Subsidized jobs: A faint echo of the New Deal
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A small piece of the federal stimulus program is going toward funding jobs in the private sector. Even conservatives seem to like the idea.
"
Raising state revenue: The year of the punt
From: feeds.stateline.org
"
Most states chose to put off major revenue-raising decisions this year, cobbling together budgets with modest, targeted tax increases while banking on Congress to come through with more money for Medicaid. Few made sweeping changes to their tax systems or made concrete plans on what they will do when the federal stimulus ends — even though most agree that states face at least two more years of budget gaps.
"
AK: Lockheed to team with state for missile defense contract
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Defense contractor Lockheed Martin will team with Alaska's state-owned aerospace corporation to pursue a U.S. Missile Defense Agency contract to maintain and improve the country's ground-based missile defense system, the companies announced Thursday.
"
AK: Alaska Waste turning food grease into fuel
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Anchorage area's private trash hauler is making a multimillion-dollar investment to transform food grease into fuel for its fleet of garbage trucks.
"
AK: Denali KidCare funded 664 abortions in '09
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services says 664 abortions were funded last year through Denali KidCare, the state health care program for low-income children and pregnant women.
"
AK: Alaska regulators planned disclosure on initiative
From: feeds.stateline.org
"FAIRBANKS, Alaska - Supporters of an initiative to ban the use of public money for lobbying or campaigning say Alaska regulators were seeking more financial disclosure before supporters withdrew.
"
AL: Georgia firm gets Alabama's largest DOT project
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A Georgia firm has been selected for the largest highway construction project in Alabama history.
"
AL: Robert Bentley extends no-salary pledge to his job as an Alabama legislator
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Robert Bentley, who is running for the Republican nomination for governor and is a sitting member of the state House of Representatives, said today he will not take a legislative salary until Alabama reaches "full employment."
"
AL: States will have to do it; the folly of damage caps; tackle Causeway to protect Delta
From: feeds.stateline.org
"As a former scientific professional employed in the chemical and hazardous waste disposal industries, and a summer visitor to the Gulf Coast, I've taken an active interest in the effects of the BP oil spill.
"
AR: $22.4 million grant to fund public housing improvements in Arkansas
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded $22.4 million to public housing authorities in Arkansas today, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan announced.
"
AR: Griffin -- Keep liability cap, stick BP for Gulf spill costs
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Republican candidate for the 2nd District congressional seat defended his support of capping oil companies' liability in environmental disasters today but said BP should foot the entire bill for the Gulf oil spill.
"
AZ: Census hiring offsets AZ private-jobs loss
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Hiring for the U.S. census offset private-sector job losses for a net gain of 3,400 jobs in Arizona in May.
"
CA: Calpers aims director list at increasing board sway
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Calpers may be coming to a corporate board near you. The $200 billion pension fund of the California Public Employees' Retirement System, the largest in the U.S. by assets, is recruiting scores of executives to have on standby, so it and others can nominate them for seats on poorly performing corporate boards of companies in which they hold shares.
"
CA: AG's office questions legality of Assembly budget borrowing
From: feeds.stateline.org
"In 2004, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger barnstormed around the state for Proposition 58, using an oversized credit card as a prop and vowing that it was time for the state to "tear up its credit card."
"
CA: Budget appropriation offers clue to Capitol's true values
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Members of the two-house legislative committee working on the state budget – especially its dominant Democrats – have spent much of the week lamenting that they don't have enough money to satisfy all demands, including their own.
"
CA: Mercury News editorial -- Schwarzenegger gets pensions turned back in right direction
From: feeds.stateline.org
"It's been more than a decade since then-Gov. Gray Davis set in motion California's wild escalation of pension costs. His sweet deals for state troopers and prison guards quickly went viral to cities and counties.
"
CO: Delays in state refunds taxing some Coloradans' patience
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Some Coloradans have reported lengthy and mysterious delays in receiving their state income-tax refunds, although statistics show all but a fraction of the 2008 and 2009 returns were processed within the 45 days required by state law.
"
CO: Report -- Green economy, jobs on upswing in Colorado
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Colorado's strong support for renewable energy and energy conservation efforts has paid off with jobs, according to a new report from Headwaters Economics, a Bozeman, Mont.-based nonprofit research group focused on land management decisions in the West.
