• Court's Refusal to Hear Gun Case Could Lead to Strict Concealed-Carry Limits in Illinois
• Source: Chicago Tribune   |   Illinois   |   April 16, 2013
• Gov. Pat Quinn and Attorney General Lisa Madigan both suggested that the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to turn down an appeal of New York's tough gun law could boost Illinois lawmakers' attempts to set strict limits on who gets to carry concealed weapons.

• Minnesota Lawmakers to See 1st Pay Raise in 15 Years
• Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune   |   Minnesota   |   April 16, 2013
• The Minnesota Senate is set to approve salary increases for legislators and the governor, who have had their pay frozen since 1999.
• 3 Comments

• Judge Blocks Closure of Only Abortion Clinic in Mississippi
• Source: Clarion-Ledger   |   Mississippi   |   April 16, 2013
• The ruling prevents the state from closing the clinic while it has a federal lawsuit pending to challenge a 2012 law requiring the clinic’s physicians to have hospital privileges.

• Bill to Repeal City-Run School District Ban Sent to Tennessee Governor
• Source: Tennessean   |   Tennessee   |   April 16, 2013
• A bill headed to the governor's desk would let Tennessee cities once again set up their own districts, provided they meet size requirements and have been approved by local voters.

• Oregon Gov. Kitzhaber Wants Public Buy-In for Any Sales Tax Reform
• Source: Oregonian   |   Oregon   |   April 16, 2013
• The governor wants to find out where the public thinks the tax code is broken and tailor a new one to fix it.

• Arizona Gov. Brewer's Budget Axes Public-Defender Funds
• Source: Arizona Republic   |   Arizona   |   April 16, 2013
• Gov. Jan Brewer’s budget proposal would permanently end state aid to indigent defendants while keeping the prosecutors’ portion of the program in place.
• 2 Comments

• Ohio's Oil Dream Fades as Drillers Pack Up
• Source: Bloomberg   |   Ohio   |   April 16, 2013
• Four of the biggest stakeholders in untapped deposits known as the Utica Shale have put up all or part of their acreage for sale, as prices fall by a third in some cases.

• 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

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