POLITICS & LEADERSHIP
Immigration policy left to the states 

GOVERNORS
Dismayed govs review their own disaster plans
 
 

The week in session
Bird's eye view
Hot issues
Upcoming elections
In the hopper
In case you missed it
Once around
 
 
 

The cleanup and restoration from Hurricane Katrina will likely take years to complete. But there's no telling how long it will take to heal the bitter feelings left over from the lackluster federal response to this epic disaster. 
 

States struggle with second flood - evacuees

Although Hurricane Katrina itself is now only a very bad memory for residents of LOUISIANA, MISSISSIPPI and  ALABAMA, its effects continue to be felt across the country. Barely two weeks after the nation's most devastating storm in over a century, more than a dozen states have declared disaster emergencies as they work to accommodate an anticipated influx of evacuees from the devastated Gulf Coast Region. 

PENNSYLVANIA last week became the 16th state to declare an emergency, which makes states eligible to receive federal funds to help pay for the enormous cost of providing food, shelter, education and medical care for the thousands of people displaced by the epic storm. More states may also declare emergency status, pending the actual number of evacuees each receives. For example, in his emergency request, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) asked for $50 million to cover Pennsylvania's immediate fiscal output in hurricane relief efforts, including deployment of the Keystone State National Guard, but added he would ask for another $25 million if the state takes in a significant number of displaced evacuees. 

That may not happen anytime soon. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials told governors across the country late last week that most of Katrina's victims prefer to stay in or near shelters in Louisiana and neighboring states "to resolve issues concerning the status of property, employment and the safety of loved ones." So while many evacuees have already spread out across the country -- primarily to ARKANSAS, GEORGIA, TEXAS, MISSOURI, SOUTH CAROLINA, KANSAS, FLORIDA and TENNESSEE -- further evacuations to CALIFORNIA, COLORADO, IOWA, RHODE ISLAND, OREGON, MAINE, DELAWARE, MASSACHUSETTS, VERMONT, NORTH DAKOTA, WYOMING, MONTANA, WASHINGTON, UTAH and Pennsylvania have been put on hold for now. Rendell called the situation "frustrating," but said he also understands why evacuees would feel that way. 

"If for them, their comfort level and their safety zone means staying close to home, we should understand and respect that," he said.

Much of the state response came after Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) personally called several other governors to say his state was overloaded and could not take in any more storm victims. Perry cited his concern that the ongoing flood of people coming into Texas shelters -- the vast majority of whom had absolutely nothing but the clothes on their back -- was placing a significant strain on his state's social services programs. The first day that evacuees could apply for food stamps, for instance, produced only eight applicants, but within four days that total had swelled to more than 26,000.  

Fear of similar situations has prompted concern from both the public and private sectors in several states.
 
"We're not what we were five years ago, and the reality is, private charity cannot make up the difference," said Marcia Avner of the Minnesota Council of Non-Profits. OKLAHOMA Gov. Brad Henry (D), echoed her words saying his state is struggling to balance the desire to help with the concern that "we don't want to stretch ourselves too thin." 

But by declaring a state of emergency, governors clearly anticipate that federal dollars will eventually cover the cost of aiding their fellow states. Robert Black, a spokesperson for Gov. Perry, said Texas fully expects FEMA "to reimburse us 100 percent for everything." 

For now, states like Arkansas and Tennessee are dipping into their own emergency and rainy-day funds, opting to worry about the costs and reimbursement later. Such is also the feeling in South Carolina, where Chris Drummond, a spokesman for Gov. Mark Sanford (R), said, "the cost associated with this is kind of secondary for the moment." Drummond noted that the state feels compelled to help those that aided it back in 1989 when Hurricane Hugo wreaked havoc there. "We're going to return the favor," Drummond said. 

But some observers caution that states' generosity will have a limit. Stacy Dean of the Washington D.C.-based Center for Budget and Policy Priorities says governors are doing the right thing by hitting the federal government up right away and not waiting to see how everything plays out later. 

"The states' generosity is going to run out as their coffers empty," she said. "It will place an enormous strain on their social services. It's vital that governors speak up and ask for the federal financial support they need."

