feb. 2 primary election creeps closer.
"
IL: $13 million pledged to keep invasive carp from Great Lakes
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Illinois is receiving $13 million in federal funding for its ongoing fight to keep the invasive carp out of the Great Lakes, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said today.
"
IL: Springfield's Lincoln Hotel is auctioned by state for $6.5 million
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Illinois lost tens of millions of dollars on politically connected loan to build Abraham Lincoln Hotel and Conference Center.
"
IL: Uncharted territory' for jobless benefits
From: feeds.stateline.org
"PEORIA, Ill. -- Unemployment is entering the great unknown. That's true for every person who files for a check, and it may be just as true for the government that sends those checks.
"
IL: Candidates in governor's race agree spending cuts needed
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The people who want to lead Illinois beginning in 2011 all know the state has severe budget problems.
"
IL: Illinois third-highest state in foreclosure filings
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Filings were reported on 19,946 properties — the highest monthly total for Illinois since January 2005 and up 57 percent from a year earlier and up 56 percent from September.
"
IL: Quinn taps former congressional candidate to lead anti-discrimination panel
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A River Forest lawyer and former congressional candidate is Gov. Pat Quinn's choice to lead the state panel that hears civil rights complaints in jobs and housing.
"
IN: Supreme Court rejects Indiana's appeal of Chrysler sale
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The justices on Monday turned down an appeal from the state of Indiana pension funds that earlier challenged the automaker's bankruptcy proceedings.
"
IN: Key committee sends tax caps bill to full Indiana House
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Now that a proposal to amend property tax caps into Indiana's constitution has won the endorsement of a key House committee, the stage is set for votes in both chambers of the Indiana General Assembly.
"
IN: Property tax caps advance in House
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A legislative committee overwhelmingly voted Monday in favor of a constitutional amendment capping property taxes, a move that sets up a significant debate before the Indiana House.
"
IN: Road work bids pay off
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Four Northwest Indiana communities are getting extra road work from federal stimulus money because of more low bids from work-hungry contractors on state highway projects, a regional planning official said Thursday.
"
IN: Legislators weigh in on Cline Avenue future
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Details on just how much construction work Cline Avenue needs and how much it will cost are still far off, but state officials agree on one thing: They should move it up the priority list.
"
IN: State will pilot new welfare application system in Evansville area
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Southwestern Indiana is where the state's human services agency plans to launch a new system for determining who is eligible for benefits such as Medicaid and food stamps.
"
IN: Indiana bracing for new revenue forecast on Tuesday
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A state revenue forecasting committee plans to release new Indiana tax collection projections on Tuesday.
"
IN: Indiana weighs changes to combat out-of-state casinos
From: feeds.stateline.org
"State lawmakers are weighing possible changes to state gaming laws at a time when growing competition from out-of-state casinos threatens to cut into business at Indiana's 11 riverboat casinos.
"
KS: KU Medical Center feeling budget pains
From: feeds.stateline.org
"At Kansas University Medical Center, state budget cuts are forcing enrollments down, hampering an effort to obtain National Cancer Institute designation and causing additional staff reductions.
"
KS: Kansas and its struggling state budget has plenty of company
From: feeds.stateline.org
"If misery loves company, Kansas government should be feeling warm and fuzzy.
"
KS: State's funding plan — or lack thereof — may prove essential if school districts decide to return to court
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Kansas Legislature's dirty little secret may become Exhibit A if school districts, which have seen significant budget cuts, decide to sue the state.
"
KS: November foreclosures down from peak
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Home foreclosures in this aircraft manufacturing-dependent city appear to have slowed amid government and industry efforts to cut mortgage payments, but some experts anticipate many loans will ultimately end in foreclosure next year anyway.
"
KS: Governor may change tax code to shore up state budget, bring in more revenue
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. Mark Parkinson is playing his cards close to the vest on whether he will recommend a tax increase to help solve a budget crisis that has already resulted in record spending cuts.
"
KS: 'Bleeding from a thousand cuts'
From: feeds.stateline.org
"At Kansas University Medical Center, state budget cuts are forcing enrollments down, hampering an effort to obtain National Cancer Institute designation and causing additional staff reductions.
"
KY: Pro-slots group says it will continue Ky. efforts
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The board of the Kentucky Equine Education Project, which supports slot machines at racetracks, voted Monday to continue its efforts to put the state's horse industry on even footing with other states that use expanded gambling revenues to boost purses and breeding incentives.
"
KY: GE's Louisville plant to make new washer, dryer line
From: feeds.stateline.org
"In a move Gov. Steve Beshear described as a "huge sign of confidence" in Louisville workers, General Electric announced Monday that it will build a new line of energy-efficient washers and dryers at Appliance Park — delivering about 430 new jobs
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KY: Nighbert asks for trial postponement
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A former Transportation Secretary under Gov. Ernie Fletcher wants to delay a Jan. 11 highway bid-rigging trial and has asked a federal judge to try him separately from another key defendant.
"
KY: Horsemen urged to 'keep open mind' on slots
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A co-founder of the Kentucky Equine Education Project said his colleagues must "keep an open mind" as the group's board prepares to discuss Monday their diminished alternatives for getting expanded gambling at racetracks.
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LA: State audit calls for changes in casino regulation
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The state's enforcement of gambling regulation would benefit from changes in state law, technology and personnel assignments, according to a legislative auditor's report released Monday.
"
LA: Grant bid may affect teacher pay
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A contest for federal dollars may pave the way for sweeping changes in the way Louisiana public school teachers are paid and evaluated.
"
LA: Streamlining panel tries to rein in state expenses
From: feeds.stateline.org
"NEW ORLEANS, La. -- From the outsourcing of aquatic plant control (No. 86) to having the transportation department sell its airplane (No. 138) to issuing a $4,000 private-school voucher for every child in a failing school (No. 207), the work of the Commission on Streamlining Government, was, if nothing else, comprehensive.
"
MA: Holiday returns can carry hefty price
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A state survey set to be released today shows that a growing number of retailers are imposing fees on returned goods, especially electronics, even if the product is not damaged. The charges, known as restocking fees, range from 10 to 60 percent, depending on the merchant.
"
MA: Democrats order audit of House spending
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Surly House Democrats - still smarting from a recent round of targeted layoffs by House Speaker Robert DeLeo (D-Winthrop) - demanded an independent review of spending from the House slush account yesterday.
"
MA: Critics slam Deval Patrick over hiring spree
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Patrick administration filled more than 1,300 state jobs this year - including a librarian for cons, a painter for hospitals and a "game biologist" - in a hiring frenzy that has watchdogs questioning whether the governor has a tight grip on hiring in the face of a dire fiscal crisis.
"
MA: Mass. lawmakers to hear latest fiscal forecasts
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Just how bad is the Massachusetts economy and when will things turn around? Lawmakers are hoping to get some answers at a public hearing this week.
