AL: Key Alabama lawmakers favor keeping sales tax holiday
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Key lawmakers and Gov. Bob Riley favor keeping Alabama's annual back-to-school sales tax holiday, even though it cuts state tax collections that otherwise would go to schools by an estimated $3.35 million a year.
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AZ: Calls to shun state would lead to unintended side effects
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Whenever people talk sports, politics or religion, conversations rarely end in full agreement.
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AZ: State retirement overhaul proposed
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A major business group wants changes in the state retirement system.
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AZ: Arizona teachers opt for overseas jobs amid economic slump
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Katie and Chris McCrea are looking for renters for their Mesa home, selling their cars and most of their household items, and searching for families to adopt their three dogs.
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AZ: Arizona drivers warned about gas-pump credit-card scam
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Arizona Department of Weights and Measures is warning consumers to take extra precautions to protect their identities because of an increase in the use of illicit credit-card readers at gas pumps.
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CA: Jerry Brown's pension punt
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The race for California Governor ought to come down to which candidate has a better chance to rein in the special-interest asylum that is the state legislature.
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CT: More hospital layoffs likely
From: feeds.stateline.org
"If the news that St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center will eliminate 200 positions out of 3,500 next month was shocking, brace yourself -- the cuts are just part of a wave that is likely to accelerate at Connecticut hospitals.
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DE: Petula Dvorak -- Think the Chesapeake Bay's a sewer? Don't Insult the sewer
From: feeds.stateline.org
"It turns out my kids have basically been swimming in toilet water this summer. They jump in, flip-dive, splash and kick around, undaunted by the jellyfish or the color of the water. To them, it's the brown, brackish, beautiful Chesapeake Bay. To others, it looks about as inviting as a sewer.
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DE: New law allows students to shop around for books
From: feeds.stateline.org
"College students will be able to shop around more for deals on textbooks, thanks to a new law that took effect last month.
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FL: Poll -- Voters want say over offshore drilling
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Nearly three-quarters of Floridians support giving the state's voters a chance to decide whether to permanently ban offshore oil-drilling, a new poll shows.
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FL: Miccosukee tribe launches counterattack against IRS
From: feeds.stateline.org
"In a legal showdown with the IRS, the Miccosukees say their members don't owe any taxes on income they receive from the tribe's gambling operation -- a stance that sets them apart from possibly every Indian tribe with casinos in the United States.
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FL: Oil spill cleanup crews' work stirred controversy, too
From: feeds.stateline.org
"They work in the sun for 10 minutes, then sit in the shade for 50, or they put in 14 hours at night when no one sees them working at all. They wear hard hats and steel-toed boots to trudge along the beach scooping up dime-sized tar balls, and a day later they have to do it again. And only rarely have they been in the right place at the right time.
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FL: BP official -- I would serve Gulf fish to my family
From: feeds.stateline.org
"ON THE GULF OF MEXICO -- BP's chief operating officer says he would eat fish from the Gulf of Mexico and would let his family eat it, too.
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GA: Georgians must cross state lines for tax-free items
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Chris Dunn will increase staff and inventory at Computer Exchange's North Augusta store before this weekend's sales tax holiday in South Carolina.
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GA: In Atlanta visit, Obama to address vets, Democrats, but won't escape economy questions
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Ronnie Rogers served only about a year in the Army, but the effects have lasted a lifetime.
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HI: Students, Fridays return to schools
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Furlough Fridays behind them, more than 171,000 public school students head back to school this week to face new challenges as No Child Left Behind proficiency goals rise, the race kicks off to keep more schools from facing federal sanctions and teachers begin major curriculum shifts to follow national standards.
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HI: Dems hope to hold off GOP runs in the fall
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Democrats expect to hold overwhelming majorities in the state House and Senate in the November elections but could drop a handful of seats if Republicans capitalize on voter angst over the economy and civil unions.
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IA: Iowa at risk with smaller state workforce?
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Saying government is "too big" is frequently a political opinion, rather than a provable claim.
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IA: Liquor sales up in Iowa
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The nation's economic dry spell apparently hasn't curbed Iowans' thirst for alcoholic beverages.
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ID: Idaho winery workers turn camera lens on industry
From: feeds.stateline.org
"BUHL, Idaho — For years, Idaho wines have been overlooked by many connoisseurs, largely ignored by the industry. But vineyards are springing up across the landscape like flowers in spring and beginning to take home international awards, as Holesinsky Organic Vineyard & Winery in Buhl did recently with its rose.
