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Bentley calls for cuts to government, funding and reform for schools
By Brian Lyman, Montgomery Advertiser
Gov. Robert Bentley called Tuesday night for new economic development legislation and special tax credits for teachers, while promising to protect Public Safety, the Department of Corrections and the Department of Human Resources from potentially steep cuts in the state's General Fund.
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Bentley calls for cuts to government, funding and reform for schools
By Brian Lyman, Montgomery Advertiser
Gov. Robert Bentley called Tuesday night for new economic development legislation and special tax credits for teachers, while promising to protect Public Safety, the Department of Corrections and the Department of Human Resources from potentially steep cuts in the state's General Fund.
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Governor honors Carson Tinker in State of the State
By The Associated Press, Montgomery Advertiser
Former Alabama long snapper Carson Tinker received a standing ovation as Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley held him up as an example of strength in the face of adversity during his Tuesday evening "State of the State" address.
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Immigration the 'must see' political fight of 2012 session
By George Talbot, Mobile Register
There will be conflict over charter schools, a rumble over redistricting and a battle royale over the state budget. But perhaps no debate in the new session of the Alabama Legislature involves bigger stakes than the effort to revise the state's immigration law.
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Alaska Senate plans generic oil tax bill, at first
By Becky Bohrer, The Associated Press, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
The Alaska Senate is planning to unveil a generic oil tax bill this week, leaving to the committee process the job of finding problems in the proposal and working out solutions.
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Sullivan- No philosophical change with statement
By Austin Baird, Anchorage Daily News
A state commissioner on Tuesday tried to allay criticism from Alaska conservation groups and some lawmakers who say proposed changes to the Department of Natural Resources' mission statement indicates a pro-development bent.
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Next step in coastal zone effort unclear
By Becky Bohrer, The Associated Press, Anchorage Daily News
Senate President Gary Stevens said Tuesday that he thinks the last coastal management bill passed by the Senate would be considered substantially similar to the program set out by a proposed ballot initiative.
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Treadwell- Petition meets signature requirements
By The Associated Press, The Juneau Empire
Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell says an initiative that would establish a coastal management program in Alaska appears to have qualified for this year's ballot.
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Coastal Management cost estimates challenged
By Pat Forgey, The Juneau Empire
Juneau Mayor Bruce Botelho told a legislative committee Monday the Parnell administration significantly overstated the cost of restoring the Coastal Management program in Alaska.
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Alaska could see savings with pension deposit, analyst says
By Becky Bohrer, The Associated Press, Anchorage Daily News
The state could save $5.3 billion in payments to Alaska's troubled public employees' retirement system by putting $2 billion into a reserve fund now, a legislative fiscal analyst said Wednesday.
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Supreme Court hears Point Thomson case
By The Associated Press, Anchorage Daily News
Alaska's procedures for dealing with companies that buy oil leases but don't develop them were debated Wednesday in a case before the state Supreme Court.
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Arizona loses out on $1.9 billion
By Mar Jo Pitzl, The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)
Arizona has lost an estimated $1.9 billion over the last decade because it doesn't tax online sales, a study commissioned by the Arizona Retailers Association said.
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GOP senators meet behind closed doors
By The Associated Press, The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)
Republican state senators got a closed-door briefing on Gov. Jan Brewer's proposal to change the state government's personnel system.
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Ind. lawmaker says school bus fees increase risk
By The Associated Press, Northwest Indiana Times (Munster)
Indiana's public school districts wouldn't be able to end school bus service for their students under a proposal advancing in the General Assembly after protests from parents in a suburban Indianapolis district who now face annual bills of more than $400 a child for rides to and from school.
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Bill would allow troubled schools to get help quicker
By Brittany Smith, Cronkite News Service
Allowing education officials to immediately assign schools failing grades under Arizona's new system for measuring performance would allow troubled schools to get help faster, a state lawmaker contends.
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Abortion opponents lack follow-up
By E.J. Montini, The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)
I got a call from a reader Wednesday who remembered seeing me at the state Capitol in 1988 on the day the Arizona House voted on a bill to ban abortion.
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Brewer files SB1070 appeal in Supreme Court
By The Associated Press, Arizona Capitol Times (Phoenix)
Lawyers for Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer filed their opening brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in her appeal of a ruling that blocked enforcement of the most controversial sections of the state's immigration enforcement law.
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Bill would impose new abortion restrictions in Arizona
By Paul Davenport, The Associated Press, Arizona Capitol Times (Phoenix)
A sweeping anti-abortion bill would generally ban abortions starting at 20 weeks of pregnancy and impose an array of new disclosure requirements, including having the state post online depictions of fetuses at two-week intervals.
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Arizona lawmakers target public workers' unions
By Ted Robbins, National Public Radio
Labor unions are scheduled to rally in front of the Arizona State Capitol Thursday afternoon to protest four bills quickly moving through the state legislature that could make last year's Wisconsin labor laws look modest by comparison.
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Home, state care backers push for cash
By Evie Blad, Northwest Arkansas Times
Arkansans seeking waivers to place their developmentally disabled family members in home- and community-based programs told lawmakers Tuesday that placing less emphasis on institutional care would free up funding and lessen the years-long stints many spend on waiting lists.
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Hutchinson firm to represent secretary of state in redistricting lawsuit
By Rob Moritz, Arkansas News Bureau
Secretary of State Mark Martin, the lone Republican on a panel that redrew legislative districts last year, said today the law firm of a former GOP congressman and gubernatorial candidate will represent him in a lawsuit that contends the new boundaries dilute the black vote in an eastern Arkansas Senate district.
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Divided court rejects Proposition 8
By Maura Dolan and Carol J. Williams, Los Angeles Times
SAN FRANCISCO and LOS ANGELES -- A federal appeals court has declared California's 2008 voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, concluding that the prohibition served no purpose other than to "lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians."
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Calif. Speaker Pérez wants to cut college costs
By Wyatt Buchanan, San Francisco Chronicle
California students from middle-income families would receive massive breaks on tuition and fees at the state's colleges and universities under legislation Assembly Speaker John Pérez plans to introduce today at the Capitol.
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California was ahead of the curve on gay marriage — for a while
By Scott Gold, Jessica Garrison and Maria L. La Ganga, Los Angeles Times
California's turbulent relationship with gay marriage can be traced back eight years, almost to the day, when San Francisco abruptly began issuing marriage licenses to gay couples.
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No closure in sight for Golden State
By Geoffrey A. Fowler, The Wall Street Journal
Opponents and backers of gay marriage in California are caught in a waiting game. As the battle over California's Proposition 8 gay-marriage ban continues to make its way through the courts, the state may not have a final verdict until 2013.
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Ruling may add to political fracas
By Jess Bravin and Geoffrey A. Fowler, The Wall Street Journal
Gay marriage already has become an issue in the presidential race. The major Republican candidates, except Ron Paul, have signed a pledge saying they are committed to an amendment to the U.S. Constitution banning same-sex marriage.
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A ruling for equal rights
By Staff, The New York Times
This nation still has a long way to go to overcome one of the great remaining barriers to full equality and fairness, but a federal appeals court panel brought it a big step closer with a well-grounded ruling on Tuesday striking down a voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage in California.
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Poll -- Optimism up in California
By Tim Mak, Politico
Two-thirds of Californians believe their personal financial situation in one of the hardest-hit states will improve over the next 12 months, a new report shows, a promising sign in the context of declining unemployment across the country.
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Proposition 8 ruling was just but wobbly
By Staff, The Washington Post
Is it unconstitutional to forbid same-sex couples from calling their unions a "marriage" if — as is the case in California — they enjoy the same legal rights and responsibilities as opposite-sex partners in the state?
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If Silicon Valley costs a lot now, wait until the Facebook update
By Michael Cooper, The New York Times
PALO ALTO, Calif. — Imagine looking for a house in San Francisco or one of the nicer parts of Silicon Valley, which are already among the most expensive parts of the country. Now imagine having to bid against a legion of newly minted Facebook millionaires.
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Gay marriage fight may hinge on Supreme Court's Anthony Kennedy
By David G. Savage, Los Angeles Times
The Supreme Court has nine justices, but if the constitutional fight over same-sex marriage reaches them this year, the decision will probably come down to just one: a California Republican and Reagan-era conservative who has nonetheless written the court's two leading gay rights opinions.
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Prop 8 decision in California has weight in N.J.
By Staff, The Star-Ledger (Newark)
While the court decision striking down California's ban on gay marriage was narrowly framed, it's still pertinent to the underlying issue in states such as New Jersey. It speaks to the reasons that civil unions are not adequate.
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Gay marriage foes weigh their next move
By Howard Mintz, Contra Costa Times
Same-sex marriage foes now have a simple choice in the legal battle over California's Proposition 8 -- ask a federal appeals court to reconsider its ruling invalidating the voter-approved ban on gay nuptials, with low odds of success. Or move swiftly to the more conservative U.S. Supreme Court, thrusting the same-sex marriage debate to the high court's docket in the midst of presidential election campaigning.