"
MA: Mass. to hold hearing on wood burning power plants
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Forestry and energy experts tapped by the state to study the pros and cons of wood burning power plants are planning to hold a public hearing this week.
"
MA: Fire brand rekindled -- N. Attleboro dealer makes new truck out of old Maxim
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A recession two decades ago extinguished fire truck maker Maxim Motor Co., but now the once-dominant and revered Bay State brand is making a comeback.
"
MD: State, Baltimore police to get DNA crime lab funding
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Four police crime labs in Maryland will receive $1.2 million in federal stimulus funding.
"
MD: County education funding need quadruples
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The minimum funding increase the county is required to give schools is quadrupling next year, from $2 million to $8.3 million, because of a spike in the number of students attending public school.
"
MD: Others up ante as Md. slots idle
From: feeds.stateline.org
"BALTIMORE -- Even as slot-machine projects in Maryland stall, other states are betting big on expanded gambling.
"
MD: County waits for the BRAC boom
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The job surge at Fort George G. Meade will turn the sprawling west county Army installation into one of the largest workplaces in the nation, making it well more than double the size of the Pentagon.
"
MD: O'Malley wants more BRAC funding from feds
From: feeds.stateline.org
"ABERDEEN, Md. -- Facing a massive shortfall in funding and looming gridlock, Gov. Martin O'Malley voiced strong support Friday for more federal dollars toward Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) transportation projects in the state.
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MD: Realtors upbeat on influx of BRAC families
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Most planners agree there won't be many sectors of the local economy untouched by the sweeping changes of BRAC.
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MD: BRAC impact to be felt in the classroom
From: feeds.stateline.org
"While the base-relocation job boom is expected to change the lives of county residents, one demographic may feel the impact more than others -- school children.
"
ME: Business-friendly Maine?
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Business owners in Maine fear state regulators -- a fear that has fueled a hostile business climate, a spokesman for southern Maine companies said Monday.
"
ME: White House push for loans no news for two area lenders
From: feeds.stateline.org
"BANGOR, Maine — President Barack Obama's tough words for some of the nation's top bankers Monday reverberated in Maine as loudly as they did elsewhere, but the consensus among at least two of the state's banking chains was that Obama was talking to someone else.
"
ME: Energy task force to name offshore wind demo sites
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Maine will take another step toward bolstering its wind power potential this week when a task force announces up to four final demonstration sites for projects off its coast.
"
ME: Amtrak's Downeaster hopes to tap stimulus money
From: feeds.stateline.org
"PORTLAND, Maine — The director of the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority is optimistic that federal stimulus money will be granted to expand Amtrak's Downeaster north to Brunswick.
"
ME: 'Best guesses' on budget vex state legislators
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. John Baldacci this week will submit a budget calling for more than $400 million in cuts and spending shifts based on assumptions Congress will pass an additional stimulus plan and extend federal aid to the states.
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ME: Senate bill raises truck weight limit in Maine
From: feeds.stateline.org
"PORTLAND, Maine — A federal bill that would allow trucks weighing more than 80,000 pounds to travel Interstate 95 north of Augusta is one step closer to becoming law.
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MI: John Cherry pitches 10 cent fee on water bottlers to save Michigan Promise, asks critics where their plans are
From: feeds.stateline.org
"GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Taxing water bottlers to restore a college scholarship is "common sense" and would use a Michigan natural resource to guide the state's economic recovery, Lt. Gov. John Cherry says.
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MI: Rep. Pete Hoekstra calls for end of Michigan Business, non-homestead taxes, says support for health-care bill fraying
From: feeds.stateline.org
"HOLLAND, Mich. -- The state needs to bring more investment in by ending the Michigan Business Tax and doing away with the 18-mill, non-homestead tax on second homes and investment properties, U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra said Monday.
"
MI: Gov signs bills to restrict utility shutoffs in winter
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. Jennifer Granholm today signed a five-bill package intended to protect low-income customers and the elderly from utility shutoffs during the winter.
"
MI: Home sales show signs of life
From: feeds.stateline.org
"There are growing signs that southeastern Michigan's real estate market has bottomed out.
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MI: Bill aims to boost Mich. consumer protection
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The latest push to repair Michigan's badly damaged Consumer Protection Act kicked off today at a news conference in Lansing where Democratic lawmakers declared Michigan a "buyer beware state."
"
MI: Granholm gives Wagoner pep talk; Ford goes its own way
From: feeds.stateline.org
"By the time the chiefs of General Motors, Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler sat down in front of a U.S. House committee on Nov. 19, 2008, trouble was in the air.
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MI: E.L Democrats seek reforms to consumer legislation
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Some local lawmakers are pressing for reforms to the Michigan Consumer Protection Act that would cover more types of businesses.
"
MI: Federal program to stimulate nearly $50M in local projects
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The federal Recovery Zone stimulus program will stir up nearly $50 million in local development and likely bring more than 400 jobs to the region.
"
MI: Members of Congress demand emergency action to halt Asian carp threat
From: feeds.stateline.org
"TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. -- Members of Congress are demanding emergency action to prevent Asian carp from invading the Great Lakes and devastating their $7 billion fishery.
"
MI: Michigan to become 38th state to ban smoking in public, once Granholm signs bill into law
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Bay County restaurant owners say time will tell if the ban helps or hinders business.
"
MI: Michigan legislature considers diesel tax hike to help Department of Transportation budget
From: feeds.stateline.org
"KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- When gas prices rose into uncharted territory four years ago, motorists responded. "When the cost for a gallon of gas shot up to $4 or so, people really started changing their behaviors on the road and their attitudes about driving," said Nick Schirripa, spokesman for the Michigan Department of Transportation's Southwest Region.
"
MI: New Michigan cigarette law has some smokers fuming
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A new state law intended to reduce the fire hazard posed by smoldering cigarettes has frustrated some Michigan smokers, who complain that the safer cigarettes taste foul.
"
MI: Gov. Granholm lauds Obama auto policy on 'Meet the Press'
From: feeds.stateline.org
"During an appearance Sunday morning on NBC's "Meet the Press", Gov. Jennifer Granholm lavished praise on the Obama Administration for its attempts to help the economy.
"
MI: U.S. Senate spending bill gives Michigan $197M
From: feeds.stateline.org
"WASHINGTON -- The Senate passed legislation Sunday that will send nearly $197 million to Michigan to upgrade airports and regional transit options, buy energy-efficient buses, beautify streets, expand bike paths and bolster police programs in Detroit to reduce shootings and carjackings.
"
MI: Michigan mpg gains from clunkers program lag nation
From: feeds.stateline.org
"WASHINGTON -- Michigan ranked second to last in miles-per-gallon gains generated by the $3 billion "cash for clunkers" program that was meant to boost fuel efficiency dramatically.
"
MI: As industry retrenches, support groups take root
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Every one of the 150 seats is taken, and latecomers are leaning against walls in the multipurpose room of St. Andrew Catholic Church in Rochester. They are the laid off, the downsized and the bought out.
