Stateline

Recent Articles

• More States Explore Tanning Bed Bans for Teens
• Apr 5, 2013
• California, Vermont and New York all enacted their bans in 2012, and in the current legislative session, lawmakers in 29 states have introduced measures that would tighten restrictions on teen tanning.

• Arizona Presses Ahead on Border Fence Despite Obstacles
• Apr 4, 2013
• After nearly two years of preparation, an Arizona state senator says a plan will be unveiled in a few weeks to build a fence along the border with Mexico to keep out illegal immigrants.

• Sequestration Cuts into Scientific Research
• Apr 3, 2013
• Federal agencies pour billions each year into university research. With less federal money to spend, some Ph.D. programs are delaying admissions decisions, while others have already cut positions amid the uncertainty.

• Oregon Explores Treadmill Desks for State Workers
• Apr 1, 2013
• The legislature is exploring the use of the desks to decrease the health risks associated with sitting at a desk too long.
• 1 Comments

• States Lose Millions in Mineral Revenue Under Sequestration
• Mar 29, 2013
• The sequester will cost energy states tens of millions of dollars in mineral revenues, a move that has sparked anger — and surprise — among some state officials who say they should have been informed sooner.
• 1 Comments

• Florida Governor Calls for Obama to Pay Up on Port Improvements
• Mar 29, 2013
• Ahead of President Barack Obama's visit to the Port of Miami, Florida Gov. Rick Scott criticized him and the federal government for not paying their share of port improvement projects costs in the state.

• Where Are State Travel Taxes the Highest?
• Mar 28, 2013
• State and local politicians would rather avoid raising taxes on locals who can boot them out of office, but they also know that tourists can still “vote with their feet” and go where taxes are lower.

• EPA Warns of Poor U.S. Water Quality
• Mar 27, 2013
• More than half of the nation’s thousands of miles of rivers and streams are plagued by poor water quality, including harmful nutrient pollution and mercury, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

• Legislatures Seek to Protect Immigrants from Federal Law
• Mar 26, 2013
• As Congress considers major revisions to federal immigration laws, legislators in a few states are trying to block the federal government’s power to deport immigrants who land in their jails.

• Before Right-to-Work Begins, Michigan Unions Rush to Sign Contracts
• Mar 22, 2013
• All over Michigan, public employee unions are scrambling to cement long-term contracts with school districts, higher education institutions and local units of government before the state’s right-to-work law takes effect March 28.

• Colorado Joins 5 States with Same-Sex Civil Unions
• Mar 22, 2013
• Colorado became the sixth state to allow civil unions for same-sex couples when Gov. John Hickenlooper signed the legislation Thursday. Another nine states and the District of Columbia allow same-sex marriage.

• Maryland Repeals the Death Penalty, Joins Growing Trend
• Mar 18, 2013
• After a years-long fight, Maryland has become the sixth state in as many years to repeal its death penalty.
• 3 Comments

• Domestic Violence Homicide Prevention Initiative to Begin in Select States
• Mar 14, 2013
• The Department of Justice announced Wednesday that it will send $2.3 million to 12 counties and cities in 10 states to bolster efforts to prevent domestic violence homicides, even as Washington remains consumed with budget cutbacks.

• Reducing Road Deaths Proves Challenging in Rural States
• Mar 13, 2013
• Rural roads are generally more dangerous than urban roads for a number of reasons, and states with more country routes tend to have higher fatality rates. Only 19 percent of Americans live in rural areas, but 55 percent of all road fatalities happened in the country.
• 1 Comments

• Governors Prioritize Employing People with Disabilities
• Mar 11, 2013
• The nation’s governors have turned their attention to helping more people with disabilities find jobs by building partnerships with companies that are willing to help accommodate them.
• 1 Comments