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VA: Virginia lawmakers push for increased regulation of day care operations
Legislators have stepped forward with several proposals to make child care safer in response to a newspaper investigation that found that 60 children have died in day care operations in Virginia since 2004.
WI: Governor seeks drug tests for Wisconsin welfare recipients
Republican Gov. Scott Walker is proposing legislation that would require welfare recipients or those applying for benefits to undergo drug testing.
VT: Vermont reports progress in heroin fight
A year after Vermont grabbed national headlines when Democratic Gov. Peter Shumlin made fighting heroin and opiate abuse a priority, the state is treating 47 percent more patients, waiting lists for treatment have declined and distribution of an anti-overdose drug has saved 133 lives.
OR: Oregon mandates more class time for high school students
The new rule from the Oregon Board of Education stops the longtime practice of some high schools, most commonly in Portland, to allow or even encourage many juniors and seniors to have one or two or even three empty periods a day in their schedule.
PA: Pennsylvania high court halts any charges against attorney general
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court temporarily halted the filing of charges against Attorney General Kathleen Kane in a media leak case while it decides whether the appointment of a special prosecutor assigned to investigate her was legal.
DE: State panel recommends $46 million Delaware casino bailout
A state panel studying ways to find fiscal relief for Delaware’s lagging gambling industry voted 5-4 to recommend a nearly $46 million package to provide a pathway to stabilize its three casinos.
FL: Governor won’t address disparities in Florida scholarship program
Republican Gov. Rick Scott proposed spending $23.5 million to expand Bright Futures scholarships, but did not address criticism that new eligibility standards designed to control costs have kept thousands of low-income and minority students from receiving the awards.
TX: Texas Department of Transportation spends millions in tuition reimbursements
Of the $23.8 million state agencies spent from 2002 to part of January 2015 on tuition, conferences and other educational programs for employees, close to half went to Texas Department of Transportation staff, according to data from the state comptroller’s office.
CA: Judge orders California to make timely decisions on Medicaid coverage
Medi-Cal applicants who have been waiting for more than 45 days can receive temporary health benefits while officials determine eligibility for the public insurance program, a state Superior Court judge ruled this week.
NH: Health, Human Services department faces budget shortfall
New Hampshire’s largest department faces a $58 million shortfall with five months to go in the 2015 fiscal year. Despite the problem, the governor’s office predicts the 2015 fiscal year budget will end with a $1 million surplus.
KS: Kansas bill would let legal gun owners carry concealed weapons
Kansas already allows the open carrying of firearms in most public places as a result of legislation passed last year, but carrying concealed requires a gun-safety training class and a state-issued permit.
OH: Some Ohio charter schools found to overstate attendance
Several Ohio charter schools have far fewer students showing up to class than they report to the state, which funds them based on student head counts, a state auditor’s investigation found.
NE: Ricketts calls for more property tax relief, military-friendly moves
Nebraska’s new governor, Republican Pete Ricketts, is making property tax relief his central priority.
GA: Governor proposes charter schools for Georgia prisons
Republican Gov. Nathan Deal urged legislators to commit more than $12 million to hire more instructors, establish prison charter schools and support other programs that aim to ease the transition of inmates after they are released back into society.
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