"
MI: Auto industry seeks a lifeline in D.C. as Michigan struggles for hope
From: feeds.stateline.org
"As recession dragged down the national economy, car and truck sales were stalled; the domestic automakers were burning through billions of dollars building vehicles that were sitting on lots.
"
MI: Detroit's fortunes crash in chaotic summer of '08
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Coming amid the worst national economic recession in three generations, the auto industry's downfall made Michigan America's poster state for economic woes, the national leader in unemployment, foreclosures and population loss.
"
MN: Sen. Day gets big no on racino from Pawlenty
From: feeds.stateline.org
"MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- Gov. Tim Pawlenty said Monday that he still opposes an expansion of gambling in Minnesota, contradicting comments from a key state senator who told reporters last week that the governor had pledged to sign racino legislation.
"
MN: Pawlenty promises to send Legislature spending-cut ideas; he also dislikes 'racino' idea
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. Tim Pawlenty said Monday he will propose spending cuts to legislators before they convene Feb. 4 so they can act quickly to erase a projected $1.2 billion deficit in the state budget.
"
MN: Operation Holiday Hoax seizes counterfeit products in Minn.
From: feeds.stateline.org
"MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- The Grinch isn't necessarily stealing Christmas anymore. Now, he's just making shoddy copies of your favorite presents in China and selling them to you at one-third the price.
"
MN: The jobless are hitting the books as Minnesota colleges and universities report boosted enrollment
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Nothing says back to school like a recession.
"
MN: As Minnesota cities cut back, creativity counts
From: feeds.stateline.org
""Lots of cities are in survival mode right now," said State Auditor Rebecca Otto. "They are doing everything they can to be efficient, whether that means co-ops, consolidating services, whatever. The financial situation continues to force the issue."
"
MN: Computer security for Minnesota jobless benefits data is called weak
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The state agency that administers unemployment benefits is addressing concerns that it lacked adequate security controls for its computer system, leaving private information about applicants vulnerable to data breaches, according to a legislative audit report.
"
MN: Neighbors say keep turbines away: Rural wind projects face unexpected opposition
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Ask Clete Goblirsch why he and some of his neighbors oppose a wind farm proposed to be built next to their fields outside New Ulm and he can rattle off a long list of reasons.
"
MO: Latest bill on ethics bipartisan
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A Republican and Democrat have teamed up for the 2010 legislative session to offer ethics legislation that would make it a felony to transfer funds through political committees with the intent to obscure the original source of the money.
"
MO: Flamboyant former state Sen. Earl Blackwell dies
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A funeral was held Monday in Hillsboro for former state Sen. Earl R. Blackwell, a flamboyant maverick whose anti-tax campaign four decades ago once made him one of the state's most powerful figures.
"
MO: Missouri reported inflated food stamp figures to feds
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Missouri acknowledged Monday that it reported inflated numbers of food stamp recipients to the federal government, calling into question millions of dollars of bonuses paid to the state for running one of the nation's top-flight programs.
"
MO: Ethics bill introduced in Missouri House
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A far-reaching ethics bill cracking down on transfers between campaign committees and beefing up penalties for political crimes was filed Monday in the Missouri House.
"
MO: Ex-lawmaker calls Missouri General Assembly a 'scam'
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Former Missouri lawmaker Brian Yates couldn't hold back.
"
MO: Ribbon-cutting lauds Range Line project
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The $13.9 million widening of Highway 763 is finished, and the Missouri Department of Transportation wants to celebrate completion of the project that began in April 2008.
"
MO: Missouri considers making it harder to get medicines used to make meth
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Amid a national push to make health care cheaper and simpler, Missouri is considering legislation that intentionally makes it a little more cumbersome.
"
MS: Hospital charity care demands increase
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Northeast Mississippi's two biggest hospital systems handed out more charity care in 2009 than they did a year earlier.
"
MS: Miss. food stamp recipients up 27% in just 2 years
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The food-stamp participation number, as reported for October and the latest available data from the Department of Human Services, is up by almost 91,000 compared to October 2008.
"
MS: State budget cuts in legislative pipeline
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Nearly every state agency can expect a budget cut next fiscal year, but lawmakers are not likely to come out with sweeping reform proposals when the Legislature's budget-writing committee releases its spending recommendations this week.
"
MS: $28M Trent Lott Center -- Is it ready to open?
From: feeds.stateline.org
"It's the edifice where the construction never seems to end. The University of Southern Mississippi's Trent Lott National Center of Excellence for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship facing U.S. 49 has been piling up brick and mortar - and expenses - for five long years.
"
MS: First lady hopes to use Toyotas as Christmas decoration
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The first lady informed members of the media during the recent Christmas party that next year the Mansion would be decorated in a Northeast Mississippi motif.
"
MT: Error causes county's taxes to increase
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A mistake by the state Department of Revenue and a new law will lead to a slight increase in property taxes for Big Horn County.
"
MT: Baucus says Montana should get more money for bark-beetle fight
From: feeds.stateline.org
"GREAT FALLS, Mont. - U.S. Sen. Max Baucus of Montana is questioning why his state isn't getting much of the federal money recently allocated for fighting bark beetles.
"
MT: 'Cash for clunker appliances' program launching in Montana next spring
From: feeds.stateline.org
"If you missed out on "Cash for Clunkers," the federal rebates for buying new, fuel-efficient vehicles, get ready for Round Two — but you won't be buying a car or truck this time around.
"
MT: Governor refuses to spend on cleanup
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. Brian Schweitzer said Monday that his administration won't spend $600,000 in waste-cleanup funds earmarked by the Legislature for a private construction firm, calling them a Republican political payoff.
"
MT: Telecoms question grant process
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Within the next two months, two federal agencies will decide who receives millions of dollars in federal grants or loans to build new broadband infrastructure to enhance high-speed Internet service in rural Montana.
"
MT: Montana oil output drops, but high prices soften blow
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Oil production in Montana is off by about 30 percent from its high three years ago, but state officials said rebounding energy prices have staved off a sharp hit to the state's budget.
"
MT: Bresnan fiber-optic plan questioned
From: feeds.stateline.org
"With the help of $70 million in federal stimulus money, Montana could have a new fiber-optic network snaking across the state, bringing cheaper high-speed Internet service to the remotest corners of the state.
"
NC: N.C. film won't air in much of state
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The irony is not lost on Mike Lassiter. The buildings and people that sparked his desire to capture them in pictures and a documentary won't be able to see what they inspired.
"
NC: Community college re-examines campus smoking ban
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The tobacco-free campus policy at a North Carolina community college may be revised after complaints from neighbors that smokers are moving onto surrounding streets to puff away.
"
NC: GOP calls for probe of Perdue's campaign finances
From: feeds.stateline.org
"North Carolina Republican Party Chairman Tom Fetzer on Monday called for a state probe of Gov. Beverly Perdue's campaign finances. Perdue's campaign committee recently reported six flights aboard private aircraft as far back as 2004 on amended finance reports.
