61st Legislative Assembly to Convene
The 61st Legislative Assembly begins Tuesday, Jan. 6. The ITCND public policy committee will be meeting Friday, Jan. 9, to review IT-related legislation. Contact Deana Wiese, ITCND executive director, at 701-355-4458 or office@itcnd.org if you are know of any issues the public policy committee should be aware of.
Future Legislative Updates will include a list and the status of all bills being monitored and a weekly hearing schedule.
Governor’s Budget
North Dakota has a total of $1.265 billion in surplus and reserves at the end of this biennium. “I believe we have produced a forward-looking and productive budget for the people of North Dakota – a budget that funds our priorities, sets aside a healthy reserve, and provides real tax relief for the hard-working men and women of our state,” says Hoeven. The budget focuses on the priorities of education, economic development, infrastructure, research and development and jobs training programs. It provides both property and income tax relief and allows for a healthy reserve growth.
Technology-based business is one of the five targeted industry sectors identified in the comprehensive strategic plan for aggressive economic development statewide. The budget dedicates an increase of $24 million to workforce development programs and initiatives, including $2 million for a STEM grant initiative. The budget also includes enhanced funding for career and technology education programs, career advisors and “Virtual CTE Centers” to broaden the availability and quality of technical training programs across the state.
Other IT-related highlights included:
Funding for expanded K-12 network and state government IT infrastructure and services
Funding for development of the longitudinal database system to track student data from education to workforce
Expansion of the ND Department of Commerce Innovate ND and Operation Intern programs
Establishment of a sales and use tax exemption for telecommunications infrastructure equipment
View the complete executive budget summary here.
Legislative Leaders Chosen
The legislative leadership for the 61st Legislative Assembly has been chosen. Republican and Democrat house and senate members have selected the following leaders for the 2009 legislative session. There are 58 Republicans and 36 Democrats in the House of Representatives and 26 Republicans and 21 Democrats in the Senate. The leadership of the two parties includes:
Senate
• President – Jack Dalrymple (R)
• President Pro Tempore – Tom Fischer (R)
• Majority leader – Bob Stenehjem (R)
• Assistant majority leader – Randel Christmann (R)
• Minority leader – David O’Connell (D)
• Assistant minority leader – Carolyn Nelson (D)
• Republican caucus chairman – Jerry Klein
• Democrat caucus chairman – John M. Warner
House of Representatives
• Speaker of the House – David Monson (R)
• Majority leader – Al Carlson (R)
• Assistant majority leader – Don Vigesaa (R)
• Minority leader – Merle Boucher (D)
• Assistant minority leader – Kenton Onstad (D)
• Republican caucus chairman – Gary Sukut
• Democrat caucus chairman – Joe Kroeber
Committee chairs for the 2009 legislative session:
Senate Committees
• Agriculture – Tim Flakoll
• Appropriations – Ray Holmberg
• Education – Layton W. Freborg
• Finance and Taxation – Dwight Cook
• Government and Veterans Affairs – Dick Dever
• Human Services – Judy Lee
• Industry, Business and Labor – Jerry Klein
• Judiciary – Dave Nething
• Natural Resources – Stanley W. Lyson
• Political Subdivisions – John M. Andrist
• Transportation – Gary A. Lee
House Committees
• Agriculture – Dennis Johnson
• Appropriations – Ken Svedjan
• Education and Environment – Bob Skarphol
• Government Operations Division – Jeff Delzer
• Human Resources Division – Chet Pollert
• Constitutional Revision – Kim Koppelman
• Education – RaeAnn G. Kelsch
• Finance and Taxation – Wesley R. Belter
• Government and Veterans Affairs – Bette B. Grande
• Human Services – Robin Weisz
• Industry, Business and Labor – George J. Keiser
• Judiciary – Duane DeKrey
• Natural Resources – Todd Porter
• Political Subdivisions – Dwight Wrangham
• Transportation – Dan Ruby
How to Contact Your Legislators
During a legislative session, a legislator can be reached at the State Capitol through e-mail or by leaving a message with the legislative telephone message center at 888-NDLEGIS (635-3447) or 701-328-3373 (local). These numbers can also be used to obtain information on bills under consideration. Otherwise, a legislator can be reached by mail or e-mail at the address listed in the legislator's bio online under the 61st Legislative Assembly link at www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/61-2009.
Addressing Mail Correspondence
To a Senator:
Honorable (full name)
State Senator
600 E. Boulevard Ave.
Bismarck, ND 58505
Dear Senator (last name)
To a Representative:
Honorable (full name)
State Representative
600 E. Boulevard Ave.
Bismarck, ND 58505
Dear Representative (last name)
2009 Legislative Deadlines
Date
January 6
January 19
January 26
February 20
February 20, 23-24
March 5
April 10
April 30
Topic
Session begins
Deadline for representatives to introduce bills
Deadline for senators to introduce bills
Crossover for bills
Recess
Crossover for resolutions
Good Friday
Session is limited to 80 legislative days
Legislative Bills Tracked (to date)
Appropriation Bills
SB 2003 – North Dakota University System (STEM Grants)
SB 2018 – ND Department of Commerce (Innovate ND, Operation Intern)
SB 2019 – North Dakota Department of Career and Technical Education (career and technology education programs, career advisors and “Virtual CTE Centers”)
SB 2021 – Information Technology Department (longitudinal database system, K-12 IT infrastructure enhancement)
Other Bills
HB 1065 – Expansion of Operation Intern
HB 1066 – Tax Credits for Automation and Innovation
SB 2040 – Sales and Use Tax Exemption for Telecommunications Infrastructure Equipment
SB 2062 – Opportunity Grant for North Dakota High School Graduates and New Graduate Earned Income Deduction
Copies of bill drafts and information about the 61st Legislative Session can be found at the Bills and Resolutions link on the North Dakota Legislative Council website at www.legis.nd.gov/.