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Counties ready to handle state's juvenile offenders, study says
By Michael Montgomery, California Watch
County governments have invested nearly a half-billion dollars over the past 15 years to modernize juvenile lockups and now have the capacity to absorb offenders currently housed in the state's youth prisons, if those facilities are closed, a new study contends.
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Californians (slightly) more optimistic about state economy
By Walter Hamilton, Los Angeles Times
Californians are more optimistic about the state economy and their own finances, although Bay Area residents are decidedly more upbeat than people in and around Los Angeles, according to a new survey.
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Time for a truce on tax-hike initiatives
By George Skelton, Los Angeles Times
If the California Capitol were a classic movie, the governor would be telling his consigliere to arrange a meeting with the heads of the five families.
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States with highest foreclosure rates among bank deal holdouts
By Staff, Bloomberg Businessweek
California, New York, Nevada, Florida and Massachusetts are among the states that haven't signed off on a settlement with banks over foreclosure abuses, according to state officials and two people familiar with the talks. The holdouts include some with the highest rates of foreclosures.
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Colorado GOP voters make case for November victory
By Sara Burnett, The Denver Post
In high schools, churches and community centers across Colorado, Republicans turned out Tuesday night to persuade fellow voters to pick their candidate to take on President Barack Obama in November.
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Colorado crime bill stirs abortion debate
By Lynn Bartles, The Denver Post
Two of the legislature's most conservative lawmakers are sponsoring a bill that critics say would criminalize abortion and establish "personhood" status for a fetus.
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More Colorado graduates than ever not ready for college
By Yesenia Robles, The Denver Post
The number of students from Colorado that complete high school but still aren't ready for college when they are admitted has gone up again, but colleges are doing a better job at helping those students complete the classes and stick around for another year of college.
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Colorado ethics panel hears Logan, Jeffco cases
By David Olinger and Electa Draper, The Denver Post
A Logan County commissioner will get the guidance he requested from a Colorado ethics panel about doing business with the government he leads.
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Governor names county judge
By Jeff Tucker, The Pueblo Chieftain
Gov. John Hickenlooper appointed Public Defender David Lobato to the Pueblo County bench Tuesday.
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Now it's Santorum time
By Mike Littwin, The Denver Post
Let's start with the obvious: It was a terrible night for Mitt Romney, proving once again that, as the kids say, many Republicans are just not that into him.
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Three-state sweep revives Santorum's White House hopes
By Steve Holland, The Morning Call
DENVER - Former U.S. senator Rick Santorum rejuvenated his presidential hopes on Tuesday with a shocking sweep of the three nominating contests in Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri, dealing a blow to wounded front-runner Mitt Romney.
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Santorum upsets G.O.P. race with three victories
By Jim Rutenberg, The New York Times
His candidacy all but dismissed just days ago, Rick Santorum won the Minnesota and Colorado caucuses and a nonbinding primary in Missouri on Tuesday, an unexpected trifecta that raised fresh questions about Mitt Romney's ability to corral conservative support.
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Colorado bill renews bid for "video lottery terminals"
By Tim Hoover, The Denver Post
Supporters of allowing an Aurora horse track to operate businesses with "video-lottery terminals" — devices similar to slot machines — are back at the state Capitol this year with another proposal.
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Ag inheritance tax may go away
By Patrick Malone, The Pueblo Chieftain
A Southern Colorado lawmaker's proposal to do away with inheritance tax on agricultural land cleared its first hurdle on Wednesday, when the House Finance Committee approved it 9-3.
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Lawmakers push for film incentives
By Patrick Malone, The Pueblo Chieftain
A Southern Colorado lawmaker introduced a proposal to encourage film-industry activity in the state.
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Court made right call on medical pot for criminals
By Staff, The Denver Post
Can a criminal on probation be barred from smoking pot — even if he has a state certificate granting him the right to medical marijuana? The state Court of Appeals says the answer is yes, and we think it made the right call.
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N.J. among 10 states to be freed from 'No Child Left Behind' law by Obama
By The Associated Press, The Star-Ledger (Newark)
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama today will free New Jersey and nine other states from the strict and sweeping requirements of the No Child Left Behind law, giving leeway to states that promise to improve how they prepare and evaluate students, The Associated Press has learned.
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Florida, 9 other states to get No Child Left Behind waiver
By The Associated Press, The Orlando Sentinel
President Barack Obama on Thursday will free 10 states from the strict and sweeping requirements of the No Child Left Behind law, giving leeway to states that promise to improve how they prepare and evaluate students, The Associated Press has learned.
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State of the State -- A governor striving to be a reformer
By Mark Pazniokas, The Connecticut Mirror
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy used a televised State of the State address Wednesday to jump into the thicket of teacher tenure reform, a popular issue with voters, yet fraught with potential pitfalls for a Democrat narrowly elected with the support of organized labor.
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Malloy to add funds to private human service providers, nursing home "right-sizing"
By Arielle Levin Becker, The Connecticut Mirror
The health and human services portions of Malloy's proposed budget adjustments include money to support an effort to move people out of nursing homes, fund nursing homes that consider providing long-term care to people leaving prisons and state institutions, add three childhood vaccines to the state's program and offer the first funding boost in five years to private human services providers.
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Red ink, spending cap threaten new budget next year
By Keith M. Phaneuf, The Connecticut Mirror
One year after building the largest fiscal security blanket in more than two decades of state budgets, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy moved onto the fiscal high wire Wednesday without a net.
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Malloy proposes $50 million increase in ECS funding
By Jacqueline Rabe Thomas, The Connecticut Mirror
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy asked state legislators today to send an additional $50 million to local school districts, a move that school advocates say will cover a small portion of what the state actually owes them.
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Running Connecticut like a mayor, not a king
By Peter Applebome, The New York Times
HARTFORD — "Let's play a game," says Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, an unexpected suggestion from someone whom no one describes as a fun and games kind of guy. But then comes the game.
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Malloy likely to keep plenty of state jobs vacant
By Keith M. Phaneuf, The Connecticut Mirror
Whatever new initiatives Gov. Dannel P. Malloy unveils Wednesday in his revised budget for the next fiscal year, he likely won't be asking for much extra staffing to carry them out.
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To open new session, Malloy on message -- as usual
By Mark Pazniokas, The Connecticut Mirror
On the eve of his second State of the State address, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy refused to go off-message, even if the topic was a favorable poll from a surprising source: a conservative think tank that often criticizes the Democratic governor.
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Malloy calls for tougher standards for teacher education
By Ken Dixon and Linda Conner Lambeck, Connecticut Post
To put the best teachers in Connecticut classrooms, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced plans Tuesday to toughen standards for university students who want to go into teaching and will offer up to $10,000 in loan forgiveness for those who commit to working in troubled school districts.
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Malloy wants only B+ students in teaching programs
By Jacqueline Rabe Thomas, The Connecticut Mirror
New Britain -- Elissa Maillet worries she's not going to be able to get a teaching job when she graduates from Central Connecticut State University in two years.
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Malloy wants to eliminate 25 boards, commissions
By Bernie Davidow, The Hartford Courant
In the legislative session that begins Wednesday, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy will ask lawmakers to eliminate 25 boards and commissions to shrink the size of government, his office announced this morning.
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6 New England towns picked for technical help
By The Associated Press, Tallahassee Democrat
Federal environmental officials have picked six New England communities to get technical help improving the local economy and environment. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it selected Simsbury, Conn., Burlington, Vt., and the Massachusetts communities of Fall River, Holyoke, Northampton and Roxbury. They are among 56 municipalities in 26 states to receive help.
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Malloy urges new tenure rules for Connecticut teachers
By Peter Applebome, The New York Times
HARTFORD — Gov. Dannel P. Malloy proposed a broad set of education initiatives, including major changes to teacher tenure, on Wednesday in his second State of the State address, a speech that found his efforts split between unfinished business from his first year in office and a new agenda for his second.
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Crime-reduction resources already in place, Delaware officials told
By Mike Chalmers, The News Journal (New Castle-Wilmington)
HIGH POINT, N.C. -- Wilmington seems to already have most of the building blocks it needs to deploy the crime-reduction strategy that has helped this city break up open-air drug markets and cut gang violence, officials here told a Delaware delegation Monday. "It may be just a matter of connecting those resources," said Wilmington Police Chief Michael Szczerba.
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Business, media interests in dispute over 'secret court'
By Sean O'Sullivan, The News Journal (New Castle-Wilmington)
The decision by the Delaware Court of Chancery to establish what some see as a "secret court" for business has set up a showdown between the court, the national media and top business interests.
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Gov. Rick Scott asks Facebook users for one word, gets an earful
By Aaron Sharockman, Tampa Bay Times
On Monday night, Gov. Rick Scott — really his staff — asked the nearly 80,000 people who follow his Facebook page to fill in the blank: "If you could use one word to describe Florida's 2012 legislative session, it would be ___________. COMMENT below!" People commented.