There is also an underlying concern in the Gulf Region over just what insurance will pay to restore homes damaged or obliterated by Katrina. Standard homeowner policies do not cover flood damage, forcing property owners to buy that coverage separately. Wind damage, however, is part of the standard policy. That will no doubt lead to significant debate among insurance carriers and policyholders as to whether flood damage was caused by something like wind blowing a roof off or simply from rising flood waters. Most forecasters now put Katrina's total insured losses at somewhere around $35 billion, with some predicting twice that much in uninsured losses. 

Meanwhile, many in the disaster zone continue to harbor hard feelings over the snail-like pace of the government's initial response to the catastrophe. It has gotten particularly testy in Louisiana, where Gov. Kathleen Blanco (D) last week refused a request from President Bush to cede control of the state National Guard and local law enforcement directly to him under the federal Insurrection Act. That law is meant to control and suppress civil disobedience and to clarify the chain of command between local, state and federal authorities, with the president at the top of the chain. 

Blanco contended that she needed the flexibility to control the Guard in order to ensure they were distributed to all parts of the state that need them. The governor later named James Lee Witt, who ran FEMA under the Clinton administration, to guide her in running the state's relief efforts. That spurred visible tension between Bush and Blanco when the president later visited the area to tour an evacuee center in Baker, Louisiana. The White House did not even inform Blanco that Bush was coming back to the state -- she learned about it from a reporter. Blanco was later included in the tour after her office worked hastily to make arrangements with the White House, but she and Bush maintained a healthy distance between them throughout the entire visit. 

Several federal officials, including homeland security secretary Michael Chertoff and FEMA director Michael Brown, have also laid blame for the delays in relief after the disaster on local and state leaders, citing uncertainty over who was in charge. The criticism angered many in the Pelican State, who said the real problem was federal red tape and indecision. 

"We wanted soldiers, helicopters, food and water. They wanted to negotiate an organizational chart," said Denise Bottcher, Blanco's press secretary.

The situation has been vastly different in Mississippi, where Gov. Haley Barbour (R), a former chairman of the National Republican Committee, made several national television appearances throughout the week in which he persistently praised the federal response and the role of the president, saying at one point on NBC's Face the Nation that "the federal government has been fabulous in our state."
 
That apparently came as news to local officials like Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny DuPree (D), who complained that it took him six days to get any federal help. 

Some officials hypothesize that while they have taken vastly different courses of action, both Blanco and Barbour's efforts ultimately could each pay off.  Mississippi Sen. Gloria Chisholm Williamson (D), for one, thinks that Blanco's protestations were instrumental in getting more federal help for her state. 

"When they (the federal government) started getting criticized, all of a sudden we got the troops coming in, which is what we needed to begin with," Chisholm said. "I'm sorry that Governor Barbour is such a loyalist to his Republican president that he appeared to be putting that before the concerns of the people." 

But others have proposed that Barbour is working to keep a positive relationship with the president in hopes that it will eventually lead to more federal aid for his stricken state. Barbour denied such a motive, saying he had not given that any thought. 

"You've just got to manage this deal and keep trying to wrestle this bear to the ground, and that's what we're doing," he said. (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, STATELINE.ORG, ASSOCIATED PRESS, MACON TELEGRAPH, NEW YORK TIMES, PATRIOT-NEWS [HARRISBURG], WASHINGTON POST, ADVOCATE [BATON ROUGE], NEW ORLEANS TIMES-PICAYUNE)
 

-- By RICH EHISEN

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Bird's eye view

Obesity epidemic weighs heavy on economy

According to the Trust for America's Health, a Washington D.C.-based health advocacy group, the percentage of adults who are obese or overweight topped 60 percent in 26 states last year. Based on data collected between 2003 and 2004, MISSISSIPPI is the heaviest state in the nation, with 65.5 percent of its adult population considered to be either obese - defined as having a body mass index (the ratio of height to weight) of 30 or higher - or overweight (BMI of 25 or more). It was not much better elsewhere - at least 50 percent of the adult population is considered to be overweight or obese in every single state. That is troubling, as the Centers for Disease Control says obesity directly and indirectly costs society $117 billion annually. The accompanying map shows which states have adult overweight-obese percentages of 60 or higher. The full report can be viewed at www.healthyamericans.org.  
 