Professor Emeritus -- Dr. Tom Seymour from West Fargo, North Dakota -- Professor, Minot State University, MSU Faculty Regents Award (2015) -- PAST Peer Reviewer (Higher Learning Commission - Chicago); - Author and Presenter Board of Directors, SRT Communications, Inc and Minot City Alderman - Ward 5 (2010-June, 2016) PAST - Editor-in-Chief (North Dakota State Senator (2002-2010) 2017-Cass County Electric Cooperative- Board of Directors
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
North Dakota Legislators' Bible Study
Dear Senator Seymour:
You are cordially invited to a legislators Bible study to convene during the 2009 session. The book we will study is the Epistle of James. James gives incredible insight to practical Christian living and develops themes such as overcoming trials, controlling the tongue and managing material wealth. We will study through James verse-by-verse in a series titled “Faith that Works.”
The study will be held in the cafeteria overflow on Tuesday mornings at 7:00 AM. You are welcome to bring your own Bible. I will bring notepads and study notes and provide extra Bibles for those who don’t wish to carry their own.
I pray this study will be enlightening as well as stimulating to your relationship with Jesus Christ. The notes for the introductory study “Forging a Leader in a Demanding Environment” are posted online at www.capmin.org/ND for your review. I will also hand out hardcopies next Monday and Tuesday for your convenience.
Have a great New Year!
Jonn Paul
State Director
Capitol Ministries North Dakota
phone: (701) 426-4256
Contact | Donate | Events | Studies | Subscribe
www.capmin
You are cordially invited to a legislators Bible study to convene during the 2009 session. The book we will study is the Epistle of James. James gives incredible insight to practical Christian living and develops themes such as overcoming trials, controlling the tongue and managing material wealth. We will study through James verse-by-verse in a series titled “Faith that Works.”
The study will be held in the cafeteria overflow on Tuesday mornings at 7:00 AM. You are welcome to bring your own Bible. I will bring notepads and study notes and provide extra Bibles for those who don’t wish to carry their own.
I pray this study will be enlightening as well as stimulating to your relationship with Jesus Christ. The notes for the introductory study “Forging a Leader in a Demanding Environment” are posted online at www.capmin.org/ND for your review. I will also hand out hardcopies next Monday and Tuesday for your convenience.
Have a great New Year!
Jonn Paul
State Director
Capitol Ministries North Dakota
phone: (701) 426-4256
Contact | Donate | Events | Studies | Subscribe
www.capmin
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Bucks Progressive Site
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Bucks Mont Progressive Events Email
The Bucks/Mont Progressive Events Email is sent on the 15th & 30th of each month. It publicizes progressive events in the Bucks and Montgomery County area in Pennsylvania. To get this twice a month email in your inbox, send your request to tomulrich@mybluelight.com.
Please help us expand! Tell your friends to email tomulrich@mybluelight.com to be included. Plus, let us know of events which should be included.
To find progressive events in the other Phila area counties go to http://www.progresssivenetworksepa.org
NEW FEATURES at the end - Bucks/Mont Progressive Circle of Friends, Progressive Videos & Articles, Progressive Information Sources, Bucks/Mont Progressive Video Lending Library
__________________________
MONTHLY CALENDAR - (Daily/Weekly Events at the end)
1a. Tues. Dec. 30, 7 PM - Health Care Community Discussion Group requested by the Obama-Biden Transition Team at Borough Hall in Dolyestown, 57 W. Court Street. Please call to reserve your place – 25 person limit. Call Nancy at 215-348-3227
1b. Wed. Dec. 31, 5 PM - New Year's Eve Candlelight Peace Vigil at old Fuddruckers restaurant on Oxford Valley Rd in Bucks County vigils. For more info call Cathy at 215-917-2891
2a. Fri. Jan. 2, 7 PM - First Friday Film Forum at the Peace Center in Langhorne, Maple and Bellevue Aves, will show and discuss the DVD “Taxi To The Dark Side” which documents the investigation of the torture and killing of an innocent Afghani taxi driver and probes the reckless abuses of government powerof current interest. Contact Linda at 215-702-8387. (1st Fri)
2b. Fri. Jan. 2, 7 PM - Lepoco First Friday Film/Popcorn and Politics will show and discuss a DVD of current interest. Please bring a snack or beverage to share. For info email lepoco@fast.net or call 610-691-8730. (1st Fri)
2c. Fri. Jan. 2, 7 PM - A new Doylestown First Friday Environmental and Sustainable Living DVD/Discussion Series is coming to the award-winning Environmental Home Store, 320 North Broad Street in Doylestown. The feature video for January will be "The Next Industrial Revolution: The Birth of the Sustainable Economy " featuring international design pioneers: the visionary William McDonough (Cradle to Cradle) and Michael Braungart, and is narrated by Susan Sarandon. The series is co-sponsored by the Post Carbon Institute's ECLA PA. Admission is free. For info call 267-992-8020.
