• States' Seek Limits on Undisclosed Political Donations
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Nation   |   May 6, 2013
• States are trying to figure out ways to stem the tide of the secret money that played an unprecedented role in the 2012 election cycle. The first step is to force tax-exempt advocacy organizations and trade associations out of the shadows.

• States Make Needed Upgrades to Capitol Buildings
• BY: Stateline   |   Nation   |   May 6, 2013
• At least ten states are considering renovations to their capitol building. Though repairs and upgrades are expensive and can take years, more than two-thirds of the states have carried them out since 2000.

• U.S. Forest Service Asks States to Return Funds Due to Sequestration
• BY: Stateline   |   Nation   |   May 6, 2013
• The U.S. Forest Service has asked a dozen states to return $17.9 million in federal revenue-sharing funds, so the agency can meet its sequestration budget cut obligations.
• 2 Comments

• Texas Gov. Perry: NRA is Voice of Reason
• Source: Texas Tribune   |   Texas   |   May 6, 2013
• As members of the National Rifle Association gathered with a wide array of national figures in Houston, Rick Perry talked up Texas' gun-friendly nature and again called for weapons manufacturers to come to his state.
• 1 Comments

• Former Indiana Gov. Bowen Dies
• Source: Indianapolis Star   |   Indiana   |   May 6, 2013
• Otis “Doc” Bowen, the small-town doctor who succeeded in providing property tax relief as Indiana governor in the 1970s and then became one of the first federal officials to seek funds to battle the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, has died.

• New Jersey Seizes Affordable Housing Funds from Municipalities
• Source: Philadelphia Inquirer   |   New Jersey   |   May 6, 2013
• Amid objections from municipal officials and housing activists, the Christie administration has begun the process of seizing $150 million or more in subsidized housing money from municipalities around the state and is keeping a tight lid on its policy objectives.

• Prisons Test Crisis Intervention for Dealing with Mentally Ill
• Source: Raleigh News & Observer   |   North Carolina   |   May 6, 2013
• Over the past 25 years, crisis intervention team training has spread among law enforcement agencies across the country. Now it is being tested in the nation’s prisons, which have become the largest repositories for people with mental health problems.

• States Take Lead Regulating Compounding Pharmacies
• Source: Politico   |   Nation   |   May 6, 2013
• After a lack of congressional action after last fall's deadly meningitis outbreak, 15 states have taken up bills to step up the regulation of facilities like the one linked to the outbreak.

• Federal Funding for Cities' Anti-Terrorism Centers Dwindling
• Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel   |   Wisconsin   |   May 6, 2013
• The so-called fusion centers -- they sift intelligence about terrorism, determine threat levels, and investigate suspicious activity and potential crises -- have become a fixture in post-9-11 America. There are 78 centers nationwide.

• West Virginia to Expand Medicaid
• Source: Charleston Daily Mail   |   West Virginia   |   May 6, 2013
• Tens of thousands of West Virginians will soon be eligible for Medicaid coverage after Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin announced the state would expand its program under the federal health care overhaul.

• Florida Court Forces Police to Obtain Warrant for Cell-Phone Searches
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Florida   |   May 3, 2013
• The Florida Supreme Court, in a 5-2 decision, has ruled that police must obtain a search warrant to view the contents of a person's cellphone when they are taken into custody.
• 3 Comments

• Feds Seek Stronger Cybersecurity Partnerships with States
• BY: Stateline   |   Nation   |   May 3, 2013
• With cybersecurity legislation stalled in Congress, the White House is looking to partner with states to protect critical infrastructure from attacks.
• 1 Comments

• Thousands Denied Food Stamps When Tied to Assets
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Pennsylvania   |   May 3, 2013
• Advocates for the poor now say that by weeding out a relatively small number of people with too many assets, the Department of Public Welfare made getting food stamps so complicated that deserving low-income people became inundated by paperwork and lost their benefits.
• 2 Comments

• U.S. AG Holder, Gov. Brownback Spar over Kansas' New Gun Law
• Source: AP/Wichita Eagle   |   Kansas   |   May 3, 2013
• U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has told Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback that a new state law attempting to block federal regulation of some guns is unconstitutional and that the federal government is willing to go to court over the issue.
• 22 Comments

• As Amtrak Aid Ends, States Face Funding Decisions
• Source: New York Times   |   Nation   |   May 3, 2013
• Under pressure from Congress to reduce its dependence on federal subsidies, Amtrak is looking at either closing 28 short-haul routes or getting 19 states to cover the costs. Most of the states have already agreed to pick up the costs.

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• 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..."
• 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......"
• Motorcycle Deaths Rise as States Rethink Helmet Laws
  
  "How many more lives would be saved if automobile riders would wear helmets. We are talking..."
• 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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