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TN GOP Wants focus on Job Creation and Education
Last Updated on Tuesday, 15 February 2011 01:42 Written by rslcpol Tuesday, 15 February 2011 01:42
From The Tennessean:
Tennessee Republicans are limiting the number of immigration bills they will take up this year, saying they want to focus on a few key aspects of the issue and keep the topic from overshadowing job creation and education.
GOP lawmakers are planning to focus this legislative session on one to three measures designed to combat illegal immigration by requiring more checks on citizenship status by employers, police and government entitlement administrators.
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AZ: Lawmakers to Approve Tax Cuts for Businesses
Last Updated on Tuesday, 15 February 2011 01:35 Written by rslcpol Tuesday, 15 February 2011 01:35
The deal between the Governor and Republicans in Arizona would:
A deal announced Monday between Gov. Jan Brewer and Republican legislative leaders would:
— Cut the corporate income tax rate from just below 6 percent to 4.9 percent, giving Arizona the fifth lowest rate in the nation;
— Allow some multi-state corporations to pay no corporate income taxes at all;
— Alter how businesses are assessed for property tax purposes, potentially reducing their liability by 10 percent;
— Create new state tax credits for firms that create jobs, which pay at least the median wage for the county where located, up to $3,000 per job for three years;
— Permit companies to write off new equipment purchases faster, reducing their state income taxes;
— Increase the amount of equipment that businesses can exempt from being assessed for property tax purposes;
— Create a new $25 million a year “deal closing” fund to help convince firms to move to the state.
Tags: Arizona | Posted under State Legislature News | No Comments
TX: AG and State Senator Take on “Sexting” with Legislation
Last Updated on Friday, 11 February 2011 02:07 Written by rslcpol Friday, 11 February 2011 02:07
From yourlakehoustonnews.com:
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott on Monday joined State Sen. Kirk Watson, who announced the filing of Senate Bill 407, legislation that will help curb the dangerous practice of sexting.
If enacted, SB 407 would classify a sexting offense as a Class C misdemeanor for first-time violators less than 18 years old. Judges would be authorized to sentence minors convicted of sexting – and one of the minor’s parents – to participate in an education program about sexting’s long-term harmful consequences. The new law would also allow teens to apply to the court to have the sexting offense expunged from their records.
“Studies show that teenage students are increasingly taking, sending and receiving explicit pictures of themselves on their mobile telephones,” Attorney General Abbott said. “This dangerous trend is harmful to young Texans. We are joining with Sen. Kirk Watson to address the growing problem of sexting and educate – not criminalize – young Texans who make the unwise decision to participate in it.”
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MI: AG Creates Public Integrity Unit
Last Updated on Friday, 11 February 2011 01:59 Written by rslcpol Friday, 11 February 2011 01:59
From Wzzm:
Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette has created a Public Integrity Unit aimed at stepping up the fight against corruption in state and local government.
Schuette says in a statement Thursday that corruption scandals have “damaged the public’s trust in government” and left Michigan with a questionable national reputation. He says there will be “no more Kwames,” a reference to disgraced former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.
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Arizona Countersues Federal Government
Last Updated on Friday, 11 February 2011 01:55 Written by rslcpol Friday, 11 February 2011 01:55
From The Herald:
Going on the offensive, the state on Thursday sued the federal government, charging it has failed to meet its legal responsibility to secure the border.
The move comes in the form of a counterclaim to the original lawsuit filed last year by the Obama administration challenging enactment of SB 1070.
Attorneys from the Department of Justice charged the Arizona law, designed largely to give state and local police more power to detain and arrest illegal immigrants, was illegally infringing on the exclusive right of the federal government to control immigration. And a federal judge agreed, at least in part, by barring the state from enforcing key sections.
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WA: Governor McKenna? Here’s a Potential Republican AG Candidate
Last Updated on Friday, 11 February 2011 01:37 Written by rslcpol Friday, 11 February 2011 01:37
If Rob McKenna decides to run for Governor in 2012, at least one Republican with a solid name has been mentioned for Attorney General. Meet Reagan Dunn.
From The Seattle Times:
With state Attorney General Rob McKenna widely expected to run for governor in 2012, the scrambling has already started among potential candidates for attorney general.
Just about everyone expects King County Councilmember Bob Ferguson to announce his plans to run for AG soon as a Democrat. (Ferguson said he’ll make a formal announcement on his future in the next few days.)
Meanwhile, Republicans are laying the groundwork for one of Ferguson’s colleagues: King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn.
The King County GOP registered the domain name “DunnForAG.com” this week, according to a “Whois” record.
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NM: GOP Newcomers Want Ethics Reform Bills
Last Updated on Friday, 11 February 2011 01:16 Written by rslcpol Friday, 11 February 2011 01:16
From CibolaBeacon.com:
Rep. David Doyle, R-Albuquerque, who introduced House Bill 383, which would create the public corruption unit, said in a written statement, “Not only would this unit enforce our corruption laws, but it should serve as a deterrent against any elected official who toys with the idea of abusing their power.”
Scott Darnell, a spokesman for Martinez, confirmed in an e-mail that Martinez is backing all five bills.
But while the corruption issue apparently was a winning card for Martinez’s campaign, getting ethics bills through the Legislature won’t be an easy task.
House Speaker Ben Lujan, D-Nambe, referred Gentry’s HB 378 to three different committees – usually considered a kiss of death for a bill. That bill would impose mandatory jail sentences for those convicted of a “felony corruption offense” and would expose state workers convicted of corruption to the possibility of losing their pension benefits.
Meanwhile, state Attorney General Gary King told reporters he doesn’t support Doyle’s bill to establish a corruption division within the Department of Public Safety.
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PA Governor Corbett Hopes for Quick Confirmation of Attorney General
Last Updated on Thursday, 10 February 2011 04:33 Written by rslcpol Thursday, 10 February 2011 04:32
New Governor Tom Corbett is hopeful his pick to replace him as Attorney General is quickly confirmed.
From WDUQNews:
Governor Tom Corbett has tapped an Assistant United States Attorney from Allegheny County to replace him as Attorney General for Pennsylvania.
Corbett has known Linda Kelly since 1976, when they served together as assistant district attorneys.
Kelly graduated from the University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne University School of Law, and has been at the US Attorney’s office since 1980.“I have, I would say, extensive trial experience, where I’ve tried cases from the most mundane to the most serious. So my experience runs from someone being in the trenches.”
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AL: Republican Says State Government can be Leaner
Last Updated on Thursday, 10 February 2011 02:59 Written by rslcpol Thursday, 10 February 2011 02:59
From BrewtonStandard.com:
Legislators learned this week that the state will need to make significant budget cuts this year to avoid deficit spending.
State Finance Director David Perry and Legislative Fiscal Office Executive Director Joyce Bigbee also told lawmakers that finances will be tight for the next fiscal year.
House Speaker Mike Hubbard said the Legislature would need to make “difficult choices” in the upcoming regular session.
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CT: Republicans Put Cuts on Table
Last Updated on Thursday, 10 February 2011 02:49 Written by rslcpol Thursday, 10 February 2011 02:49
From EastonCourier.com:
Connecticut House and Senate Republicans last week unveiled the Republican legislative agenda for the upcoming session. It includes reorganizing and downsizing state government, cutting the state workforce by 5%, freezing state employee salaries, and other spending cuts that Republicans say will save taxpayers billions of dollars over the next two years.
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