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Bills to revamp high school sports spark debate
By Kathleen McGrory, The Miami Herald
What if some high school, let's say a charter school, could openly recruit the next LeBron James out of middle school, pair him with a hyper-talented Dwyane Wade wannabe, snap up a Chris Bosh-like sharpshooter and assemble a super team like the Heat did in free agency last year?
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Citizens boosted home values to raise premiums, suit says
By Toluse Olorunnipa, The Miami Herald
Florida homeowners filed a class-action lawsuit against Citizens Property Insurance Corp. on Tuesday, claiming the state-run insurer is systematically overvaluing properties in order to raise premiums.
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Legislators reject attempt to clarify state's regulation of slot machines
By Mary Ellen Klas, The Miami Herald
State gambling regulators are in a bind. They have indirectly authorized the expansion of gambling in the past six months as lawyers for parimutuels found holes in state laws and opened the door to slot machines at parimutuels across the state and table-game look-alikes at existing racinos.
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Ex-South Florida politician to plead guilty to tax charges in federal corruption probe
By Jay Weaver, The Miami Herald
A former Fort Lauderdale politician who is the only elected official charged in a major federal public corruption probe of Tallahassee's "pay-to-play" politics has decided to plead guilty to tax-evasion offenses. Mandy Dawson, who served in the Florida Legislature for 16 years, signaled her intention to change her plea in court papers filed this week.
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N.J. among 10 states to be freed from 'No Child Left Behind' law by Obama
By The Associated Press, The Star-Ledger (Newark)
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama today will free New Jersey and nine other states from the strict and sweeping requirements of the No Child Left Behind law, giving leeway to states that promise to improve how they prepare and evaluate students, The Associated Press has learned.
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Florida, 9 other states to get No Child Left Behind waiver
By The Associated Press, The Orlando Sentinel
President Barack Obama on Thursday will free 10 states from the strict and sweeping requirements of the No Child Left Behind law, giving leeway to states that promise to improve how they prepare and evaluate students, The Associated Press has learned.
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Small jolt for Florida energy policy
By Staff, Tampa Bay Times
The Florida Legislature has never been serious about renewable energy, or conservation for that matter, and pending bills in the House and Senate would only modestly advance the discussion. However weak, though, the legislation is a start in a tough political and economic climate.
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Veterans Court headed to Broward County
By Audra D.S. Burch, The Miami Herald
Legislation that would allow the establishment of separate courts for veterans was unanimously passed in House Appropriations Committee. The chief judge in each judicial circuit would be allowed — but not required — to create a vet court. Two similar bills are making their way through the Senate.
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Spend lottery money on pre-K, set caps on HOPE, group says
By Lee Shearer, The Athens Banner-Herald
The state should re-institute income limits on the HOPE Scholarship and put more lottery money into the pre-K program in order to save the threatened programs, according to an Atlanta-based think tank.
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Republicans, Democrats offer charter school amendments
By Nancy Badertscher and Christopher Quinn, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Republicans scrambled in the face of opposition Tuesday to rework a proposed state constitutional amendment that would reassert the state's right to approve charter schools.
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Frye -- Rep. Heard scheming with redistricting
By Staff, The Athens Banner-Herald
I never thought I'd see the day when my so-called Democratic state representative, Keith Heard, was conspiring with a Republican — Doug McKillip, no less — to redraw Athens-Clarke County Commission districts (or gerrymander them, depending on who you ask), behind voters' backs.
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Regulatory approval is expected for new reactors in Georgia
By Matthew L. Wald, The New York Times
WASHINGTON — For the first time in over three decades, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is expected to decide to grant a license to build a nuclear reactor — a milestone for an industry whose long-hoped-for renaissance is smaller and later than anticipated.
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N.J. among 10 states to be freed from 'No Child Left Behind' law by Obama
By The Associated Press, The Star-Ledger (Newark)
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama today will free New Jersey and nine other states from the strict and sweeping requirements of the No Child Left Behind law, giving leeway to states that promise to improve how they prepare and evaluate students, The Associated Press has learned.
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Florida, 9 other states to get No Child Left Behind waiver
By The Associated Press, The Orlando Sentinel
President Barack Obama on Thursday will free 10 states from the strict and sweeping requirements of the No Child Left Behind law, giving leeway to states that promise to improve how they prepare and evaluate students, The Associated Press has learned.
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Hawaii overpaid state employees more than $1.5M
By Staff, Pacific Business News (Honolulu)
The state of Hawaii has overpaid employees more than $1.5 million over the years, and hundreds of thousands of dollars have been written off as uncollectable.
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Lawmakers consider more rigorous inspections of zip lines
By Treena Shapiro, The Associated Press, Honolulu Star-Bulletin
Hawaii's tourism industry could be changed by a proposal discussed today that requires more strict inspections of zip lines, which allow riders strapped to a harness and a cable to glide above forest canopies.
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Idaho revenue exceeds projections for February
By The Associated Press, The Idaho Statesman (Boise)
Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter's proposed budget got a little boost from the latest tax revenue collections that were $6.3 million above projections.
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Under bill, Idaho would have to sell storage biz
By The Associated Press, The Idaho Statesman (Boise)
Idaho's endowment trust could soon be forced to sell a self-storage business in Boise that's ignited criticism that the state inappropriately meddled in the private sector.
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Repeal of archaic laws is trip down memory lane
By The Associated Press, The Idaho Statesman (Boise)
The Idaho Supreme Court's efforts to repeal obsolete laws offered a trip down memory lane, to the days when passenger trains sped across the Snake River Plain and the telegraph let people quickly communicate over the West's vast distances.
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Idaho considers taking wastewater primacy from EPA
By The Associated Press, The Idaho Statesman (Boise)
Three times in 10 years, Idaho has issued reports and studies examining how the state could take over wastewater regulation from the Environmental Protection Agency.
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Bill to end lawmaker pension perk derailed
By The Associated Press, The Idaho Statesman (Boise)
A bill to end a pension perk that allows former Idaho lawmakers to hike their pensions by taking more-lucrative state appointments has been derailed, at least for now, on concern it would erode incentives to enter public service.
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Idaho biz, ag groups promote economic incentives
By John Miller, The Idaho Statesman (Boise)
Business and agricultural groups told House and Senate tax committees that restoring university research and development budgets, adding incentives for job creation and eliminating Idaho's $130 million personal property tax would all help boost Idaho's economy.
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Illinois lawmakers introduce gay marriage bill
By Christopher Wills, The Associated Press, Northwest Indiana Times (Munster)
A year after gay couples gained the option of civil unions in Illinois, some lawmakers are beginning a push to authorize same-sex marriages.
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Ill. House backs more rights for crime victims
By The Associated Press, Northwest Indiana Times (Munster)
Illinois lawmakers are considering a change to the state constitution that would guarantee crime victims a bigger voice in what happens to offenders.
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Quinn wants $2 billion in state Medicaid cuts
By Abdon M. Pallasch, Chicago Sun-Times
Gov. Pat Quinn said he plans to cut the state's Medicaid spending by $2 billion as a painful but necessary way to attack the state's budget crisis.
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Plan to close IL facilities gets cool reception
By The Associated Press, Northwest Indiana Times (Munster)
Gov. Pat Quinn's push to overhaul care for people with mental illnesses and disabilities collided Tuesday with safety concerns, money worries and maybe a bit of wounded pride as lawmakers reviewed plans to close two state institutions.
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Kirk reaches milestone in stroke recovery
By The Associated Press, Northwest Indiana Times (Munster)
Doctors say Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk has reached an important milestone in his recovery from a major stroke.
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Legislators want to extend lottery game helping AIDS fight
By Andrew Maloney, Chicago Sun-Times
Although dollars and cents have driven most of the conversation in Springfield this spring, two Illinois lawmakers say their push to extend an AIDs awareness lottery is a moral issue that is critical to funding the "front line" in the fight against the disease.
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Ind. GOP governor hopeful lacks enough signatures
By The Associated Press, Northwest Indiana Times (Munster)
Republican candidate for governor Jim Wallace is fighting to make it on the ballot after election officials said Wednesday he came up short in his effort.
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Indiana high court takes over Charlie White dispute
By The Associated Press, Evansville Courier and Press
The Indiana Supreme Court on Tuesday decided to take over the legal battle in which Democrats are trying to have convicted Republican Secretary of State Charlie White replaced by their 2010 candidate for that office.
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Illinois House committee OKs audio recording bill
By Shannon McFarland, The Associated Press, Northwest Indiana Times (Munster)
Legislation letting people record police activities without risking felony charges was approved Wednesday by an Illinois House committee, despite some lawmakers' concerns that the measure creates new complications.