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ID: RV travel sees no recession in Idaho
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Judy and Sten Larkin of Colfax, Wash., had a miniature family reunion at the Boise-Meridian KOA this week. The retired teachers brought two grandchildren from Pocatello who had been traveling with them and met up in Meridian with the children's parents and the other grandparents, who had two more grandkids.
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IL: Two firms join forces to seek Illinois Lottery pact
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Two of the four big firms vying to run the Illinois Lottery are teaming up to bid for a precedent-setting 10-year management contract.
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IL: Lottery makes last call for private manager bids
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Illinois Lottery made a last call for bids Friday from private companies looking to manage the agency's operations in a deal that officials say could boost revenue and bring in a new group of gamers.
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IL: Filling a void -- Agencies step up after ODC closure
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Slowly, the family is recovering. The family is nearly 600 former clients of the Occupational Development Center that closed a year ago amid the state budget crisis that remains unresolved.
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IL: A new headache for Giannoulias? Another Rezko loan
From: feeds.stateline.org
"By February 2006, businessman and political fixer Tony Rezko was already politically radioactive, caught up in a federal investigation that would see him criminally charged by the end of that year.
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IL: Tollway oases up for bid again
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A contract to lease seven Illinois Tollway oases will be put up for public auction late next month after the operator of the previous lease was foreclosed upon.
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IL: Cook County property tax break is extended
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Faced with a politically tricky situation, Gov. Pat Quinn on Sunday signed legislation to extend a popular property tax break for Cook County homeowners but that also requires senior citizens to reapply each year for a tax exemption.
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IL: Path out of the fields
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Agricultural changes, income limits are causing some headaches at Head Start for migrant families.
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IN: Gold prices spark 'fever' among Indiana prospectors
From: feeds.stateline.org
"MORGANTOWN, Ind. -- Rising gold prices are sparking an Indiana gold rush as prospectors pan for the precious metal in the state's streams.
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IN: $86M in state subsidies for Toll Road discounts
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The state has spent more than $86 million from the Indiana Toll Road lease to make up the difference on discounts given to motorists using electronic tolling devices such as the I-Pass and I-Zoom.
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IN: Indiana's gambling habit brings billions into the state
From: feeds.stateline.org
"When Indiana lawmakers first opened the door to legalized gambling 21 years ago, they were reluctant to bet it would become a stable source of revenue for the state treasury.
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KS: Parkinson says Kansas economy is improving
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. Mark Parkinson on Friday said he thought the Kansas economy was on the upswing.
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KY: Kentucky corn farmers brace for premature harvest
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Corn and soybean farmers in western Kentucky are accustomed to adapting to spring floods or summer droughts, but the combination of both in the same year threatens to make this harvest season one of the shortest in recent memory.
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LA: When will the oil be completely gone? Maybe never
From: feeds.stateline.org
"After more than three months, BP appears finally to have gotten a firm grasp on its runaway Deepwater Horizon well. Now the big question in the Gulf of Mexico is how, and if, an environmental mess of unprecedented scope can be cleaned up.
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LA: BP, Coast Guard criticized for dispersant use
From: feeds.stateline.org
"As BP inched closer to permanently sealing the blown-out oil well in the Gulf of Mexico, congressional investigators railed against the company and Coast Guard for part of the cleanup effort, saying too much toxic chemical dispersant was used.
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LA: Static kill could start Monday, Allen says
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The latest attempt to stop the flow of oil that has been gushing into the Gulf of Mexico since April 20 could start as early as Monday, the man in charge of the operation said today. Tests are under way to determine whether the well can withstand the mud that will be put in to stanch the oil in the process called static kill, retired Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen said during a telephone news conference.
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MA: Patrick asks lawmakers to accept casinos, no slot parlors
From: feeds.stateline.org
"WORCESTER,Mass. -- Governor Deval Patrick said today that he would send a more limited casino gambling bill back to the Legislature, stripped of any free-standing slot parlors, and called upon lawmakers to accept the change.
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MA: It's time to cash out
From: feeds.stateline.org
"When I asked Governor Deval Patrick yesterday how he was enjoying his high-stakes poker game with the Legislature, his response suggested that I was thinking of the wrong game of risk.