-- By RICH EHISEN

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Budget & taxes

RISING GAS PRICES SPUR TAX CUTS: When Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast two weeks ago, gasoline prices, already soaring across the nation, surged even higher. In some locations, that swell was nearly 100 percent, sending state lawmakers scrambling to ease consumers' pain at the pump. One method they're turning to is suspension of state gas taxes. GEORGIA has already halted both its 7.5 cents-per-gallon gas tax and 4 percent sales tax on gasoline until Oct. 1. OKLAHOMA, CONNECTICUT and MASSACHUSETTS are considering similar actions that could reduce costs at the pump by about 10 to 20 cents per gallon. "I think it is important because we need to recognize that gas has gone up 70 cents to a dollar in just a matter of days," said Massachusetts Rep. Brad Jones (R). The gas-tax holidays won't come without substantial costs to states, however. Georgia, for example, is expected to take a $75 million hit for its one-month gas-tax moratorium, while the measure pending in Massachusetts would likely cost the Bay State $175 million. But analysts also say a reduction in gas-tax revenues probably won't hurt states too badly in the long run because their economies are generally doing very well. And, paradoxically, the rise in gas prices could also help states cover their costs by providing more overall gasoline sales tax revenue. Georgia took in enough extra money during the first eight months of the year, for example, to completely offset the cost of its gas tax suspension. Those considerations, however, didn't stop at least one state lawmaker -- NEW MEXICO Rep. Steve Pearce (R) -- from proposing another way to deal with the crisis: suspending the 18.4 cents-per-gallon federal gas tax. (WALL STREET JOURNAL)

BUDGETS IN BRIEF: Medicare officials in TEXAS have initiated a three-year pilot study to determine whether in-home calls to program recipients will save the state money by reducing the number of hospital visits (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS). * For the second year in a row lottery ticket sales increased in MASSACHUSETTS, reaching a record-breaking $935 million this year. That achievement bucks the national trend in lottery ticket sales, downward by 20 percent (BOSTON HERALD). 
 

-- Compiled by KOREY CLARK

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Politics & leadership

IMMIGRATION POLICY LEFT TO STATES: State officials have spent a good deal of time over the last few years criticizing the federal government for butting into issues that have traditionally been handled by the states, particularly education. But lately, they have been chastising the feds for saddling the states with a job that has traditionally been a federal matter: managing illegal immigration. The issue reached a crisis point late last month when the governors of ARIZONA and NEW MEXICO declared states of emergency to deal with problems stemming from the flood of illegal immigrants across their borders from Mexico. But the rise in state-federal tension over the issue actually began last November, when Arizona voters adopted a ballot measure -- Proposition 200 -- denying some government services to illegal immigrants. In the absence of federal action since then, many other states have taken up the issue. In March, for instance, VIRGINIA Gov. Mark Warner (D) signed legislation barring illegal immigrants from accessing social services and requiring government workers to verify the residency status of applicants for state jobs. This year, ARKANSAS became the third state -- after ALABAMA and FLORIDA -- to initiate a program to train state troopers to serve as immigration officials. And next year, initiatives similar to Arizona's Prop. 200 will appear on election ballots in as many as 11 states. Not all of the state activity is directed at clamping down on illegal immigration, however. Several states have actually sought to promote the integration of illegal immigrants into society by, among other things, allowing them to attend public colleges at in-state tuition rates. Somewhat surprisingly, the approach individual states take on the issue is not determined by whether they are red or blue in political bent, or even by how many illegal immigrants reside within their borders; some of the states with the largest illegal immigrant populations, including CALIFORNIA, TEXAS and NEW YORK, have among the most liberal immigration policies. What appears to be driving the current illegal immigration movement in state legislatures is the recent wave of immigration into states that have previously had few legal or illegal foreign-born residents. "Clearly the folks with less experience are trying to grapple with this new influx without the weapons," said Ann Morse, an immigration policy analyst at the National Conference of State Legislatures. (STATELINE.ORG)

