State budget gaps linger at year's end
From: www.stateline.org
"Over the past few months, state legislators around the country have been confronted with unfinished fiscal business tugging at them like a bad dream. Mid-year budget gaps have opened in dozens of states, brought on, in part, by overly hopeful revenue projections."
Jobless rate dips in 36 states
From: www.stateline.org
"TODAY’S TAKE: Unemployment declined in 36 states in November, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The U.S. Senate, meanwhile, sent President Obama a defense spending bill that includes a two-month extension of unemployment benefits."
AK: Palin to hold public book signing in Wasilla
From: www.adn.com
"WASILLA, Alaska - Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will finally hold a public book signing in her homestate."
AK: Beetle in Alaska equipped with natural antifreeze
From: www.juneauempire.com
"FAIRBANKS, Alaska -- When Kent Walters decided to study an obscure Alaska beetle for his doctoral research project, even he admits the idea didn't sound especially sexy or groundbreaking. "
AK: Christmas trees showing up with live 'ornaments'
From: www.juneauempire.com
"Forget the plastic icicles, brightly colored balls and tinsel. "
AK: State to back Shell in lawsuit over drilling
From: www.adn.com
"Gov. Sean Parnell says the state intends to show its support of a federal decision allowing Shell to proceed with offshore oil exploration. "
AL: Alabama agencies warned about 2011 General Fund budget's 'financial cliff'
From: www.montgomeryadvertiser.com
"Several state officials used the terms "Titanic" and "financial cliff" when talking about assembling a budget for the next fiscal year, which lawmakers will begin molding when they return to Montgomery in January."
AL: Alabama education board to discuss charter schools
From: content.usatoday.net
"The State Board of Education meets Tuesday to discuss legislation being prepared for the upcoming legislative session to authorize charter schools in Alabama.
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AL: Alabama jobless rates decline
From: blog.al.com
"Unemployment fell in metro Birmingham and across Alabama last month, but experts caution that the decline doesn't signal a true turnaround in the state's slumping job market. "
AL: Tuscaloosa officials tell Alabama Gov. Bob Riley their worries about Bryce Hospital sale plan
From: blog.al.com
"Tuscaloosa County officials and legislators met with the governor this week to express their concerns about a pending sale of Bryce Hospital, while a group headed by Tuscaloosa developer Stan Pate expressed interest in buying the property.
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AL: Job loss strikes Alabama's poorest counties hardest
From: blog.al.com
"As job losses mount across the nation in the wake of a blistering recession, few areas have been hit harder than Dallas County and the rest of Alabama's Black Belt.
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AR: Research will show who plays lottery, director says
From: arkansasnews.com
"Critics of Arkansas' lottery have called for research to show who is playing the lottery — and Lottery Director Ernie Passailaigue says they'll get it.
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AR: As rural districts struggle, teacher salary gap widens
From: www.arkansasonline.com
"The gap between the haves and have-nots among Arkansas schoolteachers has widened.
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AR: State jobless rate drops in November; trust fund struggling
From: arkansasnews.com
"Arkansas' unemployment rate dropped two-tenths of a percentage point in November to 7.4 percent, according to labor statistics released today.
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AZ: Lawmakers approve 1.9% budget cut
From: www.azcentral.com
"The Legislature on Saturday approved a 1.9 percent cut in the state budget in a decidedly un-jolly pre-Christmas session that highlighted the partisan divide over the state's budget crisis."
AZ: Budget fix, OK'd after snipe-fest, makes only a dent in Ariz. deficit
From: www.azstarnet.com
"Without a single Democrat in support, state lawmakers gave final approval Saturday to a $194 million fix to the budget — but not before some name-calling and partisan acrimony that sets the stage for the divisive regular session to come."
AZ: Latinos visiting Mexico endure strict rules, long waits
From: www.azcentral.com
"Many families are skipping the trip this year because of the poor economy, Mexican authorities say. People have lost jobs or seen their hours cut back and can't afford the expense."
AZ: Decade flipped Arizona upside down
From: www.azcentral.com
"Living in Arizona at the close of the '00s feels a bit like standing on our heads. The decade dealt our state a heavy blow, upturned our touchstones, left us suspended in a mixed-up, flip-flopped, name-swapping, upside-down place. "
AZ: Lawmakers give final approval to special session bill
From: azcapitoltimes.com
"Arizona lawmakers have given final approval to a bill that will carve $193 million out of state government spending and ended their fifth special session of the year."
AZ: Politics plays into raiding state funds
From: www.eastvalleytribune.com
"So when it comes to sweeping special accounts to balance the budget, it turns out that not all funds are created equal. The legislation prepared for Senate action on Thursday included about $55 million in raids on various funds."
CA: California prison guards union ends consulting contract with ex-president Novey
From: www.sacbee.com
"The union that represents 30,000 correctional officers in California has ended its consulting contract with Don Novey, the one-time president of the organization credited with building its political muscle.
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CA: Round 3 of California's never-ending budget bout looms
From: www.sacbee.com
"Six months into the leanest fiscal year in memory, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and California legislators soon will begin wrestling with a new state spending plan – and a new budget deficit.
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CA: CalPERS probing investment advisor's ties to middleman
From: www.latimes.com
"A Nevada businessman was paid $17 million by two private equity firms to help them win business from California's giant pension fund at the same time he was working for a La Jolla company that was advising the fund on those investments."
CA: California National Guard troops help Afghan farmers
From: www.latimes.com
"NARAY, Afghanistan - Army Spc. Kathy Tanson, who grew up on a farm in Corning in Northern California, is wrestling goats and sheep into submission so they can be vaccinated against parasites and anthrax."
CA: California's unemployment rate shrinks - but so do the number of jobs
From: www.latimes.com
"The statewide unemployment rate fell slightly to 12.3% last month from 12.5% in October, according to figures released Friday by the Employment Development Department, but only because thousands of discouraged workers have left the labor force or even moved out of state."
CO: Medical pot dispensaries growing at a fast clip
From: www.denverpost.com
"When Andy Cookston and his wife opened Denver's first medical-marijuana dispensary three years ago, they hung no sign outside their door.
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CO: Colorado banks "pretty solid" amid ratings drop
From: www.denverpost.com
"A dozen banks in the state have had their ratings cut from levels defined as good or adequate to problematic or troubled over the past year, according to BauerFinancial.
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CO: As water use falls in Front Range, it explodes elsewhere
From: www.denverpost.com
"Colorado Front Range residents are using less water, but some parts of the Western Slope have seen per capita water use explode in the past decade, according to a new state study.
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CO: Census captures Colorado's quirky demographics
From: www.denverpost.com
"Forget Trivial Pursuit.
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CT: Pratt & Whitney, union head to court
From: www.theday.com
"A union's legal challenge to possible job cuts at jet engine maker Pratt & Whitney is renewing familiar issues about global competition and the erosion of Connecticut's manufacturing base."