"
CO: School leaders' saying no to extra pay is honorable
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The decision by many of the leaders of the state's largest school districts to forgo raises and bonuses during the extended economic crisis is laudable.
"
CO: Colorado foreclosure filings at 18-month low
From: feeds.stateline.org
"May foreclosure filings dropped to their lowest level in 18 months in Colorado, a sign that homeowners may be getting more leeway to repay or restructure their loans.
"
CT: Lobstermen warn moratorium on fishing could leave them extinct
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Richie Maderia has been trapping lobsters in Long Island Sound for nearly 45 years, but the excitement and anticipation never grow old.
"
DE: Casinos may sap charitable gambling in Delaware
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Over the last six months, Laurel's Pop Warner football league has raised almost 10 percent of its operating budget from hosting two nights of poker games, thanks to gamblers gathering in a Delmar shopping center.
"
FL: FPL hiding data, group alleges
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A group of Florida Power & Light whistle-blowers complained to the head of the utility company's parent this week, alleging the company hid information from regulators, fraudulently kept two sets of books, exaggerated its need for new generating plants and ``illegally and improperly used its resources at ratepayer expense.''
"
FL: Oyster harvesting ongoing in Apalachicola Bay
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Harvesting oysters in Apalachicola Bay is going ahead full bore through the end of August. For the third time, state officials have expanded the oyster harvest in Apalachicola Bay ahead of any impact the Gulf oil spill might have.
"
FL: Florida Department of Children and Families under federal scrutiny over wages and hours
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Long hounded by tales of underpaid and overworked employees, the Florida Department of Children and Families is once again under investigation for denying fair wages to its workers, the U.S. Labor Department confirmed Thursday.
"
FL: Florida company ready to set `bugs' loose against oil
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A biotechnology company from Sarasota has pitched its oil-eating bacteria compound as nature's housekeeper for cleanup duty in the Gulf of Mexico. While executives of Osprey Biotechnics have received no response from BP, the company appears to have a new ally:Gov. Charlie Crist.
"
FL: 20 billion fund expands assistance
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A day after President Barack Obama and BP announced the creation of a $20 billion fund and a facility to pay out claims arising from the Gulf oil spill, many of the details of how it would mesh with BP's existing claims process are being finalized -- but BP said it has already sent out 3,786 checks to Floridians affected by the disaster.
"
FL: Oil-eating microbes a possible solution
From: feeds.stateline.org
"One scientist compares them to the yellow chompers in the Pac-Man video game -- hungry, single-minded little microbes fueled by the same fertilizer that farmers use on soybeans, gobbling hydrocarbons from the oily waters, marshes and shores of the Gulf of Mexico.
"
FL: Ominous turn for Panhandle as oil sightings, beach closings edge east
From: feeds.stateline.org
"DESTIN, Fla. -- Pie-sized tar patties washed up on Okaloosa County shores Thursday, beaching Panhandle swimmers as cleanup workers turned to nighttime hours to pluck splotches of weathered oil off some of the state's most pristine coast.
"
HI: Five companies back Hawaii civil unions
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Five of Hawaii's largest businesses spoke out Thursday in favor of the bill on Gov. Linda Lingle's desk that would legalize civil unions.
"
HI: Preserving Hawaii's resources -- More than a career
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Fresh out of business school on the East Coast, John Leong was more inspired by wading through marshes with 8-foot-tall grass and hacking down invasive trees with a chainsaw than by any lucrative prospects offered by Wall Street.
"
HI: Hawaii's gas prices continue to fall
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Hawaii's gas prices fell in most areas with the statewide average at $3.47 a gallon for the past week, according to AAA Hawaii Weekend Gas Watch.
"
HI: Hawaii 7th lowest in car insurance costs
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Hawaii's car insurance is the seventh most affordable in the nation, according to a report released this week by an online insurance website.
"
HI: Hawaii's unemployment claims up 2.8%
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Hawaii's initial unemployment claims increased by 2.8 percent in the past week.
"
IA: Iowa holds hearings on rate request by SD utility
From: feeds.stateline.org
"State regulators will hold three public hearings on a request by a South Dakota-based utility for a 2.9 percent rate increase for its natural gas customers in Iowa.
