In tough economy, Arkansas' lottery launch exceeds expectations
From: www.stateline.org
"Arkansas is the latest state to create a lottery whose proceeds fund college scholarships for state residents. In less than a year, revenues have come in well above what was expected, and 28,000 students will get money this fall. Can the good news last?"
AK: Oil companies, state prosper under ACES
From: www.adn.com
"In 2005 I joined a small group of legislative Democrats led by Les Gara in what seemed then to be an impossible quest to fix a broken oil tax system that was sending billions in profits to BP and Exxon and shortchanging Alaskans. Along the way we were encouraged by Jay Hammond, Vic Fischer and other Alaska heroes."
AL: Director of Alabama's Legislative Reference Service tells lawmakers he turned over bingo files.
From: blog.al.com
"The leader of the office that helps Alabama legislators write bills told legislators today that he turned over all his records about recent gambling legislation to a federal grand jury"
AZ: ASU -- Home prices up overall in metro Phoenix
From: azdailysun.com
"A new report from Arizona State University shows that while home prices continue to rise overall in the Phoenix-area market, some segments are going up and others continue to stay in negative territory."
CA: The State Worker -- Cost of California's minimum-wage fight tops $1 million
From: www.sacbee.com
" Let's tie off a few loose ends from last week's state worker minimum-wage lawsuit news:"
CA: California mortgage broker guidelines tighten
From: www.sfgate.com
"That's the percentage of U.S. mortgages brokered by people who didn't need to pass licensing exams, according to first-quarter data from Inside Mortgage Finance Publications. "
CO: New rule stands to squeeze medical-pot providers out of retail space
From: facethestate.com
"The Colorado Housing and Finance Authority has put medical marijuana dispensaries on its list of so-called "sin businesses," meaning the pot providers cannot lease space in more than 500 commercial properties CHFA is currently financing across the state."
CO: Purple haze- Lavender fields crop up throughout Colorado
From: www.denverpost.com
"PALISADE, Colo. — Betty's Blue, Ms. Katherine and Impress Purple wave their bee-circled flowers in an early morning breeze, wafting the clean scent of lavender across the landscape. Fields of these fragrant, fancifully named lavender plants are gaining popularity in Colorado. "
CT: State officials grow weary of Connecticut's tax roller coaster
From: ctmirror.com
"When state legislators adopted a host of new tax and fee hikes last September, analysts estimated they would raise enough to cover about $700 million in projected revenue erosion tied to a slumping economy and provide another $250 million in extra funds to boot."
CT: Fate of lobstering at issue today in Rhode Island
From: www.courant.com
"It's just a tiny sliver of the New England economy, but the lobstering will gain jumbo attention at a public meeting today in Rhode Island. "
CT: Bankruptcy filings jump in Connecticut
From: www.courant.com
"Bankruptcy filings in Connecticut rose nearly 20 percent in the first half of 2010 compared to the same period last year, with Chapter 7 filings accounting for the largest percentage, according to a new report today."
CT: Business closings drop in Connecticut, but fewer open, too
From: www.courant.com
"Fewer businesses shut down in Connecticut in the three months ended June 30 compared with the previous year, a sign that state's economic woes may be easing, according to a new report Wednesday."
DE: Sea level rise could doom Delaware resources
From: www.delawareonline.com
"The levees and dikes that hold in fresh water to create waterfowl habitat and protect communities like historic Old New Castle from flooding wouldn't stand up to a 3-feet rise in sea level, according to a scientist who worked on a climate change report issued Wednesday by the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary."
FL: Crist acts to give property owners hurt by oil spill a break
From: www.miamiherald.com
"A day after complaining about the "do-nothing Legislature" that shunned his oil ban plan, Gov. Charlie Crist shot back Wednesday and gave property owners a tool to collect money from BP."
FL: As loop current splits, South Florida catches a break
From: www.tampabay.com
"In the oil spill battle of man vs. nature, nature is pulling off a valiant feat. The powerful Gulf of Mexico loop current, which seemed primed three months ago to thrust oil to the Florida Keys and beyond, suddenly changed course and helped protect much of Florida's cherished shorelines."
FL: Tropical wave is hampering oil efforts
From: www.miamiherald.com
"A tropical rainstorm that has drenched the Caribbean is now disrupting the BP oil spill cleanup in the Gulf of Mexico -- with some work now stopped as a precaution and evacuation discussions raising the possibility of oil once again flowing into the water."
FL: Tourism czars look beyond the oil
From: www.miamiherald.com
"PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. -- Ten minutes is usually all it takes for Susan Estler to find an inviting beach scene, snap it with her iPhone camera, and blast it to digital billboards from Baltimore to Atlanta."