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Right-to-work fines put on hold by Ind. high court
By The Associated Press, Northwest Indiana Times (Munster)
The state Supreme Court placed on hold Wednesday all legislative fines against Democrats who boycotted the Indiana House during the right-to-work battle until it rules on whether it's legal for those fines to be deducted from their paychecks.
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Indiana stage builder cited in state fair collapse
By The Associated Press, Evansville Courier and Press
State fair officials, the stagehands union and a company that built the roof and lights rigging for a massive concert platform all share blame for last summer's deadly stage collapse at the Indiana State Fair, according to a government investigation.
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Santorum files for Indiana despite ballot dispute
By The Associated Press, Evansville Courier and Press
Republican presidential contender Rick Santorum is filing to get on Indiana's ballot even though he has not been certified by local election officials.
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State senator won't enter race to replace Burton
By The Associated Press, Northwest Indiana Times (Munster)
A state senator who's a former aide to Rep. Dan Burton isn't joining the crowded field of Republicans seeking to succeed the retiring central Indiana congressman.
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Ind. House panel leader leery of creationism bill
By The Associated Press, Northwest Indiana Times (Munster)
The leader of the Indiana House Education Committee says a proposal specifically allowing public schools to teach creationism in science classes could be unworkable.
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AG will seek to block Democratic legal move
By The Associated Press, Northwest Indiana Times (Munster)
The Indiana attorney general's office says it will object to a legal move by Democrats to put their 2010 secretary of state candidate in office following Republican Secretary of State Charlie White's conviction on voter fraud charges.
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Court denies bid to replace Indiana sec'y of state
By The Associated Press, Northwest Indiana Times (Munster)
The Indiana Supreme Court has turned down a request by Democrats to have convicted Republican Secretary of State Charlie White replaced by their 2010 candidate for that office.
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Fines issued in State Fair tragedy
By Niki Kelly, The Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne)
The Indiana Department of Labor on Wednesday faulted three entities for workplace violations related to the rigging system that collapsed at the Indiana State Fair in August, killing seven people.
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N.J. among 10 states to be freed from 'No Child Left Behind' law by Obama
By The Associated Press, The Star-Ledger (Newark)
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama today will free New Jersey and nine other states from the strict and sweeping requirements of the No Child Left Behind law, giving leeway to states that promise to improve how they prepare and evaluate students, The Associated Press has learned.
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Florida, 9 other states to get No Child Left Behind waiver
By The Associated Press, The Orlando Sentinel
President Barack Obama on Thursday will free 10 states from the strict and sweeping requirements of the No Child Left Behind law, giving leeway to states that promise to improve how they prepare and evaluate students, The Associated Press has learned.
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Gov., House GOP agree on commercial tax cut plan
By The Associated Press, The Muscatine Journal
A bill that would reduce commercial property taxes, limit the growth of local government and slow the projected increase in the taxable value of residential and agricultural properties was approved by the House Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday evening.
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Branstad calls Chinese leader's Iowa visit next week a "great opportunity"
By William Petroski, The Des Moines Register
Gov. Terry Branstad and a Chinese official exchanged pleasantries at the Iowa Capitol today, promising that next week's visit here by China's Vice President Xi Jinping will be a friendly, memorable event that could provide significant economic benefits.
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Iowa moving to create an electronic medical records network
By Jason Clayworth, The Des Moines Register
Iowa would create a health information network used as a library of sorts that would allow medical officials to quickly obtain past records of patients advocates say is critical to providing proper and expedient care.
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Iowa House panel OKs 40 percent cut in commercial property taxes
By William Petroski, The Des Moines Register
An Iowa House committee approved a bill Wednesday night that would slash commercial property taxes by 40 percent over eight years, while providing hundreds of millions of dollars in state money to "backfill" lost property tax revenues to school districts, cities and counties.
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Sled bill gets Iowa House subcommittee OK
By William Petroski, The Des Moines Register
A bill that would exempt Iowa cities from lawsuits resulting from sled accidents was approved Wednesday by an Iowa House subcommittee on a 2-1 vote.
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Bill seeks to reinstate death penalty in Iowa
By ROd Boshart, Sioux City Journal
The leader of the Senate Republican minority is pushing to reinstate a limited death penalty in Iowa for any adult who kills a minor in the commission of a rape or kidnapping.
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Bill would add gun rights to Iowa Constitution
By The Associated Press, Sioux City Journal
A proposed constitutional amendment making it harder for government officials to limit who can get a gun and where they can carry firearms could come up in a House committee as early as this week.
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Bill would add gun rights to Iowa Constitution
By The Associated Press, The Muscatine Journal
A proposed constitutional amendment that would make it harder for officials to limit who can buy and carry a gun is expected to come before Iowa lawmakers soon, and a key legislator said he's optimistic about its chances despite claims that it could turn the state into a wild west with few restraints on firearms.
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Iowa Senate Dems vote to spend more on schools
By The Associated Press, The Muscatine Journal
The Iowa Senate voted Tuesday to spend an additional $122 million on public education during the 2013-14 school year, but Republicans who control the House said they won't even debate the measure this year.
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Iowa College Democrats lobby against voter ID bill
By William Petroski, The Des Moines Register
College Democrats and Young Democrats lobbied at the Iowa Capitol Tuesday against a voter identification bill proposed by Secretary of State Matt Schultz, contending the requirements would make it more difficult for students to vote.
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State funding still lags for Iowa universities, community colleges
By William Petroski, The Des Moines Register
A report by an Iowa City-based nonprofit research group says funding for some key state government programs is increasing, but remains below levels of past years before the nation was struck by a deep economic recession.
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Iowa costs of teaching non-English speakers rising
By The Associated Press, The Muscatine Journal
The cost of teaching non-English-speaking students is skyrocketing in some Iowa schools, and while state funding has increased, local property taxes are paying a bigger share.
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Gun investigation bill dies in House committee
By Staff, The Lawrence Journal-World
The so-called "Bloomberg Bill," aimed at keeping some gun investigations conducted by other states out of Kansas, failed to make it out of the Kansas House Corrections and Juvenile Justice Committee on Tuesday.
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State to crack down on 'gray' gambling machines
By Fred Mann, Wichita Eagle
You don't have to visit the Kansas Star Casino to play video machines with colorful spinning reels. You can find machines that look and act very much like slot machines all over Wichita – at restaurants, convenience stores and smoke shops.
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Bill would alert nursing home residents to sex offenders living with them
By Brent D. Wistrom, Wichita Eagle
Even violent and sexual offenders need help when they get old. But since they occasionally strike again, even years after serving time for past crimes, some advocates for the elderly say nursing homes should notify residents or their families when a registered offender is living in the same building.
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Auditors release 2nd report on KBA probe
By John Milburn, The Lawrence Journal-World
Forensic auditors said Tuesday that they stand by their investigation of the Kansas Bioscience Authority and that any further work would be a waste of time and public funds.
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Kansas income tax debate accelerates
By John Milburn, The Lawrence Journal-World
Opponents to Gov. Sam Brownback's proposal for cutting Kansas income tax rates said Wednesday the Republican's plan is misguided and would punish working families.
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Kansas teachers to deliver pension petition
By The Associated Press, The Lawrence Journal-World
A group of Johnson County teachers is heading to the Kansas Statehouse to deliver signatures they have gathered in protest of plans to change the state employee retirement system.
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Committee approves new voter registration requirements
By Scott Rothschild, The Lawrence Journal-World
A committee Wednesday recommended approval of a bill that would require proof of U.S. citizenship for new voter registrations starting June 15 instead of Jan. 1, 2013, which was the date approved by legislators last year as part of the new voter ID law.
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N.J. among 10 states to be freed from 'No Child Left Behind' law by Obama
By The Associated Press, The Star-Ledger (Newark)
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama today will free New Jersey and nine other states from the strict and sweeping requirements of the No Child Left Behind law, giving leeway to states that promise to improve how they prepare and evaluate students, The Associated Press has learned.
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More court funds urged
By Deborah Yetter, The Courier-Journal (Louisville)
After several years of budget cuts, Kentucky's court system is in urgent need of money for upgrades in several areas, including technology, Chief Justice John Minton told a legislative panel Tuesday.
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Head of Kentucky family services agency quits
By Deborah Yetter, The Courier-Journal (Louisville)
Janie Miller, secretary of the state Cabinet for Health and Family Services, resigned Tuesday after a controversial tenure directing the agency that oversees the state's Medicaid, child welfare, social services, public health, programs for the elderly and other human services.
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Judge -- Revise Ky. legislative districts ... again
By The Associated Press, Bowling Green Daily News
The Kentucky secretary of state was ordered Tuesday not to implement newly redrawn legislative districts because a judge found that they don't meet constitutional muster.
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Florida, 9 other states to get No Child Left Behind waiver
By The Associated Press, The Orlando Sentinel
President Barack Obama on Thursday will free 10 states from the strict and sweeping requirements of the No Child Left Behind law, giving leeway to states that promise to improve how they prepare and evaluate students, The Associated Press has learned.
