July 3, 2008
State & Policy News
New drive to ban race preferences
In Arizona, Nebraska, and Colorado, supporters of ballot initiatives that would ban "preferential treatment" are counting up petition signatures – and opponents are scrutinizing their validity – to see if there's enough support to bring the issue to voters in November. Christian Science Monitor Read the article.
Buying fireworks often matter of loopholes
Loopholes in state fireworks laws make a big difference in how much bang you can get for your buck. It basically comes down to where you shop and what you promise to do — or not do. USA Today Read the article.
Climate scorecard ranks U.S. last among largest economies
The U.S. has done the least among the world's eight biggest economies to address global warming, a study released Thursday found. USA Today Read the article.
San Francisco to halt 'sanctuary' policy
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday that the city would begin handing over for deportation juvenile illegal immigrants with drug convictions, reversing a controversial policy of flying the youths back to their home countries at the city's expense. The Washington Post Read the article.
Employers cut workers for a sixth month
About 62,000 jobs disappeared in June, the government reported Friday, the sixth consecutive month that payrolls have declined, as businesses laid off workers amid the worst economic climate in a generation. The New York Times Read the article.
State starts a green era
Governor Deval Patrick signed a landmark energy bill yesterday that does away with long-standing obstacles to building renewable power projects in Massachusetts and making homes and businesses more energy efficient. Boston Globe Read the article.
Driving while talking ? compliance; tickets up
Lawmakers in 33 states have introduced 127 bills related to driver distraction this year alone, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. WBEN 930 Read the article.
Store didn't tell consumers about credit card hack
But in response to fears of identity theft, 44 states have passed laws that generally require organizations holding consumer data to tell people when their information has leaked, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. NewsFactor Network Read the article.
Bill moves on Pa. autism insurance, Blues merger
Nearly two dozen other states have laws mandating some level of autism insurance coverage, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. AP in Forbes Read the article.
Voters heard; raise vetoed
The pay raise, the first for lawmakers since 1980, would have made Louisiana legislators the highest-paid in the South and the 14th highest paid in the country, according to data from the National Conference of State Legislatures. St. Tammany News Read the article.
Slow down, save money: Hurried drivers resist gas-conserving move
A National Conference of State Legislatures scan of pending bills shows legislation has been introduced in Alabama calling for reducing highway speeds to conserve on gas. Detroit News Read the article.
La. alone with controversial science law
Lawmakers in five other states debated similar bills this year but they failed to pass, said Heather Chikoore, education policy specialist for the National Conference of State Legislatures in Denver. 2theadvocate.com Read the article.
State ’08 surplus: $176 million
For weeks, the National Conference of State Legislatures has been reporting that the finances in many states are deteriorating, considerably in some instances. Arkansas Democrat & Gazette Read the article.
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