HI: Auto sales up on a bumpy road to recovery
From: www.staradvertiser.com
"Hawaii auto sales were up 1.4 percent in the first half of the year compared with the same period last year, and if the trend holds, 2010 will be the first year of growth since 2005."
IA: Expenses, budget cuts will hurt Iowans, social services experts say
From: qctimes.com
"Social service providers warned Wednesday that staff cutbacks and service reductions will be a likely outcome as costs escalate even if state officials can provide them status-quo funding in fiscal 2012."
IA: Ag Secretary says new measuring system brings uniformity to seed sales
From: www.radioiowa.com
"Iowa's top farm official says new changes in how seeds are measured and sold will bring uniformity to the process and benefits for farmers."
IA: Official has dire warning for loss of ethanol subsidy
From: www.desmoinesregister.com
"The president of the Renewable Fuels Association said Wednesday that ending a major subsidy could wipe out almost 40 percent of the U.S. ethanol industry."
ID: Idahoans anxiously wait for extension of federal unemployment benefits
From: www.ktvb.com
"Congress could extend federal unemployment benefits that affect hundreds of thousands of Americans, including thousands in Idaho."
IL: Attorney General Lisa Madigan claims Sleepless in City Bus Service asleep at the wheel
From: www.chicagotribune.com
"Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan filed suit Wednesday against a Melrose Park bus company, saying it defrauded a group of hearing-impaired students and their families."
IL: Daley fix-it man McPier chair
From: www.suntimes.com
"The board that runs McCormick Place named David Mosena, president of the Museum of Science and Industry, its chairman Wednesday as the convention hall prepared cost-saving rules for trade shows."
IL: Quinn to release $500 million for CTA, Metra and Pace projects
From: www.chicagobusiness.com
"After a year of delays, Gov. Pat Quinn's administration finally is coming across with a infusion of $500 million in capital for the Regional Transit Authority and its three operating units."
IL: Quinn staff -- Furloughs same as last year
From: www.sj-r.com
"The Quinn administration said Wednesday that details of the latest state employee furlough program should not have come as a surprise because the same workers were affected by furloughs previously."
IN: Indiana contends IBM welfare work was flawed from the start
From: www.courier-journal.com
"Indiana's human services agency says it found problems with IBM Corp.'s takeover of welfare intake services early in the project and suggested delays, but yielded to the company's wishes to expand the project."
IN: Jobless benefits bill would aid 80,000 Hoosiers
From: www.courierpress.com
"A bill advancing in Congress that would restore millions of Americans' unemployment benefits could help about 80,000 Indiana residents who have been out of work for more than six months."
KY: Senate passes jobless aid bill
From: www.courier-journal.com
"WASHINGTON — State unemployment agencies are gearing up to resume sending unemployment payments to millions of people as Congress moves to send to President Barack Obama legislation to restore lapsed benefits."
LA: Louisianans rally against oil drilling moratorium
From: www.latimes.com
"LAFAYETTE, La. — The federal moratorium on exploratory drilling for oil in deep-sea waters is tantamount to an attack on Louisiana's way of life, politicians and business leaders said Wednesday at an oil-industry-sponsored rally here."
LA: Rally held to protest moratorium
From: www.2theadvocate.com
"LAFAYETTE, La. — Thousands attended a rally Wednesday in Lafayette aimed at persuading President Barack Obama's administration to lift the federal offshore drilling moratorium, which officials said could further endanger the state through the loss of tens of thousands of jobs."
LA: House approves deepwater-drilling safety, oil-spill cleanup bills
From: www.nola.com
"The House passed legislation Wednesday that promotes new ways to clean up oil spills and aims to make deepwater drilling safer."
MA: Sheriffs, Gov. Deval Patrick lock horns over illegals
From: bostonherald.com
"Cash-strapped sheriffs are locked in a budget battle with the Patrick administration over illegal immigrants, accusing the state of using a hypocritical accounting rule to leave them in the red despite the millions they rake in from detainees."
MA: Tensions rise in gambling bill talks
From: www.boston.com
"Negotiations in the Legislature over expanded gambling reached a new boiling point last night as the Massachusetts House reported an impasse, according to two officials, and the state Senate said time is running short to reach a deal on the high-profile issue before the lawmaking session ends next week."
MD: State employee put on leave after release of data
From: www.hometownannapolis.com
"A Maryland Department of Human Resources employee has been placed on administrative leave for posting personal information of nearly 3,000 people on a third-party website."
