Around the Nation

Tulsa World, Jan. 26, 2007
"OSU hospital projects approved"
Plans are to spend $10.6 million to renovate and expand the Tulsa medical center.
The Oklahoma State University Medical Authority gave approval Thursday to $10.6 million worth of expansion and renovation projects for the newly named OSU Medical Center in Tulsa.
It is the first of several phases to improve the teaching hospital and create a "world-class residency program," said David Johnson, chairman of the authority's board.
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Sacramento Bee, Jan. 26, 2007
"Bush's call for ethanol may drive up price of corn"
President Bush's State of the Union call for a sevenfold increase in ethanol production within a decade could have the unintended consequence of sparking corn shortages and driving up the prices of a wide array of food products.
Bush said Tuesday that he wanted 35 billion gallons of ethanol in the nation's fuel supply by 2017, and he proposed an ethanol subsidy of as much as $17.8 billion over a decade, as well as grants and loan guarantees.
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Denver Post, Jan. 25, 2007
"Colo. immigration law falls short of goal"
Colorado's new law banning state spending on illegal immigrants has cost more than $2 million to enforce - and has saved the state nothing.
Less than a year after politically charged debates on illegal immigration, officials are reporting high costs, no savings and unexpected problems with the new laws.
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New York Times, Jan. 25, 2007
"Big States’ Push for Earlier Vote Scrambles Race"
As many as four big states — California, Florida, Illinois and New Jersey — are likely to move up their 2008 presidential primaries to early next February, further upending an already unsettled nominating process and forcing candidates of both parties to rethink their campaign strategies, party officials said Wednesday.
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(Note: Oklahoma's Primary is Feb. 5)

Government Computer News, Jan. 22, 2007
"Treasury, Illinois pilot federal-state tax payment system"
The Treasury Department and Illinois Revenue Department are testing the ability of state business taxpayers to be able to pay their state withholding taxes at the same time as their federal taxes through a single system.
While Treasury’s Electronic Federal Tax Payment System has been available for federal tax payments for more than 10 years, the pilot with Illinois is the first time that business taxpayers may pay their state withholding taxes through EFTPS.
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Dallas Morning News, Jan. 23, 2007
"Council OKs revised ordinance"
Apartment owners would still be banned from renting to most illegal immigrants under a new ordinance adopted unanimously Monday night.
Although the measure largely mirrors an ordinance passed in November, it makes changes that some observers say were designed to overcome legal challenges, including that the city had violated the Texas Open Meetings Act.
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New orleans Times-Picayune, Jan. 24, 2007
"300 students turned away by N.O. schools"
In an exceedingly rare move for a public school system, hundreds of children seeking spots in the city's schools have been turned away -- "wait-listed" -- and told that the campuses have no room, school officials said Tuesday.
In the state-run Recovery School District, where 300 students have been placed on a waiting list since Jan. 8, officials are scrambling to open additional buildings and hire more teachers.

Sacremento Bee, Jan. 23, 2007
"Huge pension fund will offer investment products to government workers"
The nation's largest public pension fund is getting into the financial services business.
Looking to boost fee income and build off its global reputation, the influential California Public Employees' Retirement System unveiled Monday an ambitious three-year plan to offer its own lineup of investment products for local government workers with the potential of rolling out a nationwide program for consumers.
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Arizona Republic, Jan. 24, 2007
"Ariz. to share water duties with Nevada"
Nevada and Arizona have agreed to share the pain of a serious drought on the Colorado River with a deal involving a mix of water and cash.
Under terms of the deal, already reviewed by water boards in both states, Nevada would join Arizona in giving up water if drought triggered a shortage on the river. Nevada would also pay Arizona $8 million to help secure other water sources.
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"State seeks oversight of leefy crops"
As demands increase for stronger oversight of the food supply, California took its first steps Wednesday to regulate the state's huge lettuce and spinach crops.
A plan by the California Department of Food and Agriculture calls for processors of the leafy greens to sign a "marketing agreement," meet a set of still-unspecified health regulations, undergo compliance inspections and contribute as much as 5 cents a package to fund the program.
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