States weigh bans on plastic grocery bags
From: feeds.stateline.org
"As California debates enacting the first statewide plastic bag ban, an environmental issue that started in city halls is taking a turn toward the statehouse. Grocers who opposed the movement against plastic bags now say they’d rather have one state law than a patchwork of local ordinances.
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AL: Sales tax holiday spending -- either the same or better than last year
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Just how well merchants fared during this year's sales tax holiday weekend probably won't be known for more than a month, an official with the state's retail association said today.
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AL: Alabama tax load is U.S.'s second least
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Alabama's residents and businesses paid less in taxes than did people and businesses in every other state, except South Carolina, in the 2008 fiscal year, according to a review of U.S. Census Bureau reports.
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AR: House vote expected on state-aid bill; Ark education funding uncertain
From: feeds.stateline.org
"State officials are in limbo over the prospect of receiving millions of additional federal education dollars because they're not sure how a rarity like Arkansas — a state operating in the black — could use the money.
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AZ: Legislature takes aim at union organizing
From: feeds.stateline.org
"State lawmakers return to the Capitol today in hopes of quickly approving a ballot measure aimed at the ability of unions to organize.
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AZ: Arizona real estate -- East Valley housing more affordable
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Amid the worst home-building slump in more than two decades, location has once again become the most important factor for metropolitan Phoenix's new-home buyers.
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AZ: With new immigration law and Arizona's slow economy, laborers see work drying up
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Just a few years ago, when the economy was booming, the area around the Home Depot on Thomas Road and 36th Street in east Phoenix was packed with a couple of hundred men congregating on sidewalks and street corners soliciting work as day laborers.
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AZ: In illegal immigration debate, to hire or not?
From: feeds.stateline.org
"In Arizona, the immigration debate is taking place in the very homes where illegal workers make a living. Everyday families who hire undocumented workers to trim trees or paint walls are now deciding whether to keep breaking the law -- or to stop paying these workers under the table.
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CA: Brown beefs up jobs plan
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown today released a beefed up jobs plan, expanding on an existing, clean energy jobs plan that was widely panned for its lack of detail.
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CO: Job losses haven't panned out, despite over eliminating Colo. tax breaks
From: feeds.stateline.org
"As Colorado lawmakers considered eliminating a slew of tax breaks during the 2010 legislative session to help balance the state budget, businesses warned of job losses that would come as a result.
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CT: State's Agricultural Experiment Station marks century of cultivating research
From: feeds.stateline.org
"HAMDEN, Conn. -- The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station on Wednesday observed its 100th annual Plant Science Day, an annual celebration of scientific discovery and agriculture.
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CT: Conn. tries for more high-speed rail funds
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The state on Friday applied for $220 million from the Federal Rail Administration to develop the New Haven-Springfield, Mass., high-speed commuter rail line, according to a statement from the governor's office.
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CT: Foley says pro-business policies will help bring back jobs
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Tom Foley is putting a lot of stock in the right attitude and a rosy economic forecast.
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DE: More children homeless in Delaware
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Chandler was among the 3,144 children -- one in 40 public school students -- in Delaware last school year -- who were counted as homeless, nearly double the figure reported four years ago. These children share bedrooms with extended family, check in to cheap motels, and sleep in cars or shelters. Some are with their parents. Others go it alone.
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DE: DMV adds staff at all four state locations
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Delaware DMV officials say the nightmarish lines that began forming earlier this summer could be thinning out, as the division begins to address staffing shortages and issues with the new Secure IDs.
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FL: Tampa Bay home values slow slide
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Tampa Bay's home values rose month-to-month for the first time in four years as an upswing in the Clearwater market overcame continued declines elsewhere, according to an analysis being released today by housing tracker Zillow.com.
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FL: Cloudy times for Florida's solar energy future
From: feeds.stateline.org
"In a remote field awash with 90,000 solar panels, President Barack Obama praised the launch last year of the country's largest solar plant in secluded Arcadia as a watershed moment for Florida's emerging green economy. Roughly 10 months later, Florida's time in the sun has darkened, with a smattering of renewable energy programs in place and other projects stalled.