MD: Voters to decide on casino
From: www.hometownannapolis.com
"Celebrating a victory from Maryland's highest court Tuesday, opponents of a proposed casino at Arundel Mills mall said they will start preparing today to take the fight to the voting booth."
ME: Senate bill includes Moosehead plant funds
From: www.bangordailynews.com
"DOVER-FOXCROFT, Maine — Local officials learned this week that $1 million for the redevelopment of the former Moosehead Manufacturing plant in Dover-Foxcroft has been included in a Senate bill."
ME: Snowe, Collins vote with majority as Senate approves unemployment payments
From: www.bangordailynews.com
"WASHINGTON — State unemployment agencies are gearing up to resume sending unemployment payments to millions of people as Congress moves to ship President Barack Obama a measure to restore lapsed benefits."
ME: Waste dump into Bar Harbor waters raises concerns
From: www.bangordailynews.com
"BAR HARBOR, Maine — The growth of the cruise ship industry here over the past 20 years has not come without growing pains. As town officials have tried to balance the industry's impacts and economic benefits with the desire of local residents to protect the town's character and relatively clean environment."
MI: Michigan lawmakers return after two-week summer break with budget unresolved
From: www.mlive.com
"Michigan's state lawmakers ended a more than two-week summer break Wednesday and returned to the state Capitol, still unsure how they're going to solve the state's budget problems. "
MI: Michigan settles with Birds Eye Foods on pollution
From: www.mlive.com
"FENNVILLE, Mich. -- Birds Eye Foods Inc. will install a new treatment system and take other steps to deal with groundwater contamination caused by its spraying of wastewater on farm fields in southwestern Michigan, state officials said Wednesday."
MI: Report calls advanced manufacturing 'alive and vital' in Michigan
From: www.mlive.com
"Advanced manufacturing -- despite the overall sector's decline in the state during the past decade -- is "alive and vital" to Michigan's economy, according to a new report that details both gains and losses over a five-year period."
MI: Comerica making money in Michigan
From: www.freep.com
"Comerica Bank's second-quarter earnings released Wednesday show Michigan's largest bank is again earning money in the state but is also making fewer loans."
MS: Senate approves jobless payments to millions
From: www.clarionledger.com
"WASHINGTON — State unemployment agencies are gearing up to resume sending unemployment payments to millions of people as Congress moves to ship President Barack Obama a measure to restore lapsed benefits."
MT: Texas woman claims $10K Montana scratch lottery prize
From: billingsgazette.com
"Montana Lottery officials say a Texas woman in northeastern Montana for her daughter's wedding claimed a $10,000 prize from a scratch ticket."
NC: Sales tax on cars could balloon under plan to broaden tax base
From: www.greenvilleonline.com
"The era of sales tax-free groceries in South Carolina would be short-lived, and sales taxes would be levied for the first time on..."
NC: Perdue ready to sign economic incentives bill
From: www.news-record.com
"CARY, N.C. -- Film companies and video game producers that operate in North Carolina could benefit from an economic incentives bill ready to become state law."
ND: Official -- North Dakota pension fund can be fixed
From: www.inforum.com
"North Dakota's pension funds for teachers and government workers rose 13.2 percent in value in their last budget year, but the rebound does not offset recent losses, an investment administrator told state legislators Wednesday."
ND: Oil patch keeps pumping
From: www.grandforksherald.com
"Another month, another set of records in North Dakota's booming Oil Patch. "
NH: Late tax payments boost NH surplus
From: www.nashuatelegraph.com
" A wave of late business tax payments more than doubled the estimated state budget surplus for the past year to $63 million."
NJ: Casinos welcome Christie plan
From: online.wsj.com
"Atlantic City's battered casinos embraced New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's plan to take them over, saying the industry and region need the support to survive."
NJ: Christie urges rescue for stalled Meadowlands complex
From: www.nytimes.com
"With the Xanadu entertainment and shopping complex three years behind schedule and in need of an estimated $875 million to open, Gov. Chris Christie said Wednesday that it was time for the state to help resuscitate the project."
NJ: For Christie, a bold move on 2 fronts carries risks
From: www.nytimes.com
"EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Gov. Chris Christie on Wednesday called for a daring approach to a long-festering set of problems, with thousands of jobs and millions in state revenue at stake: a state takeover of Atlantic City's withering casino district and a retreat from the government's longtime role in running sports sites."
NJ: Gov. Christie says projection of $10.5B shortfall for next year is 'fake'
From: www.nj.com
"Gov. Chris Christie today said a projection that the state faces a $10.5 billion budget deficit next year is "completely fake" and he will build upon the deep cuts he made this year."