3. Sat. Jan. 3, 11AM-1PM - Healthcare Discussion Group Meeting at Yardley Makefield Free Library, 1080 Edgewood Road, Yardley. Call 267-679-0617 or email henrydsilva@comcast.net for further information
4. Sun. Jan. 4, 6-9PM - Lower Bucks Coalition for Peace Action Meeting (potluck at 6) at St. James Episcopal Church, 330 S. Bellevue Ave. in Langhorne. Now is the time to act for a change. Join us in working towards a peaceful, green, socially just world. Call Bill Deckhart at 215-380-6804 or email billdeckhart@earthlink.net for info. (1st Sun)
5a. Mon. Jan. 5, 7-8:30 PM - Pennridge Area Progressives will meet at the Perkasie Library at 491 Arthur Ave. This month we will show the Phil Donahue film "Body of War" plus we will welcome Celeste Zappala of the Gold Star Families for Peace. You do NOT want to miss either. For info call Tom at 215-258-3894. (1st Mon)
5b. Mon. Jan. 5, 6:30-7PM - Bryn Mawr Peace Coalition Silent Vigil followed by our regular meeting at 7 at Ludington Library in Bryn Mawr. Call Karen Barton at 610-525-3784 or email astrique@aol.com. (1st Mon)
6. Tues. Jan. 6, 7-9 PM -Drinking Liberally Bryn Mawr Chapter will meet at The Grog, 863 Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr. All progressives are most welcome. For info email Walter Ebmeyer at ebmeyer6w@comcast.net
7a. Wed. Jan. 7, 7 PM - Philly for Change at Tritone, 1508 South Street Phila. (1st Wed)
7b. Wed. Jan. 7, 10 AM - Bucks County Commissioners' Meeting at Bucks County Courthouse Community Room 55 E. Court Street Doylestown, PA 18901 For info go to http://www.buckscounty.org/
8a. Thurs. Jan. 8, 6:30 PM - Sustainable Upper Dublin Meeting (SUDS) at the Upper Dublin Township Building. SUDS is working to build a sustainable community through grassroots action. Non-UDT residents welcome! For more info visit http://sustainableupperdublin.org/ or email info@sustainableupperdublin.org. (1st Thurs)
8b. Thurs. Jan. 8, 7:30 PM - Montco DFA Meeting at the Jenkintown Library. We'll view the film "Strange Culture" which examines the culture of paranoia that has crippled our government's ability to respond to real problems in the recent past. For info go to http://www.montcodfa.org/ (1st Thurs)
8c. Thurs. Jan. 8, 7-8:30 PM -Northwest Greens Monthly Meeting at Weavers Way Meeting Room at 610 Carpenter Lane (near Greene Street) in West Mount Airy in Phila. For info call 215-843-4256
9. Fri. Jan. 9, 7:30 PM - Warminster's Second Friday Environmental Video-Discussion Series at the Centrifuge at 780 Falcon Circle in the former Naval Air Development Center. Free! For info email soundenergy@comcast.net or call 267-992-8020 (2nd Fri)
10. Sat. Jan. 10, 1-4 PM - BuxMont Coalition for Peace Action Holiday Party at Buxmont Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 2040 Street Road in Warrington. Hors d’oeuvres and Dessert Potluck -Please bring something to share with others. Please RSVP to billdeckhart@earthlink.net
11. Sun. Jan. 11, 4:30 PM - Brandywine Peace Community Monthly Potluck Supper & Program at the University Lutheran Church, 3637 Chestnut Street, Phila. Bring a main dish, salad, or dessert to share. For info 610-544-1818 (2nd Sun)
12. Mon. Jan. 12, 7 PM - Main Line Peace Network Meeting at the Ludington Library in Bryn Mawr. Call Robin Stelly at 267-240-9819 for info. (2nd Mon)
13. Tues. Jan. 13, 7 PM - Bucks County NAACP Meeting For more info call or email John Jordan at 215-364-1057 or j715jordan@yahoo.com
14a. Wed. Jan. 14, 7:30 PM - Buckingham Friends Meeting Peace & Social Justice Film Series at 5864 York Rd (202) in Lahaska near Peddlar's Village. This month, "War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death". Free! For info call 215-794-7299 or go to http://www.buckinghamfriendsmeeting.org/ (2nd Wed)
14b. Wed. Jan. 14, 7 pm - Bucks County Alliance for Animals Meeting at Saxby's Coffee, 22 N. Main St., Doylestown. For more info- http://www.montcopa.org/
15. Thurs. Jan. 15, 7-9 PM - Main Line Coalition for Peace Action Meeting at Jane Dugdale's house. For info and directions email tjdugdale@comcast.net
16a. Sat. Jan. 17 & Sun. Jan. 18 - PDA Annual Grassroots Leadership Conference in Washington DC. Please join the Progressive Democrats of America for our Annual Grassroots Leadership Conference at the University of the District of Columbia. For more info go to http://www.pdamerica.org/
16b. Sat. Jan. 17, 7 PM - 5th Annual Martin Luther King Birthday Concert with Tom Mullian & Friends, and special guest Tha Truth, at the Peace Center of Delaware County/Springfield Friends Meeting, 1001 Old Sproul Road, Springfield, PA. Brandywine Peace Community, co-sponsor. Directions at http://www.delcopeacecenter.org/ Admission: $5.00. Light refreshments. For more info call 610-544-1818.
16c. Sat. Jan. 17 - Saturday of MLK/Inaguration weekend: "Honor King's Legacy/Stop the War(s)/Yes We Can!" Reception 9 AM, William Way Center, 1315 Spruce St., parade to Obama's People's Inauguration Train Launch Event (TBA), Rally 11 AM Philadelphia City Hall west side 15th and Market.
17. Sun. Jan. 18, 2-4 PM - Dr. King's Birthday Peace Event near Senator Arlen Specter's home at West Schoolhouse Lane at Vaux St. (just west of Henry Ave.) in East Falls. For info call 215-843-4256 or email nwgreens@yahoo.com.