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FL: Jobless for two years, and help running out
From: feeds.stateline.org
"There's a new club no one wants to join. It's the 99ers — people who have exhausted their 99 weeks of unemployment benefits and still haven't found gainful employment. Long-term unemployment over 26 weeks is now at the highest level since 1948 — the year the data started to be collected. And this unfortunate club is growing. In response, America's safety net needs to be stronger.
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FL: Path cleared for final phase
From: feeds.stateline.org
"BP announced Sunday that cement sealing the busted oil well in the Gulf of Mexico had hardened, clearing the path for the final phase of drilling a relief well. Meanwhile, Obama administration officials promised Sunday to remain focused on the Gulf Coast -- punishing BP for the worst oil spill in U.S. history, and cleaning up what remains of the mess.
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FL: What's next for the economy?
From: feeds.stateline.org
"While predictions of a second recession remain the exception, economic momentum seems to have faltered and pessimistic forecasts are on the rise.
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GA: Georgia's tax revenue grows in July
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Peach State began fiscal 2011 with a 4.7 percent gain in tax revenue.
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IA: Fight for caucuses never done
From: feeds.stateline.org
"KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucuses now have something they've never had before: A protected berth in the rules of the Republican National Committee.
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IA: Democrats expect vote to be smooth on Iowa caucuses
From: feeds.stateline.org
"KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Democratic National Committee is expected to have an even easier time passing rules for the 2012 presidential nominating schedule this month than Republicans did in Kansas City on Friday.
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IA: Iowa homebuilding took beating, but now poised for comeback
From: feeds.stateline.org
"J.P. Singh and his family looked at 40 new homes and failed to find exactly what they want. So Singh decided to build the home in which he and his wife, Gita, plan to spend most of their lives.
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IA: Republicans affirm Feb. 6 Iowa caucuses
From: feeds.stateline.org
"KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Republican National Committee agreed Friday to keep the Iowa caucuses as the leadoff presidential nominating contest in 2012, but start the sequence later in the year and spread the remaining contests over a two-month period.
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ID: Molina to make extra $55 million payment
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Medicaid billing company Molina Healthcare must pay $55 million to Idaho Medicaid providers to smooth out financial troubles caused by sporadic payments from the company, according to a release from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.
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IL: Iowa, Ill. file jointly for high-speed rail money
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. Chet Culver has announced the Iowa and Illinois Departments of Transportation have submitted a joint application for funding to help pay for new and enhanced high-speed passenger rail between Chicago and Iowa City.
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IL: Ravenswood Bank fails, Wintrust unit is the buyer
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Ravenswood Bank on Friday became the 23rd Chicago-area bank to fail since the financial crisis began claiming local banks at the start of 2009.
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IL: Officials -- Transportation hub will help economy
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Local, state and federal officials touted the economic benefits of the uptown transportation center before turning the first ceremonial shovel of dirt near the site Saturday.
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IL: Quinn touts sales tax holiday in Marion
From: feeds.stateline.org
"MARION, Ill. -- Shoppers may talk to a salesperson or two at stores, but shoppers at Fred's Hometown Discount Store on Saturday got a visit from Gov. Pat Quinn.
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IL: Taking care of bridges is pricey
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Repairing or replacing more than 600 Southern Illinois bridges eligible for federal funding support carries a price tag of nearly $2 billion.
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IL: SIUC receives more than $1M to help solve Asian carp problem
From: feeds.stateline.org
"CARBONDALE, Ill. -- State officials are giving Southern Illinois University Carbondale $1.1 million to figure out how to turn the blight of Asian carp into something beneficial.
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IL: No change yet for furlough order despite hopes for federal funding
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. Pat Quinn's order requiring 2,700 non-union state workers to take 24 unpaid days off still stands, despite a major step Congress took this week to prevent much of the federal funding shortfall cited by Quinn when the furloughs were announced.
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IL: Timetable for video gaming payouts in Illinois remains unclear
From: feeds.stateline.org
"More than a year after the Illinois General Assembly decided to legalize payouts on video gaming machines and collect revenue for construction projects, the system still is not operating.
