Around the Nation

The Seattle Times, April 17, 2007
"'Little hope' for Sonics now"
Sonics and Storm owner Clay Bennett said the teams now have "little hope of remaining in the Puget Sound region" after state lawmakers announced Monday they will not vote on public funding for a proposed $500 million Renton arena before the Legislature adjourns this weekend.
Despite last-minute pleas from arena backers, legislative leaders emerged from closed-door meetings with Gov. Christine Gregoire on Monday night to say there was not enough support for the proposal.
[...]

The Los Angelese Times, April 18, 2007
"Villaraigosa won't give up on schools"
After suffering another legal rebuke Tuesday, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa refused to relent on his campaign to gain substantial influence over city schools, saying he is considering an appeal to the state Supreme Court.
A three-judge panel from the state's 2nd District Court of Appeal issued a unanimous decision against a law designed to give Villaraigosa substantial authority over the Los Angeles Unified School District. The state's highest court is under no obligation to take the case, and some legal experts said the sweep of Tuesday's ruling could signal poor prospects for the mayor's legal position.
A sobered Villaraigosa seemed well aware that the decision could be the final blow to what was once the centerpiece of his education reform plan.
[...]

The Seattle Times, April 18, 2007
"Senate OKs bill to study loopholes in records law"
A measure that creates a committee to examine the more than 300 exemptions to the state's public-records act is headed to Gov. Christine Gregoire, who is expected to sign it.
The Senate approved House changes to the bill on a 47-0 vote Tuesday. The measure was requested by Attorney General Rob McKenna, who says all the exemptions have deteriorated the act.
"Over time, our state's open public records act — which originally was one of the best laws of its kind — has been steadily eroded," McKenna said. "This committee will be in a position to reverse decades of erosion."
[...]

Arizona Republic, April 17, 2007
"State's health group seeks $8 mil infusion"
A state-run health plan for small businesses that insures more than 26,000 Arizonans is running a significant deficit and now says it needs $8 million this year to stay afloat.
Health Care Group, operated by the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System,sent a letter to legislators on Thursday, saying new estimates put it $20 million in the red this year because of higher-than-expected medical costs.
The letter, which will likely set off a budget debate about the future of the program that has not been subsidized since 2004, comes less than a month after a hard-fought fight in the Legislature over a bill that would have made broad changes in how Health Care Group operates. The bill died in the Senate health committee, with critics arguing that it was an attempt to do away with the program.
[...]

Speaker Cargill and Rep. Terrill Praise Senate Passage of Immigration Reform

Oklahoma House of Representatives
House Speaker Lance Cargill and state Rep. Randy Terrill today praised members of the Oklahoma Senate for passing a tough illegal immigration bill and predicted it will soon be sent to Gov. Brad Henry.

"This landmark legislation recognizes that government first has a duty to those citizens who play by the rules, follow the law and pay taxes," said Cargill, R-Harrah. "We cannot expect others to abide by the law when there are rewards for breaking the law."

"This is a great day for Oklahoma taxpayers," said state Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore. "For too long, the working families of Oklahoma have been forced to subsidize illegal immigration. With passage of House Bill 1804, that will come to an end."

House Bill 1804, by Terrill, creates the Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act of 2007. The bill is part of the House Republican majority’s legislative agenda and previously passed out of the Oklahoma House of Representatives by an overwhelming, 88-9 bipartisan vote. The Oklahoma Senate approved the bill today with strong bipartisan support on a 41-6 vote.
[...]

Around the State

Muskogee Phoenix, April 15, 2007
"Government, DOC at odds over funding"
The Oklahoma Department of Corrections is caught in a power struggle between lawmakers and the governor’s office.
Lawmakers, who want an independent performance audit of the state agency that costs taxpayers about a half billion dollars per year, appropriated a million dollars for that purpose. Gov. Brad Henry targeted that appropriation as his first line-item veto, saying the appropriation duplicates the work of existing state authorities and contains no accountability measures to ensure it will be spent responsibly.
[...]

