US: Obama to unveil additional homeowner aid
From: feeds.stateline.org
"LAS VEGAS — President Barack Obama is expected to announce plans Friday to provide an additional $1.5 billion to a state-assistance program for homeowners worst hit by the downturn in U.S. housing values.
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NJ: Christie promises business tax cuts
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Speaking to a group of South Jersey business owners, Gov. Christie promised yesterday to do away with a 4 percent tax surcharge on corporations and keep it off the books for as long as he is governor.
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Amid recall, four governors defend Toyota
From: feeds.stateline.org
"TODAY’S TAKE: The governors of Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky and Mississippi — all states that are home to Toyota plants —on Wednesday (Feb. 10) defended the Japanese automaker amid its worldwide recall of millions of cars.
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AK: Lawmaker wants to streamline Legislature with a single chamber
From: feeds.stateline.org
"FAIRBANKS, Alaska -- Eliminating Alaska's House of Representatives and expanding the state Senate would make the Legislature more efficient, a lawmaker said in making the proposal.
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AK: Murkowski -- Alaska needs economic 'soul searching'
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Alaska's economy faces significant threats from environmentalists, federal regulations, and even from within in the form of problems like high student dropout rates and domestic violence, U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski said Thursday.
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AK: Bill would guarantee protection of PFD
From: feeds.stateline.org
"An Alaska senator wants to guarantee a Permanent Fund Dividend this year in case an obscure state law blocks payments because of stock market losses in recent years.
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AL: Alabama Senate plans to address bingo legislation next week
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A state senator with two Indian casinos in his district said the tribe wins no matter how the battle over electronic bingo turns out in the Alabama Legislature.
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AL: Air Force could release new air tanker bidding guidelines next week
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The U.S. Air Force said Thursday it could release bidding guidelines for its aerial refueling tanker contract as early as next week and is ready to move forward with or without Northrop Grumman Corp. as a competitor for the potential $40 billion deal.
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AR: State to buy old Dillard's building for state library
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Joint Budget Committee today endorsed a proposal that would allow the state to move forward with the $18.5 million purchase of the old Dillard's building where the new State Library recently relocated.
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AR: Some lawmakers oppose new language in lottery bill; panel advances spending plan
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A Senate resolution allowing lawmakers to consider a bill setting the amounts of lottery-funded scholarships during the fiscal session passed in the House today, despite opposition from some members who objected to the inclusion of new language in the bill regarding grade inflation
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AZ: Phoenix contractor had air quality violations
From: feeds.stateline.org
"State authorities say a Phoenix contractor will pay $80,000 under a consent judgment for air quality violations.
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AZ: Political insider -- Diamondbacks strike out on tax plan
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Diamondbacks' first swing for a countywide sales-tax increase to support spring training is a strike. At least at the state Capitol.
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CA: Workers' comp insurer Zenith to be sold to Toronto firm Fairfax
From: feeds.stateline.org
"California's second-largest workers' compensation insurance company, Zenith National Insurance Co. of Woodland Hills, has agreed to be acquired by its biggest shareholder for nearly $1.3 billion in cash.
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CA: Senate approves 'Amazon tax' as part of budget plan
From: feeds.stateline.org
"As part of a stopgap budget solution, the state Senate on Thursday passed a bill requiring Amazon.com and other online retailers to charge sales taxes on purchases in California, generating an additional $107 million annually.
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CA: SK Foods magnate Salyer indicted on racketeering charges
From: feeds.stateline.org
"California agribusiness magnate Frederick Scott Salyer was charged Thursday with running his company as a massive racketeering enterprise that routinely bribed food company executives, rigged bids and slapped false labels on old and moldy tomato products that families nationwide consumed.
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CA: Mark Leno bill would require radiation labels for cell phones
From: feeds.stateline.org
"State Sen. Mark Leno said he's one of an estimated 4 billion cellular phone users worldwide – and loves it.
But because of emerging international health studies, Leno said Thursday, he has introduced a bill that would require all cell phones sold in California to include information about their radiation emissions on sales boxes, instructional materials and model displays in stores.
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CO: Ritter outlines steps to close $203M deficit next year
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A prison boot camp program in Buena Vista would close and a scholarship fund would be tapped to help close a roughly $200 million shortfall in the state budget for the fiscal year that begins in July.