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Bill would abolish pardons by governor
By Ed Anderson, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)
Gubernatorial pardons would be abolished if lawmakers approve and voters adopt a proposed change in the state Constitution filed Tuesday by a Louisiana House member from New Orleans.
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Super Bowl 2013 state promotion expenses should be shared, Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne says
By Ed Anderson, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)
Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne said Tuesday his office should not be singled out to pay the state's entire $6 million cost of promoting Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans next February. Dardenne said that "it should be a shared responsibility" by the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, which he oversees, the state Department of Economic Development and the state general fund.
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DHHS budget now a political showdown between governor, Legislature
By Eric Russell, Bangor Daily News
After working for weeks to fashion a compromise proposal that would address a shortfall in the Department of Health and Human Service budget, a deal remains elusive as a divide appears to be growing among lawmakers, especially House Republicans.
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Maine could lose money for scenic roads if federal bill passes
By Bill Trotter, Bangor Daily News
ELLSWORTH, Maine — If a transportation bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives is approved as written, it could mean the end of a federal program that has brought $5 million to rural Maine over the past two decades.
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Report shows Maine job losses worst in nation per capita
By Matt Wickenheiser, Bangor Daily News
A new analysis by the Maine Center for Economic Policy suggests the state lost more jobs per capita in 2011 than every other state in the nation, shedding 7,200 jobs, but the Maine Department of Labor refuted those numbers, saying they're based on faulty federal data.
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Group alleges industry influenced DEP's mercury recycling report
By Kevin Miller, Bangor Daily News
The Natural Resources Council of Maine is accusing Maine Department of Environmental Protection officials of allowing an industry group to have undue influence on a recent report that calls for a re-evaluation of hazardous waste recycling programs.
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Documents allege Rosa Scarcelli involved in 'Cutler Files'
By Scott Thistle, Sun Journal, Bangor Daily News
PORTLAND, Maine — Newly released documents, including email messages, indicate a one-time Democratic candidate for Maine governor may have known far more about an anonymous website aimed at destroying one of her opponents than she acknowledged.
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O'Brien says Archdiocese of Baltimore won't offer birth control coverage
By Andrea K. Walker, The Sun (Baltimore)
Cardinal-designate Edwin F. O'Brien said in a strongly worded letter that the Archdiocese of Baltimore will not comply with federal law requiring churches to offer birth control coverage even it means dropping health insurance for its 3,500 employees. "We cannot – we will not – comply with this unjust law," O'Brien wrote in the letter, which was read during last Sunday's Mass at the area's 153 Roman Catholic parishes.
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O'Malley knocks Christie on same-sex marriage
By John Wagner, The Washington Post
Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) criticized New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) on national television Tuesday for advocating that voters of his state should decide whether to legalize same-sex marriage.
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Disgraced collector pleads guilty to stealing historical documents
By Peter Hermann, Steve Kilar and Tricia Bishop, The Sun (Baltimore)
Barry H. Landau, the once-esteemed collector of presidential memorabilia, admitted in federal court Tuesday that he stole thousands of documents regarded as cultural treasures from historical societies and libraries in Baltimore and up the East Coast.
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Md. Gov. O'Malley assails Peter Franchot as 'our ... Mitt Romney'
By Aaron C. Davis, The Washington Post
Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) on Wednesday lashed out at a fellow state Democrat for criticizing the governor's proposal to raise the state's gas tax, calling Comptroller Peter Franchot the party's own "version of Mitt Romney."
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Md. is No. 1 in number of graduates who pass AP exams
By Liz Bowie, The Sun (Baltimore)
For the fourth year in a row, Maryland ranked No. 1 in the nation in the percentage of its graduating seniors who successfully passed the rigorous Advanced Placement exams, leaping further ahead of other top states.
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Henson robocall trial postponed
By Luke Broadwater, The Sun (Baltimore)
The election fraud trial of veteran political consultant Julius Henson was postponed Wednesday because of the illness of the state's primary investigator in the case.
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State workers to get new pharmacy plan
By Michael Dresser, The Sun (Baltimore)
More than 200,000 Maryland state employees, retirees and dependents will switch to a new pharmacy plan as a result of the Board of Public Works' decision Wednesday to award the $2.4 billion contract to a St. Louis-based company.
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Appeals court -- State cannot re-indict defendants unfit for trial
By Arthur Hirsch, The Sun (Baltimore)
A Maryland appeals court has ruled that the state violated the rights of two men who were found incompetent to stand trial and were then held in state institutions beyond the legal time limit without going through proceedings for commitment to a mental hospital.
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Maryland joins nationwide mortgage settlement
By Hanah Cho, The Sun (Baltimore)
Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler has agreed to join other states in a multibillion-dollar settlement with the nation's five largest mortgage servicers — a landmark agreement that would aid homeowners who were victims of shoddy and illegal foreclosure paperwork practices.
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No say for some who would be casinos' neighbors
By Mark Arsenault, The Boston Globe
WALPOLE, Mass. - Mike McCarthy lives close enough to a Gillette Stadium parking lot to smell the hibachi grills on game day. He does not mind Sunday tailgaters a few hundred feet from his house, but he draws the line at a billion-dollar casino. Though he lives closer than almost anyone to the proposed site of a Wynn Resorts casino, he will not be allowed to participate in a local referendum if the project makes it to a vote.
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Hacker group -- BPD will pay for Occupy eviction
By O'Ryan Johnson, Boston Herald
The Internet vigilante group Anonymous refuses to give up on its stranglehold of the Boston police website and is likely to strike again in revenge for cops evicting Occupy campers from Dewey Square, a man who claims to be the unofficial spokesman for the hacker collective told the Herald yesterday.
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Sal DiMasi's rumored testimony adds to Probation fear
By Laurel J. Sweet, Boston Herald
Disgraced former House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi could testify before a federal grand jury hearing evidence of corruption in the state Probation Department any day now — but his onetime pals on Beacon Hill are said to already be "on pins and needles" waiting for indictments to hit.
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6 New England towns picked for technical help
By The Associated Press, Tallahassee Democrat
Federal environmental officials have picked six New England communities to get technical help improving the local economy and environment. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it selected Simsbury, Conn., Burlington, Vt., and the Massachusetts communities of Fall River, Holyoke, Northampton and Roxbury. They are among 56 municipalities in 26 states to receive help.
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States with highest foreclosure rates among bank deal holdouts
By Staff, Bloomberg Businessweek
California, New York, Nevada, Florida and Massachusetts are among the states that haven't signed off on a settlement with banks over foreclosure abuses, according to state officials and two people familiar with the talks. The holdouts include some with the highest rates of foreclosures.
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Fees for closing accounts draw attention
By Todd Wallack, The Boston Globe
Upset about bank fees? Want to close your bank account? No problem, your bank says. Just one catch: There may be a fee for that. Many banks across the country, including several in Massachusetts, are charging customers if they close a checking or savings account within several months of opening it.
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N.J. among 10 states to be freed from 'No Child Left Behind' law by Obama
By The Associated Press, The Star-Ledger (Newark)
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama today will free New Jersey and nine other states from the strict and sweeping requirements of the No Child Left Behind law, giving leeway to states that promise to improve how they prepare and evaluate students, The Associated Press has learned.
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Mass. expected to join foreclosure abuse settlement
By Jenifer B. McKim, The Boston Globe
Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley is expected to sign on to a settlement brokered by attorneys general nationwide with five major US lenders over the banks' role in the country's foreclosure crisis, according to a person with knowledge of the discussions who wasn't authorized to discuss the deal publicly.
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Manufacturing was bright spot in Mass. economy last year
By Erin Ailworth, The Boston Globe
The state's manufacturers were hiring last year, advertising more job openings than any other industry sector except health care, according to a study released yesterday by the University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute.
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Florida, 9 other states to get No Child Left Behind waiver
By The Associated Press, The Orlando Sentinel
President Barack Obama on Thursday will free 10 states from the strict and sweeping requirements of the No Child Left Behind law, giving leeway to states that promise to improve how they prepare and evaluate students, The Associated Press has learned.
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Santorum the spoiler- Just as Romney looked set, the ex-senator revives
By Staff, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Unless America is visited by biblical plagues -- and maybe not even then -- Rick Santorum, the former Pennsylvania senator and perpetual moral scold, is unlikely to be the next president. But politicians often have a highly inflated opinion of themselves and some voters will always indulge them.
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School aid fund expected to see $142 million surplus
By Dave Murray, mlive.com
The state school aid fund is expected to finish the year with $142 million in savings, and potentially $222 million in the black in a year, but lawmakers said it would be a mistake to spend the money right away
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Avoid 'right-to-work' fight for now
By Staff, Lansing State Journal
Michigan's Legislature should follow the lead of Gov. Rick Snyder and avoid staging an ugly confrontation over right-to-work legislation.
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Surplus surprises Michigan, but is it safe to spend again?