NJ: Christie's gaming industry proposal divides North, South Jersey legislators
From: www.nj.com
"By rejecting proposals to expand gambling beyond Atlantic City, the report pitched by Gov. Chris Christie to boost the state's gaming industry could reignite a long-simmering divide between North Jersey and South Jersey in the state Legislature."
NJ: Saving Atlantic City from the two-armed bandits
From: blog.nj.com
"Blame it on that prig from Princeton. The decline of Atlantic City, I mean. According to local attorney and radio talk-show host Seth Grossman, the jewel of the Jersey Shore was doing just fine until Woodrow Wilson became governor of New Jersey and then president of the United States in the first part of the last century."
NJ: A bold and sensible plan for a fresh start in Atlantic City and the Meadowlands
From: blog.nj.com
"Gov. Chris Christie's plan to revive the Meadowlands and Atlantic City is packed with common sense and gives the Legislature a running start at solving problems that have festered too long."
NJ: N.J. legislators slam proposal to sell Meadowlands Racetrack
From: www.nj.com
"Two Democratic state legislators today slammed a recommendation to sell or close the Meadowlands racetrack as part of an overall proposal for the state to take a larger role in gaming in New Jersey and concentrate its efforts in Atlantic City."
NJ: N.J. officials had opportunity, but declined to sell racetracks
From: www.nj.com
"Little more than six years ago, New Jersey's two state-owned horse-racing tracks were making money. But officials said they knew they were facing the abyss."
NJ: Gov. Christie pledges to turn Atlantic City casino district into 'Las Vegas East'
From: www.nj.com
"With more flair than a traveling road act, Gov. Chris Christie stood on the 50-yard line of the New Meadowlands Stadium today and declared the state government's long romance with horse racing dead."
NM: More state budget cuts loom
From: www.santafenewmexican.com
"Gov. Bill Richardson's administration said Wednesday that it will cut spending on state programs and services, including public schools, by about 3 percent to help erase a budget shortfall caused by lower-than-expected revenues in the newly started fiscal year. "
NY: Chief -- Time to plan layoffs
From: www.timesunion.com
"Planning for layoffs of state workers -- needed to realize $250 million in work force savings counted in the budget -- could begin in earnest next month, a top Paterson administration official said Wednesday."
OH: Senate should foreclose its recess to help struggling Ohioans
From: www.cleveland.com
"The foreclosure cancer that continues to lay waste to Cleveland has metastasized as it spreads through Cuyahoga County, morphing from subprime, predatory loans to mainstream mortgages torpedoed by layoffs and a flat-lining economy. "
OH: Cisco to partner with OneCommunity on cutting-edge communication technologies in Northeast Ohio
From: www.cleveland.com
"CLEVELAND -- Cisco Systems, one of the world's largest technology companies, on Thursday said it plans to use the fiber-optic communication infrastructure in Northeast Ohio as a testing ground for some of its latest network technologies. "
OH: State says Solon, Valley View were overcharged $2.5 million
From: blog.cleveland.com
"Solon and Valley View were bilked out of more than $2.5 million by three companies that overcharged for materials and work performed on road projects, state Auditor Mary Taylor said Wednesday. "
OH: Affluent areas see jobless numbers grow
From: www.daytondailynews.com
"Statistics show suburban areas also feeling a significant impact from recession."
OH: New web site to help those in need
From: blog.dispatch.com
"www.ohioheretohelp.com is a new web site that has boatloads of information for people looking for work and help making ends meet."
OH: Ohio, New York pension funds suing BP
From: www.dispatch.com
"Ohio and New York public pension funds are seeking lead-plaintiff status in a class-action lawsuit against BP, whose stock slump in the wake of the Gulf oil leak allegedly has cost the funds about $200million."
OK: Oklahoma Public Employees Association considering charges against Labor Commissioner Lloyd Fields
From: www.newsok.com
" The state worker's union said Wednesday it is considering seeking criminal charges against Labor Commissioner Lloyd Fields for allegedly rummaging through a private office at the agency's headquarters and destroying his own candidate questionnaire."
OR: Appeals court ruling may snuff out Oregon property rights claim
From: www.oregonlive.com
"A federal appeals court may have doused a legal theory that threatened to blow up the uneasy truce on Oregon's land-use battlefield. "
PA: Gov. Ed Rendell tells state lawmakers projects in their districts won't get done without new transportation funding
From: www.pennlive.com
"Gov. Ed Rendell made a rare appearance before a Pennsylvania Senate committee today, advocating a variety of proposals that would raise money for road and bridge projects."