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CO: Study -- Strong job growth in geographic clusters of Colo. businesses
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A new study into geographic clusters of Colorado companies turned up healthy job- growth trends — particularly in the aerospace, telecommunications and financial-services industries — that often surpassed or rivaled other states.
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CO: Fiscal hawk Schultheis -- Cut preschools, pay lawmakers
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Colorado Springs self-described fiscal hawk Sen. Dave Schultheis voted yesterday not to cut lawmaker pay.
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CO: Prison boot camp to close as Ritter pares more to meet budget goals
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A prison boot-camp program in Buena Vista would close and a scholarship fund would be tapped to help balance an estimated $203.3 million shortfall remaining in the state budget for the fiscal year that begins in July.
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CT: California quake will have Connecticut impact
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Haiti's recovery from its Jan. 12 earthquake is a reminder that a slumbering disaster is waiting to erupt in California.
And while Los Angeles is on the opposite end of the country, a major earthquake would cause financial ripples felt all the way in New England, even if the actual tremor didn't wiggle a blade of grass in Connecticut.
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DE: Stimulus grant helps Delaware health info network
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Delaware Health Information Network has been awarded $4.68 million in stimulus money to help doctors provide better care.
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FL: At Charlie Crist's space summit, Florida space backers told to get with Obama's program, let go of the past
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A statewide space symposium convened by Gov. Charlie Crist in Orlando on Thursday heard repeatedly from industry executives, academics and experts that Florida had to adapt to a new U.S. national space policy that favored commercial rocket companies or give up its ambitions to be a world-class launch center.
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FL: Florida Highway Patrol hiring while others slash budgets
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Great Recession hit law enforcement hard. Police budgets were slashed; hiring of officers curtailed. But one law-enforcement agency isn't handcuffed by tough economic times.
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FL: Small businesses say they're bearing the brunt of recovery cost
From: feeds.stateline.org
"TAMPA, Fla. — Each of the 10 small business owners surrounding Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink had a beef with the state's plan to help them emerge from the Great Recession.
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FL: Condo bargain hunters baffled
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A new online foreclosure auction system started with a mission of quickly moving a chunk of foreclosed properties while opening up the bidding process to regular folks. A little more than a month later, some of the newcomers who bought property online say they were misled by the site and ended up spending thousands of dollars on condo liens and properties laden with hefty mortgages.
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FL: EPA gets earful from those opposed to proposed water regulations
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Citrus growers, cattle ranchers, sugar farmers and utility operators told federal environmental regulators Thursday that they are all for keeping rivers and lakes clean, but they don't want to go broke doing it.
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FL: Livid nurses want grand jury for Jackson
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Facing the possibility of widespread layoffs, the Jackson Health System nurses union came out swinging -- demanding a grand jury investigation into ``gross mismanagement that has caused the public hospital to teeter on financial ruin and that is putting patients at risk.''
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GA: Hotel-motel tax survives key committee vote
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A measure to raise Macon and Bibb County's hotel-motel tax by a penny easily passed a key committee Thursday morning at the state Capitol.
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GA: Legislative notebook--State massage parlor rules to get more lawyering
From: feeds.stateline.org
"State Sen. Cecil Staton's push to target shady massage parlors with a new state law will get a heavy dose of lawyering in a legislative subcommittee, members of the Senate Judiciary Committee decided Thursday. Senate Bill 364 would increase penalties for those who violate state massage therapy regulations, making the third violation a felony.
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HI: House passes bill to lower hike in businesses' tax rate
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Legislation aimed at lessening the increase employers are expected to pay in unemployment insurance taxes cleared the state House yesterday.
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IA: Iowa bi-partisan working group focuses on job creation
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Legislative Republicans are questioning the sincerity of Democrats' job-creation efforts in light of the lack of results and the addition of more burdens they've placed on small businesses.
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IA: Iowa House takes up online sports gambling
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Iowans could legally play online poker against their neighbors and bet on sports events under a proposal by Iowa House members.
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IA: Five Iowa businesses receive grants
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Iowa Economic Development Board on Thursday approved grants that help will small companies increase their business.
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IA: State gives Amana plant $6.5 million for expansion
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Whirlpool Corp. said Thursday it will shift production of icemakers from a closing Indiana factory to its Amana refrigerator plant later this year, creating 60 jobs in Iowa.