"
IA: Iowa gets $14 million in new watershed grants
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey says the U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded $14.1 million to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.
"
IA: Iowa hay, straw directory available for producers
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Iowa agriculture secretary wants hay and straw producers to sign up for a statewide directory.
"
ID: Board approves Kibbie Dome seating project
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The state Board of Education has signed off on a University of Idaho plan to spend nearly $7 million to upgrade seating at the home of Vandal football and basketball.
"
ID: Dems seek ethics panel for GOP lawmaker
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The top Democrat in the Idaho House is calling on Republican leaders to appoint an ethics panel to investigate Rep. Phil Hart and his tax troubles with the state and federal government.
"
IL: Illinois marks Homeownership Month
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. Pat Quinn has proclaimed June to be Homeownership Month in Illinois.
"
IL: Whitley adds more praise for Quinn -- 'Breath of fresh air'
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Illinois State Chamber of Commerce chief Doug Whitley is sticking by — and even extending — his warm sentiments about Gov. Pat Quinn, a Democrat.
"
IL: Illinois sees 5th straight month of job growth
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Illinois' unemployment rate slipped to 10.8% last month, marking the largest monthly drop in more than 27 years.
"
IN: Senators say Bloomington should end Ariz. boycott
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Republican leaders in the Indiana Senate are asking the city of Bloomington to think twice about it's decision to boycott Arizona businesses because of that state's new immigration law.
"
IN: Indiana Convention Center work gains momentum
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Work on the $275 million expansion of the Indiana Convention Center remains on target, construction officials said Thursday.
"
KS: Kansas economy adds jobs, but unemployment rate remains unchanged
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Kansas gained 11,300 jobs in May but the unemployment rate remained unchanged from April at 6.3 percent.
"
KS: Kansas spends nearly $650,000 tracking down college students for census
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Kansas continues to go it alone in counting students to adjust the census figures. And it costs the state nearly $650,000.
"
KS: Federal decision should help develop wind energy industry in Kansas
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A new cost-sharing plan to build electric transmission lines should help develop wind energy in Kansas, officials said Thursday.
"
KS: By Theresa Freed
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A coalition of Kansas school districts on Thursday notified the state that it intends to file a new school finance lawsuit, alleging that recent education cuts are unconstitutional.
"
KS: Kansas schools group says it will sue in October
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A group representing 72 Kansas school districts says it will sue state officials over education funding issues later this year.
"
KY: Kentucky jobs increase in May with government hiring
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Temporary government hiring in May helped Kentucky break a two-year string of job losses, the state reported Thursday.
"
MA: Partners report slams AG Martha Coakley's hospital cost study
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A former state public health official has denounced a recent report by Attorney General Martha Coakley that said some Massachusetts hospitals charge much more than their competitors for health care, even though the quality of the care isn't any better.
"
MA: Patrick positive on jobs outlook
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Governor Deval Patrick, trying to win reelection when many Massachusetts residents are still unemployed, used an online chat on Boston.com yesterday to trumpet some positive news on the jobs front.
"
MA: Work slated for missing rail link
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Governor Deval Patrick said yesterday that construction will begin this summer on a long-promised, long-delayed commuter rail link to Fall River and New Bedford.
"
MD: Activists wage late attempt to stop youth jail
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Activists have launched a last-minute attempt to halt construction of a $100 million jail for Baltimore teenagers facing adult charges, saying the state needs to have a broader conversation about how to deal with young criminals.
"
MD: State touts hiring tax credit
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Department of Business and Economic Development officials say about 80 companies have qualified for state job-creation tax credits after hiring from Maryland's unemployment rolls.
"
MI: State Rep. Robert Dean aide Noah Seifullah resigns in wake of Hangar42 questions
From: feeds.stateline.org
"GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- State Rep. Robert Dean announced today his chief of staff, Noah Seifullah, has resigned in connection with questions surrounding his involvement in a movie production studio.
"
MI: Dean says he accepted Seifullah resignation because of 'perception' of wrongdoing
From: feeds.stateline.org
"GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - State Rep. Robert Dean said he accepted the resignation of Chief of Staff Noah Seifullah because of the perception of wrongdoing, not his belief that anything unethical took place.