18. Mon. Jan. 19, Noon - Martin Luther King Day of Nonviolent Resistance to War, including nonviolent civil disobedience at Lockheed Martin. January 19 is eve of 2009 Presidential Inauguration. For info 610-544-1818 or email brandywine@juno.com. (http://www.brandywinepeace.com/)
19a. Tues. Jan. 20 - Presidential Inauguration of Barack Obama in Washington DC. (a) Coalition for Peace Action of Bucks County has space on their buses. Reserve NOW! Call Bill Deckhart at 215-380-6804 or email billdeckhart@earthlink.net for info. (b) Upper Perkiomen Democratic Club has a bus going for the day. Call Cathy Sweeney at 215-679-3593 for info.
19b. Tues. Jan. 20, 7-9 PM -Drinking Liberally Bryn Mawr Chapter will meet at The Grog, 863 Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr. All progressives are most welcome. For info email Walter Ebmeyer at ebmeyer6w@comcast.net
19c. Tues. Jan. 20, 7 PM - Blooming Glen Peace & Justice Film Series will show and discuss a DVD on current affairs. For info call Sarah at 215-510-2979. (3rd Tues)
20. Wed. Jan. 21, 7-8:30 PM - Central Montco Progressive Film Forum at the home of Rick Williams, 516 Barbara Rd in East Norriton. This month we will watch and discuss the DVD "Outfoxed: Rupet Murdoch's War on Journalism". For info contact Dave at davidm19401@yahoo.com. Also, you can get on our list at http://democrat.meetup.com/463/(3rd Wed)
21. Thurs. Jan. 22- Sun. Jan. 25 - The National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (NCADP) Annual Conference Training for the Long Run, will be held at the Holiday Inn East in Harrisburg from January 22 to 25, 2009. For more info go to http://www.ncadp.org/events.cfm?event=1002
22a. Sat. Jan 31, 6:30 PM - Planned Parenthood Action Fund of Bucks County "Choice Chili Cook-off" - our annual fundraiser at the Eagle Fire Hall in New Hope (46 N. Sugan Road). Tickets are $35.00 each, advance reservations are required. Contact Gail Edwardson at 215-957-7981 or go to file://www.ppbucksvotes.org/
22b. Sat. Jan. 31 - RootsCampPhiladelphis at the Walton Campus in Plymouth Meeting is an intense event with discussions, demos, and interaction from progressive participants. There are NO SPECTATORS. This open format never fails to yield an astounding exchange of information, spin-off projects, and cross-pollination among unexpected partners. For info email mike@keystoneprogress.org
23. Tues. Feb. 3, 7-9 PM - Drinking Liberally Bryn Mawr Chapter will meet at The Grog, 863 Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr. All progressives are most welcome. For info email Walter Ebmeyer at ebmeyer6w@comcast.net
24. Sat. Feb. 14, 1 PM - Norristown NAACP Black History Month Luncheon & Cultural Celebration at the Westover Country Club in Jeffersonville, PA. Tickets $35. 100th year National NAACP anniversary to be commemorated. Honorees include Charles Blockson, Norristown native and world renown African American historian. For ticket and info contact Bonita Kent Hadrick, Celebration Coordinator at 484-919-8797.
25. Thurs. March 19, 7:30 PM - Forum/Discussion of The Military Industrial Complex by Robert Musil sponsored by the Bryn Mawr Peace Coalition at Villanova University (Bartley Hall-Room 101) Free and Open to the Public. For more info call Karen at 610-525-3784 or email astrique@aol.com
26. Sat. March 21 - March on the Pentagon in Washington DC. More info to follow.
27. Sat. April 4 - National United for Peace and Justice will be organizing an event in New York City to mark the Anti-Vietnam War Speech Martin Luther King made at Riverside Church and to mark his death a year later by sniper bullet.
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DAILY/WEEKLY EVENTS
1. Every 2nd & 4th Mon. 6:30 - 7:30 PM - NAACP Youth Council Meeting at (2nd Mon) Linconia Tabernacle Christian Center on Parris Ave, Trevose Pa at (4th Mon) No Longer Bound Recreation Center on Norton Ave. in Bristol Pa.
2. Every Tues., 6-7 PM - Doylestown Peace Vigil at the intersection of State and Main in Doylestown. All are welcome and we have signs.
3. Every Wed., 5-6 PM - Peace Vigil #1 outside the Unitarian Society of Germantown, 6511 Lincoln Drive in West Mount Airy. For info call 215-843-4256 or email nwgreens@yahoo.com.
4. Every Wed., 7-8 PM - Peace Vigil #2 outside Border's Book Store in Germantown Ave. at Bethlehem Pike in Chestnut Hill. For info call 215-843-4256 or email nwgreens@yahoo.com.
5. Every Fri., 5-5:30 PM - Phoenixville Peace Vigil at the corner of Bridge and Main in downtown Phoenixville.
6a. Every Sat, 10-11 AM - PA Action/CFPA Peace Vigil near intersection of Rt. 1 and Oxford Valley Rd. (near Oxford Valley Mall). Call Robin - 267-240-9819 for info.
6b. Every Sat., 10-11 AM - Sellersville Peace Vigil at Main St. and Temple Ave. sponsored by Upper Bucks Coalition for Peace Action. Call Angela at 215-257-1300 for more info.
7. To contact members of Congress - Call 1-800-828-0498 or 1-866-340-9281 for anyone in Congress or use this excellent link. http://www.capwiz.com/ncec/home
WEEKLY TV & OTHER MEDIA
1. Every evening at 6 PM - TV Program "Democracy Now" with Amy Goodman on WYBE(Channel 20 or 35 in some areas). http://www.democracynow.org/
2. Every evening on MSNBC at 8 PM - Countdown with Keith Olbermann. Followed by The Rachel Maddow Show at 9 PM
3. Every day Noon - 3 PM -Air America "Thom Hartmann Show" on your computer at http://www.AirAmerica.com/ThomVision . A progressive voice of reason.
