• Child Welfare Bills Signed by Colorado Gov. Hickenlooper
• Source: Denver Post   |   Colorado   |   May 15, 2013
• The bills address a number of issues within the child welfare system, including expanding the number of case-specific child fatality reviews and creating a statewide hotline for reporting suspected child abuse or neglect.

• Florida Legislators Pay Peanuts for Health Insurance
• Source: Miami Herald   |   Florida   |   May 15, 2013
• Florida House Republicans, who last month loudly and proudly rejected billions of dollars in federal money that would have provided health insurance to 1 million low-income people, pay less than the $25 a month they wanted to charge poor Floridians for basic coverage.
• 2 Comments

• Gov. Jerry Brown Unveils Cautious Budget for Deficit-Free California
• Source: Los Angeles Times   |   California   |   May 15, 2013
• Brown put lawmakers on notice that he had no desire to ratchet up spending despite a multibillion-dollar windfall of tax receipts in recent months.

• Anthony Weiner Hires Campaign Manager for NYC Mayoral Bid
• Source: Politico   |   New York City   |   May 15, 2013
• Anthony Weiner’s new campaign manager for his nascent mayoral bid is a recent Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee adviser who spent four months working on a failed Staten Island congressional race last year.

• Public Management and the Challenge of the Last Mile
• BY: Feather O'Connor Houstoun   |   May 15, 2013
• Sometimes even the best program design and execution fail to get a government service to a recipient who needs it. There are ways to overcome those final hurdles.
• 1 Comments

• Blunting the Politics of Public Assistance
• BY: Jonathan Walters   |   May 14, 2013
• An initiative in six states seeks to stabilize the health and well-being of low-income families.

• Florida Teacher Lawsuit Could Spread to Other States
• BY: Dylan Scott   |   May 14, 2013
• The lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the state's new teacher evaluation system was touted as the first of its kind, but it's unlikely to be the last.
• 6 Comments

• Florida Lawmakers Have Low Insurance Premiums Denied Medicaid Expansion
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Florida   |   May 14, 2013
• Florida House Republicans last month rejected billions of dollars in federal money that would have provided health insurance to 1 million poor Floridians while keeping their own health insurance premiums staggeringly low.

• Legislation Aims to Save State Mineral Revenues From Sequestration
• BY: Stateline   |   Nation   |   May 14, 2013
• Wyoming Republicans Sen. Mike Enzi and Rep. Cynthia Lummis plan to introduce bills next week allowing states to collect royalties directly from companies that develop oil, gas and coal on federal lands.

• Los Angeles Discovers $42.6 Million Lost Through Accounting Error
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Los Angeles, Calif.   |   May 14, 2013
• The money was found in a Transportation Department special fund, making officials wonder whether other misplaced money can be found.
• 2 Comments

• Vermont Passes Aid-in-Dying Bill
• Source: New England Cable News   |   Vermont   |   May 14, 2013
• The Vermont House voted Monday evening to make the state the first in the U.S. to legislate allowing physicians to provide lethal medication to terminally ill patients who request it.

• GOP States Struggle With Use of Budget Surpluses
• Source: AP/Yahoo   |   Nation   |   May 14, 2013
• Republicans who won control over state legislatures on principles of small government are facing pressure to spend budget surpluses on roads, schools and buildings that were cut or neglected during the recession.
• 2 Comments

• Kansas Legislature Seeks Changes to Judicial Nomination Process
• Source: AP/The Republic   |   Kansas   |   May 14, 2013
• Legislators who believe the Kansas Senate should have the power to confirm appellate court judges, including Supreme Court justices, have a new plan that they hope will get approved before lawmakers adjourn this year, an influential senator involved in drafting the measure said Monday.

• Alabama State Democratic Party Faces Financial Ruin
• Source: AL.com   |   Alabama   |   May 14, 2013
• Following a fight over the direction and control of the party that saw party chairman Mark Kennedy resign to form a new organization to be called the Alabama Democratic Majority, the new leader of the party announced at a meeting Monday that the party is broke and unable to pay it's bills.

• Minnesota Passes Same-Sex Marriage
• Source: The Minneapolis Star-Tribune   |   Minnesota   |   May 14, 2013
• The Minnesota Senate voted 37-30 to legalize same-sex marriage. The measure next moves to Gov. Mark Dayton, who will sign it in a ceremony at 5 p.m. today on the south steps of the Capitol.