"
MN: Minnesota hospitals agree to resume talks with nurses' union -- on one condition
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A group of 14 Minnesota hospitals is accepting the Minnesota Nurses Association's offer to resume talks, but under one condition.
"
MN: Minnesota / Lower wages, poverty remain obstacles for women, study says
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Women in Minnesota earn less than their male peers and face a series of other challenges when it comes to safety, health and leadership roles.
"
MO: 'Madoff of the Midwest' also gets state sentence
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A former Missouri grain dealer already in federal prison for duping roughly 180 farmers out of $27 million has been sentenced to 10 years on state charges in the swindle that landed her the moniker the "Madoff of the Midwest."
"
MO: Mo. earns $1M more from interest payments
From: feeds.stateline.org
"State Treasurer Clint Zweifel (ZWY'-ful) says Missouri has earned an extra $1 million from interest so far this year.
"
MO: Jay Nixon makes more cuts to state budget
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Missouri's budget woes will hit college students, school buses, state mental hospitals and scores of other programs under $301.4 million in cuts announced Thursday by Gov. Jay Nixon.
"
MO: Special session
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. Jay Nixon wants to call a special session of the General Assembly to pass a cash incentive program for Ford Motor Co. aimed at keeping jobs at its Claycomo plant near Kansas City.
"
MO: Nixon's budget belt-tightening includes cuts from student busing, state scholarships
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. Jay Nixon on Thursday approved the state's next budget, but not before slashing $281 million, including big cuts to schools and higher education, social services, and Kansas City public transit.
"
MS: Miss. governor lauds Toyota decision to open plant
From: feeds.stateline.org
"BLUE SPRINGS, Miss. -- Gov. Haley Barbour says he never lost faith that Toyota would ultimately build cars in Mississippi, as it promised three years ago.
"
MS: Mabus to head Gulf oil effort
From: feeds.stateline.org
"WASHINGTON — Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, a former Mississippi governor, has been tapped by President Barack Obama to lead the Gulf Coast's effort to recover from the massive oil spill caused by a damaged BP well.
"
MS: Toyota to restart Mississippi plant
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Toyota says it is restarting the delayed construction of its Mississippi auto plant, which will provide 2,000 jobs and be up and running by the fall of next year.
"
MT: Public defenders say there's too much work, too little pay for system to work
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Lawyers representing Montana's poor accused of crimes had strong words Thursday for the volunteer commission that runs the agency: There is too much work, not enough staff and not enough money for the four-year-old system to work.
"
MT: Tester proposes changes to Montana wilderness, logging bill
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A borrowed bit from an otherwise dead-on-arrival discussion draft could make Montana Sen. Jon Tester's Forest Jobs and Recreation Act work better, the senator said on Thursday.
"
MT: Schweitzer says deal to protect Flathead River Basin holding together despite challenges
From: feeds.stateline.org
"An agreement to protect the American and Canadian sides of the Flathead River Basin from mining and energy extraction is holding together, even though snags have developed in financing the deal.
"
NC: N.C. releasing state jobless rate for May
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The signs for jobless North Carolina residents are improving, but economists don't expect the unemployment rate to fall much in the coming months.
"
NC: Sen. Shelby speaking at bankers meeting Monday
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Members of the N.C. Bankers Association will get an inside view on financial reform legislation when Sen. Richard Shelby, ranking Republican on the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, speaks Monday at the trade group's annual meeting.
"
NC: NC Senate takes steps to expand video poker ban
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The state Senate continued Thursday its decade-long offensive against video gambling machines in North Carolina by rolling out a bill designed to make clear a 2006 video poker ban includes an alternate form of the games spreading to hundreds of locations statewide.
"
ND: Proposal gives ND employers $81M work comp break
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Thousands of North Dakota employers will be getting their workers compensation insurance bills cut in half during the next year.
"
NE: Border fight creeps north
From: feeds.stateline.org
"FREMONT, Neb.—A vote Monday brings to a head a two-year battle over immigration that has divided residents here.
"
NE: Nebraska city torn as immigration vote nears
From: feeds.stateline.org
"FREMONT, Neb. — In this city of 25,000, far from any international border, the fight over illegal immigration has boiled over.