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MA: Farming surges in state with new crop of devotees
From: feeds.stateline.org
"DRACUT, Mass. — Midway through her first growing season, Rachael Potts, 31, pointed to long rows of thriving peppers, scallions, and Swiss chard. The tomatoes, however, have been "a challenge,'' she admitted, adding "and the heat has had its way with my arugula.''
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MA: Patrick's stand on casinos a gamble
From: feeds.stateline.org
"As the casino resorts he once championed teetered closer to defeat yesterday, Governor Deval Patrick was walking a tightrope between two important parts of his base: liberals, many of whom were horrified at the prospect of casino gambling in the state; and labor unions, which view resort casinos as a major source of new jobs.
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MA: Cambridge to consider student immigrant resolution
From: feeds.stateline.org
"CAMBRIDGE, Mass.—Cambridge city councilors are scheduled to vote on a resolution calling for passage of federal legislation that would give illegal immigrant students a path to citizenship if they join the military or finish college.
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MI: How abortion upstaged jobs in governor's race
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Remember way back in July, when everybody in both major parties agreed that Tuesday's gubernatorial primary was going to be all about jobs, jobs, jobs? Well, scratch that.
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MI: Group says Mike Cox used out-of-context clip of Pete Hoekstra speaking at their event
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Michigan Home Builders Association is jumping into the heated fray between two leading Republican gubernatorial candidates.
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MI: Verdict still out on Michigan's filmmaker tax breaks
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Michigan needs at least three more years of its nation-leading tax breaks for film, television and other digital media production to determine whether the business generated by the incentives offsets the costs, the author of new report on the $57 billion U.S. film production industry said Friday.
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MI: White House warned Enbridge of safety issues
From: feeds.stateline.org
"WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration said today that it repeatedly warned Enbridge Energy Partners about safety issues along its Lakehead pipeline system, even calling company officials to Washington earlier this year for a meeting on what it deemed "a series of major failures."
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MS: State revenues $6.7M above July projections
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The state closed the first month of the 2011 fiscal year $6.7 million over projections - making July only the second month in nearly two years that tax collections met or exceeded expectations.
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MS: Seeping oil threatens marshes' intricate ecosystem
From: feeds.stateline.org
"WAVELAND, Miss. -- At least a dozen tiny crabs scurried along the sandy bottom of Jackson Marsh here, just inches beneath a streak of oily sheen racing back into a crude-soaked Gulf with the tide. It's a scene that angered Mayor Tommy Longo, who witnessed devastation of a different kind when Hurricane Katrina leveled his city five years ago.
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MT: Permit activity shows Montana oil back in play
From: feeds.stateline.org
"After a major slowdown, oil permits filed with the state of Montana are on the rise again.
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NC: NC tax holiday costly for state; retailers love it
From: feeds.stateline.org
"North Carolina will lose millions in revenue next weekend when it suspends the sales tax on certain items for back-to-school goods.
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NC: Tax-holiday weekend still on despite budget deficit
From: feeds.stateline.org
"North Carolina will lose millions in revenue next weekend when it suspends the sales tax on certain items for back-to-school goods, but retailers say the event is like Christmas in August.
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ND: More more more -- State hopes to assess oil boom needs
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Not long ago, a good number for new workers needed every year in the oil patch was 1,200.
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NH: Rhode Island looks to lure digital media companies with 38 Studios deal
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Rhode Island taxpayers placed a huge bet last week that a big-name athlete can win on a new playing field and reinvigorate Rhode Island's fading economy.
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NH: NH volunteer food co-op showing signs of trouble
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A volunteer-based food cooperative in New Hampshire is showing signs of trouble, and may no longer be running.
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NH: Utility health safeguards standard
From: feeds.stateline.org
"New Hampshire regulators say protections against shutting off electricity to customers with medical conditions are similar to protections offered in other states - and in some cases greater.
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NH: After 378 years, N.H. family farm goes on market
From: feeds.stateline.org
"DOVER, N.H. -- In 1632, John Tuttle arrived from England to a settlement near the Maine-New Hampshire border, using a small land grant from King Charles I to start a farm.
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NJ: Fans at the Meadowlands baffled by a state plan
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Yes, it was his 52nd birthday, and he had just won $102.50 on Elusive Desire in the third race on Friday, so it figured that Bill Robol would be in a good mood. But aside from all that, he wondered, on a clear night, the Manhattan skyline twinkling in the distance beyond the merry monstrosity that is the stalled Xanadu project, what could be better than a summer night at the Meadowlands Racetrack?
