Editor’s Picks From Around the Web

NJ: New Jersey told to return $32 million in Medicare payments

thehill.com

New Jersey officials are being asked to return $32 million in federal Medicare payments that the Obama administration says were issued as a result of improper billing.

GA: Immigrants without legal status sue for Georgia driver’s licenses

ajc.com

A group of immigrants who are living in Georgia without legal status filed suit against the state Department of Driver Services in federal court, accusing the agency of violating their constitutional rights by denying them driver’s licenses.

MT: Montana worker shortage begins as baby boomers retire

missoulian.com

Montana’s low unemployment rate is driving up wages, but a serious worker shortage is appearing on the horizon as baby boomers begin to retire, state officials said.

FL: Florida medical marijuana ballot initiative reaches milestone

tampabay.com

A proposal to legalize medical marijuana in Florida has gained enough signatures to trigger a review by the attorney general and state Supreme Court. If approved, the proposal would be put before voters in November 2016.  

AR: University of Arkansas bans drones on campus

arkansasonline.com

A University of Arkansas policy prohibits the use of “unmanned aircraft systems” or remote-controlled model aircraft on university property or within the school’s air rights without prior written approval, the school said in a statement. Violations of the policy may result in a criminal trespass warning or an arrest.

VA: Former Virginia governor to remain free while Supreme Court decides on review

washingtonpost.com

Robert McDonnell will avoid prison while the U.S. Supreme Court considers whether to review his conviction on corruption charges. The one-paragraph order from the justices was a dramatic reprieve for Virginia’s former Republican governor, who lost a lower-court appeal and would have had to begin serving a two-year prison sentence without the Supreme Court’s intervention.

AZ: Arizona limits amount of marijuana caregivers can carry

azcentral.com

A new Arizona court ruling says medical marijuana caregivers must abide by the legal limit set by state law for how much pot they can possess.

TX: Budget cuts still hampering Texas schools

texastribune.org

As Texas prepares to argue a school finance appeal before the state Supreme Court, the latest figures show districts still are grappling with staffing cuts, swelling class sizes and flat test scores exacerbated by budget cuts in 2011. Public school staffing remains lower than it had been before the cuts, even as student enrollment has grown.

DC: DC expands services for homeless families

washingtonpost.com

Abandoning the long-held practice of offering shelter to homeless families only on freezing nights, District of Columbia officials offered families motel rooms in June and July. The placements are part of an unannounced program designed to move to year-round access to shelters.

OK: Aging out of Oklahoma child welfare system increases risk of homelessness

newsok.com

More than a quarter of the 1,639 youths who aged out of the Oklahoma child welfare system from 2009 through 2013 went on to experience some form of homelessness, finds a study by the state Department of Human Services.

WI: Wisconsin stats on police chases riddled with holes

postcrescent.com

Wisconsin’s system for tracking dangerous police chases is riddled with holes despite mandatory reporting laws, according to a Gannett Wisconsin Media investigation, which found that while police are supposed to report all their chases to state authorities, many incidents are missing from state records and statistics presented to the public.

NM: New Mexico secretary of state facing possible impeachment push

abqjournal.com

New Mexico House Democratic leaders said they are taking the first steps in a possible impeachment effort against Republican Secretary of State Dianna Duran, who was charged last week with fraud, embezzlement, money laundering and other crimes.