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ID: Idaho Power to release thousands of trout
From: feeds.stateline.org
"TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Anglers looking to catch trout will soon have 81,000 more chances along the middle Snake.
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ID: Idaho schools to see fewer books, bigger classes
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Public schools would receive $86.2 million from state rainy-day funds and federal stimulus money to avoid cuts in the current fiscal year, under the plan to be considered Friday by the Legislature's powerful budget committee.
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ID: H&W studying potential office closures
From: feeds.stateline.org
"If your office is near another office that does the same thing as yours, it may be time to get nervous.
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ID: JFAC looks to fill $86 million budget gap
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Before next year's budget can be set, this year's state budget needs some multimillion-dollar adjustments to preserve public education.
"
IL: Mortgage issues No.1 among Illinois AG complaints
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Illinois Attorney General's office is out with its annual list of the top 10 consumer complaints and in what is likely to be no surprise to affected homeowners, mortgage complaints ranked No. 1 in 2009.
"
IL: Good results for Ameren might shrink size of rate proposal
From: feeds.stateline.org
"ST. LOUIS -- Ameren Corp.'s fourth-quarter earnings powered up by 39 percent in year-end results announced Thursday that also saw full-year earnings from its Illinois utilities surge 150 percent as rate increases kicked in.
"
IL: Bost -- Wine bill bottled up
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A proposed law to help the Illinois wine industry stalled Thursday because of concerns the cash-strapped state could lose money if it was approved.
"
IL: Resolution would reduce chemical drift
From: feeds.stateline.org
"State Sen. Dave Koehler introduced a resolution Thursday to minimize or eliminate agriculture chemical drift in Illinois.
"
IL: Study -- Cost of closing Chicago locks exaggerated
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A study commissioned by Michigan's attorney general projects that shipping and cargo transportation costs will increase by $70 million a year but otherwise the Chicago region will see a modest impact if navigational locks are closed to keep out Asian carp.
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IL: Trade shows balk at McPier legislation
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Some of Chicago's most valuable trade show customers voiced strong opposition this week to key aspects of legislation aimed at making McCormick Place more competitive with lower-cost rival cities.
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IN: Showdown looms on land-based casinos
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The day after a new proposal to move one of Gary's two casinos ashore was offered by the city officials, House Minority Leader Brian Bosma of Indianapolis said he is "struggling" to decide whether to support it.
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IN: Jobs, traffic, loss of homes focus of debate
From: feeds.stateline.org
"CROWN POINT, Ind. -- Members of an Indiana House committee debating a bill concerning the proposed Illiana Expressway traveled to Northwest Indiana on Thursday to hear public testimony about the project.
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IN: Blackstone may join Simon's bid for General Growth
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Blackstone Group LP, the world's largest private-equity firm, may join Simon Property Group Inc.'s bid to buy bankrupt General Growth Properties Inc., according to two people with knowledge of the discussions.
"
KS: Kansas lawmakers agree to cut $92M; bill goes to governor
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The House and Senate on Thursday agreed to cut $92 million in spending by the end of June in an attempt to balance the current fiscal year's budget, but few legislators believed their agreement would be the last word on cuts.
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MA: House nixes automatic increases for problem gambling
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The House on Thursday soundly rejected a proposal to increase automatically the amount of funds the state receives from Hollywood Slots for gambling addiction.
"
MA: State plans aid for cannery workers
From: feeds.stateline.org
"GOULDSBORO, Maine — A state Rapid Response Team could be on-site as early as next week to begin the process of assisting workers who will be idled when the Bumble Bee Foods cannery closes in two months.
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MA: Scott Brown says stimulus 'didn't create one new job'
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A major theme in Republican complaints about the $862 billion stimulus program is that it didn't deliver enough jobs. Republican Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts took that view to an extreme, claiming that it didn't create any new jobs.
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MA: Logan lags in flier survey
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Logan International Airport has plunged to nearly the bottom of customer satisfaction ratings among 20 of North America's medium-size airports, faring better than only New York's La Guardia Airport, according to a study released yesterday by J.D. Power and Associates.
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MA: Tribe member challenges sun rite in letter to Salazar
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The already twisted Nantucket Sound wind farm saga just got a bit stranger: A Wampanoag tribal member says it is "fabricated cosmology'' that his tribe performs sun ceremonies that need an unobstructed view of the Sound - as the tribe has claimed in a campaign to halt the energy project off Cape Cod.
