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A federal appeals court ruling found part of the law "most likely unconstitutional."
State tax revenue in the last fiscal year fell $253 million short of Gov. Chris Christie's projections.
A judge says Montana must change the way it executes prisoners after ruling that the current method is unconstitutional.
Suicide-related deaths have actually risen after falling in the 1990s.
A giant federal tobacco tax hike has spurred a historic drop in smoking, especially among teens, poor people and those dependent on government health insurance.
Howard Koh, U.S. assistant secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services, will announce a White House-backed nationwide push to get campuses everywhere to enact tobacco-free policies.
Virginia is the only state that allows families to avoid government intrusion once they are given permission to opt out of public school for religious reasons, according to a report from the University of Virginia’s School of Law.
Thousands of vehicles are repeatedly blowing through Maryland E-ZPass lanes without an E-ZPass transponder, and the state is doing little to collect the millions of dollars in unpaid tolls
Camden, N.J., is piloting a new program that maps out abandoned buildings for hazards to increase safety for first responders and nearby businesses.
A new report emphasizes collaboration between state agencies and local partners.
Seven more states have applied for No Child Left Behind waivers.
Federal agents arrested Trenton, N.J., Mayor Tony Mack Monday morning for allegedly collecting nearly $120,000 in bribes related to a parking garage project.
Initiative 1185 on the November ballot would reimpose an existing law requiring a two-thirds vote in the state House and Senate, or voter approval, to boost taxes.
The Chicago Teachers Union is on strike for the first time in 25 years. Find out why and what this means for the mayor, the union and the students.
The walkout sets up a political minefield for both Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis.
The November presidential election, widely expected to rest on a final blitz of advertising and furious campaigning, may also hinge nearly as much on last-minute legal battles over when and how ballots should be cast and counted, particularly if the race remains tight in battleground states.
After an all-day negotiating session Sunday, the city and its teachers union failed to reach an agreement to prevent a strike. Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis said the two sides are close on teacher compensation but the union has serious concerns about the cost of health benefits, the makeup of the teacher evaluation system and job security.
It's also the only large U.S. city to earn "platinum status" from the League of American Bicyclists.
On Election Day, Montana residents will vote on a measure that would ban the state or the federal government from ordering Montanans to purchase health insurance.
Architects of the pioneering 2006 Massachusetts health law, which required most residents to have insurance, expected it would reduce families’ medical debt. But the most recent data suggest the scope of medical debt has remained largely unchanged.
As state officials lambaste the Tennessee Virtual Academy for low achievement scores and discuss new oversight methods, the school’s management company is facing an investigation in Florida, overcoming a list of citations issued in Georgia and recovering from reports of poor results in many of its schools.
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who has called for scrapping President Barack Obama's 2010 U.S. healthcare law, said that he likes key parts of "Obamacare" despite his party's loathing of it and wants to retain them.
Budgeting is about flexibility, while political campaigns increasingly seem to be about taking it away.
States are anxious to use federal data for other human services programs, but the IRS has prohibited it.
The Arizona Supreme Court upheld a ruling Thursday that would allow primary voters to vote for any candidate regardless of party affiliation, the Arizona Republic reported.
Friday's jobs report marks a year of declining local government employment. Some, though, think the end of cuts is near.
The Justice Department says disabled youngsters have been forced to live in nursing homes in violation of their civil rights.
Chicago Public Schools put in place a contingency plan listing 144 schools that would provide limited services to students affected by a possible teachers strike next week.
The governor of New York delivered a stemwinder of a speech that intensified speculation about his White House ambitions for 2016.
Isaac has revived calls from local politicians to bolster the system to include areas outside the city's protective circle.
Some experts say the new 85 mph speed limit is likely to result in more traffic-related deaths. Only one other state, Utah, allows motorists to drive 80 mph, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association.
A change in how the federal government calculates royalties from offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico could cost Alabama at least $7.5 million.
Can a charismatic liberal Democratic governor from a small blue state with a history of raising taxes win the presidency? Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley looks certain to test that proposition in 2016.
David M. Rogers, a Cambridge lawyer, narrowly won a three-way Democratic primary for the 24th Middlesex District House race, one of several closely watched legislative contests across Massachusetts.
Gov. Jan Brewer signed a bill that added seven primary chemicals commonly used in the designer drug known as bath salts to the banned-substances list. But police say the law has done little to curb the growing number of incidents involving people high on bath salts.
State Superintendent Larry Shumway plans to retire after three years as Utah’s top education official -- a time marked by debates over academic standards and testing and a recession that strained schools here and nationwide.
District of Columbia police aim to work with developers to design safe environments that prevent crime.
Economic development corporations weigh in on New York City’s plans to outsource management of its costliest technology projects.
