Pension fund investments are up, but gaps persist
From: feeds.stateline.org
"State retirement plans earned a median 13 percent return for the budget year that just ended. But the financial challenges facing public plans are anything but over.
"
AK: Choosing status quo won't fill up the pipeline
From: feeds.stateline.org
"With an economic monster scuttling around in the state's fiscal attic, it is nothing short of astounding that so many Alaskans -- at least those who bothered to vote in last week's Republican primary -- seem satisfied to embrace the status quo in the state's top office.
"
AL: BP executive -- State's lawsuit complicates process for evaluating $148 million claim
From: feeds.stateline.org
"HOOVER, Ala. -- The Mississippi-born top executive of BP told Gulf coast officials Sunday that the company is trying to com pensate people with losses due to the oil spill without litiga tion, but that a lawsuit filed by the attorney general of Alabama is complicating the company's evaluation of a $148 million claim from that state.
"
AL: More than 1,500 march on Alabama Statehouse to protest lost bingo jobs
From: feeds.stateline.org
"More than 1,500 people marched to the Alabama Statehouse this afternoon to protest jobs lost after bingo casinos closed across the state.
"
AL: Oil spill aftermath, claims, discussed at Southern Governors' Association
From: feeds.stateline.org
"With three key players in the Gulf Oil disaster seated across the table, Gov. Bob Riley used a Sunday panel discussion at Southern Governors' Association annual meeting at Ross Bridge resort in Hoover to press for answers on next steps in dealing with aftermath of the Gulf oil spill.
"
AR: Voters to decide three ballot issues in November
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Arkansans should have little trouble sinking their teeth into deciding whether to make hunting and fishing a constitutional right, but officials say raising interest rates may be hard to swallow in a struggling economy.
"
AZ: Arizona won't get TPI's new wind-blade factory
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Scottsdale-based wind-turbine blade maker TPI Composites Inc. said last week it will open a new factory that employs 30 to 50 people, but Arizona won't get the jobs.
"
CA: Special interests capitalize on Legislature's end-of-session chaos
From: feeds.stateline.org
"It happens every year at this time. Overtired legislators are only days from the deadline to pass new laws, and there is so much bustle in the Capitol that keeping track of all the drafts of bills is almost impossible.
"
CA: No end in sight to state budget deadlock
From: feeds.stateline.org
"As California's budget impasse moves into record-breaking territory, and as the consequences of inaction multiply, people around the state and at the Capitol say it's anyone's guess as to when a spending plan will be passed.
"
CO: Furor erupts over Colorado payday-lending regulations
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A controversy over payday-lending regulations has escalated after the two Democratic lawmakers behind the industry overhaul said the Republican attorney general's staff has favored lenders when it comes to fees.
"
CT: Blumenthal to Pratt, UTC -- Cut overtime at Cheshire Plant and furlough workers, don't lay them off
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Attorney General Richard Blumenthal today appealed to senior United Technologies Corp. executives to reconsider their planned layoff of 129 workers the company's Pratt & Whitney division, urging furloughs and overtime limits instead of layoffs.
"
DE: Delaware people -- A calling to stop a deadly epidemic
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The buzzer rang, and Renee Beaman pushed a button on the office intercom.
"
DE: Delaware roads -- Troubles pile up for inlet bridge
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Mysterious hairline cracks up to 10 1/2 inches deep have been found in two sections of concrete on a new bridge being built over the Indian River inlet, temporarily stopping work and delaying completion yet again.
"
FL: South Florida benefits from Neighborhood Stabilization Program
From: feeds.stateline.org
"With whole neighborhoods in distress after a tsunami of foreclosures hit South Florida, the federal government's quarter-billion dollar fix-it program is now beginning to pick up steam, just as crucial deadlines loom around the corner.
"
GA: Ga. tax reform hearings get under way
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A panel of business leaders and academic economists created by the General Assembly earlier this year has kicked off a series of hearings that will be held across the state during the next two weeks.
"
IA: Stop planting corn river bank to river bank
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Iowa farmers take great pride in our state's conservation ethic and lead the nation in the planting of buffers along rivers and streams.
"
IA: Budget cuts reduce overtime at Iowa universities
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Overtime has been reduced at Iowa's three universities and two special schools overseen by the Board of Regents, at least in part because of budget cuts and reduced maintenance, officials said.