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MA: State gets $132.7m boost from US
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The federal government gave Massachusetts an unanticipated $132.7 million boost yesterday, which will help significantly in closing any budget gaps during the remaining four months of the fiscal year and could put the state on better financial footing heading into next year.
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MD: Audit criticizes payments to UMB administrator
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A high-ranking administrator at the University of Maryland, Baltimore received $410,000 in "questionable compensation payments" between 2007 and 2009, according to a state audit released Thursday.
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MD: Md. keeps top bond rating
From: feeds.stateline.org
"All three major rating houses gave Maryland a fiscal stamp of approval Thursday, affirming the state's AAA bond rating. "We have made the difficult decisions to protect our State's long-term financial health," said Gov. Martin O'Malley in an e-mailed statement pointing to the high rating.
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ME: Rate hikes used as health reform leverage
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Obama administration is hoping that attempts to sharply increase medical insurance premiums in Maine and several other states could revive efforts to overhaul the nation's health care system.
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ME: Bill would index Maine's minimum wage
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Restaurant workers, low-income advocates and religious organizations appealed to lawmakers Thursday to index Maine's minimum wage to cost-of-living increases, saying it would protect low-income workers from having their pay further eroded by inflation.
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ME: USDA state director -- Recovery Act aids County
From: feeds.stateline.org
"EAGLE LAKE, Maine — While there are critics who say President Barack Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has been too costly and has not delivered on the promise of job creation, Virginia Manuel is not one of them.
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ME: House nixes automatic increases for problem gambling
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The House on Thursday soundly rejected a proposal to increase automatically the amount of funds the state receives from Hollywood Slots for gambling addiction."
ME: State plans aid for cannery workers
From: feeds.stateline.org
"GOULDSBORO, Maine — A state Rapid Response Team could be on-site as early as next week to begin the process of assisting workers who will be idled when the Bumble Bee Foods cannery closes in two months."
ME: Employers say loss of rail would carry consequences
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Representatives from several of northern Maine's largest employers warned Thursday that the loss of Aroostook County's only railroad would cause ripple effects throughout the state's manufacturing and industrial sector.
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MI: Plan would put state fair back in business
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Could the Michigan State Fair rise again? Some supporters hope so, with the help of the Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority.
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MN: Minn. school districts -- When wealth can't be used
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Class warfare among school districts? Some school officials say that the rich districts are getting richer while the poor are getting poorer -- and that a measure recently introduced in the Legislature would further widen that gap.
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MN: Minnesota sues six debt 'helper' companies
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Minnesota's attorney general sued six out-of-state debt-settlement firms Thursday, alleging that they broke a new state law while promising help to debt-ridden consumers and leaving many in worse shape.
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MO: MU works in anticipation of future cuts
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The University of Missouri's budget office will begin meeting with department administrators starting tomorrow as the campus braces for cuts in state funding.
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MO: County ranks 13th in state health study
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Access to health care, high school graduation rates and low unemployment are among the factors that make Boone County the 13th-healthiest county in Missouri, according to a national health study.
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MO: Missouri farm property tax changes blocked
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Missouri lawmakers rejected a tax plan Thursday that would have increased property taxes for the state's best farms and lowered taxes on the worst.
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MO: Lawmakers say Missouri doesn't have resources for big bond issue
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Top state lawmakers said Thursday that Missouri can't afford to issue $800 million in bonds for public buildings, despite legislative support for the measure last year.
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MO: Missouri autism insurance measure advances to Senate
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Missouri House on Thursday passed a bill mandating insurance coverage of autism spectrum disorders.
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MS: Realty couple gets new trial over penalties
From: feeds.stateline.org
"OXFORD, Miss. – An Oxford real estate couple will get a new hearing about penalties imposed by the North Central Mississippi Board of Realtors.
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MT: Bits of optimism show up in gloomy budget picture
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Amid the budget-cutting pessimism facing state government, some rays of optimism emerged for the next fiscal year from both Gov. Brian Schweitzer's budget director and the Legislature's chief revenue forecaster.
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NC: Liquor company fined $6,000 for Mecklenburg dinner violation
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The state ABC Commission today fined the liquor company Diageo $6,000 for paying for a lavish dinner in November for the Mecklenburg ABC board chairman and a group of staff members.
