Author Archive
Lawmaker wants House and Senate to Lead by Example
Last Updated on Thursday, 24 March 2011 01:14 Written by rslcpol Thursday, 24 March 2011 01:13
From Mlive.com:
The proposal introduced Wednesday by Sen. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge, would apply that 20-percent standard to all 148 members of the Senate and House. While all state employees pay 10 percent of their health premium, for new hires it’s 20 percent, legislators pay 5 percent to 7.6 percent, depending on the plan they choose.
“Before we require teachers to pay 20 percent, senators and representatives should set an example,” Jones said. “My bill will require that to happen.”
Snyder’s budget assumes that nearly half of a proposed $470-per-pupil cut in state K-12 aid could be recouped by requiring school employees to pay 20 percent of health insurance. It also assumes $180 million in state agency savings through 20-percent cost sharing to be obtained in upcoming labor negotiations. Local governments that apply that same standard could avoid further cuts in state aid.
Posted under State Legislature News | No Comments
GOP Takes up Redistricting in Michigan
Last Updated on Thursday, 24 March 2011 01:04 Written by rslcpol Thursday, 24 March 2011 01:04
From mlive.com:
With U.S. Census numbers in hand, legislative Republicans who control the process will waste little time in drawing new political boundaries for Congress and the Legislature.
While Michigan lost population in the past decade and will lose a congressional seat because other states gained residents, the bigger factor in reapportionment could be the stunning population loss of more than 238,000 people in the city of Detroit that will have ripple effects across the state.
“We don’t want to wait forever, but I have no idea how long this is going to take. I’ve never done this before,” said Rep. Peter Lund, R-Shelby Township, chairman of the House Redistricting and Elections Committee. “If it’s up to me, I’d rather get this done sooner rather than later. Dragging it out doesn’t do any of us any good.”
Posted under State Legislature News | No Comments
GA Governor: New Health Care Law Costing Millions
Last Updated on Thursday, 24 March 2011 01:00 Written by rslcpol Thursday, 24 March 2011 01:00
From AJC.com:
Marking the first anniversary of the new federal health care law’s passage, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal said it is already costing the state and its employees millions of dollars in higher premiums, with more cost increases coming.
Under the law, young adults can remain on their parents’ insurance plans up to age 26, which will increase the state’s costs by $17.7 million in fiscal 2011 alone, according to data provided by the governor’s staff.
“We know the real cost though still lies ahead,” Deal said during a news conference Wednesday at the state Capitol.
Area Democrats also gathered to celebrate benefits they said the overhaul produced.
Posted under Blog | No Comments
Tax Collections Fall in 2010
Last Updated on Thursday, 24 March 2011 12:57 Written by rslcpol Thursday, 24 March 2011 12:57
From sctimes.com:
State government tax collections decreased $14.3 billion to $704.6 billion in fiscal year 2010, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Wednesday. There was a $65.8 billion decrease in 2009.
Minnesota collected more than $17.2 billion in 2010, making it the state with the 12th-highest total. South Dakota ranked 50th, with more than $1.3 billion collected.
The data come from the 2010 Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections, which measures receipts from property taxes, licenses, compulsory fees and related penalty and interest receipts.
Posted under State Legislature News | No Comments
Politico: RSLC Hits back in Wisconsin Senate Fight
Last Updated on Wednesday, 23 March 2011 01:32 Written by rslcpol Wednesday, 23 March 2011 07:36
From the Politico:
National Republicans are launching a counteroffensive in the symbolically charged fight for control of the Wisconsin Senate, targeting two Democratic state senators with an ad campaign aimed at keeping the chamber in the GOP’s hands.
The Republican State Leadership Committee is expanding a television ad campaign against Democratic state Sen. Jim Holperin and launching a media blitz against state Sen. Dave Hansen, a member of the Democratic leadership.
Holperin and Hansen were among 14 Democratic lawmakers who fled Wisconsin to block a vote in the state Senate on a Republican-backed plan to scale back public-sector union rights.
Republicans ultimately passed the labor law in the Democrats’ absence by separating it from a larger budget bill. Implementation of the collective-bargaining law has been halted until a court challenge is resolved.