"
IA: Iowa to review feed mill at center of egg recall
From: feeds.stateline.org
"State regulators said Friday they were reviewing whether the Iowa feed mill where investigators found salmonella linked to the nationwide egg recall should have been licensed and inspected.
"
IA: Lake Delhi damage could top $150M
From: feeds.stateline.org
"MARION, Iowa -- Damage from late July flooding that breached the Lake Delhi dam could top $150 million and repairs to the dam itself could cost $5 million.
"
IA: State issues tax credits to film projects
From: feeds.stateline.org
"State officials have resumed issuing tax credits to qualifying film projects, announcing Friday that two movies have been awarded financial incentives from the Iowa Department of Economic Development utilizing the fully revised process of issuing tax credits.
"
IA: Wet summer is washout for Iowa farmers, gardeners
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The summer of 2010 will go down as the second-wettest on record in Iowa, the state climatologist said. And the rain is taking its toll on gardens and crops.
"
IA: DeCosters in Iowa -- A checkered legacy
From: feeds.stateline.org
"GALT, Iowa -- Wright County seemed to have finally gotten the best of both worlds with the DeCoster family. The notoriety and the environmental problems the DeCosters brought were gone. The money and the jobs they provided were still here.
"
IA: Sparboe lists stores not affected by egg recall
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Sparboe Farms has recalled some eggs that were produced by Wright County Egg, the DeCoster operation, but leading supermarkets such as Hy-Vee, Dahl's, Fareway and IGA are not affected, according to Sparboe.
"
IA: DeCoster took control of egg operation after state ban
From: feeds.stateline.org
"State regulators in 2001 reluctantly issued a permit for a Wright County chicken operation now linked to a nationwide salmonella scare and egg recall because they could not prove that troubled livestock businessman Austin "Jack" DeCoster was behind the project.
"
IA: Farmland values in Iowa up 8% since July 2009
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago said Friday that the value of Iowa farmland has risen by 8 percent since July of last year, largely on the strength of stable commodity prices, demand for grains and the prospect of tight supplies.
"
IL: Governor says income tax increase will pass if he's re-elected
From: feeds.stateline.org
"CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- His newly revised income tax increase plan, Gov. Pat Quinn said Friday, includes calling on school districts to use property tax cuts to return about one-third of the new money they'd receive.
"
IL: As homeowners struggle, state trying to prevent fraud
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Homeowners struggling to make their mortgage payments should not have to pay pricey fees to firms that claim they can negotiate with lenders for them.
"
IL: Being broke costs state $550 million
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The state's miserable bond rating has driven up borrowing costs for state government by more than $500 million since last year, a government watchdog group says.
"
IL: State payday loan fight a Madigan family affair
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The effort to crack down on "payday loans" in Illinois claimed a big victory in the Legislature last spring: passage of a state law setting new caps on the high interest rates lenders charge and also expanding the state's tracking system to help ensure that consumers don't end up borrowing more than they can repay.
"
IL: Comptroller's employee disciplined for political activity
From: feeds.stateline.org
"While it might be OK for some employees of the Illinois comptroller's office to engage in union business at work, it's not OK when that leads to political activity on state time, an ethics watchdog has ruled.
"
IN: New enforcement rules worry Indiana environmentalists
From: feeds.stateline.org
"MERRILLVILLE, Ind. -- New guidelines spelling out when and how state employees should cite companies for environmental violations are fueling activists' concerns that they could lead to "slaps on the wrist" for Indiana polluters.
"
IN: State bears high cost of law and order
From: feeds.stateline.org
"For decades, Indiana's answer to crime has been to adopt tough new laws and strict sentencing policies to make sure offenders stay behind bars.
"
IN: Unused TIF money sparks debate
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gary governments are taking out bank loans, laying off employees and putting others on furlough.
"
IN: Liquor stores fight bid to OK Sunday sales
From: feeds.stateline.org
"An effort to make significant changes in Indiana liquor law is building steam as the 2011 session of the General Assembly approaches.
"
KS: Brownback would seek jobs
From: feeds.stateline.org
"LEAVENWORTH, Kan. — Republican Sam Brownback said Thursday that if he is elected governor of Kansas he will encourage private-sector development of industries related to the Army training that takes place at Fort Leavenworth.
"
KY: Key Kentucky state worker pension fund in distress
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The largest pension fund for state workers is considered one of the most troubled public employee pension funds in the country, with administrators having to cash out investments each month to pay benefits.
