What We're Reading: Top State Stories 11/11
NC: North Carolina governor vetoes teacher raises, wants to negotiate
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, has vetoed the legislature’s proposed average teacher raises of 3.9% over two years, calling them “inadequate.” Instead, he wants to negotiate for higher raises.
CA: California cops keep their jobs despite violence charges: investigation
A six-month investigation by a statewide coalition of news organizations found law enforcement officers who are accused of committing a litany of violent behavior routinely plead down to nonviolent misdemeanors for disturbing the peace or vandalism or unreasonable noise.
WI: Federal appeals court keeps Wisconsin GOP lawmakers out of abortion case
A federal appeals court ruled Wisconsin's legislature can't intervene in a lawsuit brought by Planned Parenthood, leaving it to Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul to defend the state's abortion laws.
US: Thousands of Americans face life-threatening floods from aging dams
A more than two-year investigation by The Associated Press has found scores of dams nationwide in poor condition, and in dangerous locations. They loom over homes, businesses, highways or entire communities that could face life-threatening floods if the dams don’t hold.
VA: Women selected to lead House for first time in Virginia history
Newly-elected Democratic delegates and delegates-elect nominated Del. Eileen Filler-Corn to become the first woman to be nominated for speaker of the Virginia House. Del. Charniele Herring will be the new majority leader, the first woman and the first African American in that job.
KY: Close election in Kentucky was ripe for Twitter, and an omen for 2020
Kentucky, where unsubstantiated allegations of electoral theft flooded Twitter, is shaping up to be a case study in the real-word impact of disinformation — and a preview of what election-security officials and experts fear could unfold a year from now if the 2020 presidential election comes down to the wire.
MN: Federal government finalizes changes that will cost MinnesotaCare millions
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will change how it funds Minnesota’s health care system, resulting in a projected loss of millions in federal health care dollars used by the state.
UT: Utah schools will be able to ban, confiscate e-cigarettes and vaping devices
After hearing increasing concerns from teachers and principals, the Utah Board of Education passed an emergency measure allowing schools to ban electronic cigarettes and vaping devices — and to create rules to confiscate, destroy or turn them over to law enforcement when students do bring them to campus.
WV: Popularity of vaping blamed for drop in West Virginia’s tobacco settlement payment
West Virginia’s annual payment from major cigarette manufacturers dropped by more than $1.6 million, as rising popularity of e-cigarettes and vaping has accelerated the decline in tobacco consumption, members of a state board that monitors tobacco settlement payments learned last week.
RI: Rhode Island legislature seeks to dismiss governor’s marijuana-regulation suit
The Rhode Island Senate and House have filed motions in Superior Court arguing that it makes little sense for taxpayers and courts to spend time and money on a challenge by Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo to a new law. The law would give the legislature veto power over new medical marijuana and hemp regulations when the law is already slated for repeal.
LA: Mentally ill children in Louisiana don’t get enough service through Medicaid, lawsuit says
A suit filed by the Southern Poverty Law Center argues that Louisiana has violated federal Medicaid laws by failing to offer children intensive mental health services, instead relying on psychiatric institutions and the juvenile justice system to stabilize children in crisis.
NY: Sex offender rules in New York an inconsistent maze
A New York law intended to protect children from convicted sex offenders has created a maze of contradictory policies and regulations, leading to inconsistent enforcement and confusing online tracking systems.
NE: High-speed internet shortage a big concern in rural Nebraska
Nebraska’s rural areas are struggling with a major shortage of high-speed internet, and people who live there are likely paying more for service than their urban counterparts, according to a new report commissioned by state lawmakers.