"
NC: Support up for public campaign financing
From: feeds.stateline.org
"When the N.C. Voters for Clean Elections began a decade ago, only a few reformers championed the idea of publicly financing state political campaigns.
"
NC: DOT manager -- Marker purchase was routine
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Department of Transportation manager whose office bought $15,800 worth of electronic road markers from Law Enforcement Associates says former DOT Secretary Lyndo Tippett didn't know anything about the purchase.
"
ND: Manager of N.D. State Fair fired
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The manager of North Dakota's State Fair was fired Monday in what the president of the fair's board said was a disagreement about how much emphasis to put on entertainment as a way of drawing visitors.
"
ND: State money approved for damaged dam
From: feeds.stateline.org
"BISMARCK N.D. -- Gov. John Hoeven says the state has committed to providing $2.3 million of the estimated $3 million cost of repairing Clausen Springs Dam south of Valley City.
"
ND: Marketing company in trouble in N.D.
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem has ordered a Kentucky-based company and its operators to stop doing business in North Dakota.
"
NE: Legislative committee hears recommendations on problems near Whiteclay
From: feeds.stateline.org
"It's time for Nebraska state government to stop talking and do something to help curb the alcohol-related problems stemming from Whiteclay, state senators were told Friday.
"
NE: Ricketts political group fined
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Nebraskans for Fiscal Accountability, one of the independent organizations begun in last year to help local or state candidates, has been fined $750 by the state's sunshine commission.
"
NH: School billions -- Strings attached
From: feeds.stateline.org
"MANCHESTER, N.H. – Officials in the Queen City have taken an interest in an Obama administration initiative that promises to send billions of stimulus dollars to school districts across the country, and possibly as much as $75 million to schools in New Hampshire.
"
NH: Speedway advocates for widening of Route 106
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Officials at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway want the state to widen Route 106. But state officials decided against including the Concord to Loudon road on their 10-year list of priorities last week because they say the track brought the idea forward at the last minute.
"
NH: Pay-as-you-throw system proves hard sell
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The state Department of Environmental Services says the best way for New Hampshire communities to increase recycling rates and cut trash removal costs is to switch to a pay-as-you-throw system.
"
NH: No bonuses, but 'longevity pay'
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Every year, the state distributes "longevity pay" in December -- essentially a bonus for staying with the state for the long term. This year, the state distributed $3.8 million in longevity pay to 5,322 employees.
"
NH: Hard times ahead for human services
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The state Department of Health and Human Services is making changes, and people won't be happy. So says commissioner Nick Toumpas, who has been monitoring the department's budget and its spending.
"
NJ: Bill would let N.J. towns put off pension payments
From: feeds.stateline.org
"For the second consecutive year, New Jersey towns could skip half of their required pension payments under a bill proposed by Sen. Sandra Cunningham, a Hudson County Democrat.
"
NJ: Chris Christie, Springsteen agree to disagree
From: feeds.stateline.org
"NEW BRUNSWICK -- Bruce Springsteen doesn't share Chris Christie's views on gay marriage and he won't play at the governor-elect's inauguration, but Christie says there's no hard feelings about the Boss' politics or his State Street freeze out.
"
NJ: Corzine snubs Christie, names scores for posts
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Political warfare between the outgoing and incoming governors escalated last night as Gov. Jon Corzine nominated dozens of people to coveted posts on state boards and commissions, over the objections of Gov.-elect Chris Christie.
"
NJ: Christie keeps cuts to higher ed on table
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov.-elect Chris Christie, who campaigned to boost state funding for higher education and called past levels of support "deplorable," will not rule out further aid cuts to public colleges and universities in his first budget.
"
NJ: N.J. targets doctor-drugmaker ties
From: feeds.stateline.org
"States have begun restricting the perks that drug and medical-device manufacturers can give doctors, aiming to keep the companies from influencing prescription habits and treatment plans. New Jersey could become the first to make doctors accountable.
"
NJ: More students in N.J. get free, reduced-priced lunches in recession
From: feeds.stateline.org
"More students in New Jersey, almost 417,000, are getting free or reduced-price lunches as parents find themselves on unemployment in the recession.
"
NJ: Cost of health care in N.J. hospitals far exceeds other states
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The pain in Dan Abrams' leg throbbed so much he could barely stand.
"
NJ: N.J. might tighten credit card offers
From: feeds.stateline.org
"New Jersey residents tired of being pestered by companies seeking to issue them credit cards may soon be able to block such solicitations.
"
NJ: Battle over key nominations rocks Christie's transition
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Governor Corzine and Governor-elect Chris Christie, though publicly committed to a "smooth" transition of power, are locked in a behind-the-scenes battle over nominations to posts ranging from judgeships to coveted spots at state authorities.
"
NJ: See how North Jersey's slice of $1.1 trillion will be spent
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Police departments, hospitals, and community and transit programs in North Jersey all won a piece of the $1.1 trillion budget bill the Senate voted on Sunday to send to President Obama.
"
NM: Union disputes state worker furloughs
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Members of a state employee union say the Gov. Bill Richardson administration violated personnel rules when it decided to furlough employees for five days between now and next June.
"
NM: Recession's role reversal -- Male workers find it tough to keep or find jobs
From: feeds.stateline.org
"While still in high school, Paul Griego dabbled in restaurant work in Santa Fe so he could buy his first car.
"
NM: Board expands medical marijuana treatment availability
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Ten years ago, 29-year-old Albuquerque Realtor Anthony Towers was hit in the head with a brick at a party.
"
NM: Gov's budget balancing task force discusses tax increases on energy industries
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Farmington Daily-Times reported on the latest meeting of the Budget Balancing Task Force put together by Bill Richardson. The meeting, the first to be webcast by the task force, was held in Farmington yesterday afternoon.
"
NV: Supreme Court OKs $4 million water rights settlement
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Nevada Supreme Court has approved a settlement in which the Southern Nevada Water Authority will pay $4 million to a developer in Eastern Nevada to drop his suit in the dispute over 18,755 acre feet of water.
"
NV: Brookings report finds LV among hardest hit
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The six-state Intermountain West region has been hit hardest by the economic crisis, with Las Vegas, Phoenix and Boise, Idaho, remaining as the most troubled metropolitan areas in the entire nation in the third quarter, Brookings Mountain West reported Monday.
"
NV: Onetime Nevada brothel could become conservationists' oasis
From: feeds.stateline.org
"SPARKS, Nev. — Watching bulldozers pour crushed rocks to force the Truckee River into a more natural serpentine pattern, Mickey Hazelwood, project director for the Nature Conservancy, mused that like many acts of salvation, this one has its roots deep in sin.
"
NV: 1 Nevada legislator takes pay cut
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Only one Nevada legislator is taking a pay cut in sympathy with state workers who are being forced to take unpaid furloughs and teachers whose salaries are being cut this year.