4. Every Tues. 9-11 PM (usually) - Frontline on PBS - looks at current issues in the news. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/
5a. Every Wed., 8-9 PM - "Voices of the Voters" Radio program on Voting Integrity and other democracy issues at local "Philadelphia Radio Station" WNJC 1360 AM. Online - http://www.wnjc1360.com/Live_Netcast/live_netcast.html.
5b. Every Wed. 9-10PM - " Rob Kall Show" at same location as above. Online - http://www.wnjc1360.com/live_netcast/live_netcast.html.
6. Every Fri. 1-2 PM - Meet the Bloggers Live program at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/meet-the-bloggers Live program with current leaders on current issues.
7a. Every Fri., 9:00 PM - Bill Moyers Journal on PBS. Watch programs later at http://www.pbs.org/moyers/
7b. Every Fri. 8:30 PM - NOW on PBS. Watch programs later at http://www.pbs.org/now/
8. Weekly Email - Interesting Weekly Newsletter called "Stephen Views the News" comes out. Go to http://stephenviewsthenews.blogspot.com/
9. New Progressive on-line monthly - The Philadelphia Jewish Voice is an alternative to the increasingly conservative Jewish Exponent. Check us out at http://www.pjvoice.com/
10. To contact members of Congress - Call 1-800-828-0498 or 1-866-340-9281 for anyone in Congress or use this excellent link. http://www.capwiz.com/ncec/home
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Progressive Videos and Articles You Will Find Interesting - Click here to view and read - http://www.progressivevideosandarticles.blogspot.com/
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Progressive Information Sources -With the current state of the "corporate media", we need additional progressive sources of information. Click here for some ideas - http://www.ProgressiveInformation.blogspot.com
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Bucks Mont Progressive Video Lending Library - Democracy needs an informed electorate. Help that happen for yourself, your family, and friends. Click here to see available videos - http://www.progressivevideolendinglibrary.blogspot.com/
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Bucks Mont Progresssive Circle of Friends - This is a list of Progressive Groups in Bucks & Montgomery Counties in Pennsylvania with their contact person and information. If your group has an activity or event you want to promote, please use this list of local progressive groups and the contact people to publicize your activity. With this email network, information about events can be passed quickly to other progressives who might be interested. Click here to see the list!
http://progressivecircleoffriends.blogspot.com/
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Posted by Bucks/Mont Tom at 12:27 PM
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Bucks/Mont Tom
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Bucks Mont Progressive Events Email
The Bucks/Mont Progressive Events Email is sent on the 15th & 30th of each month. It publicizes progressive events in the Bucks and Montgomery County area in Pennsylvania. To get this twice a month email in your inbox, send your request to tomulrich@mybluelight.com.
Please help us expand! Tell your friends to email tomulrich@mybluelight.com to be included. Plus, let us know of events which should be included.
To find progressive events in the other Phila area counties go to http://www.progresssivenetworksepa.org
NEW FEATURES at the end - Bucks/Mont Progressive Circle of Friends, Progressive Videos & Articles, Progressive Information Sources, Bucks/Mont Progressive Video Lending Library
__________________________
MONTHLY CALENDAR - (Daily/Weekly Events at the end)
1a. Tues. Dec. 30, 7 PM - Health Care Community Discussion Group requested by the Obama-Biden Transition Team at Borough Hall in Dolyestown, 57 W. Court Street. Please call to reserve your place – 25 person limit. Call Nancy at 215-348-3227
1b. Wed. Dec. 31, 5 PM - New Year's Eve Candlelight Peace Vigil at old Fuddruckers restaurant on Oxford Valley Rd in Bucks County vigils. For more info call Cathy at 215-917-2891
2a. Fri. Jan. 2, 7 PM - First Friday Film Forum at the Peace Center in Langhorne, Maple and Bellevue Aves, will show and discuss the DVD “Taxi To The Dark Side” which documents the investigation of the torture and killing of an innocent Afghani taxi driver and probes the reckless abuses of government powerof current interest. Contact Linda at 215-702-8387. (1st Fri)
2b. Fri. Jan. 2, 7 PM - Lepoco First Friday Film/Popcorn and Politics will show and discuss a DVD of current interest. Please bring a snack or beverage to share. For info email lepoco@fast.net or call 610-691-8730. (1st Fri)
2c. Fri. Jan. 2, 7 PM - A new Doylestown First Friday Environmental and Sustainable Living DVD/Discussion Series is coming to the award-winning Environmental Home Store, 320 North Broad Street in Doylestown. The feature video for January will be "The Next Industrial Revolution: The Birth of the Sustainable Economy " featuring international design pioneers: the visionary William McDonough (Cradle to Cradle) and Michael Braungart, and is narrated by Susan Sarandon. The series is co-sponsored by the Post Carbon Institute's ECLA PA. Admission is free. For info call 267-992-8020.
