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guns \ nation \ Stateline.org
Across the nation, fights over gun restrictions heat up
By Maggie Clark Stateline.org Despite the scrutiny of state gun laws following the February shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida, state legislators across the country continue to work on scaling back gun restrictions this session. The Indiana General Assembly adjourned its 2012 session last month without making any notable changes to the [...]
Congress \ Stateline.org \ transportation
Divided Congress resorts to 3-month highway bill
By Daniel C. Vock Stateline.org State transportation officials who worried they might have to delay road construction projects because of a lack of federal money can breathe a little easier, after Congress agreed to keep the money flowing for another three months. Lawmakers sent President Obama the measure Thursday (March 29), but nearly everyone involved [...]
food stamps \ nation \ Stateline.org \ states
Food stamp programs under fire nationally
By Pamela M. Prah Stateline.org The odds of winning one of Michigan’s high-stakes lottery games are 1 in 10,000, but the probability of two people hitting million-dollar jackpots and still be collecting food stamps has to be even more remote. That is exactly what happened in Michigan, stoking a nationwide debate over whether the program is [...]
casinos \ gambling \ racinos \ Stateline.org
Across the nation: Gambling revenue promises rarely met
Indiana one of few states where casinos exceed expectations By Ben Wieder Stateline.org No state helped the gambling industry come out of a two-year recessionary slump more than Pennsylvania, which has seen more than a $1 billion increase in revenue during the past two fiscal years. That growth has catapulted the state’s industry to near [...]
Barack Obama \ Mitch Daniels \ State of the Union
Daniels’ response to Obama: Protect the private sector
By Megan Banta The Statehouse File INDIANAPOLIS—Gov. Mitch Daniels said Tuesday night that President Barack Obama did not tell the whole truth about the state of the country in his State of the Union Address. Obama said “the state of our union is getting stronger,” citing the creation of three million jobs in the last [...]
education \ labor \ Stateline.org \ unions
Unions adapt to new rules in states, even as they fight to reverse them
By Ben Wieder Stateline.org It took nearly a year for Dale Kleinert to negotiate his first teachers’ contract. When Kleinert started his job as schools superintendent in Moscow, Idaho, the talks were already underway. Then, discussions reached an impasse. There were disagreements over pay and health care costs, and the pace slowed further when first [...]
States look for better returns from pension plans, eye New York’s proposed overhaul
By Stephen C. Fehr Stateline staff writer Nearly every state has cut public pension benefits for new workers in the last three years, with an emphasis on reducing the money the states will owe to employees when they retire. Now, some state and local governments are turning to the other significant part of pension math: [...]
Congress \ energy \ LIHEAP \ Stateline
Home heating help slashed by $1 billion nationwide
By Pamela M. Prah Stateline Staff Writer Just in time for the cold weather and holiday season, states have learned that Congress cut $1.2 billion from a program to provide heating and cooling assistance to low-income families. The large spending bill that Congress approved this month for 2012 contained about $3.5 billion for the Low [...]
cell phones \ driving \ Stateline.org
Proposal to ban cell phones while driving gets cool reception in some states
By John Gramlich Stateline.org staff writer The National Transportation Safety Board was unanimous when it recommended this week that states ban drivers from talking on cell phones while driving. The states themselves, however, aren’t exactly jumping at the chance to implement the proposal. “You know the NRA saying that if they want my gun they’ll pry [...]
economy \ Europe \ Stateline.org
Infographic: How a European recession could hit state economies
By Carla Uriona and Mary Mahling Stateline.org Economists are increasingly concerned that Europe’s debt crisis will result in economic contraction across the continent. Will the fiscal pain impact U.S. states? Some states more than others, concludes a recent report by Wells Fargo Securities. The report looks at exports of goods from the 50 states to Europe [...]
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