"
LA: President Barack Obama praises rebuilding effort in New Orleans five years after Hurricane Katrina
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Five years to the day after Hurricane Katrina's assault, President Barack Obama on Sunday praised the progress in rebuilding the New Orleans area but reminded an audience at Xavier University that much remains to be done.
"
LA: Many FEMA claims from Hurricane Katrina remain open
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Five years after thousands of taxpayer-owned assets were laid to waste in the New Orleans area, local governments continue to haggle with FEMA over how much the feds will pony up to replace the critical infrastructure.
"
LA: Hurricane Katrina 5th anniversary ceremonies mourn what is lost, rejoice at what is to be
From: feeds.stateline.org
"With prayers and the solemn tolling of bells, but also with second-line parades and the drumming of Mardi Gras Indians, New Orleanians throughout the region on Sunday took stock of their rebuilt lives in the five years since the worst event in the region's history, and promised each other to keep the recovery going.
"
LA: New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina are the focus of today's Washington Post editorial
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Five years ago today, hell was unleashed on New Orleans. The storm surge created by the winds and rains of Hurricane Katrina overwhelmed the city's levee system, which the Army Corps of Engineers had poorly designed and poorly maintained. For days, with much of the city flooded, people pleaded for help from rooftops, the Superdome and the convention center. Scenes of depravation, desperation and death shocked the nation and the world.
"
LA: Speaking to a church congregation, Gov. Bobby Jindal focuses on the positive
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Before an upbeat congregation of more than 1,000 at a Hurricane Katrina anniversary service at Celebration Church in Metairie, Gov. Bobby Jindal spoke Sunday evening about identifying the things that he now counted as blessings, such as his children having the opportunity to bond with their grandparents, both sets of whom the Jindal family lived with following the storm.
"
MA: Tobacco signs still target city's poorer areas
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The signs, wrought in soothing italics, beckon with promises of tobacco "pleasure!'' at low, low prices. Across Dorchester, Mattapan, and other city neighborhoods, big signs and little signs, vertical signs and horizontal signs trumpet the availability of cigarettes at corner stores and gas stations. They are plastered on fa ades and propped against windows, affixed to light poles and gas pumps.
"
MA: Drug giant bids $18.5b for Genzyme
From: feeds.stateline.org
"French drug maker Sanofi-Aventis SA yesterday went public with an offer to buy Genzyme Corp. for $18.5 billion in cash, a move intended to step up pressure on the Cambridge company after what Sanofi executives said was a rebuff from Genzyme's board.
"
MD: New school year to bring more federal dollars
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Unlike states where budget tightening has increased class sizes or shortened school days, Maryland is starting the school year largely protected from such drastic changes — and looking forward to a $400 million infusion of new federal money over the next several years.
"
ME: Maine wind farm not soothing to all ears
From: feeds.stateline.org
"VINALHAVEN, Maine — Three white wind turbines, their 124-foot blades stretching 39 stories high, churn out more electricity than is used on this picturesque, pine-studded island off mid-coast Maine. Some residents call them objects of graceful art, others point to lower utility bills, and the environmentally conscious hail the benefits of clean energy.
"
MI: Failure to complete state budget could result in last-minute scramble
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Lawmakers at least could pretend they recognize that Michigan has a budget crisis.
"
MI: State becomes center for lamp industry, from small to large companies
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Unbeknownst to many residents, the state is in the early stages of becoming a hub for making light-emitting diode (LED) lamps, with more than 20 companies and 200 employees working in the industry.
"
MI: 5,000 march in downtown Detroit, urge rebuilding nation
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Thousands of people in downtown Detroit made their way from Jefferson Avenue to Grand Circus Park in what was billed as a march to rebuild America for jobs, justice and peace.
"
MI: Fruitport Township's casino future uncertain after failed vote
From: feeds.stateline.org
"FRUITPORT TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- Dead or alive? That's the looming question in the wake of Wednesday's failure to get a proposal for a Fruitport Township casino onto the floor of the state House of Representatives for a vote.
"
MI: Report -- Hundreds of defects in Enbridge oil pipeline
From: feeds.stateline.org
"MARSHALL, Mich. -- About 100 miles east of the site where the Enbridge Inc. pipeline recently ruptured, company officials in December 2009 found an anomaly in the same line that led them to reduce the pressure there by 90 percent, according to a company document.
