State News

February 28, 2008

NM - The New Mexico legislature adjourned sine die last Thursday, February 14. However, Gov. Richardson (D) is already threatening to call a special session due the failure of his healthcare reform and ethics proposals during the regular session. http://www.abqtrib.com/news/2008/feb/14/new-mexico-governor-sees-few-suc... [1]

WI -- Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch (R) warns that a special budget session is likely in March due to lower than projected tax revenue in recent months . http://www.holmencourier.com/articles/2008/02/14/news/02huebsch.txt [2]

February 12, 2008

CO - Rep. Terrance Carroll (D) was selected by House Democrats to replace Rep. Michael Garcia (D) as assistant majority leader. Garcia resigned Feb. 1 after allegations of sexual harrassment against him were made public. http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/feb/05/house-democrats-pick-c... [3]

OK - The Oklahoma legislature kicked off its 2008 session on Monday, Feb. 4, by selecting a new House Speaker. Chris Benge (R) of Tulsa was selected to fill the Speaker's post after Rep. Lance Cargill (R) resigned from the position last week. Cargill resigned after revelations that he failed to pay his personal income taxes came to light. http://www.koco.com/news/15216430/detail.html [4]

OR - A special session began on Monday, February 4. The purpose of the special session is to test voter's willingness to hold annual sessions. The state's legislative sessions are held every other year and a switch to annual sessions would require voters to amend the state Constitution. http://www.localnewsdaily.com/news/story.php?story_id=120164147062144200 [5]

CA – The House Democratic caucus voted unanimously last week to let Speaker Fabian Nunez (D) serve as Speaker through the remainder of the year, but to also select a Speaker-designate with a vote on March 11. Sacramento Sen. Darrell Steinberg (D) will assume the leadership of the state Senate at the end of the year. An official vote will be delayed until Aug. 21, and Steinberg will take the top job at the end of the legislative year in December.

IL - Legislators voted to complete a Chicago Transit Authority bailout by implementing a 40 percent transfer tax increase for city property buyers. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-councilfeb07,1,634705.story... [6]

KY – Results of Tuesday’s (February 5) elections: two Democrats won open House seats that were previously held by Democrats, and one seat gained by Republicans. The GOP now controls the Senate 22-15 with one independent. http://www.kentucky.com/454/story/309711.html [7]

LA - Louisiana lawmakers kicked off a three-week special session on ethics yesterday, February 10. http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/politics/15500896.html [8]

NM - The New Mexico legislative session ends this Thursday, Feb. 14, 2008. The centerpieces of the Governor's legislative agenda--healthcare reform and ethics reform-- have yet to garner much support among legislators. http://www.santafenewmexican.com/LocalNews/House-sends-Senate-weakened-h... [9]

January 28, 2008

CT -- Lawmakers met in special session Jan. 22-23 to toughen sentencing laws for certain violent crimes. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/24/nyregion/24crime.html?ref=nyregion [10]

LA - Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) is meeting with state lawmakers in advance of the planned special session on ethics reform, which is set to convene February 10. http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/politics/14173577.html [11]

MS - The legislature agreed to shorten the 2008 session from 125 days to 103. Therefore, Sine Die will now be Saturday, April 19.

CO - Rep. Douglas Bruce (R) became the first lawmaker to be censured in the legislature's 131- year history. The Colorado House voted 62-1 Thursday to censure Bruce for kicking a newspaper photographer on the House floor last week. http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/jan/25/historic-rebuke-for-de... [12]

MO - Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder (R) announces run for Governor; other Republicans that could jump into the race include House Speaker Rod Jetton, moderate state Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, Senate Majority Leader Charlie Shields, U.S. Attorney Catherine Hanaway and State Treasurer Sarah Steelman. The winner will likely face Attorney General Jay Nixon (D) in November. Gov. Matt Blunt (R) announced last week that he does not intend to run for re-election in November. http://www.kmbc.com/politics/15130052/detail.html [13]

PA - Labor Secretary Stephen Schmerin is resigning, effective January 31. http://www.dli.state.pa.us/landi/cwp/view.asp?Q=246018&A=3 [14]

January 21, 2008

AK - The Alaska Legislature convened January 15 amid a $4 billion budget surplus. http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/263443.html [15]

IA - Lawmakers convened January 14 in Des Moines for the 2008 session and must tackle a budget deficit of between $105 million and $344 million. http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080113/NEW... [16]

KS – The legislative session began January 14. Top issues for this year include energy and climate change, health care, immigration, smoking, education, taxes, and driving restrictions. http://www.kansascity.com/105/story/443374.html [17]

LA - Bobby Jindal (R) was sworn in as Governor of Louisiana on January 14. http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/politics/13759852.html [18]

NM – The legislative session began January 15 with Gov. Bill Richardson's State of the State address focusing on his universal health care proposal. http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/State_of_the_state_Governo... [19] http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/2008_Legislature_Price_tag... [20]

WA – The legislature convened its 60 day session Monday, January 14. http://www.theolympian.com/legislature/story/326669.html [21]

January 14, 2008

CA - Legislators returned to work January 7. Governor Schwarzenegger (R) addressed a $14 billion budget shortfall by announcing spending cuts in his State of the State speech. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080109/pl_nm/california_budget_stateofstate... [22]

CO - The legislative session began January 9. Health care, transportation and higher ed are dominant issues. http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/denver/live_from_the_colorado_legisla... [23]