CA KICKS OFF FALL CAMPAIGN SEASON: The end of the Labor Day holiday last week marked the unofficial start of the campaign season for CALIFORNIA's November special election. And, based on recent poll results, no one has more work to do than the architect of the fall contest, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R). According to a new Field Poll, voters favor only one of the governor's reform agenda ballot measures: Proposition 74, which would lengthen the amount of time required for public school teachers to earn tenure. Voters currently support the measure 46 percent to 37 percent, with 17 percent undecided. Only 19 percent of likely voters favor another Schwarzenegger-backed initiative, Proposition 76, which would tighten controls on state spending. Approximately 65 percent oppose that measure. Similarly, only 32 percent of likely voters are behind the governor's plan to strip Democratic lawmakers of their power to draw the state's legislative and Congressional districts, while 46 percent oppose that idea. On top of that, Schwarzenegger's job approval rating is currently the lowest it's ever been. Mark DiCamillo, director of the Field Poll, said if the governor serves as the chief spokesman for the measures in the TV advertising blitz that is expected in the coming weeks, it could actually hurt his initiatives' chances. "With his diminished stature, it could turn voters off," DiCamillo said. Todd Harris, a spokesman for the Schwarzenegger administration, however, dismissed the poll results, stating, "Anyone who's putting a lot of stock into these polls is going to be in for a rude awakening on election day." While the governor's agenda struggled in the polls, a couple of other significant ballot measures he has not endorsed are faring better. Prop. 75, for instance, a measure backed by business interests that would require unions to obtain permission from their members before using dues for political purposes, was favored by respondents, 55 percent to 32 percent. And Prop. 78, a prescription drug discount measure that pharmaceutical companies have raised $78 million to support, was favored 49 percent to 31 percent, edging out a competing measure sponsored by consumer advocacy groups -- Prop. 79 -- which was supported by 42 percent of respondents, with 34 percent opposed. (ASSOCIATED PRESS, SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, SACRAMENTO BEE) 

IL `06 SENATE RACES DRAW EARLY INTEREST: The unofficial start of the 2006 political campaign season is still a year away. But next fall's Senate races in ILLINOIS are already drawing attention as a result of the recent announcements of 6 Republican incumbents that they will not to seek re-election. The GOP is already the minority party in the chamber; the Democrats took over after winning the authority to redraw the state's legislative districts in 2000, on a vote so close it had to be decided by drawing a name out of a hat. But the GOP departures -- combined with the Democrat-friendly political boundaries -- could allow the Dems to extend their 31-27 majority in the chamber to a minority-proof margin. The reasons given for the GOP exodus include plans to seek higher office, transition to the private sector, or simply retirement from public life. But a factor that may have contributed to the senator's decisions is the fact that the Prairie State has become a fairly challenging environment for the Republican Party. "It used to be you didn't have to work too hard and Republicans were going to win," said Rep. Paul Froehlich (R). "The only question was by how much." With the Dems now controlling not only the Senate, but the House, the governor's office and every statewide office but one, and Democratic appointees dominating the state Supreme Court, things definitely appear to have changed. (DAILY HERALD [ARLINGTON], CHICAGO TRIBUNE)

POLITICS IN BRIEF: OHIO Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell (R) announced last week that a series of Democrat-backed election reform measures -- including one that would strip Blackwell of his authority to administer elections, and another that would take redistricting power away from the Republican-controlled Legislature -- have qualified for the November ballot. However, the measures still face a Republican-led legal challenge in the state's 10th District Court of Appeals (DAYTON DAILY NEWS, NEW YORK TIMES). * Last Tuesday, MISSOURI convened a special session to pass abortion restrictions lawmakers failed to address during the regular session last spring. Republican legislative leaders vowed not to allow lawmakers to delve into the issue of stem cell research during the special session, which derailed the anti-abortion effort last year (JEFFERSON CITY NEWS TRIBUNE, KANSAS CITY STAR). * WEST VIRGINIA lawmakers also met in special session last week to address an ambitious agenda set by Gov. Joe Manchin (D). The governor's 14-point to-do list includes pay raises for teachers and other state employees, a 1-cent cut in the state sales tax on food, and restrictions on political advertising by so-called 527 groups (CHARLESTON GAZETTE). * Opponents of Referendum C, the initiative set for COLORADO's Nov. 1 ballot that would suspend the state's Taxpayer's Bill of Rights (TABOR), have filed a lawsuit demanding a change in the measure's wording. The litigants object to the use of language claiming that the measure will not raise taxes, which they contend would mislead voters (ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS). 
 