"
MI: Southfield Mayor Brenda Lawrence says she'll fix Michigan's 'mess'
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Michigan Democratic gubernatorial candidate Virg Bernero has publicly introduced his running mate, Southfield Mayor Brenda Lawrence.
"
MO: Judge -- No more nudity in Mo. clubs
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The nudity must stop at Missouri strip clubs. So must the lap dances and booze. And all sexually oriented businesses must abide by a midnight closing time.
"
MO: Nixon touts insurance law changes
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Although they go into effect today, the main impact of two changes in Missouri's insurance laws won't happen until next year, Gov. Jay Nixon said Friday.
"
MS: Lawmakers OK $75M biofuel plan
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A Texas-based biofuel venture will get a $75 million state-backed loan to start up in Mississippi after receiving nearly unanimous support from Mississippi lawmakers Friday.
"
ND: Stenehjem -- Pharmacy measure doesn't qualify for vote
From: feeds.stateline.org
"North Dakota's Constitution requires an initiative petition to include a list of sponsors letting potential supporters know who is backing the measure, Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem argued Friday in a state Supreme Court filing.
"
NE: State lost 1 percent of manufacturing jobs in a year
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Industrial employment in Nebraska fell 1 percent over the 12 months through June, according to the 2011 Nebraska Manufacturers Register, an industrial directory published annually by Manufacturers' News, Inc.
"
NH: State parks explore corporate sponsorship
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Not every state park in New Hampshire includes a mountain, but all staffers might be wearing pictures of little peaks on their uniforms next summer thanks to a corporate sponsorship the state is exploring with Eastern Mountain Sports.
"
NJ: Democratic lawmakers set Sept. 10 date for second New Jersey gaming summit; horse racing is on the table
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Democratic state legislators will hold the second in a series of three gaming summits Sept. 10 at the Meadowlands sports complex in East Rutherford, Bergen County.
"
NJ: Gas prices continue to drop in N.J.
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Motorists continue to see lower prices at the pumps in New Jersey.
"
NV: Poll- Nevada gloomy over economy
From: feeds.stateline.org
"CARSON CITY, Nev. — A new poll suggests people in Nevada are bummed out by the economy.
"
NV: Poll- Many don't back legalization of brothels, hash bars for tourism
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Well, you've made yourselves clear: No hookers or hashish. A new Review-Journal/8NewsNow poll found a strong majority of Nevadans against legalizing marijuana and prostitution to boost tourism.
"
NY: State's finance score above average
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Consumers in New York are faring better than those in 30 other states, though New York is still considered distressed by a nonprofit credit counseling firm.
"
OH: Keep politicians off Ohio Casino Commission
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Besides seven part-time commissioners -- at $60,000 each, for 12 meetings a year, plus expenses -- the new Ohio Casino Control Commission also needs the confidence of taxpayers.
"
OH: Ohio public employee pension plans hide behind wordplay
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The state's public pension systems, in rejecting an Open Records Act request by an Ohio newspaper coalition that includes The Plain Dealer, sound like Wonderland's Humpty Dumpty.
"
OH: High stakes
From: feeds.stateline.org
"With his appointments to the Ohio Casino Control Commission, Gov. Ted Strickland has one last chance to seize the initiative from the gambling interests that have succeeded so well in getting their way since the advent of big-time gambling in Ohio.
"
OH: NorTech pushing for advanced-energy industry growth in Northeast Ohio
From: feeds.stateline.org
"CLEVELAND -- Tucked into an industrial park that flanks Interstate 271 is a slice of the region's advanced-energy future.
"
OH: Ex-lawmaker wants on casino board
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Former state Rep. Catherine L. Barrett, passed over by Democrats for an appointment to a Senate seat in 2005, is asking the governor to appoint her to the newly created Ohio Casino Control Commission.
"
OH: Strickland -- Kasich claims damage Ohio
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Democratic incumbent looking for another four years in the governor's office said Friday that creating jobs always has been his priority and his Republican opponent's plan for Ohio is misguided.
"
OH: Strickland says he's readied Ohio for growth
From: feeds.stateline.org
"376,000. That's roughly the number of jobs that Ohio has lost since Gov. Ted Strickland took office nearly four years ago and a number pointed to at every opportunity by his Republican opponent.
"
OH: Study -- Ohio lags in jobless benefits
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Ohio lags behind even such conservative states as South Carolina when it comes to extending benefits to the unemployed and should update its system, a research organization said in a new study.
