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States Scramble to Fund Legal-Aid Programs
New York’s court-appointed lawyers will get 100 percent raises next year to represent poor people in court one striking example of how states as diverse as Massachusetts, Kentucky and Minnesota are struggling to continue legal representation for indigents despite severe budget crunches. The big pay hike financed by increases in traffic fines and in fees […]
State Attorney Generals Step Up Child Support Enforcement
Touting slogans like “You can run but you can hide” and “Pay child support on time or do time,” several state attorneys general are using their legal and political clout to make life uncomfortable for parents who fail to pay child support. Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox officially launched a program last month that will […]
Governors Hunt Business Abroad to Boost State Economies
Coffee lovers attending the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing might be able to satisfy their caffeine cravings with one of Starbucks’ signature lattes. If so, they’ll have Washington Gov. Gary Locke (D) to thank. Locke returned Saturday (10/18) from China, where he lobbied to get Starbucks and scores of other Washington-based companies a slice of […]
New Sales Tax Tool For States Proposed
Members of Congress have introduced a bill designed to help states with budget shortfalls by taxing Internet and mail-order purchases. The bill authorizes an association of states to enforce sales tax laws on retailers that ship goods into those states. Its sponsors estimate that state and local governments forgo nearly $26 billion in revenue each […]