PA: Marcellus shale could generate $1B in taxes, 100,000 jobs, study finds
From: www.pittsburghlive.com
"An industry-backed study shows that drilling for Marcellus shale natural gas in Pennsylvania and West Virginia could generate $1 billion a year in taxes and indirectly support 100,000 jobs during the next decade as investments filter through the local economy. "
PA: Rendell may 'flex' highway funds to save transit systems
From: www.pittsburghlive.com
"With the Port Authority of Allegheny County warning of deep service cuts ahead, Gov. Ed Rendell on Wednesday threatened to use federal highway money to bail out mass transit systems if lawmakers won't approve higher taxes and fees."
PA: Corbett- Train students for jobs we have
From: www.mcall.com
"EAST PENNSBORO, Pa. —A note to Pennsylvania's current and future college students: If Republican Tom Corbett wins the governor's race, you could end up learning less Robert Frost and a whole lot more Rosie the Riveter."
RI: Blue Cross eliminating 103 jobs
From: www.projo.com
"Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island announced on Wednesday that it has eliminated 103 jobs throughout the company to cut expenses."
TN: Tariff bill passes with Tennessee congressman Tanner's aid
From: www.tennessean.com
"WASHINGTON — A fiery speech by U.S. Rep. John Tanner, D-Tenn., on Wednesday helped convince House Republicans to abandon their leadership on a popular tariff bill."
US: Gray wolf comeback worries Midwest
From: www.csmonitor.com
"Gray wolf numbers in the US are at their highest point in years thanks to diligent restoration work. But some farmers and biologists in the Midwest are concerned that there are now too many wolves in their backyard."
US: More strapped litigants skip lawyers in court
From: online.wsj.com
"The economic downturn has left more Americans with the daunting prospect of fighting court battles without a lawyer."
US: License to kill
From: www.nytimes.com
"In Idaho and Montana, in early 2009, gray wolves were removed from the endangered species list and left to the mercy of state "management plans." Those plans have been crafted to satisfy hunters rather than protect the wolves or the ecosystem in which they play an essential role."
UT: Jobless in Utah waiting for renewal of UI benefits
From: heraldextra.com
"State officials say thousands of Utah residents could qualify for an extension of unemployment benefits. President Barack Obama thanked U.S. senators Tuesday for acting to break a logjam and restore jobless pay for people who began to lose their checks weeks ago."
VA: Expert says HR-to-DC rail would run at $1 billion surplus
From: hamptonroads.com
"A railroad consultant predicts that high-speed trains between Hampton Roads and Washington would not only be popular, but also highly profitable - operating at surpluses of up to $1 billion a year."
VA: BP suspends relief well work to avoid risk of storm interruption
From: www.nola.com
"Concerned that stormy weather might soon force an evacuation in the Gulf of Mexico, BP temporarily suspended work on a relief well considered to be the ultimate solution for plugging the blown-out Macondo well that until last week had been gushing oil into the Gulf of Mexico, BP Vice President Kent Wells said."
VA: State sweetens pot to get bidders for new U.S. 460
From: hamptonroads.com
"Hoping to boost interest among road builders to construct and operate a new multibillion-dollar U.S. 460 as a toll road, the state highway department is throwing in cash and other incentives."
VA: Va. Beach drops phone-lines suit against Verizon
From: hamptonroads.com
"A lawsuit was filed. Names were called. But in the end, it proved to be a case of faulty communication. The city withdrew its lawsuit against Verizon Communications Inc. on Tuesday after discovering that the lines it was suing over didn't exist."
WA: Boeing announces 49 more plane orders at Farnborough
From: seattle.bizjournals.com
"Led by American Airlines' exercising its option for an additional 35 737-800s, Boeing Co. announced orders for 49 new airplanes at the Farnborough air show in London worth about $4.6 billion at list prices."
WI: Ag secretary Nilsestuen drowns in Lake Superior
From: www.jsonline.com
"Rod Nilsestuen, secretary of the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, died Wednesday, the governor's office announced in a news release."
WV: W.Va. unemployment fund remains solvent
From: www.dailymail.com
"Workforce West Virginia's chief says the state's unemployment compensation fund could last through the end of the year. "
WY: State office criticizes SourceGas rate hike
From: billingsgazette.com
"SourceGas Distribution has overstated some expense levels and appears to attempt to mislead customers in its proposed $7.5 million annual rate increase proposal, according to the Wyoming Office of Consumer Advocate."
Visit the Stateline.org Economy & Business Page
From: www.stateline.org
"SourceGas Distribution has overstated some expense levels and appears to attempt to mislead customers in its proposed $7.5 million annual rate increase proposal, according to the Wyoming Office of Consumer Advocate."
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