"
OK: Oklahoma employees tapping into retirement plans in growing numbers
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A growing number of investors are tapping into retirement accounts, a potentially risky method of paying bills.
"
OK: Oklahoma companies, tribes donate millions to national political groups
From: feeds.stateline.org
"More than $2 million has flowed from Oklahoma companies, tribes and wealthy individuals to national political groups such as the Republican Governors Association and Democratic Governors Association.
"
OR: Casino measure -- Vote first, litigate later
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Backers of a private casino in Wood Village have decided that their project doesn't require voter approval of a constitutional amendment. Really?
"
OR: How will they save?
From: feeds.stateline.org
"No state has a more volatile tax system than Oregon's, which relies heavily on the fortunes of the top 2 percent of its income tax payers.
"
OR: Oregon budget crisis foretells layoffs
From: feeds.stateline.org
"As state agencies and workers gird themselves for across-the-board spending cuts -- the second round in just three months -- some things are certain and some are not.
"
OR: Klamath Basin's water worries extend to wells
From: feeds.stateline.org
"MERRILL, Ore. -- During the last big drought crisis in the Klamath Basin, in 2001, Carleton Farms filed for bankruptcy.
"
OR: Increase in state workers' pay comes at bad time
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A memo went out Friday from the Oregon Department of Administrative Services, reminding union-represented workers that a step pay increase will be instituted on Sept. 1.
"
OR: Oregon regulators, PGE in showdown over closing Boardman coal plant
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Portland General Electric Inc. says state environmental regulators may be about to squander an historic opportunity to negotiate the early closure of Oregon's only coal-fired power plant.
"
OR: Governor's Council of Economic Advisors say Oregon needs to reform or repeal kicker law
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Governor's Council of Economic Advisors agreed Friday that it's time for Oregon to rethink the kicker tax rebate and sock more into rainy day savings.
"
OR: 10 Oregon counties, including Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas, may be facing a whopping cable bill
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Comcast Corp. paid property taxes to 10 counties in Oregon for the 2009 tax year. In total, those counties told Comcast its property was worth about $224 million.
"
PA: Gov. Rendell pushes for shale gas tax
From: feeds.stateline.org
"With just over a month to go before the deadline, state officials are still far apart in working out an agreement for a new tax on natural gas extracted from deep underground areas of Marcellus Shale.
"
PA: Pennsylvania coal plants face big changes under planned EPA pollution-control rules
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Outside, demonstrators wore breathing masks. Inside, a two-time cancer survivor, age 30, pleaded for the federal Environmental Protection Agency to approve a plan that would reduce air pollution from coal-fired power plants in the eastern United States.
"
PA: Do gas wells pose health risk?
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Mushrooming Marcellus Shale gas well development in Pennsylvania is releasing hazardous chemicals into the air and water, but more study is needed to assess the human health risks they pose, according to Conrad Dan Volz, director of the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Healthy Environments and Communities.
"
PA: Did you pay your taxes?
From: feeds.stateline.org
"If you're not sure, you should probably check Pennsylvania's tax scofflaw list, posted online earlier this month to shame delinquent residents and businesses into paying up.
"
PA: GOP gubernatorial hopeful Tom Corbett talks taxes at ASK Foods in Palmyra
From: feeds.stateline.org
"After seeing how ASK Foods, Inc. makes a few of its 400 all-natural deli salads, soups and other packaged foods, Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Corbett said part of his vision for Pennsylvania relies on helping companies like ASK Foods thrive.
"
PA: Pennsylvania company recalls ground beef
From: feeds.stateline.org
"WYALUSING, Pa. — Authorities say a Pennsylvania company has recalled about 8,500 pounds of ground beef that might be contaminated with E. coli.
"
PA: 2nd business protests exclusion from the bidding phase of a Pennsylvania contract
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A state contract awarded this month to a firm to provide criminal background clearances for teachers, mortgage brokers and foster parents is drawing more fire.
"
SC: More S.C. banks get warnings
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Nearly one of every four banks based in South Carolina has received public enforcement actions from federal regulators since the recession began 21/2 years ago.
"
SC: Web site to assist South Carolina jobless
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce will unveil a new Web site Monday aimed at making it easier for the state's unemployed to find work.
"
US: BP assures governors it will restore the gulf
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The South has been dealt a heavy blow this summer by BP's gusher in the Gulf of Mexico. The oil has stopped flowing, but Gulf states are still dealing with the ongoing economic and environmental damage.