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IL: State regulators want authority over insurance hikes
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Illinois regulators will ask lawmakers for the authority to approve or deny health insurance rate increases, saying residents need protection from skyrocketing costs that aren't justified.
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IL: Sales boost seen from tax holiday
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Mary Moritz came ready with a neatly typed list of third-grade school supplies on the first day of Illinois' state sales tax holiday Friday.
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IL: If sales tax holiday works, Brady says he'd consider permanent sales tax cut
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Brady said Friday that if Illinois' current sales-tax holiday on school-related items boosts business, he'd consider trying to lower the state's sales tax permanently.
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IL: Quinn defends sales tax holiday
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. Pat Quinn today defended his push for a back-to-school sales tax holiday despite the cost to a state government that's badly in the red.
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IL: CPS to use reserve funds to balance budget
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Schools chief Ron Huberman said that completely drawing down the $190 million reserve to balance the budget is necessary because the state still owes the district $236 million from last fiscal year.
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IL: Sales tax break leads to a few shopping adventures
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Michelle Francis hadn't planned to buy anything for herself while shopping Friday on Michigan Avenue.
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IL: State looking into ex-Bellwood administrator's $252,689-a-year pension
From: feeds.stateline.org
"State pension officials are re-examining the retirement of a west suburban village administrator who the Chicago Tribune revealed was paid $472,255 last year under 10 different job titles, spiking his pension by tens of thousands of dollars.
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IL: Lack of jobs leave many teachers wondering about future
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Illinois' budget woes threw schools into a firing frenzy last spring, and many educators remain in layoff limbo.
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IN: Daniels wary of overstimulated campaign
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Educators and state budget officials will watch closely next week when the U.S. House of Representatives considers a bill sent over by the Senate that would inject $26 billion into state budgets in an attempt to stop teacher layoffs and add some fiscal flexibility.
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IN: Daniels -- Stimulus should focus on companies, not states
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels said he opposes more stimulus such as aid to states to keep teachers hired and to expand credit to small business, while favoring incentives to revive private hiring and investment.
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IN: State warns against 'foreclosure rescues'
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Despite a two-year crackdown by his office, the state attorney general said for-profit foreclosure consultants are still ripping off Indiana homeowners by promising mortgage foreclosure relief but not providing it.
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KS: Kansas farmers cashing in on global grain shortage
From: feeds.stateline.org
"HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Fears of a global shortage for grains like wheat are a boon for the Kansas farmer, who could reap the benefits of a nearly $3 jump in prices since the middle of harvest.
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KS: State approves $27M in bonds for Bombardier
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. Mark Parkinson and legislative leaders have approved $27 million in bonds to help Bombardier Learjet expand production facilities in Wichita.
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KY: Medicaid cuts -- Can Kentucky limit the pain?
From: feeds.stateline.org
"State lawmakers trying to cut Medicaid costs might consider Morgan Drugs in Bedford, Trimble County's only pharmacy.
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KY: State looking for golf course operators
From: feeds.stateline.org
"State officials are looking for private operators to run 18 golf courses located at Kentucky State Parks.
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LA: Many teachers still seek work as classes begin amid cutbacks
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Just a few years ago, teaching jobs were widely available, especially in chronic shortage areas, such as the sciences and special education. But declining local tax collections and cuts in state and federal school aid have prompted school districts to trim positions, or add few, if any, new jobs.
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LA: Thad Allen gives mixed grade to BP for blowout response
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen today gave BP a mixed grade for how it handled the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
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LA: Convincing public that Gulf of Mexico seafood is safe will take time, experts say
From: feeds.stateline.org
"As the monumental subsea engineering challenges of the BP oil spill finally subside, the challenges for the Gulf of Mexico seafood industry are only just beginning.
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MA: Patrick signs bill to help borrowers
From: feeds.stateline.org
"BROCKTON, Mass. — In a city especially hit hard by the economic downturn, Governor Deval Patrick signed into law yesterday a bill aimed at staving off foreclosures across the Commonwealth.
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MA: Casino bill not totally off table
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Though the odds remain long, casino gambling and slots at the state's race tracks might not be a losing bet after all as lawmakers could get another spin at the wheel, thanks to a federal cash windfall.