Some have expanded access to social services for homeless minors, but many still cycle them through the legal system.
Boston's Tom Menino may be an "urban mechanic," but he's taking that concept to new and exciting levels.
Los Angeles and other cities are barred by the U.S. Constitution from randomly seizing and destroying property the homeless temporarily leave unattended on city streets, a federal appeals court decided.
The Michigan Supreme Court ordered three challenged ballot proposals onto the Nov. 6 ballot, but blocked a fourth -- a proposal to authorize eight more Michigan casinos.
A federal judge in Manhattan found a “substantial likelihood” that the city and state violated federal law in cutting back Medicaid-financed care for hundreds of New Yorkers.
At a convention fixated on the potential of even minor officeholders, it is California Att. Gen. Kamala Harris, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa -- and to a lesser extent Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom -- who are in demand.
One of the last major barriers to implementing a controversial portion of Arizona's immigration law fell when a federal judge decided not to impose a new injunction on the so-called "show me your papers" provision.
The Chicago mayor's move to help Priorities USA Action, one of a new breed of super PACs that can raise unlimited contributions, was marked by interesting timing at both the national and local levels.
Voter turnout will likely be low. Only 15 percent of registered voters in the state are expected to vote.
Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino criticized Mitt Romney’s record as governor of Massachusetts and called earnestly for President Obama’s reelection.
A panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit of Appeals issued a stay of a ruling by federal District Judge Robert Jones that would have kept the none option off the ballot.
For more than 40 years, New Hampshire has been in a class of states, including Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas and Alabama, that must submit some or all their election laws to the Civil Rights Division at the Justice Department for review before any changes can take effect.
In a victory for companies involved in politics, a federal appeals court rejected part of a Minnesota campaign finance law that it says overburdens corporations that want to spend money to influence elections.
After a decade of quietly building behind-the-scenes influence, Indian Americans are entering public and political life in record numbers.
In considering whether some strip clubs should be exempt from sales taxes, the New York Court of Appeals is tackling an unusual subject: whether lap dancing constitutes an art form.
The state’s new residency check system may be an answer to other states thinking about the same verification issues.
When account balances reach zero, service is suspended, potentially putting vulnerable populations at risk.
The state will appeal a ruling that declared unconstitutional a 3 percent deduction from school employee pay to support post-retirement health care.
Jerry Sandusky, the longtime defensive coordinator under revered football coach Joe Paterno, was convicted of 45 charges involving 10 sex-abuse victims.
San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro showed Tuesday why some Democrats are comparing him to another once-obscure but powerful keynote speaker: President Barack Obama. He unleashed a head-on attack against Mitt Romney while telling his own personal story as the grandson of a Mexican immigrant maid whose hard work paved the way for his political and legal career.
Secretary of State Al Jaeger announced that the fraudulent signatures have disqualified the proposed state conservation fund measure and medical marijuana initiatives from the ballot.
Under the policy, federal waivers would allow states to test new approaches to improving employment among low-income families. In exchange, states would have to prove that their new methods are effective, or lose the waivers.
A federal judge found that Florida’s rule classifying students according to their parents’ undocumented immigration status violates the Constitution’s equal protection provision.
U.S. health officials have sent warnings to 39 other countries that their citizens who stayed in Yosemite National Park tent cabins this summer may have been exposed to a deadly mouse-borne hantavirus.
Republicans used control of the State Legislature to redraw congressional districts in their favor, leading two House Democrats to retire and putting another two in serious jeopardy.
Governor Deval Patrick said that Mitt Romney “talks a lot about all the things he’s fixed, but I can tell you Massachusetts wasn’t one of them."
Democrat Rob Krupicka decisively wona low-turnout, three-candidate special election to fill the unexpired term of former state delegate David L. Englin.
Texas officials are investigating whether Xerox Corp. allowed dentists to bill millions of dollars in Medicaid payments for work that shouldn't have been covered by Medicaid.
No marijuana dispensary has received final approval to open for business, despite years of planning and review.
Seventeen candidates of Asian heritage are running for Congress. Their numbers indicate a growing political confidence.
The new plan calls for gang, narcotics and patrol officers to saturate so-called conflict zones to combat the soaring homicide rate, which is up about 31 percent compared with a year earlier.
After losing a hard-fought primary election campaign, state Sen. Jean Schodorf said that she is leaving the Republican Party.
The state of Ohio must allow in-person early voting during the last three days before the Nov. 6 election, a federal judge ruled in support of a lawsuit filed by President Obama's re-election campaign.
Central Falls, in Rhode Island, is close to emerging from bankruptcy with a plan that hammers its retired municipal employees but leaves bondholders unscathed, in a contrast with other recent U.S. municipal bankruptcies.