KOTV-Tulsa, April 16, 2007
"Governor Brad Henry using old gubernatorial tactic"
In his current budget fight with a Republican-dominated Legislature, Democratic Gov. Brad Henry is making full use of the veto pen, a favorite weapon of past governors. Henry exercised his veto power only 38 times in his first term, just over nine vetoes per year.
That figure pales in comparison to his predecessor, Republican Frank Keating, who had 302 vetoes, averaging 151 per term.
Henry is catching up.
In March, Henry added 135 line-item vetoes to his total in one action when he struck down all agency funding for next year in a $6.9 billion general appropriations bill.
[...]

Tulsa World, April 15, 2007
"Lawsuit reform measure would shield gun makers"
The annual battle over lawsuit reform sped up last week with committee passage of a bill that includes a provision that exempts gun manufacturers from lawsuits.
Rep. Dan Sullivan, R-Tulsa, the House author of the 130-page Senate Bill 507, said the provision was added because firearms manufacturers across the country are being named in lawsuits.
That is because some lawyers think those manufacturers have deep pockets and can afford the cost, he said.
[...]

Oklahoma House of Representatives, April 12, 2007
"House votes to protect farmers and ranchers from bogus lawsuits"
Oklahoma’s farmers and ranchers will soon be protected from frivolous lawsuits claiming animal manure is toxic waste thanks to legislation approved by the Oklahoma House of Representatives today.
Senate Bill 709, by state Sen. Ron Justice (R-Chickasha) and state Rep. Terry Hyman (D-Leon), declares that manure shall not be considered hazardous waste under state law.
"The passage of Senate Bill 709 means Oklahoma’s 83,000 agricultural producers can do what they do best: produce food and fiber without fear of unwanted litigation," said Hyman. "This bill sends a message that Oklahoma values the agriculture industry and is taking a common-sense approach toward its protection."
[...]

Frmr. Spkr. Gingrich unveils 'Solutions Day'

from "American Solutions for Winning the Future"
Solutions Day:
Countdown to September 27
On September 27, 2007, the 13th anniversary of the unveiling of the Contract With America, American Solutions will host the “1st Annual Solutions Day” and reach out across the country to activists, volunteers and all 511,000-plus elected office holders in America, their staff, and the citizens who are serving or seeking to serve in these offices. Our goal is to create a wave of change that meets America's challenges, seizes our opportunities and builds a better future for all Americans.

Through a series of workshops on 9/27 (and again 9/29), we will make these solutions available to activists, volunteers and every candidate from both parties in every elected office in the country.

VA Lt. Gov. seeking 100 ideas

April 10, 2007
"Lieutenant Governor hits the road in search of citizen ideas"
The Lieutenant Governor of Virginia may soon be coming to a place near you.

Bill Bolling says the GOP needs to get back to being the party of issues and ideas. As part of that, the Mechanicsville Republican is heading to at least 100 places to get 100 ideas from citizens. Bolling starts his journey Thursday in Southwest Virginia.

Bolling tells News 7 he got the idea for the tour from Florida. Bolling will collect ideas this year, make a blueprint from them next year, and present them in 2009.

He is expected to seek his party's nomination for Governor that year. He says he'll share the ideas no matter what happens.

Around the Nation

Houston Chronicle, April 9, 2007
"A boost for child Medicaid services"
The state will spend $700 million over the next two years to improve health care for needy children under the settlement of a class-action lawsuit presented in court Monday.
The money will be used to increase rates for doctors and dentists, improve outreach to families and add mobile clinics. Independent evaluators will issue reports to ensure that children are receiving their recommended checkups.
The state also has committed to reducing wait times on a Medicaid hotline, hiring additional social workers and providing more transportation services for families to get their children to the doctor.
[...]

Los Angeles Times, April 9, 2007
"California 'Green' project makes critics see red"
Highlighting the environmental pitfalls of harnessing "green" energy, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's push to import nonpolluting power to Los Angeles could require building power lines and transmission towers through a national forest, two desert wildlife preserves and a rustic hamlet used in countless westerns.
According to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the 85-mile-long "Green Path" energy corridor designed to bring solar, geothermal and nuclear power from southeastern California and Arizona would slice across the Big Morongo Wildlife Preserve north of Palm Springs, Pioneertown near Yucca Valley, Pipes Canyon Wilderness Preserve and a corner of the San Bernardino National Forest before crossing over the Cajon Pass and connecting with existing power lines in Hesperia.
More than a dozen preservation and community groups have condemned the mayor and DWP for a plan that they say would destroy priceless vistas, natural areas and wildlife corridors.
[...]