"
NV: State commission -- Las Vegas councilman violated ethics laws
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Nevada Ethics Commission today ruled that Las Vegas City Councilman Steve Ross broke state ethics laws because he voted over the last year on a city hall project while a construction union he leads was negotiating a labor deal on the project for its members.
"
NV: Nevada State Museum struggles with shrinking attendance
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The opening of the concourse connecting the Nevada State Museum's two Carson Street buildings was "the culmination of nearly a decade of facility expansion and improvements," said museum Director Jim Barmore.
"
NY: Shel says Gov's cash cutoff OK
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver yesterday gave a shot in the arm to Gov. Paterson's move to withhold $750 million in local aid, saying the governor and his budget director can "manage cash as they see fit."
"
NY: N.Y. court fails youth
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Every year, Family Court judges in New York state send an estimated 1,600 youths into private and public facilities, for offenses ranging from truancy to felonies, at a cost of $210,000 a child. It is known as juvenile justice, but on Monday a state panel offered another description -- abject failure.
"
NY: Your dollars delayed
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Albany, Troy and Schenectady will see their state grants reduced, at least temporarily, by more than $1 million apiece following Gov. David Paterson's decision to delay Aid and Incentives to Municipalities funds.
"
NY: Gov. Paterson says state is out of money, cuts aid
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Declaring "the state has run out of money," Gov. David A. Paterson announced today the state will delay payments due school districts, cities, counties and insurances carriers by $750 million for the month of December to keep New York's books balanced.
"
NY: Threat on aid is now reality
From: feeds.stateline.org
"As he has threatened, Gov. David Paterson on Sunday said he is withholding $750 million in local aid that had been scheduled to go out starting Tuesday. The move was prompted by a looming shortfall for the current fiscal year that's estimated to reach between $500 million to $1 billion.
"
NY: A fortune in natural gas lies under Upstate New York forest
From: feeds.stateline.org
"SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Thousands of giant oak, spruce and dogwood trees line the dirt roads winding through Hewitt State Forest in Cortland County. Deer, birds and chipmunks silently move through the woods. Occasionally, the orange glow from a hunter's vest catches the eye.
"
OH: Northeast Ohio auto sales fall 2.3 percent in November, smallest decline of the year
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The November results, compared with the same month a year ago, were a big improvement from declines of 22 percent in October and 16 percent in September.
"
OH: Strickland -- School cuts only option to fill budget hole
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. Ted Strickland said yesterday that he sees no choice but to slash funding to primary and secondary schools if an $851 million budget hole is not filled by Dec. 31.
"
OH: MORPC asks for advice in planning for future
From: feeds.stateline.org
"If you think the area's roads are too congested or the air's too dirty, or you simply want to tell area leaders you plan on sticking around central Ohio, you've got a chance to speak your mind.
"
OH: Company dismisses any lottery similarities
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Even as authorities work to shut down computer-based Sweepstakes gambling machines in Ohio, a Florida company is trying to sell Ohio retailers on the concept of scratch-off phone cards that operate on the same principle.
"
OH: Settlement money to aid foreclosure counseling
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Two organizations in Franklin County are getting money for home-foreclosure counseling from the state's settlement with a mortgage lender accused of improprieties, Attorney General Richard Cordray's office said.
"
OH: New salary rates might save prisons $1.9 million
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A state spending-oversight panel yesterday approved a change in salary rates that will allow the state prison system to turn 41 private staff positions, including 26 psychiatrists, into state employees despite objections from Republicans.
"
OH: Housing crisis bills moving through Ohio Legislature slowly
From: feeds.stateline.org
"In what many agree is a housing crisis of historic proportions, the Ohio Legislature has not passed a single measure this session to help beleaguered home owners or the communities that are left to deal with foreclosed or abandoned properties.
"
OH: House panel studying impact of 'toxic' properties
From: feeds.stateline.org
"For weeks, community leaders and housing experts from around the state have been making the drive to Columbus to testify in committee hearings about the damage being done in their communities by foreclosed, vacant and abandoned properties.
"
OH: A closer look at housing crisis legislation
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Five bills dealing with the mortgage foreclosure crisis have been approved or are in the works in the Ohio House of Representatives.
"
OH: Ohio budget debate mired in gridlock
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Ohio's budget is immobilized as the year's end approaches, suffering from a gaping $850 million hole and a messy mix of competing policy and political forces.
"
OH: Casino pricetag is $47 million
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Casino developers spent more than $47 million to win Ohio voters' approval for four urban casinos, including one at Cincinnati's Broadway Commons, according to campaign finance reports filed Friday.
"
OH: Slots will go to a vote, group says
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The group seeking a statewide vote on whether slot machines should be placed at Ohio horse tracks says it has plenty of signatures to get on the Nov. 2, 2010, ballot - and it plans to prove it this week.
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OH: Casino backers spent $1 million a day in runup to election day
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Cavaliers majority owner Dan Gilbert and his casino partners spent more than a $1 million a day over the final 11 days of the Issue 3 campaign.
"
OH: Budget battle over income tax delay draws in educators
From: feeds.stateline.org
"As another week passed with no deal struck in the Ohio Senate to fill an $851 million state budget hole, House Speaker Armond Budish warned school districts this week they may need to start planning for deep cuts.
"
OH: Budget void means late tax refunds
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The ongoing state budget stalemate will temporarily keep millions of dollars out of the pockets of Ohio taxpayers.
"
OH: Developer of casino rejected other sites
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Developers of the casino that Ohio voters approved last month for Columbus say they looked at other sites before settling on 18 acres in the Arena District.
"
OK: Texas water district continues legal fight
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Oklahoma officials declared victory when a federal judge dismissed part of a North Texas water district's lawsuit that claimed it had the right to buy billions of gallons of water from basins in southern Oklahoma.
"
OR: Ore. jobless rate nearly unchanged for November
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Oregon's unemployment rate barely budged in November as the state headed for the end of 2009 with hopes for a recovery but some job losses in key industries.
"
OR: State jobless rate barely budges
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Oregon's high jobless rate showed little improvement in November — the third consecutive month the rate has barely budged.
"
OR: Stimulus estimate -- Nearly 10,000 jobs in Oregon
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Obama administration says Oregon is better off to the tune of nearly 10,000 jobs because of the federal stimulus program, but assessing the impact of stimulus spending remains largely a subjective exercise.
"
OR: Posters won't be mailed in effort to save money
From: feeds.stateline.org
"To save an estimated $31,000 in its budget, the Wage and Hour Division of the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries has opted not to mail copies of the 2010 minimum wage poster to Oregon's 130,000 employers.
"
OR: Temp hiring on the rise, suggesting more jobs ahead
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Most economists say the recession is over in Oregon, and the nation as a whole, even as the only benchmark that really matters -- gainful employment -- remains elusive for a good chunk of the population.