3. Sat. Jan. 3, 11AM-1PM - Healthcare Discussion Group Meeting at Yardley Makefield Free Library, 1080 Edgewood Road, Yardley. Call 267-679-0617 or email henrydsilva@comcast.net for further information
4. Sun. Jan. 4, 6-9PM - Lower Bucks Coalition for Peace Action Meeting (potluck at 6) at St. James Episcopal Church, 330 S. Bellevue Ave. in Langhorne. Now is the time to act for a change. Join us in working towards a peaceful, green, socially just world. Call Bill Deckhart at 215-380-6804 or email billdeckhart@earthlink.net for info. (1st Sun)
5a. Mon. Jan. 5, 7-8:30 PM - Pennridge Area Progressives will meet at the Perkasie Library at 491 Arthur Ave. This month we will show the Phil Donahue film "Body of War" plus we will welcome Celeste Zappala of the Gold Star Families for Peace. You do NOT want to miss either. For info call Tom at 215-258-3894. (1st Mon)
5b. Mon. Jan. 5, 6:30-7PM - Bryn Mawr Peace Coalition Silent Vigil followed by our regular meeting at 7 at Ludington Library in Bryn Mawr. Call Karen Barton at 610-525-3784 or email astrique@aol.com. (1st Mon)
6. Tues. Jan. 6, 7-9 PM -Drinking Liberally Bryn Mawr Chapter will meet at The Grog, 863 Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr. All progressives are most welcome. For info email Walter Ebmeyer at ebmeyer6w@comcast.net
7a. Wed. Jan. 7, 7 PM - Philly for Change at Tritone, 1508 South Street Phila. (1st Wed)
7b. Wed. Jan. 7, 10 AM - Bucks County Commissioners' Meeting at Bucks County Courthouse Community Room 55 E. Court Street Doylestown, PA 18901 For info go to http://www.buckscounty.org/
8a. Thurs. Jan. 8, 6:30 PM - Sustainable Upper Dublin Meeting (SUDS) at the Upper Dublin Township Building. SUDS is working to build a sustainable community through grassroots action. Non-UDT residents welcome! For more info visit http://sustainableupperdublin.org/ or email info@sustainableupperdublin.org. (1st Thurs)
8b. Thurs. Jan. 8, 7:30 PM - Montco DFA Meeting at the Jenkintown Library. We'll view the film "Strange Culture" which examines the culture of paranoia that has crippled our government's ability to respond to real problems in the recent past. For info go to http://www.montcodfa.org/ (1st Thurs)
8c. Thurs. Jan. 8, 7-8:30 PM -Northwest Greens Monthly Meeting at Weavers Way Meeting Room at 610 Carpenter Lane (near Greene Street) in West Mount Airy in Phila. For info call 215-843-4256
9. Fri. Jan. 9, 7:30 PM - Warminster's Second Friday Environmental Video-Discussion Series at the Centrifuge at 780 Falcon Circle in the former Naval Air Development Center. Free! For info email soundenergy@comcast.net or call 267-992-8020 (2nd Fri)
10. Sat. Jan. 10, 1-4 PM - BuxMont Coalition for Peace Action Holiday Party at Buxmont Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 2040 Street Road in Warrington. Hors d’oeuvres and Dessert Potluck -Please bring something to share with others. Please RSVP to billdeckhart@earthlink.net
11. Sun. Jan. 11, 4:30 PM - Brandywine Peace Community Monthly Potluck Supper & Program at the University Lutheran Church, 3637 Chestnut Street, Phila. Bring a main dish, salad, or dessert to share. For info 610-544-1818 (2nd Sun)
12. Mon. Jan. 12, 7 PM - Main Line Peace Network Meeting at the Ludington Library in Bryn Mawr. Call Robin Stelly at 267-240-9819 for info. (2nd Mon)
13. Tues. Jan. 13, 7 PM - Bucks County NAACP Meeting For more info call or email John Jordan at 215-364-1057 or j715jordan@yahoo.com
14a. Wed. Jan. 14, 7:30 PM - Buckingham Friends Meeting Peace & Social Justice Film Series at 5864 York Rd (202) in Lahaska near Peddlar's Village. This month, "War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death". Free! For info call 215-794-7299 or go to http://www.buckinghamfriendsmeeting.org/ (2nd Wed)
14b. Wed. Jan. 14, 7 pm - Bucks County Alliance for Animals Meeting at Saxby's Coffee, 22 N. Main St., Doylestown. For more info- http://www.montcopa.org/
15. Thurs. Jan. 15, 7-9 PM - Main Line Coalition for Peace Action Meeting at Jane Dugdale's house. For info and directions email tjdugdale@comcast.net
16a. Sat. Jan. 17 & Sun. Jan. 18 - PDA Annual Grassroots Leadership Conference in Washington DC. Please join the Progressive Democrats of America for our Annual Grassroots Leadership Conference at the University of the District of Columbia. For more info go to http://www.pdamerica.org/
16b. Sat. Jan. 17, 7 PM - 5th Annual Martin Luther King Birthday Concert with Tom Mullian & Friends, and special guest Tha Truth, at the Peace Center of Delaware County/Springfield Friends Meeting, 1001 Old Sproul Road, Springfield, PA. Brandywine Peace Community, co-sponsor. Directions at http://www.delcopeacecenter.org/ Admission: $5.00. Light refreshments. For more info call 610-544-1818.
16c. Sat. Jan. 17 - Saturday of MLK/Inaguration weekend: "Honor King's Legacy/Stop the War(s)/Yes We Can!" Reception 9 AM, William Way Center, 1315 Spruce St., parade to Obama's People's Inauguration Train Launch Event (TBA), Rally 11 AM Philadelphia City Hall west side 15th and Market.
17. Sun. Jan. 18, 2-4 PM - Dr. King's Birthday Peace Event near Senator Arlen Specter's home at West Schoolhouse Lane at Vaux St. (just west of Henry Ave.) in East Falls. For info call 215-843-4256 or email nwgreens@yahoo.com.
