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Bill Seeks to Bolster State Hate Crimes Prosecutions
(Updated 10 a.m. EDT, May 28, 2009) A bill that cleared the U.S. House of Representatives and is awaiting Senate action seeks to bolster prosecution of so-called “hate crimes.” It would provide special funding to state and local law enforcement to investigate and prosecute such crimes, and expand protection for the first time to gays, […]
States Launch Census Outreach Efforts
(Updated 2 p.m. EDT, April 30, 2009) With the 2010 Census a year away, some states already are bracing for the nationwide head count that will decide their share of U.S. House seats and billions of federal dollars. The new population numbers also will be used to redraw state legislative districts. Determined to get every […]
Mexico Violence Sparks State Action
Click here to read a Q&A about the violence in Mexico (Updated 2 p.m. EDT, March 26, 2009) While Mexico’s raging drug war looms as the Obama administration’s next big foreign policy battleground, states on the front line are taking steps to combat the violence already spilling into their back yards. Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer […]
Bills Would Boost Spending Transparency
(Updated 2:15 p.m. EDT, March 10, 2009) When Iowa state Rep. Doug Struyk (R) wants specific data on his state’s expenditures he first contacts his staff, which contacts the Legislative Service Bureau, which pulls a small portion of the budget and spending report and delivers it back to him. The process can be lengthy and […]