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MA: DeLeo hails Winthrop-Boston ferry, but stays ashore
From: feeds.stateline.org
"House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo helped christen a big victory for his Winthrop district last week: ferry service to Boston. But do not expect to see the landlubber striding across a foggy deck greeting voters on his way to work at the State House.
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MA: Medical response law draws criticism
From: feeds.stateline.org
"State lawmakers have quietly passed a new law that allows municipalities and private ambulance companies to cut by half the number of paramedics who serve in advanced life support ambulances.
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MD: Western Maryland hit harder by recession
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Two well-paying blue-collar employers in Washington County are shuttering their businesses, adding to the woes of this Western Maryland county that already has a jobless rate among the highest in the state.
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MD: With alcohol and ice cream, employers embrace perks over raises
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Planit's sleek orange floors in the lobby lead to a sweeping view of Baltimore's Inner Harbor. The trendy-looking bar table in front of a gigantic refrigerator is filled with beer, wine, energy drinks and other beverages. A few short steps deeper into the 15,000-foot-space reveals colorful art, funky chairs, a slew of gumball machines filled with a mix of candies, a pool table, a couple of guitars and a ukulele.
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MD: Later last call is not for all
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Last call for alcohol in many downtown establishments can now be extended two hours, but whether your bartender will pour you another late-night drink depends on the venue, according to a survey conducted by The Capital.
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MD: Maryland kicks off tax-free week
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Shoppers laden with bags of summer sale items and school clothes for children trundled out of the Gallery at Harborplace Sunday after taking advantage of first day of the state's tax-free week.
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MD: Balto. Co. sees rise in homeless families
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Elizabeth Newton wakes up 5 a.m. each day to prepare breakfast for her family and more than 150 other homeless residents at the Baltimore County East Side Shelter.
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ME: More cutbacks coming with school start
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A summer camp run by the Augusta Boys and Girls Club offered four weeks of programming to city students this summer -- less than the seven weeks it originally planned.
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ME: Gov. Baldacci sees good signs for Maine economy
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. John Baldacci says a string of business expansions in Maine bodes well for the state's economy.
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MI: Group aims to boost Michigan's economic recovery
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A newly formed national philanthropy wants to help Michigan rebound from its economic troubles by drawing on the resources, talents and ideas of people around the world with ties to the state.
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MI: How corn may be helping Michigan keep its cool
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Grand Rapids hasn't seen the thermometer break 100 degrees since 1988. Some climatologists say the reason is corn.
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MI: Michiganians struggle with loss of state fair
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Michigan State Fair, the first of its kind in the United States, now has a more dubious distinction -- the first to go out of business.
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MI: Granholm on jobs -- 'There is progress'
From: feeds.stateline.org
"WASHINGTON -- Gov. Jennifer Granholm squared off against Gov. Bob McDonnell, R-Va., debating the economy, same-sex marriage and health care this morning.
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MI: Michigan up for $600M in aid
From: feeds.stateline.org
"WASHINGTON -- Michigan is in line to get more than $600 million in school and Medicaid funding under a bill going to a vote before the U.S. House on Tuesday.
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MI: Federal aid helps, but it doesn't fix budget
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Even if extra federal money for schools and health care for low-income residents comes through as expected, Michigan leaders have a lot of work ahead to balance the state budget.
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MI: New head of Michigan Film Office learns on the job
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Carrie Jones, the new head of the Michigan Film Office, says she has some big shoes to fill.
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MO: Missouri crews finishing nation's first stimulus project
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Missouri crews are finishing work on the nation's first construction project to be funded by the federal stimulus package.
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MT: New wind farm deal could be model for industry
From: feeds.stateline.org
"State and company officials say a deal to pay for a big, new wind farm with money from a utility could serve as a model to spur growth in the renewable energy industry – as long as Congress keeps incentives in place.
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NE: Nebraska 6th on list of pro-business states
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A national corporate real estate firm has ranked Nebraska sixth highest on a list of pro-business states.
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NH: Smoke dings -- The Lynch Disadvantage
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Well, Gov. John Lynch has finally done it. He has raised New Hampshire's cigarette taxes so high that they are harming businesses.