18. Mon. Jan. 19, Noon - Martin Luther King Day of Nonviolent Resistance to War, including nonviolent civil disobedience at Lockheed Martin. January 19 is eve of 2009 Presidential Inauguration. For info 610-544-1818 or email brandywine@juno.com. (http://www.brandywinepeace.com/)
19a. Tues. Jan. 20 - Presidential Inauguration of Barack Obama in Washington DC. (a) Coalition for Peace Action of Bucks County has space on their buses. Reserve NOW! Call Bill Deckhart at 215-380-6804 or email billdeckhart@earthlink.net for info. (b) Upper Perkiomen Democratic Club has a bus going for the day. Call Cathy Sweeney at 215-679-3593 for info.
19b. Tues. Jan. 20, 7-9 PM -Drinking Liberally Bryn Mawr Chapter will meet at The Grog, 863 Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr. All progressives are most welcome. For info email Walter Ebmeyer at ebmeyer6w@comcast.net
19c. Tues. Jan. 20, 7 PM - Blooming Glen Peace & Justice Film Series will show and discuss a DVD on current affairs. For info call Sarah at 215-510-2979. (3rd Tues)
20. Wed. Jan. 21, 7-8:30 PM - Central Montco Progressive Film Forum at the home of Rick Williams, 516 Barbara Rd in East Norriton. This month we will watch and discuss the DVD "Outfoxed: Rupet Murdoch's War on Journalism". For info contact Dave at davidm19401@yahoo.com. Also, you can get on our list at http://democrat.meetup.com/463/(3rd Wed)
21. Thurs. Jan. 22- Sun. Jan. 25 - The National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (NCADP) Annual Conference Training for the Long Run, will be held at the Holiday Inn East in Harrisburg from January 22 to 25, 2009. For more info go to http://www.ncadp.org/events.cfm?event=1002
22a. Sat. Jan 31, 6:30 PM - Planned Parenthood Action Fund of Bucks County "Choice Chili Cook-off" - our annual fundraiser at the Eagle Fire Hall in New Hope (46 N. Sugan Road). Tickets are $35.00 each, advance reservations are required. Contact Gail Edwardson at 215-957-7981 or go to file://www.ppbucksvotes.org/
22b. Sat. Jan. 31 - RootsCampPhiladelphis at the Walton Campus in Plymouth Meeting is an intense event with discussions, demos, and interaction from progressive participants. There are NO SPECTATORS. This open format never fails to yield an astounding exchange of information, spin-off projects, and cross-pollination among unexpected partners. For info email mike@keystoneprogress.org
23. Tues. Feb. 3, 7-9 PM - Drinking Liberally Bryn Mawr Chapter will meet at The Grog, 863 Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr. All progressives are most welcome. For info email Walter Ebmeyer at ebmeyer6w@comcast.net
24. Sat. Feb. 14, 1 PM - Norristown NAACP Black History Month Luncheon & Cultural Celebration at the Westover Country Club in Jeffersonville, PA. Tickets $35. 100th year National NAACP anniversary to be commemorated. Honorees include Charles Blockson, Norristown native and world renown African American historian. For ticket and info contact Bonita Kent Hadrick, Celebration Coordinator at 484-919-8797.
25. Thurs. March 19, 7:30 PM - Forum/Discussion of The Military Industrial Complex by Robert Musil sponsored by the Bryn Mawr Peace Coalition at Villanova University (Bartley Hall-Room 101) Free and Open to the Public. For more info call Karen at 610-525-3784 or email astrique@aol.com
26. Sat. March 21 - March on the Pentagon in Washington DC. More info to follow.
27. Sat. April 4 - National United for Peace and Justice will be organizing an event in New York City to mark the Anti-Vietnam War Speech Martin Luther King made at Riverside Church and to mark his death a year later by sniper bullet.
_________________________________________________
DAILY/WEEKLY EVENTS
1. Every 2nd & 4th Mon. 6:30 - 7:30 PM - NAACP Youth Council Meeting at (2nd Mon) Linconia Tabernacle Christian Center on Parris Ave, Trevose Pa at (4th Mon) No Longer Bound Recreation Center on Norton Ave. in Bristol Pa.
2. Every Tues., 6-7 PM - Doylestown Peace Vigil at the intersection of State and Main in Doylestown. All are welcome and we have signs.
3. Every Wed., 5-6 PM - Peace Vigil #1 outside the Unitarian Society of Germantown, 6511 Lincoln Drive in West Mount Airy. For info call 215-843-4256 or email nwgreens@yahoo.com.
4. Every Wed., 7-8 PM - Peace Vigil #2 outside Border's Book Store in Germantown Ave. at Bethlehem Pike in Chestnut Hill. For info call 215-843-4256 or email nwgreens@yahoo.com.
5. Every Fri., 5-5:30 PM - Phoenixville Peace Vigil at the corner of Bridge and Main in downtown Phoenixville.
6a. Every Sat, 10-11 AM - PA Action/CFPA Peace Vigil near intersection of Rt. 1 and Oxford Valley Rd. (near Oxford Valley Mall). Call Robin - 267-240-9819 for info.
6b. Every Sat., 10-11 AM - Sellersville Peace Vigil at Main St. and Temple Ave. sponsored by Upper Bucks Coalition for Peace Action. Call Angela at 215-257-1300 for more info.
7. To contact members of Congress - Call 1-800-828-0498 or 1-866-340-9281 for anyone in Congress or use this excellent link. http://www.capwiz.com/ncec/home
WEEKLY TV & OTHER MEDIA
1. Every evening at 6 PM - TV Program "Democracy Now" with Amy Goodman on WYBE(Channel 20 or 35 in some areas). http://www.democracynow.org/
2. Every evening on MSNBC at 8 PM - Countdown with Keith Olbermann. Followed by The Rachel Maddow Show at 9 PM
3. Every day Noon - 3 PM -Air America "Thom Hartmann Show" on your computer at http://www.AirAmerica.com/ThomVision . A progressive voice of reason.