By Monica Davey, The New York Times
Over most of the past decade, budget deliberations in Michigan have taken on a glum and familiar monotony: What do we cut now? But the state that experienced an economic downturn earlier, deeper and longer than most of the rest of the country has made an unlikely discovery as its officials closed out its latest financial books: Michigan has a $457 million surplus.
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Santorum wins conservative hearts in Minn. caucus
By Patrick Codon, The Associated Press, Brainerd Daily Dispatch
Minnesota Republicans shook up the GOP presidential nomination race by handing socially conservative former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum a caucus win.
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What Minnesota voters said on caucus night
By The Associated Press, Brainerd Daily Dispatch
A roundup of what some Minnesota voters had to say as they caucused Tuesday night to vote in a presidential preference poll:
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Minnesota plans for exchange, even without new law
By Elizabeth Stawicki, Minnesota Public Radio, Kaiser Health News
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota lawmakers are grappling with a new question: How close can they get to setting up a health insurance exchange without passing a new state law?
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Now it's Santorum time
By Mike Littwin, The Denver Post
Let's start with the obvious: It was a terrible night for Mitt Romney, proving once again that, as the kids say, many Republicans are just not that into him.
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N.J. among 10 states to be freed from 'No Child Left Behind' law by Obama
By The Associated Press, The Star-Ledger (Newark)
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama today will free New Jersey and nine other states from the strict and sweeping requirements of the No Child Left Behind law, giving leeway to states that promise to improve how they prepare and evaluate students, The Associated Press has learned.
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Florida, 9 other states to get No Child Left Behind waiver
By The Associated Press, The Orlando Sentinel
President Barack Obama on Thursday will free 10 states from the strict and sweeping requirements of the No Child Left Behind law, giving leeway to states that promise to improve how they prepare and evaluate students, The Associated Press has learned.
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Santorum upsets G.O.P. race with three victories
By Jim Rutenberg, The New York Times
His candidacy all but dismissed just days ago, Rick Santorum won the Minnesota and Colorado caucuses and a nonbinding primary in Missouri on Tuesday, an unexpected trifecta that raised fresh questions about Mitt Romney's ability to corral conservative support.
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Three-state sweep revives Santorum's White House hopes
By Steve Holland, The Morning Call
DENVER - Former U.S. senator Rick Santorum rejuvenated his presidential hopes on Tuesday with a shocking sweep of the three nominating contests in Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri, dealing a blow to wounded front-runner Mitt Romney.
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Lawmakers defend pardon request
By Jessica Bakeman, The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson)
Frances McDonald of Bay St. Louis turned to her elected official when she believed her friend was wrongly convicted of murder.
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House panel snubs Hood, OKs bill limiting AG's authority
By Jeff Amy, The Associated Press, The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson)
A state House committee voted Tuesday to push forward a bill that would cut Attorney General Jim Hood's authority, turning down Hood's request to speak to the group before it voted.
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Panel OKs bill to cut AG power
By Jeff Amy, The Associated Press, Hattiesburg American
A state House committee voted Tuesday to push forward a bill that would cut Attorney General Jim Hood's authority, turning down Hood's request to speak to the group before it voted.
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No fight over hospital tax
By Staff, Hattiesburg American
Looks like Gov. Phil Bryant will be spared the all-out war that greeted former Gov. Haley Barbour when it came to imposing a state hospital tax to help fund Medicaid.
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Missouri's meaningless primary? Not anymore
By Aaron Blake, The Washington Post
The Missouri primary is the only so-called "beauty contest" in the Republican presidential race this year. But it might be remembered as where things got a little ugly for Mitt Romney.
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Missouri schools test four-day week
By Elisa Crouch, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
MONTGOMERY CITY, Mo. - When students in Montgomery County schools returned to class last fall, they began doing what some had only dreamed of: skipping school on Mondays.
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Mo. lawmakers endorse term limit flexibility
By The Associated Press, Jefferson City News Tribune
Missouri lawmakers could soon have more flexibility in deciding how many years they serve in each of the Legislature's chambers.
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MU sees more interest from out-of-state students
By The Associated Press, Jefferson City News Tribune
COLUMBIA, Mo. — The University of Missouri's flagship campus in Columbia says it's receiving more applications from prospective out-of-state students than from Missouri residents.
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Missouri helps shift spotlight toward Santorum
By Steve Kraske and Dave Helling, Kansas City Star
Rick Santorum was the only Republican presidential candidate to campaign in Missouri, and it paid off Tuesday as he swamped Mitt Romney in the state's primary.
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Mo. state sen. opposes federal birth control rule
By The Associated Press, Jefferson City News Tribune
A Missouri state senator says religious groups should not have to pay for birth control or abortions for their employees if that would violate their beliefs.
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Now it's Santorum time
By Mike Littwin, The Denver Post
Let's start with the obvious: It was a terrible night for Mitt Romney, proving once again that, as the kids say, many Republicans are just not that into him.
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Three-state sweep revives Santorum's White House hopes
By Steve Holland, The Morning Call
DENVER - Former U.S. senator Rick Santorum rejuvenated his presidential hopes on Tuesday with a shocking sweep of the three nominating contests in Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri, dealing a blow to wounded front-runner Mitt Romney.
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Santorum upsets G.O.P. race with three victories
By Jim Rutenberg, The New York Times
His candidacy all but dismissed just days ago, Rick Santorum won the Minnesota and Colorado caucuses and a nonbinding primary in Missouri on Tuesday, an unexpected trifecta that raised fresh questions about Mitt Romney's ability to corral conservative support.
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Opponents of Mo. payday loan ballot measure rally
By The Associated Press, Jefferson City News Tribune
Opponents of a proposed ballot measure targeting payday and other small loans warn that the measure would limit Missourians' ability to get credit.
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Mo. AG candidate objects to birth control order
By The Associated Press, Jefferson City News Tribune
Republican attorney general candidate Ed Martin wants Missouri to object to a federal decision requiring church-affiliated employers to cover birth control.
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Turnout predictions for Missouri primary were way off
By Jake Wagman, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
ST. LOUIS - State election officials predicted turnout for Tuesday's non-binding primary would be close to 23 percent, a respectable participation level for any February election.
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Discrimination to one is discrimination to all
By David Rosman, The Columbia Missourian
Picture the point of a pin. Now cut that into a billion-billion pieces and you have something so small that it is pure energy. Inside is a vibrating "string," also of pure energy. It is this little entity, a billion-billionth the size of the pinpoint that holds the entire universe together.
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Oil boom prompts more troopers for eastern Montana
By The Associated Press, Great Falls Tribune
Montana's Highway Patrol is boosting the number of troopers assigned to the eastern part of the state to handle growing law enforcement demands created by the region's oil boom.
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Montana judge rules against Molnar in ethics case
By Matt Gouras, The Associated Press, Great Falls Tribune
Public Service Commissioner Brad Molnar was correctly fined $21,000 for violating ethics laws by using state government equipment for re-election campaign work, a judge said in an order filed Tuesday.
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Judge rejects challenge to Montana coal lease
By The Associated Press, The Bozeman Daily Chronicle
A judge has rejected a lawsuit challenging the state Land Board's lease of 587 million tons of publicly owned coal in southeastern Montana, removing a hurdle to a proposed mine with that could drastically expand the state's coal production.
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State shuts down health insurance scam
By The Associated Press, The Bozeman Daily Chronicle
The state has shut down a health insurance scam and reached an agreement for insurers to pay $170,000 in medical bills for Montana victims.
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Feds- Few pipeline plans account for river risks
By The Associated Press, Missoulian
Federal officials investigating a pipeline break that spilled 1,500 barrels of oil into a Montana river said Wednesday that few companies take river erosion and other risks into account when evaluating pipeline safety.
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Montana drilling fines total $10,500
By Staff, Great Falls Tribune
There were 32 rule violations involving oil and natural gas drilling by 22 companies on federal lands in Montana between 1999 and November 2008, according to a report prepared by Democratic staff members of the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee.
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Legislature passes jail contraband bill
By The Associated Press, Lincoln Journal Star
People convicted of smuggling cigarettes, money or cellphones to Nebraska inmates would find themselves behind bars for up to a year, under a bill approved by the Legislature.
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Kerrey won't run for Senate in Nebraska
By Steven Yaccino, The New York Times
Former Senator Bob Kerrey announced on Tuesday that he would not be returning to Nebraska to run for his old United States Senate seat.
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Still losing at casinos?
By Staff, Lincoln Journal Star
If Sen. Paul Schumacher wanted to stir discussion about the possibility of casino gambling in Nebraska, the bill he introduced this year ought to do just that.
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The Nevada GOP embarrasses itself — again
By Jon Ralston, Las Vegas Sun
The Democrats could not have planned the Republican presidential caucus any better if they actually had planned it (no, Ron Paul crazies, they really didn't).