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NC: Private ABC stores in future?
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The state's two highest-ranking legislative leaders on Thursday ordered a newly-formed panel to examine ways to reform the state Alcoholic Beverage Control system, including the possibility of privately run liquor stores.
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NC: Bowles confident he can run universities, help fix debt
From: feeds.stateline.org
"UNC system President Erskine Bowles has no fear that he can, oh, juggle the leadership of one of the nation's top public universities while simultaneously righting the foundering ship of our country's troubled financial situation.
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ND: Pigs gone wild -- Feral swine concerns rise in N.D.
From: feeds.stateline.org
"DICKINSON, N.D. -- An animal estimated to cause $800 million damage in the U.S. annually first appeared in North Dakota in 2007 and state animal officials are strongly urging the public to report all sightings.
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ND: Pipeline taking ND natural gas to Chicago
From: feeds.stateline.org
"North Dakota's natural gas will now be part of a pipeline system that brings natural gas from British Columbia, Canada, to Chicago.
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NE: Around the Rotunda -- White offers help on Whiteclay issue
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Omaha Sen. Tom White has offered his solution to the Whiteclay alcohol problem: Sue the beer distributors.
"
NE: Nebraska lawmakers nix horse-gambling proposal
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A proposal to expand horse race wagering and use the profits to help save the state's horse racing industry and build a new Lincoln track is dead for the year.
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NE: Bill seeks to make instream flow protection easier
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Old battle lines surfaced Thursday over a bill that would make it easier to protect fish, wildlife and recreation on Nebraska's rivers.
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NH: Panel splits on state drink
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The House Environment and Agriculture Committee chose yesterday in an 8-8 vote to avoid the core of a bill naming apple cider as the official state beverage.
"
NH: Suits piling up for debt collectors
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The state attorney general's office received about 100 complaints against debt collectors each of the past two years. Debt collection is the fifth-most complained-about industry in New England at the regional Better Business Bureau, according to spokeswoman Paula Fleming.
"
NJ: 8 execs at N.J. authorities make more than governor
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A new state audit indicates that employees of New Jersey's numerous state authorities enjoy better compensation than other state government workers.
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NJ: N.J. Senate committee approves Andrew Eristoff as treasurer
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A Senate committee today confirmed Andrew Eristoff as the state's treasurer after a four-hour hearing that included questioning about Gov. Chris Christie's recent budget cuts.
"
NJ: NJ Transit director says fare hikes would come with job cuts to reduce costs
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A day after confirming NJ Transit passengers will face a sizable fare hike and service reductions, the agency's executive director said today management jobs also will be cut.
"
NJ: N.J. Assembly committee considers budget for Traumatic Brain Injury Fund
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Faced with the prospect of 1,300 disabled people losing treatment and services, an Assembly committee today discussed how to stretch or raise more money for the Traumatic Brain Injury Fund.
"
NJ: N.J. Gov. Christie praises resignation of sewerage commission head
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Governor Christie praised the resignation of the well-paid head of the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioners Thursday, saying high-salary public workers should not "be immune" to his cost-cutting iniatives.
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NJ: Report -- N.J. gives options to low-income drivers with suspended licenses
From: feeds.stateline.org
"New Jersey is among several states that give drivers – particularly the low-income – options for getting back a drivers license that was suspended as the result of a non-driving offense, a federal report has found.
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NJ: N.J. Senate panel holds beach smoking ban bill
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Legislation that would ban smoking at beaches, amusement parks and racetracks in New Jersey is on hold.
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NM: Legislative scorecard Feb. 19, 2010
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A look at what the Legislature passed and sent to the governor, and what failed in the 30-day session that ended Thursday:
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NM: With no budget plan in place, Richardson calls for special session
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The New Mexico Legislature adjourned Thursday without a plan on how to finance public schools and state government in the coming year, marking the first time in 26 years that lawmakers finished a regular session without reaching a budget deal.
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NM: Analysis -- Richardson hits roadblocks in final legislative session
From: feeds.stateline.org
"It was supposed to be his "legacy session," but in some ways Gov. Bill Richardson got kicked in the teeth during his last regular legislative session.
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NM: Legislature votes to end future 'double dipping'
From: feeds.stateline.org
"By a vote of 65 to three Thursday morning, the House overwhelmingly passed legislation that would prevent the vast majority of government retirees after that date from earning both a pension and government paycheck, commonly referred to as "double dipping."