"
NH: Ponzi panel debates need for reforms
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The legislative committee reviewing the state's oversight of a company alleged to be behind a decade-long Ponzi scheme is weighing whether broad changes in the state's financial regulations are needed. But how far to push those reforms is a matter of debate among the committee members.
"
NH: Chief -- Track resorted to 'smear tactic'
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Loudon police Chief Bob Fiske responded yesterday to what he called a "smear tactic" by the New Hampshire Motor Speedway, which sent a letter to the Loudon selectmen this week arguing that Fiske has a financial conflict of interest in refusing to lower the price of police protection for the upcoming NASCAR weekend.
"
NJ: Two plans for N.J. property tax relief; no consensus
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Democrats and Republicans are vowing to combat New Jersey's highest-in-nation property taxes in very different ways, but each side has one thing in common: Neither idea is likely to get legislative approval anytime soon.
"
NJ: N.J. red tape reform bills advance despite opposition from environmental groups
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Four bills designed to cut red tape for New Jersey businesses cleared their first legislative hurdle today.
"
NJ: N.J. Assembly committee approves bill allowing electronic betting on horse racing
From: feeds.stateline.org
"An Assembly panel today advanced a bill that would allow electronic betting on horse racing in New Jersey.
"
NJ: N.J. officials cut $140M in additional funds from school budgets
From: feeds.stateline.org
"After New Jersey voters rejected a record number of school budgets this spring, local officials ordered more than $140 million in additional cuts, the state announced today.
"
NJ: Gov. Chris Christie wants all N.J. medical marijuana grown at Rutgers
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. Chris Christie's administration said Rutgers University's agricultural center should grow the pot and hospitals should dispense it under the state's medical marijuana program, according to three people briefed on the proposal.
"
NJ: Gov. Chris Christie's 2.5 percent property tax cap plan needs repairs
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. Chris Christie's plan to cap the growth in property taxes at 2.5 percent offers New Jersey its best chance in a generation to finally tame this beast.
"
NJ: Christie administration pressures Assembly committee to pass affordable housing bill
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A Christie administration official today put pressure on an Assembly committee to quickly pass new affordable housing legislation, saying a decision in a pending court case could derail five months of work on the bill.
"
NJ: Christie administration will have until 2011 to roll out N.J.'s medical marijuana program
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Christie Administration will get an extension through January 2011 to roll out New Jersey's medical marijuana program, according to the senator who sponsored the law.
"
NM: Dozens of public agencies remain unaudited
From: feeds.stateline.org
"State Auditor Hector Balderas says 43 local government agencies that control $362 million in taxpayer money still haven't submitted yearly audits required by state law.
"
NM: Consumer prices edge up in New Mexico, West
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Consumer prices in New Mexico and other western states inched up 0.1 percent in May from the previous month, despite a nationwide decline, and were up 1.3 percent from a year earlier, the U.S. Labor Department reported Thursday.
"
NV: High court -- Dual win claimed in water fight
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Nevada Supreme Court on Thursday reversed its earlier ruling that could have derailed a multibillion-dollar water pipeline for the Las Vegas Valley.
"
NV: Prison closure could pit Gibbons against Legislature
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. Jim Gibbons announced Thursday he would begin closing Nevada State Prison in Carson City, setting up a showdown over who has authority over Nevada's corrections system.
"
NV: May jobless rate said to increase to 14 percent
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Information about Nevada's unemployment rate in May will be released Friday, but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid sent a statement Thursday night saying the jobless rate had jumped to 14 percent.
"
NV: Proposal would allow food service in restaurant bars that allow smoking
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Although voters delivered a clear message with passage of the Nevada Clean Indoor Air Act in 2006 that they didn't want smoking in restaurants, state health officials this morning will consider a regulation that anti-smoking advocates say would violate the law.
"
NY: Curtain ready to fall on NYSTI jobs
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The New York State Theater Institute plans to cut its staff in half as part of its second act to stay in business.
"
NY: Ending sprawl minus growth
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Upstate faces a development paradox: metropolitan areas are swallowing more land even as they contain fewer people.
"
OH: CEO -- Ohio pension fund not political on Lehman
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The head of an Ohio pension fund whose Lehman Brothers losses have become an issue in the governor's race said Thursday that his staff ignored politics when calculating and distributing loss information.