LA - Gov.-elect Bobby Jindal (R), who officially takes office on Monday, Jan. 14, intends to call for a special session on repeal of the business utility tax. Jindal previously already announced he'll call a special session on ethics shortly after his swearing-in ceremony. The dates for this second special session are still up in the air. The 2008 regular session of the LA legislature doesn't kick off until March 31. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/L/LA_JINDAL_BUSINESS_LAOL-?SITE=LAB... [24]

MD - Session began January 9 with $200 million in cuts expected. http://www.wmdt.com/topstory/topstory.asp?ID=3090 [25]

MS - The 2008 session kicked off January 9. The Senate elected Senator Billy Hewes (R) as Senate President Pro Tem, and Billy McCoy (D) was re-elected as Speaker of the House by a vote of 62 to 60. The Senate also voted to create committees on Ethics, Tourism and Housing, and agreed to allow proceedings in the Senate Chamber to be broadcast on the Internet. http://www.wmctv.com/global/story.asp?s=7593982 [26]

NJ - 2007 Session ended and 2008 Session began on Tuesday, January 8. Legislation from the 2006-07 session does not carry over to 2008. http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-9/119977410619... [27]

NM - Unlike many other state legislatures having to wrestle with budget deficits, NM is in such good shape that Gov. Richardson wants to increase spending for the next fiscal year. The NM legislature reconvenes next week (1/14) for a 30-day session. http://www.santafenewmexican.com/SantaFeNorthernNM/state_government_Rich... [28]

NY - Session began January 9. Legislators are facing a $4.3 billion deficit, but Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D) has stated how he will use higher education and growth in high tech fields such as stem cell and nanotechnology research to try to revitalize the state's economy despite a $4.3 billion deficit. http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--stateofstate010... [29]

VA - The 2008-09 session of the legislature convened January 9 with budget issues, mental health, illegal immigrants, telecommunications regulation, payday lending, smoking ban, and electricity-rates as major issues. http://www.newsadvance.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=LNA/MGArticle/LNA_... [30]

KS – The legislative session begins January 14 with Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D) pinning the chances for health-care reform in Kansas this year on a cigarette tax increase that is already meeting with legislative resistance. http://www.kansascity.com/115/story/439813.html [31]

NM - Bill Richardson (D) dropped out the presidential race last week, just in time for opening day of the 2008 session of the state legislature. New Mexico's legislature convenes Jan. 15 for a 30-day session. http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/Richardson_drops_out_of_ra... [32]

TN - State programs could need $440 million in new funds in the next budget year, but the state may see just $300 million to $350 million in tax growth. Gov. Phil Bredesen (D) plans to present a balanced budget to the legislature on Jan. 28 that will fund his priorities, which include a revamp of the state's Basic Education Program

January 7, 2008

IL – Gov. Blagojevich (D) called lawmakers into special session January 2 to discuss funding for Chicago area mass transit. However, after just a few minutes into the session, the sparsely attended session adjourned without considering the governor's proposals. http://cbs2chicago.com/local/cta.funding.crisis.2.621513.html [33]

KY -- Bleak budget figures reveal the state is $289 million short of earlier projections, and newly elected Gov. Brashear (D) is asking state agencies to slash their budgets. http://www.realcities.com/mld/kentucky/news/local/states/kentucky/counti... [34]

MS – The Mississippi legislature kicked off its 2008 Legislative session January 2. Education, tobacco taxes, gaming, workers comp and alternative fuels are expected to be the top issues this session. http://www.eagletribune.com/punewsnh/local_story_002093847?keyword=secon... [35]

NJ -- The 2006-'07 session of the state legislature adjourns sine die at 12noon on Tuesday, January 8. The 2008-09 session begins immediately following adjournment of the previous session. In the meantime, the lame duck legislature is looking to sneak through new tax increases in its final days in order to alleviate the state's budget deficit. http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080103/NEW... [36]

AZ - Gov. Janet Napolitano (D) on Thursday (01/04/08) released a plan to close an $870 million deficit by delaying spending in some areas and using financing in others, while pulling hundreds of millions from state reserves and other funds. http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0104budgetcuts01... [37]

ME - The state legislature convened January 2 facing a slate of budget issues. Last month, Gov. John Baldacci (D) issued an executive order directing state agencies to reduce the rate of spending in the current fiscal year by $38 million. His action followed a decision by the state's Revenue Forecasting Committee that General Fund revenue projections for the biennium had to be reduced by $95 million. http://www.sunjournal.com/story/245736-3/MaineNews/Budget_woes_face_Legi... [38]

PA - President Pro Tem Joe Scarnati (R) was re-elected as leader of the state Senate (01/01/2008). Scarnati says he'll try to have a new open records bill enacted by the end of this month and will also see if he can push through a slight reduction in the personal income tax rate. http://www.postgazette.com/pg/08002/845958-85.stm [39]

RI – The state legislature convened January 2 setting a goal to close budget deficits estimated at $151 million this year and $450 million next year. http://www.projo.com/news/content/general_assembly_01-02-08_2T8F1JH_v25.... [40]

VT - The state legislature will convene January 8. This year's perennial issues include school finance, health care and energy, privatizing the state lottery, and a debate over relaxing penalties for small amounts of marijuana. www.boston.com/news/local/vermont/articles/2008/01/06/energy_health_care... [41]