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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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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Check out the latest ad released by the State Government Leadership Foundation:

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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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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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From RGJ.com:

The budget and taxes will dominate the Nevada Legislature as the session enters its 14th week today.

Democratic lawmakers on Thursday unveiled their long-awaited tax plan that, along with additional projected revenues, would generate $1.5 billion over the next two years.

The proposal includes lifting the sunset on taxes set to expire June 30; a gradual phase-out the modified business tax in favor of a margins tax paid on business revenue; and implementing a 1 percent to 4 percent tax on some services.

State Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, D-Las Vegas, and Assembly Speaker John Oceguera, D-Las Vegas, said they hoped the proposal would be a starting point for discussion on revamping Nevada’s tax structure that is heavily reliant on tourism and casino taxes — two revenue sources prone to economic volatility.

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From The Sun:

It may be the governor himself who lacks courage to close a budget deal.

In March, five Republican senators reported that they had “reached an impasse” in negotiations with the governor because their “substantive reform proposals to create jobs, require responsible state spending, eliminate abusive pension practices, and implement meaningful governmental reforms” had been “either rejected or so watered down as to have no real effect.”

The senators concluded that the governor was “unable to compel other stakeholders to accept real reform.”

Later that same month, it was the governor, not the Republicans, who pulled the plug on budget negotiations. Rather unconvincingly, the governor claimed a deal was impossible because Republicans were asking for too many reforms.

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On the flip side, Texas ranks first followed by North Carolina, Florida, Tennessee and Georgia.

From The Sacramento Bee:

Many of the nation’s top business executives apparently have no love for California.

For the seventh year in a row, a survey of chief executives has ranked the Golden State as the nation’s worst in which to do business.

More than 500 U.S. CEOs polled by Greenwich, Conn.-based Chief Executive magazine based their opinions on numerous factors, including regulations, tax policies, work force quality, education resources, quality of living and infrastructure.

“ABC – Anywhere But California,” said T.J. Rodgers, CEO of Cypress Semiconductor, a $668 million chip-making firm in San Jose. “It’s expensive, it’s hostile to business and environmental regulations are more of a drag on business than protecting the environment.”

Cypress Semiconductor, which also has overseas operations, said it once had 1,500 workers in California but is now down to about 600.

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