Archive for May, 2011
WI: Proposal to Scale back the Secretary of State office
Last Updated on Monday, 16 May 2011 01:59 Written by rslcpol Monday, 16 May 2011 01:58
From LaCrosseTribune.com:
The duties of Wisconsin’s secretary of state’s office would be dramatically reduced under changes being considered by the Legislature’s budget committee.
The Joint Finance Committee is to vote Thursday on Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s plan to transfer the office’s notary public and trademark duties to the Department of Financial Institutions. Other functions would be transferred to the Department of Administration.
Unlike in most states, Wisconsin’s secretary of state is not in charge of elections. Under Walker’s budget, the office would still maintain the official acts of the Legislature and affix the state seal to all official acts.
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WA: Redistricting is a complex task
Last Updated on Monday, 16 May 2011 01:56 Written by rslcpol Monday, 16 May 2011 01:56
From the News Tribune:
Washington’s political boundaries must change as a result of the once-a-decade remapping effort that adjusts for population shifts detected by the U.S. Census, and the public side of the job is just getting started.
The Washington State Redistricting Commission will hold the first of 17 meetings around the state this week – including a Wednesday evening public forum in Olympia at the Cherberg Building, next door to the Capitol.
“We will have maps of how things have to change,” said Cathy Cochrane, spokeswoman for the five-member citizen commission. “We want to get all the input we can by August. Then they are hoping to get a draft out for reaction in September and then make a final, proposed plan for the Legislature in early November.”
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Politicians: It’s all about the influence you have online
Last Updated on Monday, 16 May 2011 01:32 Written by rslcpol Monday, 16 May 2011 01:32
From CBSnews:
Eleven years ago, White House staffers thought Al Gore was weird for texting Tipper. But, the political times, they are a changin’.
A decade or so later, any politician who isn’t tuned into her email on a smartphone or doesn’t monitor what the media and voters are saying about him on social media platforms risks being judged out of step – or, worse, viewed as running behind on a crucial new item.
In 2011, in other words, the use of social media in government is no longer novel. Tweets, updates and viral videos matter. The Red Cross, Federal Emergency Management Agency and first responders have testified in front of the United States Senate on the role of social media in crisis response.
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Tennessee Senate Passes Tort Reform Bill
Last Updated on Friday, 13 May 2011 01:33 Written by rslcpol Friday, 13 May 2011 01:33
From TimesFreePress.com:
Senators today approved Republican Gov. Bill Haslam’s plan to limit jury awards in civil damage lawsuits.
The 21-12 vote was largely along partisan lines and followed some four hours of often contentious debate.
It caps damages for noneconomic damages like pain and suffering at $750,000. In “catastrophic” cases such as severe burns or paralysis, the cap is $1 million.
House members passed the bill earlier this week, but the Senate version must go back to the House to deal with minor changes.
Republican proponents said the business-backed bill boosts job creation by promoting more predictability for companies.
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KY: Secretary of State Candidates Square off in Primaries
Last Updated on Friday, 13 May 2011 01:20 Written by rslcpol Friday, 13 May 2011 01:20
From Courier-Journal.com:
A Lexington lawyer, a former federal administrator, a rural businessman and a former mayor all vow to make elections more secure, streamline business filings and improve civics education as Kentucky’s next Secretary of State.
They’ll face off in Tuesday’s Republican and Democratic primaries, with the winners battling in November to see who will become Kentucky’s next chief elections officer.
The Democratic primary will pit Secretary of State Elaine Walker, the former Bowling Green mayor appointed in January by Gov. Steve Beshear, against politically connected attorney Alison Lundergan Grimes in a race that has divided top Democratic leaders.
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Tennessee: Collective Bargaining Bill Moves Forward
Last Updated on Thursday, 12 May 2011 03:10 Written by rslcpol Thursday, 12 May 2011 01:33
From timesfreepress.com:
A GOP-backed bill limiting teachers’ collective bargaining rights scraped through the House Finance Committee 13-12 today, with Republican House Speaker Beth Harwell providing the tie-breaking vote.
Three Republicans joined Democrats in voting no and another abstained. They fear the bill will be changed on the House floor or in a conference committee to mirror the Senate version, already passed, which abolishes collective bargaining rights entirely.
Democrats called the bill is an “attack on teachers.”
Rep. Tommie Brown, D-Chattanooga, alluded to efforts by Republicans in other states to weaken or abolish collective bargaining by teachers or other public employees.
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KY: Senate President has big lead in GOP Governor’s Race
Last Updated on Thursday, 12 May 2011 01:18 Written by rslcpol Thursday, 12 May 2011 01:18
From courier-journal.com:
Senate President David Williams continues to hold a commanding lead in the Republican primary for governor just days before Tuesday’s election, according to the latest Courier-Journal/WHAS11 Bluegrass Poll.
But Louisville businessman Phil Moffett has begun to chip away at Williams’ lead, going from a 3-1 disadvantage last month to a 2-1 disadvantage now.
The third candidate in the race, Jefferson County Clerk Bobbie Holsclaw, has picked up no additional support since last month’s Bluegrass Poll.
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SGLF Launches Ad in Virginia: Blame it on RIO
Last Updated on Wednesday, 11 May 2011 01:01 Written by rslcpol Wednesday, 11 May 2011 01:01
Check out the latest ad released by the State Government Leadership Foundation:
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Poll shows Virginians are optimistic about the direction of the state
Last Updated on Tuesday, 10 May 2011 01:28 Written by rslcpol Tuesday, 10 May 2011 01:28
From the Washington Post:
Virginians are far more optimistic about the direction of the state than that of the nation, and they are generally pleased with the performance of most of their elected officials, according to a new poll by The Washington Post.
Fifty-two percent of adults polled think that the state is generally moving on the right course, while only 31 percent think the same about the nation, according to the newly released poll.
Even more — 62 percent — approve of the way Gov. Robert F. McDonnell is handling his job, while 26 percent disapprove.
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Good news is bad news for California Democrats
Last Updated on Tuesday, 10 May 2011 01:26 Written by rslcpol Tuesday, 10 May 2011 01:26
From SacBee:
You have to remember that the Capitol operates like Wonderland, Lewis Carroll’s fictional and nonsensical society where nothing is what it appears to be.
That’s why good news – that the state’s revenues finally appear to be moving up rather than down – may be bad news to Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature’s dominant Democrats.
For months, they’ve been pursuing the goal of raising taxes, based on an assertion that California has no other choice because revenues are so low that popular and vital services, especially education, would have to be slashed unless revenues are increased.
Specifically, Democrats want a five-year extension of some temporary sales, income and car taxes that otherwise are expiring, although they’re in disarray over how those extensions should be enacted.
However, revenues are running several billion dollars ahead of expectations, and if the trend continues, they could offset as much as a third of the $26 billion deficit that Brown originally projected for the remaining months of the 2010-11 fiscal year and all of FY 2011-12.
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