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NM: House leaders -- deal was close but clock ran out
From: feeds.stateline.org
"On Wednesday evening it became clear lawmakers didn't have a budget deal, Speaker of the House Ben Lujan, D-Santa Fe said, while speaking to reporters after the close of the 2010 regular session.
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NM: Legislature fails to reach a deal on the budget
From: feeds.stateline.org
"New Mexico's 30-day legislative session ended Thursday like it started: without a state budget for next year.
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NV: Legislators get creative in face of budget crunch
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Unable to quickly locate sure sources of funds to reduce an estimated $887 million revenue shortfall, Nevada legislators opened the floodgates Thursday to new and unusual ideas that could generate more revenue.
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NV: Gibbons launches certificate program for teacher salaries
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. Jim Gibbons today announced details of his Education Gift Certificate program that he unveiled earlier this month in this State of the State address.
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NV: Trade group proposes raising driver's license, vehicle fees
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A construction association has proposed raising $50 million a year through higher charges for driver's licenses, teenage driver's licenses and vehicle titles, and increasing vehicle registration fees to create a fund for construction projects.
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NV: Are mining, gaming really ready to pay more?
From: feeds.stateline.org
"As the governor and lawmakers go hunting for revenue, mining and gaming have once again emerged as targets.
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NY: Price of $timulation -- 500G per new NY job
From: feeds.stateline.org
"WASHINGTON -- New York has gotten 43,000 jobs since President Obama signed the stimulus law one year ago -- at a price of more than $500,000 per job, federal and state records reveal.
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NY: Mad that your state tax refunds could be late? Gov. Paterson says to blame lawmakers
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. David Paterson is turning up the heat on the Legislature, saying lawmakers will be to blame if he delays some income tax refunds for three months.
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NY: Aqueduct probers won't find anything, guv boasts
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. Paterson this morning brushed off swirling reports about the widening probe into the Aqueduct "racino" decision and predicted the feds would come up empty-handed.
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NY: Buffalo among 'most miserable' U.S. cities
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Hooray for Rochester! Because at least we're not one of the nation's most miserable cities, like our Erie County neighbor. Buffalo is ranked eighth in a new compilation of "America's 20 Most Miserable Cities" as done by Forbes.com.
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NY: GM begins rebirth with engine plant in Tonawanda
From: feeds.stateline.org
"General Motors, on its deathbed just a year ago, announced a half-billion-dollar investment in its U.S. facilities Thursday, with almost all of the money going to its engine plant in the Town of Tonawanda.
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OH: Dan Gilbert talks about Cleveland casino plans
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Casino developer and Cavs' majority owner Dan Gilbert says he won't make a decision on opening a temporary casino in Cleveland until he's settled on a casino operator -- something he expects to do within 30 to 60 days.
"
OK: Road tops legislative agenda
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Funding for a 10-mile stretch of road linking the Tulsa end of the Turner Turnpike to the L.L. Tisdale Expressway tops the legislative agenda announced Thursday by the 34 area chambers of commerce and local governments combining their lobbying activities under the OneVoice banner.
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OK: Oklahoma Capitol briefs
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A House panel Thursday approved a bill that places two exemptions when the Oklahoma Highway Patrol can release audio and videotape taken from trooper cruisers.
"
OR: Chinook angling to be focused west of I-5
From: feeds.stateline.org
"OREGON CITY, Ore. -- Washington and Oregon adopted on Thursday a complicated package of 2010 spring chinook salmon angling rules for the lower Columbia River with only limited fishing upstream of Interstate 5.
"
PA: Pa. candidates for governor asked about ex-inmate programs
From: feeds.stateline.org
"It was the fifth time that the candidates for Pennsylvania governor had met in a debate. Repeatedly, they had been asked about improving public education, creating jobs, reforming Harrisburg.
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PA: Plan would let students graduate early
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Pennsylvania is among eight states that will pilot a plan that could result in some students earning a high school diploma and entering college at the end of 10th grade.
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PA: Ex-staffer says Dems ran campaign 'assembly line'
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Legislative employees ran a campaign envelope-stuffing effort like an assembly line, a witness testified Thursday, shedding more light on the details of a wide-ranging effort that prosecutors say subsidized political work with taxpayer resources.
