More than two-thirds of states that legalized casinos, lotteries or racetrack casinos in the past 10 years have yet to see the state and local revenue that political and industry champions of legalization had promised.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT BEAT: Officials in New Jersey are trying to protect state forests from the southern pine beetle, a pest that has killed pine trees across much of the country.
States are eager to use financial incentives to attract Hollywood productions. But they're less enthusiastic about revealing which films got how much help.
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BUSINESS GETS ITS WAY IN REPUBLICAN OKLAHOMA — OKLAHOMA CITY — Republicans have complete control of state government for the first time ever in Oklahoma and are using their power to make sweeping changes.
WHAT DO RECORD LOW NATURAL GAS PRICES MEAN FOR STATES? — Newly abundant and cheap natural gas has slashed home heating bills for many Americans. But in some states, the continued price drop has thinned state budgets and shifted energy production.
STATES PUSH TO SHAKE UP PERSONNEL PRACTICES — Civil service rules that haven’t changed in decades are being re-assessed by several governors bent on major changes in the system.
VA: Virginia governor no longer fully supports ultrasounds before abortions
Gov. Robert F. McDonnell is backing off his unconditional support for a bill requiring women to have an ultrasound before an abortion, focusing new attention on one of the most controversial pieces of legislation in Virginia's General Assembly this year. The Washington Post
US: Tax-cut bill includes updates to jobless benefits system
Tucked into a $140 billion bill extending emergency jobless benefits and a temporary cut to payroll taxes are several provisions intended to modernize the country's outdated unemployment insurance system. The New York Times
TX: Perry leaning toward a run for re-election
Gov. Rick Perry said Tuesday he is leaning toward running for re-election in 2014 and possibly another stab at the White House two years after that. The Texas Tribune
NM: State unveils plans for Medicaid revamp
On Tuesday, Gov. Susana Martinez's Human Services Department secretary, Sidonie Squier, unveiled a long-awaited blueprint of proposed changes to Medicaid, the government's low-income health-insurance program, in a series of presentations. Santa Fe New Mexican
MO: Emailed threat directed at four Missouri state senators
A threatening email directed at four Missouri senators and making reference to former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords has raised new security concerns at the state Capitol.
Kansas City Star
CA: Community colleges hit by $149-million shortfall
California community colleges were struggling Tuesday to absorb an unexpected $149-million budget shortfall that will mean more class cuts, layoffs, borrowing and probable elimination of summer programs affecting thousands of students. Los Angeles Times
SD: SD Legislature passes limit on inmate appeals
A measure aimed at preventing death-row inmates from filing repeated appeals in an effort to delay their executions won final approval Tuesday in the South Dakota Legislature. Rapid City Journal
ID: Gov. Otter signs bill ousting Occupy Boise
Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter signed legislation Tuesday aimed at evicting Occupy Boise protesters who have been camped out on state land near the Capitol for the last four months, and protesters quickly asked a federal judge to keep them from being ousted. The Idaho Statesman (Boise)
NH: Birth control law repeal added to bill
Women's health care advocates were caught by surprise yesterday when they discovered a repeal of the state's long-standing birth control insurance law tacked onto an unassuming housekeeping bill. Concord Monitor
TX: Texas becomes battlefield in Keystone XL pipeline fight
The politically volatile Keystone XL pipeline is becoming embroiled in a widening controversy in Texas as supporters tout the promise of jobs and other economic benefits while increasingly vocal opponents say the project would trample property rights and endanger water supplies in East Texas. The Sun Herald (Biloxi)
US: Governors as policy innovators
Four years of recession have left governors with seemingly little to cut — yet, like most governments in this country from the courthouse to the White House, they face a structural mismatch between the spending their citizens still want and the taxes they're willing to pay for it. For the past decade, I've been working with governors across the country to bridge this gap. Doing so successfully involves more than the simple choice normally posed publicly between cutting services and increasing taxes. Politico
TX: Chasing an illusion in college admissions
For decades, the courts have tried to settle the use of race in university admissions only to find that when they grant satisfaction in one case, dissatisfaction arises to create another. The Austin American-Statesman
NV: Taking its toll
Forget being nickeled and dimed. Nevadans have been plucked by the buck, with steady hikes in their water, power and gasoline bills, not to mention ever-higher taxes. Las Vegas Review-Journal
FL: Tallahassee power grab on transport
The Florida Senate will consider a bill this week that would unwind a half-century of smart transportation planning. Tampa Bay Times
FL: Will political bullies decide water policy in Florida?
Maybe you thought the state's water management districts had been picked on as much as possible, that they had been left so broke and powerless they were no longer worth anyone's trouble.
Tampa Bay Times
NC: Just the facts
The concept of a special panel that would have the power to declare a convicted criminal innocent has grated on North Carolina's district attorneys since day one. The News & Observer (Raleigh)
NE: No need to hurry
Nebraskans have no need to envy the 10 states that have been granted a waiver from the unpopular No Child Left Behind law. Lincoln Journal Star
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