Sustainable Communities

• Wisconsin Governor Signs Iron Mining Law
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Wisconsin   |   March 12, 2013
• Gov. Scott Walker has signed into law the controversial bill that relaxes permitting requirements for iron mining in the state. Lawsuits are expected to be filed against the state over the changes.

• Governors Prioritize Employing People with Disabilities
• BY: Stateline   |   Nation   |   March 11, 2013
• The nation’s governors have turned their attention to helping more people with disabilities find jobs by building partnerships with companies that are willing to help accommodate them.
• 1 Comments

• The Tools We Need to Help Poor Neighborhoods
• BY: Mark Funkhouser   |   March 11, 2013
• The Community Reinvestment Act doesn't always get at underlying economic issues. It's time to redesign it.
• 1 Comments

• 7 Rules for Colorado's New Marijuana Industry
• BY: Dylan Scott   |   March 11, 2013
• Pot vending machines? Perhaps, under new recommendations from a governor-appointed task force on regulating legalized marijuana.
• 10 Comments

• State Governments Continue Slashing Payrolls
• BY: Mike Maciag   |   March 8, 2013
• State governments cut 53,000 jobs over the past five months, with education employees being hardest hit.
• 2 Comments

• Wisconsin Passes Mining Bill, Groups Vow Lawsuits
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Wisconsin   |   March 8, 2013
• A newly passed bill in Wisconsin relaxes environmental and permitting regulations to pave the way for a new mining in the state. Several groups have vowed to fight new mining in court.

• Study: DREAM Acts Would be Economic Boon for States
• BY: J.B. Wogan   |   Nation   |   March 7, 2013
• When state lawmakers consider granting in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants, they tend to focus on strict university-related spending and tuition revenues. A new study finds that government and society would see a net economic benefit.
• 6 Comments

• California, on Brink of Recovery, Braces for Setback in Federal Aid
• Source: New York Times   |   California   |   March 6, 2013
• As the $85 billion in spending cuts slowly roll out nationwide, California officials are girding themselves for a blow not only to the state’s large military industry but also to its nascent economic recovery.

• California Governor Seeks to Spread State's Green Practices
• BY: McClatchy News   |   California   |   March 4, 2013
• California is a leader on the environment, but it needs other states -- and nations -- on board to keep down economic costs.

• Advancing the Debate: Why Legalize Sports Betting?
• BY: J.B. Wogan   |   March 4, 2013
• New Jersey passed a law to legalize sports betting at casinos and race tracks, which is already allowed in four states. But the feds and major sports leagues have been working to block it.
• 2 Comments

• Sports Betting Suffers Another Setback in New Jersey
• Source: AP/Newark Star-Ledger   |   New Jersey   |   March 1, 2013
• A federal judge upheld a 1992 law prohibiting sports wagering in 46 of 50 U.S. states, including New Jersey.

• Why States Keep Playing the Losing Tax-Incentive Game
• BY: William Fulton   |   March 2013
• Elected officials and experts aren’t sure if tax breaks actually create jobs. So why do they keep offering millions of dollars worth of subsidies to companies?

• Federalism from the Bottom Up
• BY: Peter Harkness   |   March 2013
• More than ever, the feds need states and local regions to take the lead in crafting promising new programs.

• Will the Next NYC Mayor Continue Bloomberg's Urban Planning Legacy?
• BY: Ryan Holeywell   |   March 2013
• Under Bloomberg, the cityscape has been reshaped in unprecedented ways.
• 7 Comments

• Muni Bond Tax Exemption Repeal Could Spike Borrowing Costs by 50%
• BY: Liz Farmer   |   Nation   |   February 28, 2013
• Total borrowing costs for cities, counties and states could increase by more than 50 percent if the tax-exempt status of municipal bonds is repealed as part of the ongoing budget talks on Capitol Hill, a new report has found.
• 4 Comments