The Metropolitan Police Department. Chief Cathy L. Lanier is embedding police commanders with developers in the belief that the way things are built can influence the behaviors of criminals and potential victims, much as speed bumps can slow cars.
As the Democratic National Convention prepares to open, Antonio Villaraigosa, chairman of the gathering, is in a frenzy.
The world famous bridge, once called the Eighth Wonder of the World and now on the National Register of Historic Places, is deteriorating in the harsh salt and sun environment.
The Charlotte police force, about 1,700 officers strong, is beefing up its presence by bringing in 2,300 reinforcements from across the country.
John Burton brought up Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels as he denounced Republican inaccuracies, causing a stir ahead of the Democratic National Convention's opening.
The ex-Florida governor's speech looks as much like a launch event for his political comeback as it does an earnest plea for middle-of-the-road voters to support Obama.
National Democratic leaders sought an all-out push for the Hispanic vote this fall.
Data shows total law enforcement staff and per capita rates.
As exchange planning winds down, states still have to figure out contracts and funding for these public outreach entities.
Plus: When cuts come to cops, and more management news
The number has grown so big that Gov. Jay Nixon said he will reconvene a panel that spent months studying tax credits two years ago, hoping to light a fire under lawmakers for changes next year.
A judge denied a request by Detroit's largest police union for an injunction against pay cuts and work rule changes Mayor Dave Bing's administration imposed in July.
North Carolina union leaders are eager to use the convention to highlight for a broad audience the struggles facing organized labor in the South.
Nine of the 12 states identified in the USA TODAY/Gallup swing state poll have Republican governors, and nearly all of them received some kind of aid from Romney and his Free & Strong America PAC while they were running for office.
A New York City zoning law designed to keep adult entertainment businesses away from schools, churches and residential neighborhoods was deemed unconstitutional by a New York state judge
Harvard University is investigating 125 students accused of collaborating on a spring take-home final exam, in what could prove to be the largest Ivy League cheating scandal in recent memory.
New data indicates no significant shift toward consolidation has occurred in recent years.
Unlike California's well-known attempt to build a bullet train, a company in Texas says it can bring high-speed rail to the state at no cost to taxpayers.
The city built a solar-powered, not-so-private restroom that deters illegal activity.
A three-judge panel ruled against a Texas law that would require voters to present photo IDs to election officials before being allowed to cast ballots in November.
With passage of new public safety broadband legislation earlier this year, the federal government is trying put the brakes on these projects to ensure they fit in with the emerging national network – and in some cases that’s spurring frustration.
All told, 213 schools are now labeled underperforming in some way, compared to more than 1,000 under No Child Left Behind.
The Lone Star state is one of many trying to combat human trafficking and help its victims with state programs.
Now, only California is ranked lower than Illinois by Standard & Poor's. But unlike Illinois, California has been given a "positive outlook."
With Harrisburg city government facing more than $13 million in red ink, a Commonwealth Court judge ordered city council to double the city's earned income tax, starting in September.
New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez was given a a prime-time slot at the convention as the GOP struggles to boost its standing among Latino voters.
The case count in 2012 -- now totaling 1,590, including 66 deaths, is the highest number of West Nile virus disease cases reported through the last week in August ever.
In a chat with the website Reddit, President Obama called for serious look at a constitutional amendment to reverse the Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling.
Gov. Sandoval said he plans to spend between now and Election Day making the case that Romney and vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan offer Hispanics their best chance of realizing the American dream.
About 7,000 students will attend the first classes in the state's new Education Achievement Authority, created last year in an effort to transform the state's worst performing schools into successful ones.
The Chicago Teachers Union filed a 10-day strike notice that moved the city closer to its first teacher walkout in 25 years and left the district racing to finalize a plan if more than 402,000 students are locked out of the classroom.
Questions still remain about whether states can deny driver's licenses and other benefits covered under Arizona Gov. Brewer's order.
A contrite director of the Oregon Department of Revenue appeared before a legislative committee and apologized repeatedly for dropping the ball on a fraudulent $2.1 million tax refund.
Increase is partly due to a new survey method, but home grown reforms haven’t fixed the problem.
View interactive maps showing each county's population figures for baby boomers and other age groups.
Despite their aesthetic, economic and safety benefits, trees are disappearing from city sidewalks. Why?
The campus throws academics, nonprofits and businesses together to facilitate the constant and intense interaction required to bring research breakthroughs to market.
For all their charts and graphs, CAFRs don’t tell public officials -- or the public -- anything about fiscal sustainability or whether a locality’s finances might be trending south.
The assembly-line approach in delivering services has its place, but there’s danger when risk aversion permeates a government.
Voters registering to vote at the polls in November will be able to display a utility bill or bank statement on their smartphone or computer screen to prove their address, state election officials decided.