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Ruben Kihuen drops out of CD1 race, clearing way for Dina Titus
By Karoun Demirjian, Las Vegas Sun
Democratic State Sen. Ruben Kihuen announced Tuesday evening he is suspending his bid to represent Nevada's 1st Congressional District, ending an already bitter primary fight between two prominent public figures in Nevada's most Democrat-leaning district.
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States with highest foreclosure rates among bank deal holdouts
By Staff, Bloomberg Businessweek
California, New York, Nevada, Florida and Massachusetts are among the states that haven't signed off on a settlement with banks over foreclosure abuses, according to state officials and two people familiar with the talks. The holdouts include some with the highest rates of foreclosures.
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Kihuen drops out of House race, clearing way for Titus
By Laura Myers, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Outmatched in experience and outgunned on the fundraising front, state Sen. Ruben Kihuen on Tuesday dropped his bid for Congress, clearing the way for former Rep. Dina Titus to probably win the Democratic seat in November and return to the House.
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Anti-abortion group refiles Nevada personhood initiative
By The Associated Press, Las Vegas Review-Journal
An anti-abortion group has refiled for a third time a Nevada prenatal personhood initiative that seeks to ban birth control, embryonic stem cell research or other procedures that intentionally kill a fetus.
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Lawsuit limits proposed over nuclear waste site selection
By Steve Tetreault, Las Vegas Review-Journal
WASHINGTON -- The nuclear waste commission has recommended that the government try a cooperative approach to recruit volunteer states to host a high-level radioactive waste site. But when several commissioners testified Wednesday in Congress, Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala., offered another idea: Don't allow lawsuits.
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Caucus follies
By Staff, Las Vegas Review-Journal
"Caucus" might as well be a four-letter word. Nevada's presidential nomination system is about as popular as traffic jams and the stomach flu, given last weekend's lousy execution by the Republican Party.
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NH hospital officials blast for-profit cancer center bill
By Ted Siefer, The Union Leader (Manchester)
Representatives of the state's major hospitals fought a proposal that could pave the way for a for-profit cancer facility to come to the state at a hearing Tuesday that was notable for the absence of the company that was the impetus for the legislation: Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA).
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Bill would add $1 billion to NJ tax break fund
By Hugh R. Morley, The Record of Bergen County
A new bill introduced in Trenton would add $1 billion to the tax credits available for the corporate incentive program that rewarded Panasonic and Goya Foods for staying in New Jersey.
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Bribery trial begins for former state Sen. Wayne Bryant
By Jeff Pillets, The Record of Bergen County
EnCap attorney Eric Wisler paid $8,000 a month to keep former state Sen. Wayne Bryant "in his pocket," providing public loans and changing state laws for his clients, a government lawyer said Tuesday.
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Gov. Chris Christie explains his silence at Giants' Super Bowl pep rally
By Jorge Castillo and Mike Garafolo, The Star-Ledger (Newark)
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie isn't popular among Giants fans nowadays, not after predicting the Jets were going to beat the Giants in their Christmas Eve matchup, only to see them lose 29-14 to spark the Giants' six-game winning streak that culminated with the Super Bowl XLVI triumph on Sunday.
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O'Malley knocks Christie on same-sex marriage
By John Wagner, The Washington Post
Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) criticized New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) on national television Tuesday for advocating that voters of his state should decide whether to legalize same-sex marriage.
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N.J. higher education reorganization- An opinion round-up
By Staff, The Star-Ledger (Newark)
A proposed reorganization of New Jersey's higher education system, released last month by a special state task force and supported by Gov. Chris Christie, has set tongues wagging across New Jersey.
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N.J. among 10 states to be freed from 'No Child Left Behind' law by Obama
By The Associated Press, The Star-Ledger (Newark)
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama today will free New Jersey and nine other states from the strict and sweeping requirements of the No Child Left Behind law, giving leeway to states that promise to improve how they prepare and evaluate students, The Associated Press has learned.
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N.J. water quality rule changes delay actions to limit sprawl
By Jeff Tittel, The Star-Ledger (Newark)
A measure recently signed into law that will delay implementation of the 2008 water quality management planning rules not only opens up 300,000 acres of environmentally sensitive lands to sprawl and high-density development, it changes the whole water quality planning process in New Jersey.
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Prop 8 decision in California has weight in N.J.
By Staff, The Star-Ledger (Newark)
While the court decision striking down California's ban on gay marriage was narrowly framed, it's still pertinent to the underlying issue in states such as New Jersey. It speaks to the reasons that civil unions are not adequate.
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Gender gap in N.J. women's pay deserves attention
By Staff, The Star-Ledger (Newark)
It's no secret that women are paid less than men for doing similar work. And any college grad who thought her higher degrees shielded her from the inequities in the salary structure, think again. The more education you have — and the older you are — the wider the pay gap with male counterparts.
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Florida, 9 other states to get No Child Left Behind waiver
By The Associated Press, The Orlando Sentinel
President Barack Obama on Thursday will free 10 states from the strict and sweeping requirements of the No Child Left Behind law, giving leeway to states that promise to improve how they prepare and evaluate students, The Associated Press has learned.
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N.M. Supreme Court hears redistricting appeal
By Barry Massey, The Associated Press, Santa Fe New Mexican
The New Mexico Supreme Court on Tuesday waded into a political dispute over legislative redistricting that could influence elections for the coming decade and may help determine whether Republicans can win a majority in the state House of Representatives for the first time in a half century.
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Voters OK tax levy for schools
By Staff, Santa Fe New Mexican
By a margin of about 3-to-1 in a light turnout, Santa Fe school district voters on Tuesday approved renewal of a mill levy expected to generate about $12.7 million annually from property taxes over the next six years.
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Voter ID bills again stall in committee
By Steve Terrell, Santa Fe New Mexican
In what has become an annual ritual at the state Legislature, a House committee on Tuesday voted along party lines to effectively kill measures that would require voters to present photo identification before casting ballots at the polls.
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Group files lawsuit over trapping in New Mexico
By The Associated Press, Santa Fe New Mexican
Environmentalists filed a lawsuit Tuesday against wildlife managers over their decision last summer to lift a trapping ban in southwestern New Mexico where the federal government is reintroducing Mexican gray wolves.
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House sends immigrant driver's license bill to Senate
By Steve Terrell, Santa Fe New Mexican
The state House of Representatives on Wednesday once again voted to pass a bill that would repeal the state law that allows undocumented immigrants to get New Mexico driver's licenses.
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House approves $5B state budget proposal
By Barry Massey, The Associated Press, Santa Fe New Mexican
The House on Wednesday gave bipartisan support to a proposed budget that will spend $5.6 billion on public education and other government programs next year, and provide for higher take-home pay for educators and state workers.
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Don't let PRC reform die
By Staff, Santa Fe New Mexican
Congratulations to the New Mexico House of Representatives. Understanding the need for urgency, House members unanimously passed legislation to reform the troubled Public Regulation Commission.
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Senate leader- No rush on PRC reforms
By Trip Jennings, Santa Fe New Mexican
Until this week, bills that would ask New Mexico voters this November to adopt reforms at the troubled Public Regulation Commission appeared to be that rarity of rarities around the state Capitol: roadblock-free legislation.
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N.J. among 10 states to be freed from 'No Child Left Behind' law by Obama
By The Associated Press, The Star-Ledger (Newark)
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama today will free New Jersey and nine other states from the strict and sweeping requirements of the No Child Left Behind law, giving leeway to states that promise to improve how they prepare and evaluate students, The Associated Press has learned.
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Report -- Student debt could be next economic bomb
By James Goodman, Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester)
Student debt is looming as a national problem that could have repercussions reminiscent of the mortgage crisis, says a new report by the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys. The study, released Tuesday and based on a nationwide survey of 860 bankruptcy lawyers, said that bankruptcy attorneys nationwide are seeing at the ground level "what feels too much like what they saw before the foreclosure crisis crashed onto the national scene."
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DiNapoli warns of power grab by governor
By The Associated Press, Times Union (Albany)
State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli praised Gov. Andrew Cuomo's proposal as a continued plan for fiscal restraint, but along with top legislative leaders warned that the governor also wants to use the budget to grab power and reduce public oversight and accountability in the spending of billions of taxpayer dollars.
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Any way you slice it, state's fine takes a bite
By Rick Karlin, Times Union (Albany)
Gov. Andrew Cuomo likes to say that New York is "Open for Business," and has laid out a welcome mat for entrepreneurs. But the Empire State still has a way to go if Christian King's experience is any indication. King is still shaking his head at the $5,500 fine he's facing for failing to provide enough polo shirts to employees in his pizza shops.
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Tier VI plan tests labor
By Jimmy Vielkind, Times Union (Albany)
Labor groups immediately attacked Gov. Andrew Cuomo's plan for a new pension tier for future workers when he proposed it last month, and starting Wednesday the state's largest labor coalition will begin airing advertisements making its case.