CT: Pratt trial to begin today
From: www.courant.com
"The labor drama that erupted between Pratt & Whitney and the Machinists union last summer comes to a head at U.S. District Court in Bridgeport today with the start of a trial over the union's effort to block the layoff of more than 1,000 Connecticut workers."
CT: Connecticut lawmakers return for deficit session
From: www.courant.com
"Connecticut lawmakers will be returning to the Capitol to try to tackle the state's estimated $467 million budget deficit.
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CT: Connecticut Democrats call for $1B in bonding for jobs
From: www.theday.com
"Legislative Democrats on Friday unveiled a plan to borrow $1 billion to pay for construction projects across Connecticut that they say will create more than 16,000 jobs."
CT: State funds to help out 6 housing developments
From: www.courant.com
"About $10 million in state funds will go toward six housing developments throughout state, with the goals of increasing the amount of affordable housing and creating new jobs, Gov. M. Jodi Rell said Saturday."
DE: Overhaul of Chesapeake Bay cleanup strategy a challenge
From: www.delawareonline.com
"WASHINGTON -- At the podium, a political science professor was ripping into the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the well-funded granddaddy of bay area environmentalism. The Chesapeake's biggest fight in a generation is starting, he was saying. And the foundation is too timid to win it."
DE: Office cleaners find freedom in unionizing
From: www.delawareonline.com
"Willie Grant has been a janitor in the city's downtown office buildings for more than two decades."
FL: More than 1 million Floridians out of work, jobless rate still rising
From: www.postonpolitics.com
"Florida's unemployment rate jumped again last month, climbing to 11.5 percent with more than 1 million workers out of a job."
FL: Rail special session gave DOT unprecedented clout
From: www.palmbeachpost.com
"The state Department of Transportation acquired sweeping new power, including the ability to borrow money, in the rail bill that Gov. Charlie Crist signed into law last week."
FL: Fla. parimutuels betting on casinos for rebirth
From: content.usatoday.net
"HIALEAH, Fla. — An overflow crowd of 26,874 flocked to Hialeah Park's hallowed grounds when the historic track threw open its gates Nov. 28 after an eight-year hibernation. On Day Two, 4,305 turned out. On Day Three: 1,193."
FL: PSC's newcomers already facing high-stakes decisions
From: www.miamiherald.com
" Six months ago, David Klement and Steve Stevens were looking for jobs in classified ads and on Internet job boards. In January, they will sit in judgment of two of the largest utility rate cases in Florida history as the newest members of the five-person utility regulatory board, the Public Service Commission. "
GA: County leader pushes for state tax reform
From: www.timesfreepress.com
"ELLIJAY, Ga. -- A Gilmer County leader has joined the debate on reforming the state's property tax system.
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GA: Budget cuts gut Georgia ethics panel
From: www.macon.com
"A scandal that drove Georgia's powerful House speaker from office has candidates from both political parties arguing that the state Ethics Commission should be given more power to investigate lawmakers. But the panel in recent years has been a poor stepchild in state government, stripped of power and the target of repeated budget cuts that have slashed its staff by more than half.
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GA: Legislature to focus on ethics in 2010
From: www.ajc.com
"On the first day of the 2010 legislative session, expect the state Capitol's basket for incoming legislation to be piled high with new ethics reform bills. Some have already been filed. "
GA: Officials -- More fraud victims found
From: www.macon.com
"A day after two Macon insurance agents were arrested on charges of defrauding Goodwill Industries, state officials say they have discovered more victims."
HI: Hawaii dimmed by education, election, health cuts
From: hosted2.ap.org
"Hawaii public schools are closed most Fridays, rats scurry across bananas in uninspected stores and there may not be enough money to run the next election."
HI: University of Hawaii stimulus grants' benefits questioned
From: www.honoluluadvertiser.com
"Federal economic stimulus money is being used to finance University of Hawai'i research into how honeybees learn, the evolution of moths and Icelandic geology."
HI: Early ag lands identified
From: www.starbulletin.com
"Combining technology and traditional archaeology, scientists have identified thousands of acres of land farmed by early Hawaiians."
IA: Legislators look on the bright side
From: www.muscatinejournal.com
"MUSCATINE, Iowa -- Despite across-the-board budget cuts and a wounded economy, some northeast Democratic legislators voiced optimism for Iowa's upcoming legislative session.
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IA: Legislative panel focuses on Iowa's health spending
From: www.qctimes.com
"With a record number of Iowans tapping safety-net programs Medicaid and food assistance, key lawmakers pledge the state will not abandon its responsibilities even in tough budget times."
IA: NW Iowa winery one of many taking root
From: www.qctimes.com
"Snow-dusted grapevines, now dormant, line a south-facing hillside covering just one of Barry and Brenda Dittmer's 155 acres. This year's harvest is in, and the Dittmers were inside their winery on the crest of the hill one recent afternoon, bottling some of their 2008 vintage wines."
IA: University of Iowa looks at solar station for electric cars
From: www.siouxcityjournal.com
"IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Plans for a solar charging station for electric cars is back on track at the University of Iowa."
IA: Iowa targets outstanding court debt
From: www.qctimes.com
"Gov. Chet Culver is spearheading a new effort to get scofflaws who owe the state money to make good on their debt."
IA: November unemployment rate edges up
From: www.desmoinesregister.com
"Iowa's unemployment rate was 6.7 percent in November, edging up slightly from a revised jobless rate of 6.6 percent in October."
IA: State's cattle population rises 6 percent
From: www.desmoinesregister.com
"On Dec. 1, Iowa's population of cattle on feedlots for slaughter totaled 1.3 million, up 6 percent from Nov. 1 and up 2 percent from a year ago, according to a report issued Friday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture."
ID: Utilities commission OKs sale of wind power
From: www.idahostatesman.com
"BOISE, Idaho — The Idaho Public Utilities Commission has approved a plan to allow a Meridian-based wind developer to start selling power to the state's largest utility in 2013."
ID: E. Idaho hospital replacing paper records
From: www.idahostatesman.com
"POST REGISTER, Idaho — Madison Memorial Hospital in eastern Idaho is using a $350,000 federal grant to expand its digital record keeping as it replaces 400,000 files containing paper records with electronic records."
ID: Idaho borrows money to pay jobless claims
From: www.idahostatesman.com
"Idaho has borrowed more than $91 million from the federal government to pay jobless benefits."
ID: Luna won't seek easing of charter schools cap
From: www.magicvalley.com
"Anyone looking for a massive influx of charter schools into Idaho next year will have to wait awhile."
ID: Axle load limits began Saturday on parts of Idaho 21
From: www.idahostatesman.com
"The Idaho Transportation Department announced that because of the effect of freeze and thaw conditions on the highway, the 17-mile stretch of Idaho 21 from Robie Creek to Idaho City will be limited to 12,000 pounds per axle starting Saturday, Dec. 19, until further notice."
