• Supreme Court Declines to Hear Challenge to New York Gun Law
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Nation   |   April 15, 2013
• The Supreme Court declined to hear a Second Amendment challenge to a New York law that strictly limits who can carry a gun in public, leaving states and cities, at least for now, with broad authority to regulate guns outside of homes.

• Say Goodbye to Welfare?
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Pennsylvania   |   April 15, 2013
• Pennsylvania is one of just two states in the nation that still use the word welfare in the name of the massive agency that serves mainly the elderly, disabled, and children.
• 1 Comments

• Unions Seek New Ways to Combat Declining Membership
• BY: Stateline   |   Nation   |   April 15, 2013
• No longer in denial about its dwindling numbers and diminished political power, organized labor unions are exploring new, potentially risky approaches for growing their memberships.
• 6 Comments

• Denver Mayor's Plan to Phase-In Marijuana Unfair, Critics Say
• Source: Denver Post   |   Denver   |   April 15, 2013
• A state task force recommended a one-year phase-in period, but a state committee later reduced it to three months. And now Mayor Michael Hancock says the city should impose a two-year wait.

• Christie's Revived Tax-Cut Plan Targets High Property Taxes
• Source: AP/Newark Star-Ledger   |   New Jersey   |   April 15, 2013
• At the end of a four-year phase-in, households earning up to $400,000 would receive an income tax credit equivalent to 10 percent of their property tax bill. Last year, New Jersey homeowners paid had the nation's highest average property tax bill of $7,900.

• Paid Sick Leave Gaining Momentum in Massachusetts
• Source: Boston Globe   |   Nation   |   April 15, 2013
• A nearly decade-long effort to require Massachusetts employers to offer paid sick days is gaining momentum as lawmakers pass similar proposals across the country.

• Citing Cost, Some States Dropping GED Test
• Source: AP/Atlanta Journal-Constitution   |   Nation   |   April 15, 2013
• Several dozen states are looking for an alternative to the GED high school equivalency test because of concerns that a new version coming out next year is more costly and will no longer be offered in a pencil and paper format.

• New Jersey's 2011 Pension Reform Spurs Savings
• Source: Newark Star-Ledger   |   New Jersey   |   April 15, 2013
• While local pension costs will grow in the new state budget, the bill would be $540 million higher without reforms that forced public employees to pick up a greater share of the pension costs and stopped cost of living adjustment for retirees.
• 1 Comments

• Focus on Standardized Testing Leads to 'Opt-Out' Movement
• Source: Washington Post   |   Nation   |   April 15, 2013
• A decade into the school accountability movement, pockets of resistance to standardized testing are sprouting up around the country, with parents and students opting out of the high-stakes tests used to evaluate schools and teachers.

• Alaska Legislature OKs Tax Cut for Oil Companies
• Source: Alaska Public Media   |   Alaska   |   April 15, 2013
• After years of fighting for it, Gov. Sean Parnell has gotten his major legislative priority through: a reduction of the state’s oil tax rate.

• Illinois GOP Attempts to Oust Chairman Who Supports Gay Marriage
• Source: Chicago Tribune   |   Illinois   |   April 15, 2013
• Illinois Republican Chairman Pat Brady survived a move to immediately oust him as party chairman over his support for same-sex marriage, but top state GOP leaders approved a succession strategy that could find him replaced within the next six weeks.

• Fitch: Kentucky's Pension Reform Still Has Uncertainty
• BY: Liz Farmer   |   Kentucky   |   April 12, 2013
• Kentucky’s pension reform signed into law this month marks a positive step but should not be heralded as a cure-all to the state’s massive underfunding problem, a major ratings agency said Friday.
• 1 Comments

• California Governor Courts Chinese Investment in High-Speed Rail Project
• BY: McClatchy News   |   California   |   April 12, 2013
• China spent 77.6 billion on overseas investments last year. Governor Jerry Brown would like to see them contribute funds to California's troubled high-speed rail project, which faces a shortfall of 55 billion.

• California's Bid to End Prison Oversight Denied in Federal Court
• BY: McClatchy News   |   April 12, 2013
• A three-judge federal court on Thursday rejected Gov. Jerry Brown's attempt to avoid the court's order to reduce California's prison population. They also threatened to find state officials in contempt if they do not further reduce prison populations.

• Is a Lieutenant Governor Necessary? Illinois Doesn't Think So.
• Source: Chicago Tribune   |   Illinois   |   April 12, 2013
• The Illinois House approved a measure that would ask voters whether to eliminate the job of lieutenant governor. The bill's sponsor says the job is a "luxury" that the cash-strapped state cannot afford.
• 2 Comments

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Comments

• U.S. AG Holder, Gov. Brownback Spar over Kansas' New Gun Law
  
  "RE: your response to me - I understand your confusion. Our tendency to devalue historical..."
• Motorcycle Deaths Rise as States Rethink Helmet Laws
  
  "How many more lives would be saved if automobile riders would wear helmets. We are talking..."
• Colorado Becomes 14th State to Offer Undocumented Immigrants In-State Tuition
  
  "Finally, while I do agree with you that people who cheat the system should not be given..."
• Felons' Voting Rights Could Impact 2012 Election
  
  "well that exulated quickly......"
• Supreme Court to Reexamine Church-State Separation at Government Meetings
  
  "There is everything in the constituation that says laws may not be written such that your..."

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