-- Compiled by KOREY CLARK

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DISMAYED GOVS REVIEW THEIR OWN DISASTER PLANS: Governors from both parties expressed extreme frustration last week over what many viewed as bureaucratic incompetence in handling relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina, pledging to review disaster planning in their own states in an effort to avoid another Katrina-like debacle. Most -- but not all --  governors avoided laying the blame on any single person or level of government. "Every one of those government levels could have done better," said COLORADO Gov. Bill Owens (R). WISCONSIN Gov. Jim Doyle (D) shared Owens' view, saying that, "This certainly gives me great pause. We have to look at emergency response in a new light with the response down there." NEW MEXICO Gov. Bill Richardson (D) said it is "unfair" to place all of the blame for relief effort failings on President Bush, noting that the real culprit was "the bureaucratic red tape throughout the system that is out of control with little credibility and way too turf conscious." KANSAS Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D) decried that potential long-term fallout from the govermental lapse, saying, "What is potentially harmful about this situation is that people lose faith in the fact that the government can be a protector. I'm hopeful that we can use this as an opportunity to demand more from government." Sebelius has also ordered Sunflower State emergency planners to identify within the state's major cities which residents would be unable to evacuate in the case of a terrorist attack or natural disaster. MISSOURI Gov. Matt Blunt (R) added that the Katrina situation makes it imperative that state and federal leaders immediately review how they will coordinate emergency efforts should there be a major earthquake along the Midwestern Region's New Madrid fault line. Governors in CONNECTICUT, MAINE, NEW HAMPSHIRE and ARIZONA have also set disaster reviews in motion, while key members of CALIFORNIA's Congressional contingent have renewed calls for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to address hundreds of miles of deteriorating levees in the Sacramento San Joaquin Delta they say could be vulnerable to breaches during an earthquake. In all, most governors said the key element missing from the federal and state reaction to Katrina was the type of assured leadership exhibited by both the president and NEW YORK City Mayor Rudy Giuliani after 9/11. "I don't know if it's a territorial thing, which we all deal with as governors; everybody hunkers down and protects their own turf, and somebody has to cut through for the people's sake," said West VIRGINIA Gov. Joe Manchin (D). "Clearly, nobody did on Katrina. Nobody led."  (WALL STREET JOURNAL, ASSOCIATED PRESS, SACRAMENTO BEE, STATELINE.ORG)

GOVERNORS IN BRIEF: MISSOURI Gov. Matt Blunt (R) said last week that the Show Me State's continued economic development is dependant upon keeping stem cell research legal. Blunt has for months lobbied to keep lawmakers from trying to criminalize the form of stem cell research known as somatic cell nuclear transfer, also known as therapeutic cloning. Blunt recently ordered the Legislature into a special session to address his desire to place stricter regulations on abortion clinics, but has ordered lawmakers to stay clear of the stem cell issue (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH). * ILLINOIS Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) filed an emergency appeal in federal court in an effort to stop a government plan to move fighter jets from his state to INDIANA. A federal court earlier in the week rejected his claim, saying the proposal to relocate the 183rd Fighter Wing of the Air National Guard was only a recommendation. Blagojevich based his case on similar arguments made to stave off moving bases in CONNECTICUT, WASHINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA and TENNESSEE. Federal courts have already rejected such arguments made in MASSACHUSETTS, NEW JERSEY and MISSOURI. The Bush administration has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block any further state attempts to forestall the base closure recommendation from the federal base closure panel. (DAILY HERALD [ARLINGTON])  

-- Compiled by RICH EHISEN

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UPCOMING STORIES The evolution of Intelligent Design  Bear of a problem: de-listing the grizzly TEXAS telcos get free pass into cable;  will other states follow suit?  And many more... TOP OF PAGE

BUSINESS: The CALIFORNIA Senate endorses AB 48, which would raise the Golden State's minimum wage by $1 an hour over the next two years. It is the second straight year that lawmakers have passed such a bill. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) vetoed last year's measure and has said he will likely do the same this time (LOS ANGELES TIMES). 

