Stateline

Recent Articles

• After Seeking to Abolish Income Taxes, Kansas and Oklahoma Settle for Cuts
• May 18, 2012
• Kansas may soon finish a large tax cut and Oklahoma is likely to approve a smaller one, but both will be short of some lawmakers’ initial aspirations: ending the income tax entirely.

• Delaware Gov. Markell Defends Common Core Standards
• May 18, 2012
• Delaware Governor Jack Markell defended the new Common Core English and math state standards, dismissing the contention that national benchmarks for what students should be learning are part of a “high-level conspiracy from the federal government” to impose its standards on states.

• States Rethink Trying Juveniles in Adult Court
• May 17, 2012
• In Colorado, prosecutors have had full power to try juvenile offenders in adult courts. Now the state is restricting that power.

• Longtime State Pension Chief Resigns, Calls 401(k) Experiment a 'Failure'
• May 16, 2012
• After more than two decades heading pension systems in Colorado and Kansas, Meredith Williams tells Stateline that Americans are woefully underprepared for retirement.
• 5 Comments

• Public Employees May Choose Between Raises and Job Protections
• May 14, 2012
• State employees in a number of states are expecting to soon see their first pay bumps in years. But for workers in Arizona and Virginia, those bonuses or salary increases may come with conditions.
• 8 Comments

• States Scramble to Regulate, Ban Fracking
• May 9, 2012
• As natural gas drilling expands throughout the country, states are trying to balance economic and environmental interests. Finding agreement isn’t easy, Stateline.org reports.

• Should Drug Court Be Mandatory?
• May 3, 2012
• Would a mandatory program for treating drug-addicted nonviolent offenders help or ensnare more people in the criminal justice system?
• 1 Comments

• Prescription Drug Databases Pit Access vs. Privacy
• May 2, 2012
• Balancing patient privacy rights and law enforcement’s access to prescription drug databases proves a difficult task, reports Stateline.org.
• 1 Comments

• Courthouse Upgrades Hampered by Political Controversies
• May 2, 2012
• Many courthouses around the country are in dreadful physical shape. But spending the money to replace them can be a politically dicey proposition, Stateline.org reports.

• Natural Gas-Powered Vehicles a Priority for Some Governors
• May 1, 2012
• A group of 13 governors is hoping to interest automakers in a plan aimed at boosting demand for vehicles powered by compressed natural gas.

• States Struggle to Slow Tuition Increases
• May 1, 2012
• While average college tuition increased in every state in 2011, early returns suggest the number won’t be that high in 2012. But in some states, it's only going to get worse, reports Stateline.org.
• 1 Comments

• Why Are Fewer Moms Applying for WIC When Food-Stamp Use is so High?
• Apr 30, 2012
• You might expect that a federal program to help needy mothers buy food for their children would be seeing increased participation these days. But the opposite is true.

• Community College Completion Measured Differently by States
• Apr 30, 2012
• A new tool released by the College Board shows that states differ widely in how they track community college completion.

• Digital Textbooks Gaining Traction in States
• Apr 23, 2012
• Despite enthusiasm for digital textbooks at the national level, states have been slow to get on board. But the movement is gaining strength, according to Stateline.org

• Coal States Uncertain of Industry's Future
• Apr 20, 2012
• This is an unsettling time for states whose economies revolve around coal. But the future may not be as bleak as doomsayers predict, reports Stateline.org.
• 4 Comments