"
OH: Ohio pension funds split on BP
From: feeds.stateline.org
"While those overseeing pension funds in the United States and globally have nervously watched their investments in BP leak red ink with every gallon of crude spilling into the Gulf of Mexico, one Ohio pension fund has been buying.
"
OH: Group to tout Ohio in China
From: feeds.stateline.org
"By this time next week, two from northwest Ohio and 15 others from the state will be busy touting the benefits of the Buckeye State half way around the world.
"
OR: Labor fight looms on insurance rates
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Public Employees' Benefit Board made some minor trims Tuesday to state workers' 2011 health insurance benefits, instituting co-payments for sleep studies and imaging scans.
"
PA: Rally in Media demands Pennsylvania budget not cut social, education programs
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Seeking to influence the state budget debate, about 100 social service and early childhood education providers and their allies, many still hurting from funding delays incurred last year in the protracted budget battle, rallied Thursday outside the Delaware County government center in Media.
"
PA: Players eager to run the tables at casinos
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The long wait was over, sort of.
"
PA: Two testify about casino licensing
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A state grand jury in Pittsburgh investigating the awarding of casino licenses in 2006 has heard testimony from a former top House Democratic staffer and from a former financial officer for the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
"
PA: Rendell -- Tax amnesty program may exceed $190 million goal
From: feeds.stateline.org
"It looks like the state will reach or exceed the goal of $190 million in back taxes collected during a two-month tax amnesty program, Gov. Ed Rendell said today.
"
PA: Corbett has more money on hand than Onorato
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Corbett had three times as much money as Democratic opponent Dan Onorato, though the Democrat outpaced his rival in fundraising.
"
PA: Marcellus drillers face stringent wastewater regulations
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Natural gas producers in the state are facing tougher regulations on the disposal of wastewater from Marcellus Shale drilling operations, now that a state regulatory panel has voted to enact the new measures.
"
RI: R.I. jobless rate declines
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Rhode Island's economy showed signs of improvement in May as the jobless rate ticked down to 12.3 percent from 12.5 percent in April and the state added 3,200 jobs.
"
RI: Central Falls City Council endorses state takeover of finances
From: feeds.stateline.org
"CENTRAL FALLS, R.I. — The City Council voted unanimously Thursday evening to drop its effort to seek a state court bankruptcy protection and instead endorsed a state government takeover of its troubled finances.
"
RI: Loophole in fireworks law feared
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Officials conceded on Thursday that a new state law legalizing fireworks also may have removed the ban — apparently unintentionally — on the type of professional pyrotechnics that triggered Rhode Island's deadliest nightclub fire.
"
SC: Battered S.C. budget might see a surplus
From: feeds.stateline.org
"South Carolina is likely to once again accrue budget surpluses after years of decline, state economists said Thursday, as tax revenues rebound with more people heading back to work.
"
SD: Conflicting economic numbers yield hope
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The good news is: South Dakotans are starting to spend more, unemployment is going down, and in Sioux Falls, at least, the number of building permits is increasing.
"
TX: Barton beaten down for 'shakedown'
From: feeds.stateline.org
"WASHINGTON — Who's sorry now? Rep. Joe Barton, that's who.
"
US: Spending measure snagged by GOP filibuster
From: feeds.stateline.org
"WASHINGTON—A sprawling piece of legislation needed to extend unemployment benefits ran into serious trouble Thursday in the Senate, after Democratic leaders failed to break a Republican filibuster based largely on concern over the federal deficit.
"
US: U.S. fights challenge to health law
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The federal government formally responded to the most serious legal challenge to the health-care overhaul, invoking its powers under the Constitution to regulate interstate commerce and impose taxes.
"
US: Justices debate issues in an oceanfront case
From: feeds.stateline.org
"WASHINGTON — A project to restore eroded beaches in the Florida Panhandle did not violate the Constitution's takings clause even though the state claimed ownership of the strip of land the project created next to the ocean, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday.
"
UT: Utah taking baby steps toward job recovery, economist says
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Utah has moved beyond the worst of job losses caused by the recession of late 2008 and is once again beginning to add positions, according to Utah Division of Workforce Services Chief Economist Mark Knold.