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PA: Hurdles remain for table games in Pa.
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Casino officials say they will be ready to start offering table games by the Fourth of July weekend despite still needing to make space and hire and train hundreds of dealers.
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PA: Former Veon Aide -- Room 626 politicking secret
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A former aide to ex-Rep. Mike Veon testified Thursday that he spent about 80 percent of his time in a taxpayer-funded job raising campaign money.
"
PA: State given $130 million to expand high speed Internet access
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A pair of projects that will expand broadband Internet access in 39 Pennsylvania counties, including 22 that have little if any high-speed service, will receive $130 million in federal stimulus funds, officials said Thursday.
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RI: Electricity rates to go up March 1
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The typical Rhode Island household will pay $3.38 more for electricity next month after National Grid raises rates to pay for upgrades to its distribution system.
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SC: Quit? Fired? No jobless benefits, under plan
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Senate took a big step Thursday toward hammering out an agreement to overhaul the state's troubled Employment Security Commission, settling a dispute over the conditions under which discharged workers covered by unemployment insurance may be denied benefits claims.
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SD: Senators vote to ban investments in Iran
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The South Dakota Investment Council should be prohibited from owning stock in companies that do business in Iran, the state Senate decided Thursday.
"
TN: GOP governor hopefuls scold environmental regulators
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Tennessee's Republican gubernatorial candidates on Thursday targeted the state's environmental regulators as an impediment to business opportunities.
"
TX: Data app -- Day care danger
From: feeds.stateline.org
"More than 120 federally subsidized day care centers had their licenses denied or revoked by the state for violations of regulations and minimum standards in the last two years, according to a Texas Tribune analysis.
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TX: Two-year Texas drought ends
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The drought that blistered Texas for the last two years has ended, thanks to El Nino rain patterns, the National Weather Service says.
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TX: Trading places
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Texas, that famous bastion of conservatism, has quietly become a leading exporter to communist Cuba — second only to Lousiana among the fifty states.
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US: Obama to announce new foreclosure rescue program
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Washington — President Barack Obama will announce today during his visit to Las Vegas a new foreclosure rescue program, pumping $1.5 billion into Nevada and other hard-hit states to help housing agencies rework mortgages and save homes.
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US: Stimulus funds for clean energy largely unspent
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Making a "tremendous down payment on the clean energy transformation" of the United States was a top priority of the Obama administration's economic stimulus package – but, despite some notable accomplishments, it remains mostly a promise at this point.
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US: Red tape delayed stimulus projects
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Red tape delayed a variety of federal stimulus projects including transportation-security upgrades, home weatherization and housing-project surveillance cameras, according to a government report.
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US: Congress investigates controversial drilling technique
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Concerns about potential drinking-water contamination are prompting Congress to investigate hydraulic fracturing, a controversial drilling technique that has helped boost U.S. natural-gas production.
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UT: Utah college enrollment at historic levels
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Few students know the ropes of higher education better than Joseph Watkins.
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UT: Utah Legislature -- Disclosure of public salaries to be studied
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A legislative proposal seeking to bury information about most public employees' salaries under a veil of anonymity will now be studied by lawmakers this summer.
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UT: Utah Legislature -- Madsen backs off honoring Browning on King holiday
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Ogden gunmaker John Browning won't share a state holiday with civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
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UT: Utah Legislature -- Politics come into play with Demos' tax-hike bill
From: feeds.stateline.org
"It must be an election year.
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UT: Utah Legislature -- Pension changes pass first hurdle
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A package of bills reshaping the state retirement system in light of a $6.5 billion shortfall passed its first hurdle in the Senate on Thursday, but not before some of the most intense debate this session.
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VA: McDonnell pension strategy carries risks, officials say
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Virginia's retirement system may pave the way for state and local governments to escape some of the pain in balancing their budgets -- for now.
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VA: Portsmouth's financial rating gets a boost
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Two of the three rating agencies improved their outlook for the city as it prepares its next major bond issuance.
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VA: Meet Virginia's 13 millionaire lawmakers
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Managing health care for low-income Americans has made Sen. Jeff McWaters a man of very high income.
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VA: Light rail's new promised price tag -- $338.3 million
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Hampton Roads Transit vowed Thursday to complete construction of Norfolk's beleaguered light-rail project for $338.3 million, slightly less than anticipated but still 46 percent more than original estimates.