Gov. Mark Dayton is asking the federal government to let Minnesota push ahead with a local version of Medicaid reform that could save the state $151 million over the next five years.
States are trying a variety of reforms, most of which give public workers financial incentives to be healthy.
A federal judicial panel derailed the Texas redistricting plan, finding the maps violate the Voting Rights Act by diluting minority voting strength and discriminating against Hispanics and African Americans.
U.S. Rep. Jeff Flake handily won the Republican primary in the race to replace retiring Sen. Jon Kyl, setting up a general-election race with former U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona that is expected to be much more competitive.
Chris Christie introduced himself to the nation Tuesday night, delivering a Republican National Convention speech that went light on references to Mitt Romney and instead focused on the New Jersey governor’s tenure in office, governing philosophy and his belief in the importance of being respected instead of loved.
Republican- and Democratic-controlled states alike have reduced or largely eliminated dental coverage for adults on Medicaid, and the situation is not likely to improve under President Obama’s health care overhaul: it requires dental coverage for children only.
The fate of New Orleans rests largely on a web of pumps and outfall canals capable of pumping massive amounts of water from city streets. The pumps are part of a $14-billion U.S. Army Corps of Engineers overhaul of the hurricane protection system launched after Hurricane Katrina.
Nathan Deal joins a handful of Republican governors, including Rick Perry of Texas and Rick Scott of Florida, in rejecting the expansion.
State election officials plan to look at the histories of voters who participated in the Republican primary in Davidson County this month to help determine if voters were routinely given the GOP ballot by default.
With the start of school just a week away, 2,500 teachers have been called back to work at Detroit Public Schools, months after the district's entire faculty was laid off.
Gov. Pat Quinn vetoed a major gambling expansion, setting up a post-election session in which new casinos could be tied to reforms of the state's out-of-whack government worker retirement system.
A private banker has an idea for "rentalizing" upfront costs when agencies consolidate and move into smaller office space.
The Huntsville, Ala., school district is testing out the idea on 20 school buses where students spend nearly two hours a day.
The White House announced new regulations that should save Americans money and cut carbon emissions.
The state is encouraging residents to abide by four healthy behaviors and monitor four health measures. Now all it has to do is convince people to follow the plan.
Recalls have been on the rise. But after Gov. Scott Walker survived his election, two other high-profile recall attempts failed in Michigan and California.
A dozen states are debating whether they should and how they could tax cloud computing services.
Voters in the Atlanta region rejected a ballot measure to raise sales taxes by a penny to fund some $6 billion in transportation projects.
Map shows age group statistics and the oldest U.S. counties.
Drug abuse is a common problem in child neglect cases. An Arizona program treats parents who risk losing their kids.
They hold tremendous influence -- more than half the voting-age population is now over 45 -- but baby boomers and their role at the polls are a bit hard to pin down.
The parks, which feature low-impact exercise equipment designed for adults, started abroad and are just now taking off in the United States.
The strategy involves partnering with other agencies and nonprofits to improve convenience for individual riders, especially seniors, and achieve cost savings at the same time.
The wave of boomer retirees will transform the way cities look, from the way they grow and sprawl to minutiae such as curb heights and the fonts on street signs.
It can give residents a way to show their support for projects they care about and save the taxpayers money.
In contrast to some states’ anti-immigration policies, a few cities are actively trying to attract immigrants to boost their own economies.
The baby boom generation is about to retire, and it has vastly different wants, needs, likes and dislikes than the generations before them.
The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that proposed constitutional amendments on photo ID and same-sex marriage will go to voters in words chosen by Republican supporters in the Legislature.
Federal officials are urging Maryland and its powerful health industry to build on the state's unique hospital rate-setting system to develop sweeping cost controls that could be used as a model for other states.
The state wants to end federal oversight of its elections.
A federal judge in Ohio has blocked an unusual state election law that calls for throwing out thousands of provisional ballots that are cast in the wrong precinct, even when the voter goes to the right polling place.
The Obama administration blocked the law in December, its latest attempt to stop a wave of laws in Republican-controlled states that require voters to show certain forms of photo ID at the polls.
Based on a Congressional mandate put in place after Hurricane Katrina, the corps would have to examine alternatives to expensive repairs, including razing the village and allowing the area to flood.
Camden City Council approved a $100,000 contract with a former state police major it ousted last year.
At least one Member will find out tonight that he will not be returning to Capitol Hill next Congress, and the table will be set on races that Democrats and Republicans in Washington, D.C., will be paying close attention to this fall.
It's designed to help those who have exhausted other options for complying with Pennsylvania's new voter ID law.
As police look for a solution to the gun violence that plagues Chicago, the numbers help investigators identify the paths guns take from being sold legally to being carried illegally or used in crimes.