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.
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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.
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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."
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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.
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