CRIME & PUNISHMENT: The MICHIGAN Legislature approves a bill that allows juries to consider a defendant's prior conduct -- even if it did not lead to a conviction -- in cases involving sexual crimes committed against a minor. Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) says she will sign the measure into law (DETROIT NEWS). * CALIFORNIA Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) signs AB 665, which requires cities and counties that license massage business owners or massage therapists to deny a license to any applicant who is required to register as a sex offender (STATENET DATABASE). 
 
EDUCATION: The CALIFORNIA Senate endorses SB 12, which would require Golden State public schools to replace high-fat snacks in school vending machines with healthier food. The Senate also endorses SB 965, which would ban the sale of soft drinks at public schools. Both measures move to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), who has said he will sign them into law (SACRAMENTO BEE). 

ENVIRONMENT: Fifteen states -- NEW YORK, CALIFORNIA, CONNECTICUT, ILLINOIS, IOWA, MAINE, MASSACHUSETTS, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW MEXICO, NORTH CAROLINA, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT and WISCONSIN -- band together to sue the U.S. Department of Energy for failing to comply with a federal law requiring tougher efficiency standards for 22 home appliances. The suit claims the DOE is six to 13 years behind the schedules outlined in the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act of 1987, which Congress passed in order to increase the efficiency of furnaces, dishwashers and other household products (NEW YORK TIMES). 

HEALTH & SCIENCE: State officials in CALIFORNIA put off by one year moving 554,000 elderly, blind, and disabled Medi-Cal recipients into the state's managed care program. The delay will cost the state $90 million in federal incentives. Patient advocacy groups, however, said moving those people now would have led to significant financial losses for hospitals. Supporters counter that failing to make the move to managed care could make the state ineligible for any federal funding under new Bush administration mandates (LOS ANGELES TIMES). 

HOMELAND SECURITY: A federal court rules that a Muslim woman in FLORIDA must obey a 2003 state law that requires drivers to have a picture of their entire face on their license. The court rejected the plaintiff's claim that the First Amendment gives her the right to be photographed with a veil over most of her face. The woman is considering an appeal (SOUTH FLORIDA SUN-SENTINEL). * The CALIFORNIA Assembly approves SB 60, which would allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses. It motors off to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), who has said repeatedly that he will veto any license legislation that comes across his desk prior to the federal government releasing its standards for REAL ID (LOS ANGELES TIMES). 

SOCIAL POLICY: MASSACHUSETTS Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly (D) approves a proposed 2008 ballot question on banning gay marriage. That clears the way for backers of an initiative to collect signatures in an effort to place the matter before the Bay State Legislature next year (BOSTON GLOBE). * CALIFORNIA Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) vetoes AB 849, which would have legalized same-sex marriage. The governor cited the public's previous support for Proposition 22, the 2000 ballot initiative banning gay marriage that passed with 61 percent of the vote. California is the only state to have a legislative body endorse a bill approving same-sex marriage (LOS ANGELES TIMES). * A MISSOURI Assembly committee approves special session legislation that would allow parents to sue anyone who helps their minor daughters to obtain an abortion without their consent. It moves to the full Assembly (JEFFERSON CITY NEWS TRIBUNE). 

POTPOURRI: The CALIFORNIA Assembly endorses a measure that would establish a state fund to pay reparations to the survivors of the forced deportation of more than 2 million Hispanics during the 1930's. The bill moves back to the Senate for further debate (CONTRA COSTA TIMES). 
 