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NM: NM permanent funds suffer losses as markets slump
From: feeds.stateline.org
"New Mexico's endowment funds dropped in value during the last quarter as stock markets declined around the globe.
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NV: Nevada gaming companies see potential flush online
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The race for Internet gambling riches may have turned in favor of Nevada-based casino operators that own some of the best-known brands in the business.
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NV: Nevadans favor gambling, mining tax hikes
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Most Nevadans support raising gambling and mining taxes to avoid cuts to state programs and public employee layoffs, according to a statewide poll released Saturday.
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NY: Mayor creates post to aid in pension oversight
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Frustrated with the city's spiraling pension costs, Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Monday will announce the appointment of the city's first chief investment adviser.
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NY: Were state audits faked?
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A federal grand jury is continuing to examine allegations that state Health Department managers may have conspired with the Research Foundation for the state University of New York to manipulate audits of New York's $22 billion a year Medicaid program.
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NY: 277 win early exit
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. David Paterson's early retirement incentive for state employees took a step forward Friday, with the state Budget Division giving the green light to the first batch of 277 participants.
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OH: State awards $3.5 million grant to MidTown Tech Park in Cleveland
From: feeds.stateline.org
"CLEVELAND -- The state awarded a $3.5 million grant today for an office, laboratory and research building in the Midtown neighborhood, where a developer says he has several interested tenants and is ready to start construction "as soon as possible."
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OH: Northeast Ohio gaining high-tech jobs, but not as fast as rest of state, nation
From: feeds.stateline.org
"CLEVELAND -- Northeast Ohio saw the number of jobs in high-tech industries rise in 2008, a sign that the desired change from a brawny economy to a brainy one continues, high-tech advocates say.
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OH: Record outbreak of toxic algae feared for Lake Erie after hot summer
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Western Lake Erie could be on the verge of one of its worst algae outbreaks in years.
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OH: Stimulus work overseas irks Strickland
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. Ted Strickland said he's disappointed that federal stimulus money went to a company that outsourced work to an overseas call center, and he pledged better oversight of future contracts.
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OH: Gambling law worries bingo operators
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Some small bingo-hall operators are worried that a new gambling law that aims to boost payouts could cripple their efforts to raise money for charities.
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OH: State picks course of action to clean lake
From: feeds.stateline.org
"CELINA, Ohio -- A plan to clean the toxic algae choking Grand Lake St. Marys calls for dumping chemicals in the polluted water and placing new restrictions on area farms.
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OR: In era of budget cuts, tracking poses a challenge
From: feeds.stateline.org
"It's a contradiction. The public demands better accounting for how government agencies carry out their tasks and spend money in a budget-conscious era.
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OR: Unions step up to help people facing foreclosures
From: feeds.stateline.org
"One of the more interesting aspects of covering state employees' unions is watching their forays into political causes not always directly linked to their main mission.
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OR: Parks, prison measures test voter mood on state spending
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Few people fawn over Oregon state parks more than Gov. Ted Kulongoski, an avid hiker who spearheaded the biggest expansion of the parks system in decades.
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OR: Turbines too loud? Here, take $5,000
From: feeds.stateline.org
"IONE, Ore. — Residents of the remote high-desert hills near here have had an unusual visitor recently, a fixer working out the kinks in clean energy.
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PA: Casinos pay off for state, but gamblers with addictions must remain priority
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Patriot-News Editorial Board for years urged Pennsylvania not to enter the world of legalized gambling. In fact, we opposed the state's original gaming bill, passed in 2004, that authorized 14 slots parlors, one of which is now Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course in Grantville.
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PA: Pa. tries vino vending machines
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Shoppers have long used vending machines to buy products from chewing gum to DVDs, and in Pennsylvania, they can add wine to that list — as long as they are willing to take a breath test.
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PA: Gov. Ed Rendell's idea to use highway cameras to identify uninsured drivers draws criticism
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Driving without auto insurance? Gov. Ed Rendell wants to use highway cameras to find you. But the idea is drawing criticism from civil liberties activists and insurance industry officials.
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PA: Marcellus shale gas boom may harm state without regulation
From: feeds.stateline.org
"It's not an exaggeration to suggest that the lure of the Marcellus Shale has set off a Pennsylvania gas rush analogous to the California Gold Rush, the Texas oil boom and the discovery of oil on Alaska's North Slope.