IL: Guantanamo detainees welcome here
From: online.wsj.com
"The prospect of housing Guantanamo detainees on U.S. soil gives some people pause. But most folks in Thomson, Ill., welcome anyone to fill the $128 million maximum-security prison that has stood near empty there for eight years."
IL: State lands money for landscaping, trails
From: www.rrstar.com
"CHICAGO -- Around $10 million in federal cash is available for landscaping and other projects in the Chicago area.
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IL: Employee buyouts mentioned as one way to cut UI spending
From: www.news-gazette.com
"URBANA, Ill. -- Employee buyouts might be the next method the University of Illinois uses to reduce costs in the spring semester."
IL: Durbin -- Ill. due for $45 mil in defense spending
From: www.dailyherald.com
"U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin says more than $45 million in Illinois defense-related spending has been approved by the U.S. Senate. "
IL: Irony -- Post-9/11 economy kept state from opening Thomson prison
From: www.dailyherald.com
"A healthy dose of political irony is unfolding in rural northwestern Illinois over Thomson prison and the plan to put detainees from Guantanamo Bay in its near-vacant confines."
IL: Republican governor candidates spar over business expansion near Lisle school
From: newsblogs.chicagotribune.com
"A pair of DuPage County Republican governor candidates have turned a proposed Lisle development into a campaign issue."
IL: Guardsmen fight new battles for old jobs in hard economy
From: www.chicagotribune.com
"Spec. Leigh Herring is back from Afghanistan, nursing the lingering wounds from a car bomb. With his savings and vacation days running out, the Illinois Army National Guardsman is about ready to return to his civilian job.
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IL: Cash-strapped municipalities look to Springfield in search of pension solution
From: www.chicagotribune.com
"The financial outlook for many Chicago suburbs is as bleak as the weather, with revenue-starved towns planning to issue furloughs, chop jobs and trim services."
IL: Thomson federal prison plan -- Town has been down this road before
From: www.chicagotribune.com
"THOMSON, Ill. -- Far from sleepy Illinois Highway 84 and the mostly empty prison, the Pentagon and Justice Department are drawing up plans to build a new security perimeter and send in federal marshals if President Barack Obama's administration succeeds in moving detainees here from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba."
IN: Tollway rebuild complete
From: www.post-trib.com
"CHICAGO -- The North and Central Tri-State Tollway widening project, including the entire stretch of tollway through Lake County, Ill., to the Wisconsin state line, is complete."
IN: Legislators face unemployment insurance fund sinking into red
From: www.ibj.com
"Legislators are preparing to punt on 2009's "must-solve" business issue in the hope of a federal bailout. However, it's anybody's guess how Washington will respond."
IN: Facing cuts, Indiana colleges put everything on table
From: www.ibj.com
"Indiana universities searching for ways to cut $150 million from their budgets by year's end say they're looking at all options — including eliminating some sports or even academic majors."
IN: Higher ed budget cut plans to be ready soon
From: www.ibj.com
"The Indiana Commission for Higher Education hopes to present recommendations for cutting state spending for colleges and universities to Gov. Mitch Daniels by Tuesday or Wednesday"
IN: Property tax caps top Statehouse agenda
From: www.courierpress.com
"One of the first major votes Indiana lawmakers will cast after the General Assembly reconvenes Jan. 5 will be whether to write property tax caps into Indiana's constitution."
IN: Indiana's jobless rate falls -- so does the labor pool
From: www.indystar.com
"Indiana's jobless rate remained in a stable but guarded condition last month as thousands of Hoosiers renewed the trek to the unemployment office for newly extended benefits, or gave up the job hunt and left the work force."
IN: State recommends school pay freeze
From: www.indystar.com
"The State Board of Education on Friday recommended a salary freeze for all school employees and seven other steps to help trim a $300 million budget gap without cutting the number of classroom teachers."
KS: Kansas schools vote to take budget cuts to court
From: www.kansascity.com
"SALINA, Kan. -- Reeling under state education budget cuts, dozens of Kansas school districts have decided to ask the Kansas Supreme Court to weigh in on school funding."
KS: KU cuts have ripple effect
From: www2.ljworld.com
"When Lawrence Chamber of Commerce President Tom Kern hears of another faculty position being held open at Kansas University, he thinks well beyond the students who won't be educated that semester."
KY: KLC cancels Christmas party
From: www.kentucky.com
"The Kentucky League of Cities canceled the Christmas party that was planned for Friday night at the Mansion at the Marriott Griffin Gate and, instead, will make a $4,000 donation to the Lexington Salvation Army.
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KY: Pension woes vex lawmakers
From: www.kentucky.com
"Kentucky's budget woes could have long-lasting effects on the roughly 445,000 Kentuckians who rely on state-run retirement programs, pension officials warned this month. "
KY: Power outages to last past Christmas
From: www.kentucky.com
"State officials said about 87,000 Eastern Kentucky residences remained without power and 15,700 had no running water as nightfall approached Sunday and temperatures dipped below freezing."
KY: Ingredient draws fire in fight against meth labs
From: www.kentucky.com
"Kentucky has joined a growing national debate on whether to require a prescription for some cold and allergy medicines in an attempt to eliminate dangerous methamphetamine labs.
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KY: Winter storm leaves many in Eastern Kentucky powerless
From: www.courier-journal.com
"The storm knocked out power to more than 100,000 businesses and households, according to the Kentucky Public Service Commission.
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LA: Natural gas energy of future?
From: www.2theadvocate.com
"An unlikely source of energy has emerged to meet international demands that the United States do more to fight global warming -- It's cleaner than coal, cheaper than oil and a 90-year supply is under our feet."
LA: Official -- Appeal process for cuts in service clear
From: www.2theadvocate.com
"From one day to the next, Tina Montagnet's invalid mother, LadyKate, lost 60 percent of the in-home care that helps her stay out of a nursing home. A new state assessment determined she was getting too much help at the expense of the specialized Medicaid program. "
LA: State budget rebalancing clock ticking for Gov. Bobby Jindal
From: www.nola.com
"NEW ORLEANS, La. -- Gov. Bobby Jindal has 30 days to close a $248 million budget deficit, choosing where to shrink spending on agencies and services that already had cuts levied on them as they started the budget year. "
MA: Gov. Deval Patrick announces union deal will save money, jobs
From: www.bostonherald.com
"Gov. Deval Patrick is touting an agreement with a major state workers union that he says will save millions while protecting services."
MA: Early wintry blast cripples state, shuts schools
From: www.bostonherald.com
"A weekend storm that pounded parts of the Bay State with nearly 2 feet of snow wreaked preChristmas havoc on everyone from harried commuters to local school officials."
MD: Assembly leaders push for spending freeze
From: www.baltimoresun.com
"General Assembly leaders have advised Gov. Martin O'Malley to freeze state spending next year, sending a strong message that the legislature would not approve any new big-ticket programs."