"
OR: Oregon drops the ball on mercury
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Nearly every day, an eastern Oregon cement factory vents an invisible and toxic cloud of mercury into the skies above Durkee.
"
OR: Measure 67 business tax would hit few, but they'd feel it
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The tax burden on Oregon businesses would still rank among the lowest in the nation if voters next month approve the corporate tax increases proposed in Measure 67.
"
PA: Pa. house gives preliminary OK to table games
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A divided state House gave preliminary approval to legislation authorizing table games in Pennsylvania over the strenuous objections of Democrats and Republicans who said they had not been given time to review a lengthy bill containing controversial provisions that could derail it in the Senate.
"
PA: State plans regulation of total dissolved solids
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Environmentalists say a state proposal to regulate discharges of dissolved solids into streams, rivers and lakes is long overdue, but industry and pro-development groups have labeled it ill-advised and too expensive.
"
PA: State looks to license home care agencies
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Hundreds of home care agencies that assist elderly or disabled individuals with basic tasks such as dressing, bathing and housekeeping are about to fall under state scrutiny for the first time.
"
PA: House approves state-related university aid, table games
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The House last night approved hundreds of millions of dollars in aid for state-related universities, which had been caught in a political crossfire over the legalization of table games at casinos.
"
PA: Pennsylvania's politicians swoop in on New York
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Pennsylvania's political center moved eastward this weekend, as the state's top elected officials and candidates flew to New York for the 110th annual Pennsylvania Society gathering.
"
PA: Financial filings to shed light on governor's race
From: feeds.stateline.org
"HARRISBURG — Symbolically and practically, the new year will signal an important change in the campaign for Pennsylvania governor.
"
PA: State's table games impasse may hurt students, workers
From: feeds.stateline.org
"In October, the General Assembly approved a state budget 101 days late with a $200 million gap that isn't covered.
"
PA: Pa. politicians press the flesh in NYC
From: feeds.stateline.org
"NEW YORK -- The spirits of a few dozen Republicans were nearly as high as their location -- the 34th floor reception room of the Arent Fox law firm, offering a spectacular panorama of midtown Manhattan.
"
RI: Proposed R.I. law would limit use of apprentices on public projects
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Legislation approved by the General Assembly in the waning hours of a special session in October could transform the work force for large public projects in the state.
"
RI: Wind power's cost to R.I. consumers is still up in the air
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Experts agree that wind power will cost more than energy generated by coal or natural gas, but the question is -- how much more?
"
SC: Lower revenue forecast could bring more budget cuts
From: feeds.stateline.org
"State agencies could face almost $200 million of additional budget cuts today that could be felt everywhere from public schools to health care and social services.
"
SC: S.C. officials, teens target texting while driving
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Driving while texting is a dangerous and deadly practice, experts say. And sentiment to ban texting while driving is growing in legislatures nationwide, including in South Carolina.
"
SC: 2-state board reviews Savannah River port project
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The joint Georgia-South Carolina agency building a $500 million port on the Savannah River is meeting to review progress on the massive project.
"
SC: Fish to be tested for carcinogen
From: feeds.stateline.org
"State biologists will begin testing fish at Lake Wateree next year for PCBs, a suspected cancer-causing pollutant that federal data show has tainted predator species in the popular reservoir.
"
SC: Lawmakers can do little to boost jobs, experts say
From: feeds.stateline.org
"While a legislative committee is expected to work for months to reform the state's unemployment agency and help people get jobs quicker, and gubernatorial candidates are vowing to bring jobs to South Carolina, economists say there is little the Legislature can do to turn around the state's high unemployment rate next year.
"
SC: State stands to gain money, pull
From: feeds.stateline.org
"If more South Carolinians respond to the 2010 census, the state could gain an additional seat in the U.S. House and at least $60 million more a year in federal cash for roads, vocational education, college scholarships, health care, crime victims and small businesses.
"
SC: Anyone home? Counties map census appeals
From: feeds.stateline.org
"This morning, Jack Maguire and his staff will gather around a conference table in Lexington County and begin sorting more than 3,000 pieces of paper.
"
SC: New year to bring I-385 detour shock
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The unprecedented closure of Interstate 385 next month could cost millions in lost fuel and time for Upstate businesses and untold more for taxpayers, who will not only bob and weave over detour routes but could also end up paying to fix the wear and tear on those roads.
"
SD: Indian lawsuit to pay out billions
From: feeds.stateline.org
"WASHINGTON - It is apparent that this week's settlement of a class-action lawsuit over federal management of tribal lands won't change life immediately for Native Americans.
"
SD: Consumer group -- S.D. interest rate law a sham
From: feeds.stateline.org
"South Dakota is called the "loan shark capital of the world" by a Florida-based consumer advocacy group because of the high interest rates banks based here can charge on credit cards.
"
SD: Schools brace for freeze on state aid
From: feeds.stateline.org
"For 15 years, the formula used to calculate the yearly boost in per-pupil funding in South Dakota has hummed along on a sort of autopilot.
"
SD: Ag loan scrutiny high
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Tougher banking regulations enacted in response to last year's financial crisis are hitting farmers and ranchers as they apply for operating loans, forcing many to put up more cash right away and give better proof they can pay the loan back.
"
TN: Tax collections below estimates again
From: feeds.stateline.org
"State tax collections fell below budgeted estimates for the fourth consecutive month in November, state officials announced Monday.
"
TN: Nashville prosectors honored for work on senator corruption case
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Two assistant U.S. attorneys from Nashville have been recognized by the Department of Justice for their part in the investigation and prosecution of former state Sen. John Ford.
"
TN: TN schools and science nonprofit team up to improve education
From: feeds.stateline.org
"MT. JULIET, Tenn. — Gov. Phil Bredesen on Friday announced a new Tennessee education partnership aimed at improving education in science, technology, engineering and math — known as STEM.
"
TX: Kinky exits governor's race
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Musician and author Kinky Friedman will drop his Democratic bid for Texas governor and seek the agriculture commissioner post instead.
"
TX: Democratic gubernatorial candidates visit El Paso
From: feeds.stateline.org
"El Paso's clout as a Democratic stronghold drew two major gubernatorial candidates to the city Sunday, each promising that they could tackle border issues.
"
TX: Texas teachers fund losses will reverberate for years
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The worst of the past year's financial upheaval might be over, but the fund that provides retirement benefits to Texas teachers will feel the effects for many years, actuaries said Friday.
"
TX: Pickups stolen here used for immigrant smuggling, authorities say
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Austin police began tracking the number of stolen Ford trucks recovered in South Texas and along the border April 1 after noticing the frequency with which they were being found in the region.
"
US: Exxon Mobil places hefty bet on natural gas
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Exxon Mobil Corp.'s purchase of a Texas natural gas producer for $29 billion could reshape the U.S. energy landscape, setting the stage for the fuel to challenge coal in the nation's electrical grid and helping to alleviate American dependence on foreign oil.
