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US: Police chiefs, looking to diversify forces, face structural hurdles
Many police chiefs who are eager to hire minorities face structural hurdles to diversifying their departments. Those issues vary by state and city, making any single solution particularly elusive.
VA: Virginia judges to advise immigrants that guilty pleas could mean deportations
The Virginia Supreme Court has issued a directive to trial judges, advising them to warn non-citizen defendants to consider the possible impact a conviction could have on their immigration status.
MO: University of Missouri protests grow after athletes jump in
Long-simmering protests at the University of Missouri over matters of race and discrimination got a boost over the weekend when at least 30 black football players announced they would not participate in team activities until the university system’s president is removed.
CA: California unveils new lethal injection method
California prison officials are promoting a lethal injection method that uses only one drug, a change that could make it easier to execute inmates on death row. Legal challenges have prevented the state from executing anyone since 2006.
OK: Oklahoma Capitol’s building management draws criticism
More than 20 entities, including the House, the Senate and the executive branch, have some say over changes to workspaces in Oklahoma’s signature building. The result has been a hodgepodge of mismatched interior improvements.
IL: Illinois governor rewrites home health care bill
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner used an amendatory veto to rewrite legislation aimed at blocking his cuts to home care for the elderly and disabled, saying Illinois cannot afford to provide the services without more sweeping changes to the way it does business.
FL: Florida’s special sessions will cost taxpayers
The Florida Legislature has met four times this year rather than once, thanks to breakdowns in negotiations over the budget and boundaries for congressional and state Senate districts. The additional meetings will likely cost taxpayers over $1 million.
KS: Kansas slashes revenue estimate, announces budget adjustments
Kansas revenue for the rest of the fiscal year was revised downward $159 million. The state’s budget director outlined $124 million in budget adjustments to allow the state to keep paying its bills.
TX: Texas minorities less likely to own homes
A shortage of affordable housing, credit problems and lack of savings for down payments are among the main barriers blamed for creating a demographic divide in homeownership between Texas minorities and whites, particularly in booming metro areas.
MN: Minnesota road costs jump as lawmakers debate funding
Fixing and expanding Minnesota’s roads will cost billions more than the state Department of Transportation estimated two years ago. The new estimate predicts $16.3 billion in unfunded road costs over the next 20 years, compared with an earlier estimate of $12.5 billion.
NM: New Mexico bishops oppose driver privilege cards
New Mexico’s Roman Catholic bishops oppose the idea of issuing driver’s privilege cards, rather than driver’s licenses, to immigrants who are living in the U.S. illegally, saying such a tiered system would make cardholders vulnerable.
ND: Top lawmakers say North Dakota governor’s bonuses are excessive
Top North Dakota lawmakers from both parties say nearly ,000 in retention bonuses awarded by Republican Gov. Jack Dalrymple to five members of his staff were excessive and will spur the Legislature to review the recruitment and retention bonus program in 2017.
IN: Indiana court says personalized license plates are government speech
Approving a personalized license plate that says “HATERS” while denying one that says “HATER” is constitutional, the Indiana Supreme Court has ruled. The court said the Bureau of Motor Vehicle’s process of approving personalized license plates does not violate the Constitution because the plates are a form of government speech.
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