MD: Snowbody's going anywhere
From: www.hometownannapolis.com
"While a supersized blanket of snow caused headaches for those hoping to do some last-minute Christmas shopping on Saturday, it looks like many people stayed off the roadways, as police and fire department officials said the snow caused no major accidents on area roads."
MD: Legislature braces for stark session
From: www.hometownannapolis.com
"The winter could get even colder for college students, state employees and the prospects for new laws when the General Assembly comes back into town in January."
MD: Accuracy of slots claims can be elusive
From: www.hometownannapolis.com
"Over the past 10 months, as the County Council has debated whether to approve a casino, claims aimed at swaying the politicians' allegiance have at times crossed the line between fact and fiction."
MD: Slots fate remains uncertain
From: www.hometownannapolis.com
"With competing claims, conflicting predictions and large sums of money on the line, the only certainty in the slots debate is that the outcome is still uncertain."
ME: Candidates find fault with how state budget cuts decided
From: kennebecjournal.mainetoday.com
"Gov. John Baldacci has proposed a plan that plugs a $438 million hole in Maine's current two-year budget."
ME: Bill outlines cell phone cancer warning
From: www.bangordailynews.com
"A Maine legislator wants to make the state the first to require cell phones to carry warnings that they can cause brain cancer, although there is no consensus among scientists that they do and industry leaders dispute the claim."
ME: Maine losing millions in uncollected taxes on Internet sales
From: www.bangordailynews.com
"On "Cyber Monday," the Monday after Thanksgiving, Americans shopping online spent about $900 million. "
ME: Given budget woes, Baldacci cancels holiday receptions
From: www.bangordailynews.com
"For the first time since he took office in 2003, Gov. John Baldacci has canceled the holiday receptions held each year at the Blaine House."
ME: Snowstorm blankets East Coast
From: www.bangordailynews.com
"A fierce weekend storm that left record snowfalls and stranded travelers up and down the coast from Virginia to New England turned out not to be as naughty as many had feared by Sunday — and its nicest accomplishment may simply be leaving many with the prospect of a very white Christmas."
ME: Cadillac tower proposal scrapped
From: www.bangordailynews.com
"ACADIA NATIONAL PARK, Maine — After having considered the top of the tallest mountain in Maine's only national park as the location for a new 80-foot-tall communications tower, a federal agency has changed its mind."
MI: Who will enforce Michigan's new smoking ban?
From: www.mlive.com
"The Michigan workplace smoking ban signed into law Friday by Gov. Jennifer Granholm begs the question: Who will enforce it -- and how far will punishment go when it takes effect next spring?"
MI: Public employees also feeling pain of uncertainty in depressed economy
From: www.mlive.com
"Working in the public sector has its benefits: stable pay and benefits, union representation and the satisfaction of serving your community. But with that comes public scrutiny of performance, pay and other compensation."
MI: Gov. Jennifer Granholm calls Legislature's sweeping education reform 'revolutionary'
From: www.mlive.com
"Teacher merit pay, charter school expansion, public school takeover and raising the dropout age have long been keystones for Michigan education reform advocates."
MI: Wind-farm developers face hurdles before project can become reality
From: www.mlive.com
"WEST MICHIGAN, Mich. -- There was an audible gasp at a public hearing Tuesday when the audience saw what the proposed Aegir Offshore Wind Farm would look like from Mears State Park in Pentwater."
MI: New state parks funding plan on hold until next year
From: www.mlive.com
"SAUGATUCK, Mich. -- A proposal to change parks funding from a $24 annual fee to a $10 fee for parks users attached to license plates seemed to be enjoying bipartisan support until end-of-the-year marathon legislative sessions cut off the plan at the knees -- for 2009 at least."
MI: Top stories that impacted Michigan in 2009
From: www.mlive.com
"The final year of the first decade of the 21st Century was not exactly a kind one to Michigan. Rising unemployment, automakers in bankruptcy, political scandal in Detroit and newspaper consolidation all delivered blows to the state."
MI: Urban districts get largest share of federal aid
From: www.lansingstatejournal.com
"Michigan school districts fight to cope with state cuts, urban districts have a fallback their suburban and rural counterparts are less likely to get: direct grants from the federal stimulus package."
MI: MSU cuts back on teaching assistants
From: www.lansingstatejournal.com
"EAST LANSING, Mich. -- In all likelihood, Michigan State University's English department won't admit any new graduate students next year. It may not admit any the year after."
MI: State human service workers protest caseloads
From: www.detnews.com
"STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. -- Several dozen workers demonstrated outside a state office Friday to protest low staffing levels and strained work conditions as they manage record numbers of public assistance cases. "
MI: Cox to detail lawsuit to stop Asian carp
From: www.detnews.com
"Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox has scheduled a news conference for 10 a.m. Monday to announce details of a lawsuit aimed at stopping the Asian carp from entering Michigan waters through the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal."
MI: Michigan lawmakers pass education reform
From: www.detnews.com
"Historic education reforms to qualify Michigan for up to $400 million in federal Race to the Top money are headed to Gov. Jennifer Granholm for signing after passage by the Legislature on Saturday."
MI: Michigan wants land banks to spur redevelopment
From: www.detnews.com
"Michigan is poised to launch an ambitious plan to take control of thousands of foreclosed, blighted and vacant properties statewide through land bank programs, and hopes to get $290 million in federal funds to accomplish it."
MI: Michigan's No. 1 in jobless rate
From: www.freep.com
"Michigan's 14.7% jobless rate was a full two percentage points ahead of the second-worst rate of 12.7% in Rhode Island."
MI: School reform passes, more charters possible
From: www.freep.com
"After a week of sometimes bitter disputes, the legislature today approved sweeping education changes to expand the number of high-quality charter schools -- including two new online "cyber schools" -- raise the dropout age from 16 to 18, and give the state stronger authority to take over 5% of the state's academically worst schools."
MI: School reforms hailed, but issues linger
From: www.freep.com
"With $400 million in federal money at stake, lawmakers finally approved sweeping reforms Saturday to reward good teachers, turn bad schools over to the state and allow more charter schools."
MI: MSU's $550M physics project advances
From: www.freep.com
"EAST LANSING, Mich. -- One year after Michigan State University won the contest to host a $550-million nuclear research facility, school officials say hiring and planning are well under way."
MI: Michigan's name on $331M in grants
From: www.freep.com
"WASHINGTON -- Michigan's congressional delegation did slightly better for the state during the just-completed budget season than a year earlier, a Free Press analysis shows."
MN: Casinos bet on politicians via political contributions
From: www.startribune.com
"MINNEAPOLIS -- Money is the lifeblood of politics, and DFL candidates for governor are engaged in some public bloodletting to get it."
