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Editor’s Picks From Around the Web
AL: Some Alabama agencies looking at severe cuts
With the budget for 2016 put in place last week, Alabama agencies began to review their General Fund allocations. Many didn’t like what they saw.
NY: New York licenses may not comply with federal travel standards
County clerks in New York are raising concerns that travelers may face difficulty next year boarding airplanes because the state’s driver’s licenses are not compliant with federal standards.
CO: Colorado’s high court to decide if cities can ban fracking
The Colorado Supreme Court agreed to decide whether cities can ban hydraulic fracturing, stepping into a high-stakes battle over whether local governments can impose tougher oil and gas rules than the state.
TX: To reduce health costs, Texas insurer spends on housing
One private company that provides health insurance to poor and disabled Texans is taking a gamble that it can keep homeless patients healthier—and save money—with a cash investment to get them off the street.
VT: State cuts Vermont law librarian known for helping ‘jailhouse lawyers’
A budget cut meant the departure of Paul Donovan from the state law library in Montpelier. Donovan had a reputation in Vermont and around the country as a go-to person for inmates with legal research questions.
DC: DC schools administrators violated testing rules
An investigation has found that administrators at six public schools in the District of Columbia violated standardized testing rules by helping students select correct answers, erasing stray markings on answer sheets or providing unauthorized testing accommodations.
MA: Massachusetts pension fund hit by losses in fossil fuel stocks
The Massachusetts state pension fund’s holdings of fossil fuel stocks lost million in value in the past fiscal year, according to an estimate by a firm that advocates divesting such assets.
WY: Wyoming had third-largest gender-wage gap in 2014
Wyoming women earned 69 cents for every dollar earned by men last year, resulting in the third worst gender-wage gap in the nation, according to newly analyzed U.S. Census Bureau numbers.
KY: More than 3,000 sexual assault kits have gone untested in Kentucky
More than 3,000 people in Kentucky who have been examined for possible sexual assault have not had their medical evidence kits tested, Democratic State Auditor Adam Edelen said.
AZ: Arizona shorting schools millions for special education
Arizona is shorting its school districts and charter schools an estimated million a year in underfunded mandates for students with special needs. And it’s the students who don’t need special assistance who are paying the price.
WA: Seattle asks state for rent control authority
The Seattle City Council asked for an exception to a 1981 Washington state law that bans cities from regulating rents.
AR: Arkansas has highest rate of obesity in U.S.
According to a new report, based on figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Arkansas has an obesity rate of 35.9 percent. West Virginia and Mississippi tied for first last year.
MT: Montana governor announces child protection initiative
With the number of children in foster care up 75 percent over the last eight years, largely due to parents’ drug and alcohol problems, Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock announced a series of reforms to improve child protection and welfare in Montana.
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