"
US: Supreme Court takes texting case
From: feeds.stateline.org
"WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court agreed on Monday to decide whether a police department violated the constitutional privacy rights of an employee when it inspected personal text messages sent and received on a government pager.
"
US: In Exxon deal, signs of the new gusher
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Over the last decade, a handful of the nation's small energy companies pulled off a coup. Right under the noses of the industry's biggest players, they discovered huge amounts of natural gas in fields stretching from Texas to Pennsylvania.
"
US: Poll reveals trauma of joblessness in U.S.
From: feeds.stateline.org
"More than half of the nation's unemployed workers have borrowed money from friends or relatives since losing their jobs. An equal number have cut back on doctor visits or medical treatments because they are out of work.
"
US: States hard on trail of online sales taxes
From: feeds.stateline.org
"If you buy Christmas gifts online this year, you may be saving money on your end, but you might also be costing the state treasury its fair share of sales tax revenue.
"
US: Benefits backlog stalls millions in need
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Millions of Americans are waiting longer for unemployment checks, disability payments and food stamps as states furlough workers who process the benefits.
"
US: White House puts jobs over deficit
From: feeds.stateline.org
"WASHINGTON -- Top White House economic advisers on Sunday delivered a unified message that creating jobs would take priority over tackling the ballooning federal deficit, and suggested that employment growth could resume by spring, more optimistic than previous forecasts.
"
US: Underused drilling practices could avoid pollution
From: feeds.stateline.org
"As environmental concerns threaten to derail natural gas drilling projects across the country, the energy industry has developed innovative ways to make it easier to exploit the nation's reserves without polluting air and drinking water.
"
US: 'Smart' electric utility meters, intended to create savings, instead prompt revolt
From: feeds.stateline.org
"WASHINGTON — Millions of households across America are taking a first step into the world of the "smart grid," as their power companies install meters that can tell them how much electricity they are using hour by hour — and sometimes, appliance by appliance. But not everyone is happy about it.
"
UT: Utah House Republicans hear about state budget
From: feeds.stateline.org
"House Republicans met for more than five hours Monday in their annual pre-session caucus, hearing a budget pitch from Gov. Gary Herbert and forecasts for the state's economic recovery, but took no positions on taxes, ethics or other key issues.
"
UT: Stimulus spending in Utah tops $2.3 billion
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Spending in Utah from President Barack Obama's economic stimulus bill has topped $2.3 billion as of September, with major portions of the cash targeting public education, roads, and help for the impoverished and the unemployed.
"
UT: GOP House members won't take no-tax pledge
From: feeds.stateline.org
"You won't see conservative Utah House members signing a pledge not to raise taxes next year.
"
UT: Approval of state legislators at 63%
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Utahns like their state legislators now. But wait until after the tough 2010 session, when taxes may go up and budgets will be cut.
"
UT: Legislator targets noncompliance
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A bill being readied by Rep. Chris Herrod of Provo would increase penalties for government agencies failing to comply with the law.
"
VA: Northrop Grumman says it's willing to mediate dispute
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Like a feuding couple, Northrop Grumman and the state are considering counseling to save their troubled IT marriage -- even as the state inches toward a possible divorce.
"
VA: Report -- Region is among strongest economically
From: feeds.stateline.org
"HAMPTON ROADS, Va. -- With its output of goods and services on the upswing, Hampton Roads continues to rank among the country's 20 strongest metro areas in economic performance, a major research center said Monday.
"
VA: Va. agency cautions on charitable giving
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Virginia's consumer affairs office is cautioning residents about contributing to charitable organizations that have not registered with the state.
"
VA: Report -- Computer contractor may miss 2010 deadline
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Northrop Grumman Corp. is likely to miss next summer's deadline - already extended once - for replacing and consolidating Virginia's far-flung computer systems, the General Assembly's watchdog agency reported Monday.
"
VA: Planners recommend Surry coal plant's approval
From: feeds.stateline.org
"SURRY, Va. -- The issue of possibly allowing a mega power plant in Dendron bounced back Monday night to the Town Council and the Surry County Board of Supervisors.
"
VA: When part-time lawmakers land full-time government jobs, pensions soar
From: feeds.stateline.org
"HAMPTON ROADS, Va. -- When state Sen. Ken Stolle announced earlier this year that he was stepping down to run for Virginia Beach sheriff, lots of people were surprised. Why would one of the most powerful men in state government want to run a city jail?
"
VA: Farmers say Chesapeake Bay rules will bankrupt some farms
From: feeds.stateline.org
"HAMPTON ROADS, Va. -- Farmers nationwide are gearing up for a battle against the federal government over plans to clean up the Chesapeake Bay.
"
VA: Kaine to force tough choices on McDonnell
From: feeds.stateline.org
"In the anxious days leading up to this Friday's rollout of an austere 2010-2012 state budget, outgoing Gov. Timothy M. Kaine has been sending up warning flares -- "Everything is on the table," he's said repeatedly, when asked about possible tax increases and cuts. "People are going to see an awful lot in this budget they don't like."
"
VA: Richmond area's major businesses feel economy's squeeze
From: feeds.stateline.org
"As the Richmond area's major publicly traded companies prepare to close the books on a tumultuous 2009, their recently issued income statements and balance sheets show how the pain of recession during the past year has filtered through the economy.
"
VA: Region has cash for mass transit and fixes but trails in new projects
From: feeds.stateline.org
"HAMPTON ROADS, Va. -- While Hampton Roads has not fared well attracting interstate construction money, the region is pulling in the state's largest chunk of highway maintenance funds.
"
VA: Military families' tax break will hit cities at a tough time
From: feeds.stateline.org
"HAMPTON ROADS, Va. -- Just when local officials thought they couldn't get any more bad news about shrinking tax revenues, they must now deal with a new federal law that will take away even more from city coffers.
"
VA: Joblessness triggers tax increase for businesses
From: feeds.stateline.org
"FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- Despite talk about easing burdens on businesses to encourage them to create jobs, companies in Virginia will be paying more in taxes come Jan. 1.
"
VA: Taxable sales down year-over-year in Fredericksburg area
From: feeds.stateline.org
"FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- Third-quarter taxable sales in the Fredericksburg area fell 5.6 percent compared with the same period in 2008, according to Virginia Department of Taxation data out Thursday.
"
VT: Designs displayed for new bridge
From: feeds.stateline.org
"TICONDEROGA, N.Y. — New Yorkers and Vermonters affected by the closure of the Lake Champlain Bridge linking the two states got the opportunity Saturday to see six possible designs for a new span and to submit their opinions about them.
"
VT: Vermont has fields of empty offices
From: feeds.stateline.org
"SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. — All three floors of a pristine office building facing Kimball Avenue in South Burlington sit vacant. The 54,000-square-foot building has not had a tenant since its completion six months ago.