The Seattle Times, April 10, 2007
"Both houses OK online voter registration"
Washington would become the second state in the country to allow online voter registration under a measure passed by the Legislature on Monday.
The measure passed the Senate 30-17. It overwhelmingly passed the House last month and now heads to Gov. Christine Gregoire.
"This bill acknowledges that technology and times have changed," said Sen. Eric Oemig, D-Kirkland. "We do many things on the Internet today."
The measure is based on Arizona's Internet registration system, EZ Voter, which allows Arizonans to register online at a secure site maintained by ServiceArizona, the same company that runs the state's online automobile registrations.
[...]

The New York Times, April 8, 2007
"Housing slump pinches states in pocketbook"
State tax revenues around the country are growing far more slowly this year and in some cases falling below projections, a result of the housing market slowdown that has curbed voracious spending on real estate, building materials, furniture and other items.
Gov. Charlie Crist of Florida, speaking in January, anticipated cuts in spending and proposed property tax relief for state residents.
Nowhere is the downturn more apparent than in Florida, where tax revenue is projected to drop this year for the first time since the energy crisis of the 1970s.
But other states, especially those where housing prices soared in recent years, are also seeing their collections slow, especially in the sales and real estate transfer tax categories. While the economy remains generally strong and it is too early to predict whether the housing slump will have long-term effects, some states will have to adjust their wish lists.
[...]

USA Today, April 9, 2007
"Cops give LED flashlights a try"
Cops' most important piece of equipment, next to their gun and handcuffs, is getting a makeover.
A race is on to reinvent the police flashlight to take advantage of new technologies, and the results could change what's tucked in belts worn by cops across the country. It's pitting two flashlight makers in Southern California against a third, Mag Instrument, which has long dominated the market with its iconic Maglite.
The Los Angeles Police Department, often a testing ground for new law-enforcement products, just began distributing to its officers new flashlights made by Torrance, Calif.-based Pelican Products. The flashlight, called the Pelican 7060 LED, is the product of two years of research for a flashlight that's brighter than the metal ones often carried by cops and too small to double as a billy club.
[...]

Around the State

Tulsa World, April 9, 2007
"Bill to freeze tuition after student enrolls goes to Senate floor"
A bill making its way through the Legislature would allow college students to lock in tuition rates.
House Bill 2103, by House Speaker Lance Cargill, R-Harrah, and Sen. Mike Johnson, R-Kingfisher, won approval last week in the Senate Appropriations Committee. It now heads to the Senate floor.
The measure allows students enrolling as freshmen to lock in their tuition rates for four years or longer, as their program dictates, Cargill said.
[...]

The Norman Transcript, April 8, 2007
"Lawmakers want to add wind power as energy source to Oklahoma"
Oklahoma has long been known for its abundant reserves of oil and gas, but Norman-area lawmakers want to add wind power to the list of leading energy sources.
Already, 420 towering wind turbines in western Oklahoma provide about 3 percent of the state's electricity, according to the Oklahoma Wind Power Initiative, a joint project of the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University.
Wind power advocates believe the potential contribution is much greater, particularly if the Legislature approves a proposed tax credit that would subsidize more than a third of the cost of purchasing and installing a small wind turbine generating system.
[...]

Oklahoma House of Representatives, April 5, 2007
"House Speaker Cargill schedules family-friendly Saturday floor session for April 21"
A special Saturday floor session designed to make the Oklahoma House of Representatives more accessible to the state’s working families has been slated for April 21.
"Too often, Oklahoma's citizens don't have a chance to see the work of lawmakers at the Capitol," said Cargill (R-Harrah). "Those with regular jobs have a difficult time accessing the Capitol during the work week. So we want to give citizens a special opportunity to watch the House in session outside of our regularly scheduled meeting times.
"We’ll hold this unique session on the day before the anniversary of the Oklahoma land run of 1889, and what better way to celebrate that historic time in our state’s history than to make the people’s house open to them in a more convenient way."
[...]