MN: 'Cut, cut, cut' the budget, say GOP hopefuls
From: www.twincities.com
"Could Minnesota's next governor erase a projected $5.4 billion budget deficit with spending cuts alone? Six of seven Republican candidates insist they could. "
MN: Need for heat aid in Minnesota higher this year
From: www.startribune.com
"MINNEAPOLIS -- This winter, Art Swanson is thankful to be part of a group he'd just as soon have avoided."
MO: Child support has new law lacking funds
From: www.stltoday.com
"Darion Daily was given the equivalent of a scarlet "F" this fall after he was convicted of a felony in St. Louis County Circuit Court for nonpayment of child support for his 9-year-old son.
"
MO: State to offer new home-buying incentive
From: www.columbiatribune.com
"The Missouri Housing Development Commission today approved a plan in which Missouri families making less than $98,000 a year who buy a home in 2010 would receive a reimbursement to cover $1,250 of their property tax bill."
MO: Housing chief to comply in fees inquiry
From: www.columbiatribune.com
"The head of the Missouri Housing Development Commission says he will supply information showing that the $18,000 in legal fees he incurred more than a year ago were in connection with his role as MHDC executive director."
MS: Governor, allies fight to protect damage caps
From: nems360.com
"A lawsuit against a convenience store in rural Humphreys County has brought back together a coalition, including Gov. Haley Barbour, that successfully pushed through legislation in 2004 to provide businesses more lawsuit protection.
"
MS: Mississippi faces obstacles to producing more college graduates
From: nems360.com
"If Mississippi is going to reach the national average for the number of people with associate or bachelor's degrees by 2025, it must get people other than the traditional college student into the classroom.
"
MS: Education chief aware of state's tough times
From: www.sunherald.com
"Incoming Mississippi Superintendent of Education Tom Burnham will resume duties as chief of K-12 public education during some of the toughest economic times in recent memory, and even he says it's "intimidating."
"
MS: USM's innovation park 'The Garden' opens next month
From: www.clarionledger.com
"Vice President of Research and Economic Development Cecil Burge can remember when the University of Southern Mississippi received $2 million in research funding - not for a single project or department, but university-wide for an entire year.
"
MS: ATV deaths spur talk of bill
From: www.clarionledger.com
"Lee County Coroner Carolyn Gillentine-Green and a state lawmaker are among the proponents of tougher laws for people using all-terrain vehicles."
MS: Miss. state treasurer promotes college savings
From: www.clarionledger.com
"State Treasurer Tate Reeves says he'll tour the state to remind residents about the Dec. 31 deadline for Mississippi's college savings plan."
MT: Panel of Democrats to vote on coal leases
From: www.billingsgazette.com
"When Montana's top elected officials meet Monday as the state Land Board, they'll take one of their most closely watched and heavily lobbied votes in years: whether to lease 572 million tons of state coal for possible development in the remote Otter Creek Valley."
MT: Supreme Court rules in favor of clinic
From: www.billingsgazette.com
"GREAT FALLS, Mont. — The Montana Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the Great Falls Clinic in a case in which seven doctors alleged a noncompete clause in the clinic s contract is illegal."
MT: Coal leases won't bring funding windfall for public schools
From: www.missoulian.com
"Leasing state coal in the Otter Creek Valley could create a multimillion-dollar windfall for the state treasury – but it won't necessarily increase funding for public schools, as some have suggested. "
NC: N.C. contract for diabetes supplies is protested
From: www.charlotteobserver.com
"North Carolina has awarded a Medicaid contract worth $33 million to a newly formed diabetes supply company run by two brothers with a checkered business history, including a recent bankruptcy and lawsuits alleging patent piracy."
NC: A message to help fight foreclosure
From: www.charlotteobserver.com
"Mark Pearce, a deputy commissioner of banks for North Carolina, wants to be on TV in Charlotte.
"
NC: Agencies recognized for loans on homes
From: www2.journalnow.com
"The N.C. Housing Finance Agency said Friday that Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Forsyth County and Northwestern Regional Housing Authority of Boone have been recognized for having among the highest loan-approval ratings for the N.C. Home Protection Program.
"
NC: NC attorney general probing security gear firm
From: www2.journalnow.com
"North Carolina's top prosecutor is investigating state purchases from a politically connected surveillance gear maker.
"
NC: ABC officials' pay rises, even if profits don't
From: www.newsobserver.com
"Officials in charge of liquor stores in cities and counties across North Carolina received raises and, in many cases, bonuses last year regardless of their profit margin. In a few cases, raises were doled out even when the operations lost money."
NC: Former LEA execs release list of investors
From: www.newsobserver.com
"As part of their insider trading accusations against Sen. Tony Rand, two former directors at Law Enforcement Associates say they gave federal regulators a list of investors who owned stock in the company during 2004-2005, when the share price surged from pennies to more than $12."
ND: Lending, energy requests OK'd
From: www.bismarcktribune.com
"The North Dakota Industrial Commission approved measures on rural mortgage financing and clean coal research during its meeting in Bismarck on Friday."
ND: Gusher good news for Williston
From: www.bismarcktribune.com
"A bona fide gusher near Williston will help the town pay for future expenses and keep the community at the heart of the Bakken oil play."
ND: Bank of N.D. frets about student loan future
From: www.bismarcktribune.com
"The Bank of North Dakota has been in the business of making federally guaranteed student loans since the program began more than 40 years ago. Today, officials at the state-owned bank wonder if that legacy could vanish."
ND: N.D. potato production down 16 percent
From: www.bismarcktribune.com
"FARGO, N.D. -- North Dakota's 2009 potato crop is estimated at 19.1 million hundredweight, down 16 percent from last year and the lowest production in nine years."
ND: N.D. state, local officials at odds over water project
From: www.bismarcktribune.com
"MICHIGAN, N.D. -- State and local officials have been at odds over a delayed $1.5 million project to drain water away from the town of Michigan in northeastern North Dakota."
ND: Giant N.D. wind farm nearly complete
From: www.bismarcktribune.com
"It's been nearly 60 years since a windmill has spun on Richard Haugeberg's wheat farm in north-central North Dakota."
NE: Huckabee leads rally to try to change Nelson's mind
From: www.omaha.com
"The health-care reform bill expected to win passage in the U.S. Senate is an attack on "liberty" in America, said Mike Huckabee, a former Republican presidential candidate from Arkansas.
"
NE: Nebraska, Lincoln jobless rates drop; construction, weather helped
From: www.journalstar.com
"The unemployment rate in Nebraska and Lincoln dropped significantly in November -- a good sign under rare circumstances.
"
NE: Report says state car insurance rates fall the most
From: www.journalstar.com
"A new report suggests Nebraska drivers enjoyed the biggest decrease in auto insurance rates of any state in the nation."
NE: A look at teacher pay
From: www.journalstar.com
"John Bonaiuto, executive director of the Nebraska Association of School Boards, said although Nebraska may lag behind other states in base pay, when benefits are included it puts Nebraska closer to the middle."