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PA: Former Gov. Tom Ridge to promote benefits of natural gas drilling in Pennsylvania
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Former Gov. Tom Ridge has been tapped to serve as a strategic adviser to the Marcellus Shale Coalition, an organization of natural gas companies and affiliated groups. In that role, he will help that industry tout the positive aspects of expanding natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale reservoir.
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PA: State Public Utility Commission approves 272 area code for northeast Pennsylvania
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Northeastern Pennsylvania is getting a new area code: 272. The state Public Utility Commission announced Friday that the new designation will be used after available phone numbers in the 570 area code have been exhausted.
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RI: Economic woes taking a toll on state's youngest
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Laws requiring helmets for bicycle riders are helping. So are restrictions on new teenage drivers. But a lousy economy and the instability it injects into families' lives have an effect on the well-being of children as well, according to leaders of Rhode Island Kids Count, a children's advocacy organization.
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RI: Rhode Island looks to lure digital media companies with 38 Studios deal
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Rhode Island taxpayers placed a huge bet last week that a big-name athlete can win on a new playing field and reinvigorate Rhode Island's fading economy."
RI: Missouri, newest fast-attack sub, commissioned
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Rhode Island runs deep in the Missouri. Not only does the 134-man crew include Holmes, but some 5,000 workers at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Middletown, R.I., designed and tested many of the systems onboard, and 3,000 Rhode Islanders were among 10,000 at General Dynamics Electric Boat that helped build the submarine.
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SC: Haley, Sheheen offer little comment on tax change proposals
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Some legislators believe any chance for adoption of recommendations from a tax-reform panel rests in part on who will be...
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SD: 1,200 small S.D. nonprofits risk IRS status
From: feeds.stateline.org
"More than 1,200 nonprofit organizations in South Dakota could be out of business in October because they've failed to file documentation with the Internal Revenue Service.
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US: Sales tax holidays spread to 18 states
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Despite state budget troubles, more states than ever are embracing sales tax holidays, which aim to please back-to-school shoppers even as they draw criticism from economists.
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US: Stressed states are forcing workers to retire later
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Lawmakers in at least 10 states have voted this year to require many new government employees to work longer before retiring with a full pension, or have increased penalties for early retirement.
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VA: Jeff Schapiro -- Liquor shakes, stirs Virginia politics
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Seventy-six years ago, Virginia got into the liquor business because it was good politics. It assuaged a growing, thirsty population, and brought good cheer to a rapacious state treasury.
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VA: Taxpayers paid to build this railway. It has yet to see a train.
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Seven months after it was completed, the 4.5-mile line remains idle as its operator and state agencies sort out a tangle of contractual issues and the closure of the line it will replace.
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VT: Stimulus to increase rural broadband may not be enough
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Residents of Randolph may love the coffee at the Three Bean Cafe, but it's the broadband access that keeps them coming. Owner Rex Bence says the cafe is one of only three places in town with high-speed Internet access
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WI: Wisconsin State Fair reports $3.2 million surplus
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The State Fair begins its 11-day run Thursday, and its top managers are feeling good about the fair's bottom line.
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WI: Garbage dumped in landfills fell 15% in 2009
From: feeds.stateline.org
"In another sign of how the economy is affecting Wisconsin, new figures show that considerably less garbage was dumped into landfills in 2009.
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WI: Wisconsin slips a notch, but avoids top 10 'tax hells'
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Newly released U.S. census figures show that Wisconsin, often derided by its own residents as a "tax hell," stayed out of the top 10 highest tax states for the third consecutive year in 2008, the year of the latest available data.
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WI: Report calls for overhaul of state Department of Commerce
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Wisconsin, a perennial laggard in income and tax rankings, is overdue for a top-to-bottom overhaul of its state Department of Commerce, an agency that's too unfocused and antiquated to act as a much-needed economic catalyst, according to a new report.
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WV: Energy efficient rebate, tax credit overlap
From: feeds.stateline.org
"West Virginia residents will be able to maximize savings on purchases of energy efficient appliances this fall, when two state-funded discount programs are set to overlap.
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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.
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and planning with investments and insurance choices.
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increase wealth accumulation and retention.
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Individualized accounting system setup for new businesses.
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