Oklahoma House of Representatives, April 5, 2007
"House rulings published for first time in state history"
For nearly 100 years, the rulings that governed legislative activity on the floor of the Oklahoma House of Representatives were based on nothing more than the memories of the chamber’s oldest members.
That’s no longer the case thanks to new reforms instituted by the Republican majority.
As part of the Republican commitment to open government, the Oklahoma House of Representatives has begun recording all parliamentary rulings issued on the House floor and has just published its first biannual collection of those precedents.
[...]

Tulsa World, April 4, 2007
"House backs limits on abortion"
A bill that would limit abortions by cutting off public funding was approved by the House on Tuesday, despite opposition from the state's two leading medical associations.
Lawmakers received letters voicing opposition from the 5,000-strong Okla homa State Medical Association and the Oklahoma Osteopathic Association, which has about 1,400 members.
The House approved Senate Bill 714 by a 73-22 vote. The measure now returns to the Senate for another vote. It is likely that this is the only anti-abortion measure that has a chance of passing this session. Earlier the House passed two abortion-related bills, but they are not expected to get a hearing in the Senate.
[...]

Florida: control of growth at issue

St. Petersburg Times, April 5
http://www.sptimes.com/2007/04/05/State/Control_of_growth_at_.shtml
House Republicans unveiled a plan Tuesday that could limit the state's power to oversee community growth.

Lobbyists for cities, counties and a growth watchdog group cautioned the legislators to slow down before stripping the state Department of Community Affairs of its role reviewing local-level zoning changes.

"We would urge you not to rush into this process," said Community Affairs Secretary Tom Pelham, who had a day to review the plan.
[...]

Around the Nation

Houston Chronicle, April 4, 2007
"Lottery ticket sales paltry despite record jackpot"
Lotto fever has given way to Lotto fatigue.
Just ask the millions of Texans who aren't bothering to buy a ticket for tonight's $72 million jackpot.
As Lotto Texas moves into its 15th year, state officials and lottery critics say ticket sales are dropping sharply — and along with them, the size of the jackpots and the number of big winners.
[...]

New York Times, April 4, 2007
"N.J. pension fund endangered by diverted billions"
In 2005, New Jersey put either $551 million, $56 million or nothing into its pension fund for teachers. All three figures appeared in various state documents — though the state now says that the actual amount was zero.
The phantom contribution is just one indication that New Jersey has been diverting billions of dollars from its pension fund for state and local workers into other government purposes over the last 15 years, using a variety of unorthodox transactions authorized by the Legislature and by governors from both political parties.
[...]

CBS 5 (Phoenix, AZ), April 3, 2007
"Legislature approves April 17 tax deadline"
A bill approved by the Legislature gives Arizonans until April 17 to file their 2006 state income tax returns.
The Senate on Tuesday approved a House-passed version of a bill (SB1157), sending it on to Gov. Janet Napolitano. It would take effect immediately on her signature.
The normal filing deadline of April 15 is a Sunday this year, and the state legislation would synchronize the state with the alternative filing deadline set by the federal government.
[...]

(Oregon) Mail Tribune, April 4, 2007
"Flouride bill back before legislature"
The biennial battle over fluoridation to promote dental health surfaced again Tuesday in the Legislature.
The Health Care Subcommittee on Health Policy held the first public hearing on a bill mandating that municipal water systems serving 10,000 or more customers add fluoride to their drinking water. Invited testimony only was taken, with each side limited to approximately 50 minutes.
Opponents and proponents worked the halls of the Capitol prior to the hearing, offering up studies and position papers pro and con on the emotionally charged issue and giving media interviews.
[...]

The Newark Star Ledger, April 4, 2007
"State expands property tax relief"
Clearing the way for rebates of about $1,000 for most homeowners, Gov. Jon Corzine yesterday signed a $2.2 billion tax relief plan, the centerpiece of the Legislature's nine-month drive to rein in property taxes.
"I'm here to say we've done very well," Corzine said during a ceremony at Trenton's War Memorial, where he signed the tax relief bill (A1) and a second measure (A4) designed to control local school spending. "It's not everything that everyone would like, but it's really extraordinary."
[...]

