News
Focus On Education Spurs Government Job Growth
A sharp increase in state and local education hiring caused the largest government job growth in five years in the third quarter of 1998, according to a newly released report from the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for the Study of the States. The Albany, N.Y. think tank said its calculations showed that state government job […]
Minnesota’s Colorful New Governor Stars on Web
With a click of the mouse, the silhouette of Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura’s shaved head bursts into view like a full moon. Near the top of the computer screen, beside a snapshot of the former pro wrestler’s piercing eyes, is an in-your-face boast: “Our Governor Could Beat Up Your Governor.” Welcome to jessethebody.com, the brainchild […]
States Scramble to Upgrade Schools
From Maine to California, improving education is far and away the top priority of the states this year, and governors have all kinds of ideas about how to do it. The focus on schools is partly dirven by pressure from voters who want their kids to learn more, but even more so by the intense […]
‘Fab Five’ Give Arizona Something to Brag About
Arizona has become a political trailblazer by installing women in its top five elected posts — a first among the 50 states. “We have varying responsibilities, we have different styles and we even may have some philosophical differences. But we share a commitment to working together for the betterment of the state of Arizona,” Gov. […]
Florida Republicans Focus on Tax Cuts, Education
As Republicans take over Florida government for the first time since Reconstruction, the talk is all of tax cuts and education. The GOP now controls both houses of the legislature, the governor’s office and the elected state cabinet a first for any southern state. It is out to make a good impression, and ready to […]
Young Artists Mark California’s Changing of the Guard
According to California schoolchildren, the same things that have historically drawn more people to the Golden State than to any other part of the country will propel it into the 21st Century – the Pacific Ocean, dreams of fame, and a diverse culture and landscape. Artwork that incorporates those images was assembled into a mosaic […]
States Get ‘Governing’ Report Cards
Good news for residents of Missouri, Utah, Virginia and Washington – you state tax dollars go to the fourt best-run state governments in the nation, according to findings published in the February edition of Governing magazine. Those four states received the highest grades for performance in five management categories in a two-year study conducted by […]
Wisconsin’s Tommy Thompson – Eyeing New Horizons?
Wisconsin’s capitol, the political preserve of Republican Gov. Tommy G. Thompson for 13 years, is getting reacquainted with political diversity. Other players are emerging from the political spell cast by the 57-year-old four-term governor, who has thrice enjoyed the magic of a 60 percent reelection margin. Thompson has made being Wisconsin’s governor a job to […]
New Study Paints Grim Picture Of Lifestyle For U.S. Underclass
A vast national survey of the financial, emotional and mental well-being of American families finds poor children and their parents are at least twice as likely to suffer a wide range of hardships than their wealthier counterparts. “Snapshots of America’s Families”, released this morning by the Urban Institute, also reveals significant disparities in family health […]
States Vary On How To Spend Tobacco Settlement Billions
With forty-six states and five U.S. territories preparing to collect initial payments of the billion tobacco settlement, proposals ranging from establishing scholarships in Nevada to auctioning off Louisiana’s full settlement have emerged. Governors and legislators are being warned to temper their plans, however, because of federal threats to take as much as fifty percent of […]
Texas Gov Bush A Devolution Fan
George W. Bush, the popular Texas governor and early favorite of political handicappers for next year’s Republican presidential nomination, strongly advocates shifting money and power away from Washington to state and local government. In an interview with stateline.org, Bush said he believes accountability is heightened rather than diminished by the current trend toward government decentralization, […]
Clinton School Accountability Plan Draws Skepticism
President Clinton’s State of the Union proposal to demand greater accountability of public schools in return for federal dollars is getting more boos than cheers from the groups that shape federal education policy. “We don’t want to see a program in which state and local school districts are held hostage to standards set in Washington,” […]