Month: January 2015
Editor’s Picks From Around the Web
GA: Autism measure heads to a skeptical House ajc.com Young children with autism would get insurance coverage under a mandate passed unanimously Thursday by the state Senate, despite warnings it would increase health insurance premiums across Georgia. ME: Medical marijuana can factor in custody cases pressherald.com Medical marijuana use may be legal in Maine, but […]
A License to Braid Hair? Critics Say State Licensing Rules Have Gone Too Far
AP Christine McLean braids Nivea Earl’s hair in McLean’s Little Rock, Arkansas, shop in June. The two African-style hair braiders are suing the state, challenging licensing laws that they say impede their constitutional rights. A number of states are under pressure to stop requiring licenses for some occupations. (AP) Nivea Earl was thrilled when she […]
Hispanics and Education: a Texas-Sized Challenge for States
Getty A Hispanic student listens to President Obama speak in Washington, D.C. (Getty) AUSTIN, Texas – Manuel Ramirez was the first in his family to get a college degree, and it wasn’t easy. His parents, who brought him to the U.S. illegally from Guanajuato, Mexico, when he was 8 years old, made just enough to […]
Editor’s Picks From Around the Web
KY: Should Kentucky schools teach computer code as a foreign language? courier-journal.com A lawmaker wants to let school districts teach computer programming as a foreign language credit in Kentucky, where nearly a quarter of the state lacks access to broadband Internet. DE: Delaware eyes digital driver’s licenses delawareonline.com Delaware wants to be the first state to […]
Which States Led in Job Creation for 2014?
AP A Tommy Hilfiger employee, right, talks with job applicants during a job fair in Miami in October. Employment rose in nearly every state in 2014. (AP) This story updates an article published on December 22, 2014, with additional data. Every state added jobs over the course of 2014, with 16 states posting at least […]
State Budgets Recovering in Most States
Budgets in most states are continuing a “modest, slow” recovery from the Great Recession, with revenues meeting expectations in 35 states and most states expecting balanced budgets through this fiscal year, according to a new report by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). Most states told NCSL their fiscal situations are “stable,” and predicted […]
More States Lean Toward Medicaid Expansion
AP Whitecloud Sun Rhodes, of the Wind River Indian Reservation, speaks in favor of expanding Medicaid at a meeting of the Wyoming Senate Labor, Health and Social Services Committee in Cheyenne. Other Western states are also mulling whether to expand the federal-state health care program to low-income adults under the Affordable Care Act. (AP) The […]
Editor’s Picks From Around the Web
FL: Governor pledges $5 billion over 20 years for Florida Everglades sun-sentinel.com Republican Gov. Rick Scott proposed an initial $150 million for the Everglades in this year’s budget, with an equal amount going to protect undeveloped land, including panther habitat. CA: California fails to track $13 billion in mental health funds cbslocal.com State and county […]
Atlantic City Takeover Shows New Jersey’s Resolve to Help Its Troubled Cities
Stephen C. Fehr, a senior officer at The Pew Charitable Trusts, researches and analyzes the fiscal health of states and localities. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s appointment of an emergency manager to oversee financially distressed Atlantic City is among numerous state efforts to intervene in troubled communities to help them recover. Christie last week named […]
Editor’s Picks From Around the Web
MN: Minnesota governor pushes $6 billion transportation funding plan virginiamn.com Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton’s proposal would add a new 6.5 percent tax on gas at the wholesale level, which would likely be passed on to motorists at the gas pump, and boost license tab fees, with a separate sales tax increase in the Twin Cities, […]
Some Lottery Retailers Beat the Odds—and Cost States
AP State lottery officials are seeing a rash of winning ticket scams, often perpetrated by a handful of retail store operators. (AP) Retail store owners and clerks are hitting lottery jackpots too often, spurring states to crack down on a variety of scams that cheat rule-abiding players—and divert money from state coffers. The scams tarnish […]
Many African-Americans Fall Into a Health ‘Coverage Gap’
AP Get Covered America volunteers Cynae Derose (L) and Jalisa Hinkle talk with Shirese Davis about the Affordable Care Act (ACA) while canvassing a Chicago neighborhood. A disproportionate number of low-income African-Americans are caught in a “coverage gap”: They make too much to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough to qualify for subsidized insurance on […]