NH: Stimulus -- NH colleges spend on research
From: www.theunionleader.com
"While most of the $414 million flowing into New Hampshire through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 has funneled to areas typically associated with economic stimulus -- roads and other transportation projects, energy- and environment-related initiatives -- the largest slice of the state's federal-stimulus pie has gone to education."
NH: Some drivers don't get state's message
From: www.concordmonitor.com
"Tina Derby loves the ease and speed of text messages, even while driving, and sees no need to pull over to tap her fingers on her phone. Come Jan. 1, her texting while behind the wheel could cost her a $100 fine if she gets caught. "I'd better start saving my money," said Derby, 42, of Warner. "
NH: Stimulus proves to be a windfall for schools
From: www.theunionleader.com
"Ten months after the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was enacted, where is the stimulus money going?"
NJ: Part-timers' pensions face probe
From: www.philly.com
"Michael Angelini didn't have a computer in any West Deptford municipal building. He didn't fill out time sheets. He didn't have a township business card or a telephone or even a desk. But the politically connected lawyer had a profitable arrangement: His retainer as West Deptford's solicitor was reported to the state pension system as salary."
NJ: N.J. spends more stimulus money but gets fewer jobs
From: www.northjersey.com
"New Jersey is spending more than most other states on each highway project being built with federal stimulus money, but creating fewer jobs."
NJ: N.J. measure would benefit reading-disabled students
From: www.northjersey.com
"Help may soon be on the way for New Jersey students who have reading disabilities and difficulties with language skills."
NM: Lawmakers get jump-start on session
From: www.santafenewmexican.com
"Though resolving the state's festering budget crisis will be the major area of concern for the 2010 New Mexico Legislature, lawmakers will be dealing with a wide range of topics from dog racing to spaceflights to candy cigarettes. "
NM: Buy Local Bowl -- Competitive shopping spree helps stimulate economy
From: www.santafenewmexican.com
"The receipts kept rolling in on Saturday morning: $36.74, $47.43, $600, then up into the thousands. "
NM: Jobless spike drains state benefits fund
From: www.santafenewmexican.com
"Because of the growing number of jobless New Mexicans, the state program that pays unemployment benefits is running out of money — and that could force a tax increase on employers next year. "
NM: Denish cancels PSAs in which she appears
From: newmexicoindependent.com
"A day after the governor called for a ban on political candidates appearing in public service announcements paid for by the state, Lt. Gov. Diane Denish has asked the state Health Department to stop running one in which she appears."
NV: Nevada to pick up pace with weatherization work
From: www.nevadaappeal.com
"LAS VEGAS — Nevada has only spent a fraction of its federal stimulus funds intended to make homes are more energy efficient.
"
NV: Nevada's 10 biggest political stories of 2009
From: www.lasvegassun.com
"A year when the state's top two Republicans couldn't get to 50 percent approval if you combined their favorability ratings. "
NV: Education secretary calls Gibbons to urge change
From: www.lasvegassun.com
"U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan called Gov. Jim Gibbons on Dec. 8 to express concern that a Nevada statute is blocking the state from qualifying for as much as $175 million in grants for public schools."
NV: Greater scrutiny for reverse mortgages
From: www.lasvegassun.com
"Washington — Concerned that older Nevadans may increasingly be targets of fraud from the heavily advertised reverse mortgage industry, Rep. Dina Titus succeeded in getting legislation passed recently to better regulate the industry's practices."
NV: State law loses even more teeth to punish lawmakers' lapses
From: www.lasvegassun.com
"Ignorance of the law is no excuse for breaking it, the old legal saw goes. But that is not the case when it comes to Nevada's ethics laws."
NY: Mayor -- Albany set to make city suffer
From: www.nypost.com
"NEW YORK -- Get ready to "suffer" if Albany puts the city in a budget squeeze.
"
OH: FDIC may file $2 billion claim in AmTrust Financial bankruptcy, pushing aside other creditors
From: www.cleveland.com
"Creditors, primarily banks that lent AmTrust Financial money, are owed $175 million. "
OH: FirstEnergy's power move may cost customers
From: www.cleveland.com
"FirstEnergy Corp said Friday its subsidiary American Transmission Systems, Inc., which owns the company's high-voltage transmission lines, has signed an agreement moving control of its lines from a Midwestern grid manager to one based in Philadelphia."
OH: UH gets $5 million gift, honors Shaker Heights couple
From: www.cleveland.com
"CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Six months after being diagnosed with breast cancer, Mary Jane Breen has completed most of her treatment -- including two surgeries and radiation. As a big "thank you" for the care she received, Breen and her husband, Jack, have given $5 million to University Hospitals. "
OH: Ohio Third Frontier grants available for medical projects
From: www.dispatch.com
"State officials have announced a request for proposals for biomedical and medical-imaging projects, to be funded with Ohio Third Frontier money."
OH: Traficant casino plan dismissed
From: www.dispatch.com
"CLEVELAND -- A casino pitch by a former Ohio congressman convicted of corruption attracted skepticism yesterday from a mayor whose city could benefit."
OH: Group fighting slots files petitions
From: www.dispatch.com
"A group challenging Gov. Ted Strickland's authority to order thousands of slot machines at racetracks submitted 325,496 signatures yesterday to force a vote on the matter -- about 84,000 more than needed."
OK: Lobbyists' projects get funds for Clinton
From: newsok.com
"An analysis by The Oklahoman of 42 nonmilitary projects in the state demonstrates the success of the Clinton model: Most of the Oklahoma earmarks can be linked easily to Washington lobbyists, aside from military construction projects on Oklahoma bases that were requested by the administration.
"
OK: State's budget deficit biggest
From: www.tulsaworld.com
"Only a few months removed from being declared "recession-proof" by national media, Oklahoma faces the largest state budget deficit in the nation, according to a report given by the National Conference of State Legislatures.
"
OK: Oklahoma public education sees more funding slashes
From: newsok.com
"As the state weathers a revenue shortfall, common education is seeing its funding cut even further.
"
OK: Edmondson poultry case suffers a few cracks
From: www.tulsaworld.com
"Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson's multi-claim case in a federal pollution lawsuit against the poultry industry ended last week with a focus that has been whittled down.
"
OR: Tax-increase opponents raise most funds so far
From: www.statesmanjournal.com
"Money continues to flow into the war chests of political action committees campaigning for and against Measures 66 and 67, a pair of proposed tax increases up for voter approval in a special January election."
OR: Oregon nurseries' prospects stunted by recession
From: www.oregonlive.com
"Oregon's nursery and greenhouse industry, long the leading light of the state's agricultural economy, is in the depths of a historic downturn that is shedding jobs, causing bankruptcies and eroding the state's reputation as the best place in the country to grow plants, trees and shrubs."
OR: Measure 66 sides agree -- A tax hike is a matter of fairness
From: www.oregonlive.com
"Wondering whether you'll pay more taxes under Measure 66 is a little like pondering whether you can afford that new Porsche: If you have to ask, the answer is usually "no.""