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States with highest foreclosure rates among bank deal holdouts
By Staff, Bloomberg Businessweek
California, New York, Nevada, Florida and Massachusetts are among the states that haven't signed off on a settlement with banks over foreclosure abuses, according to state officials and two people familiar with the talks. The holdouts include some with the highest rates of foreclosures.
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Push to avert foreclosures hits court logjam
By William Glaberson, The New York Times
New York has been among the most aggressive states in trying to protect homeowners from foreclosure, granting new legal protections and turning courts across the state into teeming negotiation centers working to keep people in their homes.
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Medicaid shift creates state jobs
By Jimmy Vielkind, Times Union (Albany)
The state Department of Health plans to hire up to 1,200 workers — many to be located in the Capital Region — over the next six years as it takes over the Medicaid program from counties, an official testified at a budget hearing Wednesday.
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Change urged at care agency
By Rick Karlin, Times Union (Albany)
A federal study has criticized reporting procedures at the state Commission on Quality of Care and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities.
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Seeds planted for farm reform
By Rick Karlin, Times Union (Albany)
A coalition of environmentalists and small farmers launched a phone and email campaign Wednesday urging Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand to push for big reforms in the federal Farm Bill, which is coming up for a vote in Washington this year.
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NC GOP majority sustains money edge over Democrats
By Gary D. Robertson, The Associated Press, The Winston-Salem Journal
Republicans now in charge of the North Carolina Legislature are capitalizing on their newly-earned political power and filling their campaign coffers for a big election year.
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3 more Dems won't run again for NC Legislature
By The Associated Press, The Winston-Salem Journal
Three more Democrats announced Tuesday they aren't seeking re-election to the General Assembly this year, including two drawn into districts with incumbent Republican lawmakers.
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Blue may run for governor
By Rob Christensen, The News & Observer (Raleigh)
State Sen. Dan Blue of Raleigh said Tuesday that he is seriously considering seeking the Democratic nomination for governor.
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House bill would increase number of NC mustangs
By The Associated Press, The Charlotte Observer
The size of the wild mustang herd on the northern tip of North Carolina's Outer Banks would be larger under a new measure in the U.S. Congress.
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North Dakota pumps record 153 million barrels of oil in 2011
By James MacPherson, The Associated Press, The Forum (Fargo)
North Dakota oil drillers produced a record 152.9 million barrels of crude in 2011, up more than 35 percent and nearly 40 million more barrels than the previous record set a year earlier, the state Industrial Commission said Wednesday.
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Continue to look forward, plan
By Staff, The Bismarck Tribune
North Dakotans should pay attention to Vision 2020, a statewide planning process about to get under way. The past teaches us that the policies and legislation resulting from the plan will affect the state well beyond the 20-year objective. Those speaking now will help shape the state's future.
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Nickname supporters deliver petitions to secretary of state's office
By Chuck Haga, The Forum (Fargo)
After a last, celebratory campaign for signatures at a Bismarck Century-Bismarck High hockey game and from an RV parked outside the Capitol, Fighting Sioux nickname supporters delivered petitions to the secretary of state's office Tuesday night to force a statewide vote on the long-running and controversial issue.
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Democrat seeks House nod in District 7
By Nick Smith, The Bismarck Tribune
Bismarck resident Troy Roness announced Tuesday his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for one of the two state House seats in the newly-formed District 7.
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NDSCS reports 6.5% enrollment growth
By The Associated Press, The Forum (Fargo)
The North Dakota State College of Science reported Tuesday a 6.5 percent increase in spring enrollment.
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Fighting Sioux supporters hand in petitions --- is the nickname back?
By Dale Wetzel, The Associated Press, The Bismarck Tribune
Supporters of the University of North Dakota's nickname turned in more than 17,000 signatures Tuesday night to cap a petition drive to force a statewide vote on a moniker the NCAA says is insulting to American Indians.
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Kasich wants 'war' on slave trade
By Alan Johnson, The Columbus Dispatch
With Gov. John Kasich declaring "war on the slave-trade business" in Ohio, the state is enlisting over-the-road truck drivers, training more law-enforcement officers and creating "the Hub" to respond to human-trafficking crimes.
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Kasich -- Education will lead to new jobs
By Laura A. Bischoff, Dayton Daily News
STEUBENVILLE — Ohio Gov. John Kasich on Tuesday said that jobs in manufacturing, logistics and other industries are moving back, but the state needs to revamp public education and align work force training to match job openings.
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Even talk of Statehouse bipartisanship stirs dispute
By Jim Siegel and Joe Vardon, The Columbus Dispatch
For the second straight year, Republican Gov. John Kasich used his State of the State speech to call for a future of bipartisan cooperation with minority Democrats in the Statehouse.
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Casino rules move forward
By David Eggert, The Columbus Dispatch
A wide-ranging update of Ohio gambling rules won approval yesterday from a legislative committee, though fights lie ahead over addiction funding and forcing counties to spend casino-tax revenue on public safety.
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Analaysts like green light for 'data highway' upgrade
By TIm Feran, The Columbus Dispatch
Gov. John Kasich's plan to "open the faucet" on the state's broadband access is drawing praise and a little caution — but most analysts agree that Ohio's economy will benefit from the move to higher network speeds for business and research institutions.
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Buckeye booster
By Staff, The Columbus Dispatch
Gov. John Kasich's State of the State speech on Tuesday ensured at least one thing: He will go down in history as one of the great cheerleaders for the Buckeye State, perhaps rivaling Gov. James A. Rhodes.
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Kasich on Ohio -- 'We're alive again'
By Joe Vardon, The Columbus Dispatch
STEUBENVILLE, Ohio — A $10 million program to boost the state's broadband speeds tenfold and establish a $2.3 million broadband testing center at Ohio State University was the pre-eminent policy announcement Gov. John Kasich made in his State of the State address yesterday — historic for its circumstance but ripped by Democrats for being short on specifics.
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Cows, Seinfeld ramble into Kasich's speech
By Paul E. Kostyu, The Cincinnati Enquirer
STEUBENVILLE — Non-bluetongue cows going to Turkey. A dream about Jerry Seinfeld in the back seat of a car. Californians are "a bunch of wackadoodles."
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Jobs, education and Wright-Patt focus of Kasich's state of the state address
By Anthony Shoemaker, Dayton Daily News
Our statehouse reporter Laura Bischoff is in Stuebenville to cover Gov. John Kasich's state of the state address. We will be blogging during the speech here and have complete coverage in Wednesday's newspaper. The speech started around 1:26 p.m. and ended at 2:50 p.m.
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Little meat in Kasich speech
By Darrel Rowland, The Columbus Dispatch
It's been almost 30 years since that TV commercial in which an incredulous Clara Peller demanded to know, "Where's the beef?"
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Designated Oklahoma House leader downplays talk of ouster
By Michael McNutt, The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City)
State House Speaker-Designate T.W. Shannon said Tuesday he expects a noisy but productive session this year in the House of Representatives, despite speculation that social conservatives will be working to undermine the authority of House leadership.
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N.J. among 10 states to be freed from 'No Child Left Behind' law by Obama
By The Associated Press, The Star-Ledger (Newark)
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama today will free New Jersey and nine other states from the strict and sweeping requirements of the No Child Left Behind law, giving leeway to states that promise to improve how they prepare and evaluate students, The Associated Press has learned.
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Florida, 9 other states to get No Child Left Behind waiver
By The Associated Press, The Orlando Sentinel
President Barack Obama on Thursday will free 10 states from the strict and sweeping requirements of the No Child Left Behind law, giving leeway to states that promise to improve how they prepare and evaluate students, The Associated Press has learned.
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Legislature committee OKs cutting managers
By Dennis Thompson Jr., Statesman Journal (Salem)
A bill intended to speed the paring down of middle management in Oregon state government passed an important hurdle Wednesday.
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Sen. Floyd Prozanski declares gun-related bills dead
By Janie Har, The Oregonian (Portland)
The Oregon House will vote again on a bill to make private the names of people who have applied for, or currently hold, concealed handgun licenses – and again, it won't go anywhere in the Senate.
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Bills may prevent some foreclosures
By Queenie Wong, Statesman Journal (Salem)
Homeowners faced with foreclosure while seeking a loan modification expressed frustration to lawmakers Monday about a process they called a "spin cycle."
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State fund mistakenly overpays schools
By Tracy Loew, Statesman Journal (Salem)
More than $75 million in principal from the state's Common School Fund was mistakenly distributed to schools between 2001 and 2007, a state audit released Tuesday shows.
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Ore. schools fund overdrawn by $76 million
By The Associated Press, Corvallis Gazette-Times
An Oregon state agency improperly distributed $76 million from an account that boosts school funding, an oversight that is likely to decrease money available for schools in future years, auditors said in a report released Tuesday.
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Newly elected Bonamici takes oath, joins US House
By The Associated Press, Corvallis Gazette-Times
Swearing to uphold the Constitution, Suzanne Bonamici took the oath of office Tuesday and officially became a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
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