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NJ: Casino executive urges N.J. legislators not to permit gambling beyond Atlantic City
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Legislative Democratic leaders said the first meeting of the gaming summit held Friday in Atlantic City demonstrated the need to go beyond Gov. Chris Christie's gaming commission report to develop what they describe as a comprehensive plan for the future of New Jersey's gaming, sports and entertainment industries.
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NJ: N.J. lawmakers hear testimony on Christie-endorsed plan to take over casinos, horseracing
From: feeds.stateline.org
"ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — A state panel of Democratic legislators started taking testimony this morning about a controversial recommendation, endorsed by Republican Gov. Chris Christie, to take over the gaming and entertainment district of Atlantic City and eliminate live horseracing in New Jersey.
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NJ: Xanadu on a roll with court victory involving liquor license
From: feeds.stateline.org
"In another bit of good news for the long-delayed Xanadu project in the Meadowlands, a state appellate court has ruled one of its tenants properly got a state liquor license.
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NJ: N.J. golf courses see 10.7 percent rise in business, bucking national decline
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Golf in New Jersey is making a comeback. After three years of recession-fueled declines and miserable weather in 2009, the industry is on the upswing across most of the state, according to the National Golf Foundation.
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NM: Government restructuring targets New Mexico Division of Insurance
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A group tasked with brainstorming how to restructure New Mexico state government could recommend removing the Division of Insurance out from under the Public Regulation Commission (PRC), a move touted as a way to increase efficiency.
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NM: Supersized power hub in southeastern N.M. to link 3 major U.S. grids
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Phil Harris is masterminding an electricity superhighway — a facility near Clovis that will connect the nation's three main power grids for the first time. The Tres Amigas Superstation will link the Western Interconnection, Eastern Interconnection and Texas Interconnection at a point in southeastern New Mexico.
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NV: Rebate program still has money
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Nevadans can still take advantage of an appliance rebate program. The state energy office says the program funded by federal stimulus money still has $1.2 million in funds. That's a little less than half of Nevada's total allotment.
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NY: Rent-to-own law worries consumer advocates
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Imagine a special retail business where management can legally mark up their prices on consumer goods by almost 500 percent, and people still readily shop there for big-screen TV's.
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NY: Popular tax cap faces Assembly, labor hurdles
From: feeds.stateline.org
"When Gov. David Paterson talks about the need for a property tax cap in New York, he has people like Jim Burkhart in mind. "That's why I moved out of New York," said the former Saugerties resident. "Between the property taxes and taxes on my income, I couldn't afford to live there anymore."
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NY: Local pain from state's sickness
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The pain of the state's money woes will hit home in coming months, as local governments cope with aid cutbacks, retailers see spending reductions and landlords lose state tenants as offices are consolidated.
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NY: Proposal would damage economy
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Recently the state Department of Environmental Conservation released a proposed policy to reduce fish and fish egg mortality at power plants and facilities that use water from lakes and rivers for cooling. If adopted, the policy will severely damage our state's economy, electric reliability and even the environment.
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OH: Will the candidates please unveil their plans for a prosperous Ohio?
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Ohio's economy is broken -- not irreparably, but badly.
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OH: State fiscal control made Springfield staff tense, cautious
From: feeds.stateline.org
"SPRINGFIELD, Ohio -- During the four years Springfield City Schools was under state financial control, Human Resources Director Wendy Ford used her vacation days a day at a time, never taking a full week away from the office.
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OH: State should regulate day cares with 6 or less kid, says group
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Home child care businesses in Ohio with six or fewer children have come under scrutiny from a prominent child care advocacy group citing a lack of state regulation.
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OH: Ohio public retirement systems refuse to release records to newspapers analyzing benefits and possible abuses
From: feeds.stateline.org
"CLEVELAND -- The state's public employee retirement systems have refused to disclose details of contributions and benefits of their 400,000 recipients, even as two of the funds seek millions in taxpayer money to stay afloat.
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OH: ODOT vendor pleads guilty to attempted tampering, bribery
From: feeds.stateline.org
"CLEVELAND -- A vendor for the Ohio Department of Transportation pleaded guilty Friday in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court to one count of bribery and three counts of attempted tampering with records.