OR: Underwater Oregon homeowners find an escape hatch
From: www.oregonlive.com
"An increasing number of Oregonians qualify to use a rarely utilized bankruptcy court maneuver to reduce, or even eliminate, their second-mortgage or home-equity debt."
PA: Table-games bill would fund pet causes
From: www.philly.com
"Libraries in Pittsburgh. A lower Bucks County hospital. A new medical school in Scranton. A community college in Erie -- if it ever gets built. Those pet projects and others stand to hit the jackpot if table games are legalized at Pennsylvania casinos."
PA: Pennsylvania pensions could reach crisis stage in 2012
From: www.pittsburghlive.com
"The optimistic sorts among Pennsylvania lawmakers have long hoped that Wall Street gains would help solve a problem that legislators did much to create: a pension funding crisis that looms just over the horizon."
PA: State agencies opening information to public's scrutiny
From: www.pittsburghlive.com
"A wealth of information about the actions and decisions of Pennsylvania public officials has been pried loose in the year since a broad expansion of the state's Right-to-Know Law took effect."
PA: 2 big stores still cheat coupon users on tax
From: www.post-gazette.com
"Nearly five years after promising to work on a fix, the nation's biggest retailer and the area's biggest supermarket chain are still short-changing Pennsylvania consumers who take the time to clip coupons.
"
PA: Top House post a challenge for Dermody's work ethic
From: www.post-gazette.com
"State Rep. Frank Dermody's rise to become one of the most powerful politicians in Pennsylvania with his election last week as House Majority Whip began with a hardscrabble life in the tiny borough of Clarks Summit, east of Scranton.
"
RI: R.I. mayors say they weren't warned of cuts in state aid
From: www.projo.com
"Before last week's explosion of angry rhetoric, finger-pointing and political infighting, there was a meeting."
RI: Opinions vary on reasons behind union leadership shakeups
From: www.projo.com
"Have heads rolled within the largest state employees union as a result of the agreement that union leaders struck with the Carcieri administration this fall that traded a series of no-pay workdays this year and next for a two-year no-layoff guarantee?"
RI: R.I.'s education leader takes dead aim at reform
From: www.projo.com
"Despite the threat of cuts to funding for public schools, Education Commissioner Deborah A. Gist says the state's schools need wholesale transformation and she has issued an aggressive agenda to make that happen."
SC: Outside funding sources cushion some from state cuts
From: www.greenvilleonline.com
"When state agency officials predicted grim and dire scenarios following 5-percent, across-the-board budget cuts last week, their reactions hid a less-known fact about the state's finances: the cuts only dealt with a fraction of the state's total revenue.
"
SC: Legislature aims for fix at agency
From: www.postandcourier.com
"House legislators are trying to carve out a delicate balance between overhauling the Employment Security Commission and not straining businesses that would, in turn, lay off more workers and exacerbate the agency's troubles.
"
SC: How Sanford avoided impeachment
From: www.thestate.com
"Gov. Mark Sanford survived the threat largely because of a sound legal strategy and splintered opinion - among both lawmakers and the public - over whether the two-term Republican's actions merited his removal from office.
"
SC: Free aid program in peril
From: www.postandcourier.com
"One of the last safety nets protecting South Carolina homeowners from losing their homes will vanish next month because state officials didn't apply for federal money that pays for free foreclosure counseling. "
SD: Stimulus money funds SD appliance rebate program
From: www.rapidcityjournal.com
"South Dakotans who replace old household appliances with more efficient models could get rebates of up to $150 in a program that will begin March 1."
TN: Ash spill area residents still angry one year later
From: www.timesfreepress.com
"HARRIMAN, Tenn. -- About 30 residents from the Swan Pond community in Harriman, Tenn., met Saturday to protest what has happened to their community since the Dec. 22 Kingston coal ash spill almost a year ago.
"
TN: Lottery profits don't cover costs of scholarships
From: www.tennessean.com
"After more than five years of steadily expanded eligibility and grant amounts, the annual cost of the program is outstripping the net revenue produced by the lottery."
TN: Gas company seeks relief from advocacy 'witch hunt'
From: www.timesfreepress.com
"Chattanooga Gas Co. customers may be hooked for nearly $700,000 in legal fees racked up during what a company lawyer calls a two-year "witch hunt" by the state attorney general's Consumer Advocate and Protection Division.
"
TN: The coal ash spill catastrophe in Kingston -- One year later
From: www.knoxnews.com
"KINGSTON, Tenn. -- It was the Sunday night before Christmas, and in the Copeland house on Swan Pond Circle a garland of white lights girded the artificial tree, their luminosity gilding the gaily wrapped presents on the floor.
"
TX: Texas slow to spend funds to weatherize homes
From: www.dallasnews.com
"The state received millions of federal dollars from the economic-stimulus package to help poor Texans cut their energy bills, but by the end of last month, just seven homes had been weather-treated under the program."
TX: Dropping in
From: www.texastribune.org
"The reason the Texas charter movement has embraced such last-resort schools may lie in two sets of incentives. One encourages charters to recapture dropouts. The other, in an unintended consequence, discourages other schools from taking them."
TX: Community colleges drawing top students
From: www.chron.com
"Sharie Flores graduated from Pearland High School a year ahead of her peers, destined for success at Texas A&M University.
"
US: Sierra Club's pro-gas dilemma
From: online.wsj.com
"LIVERPOOL, N.Y. -- When energy companies began preparations to drill for natural gas in upstate New York last year, the local Sierra Club quickly organized against them."
US: Senate sends Obama a defense bill that also extends jobless benefits
From: www.latimes.com
"WASHINGTON -- The Senate on Saturday passed a $636-billion defense appropriations bill that includes money for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a 3.4% pay hike for the military and a two-month extension of unemployment benefits."
US: Fewer states add jobs as recovery sputters along
From: www.google.com
"WASHINGTON — In a reversal of earlier gains, more states lost jobs than added them in November, signaling that hiring is occurring only sporadically around the country."
US: Labor data show surge in hiring of temp workers
From: www.nytimes.com
"The hiring of temporary workers has surged, suggesting that the nation's employers might soon take the next step, bringing on permanent workers, if they can just convince themselves that the upturn in the economy will be sustained."
UT: Utah drivers will need documentation
From: www.deseretnews.com
"Beginning Jan. 1, Utahns will be required to present new documentation when they apply for a new driver's license or renew their old one."
UT: No thanks -- 2 dozen protest trains bringing depleted uranium to Utah
From: www.deseretnews.com
"Two dozen protesters braved the cold Saturday morning to protest plans to ship more than 3,000 tons of depleted uranium through the state to Utah's western desert."