"
US: States see pickup in tax revenue
From: feeds.stateline.org
"State tax revenue rose in the second quarter, as higher taxes and the slowly improving economy led to an increase in collections.
"
US: Medical use of marijuana costs some a job
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Residents in 14 states and Washington can now appeal to their doctors for prescriptions for medical marijuana to help them with their pain. Their employers, however, may not be so understanding.
"
VA: Virginia ponders losing ABC stores; studies conflict on privatizing liquor sales
From: feeds.stateline.org
"As Gov. Robert F. McDonnell pushes a proposal to privatize state-owned liquor stores, he has reassured the public that problems associated with drinking would be unlikely to worsen if the state government relinquished control over distilled spirits.
"
VA: Questions raised about uranium study members
From: feeds.stateline.org
"As an independent scientific panel is assembled to study the risks of uranium mining in Virginia, environmental groups are questioning whether some of its provisional members can be impartial because of their ties to the nuclear-power industry or mining interests.
"
VT: Swanton biodiesel concern stalls out
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Hopes were high in 2006 when the Vermont Economic Development Authority plunked down $645,000 to help get Biocardel Vermont, a biodiesel production start-up company, under way in Swanton.
"
WA: Washington state can't afford deluxe worker benefits
From: feeds.stateline.org
"With the state of Washington facing its third year in a row of multibillion-dollar budget deficits, it is difficult to imagine state employees not giving a little -- or even, a bit more.
"
WA: Washington tries to lure China investors
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Washington state is making a major push to attract Chinese investment, a sign of how the world economy has shifted from a decade ago, when the state's trade missions focused mainly on opening the door for local companies to do business in China.
"
WA: Ferry ridership to be 28.3 million by 2026, state says
From: feeds.stateline.org
"EVERETT, Wash. -- State officials say they expect a decade-long downward trend in ferry ridership in Western Washington to level off.
"
WA: Ballot to shape budget
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Washington voters could reshape the state's budget outlook for the next couple of years, depending how they weigh in Nov. 2 on six citizen initiatives and a referendum from the Legislature.
"
WI: Immigration, even in Wisconsin politics, is hot election topic
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The leading Republican candidates for governor say Wisconsin should do more to enforce federal immigration law such as penalizing businesses that hire workers who are here illegally.
"
WI: Wis. state agencies taking furloughs Friday
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A number of Wisconsin state agencies will be closed on Friday for furloughs, making it a four-day weekend given the Labor Day holiday.
"
WI: Environmental review not needed for biomass plant
From: feeds.stateline.org
"State energy regulators have concluded that a detailed environmental review isn't required for We Energies' $255 million power plant in Rothschild that would burn branches, treetops and other forms of biomass.
"
WI: Poll finds 'brain drain' a statewide concern
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A majority of Wisconsinites believe the state's best and brightest are leaving Wisconsin to work elsewhere, according to polling results released Sunday that reflected a level of pessimism on several levels.
"
WI: Barrett, Walker plans would add workers to health pool
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Two leading candidates for governor say they could save taxpayers up to hundreds of millions of dollars a year by revamping the way schools and local governments buy health insurance for more than 200,000 public employees around Wisconsin.
"
WY: Wyoming looks to clarify ambiguities in oil and gas lease forms
From: feeds.stateline.org
"State lands officials will conduct a roundtable discussion Wednesday with parties interested in a revision of standard lease forms for state-owned oil and gas.
"
WY: Forum to highlight state's role in energy market
From: feeds.stateline.org
"ROCK SPRINGS, Wyo. — Wyoming ranks No. 1 in the nation in coal production and No. 7 in crude oil production and has the second-largest natural gas reserves.
"
WY: Wyoming rule change means public can see drilling documents
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Despite vigorous opposition from industry, it appears state regulators and the general public will have broad access to documents detailing chemicals used in oil and gas drilling, hydraulic fracturing and other drilling operations.
"
Bashing oil industry is tricky politics in Gulf states
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Now that oil has stopped gushing in the Gulf of Mexico, state and local governments are tallying the economic losses they have suffered—and vowing to hold BP accountable. But they are moving carefully, mindful that much of the region’s economy depends on the industry they are confronting.
"
Visit the Stateline.org Economy & Business Page
From: feeds.stateline.org
"
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Comprehensive business services that integrate income tax compliance
and planning with investments and insurance choices.
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increase wealth accumulation and retention.
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