Violations of the Texas Open Meetings Act and Public Information Act are hardly capital crimes; until recently, the rules were rarely even enforced ["The Endless Struggle Over Open Meetings," December 1997].

The ever-changing state flag of Georgia may finally have a settled design. Voters in March overwhelmingly approved a flag proposed by the legislature last year, closing years of controversy over a Confederate emblem.

A $1.1 billion unfunded liability in San Diego's pension system has prompted bond-rating downgrades and an investigation of possible city violations of federal law.

Budget-balancing acts dominated muni bond issuance in 2003. But debt was also used creatively to solve more traditional problems.