UT: Gun maker hails Utah's bid against fed regulation
From: www.sltrib.com
"Alex Robinson wants his assault rifles on foreign battlefields and Utah gun racks alike, so a proposed Firearms Freedom Act exempting local-only sales from federal regulation isn't a game changer at his Salt Lake City machine shop. "
UT: Bad economy? Utah kids still hungry for Christmas
From: www.sltrib.com
"From the perspective of Old St. Nick, Salt Lake area children are largely unaffected by the bad economy. "
UT: Some see economic benefits from proposed mine
From: www.sltrib.com
"CEDER CITY, Utah -- Dan Hulet hopes a proposed coal mine near Alton in Kane County will fuel an economic revival in that part of southern Utah. "
VA: Teleworkers would get tax break under bill
From: www2.timesdispatch.com
"Rep. Robert J. Wittman, R-1st, wants telecommuters to get an extra benefit from keeping their cars off the highway."
VA: James River gets a C+ in recent environmental report
From: hamptonroads.com
"HAMPTON ROADS, Va. -- As in most environmental reports, there is good news and bad news about the state of the James River in 2009. "
VT: Vermont bill would revisit tuition to religious schools
From: www.burlingtonfreepress.com
"An Addison County legislator says he plans to introduce a bill in 2010 designed to allow Vermont tuitioning towns to send students to accredited religious schools using tax dollars, a practice now largely prohibited by the Vermont Education Department on the grounds that such payments violate the First Amendment separation of church and state doctrine."
VT: State offers $6 million in growth incentives
From: www.burlingtonfreepress.com
"Almost $6 million in state tax incentives were authorized by economic development planners in an effort to encourage companies to grow in Vermont, with Barre- and Essex Junction-based companies landing the largest offers."
VT: Web documents Winooski historic buildings
From: www.burlingtonfreepress.com
"WINOOSKI, Vt. -- Like a lot of Vermont communities, Winooski has many cool old buildings."
WA: Debt limit could derail building plans
From: www.thenewstribune.com
"Washington's falling revenue has crimped state building-project plans, and this could lead to a halt on approved projects that are not yet under way."
WA: Food-stamp use takes record jump in Washington
From: seattletimes.nwsource.com
"Patrick Stickler was once flush with work at new high-rises in Seattle and Bellevue, but the carpenter fell fast and hard when the real-estate market imploded."
WA: Lawmaker pushes job creation plan
From: www.theolympian.com
"A Snohomish County lawmaker says he wants to put a public-works bond proposal on the November ballot to create as many as 40,000 jobs in public-school and government-building renovations. "
WI: State DA surcharge now hitting We Energies bills
From: www.jsonline.com
"The state-authorized surcharge on electric bills to pay for district attorney salaries is now hitting utility bills of We Energies customers."
WI: Dairy farmers to get help
From: www.jsonline.com
"Additional government payments are coming for Wisconsin dairy farmers to ease their losses in one of the industry's toughest years."
WI: Wave Wind catches the wind energy wave
From: www.jsonline.com
"Sun Prairie, Wisc. -- As economic development officials await word on whether a European wind power company will invest in Milwaukee, an Asian firm is planting some roots in Wisconsin."
WI: Plugging path of Asian carp urged
From: www.jsonline.com
"The once-radical idea of somehow plugging the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal to stop the flow of unwanted species from spilling between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basin is quickly picking up political support."
WI: Cost of state's Medicaid program rises 140% since 1998, report says
From: www.jsonline.com
"The cost of the state's safety-net health programs have more than doubled over the past 11 years, a review by the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance has found."
WI: Bucyrus announces $1.3 billion deal
From: www.jsonline.com
"Bucyrus International will become the world's largest mining equipment manufacturer after a $1.3 billion acquisition announced Sunday night."
WV: PEIA premium fight picks up speed
From: www.wvgazette.com
"From the organized chaos that was the Public Employees Insurance Agency Finance Board last week, one thing was clear: The 10-tier sliding scale for health insurance premiums based on employee salaries cannot survive much longer.
"
WV: Federal report shows overall good job for state homeland security spending
From: www.wvgazette.com
"Nearly five years after state homeland security officials were caught in an embarrassing probe into how they had spent federal grant money, a new federal audit shows West Virginia is doing a mostly good job managing the funds.
"
WV: State due to review next round of stimulus reports
From: www.wvgazette.com
"The Manchin administration and West Virginia's other recipients of federal stimulus dollars are gearing up for the next batch of reports meant to detail how they've spent the money and created or saved jobs.
"
WV: Rescue workers switch gears but still out
From: www.dailymail.com
"Emergency crews still are out in full force around the state, but many have transitioned from clearing wrecks and getting motorists off the road to delivering medicines to the homebound and taking food to emergency shelters.
"
WV: Head of governor's economic opportunity office resigns
From: www.wvgazette.com
"The head of the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity -- which is overseeing millions of dollars in federal stimulus funds -- resigned Friday without publicly giving a reason.
"
WV: http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200912200462
From: www.wvgazette.com
"The Manchin administration and West Virginia's other recipients of federal stimulus dollars are gearing up for the next batch of reports meant to detail how they've spent the money and created or saved jobs.
"
WV: Fear of violence grows in mining fight
From: www.kentucky.com
"MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- It was the slap heard 'round the coalfields: Cordelia Ruth Tucker, wearing the fluorescent-striped shirt of a miner, strode past West Virginia state troopers and into a stream of marchers protesting mountaintop removal mining to deliver an audible smack.
"
WY: Rural Health Clinics Support Health Care Access in Wyoming
From: cowboystatefreepress.org
"An estimated 185,000 Wyoming citizens may have improved access to care since the number of Wyoming communities eligible to host Rural Health Clinics was increased earlier this year, says the Wyoming Dept. of Health. "
WY: Wyo economic picture to improve slightly in 2010, state economist says
From: cowboystatefreepress.org
"In a presentation he gave to the regional Federal Reserve office in Denver recently, Wyoming Senior Economist Jim Robinson outlined where our economy has been over the last year and where he sees it going in the coming year."
WY: New rules prompt debate over food licensing
From: www.trib.com
"Legislation that eased restrictions on cottage food businesses in Wyoming has touched off a debate over government's role in overseeing homemade food products."
WY: State wildlife trust funds $4.8M in projects
From: www.billingsgazette.com
"GREEN RIVER, Wy. — Treating beetle-killed trees, improving stream and watershed habitat, and acquiring conservation easements on agricultural lands were among the 28 projects slated to receive funding from the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust."
Weekly wrap: Governors offering dire spending plans
From: www.stateline.org
"On the eve of state legislative sessions, chief executives are proposing grim budgets; Las Vegas gets encouraging economic news."
Nightmare scenarios haunt states
From: www.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."
Weekly wrap: States, locals have spent a quarter of stimulus funds
From: www.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: www.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: www.stateline.org
"
A leading economist agrees with President Obama's plea for additional money to help financially strapped state governments.
"
After furloughs, states mull permanent cuts
From: www.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: www.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."
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