"
VT: Vermont 3rd in breakfast participation
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The number of low-income Vermont children who eat breakfast daily at school hit almost 15,000 and jumped 15.5 percent this year, the largest increase in the nation, according to a new report.
"
WA: As California greens, Northwest power gains
From: feeds.stateline.org
"There's an energy "butterfly effect": Buy a TV in L.A. and the next thing you know we're developing more wind energy in the Columbia Gorge.
"
WA: Raises in sight for some
From: feeds.stateline.org
"More than 21,000 state employees could get pay raises of up to 5 percent in the next year, despite Gov. Chris Gregoire's proposal to cut $1.7 billion from public schools, health care and other programs to solve a budget shortfall.
"
WA: When Washington's economy rebounds, job growth will lag
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Even if Washington payrolls start growing again next quarter, it will take another two years for the state to regain all of the jobs lost during the downturn.
"
WA: Seattle girds for tunnel fight
From: feeds.stateline.org
"SEATTLE -- If Washington state has its way, construction crews will start drilling a 54-foot wide traffic tunnel beneath this city's prime waterfront in 2011 to replace an earthquake-damaged freeway. But the $4.2 billion project is already rattling local politics and deepening fault lines over competing visions for Seattle's future.
"
WA: Bank bill could bring relief to state
From: feeds.stateline.org
"WASHINGTON – They helped fuel a real estate and commercial development boom across Washington state, but now community banks are saddled with bad loans that are dragging down their balance sheets, causing a credit squeeze and making it hard for small businesses and farmers to get loans in an already difficult economy.
"
WI: GAO rules against Oshkosh; Army told to review $3 billion contract
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A federal watchdog agency says a $3 billion U.S. Army contract awarded to Oshkosh Corp. should be reconsidered, giving two losing bidders another chance at the deal affecting thousands of jobs.
"
WI: Latino, Asian presence grows in state
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Immigrants - Latinos and Asians - are a growing segment of Wisconsin society and integral to the state's economy, providing tens of millions of dollars in tax revenue and consumer purchasing power, according to a study released Thursday.
"
WI: Some school districts lapse on stimulus job reports
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A handful of Wisconsin school districts have failed to report the number of jobs created or saved by $11 million in federal stimulus money they collectively received - more than two months after the information was due.
"
WI: Profits slip at state tribal casinos
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The casino business, an industry once believed to be recession-proof, is taking a hit in Wisconsin: The state's 11 tribes saw their gaming revenue fall by nearly 2% last year, according to a new study.
"
WI: State's computers hold up extension of jobless benefits
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The federal government's latest extension of unemployment benefits passed in early November, but jobless people in Wisconsin have yet to see the money.
"
WV: Manchin seeks clarity from Byrd remarks
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. Joe Manchin has been doing a bit of head scratching ever since U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd delivered a statement earlier this month about the future of coal in West Virginia.
"
WV: State workers must describe their jobs
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Thousands of state employees have received e-mails informing them they will soon have to outline in detail what they do on the job every day.
"
WV: 270K eligible for W.Va. free drug program
From: feeds.stateline.org
"About 17,000 West Virginia residents are taking advantage of the state's innovative free medication program. But program director Brenda Dane says as many as 270,000 residents are eligible to receive free drugs through West Virginia Rx.
"
WV: W.Va. jobless rate rises to 7.9 percent in Nov.
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Workforce West Virginia says 1,800 residents joined the unemployment rolls in November as the state's jobless rate rose to 7.9 percent.
"
WV: Thousands roll up their sleeves for vaccine
From: feeds.stateline.org
"More than 1,000 people showed up at the Charleston Civic Center to get a swine flu vaccination on the first day they were available to the general population.
"
WV: PEIA may consider flat-rate premium hike
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Members of the Public Employees Insurance Agency could see flat increases in the premiums next year, regardless of salary.
"
WV: Hunting deaths lead to legal crackdown
From: feeds.stateline.org
"On April 27, the opening day of the spring turkey season, Shawn Stewart was shot and killed by another hunter. And if the killer hadn't dropped his hat almost a mile away, Stewart's death might have remained a mystery.
"
WV: 2006 legislation at heart of retiree costs uproar
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Much of the uproar over West Virginia's handling of public retiree benefit costs can be traced to a Manchin administration decision to go above and beyond national accounting standards. But a recent study holds up the approach as one example of a state taking those liabilities seriously.
"
WV: Marshall, WVU look at cost savings
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Nationwide, public colleges and universities often seek ways to control costs and streamline operations, and West Virginia University and Marshall University are no different.
"
WY: Old adage in state government to ask for big money proves true
From: feeds.stateline.org
"There's a long-standing adage in state government that if you ask for millions of dollars in your budget, the Joint Appropriations Committee rubber stamps it quickly and without much debate.
"
WY: Energy companies count Wyoming oilfield deaths wrong, labor leader says
From: feeds.stateline.org
""They (energy companies) would love you to believe people are dying from car wrecks," Wyoming AFL-CIO head Kim Floyd said in response to recent testimony to a legislative committee about high transportation deaths contributing to Wyoming's status as leading the nation in workplace fatalities.
"
WY: State pays $250K in motorist's death
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The state of Wyoming paid $250,000 last year to the estate of a man who died of hypothermia after a state trooper decided not to drive out on a winter night in response to a passing trucker's report that someone was trying to flag down help along Interstate 90.
"
Michigan seeks funding for year-round tourism campaign
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Those soothing scenes enticing tourists to experience Pure Michigan won't return to the airwaves until spring at the earliest.
"
Weekly wrap: States, locals have spent a quarter of stimulus funds
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A new federal report shows states and localities spent a quarter of their federal stimulus dollars. A budget-cutting to release prisoners in Oregon questioned. And credit-rating agencies draw harsh criticism from states but may escape new federal regulations.
"
State budgets: $28 billion short this year
From: feeds.stateline.org
"TODAY'S TAKE: Thirty-six states face budget shortfalls totaling $28 billion in the fiscal year that began just five months ago, according to a new 50-state report. The assessment predicts another $56 billion in shortfalls across 35 states next fiscal year and $69 billion in shortfalls across 23 states the year after that.
"
Economist Mark Zandi: On stimulus, jobs, state finances, inflation and the year ahead
From: feeds.stateline.org
"
A leading economist agrees with President Obama's plea for additional money to help financially strapped state governments.
"
Weekly wrap: Taxpayers in 29 states hit with hikes
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A new report shows 29 states raised taxes or fees this year, generating an estimated $23.9 billion. Meanwhile, projections released this week show Arizona and Iowa headed on very different paths to economic recovery. And the upcoming Republican primary for Texas governor could be seen as a gift for the Democratic Party.
"
After furloughs, states mull permanent cuts
From: feeds.stateline.org
"
The protracted fiscal crisis is forcing states to shrink their bureaucracies to match revenues. Some are seizing the opportunity to make government more efficient.
"
Visit the Stateline.org Economy & Business Page
From: feeds.stateline.org
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