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OH: Strickland -- No Ohio outsourcing
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. Ted Strickland issued an executive order yesterday banning the outsourcing of services paid for with state dollars.
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OH: Governor bans outsourcing of state-funded services
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. Ted Strickland issued an executive order today banning the outsourcing of services paid for with state dollars.
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OH: State's tax burden uncertain
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Former U.S. Rep. John Kasich stood before a group of economic-development and transportation officials last week and complained that Ohio is losing its young people, entrepreneurs and businesses to other states.
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OR: On the I-5 bridge, a wake-up and a call for a shake-up
From: feeds.stateline.org
"We badly need a new Interstate 5 bridge connecting Portland to Vancouver. But here's a warning: It has to be big -- bigger than many Oregonians have previously understood.
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OR: Federal biologists say that cutting hatchery production could help protect wild salmon
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Federal biologists on Friday sent their strongest signal to date that the Columbia River Basin's immense hatchery production -- and the lucrative fishing opportunities that result from it -- could be reduced to better protect wild salmon and steelhead runs.
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PA: Farmers blast Indiana over I-69 land acquisitions
From: feeds.stateline.org
"HAUBSTADT, Ind. -- Southwestern Indiana farmers in the path of an interstate expansion say they are frustrated by the state's handling of buyouts of their properties, complaining that the prices being offered are too low and the acquisitions will chop up their land.
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PA: Rendell urges fee increases, higher gas tax to raise fund
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Driving to Downtown Pittsburgh to hear Gov. Ed Rendell speak about transportation funding, state Rep. Paul Costa noted that gasoline prices varied by as much as 15 cents a gallon at the stations he passed.
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PA: Tom Ridge's integrity at stake in gas industry role
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Former Gov. Tom Ridge once again is taking on a high-profile role in Pennsylvania. This time it's not representing voters but the natural gas industry.
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PA: Pennsylvania DEP head fires back at New York lawmakers critical of Marcellus Shale drilling
From: feeds.stateline.org
"SCRANTON, Pa. — Pennsylvania's top-ranking environmental official suggests New York could stop buying natural gas produced in the Keystone State if its legislators are so concerned about the environmental consequences.
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PA: Marcellus Shale plan would OK extraction without leases
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The natural gas industry is asking legislators to allow them to take gas from Marcellus Shale under certain properties without a lease and against the owner's wishes when the owner has neighbors who've agreed to drilling.
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RI: Forfeiture statute aids R.I. agencies, police in War on Drugs
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Over the years experts have disagreed about the strategy and tactics of the nation's war on drugs, but at least two things are clear. The forfeiture of drug dealers' assets, a major tactic that was adopted in controversy, is an entrenched practice. And in Rhode Island it provides a bounty for law enforcement and for substance abuse treatment programs.
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RI: R.I. student loan outlets feel sting of federal intervention
From: feeds.stateline.org
"On July 1, the U.S. Department of Education became a direct lender to college students, forcing change and uncertainty on two nonprofit agencies in Rhode Island that had been making loans and guaranteeing them on the federal government's behalf.
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RI: R.I.'s hospitals rate well in national statistics
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A review of the latest federal statistics reveals that Rhode Island's 11 acute-care hospitals appear to stack up well against hospitals across the country, offering care that typically bests national averages.
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SC: Grant will help School for Deaf and Blind
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind will use a $10,000 gift from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation to purchase new ...
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SC: GOP lawmakers ridicule SRS jobs
From: feeds.stateline.org
"WASHINGTON — Prominent Republican lawmakers say the 10,000 jobs created by federal economic-stimulus money at South Carolina's Savannah River Site and other nuclear complexes are wasteful, costing taxpayers more than $194,000 a job.
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TN: Medicare to pay dialysis clinics for quality
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Dialysis centers are about to get hit with financial penalties — up to 2 percent of their reimbursements — if they fail to reach certain quality benchmarks, starting in 2012, according to a recently completed federal proposal.
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TX: State wooing firms to sign up for 2010 Qatar trade show
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. Rick Perry's Economic Development & Tourism Office has become a sponsor of the 2010 Made in USA Qatar trade show and is seeking Texas companies to participate in the Oct. 12-15 event in Doha, Qatar.
