Stateline

Recent Articles

• DNA's Role in Police Cases Disputed in Courts
• Aug 7, 2012
• Taking DNA samples from suspects immediately upon arrest is an increasingly common law enforcement practice. But some courts have ruled it unconstitutional.

• General Assistance Program Comes to an End in Pennsylvania
• Aug 6, 2012
• Pennsylvania became the latest state to end its general assistance program, revoking benefits for nearly 70,000 of its citizens after a one-month extension ran out Aug. 1.

• Dire Warnings in Alabama Budget Vote
• Aug 3, 2012
• Hospitals and nursing homes shutting their doors. Doctors fleeing the state. Prisons closing and thousands of inmates walking free. That is the doomsday scenario being sketched by officials at the highest levels of Alabama government.

• With Drillers at the Door, Some Towns Say ‘Keep Out’
• Aug 3, 2012
• An oil drilling rig is set up on the outskirts of a neighborhood in Frederick, Colorado. No longer confined to remote lands, oil and gas companies are increasingly entering populated areas. In nearby Longmont, the city council has tried to ban drilling near residences.

• '3-Strikes' Bill Sent Back to Massachusetts Legislature
• Jul 30, 2012
• Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick told lawmakers that he supports a “three-strikes” policy for criminal sentencing, but only with a “safety value” that would give judges get more flexibility.
• 1 Comments

• Incumbents Losing at Higher Rate in State Races
• Jul 30, 2012
• Though incumbents continue to hold vast advantages over political newcomers, entrenched legislators in 2012 are losing primaries at a higher rate than they did in 2010, according to a Ballotpedia study.

• States Reconsider Juvenile Life Sentences in Wake of Supreme Court Ruling
• Jul 27, 2012
• The Supreme Court ruled that mandatory life without parole for juveniles convicted of murder is unconstitutional. But the court left little guidance for states on what to do next.

• 'School Choice' Programs Have Limited Choices
• Jul 26, 2012
• A Stateline analysis found that students who participate in state 'School Choice' programs actually have very limited choices.

• 9 States Address Military Spouses' Unemployment
• Jul 25, 2012
• Governor Bev Perdue signed legislation aimed at helping military spouses land jobs after they arrive at military bases, making North Carolina the ninth state this year to enact a law addressing the issue.
• 3 Comments

• Alabama Immigration Law Enforcement Off to a Slow Start
• Jul 23, 2012
• Alabama is off to a slow start in rolling out its law requiring police to check the immigration status of suspects. But it is ahead of the other states, including Arizona, that approved similar measures.
• 1 Comments

• States Consider HHS Welfare Waivers Proposal
• Jul 20, 2012
• The U.S. Health and Human Services Department announced it would grant states waivers to give greater flexibility in their TANF (commonly known as welfare) programs that financially support poor Americans as they look for work.

• Sports Concussion Laws Are a Headache for States
• Jul 20, 2012
• Youth in 38 states who show signs of concussion will no longer be returned to play without clearance from a health care professional. But which professionals are truly qualified to make that call?
• 1 Comments

• College Mergers Bring Big Changes But Questionable Savings
• Jul 18, 2012
• Merging colleges is usually a last resort. And yet a few states, constrained by the lackluster economy and tight budgets, are reluctantly traveling down that road.

• Romney's VP List Includes Several Governors
• Jul 17, 2012
• Mitt Romney is expected to soon announce his pick for a running mate, and several governors remain on the short list of possibilities.

• Report: State Fracking Regulation Laws Need Overhaul
• Jul 17, 2012
• Most states aren’t doing enough to ensure the water safety and health of communities near gas wells where hydraulic fracking takes place, according to a new report by a Washington, D.C.-based research and advocacy group.