USA Today, April 2, 2007
"As land-line customers go wireless, 911 loses funding"
Some 911 systems are facing budget crunches as more Americans unplug land lines and switch to cellphones, shrinking the revenue from phone surcharges that helps fund 911.
Many counties charge a fee to land-line users to fund 911 services. Cellphone users often pay smaller fees or nothing at all to local governments.
Most cellphone users pay state fees that help subsidize local 911 centers, but some officials say it's not enough.
[...]

The Houston Chronicle, April 3, 2007
"Earthlink wireless contract on city agenda"
The City Council on Wednesday is expected to consider a $2.5 million contract with EarthLink Inc. that would allow the company to build the city's wireless network and agree to be its "anchor tenant" for the first five years of the project.
While the agreement allows Mayor Bill White to keep his promise of not using taxpayer money to build the network, the city would be required to pay the company at least $500,000 annually for five years to use the service.
The contract, obtained by the Chronicle on Monday, details the standards EarthLink is expected to meet, as well as how the city plans to test the network and hold EarthLink accountable.
[...]

Stateline.org, April 3, 2007
"Toll roads hit speed bumps"
In 2006, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) triggered a toll-way mania when he signed a whopping $3.8 billion deal to lease the 157-mile Indiana Toll Road to a private investment firm for 75 years.
But this year, public and political opposition forced Daniels to shelve two smaller proposals for privately built and managed toll roads in the Hoosier State.
Daniels is not the only governor whose transportation funding plans are being detoured. As states increasingly look to toll roads and public-private partnerships for quick road-funding fixes, the public, consumer advocates and motorist and trucking associations are putting up barriers to pay-as-you-drive proposals.
[...]

Dallas Morning News, April 3, 2007
"TYC to free 552 (inmates) in days"
More than 500 parole- or release-ready juvenile inmates – more than a 10th of all those held by the scandal-ridden Texas Youth Commission – will walk free by the end of the week, the agency's conservator said Monday.
Freeing inmates who have already completed their sentences is the first step in a game plan that Jay Kimbrough and state lawmakers agree will bring the unwieldy agency back to its roots: providing professional-grade rehabilitation to the state's worst juvenile offenders.
[...]

Atlanta Journal-Constitution, April 4, 2007
"HOPE floats on pile of cash"
The popular HOPE scholarship program is overflowing with money these days, just three years after lawmakers worried it was going broke.
It is in such good financial shape that excess HOPE money is being shifted to other scholarship and education programs in the midyear budget. It has $744 million in reserves, almost three times what it had in the bank before limits on the program were approved in 2004.

Around the State

Oklahoma House of Representatives, April 2, 2007
"Presidenial candidate Sen. Sam Brownback to speak at Oklahoma House of Representatives"
.S. Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas, one of the contenders for the Republican Party’s nomination for president in 2008, will speak to the Oklahoma House of Representatives on Wednesday, April 4.
"Next year’s presidential race is of great historic importance, with no incumbent running for the office," said House Speaker Lance Cargill (R-Harrah). "We’ve made a commitment to provide an ‘open House’ for presidential candidates of both parties, giving them a public forum to talk to the people of Oklahoma. We believe this helps maximize Oklahoma’s visibility and impact in the presidential primary selection process."
Brownback has served in the Senate since 1996, and previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives and as the Secretary of Agriculture in Kansas.
[...]

Tulsa World, April 3, 2007
"Governor, legislators continue their spat"
The governor and legislative leaders fired subtle barbs at each other Monday, although nothing happened to move the stalled nearly $7 billion state budget forward.
Legislative leaders said they will not meet with Gov. Brad Henry until he provides them with a "comprehensive, detailed alternative to the Legislature's bipartison budget plan." They said the same thing late last week.
[...]

The Muskogee Phoenix, April 3, 2007
"Bill aims to curtail sales of cold medicine to minors"
Late last year, a 15-year-old boy walked into a local store and bought 16 bottles of cough medicine containing dextromethorphan, a chemical often abused by people who want to get high.
“All the clerk asked was ‘Are you sick?,’” said Jackie Luckey, prevention associate with the Area Prevention Resource Center at Green Country Behavioral Services.
The boy was an agent in Operation Store Front; a sting operation to see how easy it is for minors to get their hands on dextromethorphan. Although it’s legal to sell cough medicine containing dextromethorphan, the ingredient is considered potentially dangerous by health care authorities.
[...]