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TX: Doctors and hospitals team up for payment reform
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Across Texas, hospital systems are scooping up physician groups and solo practitioners, scrambling to create the kinds of coordinated medical teams that federal health care reform puts a premium on.
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US: Cash-hungry states add casinos, lure same gamblers
From: feeds.stateline.org
"ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Cash-starved states are increasingly being drawn to the lure of easy money in casinos--a bet that could ultimately hurt taxpayers if the supply of slot machines, poker tables and racetracks outpaces customers' demand.
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US: Gray wolf back on protect list in Mont. and Idaho, to ranchers and hunters ire
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The gray wolf will be protected again in Montana and Idaho, much to the ire of ranchers and hunters who say the animals kill too much livestock and game.
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US: Battle over medical insurance premiums moves to states
From: feeds.stateline.org
"WASHINGTON -- As Americans struggle with double-digit hikes in their health insurance bills, millions are coming up against a hard reality: The state regulators that are supposed to protect them can often do little to control what insurers are charging.
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UT: Resale shops are thriving, looking to expand in Utah market
From: feeds.stateline.org
"When 6-year-old sports enthusiast Dax Hilton needed a baseball bat, there was no doubt in dad Jeremy Hilton's mind where they would get one.
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VA: Virginia's Medicaid cuts lack vision, say optometrists
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Virginia optometrists say a new budget measure barring them from Medicaid reimbursement limits eye-care access for the poor, harms their practices and generally is an affront to the profession. They also say it goes against federal law, and they want Gov. Bob McDonnell to reverse the decision.
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VA: Police concerned over privatizing liquor stores
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Ashland, Va. -- Ashland is a college town with one state-owned store for selling liquor. Police Chief Douglas A. Goodman Jr. knows that probably would change if the Virginia General Assembly agrees to Gov. Bob McDonnell's proposal to give up the state's 76-year-old monopoly on the liquor business.
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VT: Chittenden County's employment, pay are among the nation's best
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Life isn't so bad in Chittenden County, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. As far as paychecks go, we're doing pretty well.
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VT: Late blight makes return appearance
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Late blight has reappeared in the state in recent days, but the problem is not widespread. The pathogen easily spreads in the wind from garden to garden, and farm to farm, potentially wiping out much of the state's potato and tomato plants. Late blight is the same fungus that led to the Irish potato famine 150 years ago. It destroyed much of the tomato and potato crops in Vermont and other states last summer.
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VT: Some Vermont teacher contract talks stumble on issue of annual step raises
From: feeds.stateline.org
"As the recession drags on, some Vermont school boards are trying to eliminate the automatic annual "step" raises that for years have been standard in teacher union contracts and typically continue even when a contract expires.
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VT: Stimulus money moves Vermont roads miles ahead
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A double-shot of federal stimulus money to repair the state's highways and bridges — to the tune of $143 million — has fueled what is probably the most visible evidence that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 is directly affecting Vermont.
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WA: Everybody wants to drive on I-5 bridge
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A replacement for the Interstate 5 Bridge has undergone more than a decade of discussion, a fresh independent review and, over the past few months, a frenzy of refinements from planners on both sides of the Columbia River.
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WA: Murray action patches budget for now
From: feeds.stateline.org
"For weeks, the prospects for another special session in Washington state to deal with a budget crisis revolved around an acronym that became a four-letter word: FMAP.
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WI: Job one -- Focus on growing the economy
From: feeds.stateline.org
"State government's efforts to stimulate economic growth "have largely been a scattered broadcast of ideas and hopes instead of a well-rooted strategy for change."
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WI: Teachers' pay, benefits take hit
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Statewide increases in teacher compensation contracts are on track to be the lowest in more than a decade following last year's changes in state school district financing.
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WI: Debate reveals few differences
From: feeds.stateline.org
"WEST ALLIS -- Walker and Neumann generally agree on economic issues, but sparks fly on tax proposal.
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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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Preparation of business and individual tax returns and financial
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creation and tracking of events.
Assistance in selection and installation of computer hardware and
software, ongoing monitoring and updating of systems.