"
VA: McDonnell working to wean Virginia from liquor business
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. Bob McDonnell's administration is exploring new ways to get Virginia at least partially out of the liquor business.
"
VT: NRC -- Entergy did not mislead federal panel
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission has determined that Entergy Corp. did not provide the NRC with misleading information about the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant, as the company has acknowledged doing to state officials.
"
WA: Costco exec thinks liquor-store privatization measure will qualify for ballot
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A state initiative to open up liquor sales appears to have passed a major hurdle. Issaquah-based Costco Wholesale, which supports Initiative 1100, said it helped collect what it believes is enough signatures to put the liquor-store-privatization effort on November's ballot after setting up tables at 26 warehouses throughout Washington state.
"
WA: Forecast -- Sin taxes help stabilize state budget
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Washington state finally got some decent budget news - and policymakers have sin taxes to thank for it.
"
WA: Sans taxes, state revenue forecast plunges $200 mil
From: feeds.stateline.org
"People can look at economic forecasts optimistically or pessimistically. When he presented his latest report Thursday, the state's chief forecaster, Arun Raha, painted guardedly rosy picture of Washington's budget.
"
WA: Food fight -- Push to repeal taxes is a 'con,' foes say
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Opponents of new taxes approved by state lawmakers earlier this year are gathering signatures in an attempt to get a measure before voters in the fall that would repeal the levies.
"
WA: Wash. economic forecaster -- Job recovery will be slow
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The economy is on the mend, but Washington's job recovery will be slow. The state's economic forecaster predicted Thursday it will take another two years to replace the jobs lost during the recession.
"
WI: Employment data raises new doubts about state's recovery
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Wisconsin's economy continued to struggle in May as the state lost 7,900 private-sector jobs on a seasonally adjusted basis and only managed to offset the declines with a surge of new hires by federal, state and local government agencies, according to state employment data released Thursday.
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WI: Walker wants state employees to pay pensions
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Milwaukee County Executive and Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott Walker wants to require all state employees and elected officials to contribute their share of their pension benefits.
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WY: Wyoming coal production still slipping
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Coal production in Wyoming continues to slip after reaching an all-time annual high of more than 467 million tons in 2008, according to data collected by the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
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WY: State Loan and Investment Board awards $9 million in grants
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Times have certainly changed for the Wyoming State Loan and Investment Board.
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WY: Wyoming wildlife trust program awards $2 million for projects
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust program allocated nearly $2 million in funding for various projects during a meeting in Hulett late last week, according to trust officials.
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New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson on the issues
From: feeds.stateline.org
"SANTA FE, N.M. — In a June 10 interview with
Stateline, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson discussed how the immigration issue is playing in this year’s race to succeed him. He described the benefit of sending the National Guard to secure the border and discussed his recent trip with Arizona Governor Jan Brewer to tour the border area.
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Jindal warns Obama: "We're not winning this war"
From: feeds.stateline.org
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TODAY'S TAKE: During President Obama's fourth tour of the Gulf Coast since oil began spilling from an offshore well, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal told the president that the country is losing the "war" against the spill. The governor's admonition came at the same time Louisiana's state treasurer urged Jindal to prepare for the possible bankruptcy of BP.
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Obama pushes for more state aid
From: feeds.stateline.org
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TODAY’S TAKE: President Obama took up the cause of state and local governments on Saturday, as he urged congressional leaders to boost funding for health care and schools. The president said the aid was needed to avoid layoffs of teachers and firefighters, but his arguments may do little to win over lawmakers who are worried about adding to the country's debt.
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Visit the Stateline.org Economy & Business Page
From: feeds.stateline.org
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Proactive tax planning to take advantage of timely tax saving opportunities.
Comprehensive business services that integrate income tax compliance
and planning with investments and insurance choices.
Consulting services that review businesses to find hidden opportunities to
increase wealth accumulation and retention.
Foreign investor tax services.
Individualized accounting system setup for new businesses.
State of the art payroll tax services and sales tax preparation.
Preparation of business and individual tax returns and financial
statements.
Budgeting and projection preparation and monitoring, facilitating the
creation and tracking of events.
Assistance in selection and installation of computer hardware and
software, ongoing monitoring and updating of systems.