Tags: Wisconsin | Posted under State Legislature News | No Comments
Another Dem State Senator Jumps the Obama Ship
Last Updated on Wednesday, 23 March 2011 01:32 Written by rslcpol Tuesday, 22 March 2011 01:35
The Associated Press in Louisiana is reporting that State Sen. Norby Chabert is finished with what he called an "out of touch" Obama Administration and national party making him at least the 25th state legislative Democrat to join the Republican Party since Election Day.
From the AP:
The member of a longtime Democratic political family, [Sen. Norby] Chabert holds the Senate seat once held by his father Leonard and brother Marty. He’s the fourth Democrat in the Senate to switch parties in the last five months, as the fall elections near and the state continues a trend to the right.
Chabert said the national Democratic Party and President Barack Obama are out of step with Louisiana businesses, residents and philosophies. He cited the Obama administration’s response to the Gulf oil spill and the now-lifted moratorium on deepwater drilling among his reasons. He had supported Obama for president.
"… I see an administration and a national party clearly out of touch," Chabert said in a statement.
Tags: Louisiana | Posted under State Legislature News | No Comments
Why do state elections matter to the RSLC?
Last Updated on Monday, 21 March 2011 12:50 Written by rslcpol Monday, 21 March 2011 12:50
Check out the first installment of RSLC President Chris Jankowski’s President’s Perspective – Notes from the States:
Democratic legislators in Wisconsin and Indiana did not flee their jobs because Republican Governors proposed bold comprehensive reforms to balance their budgets and create job growth in their states. These Democratic legislators fled their jobs because there were new Republican legislative majorities poised to enact these comprehensive reforms in Wisconsin and Indiana. State legislative elections matter.
Elections for state Attorneys General also matter as we saw when Republican Attorneys General rallied to challenge the overreaching Obama healthcare law. As home to the Republican Lieutenant Governors Association (RLGA), the RSLC knows elections for Lieutenant Governors matter as we cheered just weeks ago when Republican Lt. Governor Bill Bolling of Virginia cast the tie breaking vote on an amendment to Senate Bill 924 that will require new regulatory standards to protect the health of patients in Virginia’s abortion clinics.
Indiana Dems Outline Demands to end Boycott
Last Updated on Wednesday, 23 March 2011 01:31 Written by rslcpol Wednesday, 16 March 2011 10:45
From CourierPress.com:
Scotch one labor bill, water down a private school voucher program and declare the “right to work” measure dead for the year.
Those are the requests the leader of Indiana’s boycotting House Democrats made in a letter his staff hand-delivered to Republican House Speaker Brian Bosma on Tuesday.
The implication of House Democratic Leader B. Patrick Bauer’s letter: If Republicans agree to those concessions, Democrats move much closer to leaving the Comfort Suites hotel in Urbana, Ill., where they’ve been holed up since Feb. 22, and returning to the Statehouse.
Tags: Indiana | Posted under State Legislature News | No Comments
MT: Legislators Want AG to jump into Health Care Fight
Last Updated on Wednesday, 23 March 2011 01:34 Written by rslcpol Wednesday, 16 March 2011 10:13
From Billings Gazette:
Republicans are making it clear they will send the governor a bill that aims to force the attorney general to join an ongoing lawsuit challenging the federal health care law.
House Republicans heartily endorsed the plan Tuesday in an initial vote. It faces one more largely procedural vote before going to Gov. Brian Schweitzer, who has not yet said if he will sign it.
Tags: Montana | Posted under Attorney General News | No Comments
KS: AG Applauds Expedited Health Care Appeal
Last Updated on Wednesday, 23 March 2011 01:34 Written by rslcpol Tuesday, 15 March 2011 01:08
From wibw.com:
Attorney General Derek Schmidt and Gov. Sam Brownback both say the decision to fast-track an appeal of the federal health care reform law is needed to end uncertainty for businesses and governments trying plan for their financial obligations.
A federal appeals court granted a request Monday by Kansas and 25 other states to expedite its review of a district court decision that the federal health care law is unconstitutional. Oral arguments on the law could be heard as early as this summer.
“It is important to resolve this lawsuit as quickly as possible. States are in the midst of building their budget plans and need to know now whether they should begin preparing for the tremendous financial burden of the federal health care law,” Brownback said. “I am pleased states will not endure years of litigation. A quick resolution by the Court will provide finality for states, businesses, health care providers and citizens, and possibly avoid the implementation of the costly, burdensome and overreaching bill.”
Tags: Kansas | Posted under Attorney General News | No Comments