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VT: Halfpipe Olympic gold leaves Vermont for the first time
From: feeds.stateline.org
"VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Kelly Clark stood squinting in the sunshine of a postcard-perfect day on the Pacific Coast, her qualifying run a resounding success.
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WI: Humana's job cuts include Green Bay employees
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Health insurer Humana says 120 positions in the Green Bay area will be among the 2,500 it's cutting nationwide to adjust to declining enrollment.
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WI: Wis. regulators plan blanket megafarm permits
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Right now, anyone who wants to start a farm with more than 1,000 of what the Department of Natural Resources calls animal units, the equivalent of about 700 dairy cows, must obtain an individual permit from the agency.
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WI: Appeals Court hears arguments on Larson Acres
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A state appeals court will issue a written decision on whether a state livestock siting board overstepped its authority in overturning restrictions on a conditional-use permit issued by the town of Magnolia.
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WI: Rural broadband service coming to libraries, schools - but not homes
From: feeds.stateline.org
"High-speed Internet access could be coming to rural Wisconsin schools and libraries soon, but it could be years before the service is available to businesses and homes in some areas - if it's ever available.
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WV: W.Va. to receive $130 million for Internet access
From: feeds.stateline.org
"WHEELING, W.Va. -- West Virginia is getting more than $130 million from the federal government to improve broadbrand Internet access.
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WV: Bees hurt by mountaintop removal coal mining
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Mountaintop mining has obliterated flowering trees and plants that honeybees need for food in the central Appalachians, and some Kentucky lawmakers are asking coal companies to plant pollen-producing vegetation when they finish digging.
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WY: Agency fines Wyo GOP $1,500
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Federal Election Commission has fined the Wyoming Republican Party $1,500 and told it to review its accounting practices for improperly reporting more than $129,000 spent just before the 2008 general election.
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WY: Wind tax clears House
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Wyoming House on Thursday passed a $1-per-megawatt-hour excise tax on wind energy produced in the state.
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WY: Wyo Governor singles out two state officials for role in costly decision
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Using the forum of an address to the Wyoming Realtors Association, which had invited him to give an overview of the legislature's work, Gov. Dave Freudenthal noted that two state officials were responsible for a property tax ruling that has cost local economic development agencies and developers across the state hundreds of thousands of dollars.
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States tackling public employee retirement benefits in 2010
From: feeds.stateline.org
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Since legislatures convened last month, at least 16 states are weighing changes to their worker pension plans. Employees, retirees and unions say they will contest some of the proposals.
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Congress steps into gas-drilling debate
From: feeds.stateline.org
"TODAY’S TAKE: Congress is stepping into an environmental debate that has raged in New York, Pennsylvania and other states where energy firms are using a technique known as “hydraulic fracturing” to drill for natural gas.
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Court complicates campaign finance rules
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the Citizens United case threatens to dismantle campaign finance laws in 24 states, including century-old Montana laws voters approved when the state was essentially owned by mining companies.
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More power in the statehouse?
From: feeds.stateline.org
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Congressman J. Gresham Barrett of South Carolina says he decided to run for governor the moment President Obama signed the massive federal stimulus package into law last year. “It is time the states reassert their sovereignty,” says Barrett, a four-term conservative Republican. “That’s an effort I will gladly champion as governor.” He is giving up his congressional seat even though he doesn’t exactly have a clear path to the statehouse — Barrett faces a crowded field of Republicans hoping to succeed Republican Governor Mark Sanford, who is term-limited from running again. There are a surprising number of Gresham Barretts roaming the halls of Congress this year. Nine members hope to leave Washington and take over one of the 37 governorships up for grabs.
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States renege on local aid
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Faced with massive deficits, state lawmakers are holding onto payments owed to municipal governments and using the money to balance state books. By holding money back, state officials are forcing their local counterparts to make even more difficult decisions about program cuts and tax increases. That has opened up a new gulf between the two levels of government and sparked lawsuits accusing state governments of improperly withholding money.
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Weekly wrap: In gloomy times, Alaska bounces back
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Oil price increases fuel Alaska's $2.2 billion budget surplus; Delaware sees at least five more years of slow revenue growth; and President Obama calls on Congress to continue a popular municipal bond program.
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Visit the Stateline.org Economy & Business Page
From: feeds.stateline.org
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