-- Compiled by RICH EHISEN

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UPCOMING ELECTIONS (09/08/2005 - 09/29/2005) 09/13/2005  California  Special Election     Assembly  053 09/13/2005  Mississippi      runoff     House  028 09/13/2005  Oklahoma  Special Election     Senate  048 09/13/2005  Oklahoma  Special Primary     Senate  048 09/13/2005  Pennsylvania  Special Election     House  200 09/15/2005  Tennessee  Special General     House  087     Senate  029 09/20/2005  Georgia  Special Election     House  106     Senate  022 09/27/2005  Massachusetts  Special Election     Senate  2nd Middlesex  TOP OF PAGE

Once around the statehouse lightly

CLOSE. OH, SO CLOSE: The American Family Business Institute is trying to repeal the federal estate tax, and it decided not long ago that U.S. Sen. Tim Johnson needed a little nudge. So, reports The Forum, the group ran radio ads throughout NORTH DAKOTA, urging voters there to put pressure on Johnson. Unfortunately, Johnson represents SOUTH DAKOTA. The ads have been pulled.

FRIENDLY INVASION: The convoy was historic in nature. Not since 1846 had the Mexican military crossed the U.S. border - and that incursion took place at a time of war. But last week, reports the Houston Chronicle, dozens of Mexican Army trucks, bearing more than 200 soldiers and a wealth of humanitarian aid, entered TEXAS at Laredo. The convoy was en route to San Antonio bearing bottled water, food, mobile kitchens and canned food destined for Katrina survivors who had taken refuge in the Lone Star State.

GIVING AT HOME: The Dallas Morning News notes that TEXAS Gov. Rick Perry is urging fellow Texans to contribute to Katrina relief efforts, singling out three entities as targets of that largesse: The Salvation Army, American Red Cross, and the OneStar Foundation. The first two are veteran international institutions well acquainted with disaster relief. The third, however, is Texas-centric and has only been in existence since 2004. It was set up to coordinate faith-based initiatives and promote volunteerism, and its founder is none other than Gov. Rick Perry. Critics already are on the governor for trying to build political capital on the backs of storm victims. Perry's office denies that politics had anything to do with the decision to include OneStar in its small pantheon of relief agencies.

GHOST VOTE OF THE YEAR: Although illegal, it is not unusual for legislators to engage in "ghost voting" - a procedure whereby one member casts an electronic vote for a colleague who may be away from his or her desk or (in the most questionable cases) away from the Capitol altogether. Usually the "yea" or "nay" is recorded with the button-pusher knowing exactly how the colleague intended to vote on a particular piece of legislation. But in CALIFORNIA, Carole Migden recently created a new standard when she "voted" for Guy Houston. The problem, notes Capitol Weekly, exists on several levels. First, the bill in question was Migden's own. Second, Migden, a senator, doesn't serve in the same house as Houston, a member of the Assembly. And finally, the two don't dwell in the same political galaxy; Migden is an ardent liberal Democrat from San Francisco while Houston is a conservative Republican from nearby Livermore. Ethics committees are looking into the matter. Migden's "vote" was subsequently erased after Republicans complained.

THAT STUFF CAN KILL: School authorities in Lansing, MICHIGAN, were hard pressed recently to explain to a parent why his son could not get bottled water when buying lunch at the school cafeteria. Apparently, reports the Lansing State Journal, the boy could get milk or juice but not water. He could, of course, go to the water fountain and fill an empty plastic bottle with water - but he could not buy it from the cafeteria. For that, school authorities insisted, he needed a note from his doctor. 

OUT ON THEIR OWN: If you are poor in MINNESOTA, you no longer can count on state help for three treatments. According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the state no longer will pay for routine circumcisions, Viagra or sex-change procedures. (You can still get a circumcision if it's a "religious practice," however.) The cost-cutting decision affects some 670,000 low-income Minnesotans and is expected to save more than $1 million a year.
 

-- By A.G. BLOCK

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Editor: Rich Ehisen
Associate Editor: Korey Clark
Contributing Editor: A.G. Block
Editorial Advisor: Lou Cannon 
Correspondents: Richard Cox (CA), Steve Karas (CA), 
Bruce McKeeman (CA), Linda Mendenhall (IL), 
Lauren King (MA) and Ben Livingood (PA) 
Design: Richard Hansen, Heather Conway 

Copyright 2005 State Net
ISSN: 1521-8449