4. Every Tues. 9-11 PM (usually) - Frontline on PBS - looks at current issues in the news. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/
5a. Every Wed., 8-9 PM - "Voices of the Voters" Radio program on Voting Integrity and other democracy issues at local "Philadelphia Radio Station" WNJC 1360 AM. Online - http://www.wnjc1360.com/Live_Netcast/live_netcast.html.
5b. Every Wed. 9-10PM - " Rob Kall Show" at same location as above. Online - http://www.wnjc1360.com/live_netcast/live_netcast.html.
6. Every Fri. 1-2 PM - Meet the Bloggers Live program at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/meet-the-bloggers Live program with current leaders on current issues.
7a. Every Fri., 9:00 PM - Bill Moyers Journal on PBS. Watch programs later at http://www.pbs.org/moyers/
7b. Every Fri. 8:30 PM - NOW on PBS. Watch programs later at http://www.pbs.org/now/
8. Weekly Email - Interesting Weekly Newsletter called "Stephen Views the News" comes out. Go to http://stephenviewsthenews.blogspot.com/
9. New Progressive on-line monthly - The Philadelphia Jewish Voice is an alternative to the increasingly conservative Jewish Exponent. Check us out at http://www.pjvoice.com/
10. To contact members of Congress - Call 1-800-828-0498 or 1-866-340-9281 for anyone in Congress or use this excellent link. http://www.capwiz.com/ncec/home
_________________________
Progressive Videos and Articles You Will Find Interesting - Click here to view and read - http://www.progressivevideosandarticles.blogspot.com/
_______________________
Progressive Information Sources -With the current state of the "corporate media", we need additional progressive sources of information. Click here for some ideas - http://www.ProgressiveInformation.blogspot.com
_______________________
Bucks Mont Progressive Video Lending Library - Democracy needs an informed electorate. Help that happen for yourself, your family, and friends. Click here to see available videos - http://www.progressivevideolendinglibrary.blogspot.com/
_______________________
Bucks Mont Progresssive Circle of Friends - This is a list of Progressive Groups in Bucks & Montgomery Counties in Pennsylvania with their contact person and information. If your group has an activity or event you want to promote, please use this list of local progressive groups and the contact people to publicize your activity. With this email network, information about events can be passed quickly to other progressives who might be interested. Click here to see the list!
http://progressivecircleoffriends.blogspot.com/
________________________
Posted by Bucks/Mont Tom at 12:27 PM
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Monday, December 29, 2008
Higher Education News
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December 29, 2008
Hello. Here's what's new on our site today:
Revising and Defending the Foreign Language Major
At MLA, professors describe how their departments are rethinking the curriculum and the tenure-track/adjunct divide. Beyond pedagogy, programs want to protect themselves.
>> View full article
The Teaching Paradox
Women who teach English and other languages are more satisfied with classroom work than other aspects of their jobs, but also report shame over pride in areas other than research, MLA survey finds.
>> View full article
The Admissions Gap for Big-Time Athletes
Investigative report by Atlanta newspaper finds incoming academic credentials of football and basketball players badly lag fellow students.
>> View full article
ADVERTISEMENT
Advance Your Future. Penn Graduate School
of Education offers a doctorate in higher education
management -- earned while keeping your current job.
Click here to learn more.
First ‘Minerva’ Grants Awarded
Pentagon program to support social science research is officially started; some scholars remain concerned about its impact.
>> View full article
Guidance on New GI Bill
U.S. proposes regulations to govern Post-9/11 GI Bill, including — of interest to private colleges — rules for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
>> View full article
Quick Takes: Harvard Prof and Alleged Anti-Aging Drug, Priorities at RPI, Nashville Presidents Oppose ‘English Only’ Measure, Savings on Textbooks, NYU Lost $24M to Madoff, TMI for Graduation Speech, Adjuncts Get to Pay for Layoff Notice, MLA Parody
>> View full article
VIEWS
The Committee Is Now in Session
Carolyn Foster Segal considers — with some fear — the number of meetings professors must attend.
>> View full article
ADVERTISEMENT
Saundra K. Schuster, Esq., has joined the National
Center for Higher Education Risk Management as
a partner. Saunie has over 20 years of experience
in student affairs, higher education law, and the
legal issues of community colleges. Visit NCHERM.
Inside Higher Ed's Home for Academic Blogging:
Intellectual Affairs - The Blog
Interview Hell Sunday December 28, 2008
Getting to Green
Thoughts on Boxing Day Saturday December 27, 2008
The Education of Oronte Churm
Godfrey Wishes You A Good Holiday Season Wednesday December 24, 2008
Confessions of a Community College Dean
Ask the Administrator: What Makes a Good Job Talk? Sunday December 21, 2008
Mama PhD
Math Geek Mom: Ready, Set, Interview! Thursday December 18, 2008
University Diaries
The Catharctic Half-Light -- Norman Maclean, Part Two Sunday November 16, 2008
Reality Check
Performing to Make MoneybMaking Money to Perform Sunday October 19, 2008
Looking for more information?
To make sure you get the next issue of our newsletter, please add newsroom@insidehighered.com to your address book.
Looking for a job?
Browse our job listings:
Faculty: 3,672
Executive: 184
Administrative: 1,599
Outside Higher Ed: 21
Click to search all jobs.
TODAY'S FEATURED JOBS
Vice President for Enrollment Management
Confidential
A small private college in the New York City area is seeking a Vice President for Enrollment Management. A member of the ...
>> View full listing
Student Affairs Director
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky is one great place to work. UK’s agenda—simple—to accelerate the movement toward academic ...
>> View full listing
Philosophy, Faculty Member Tenure-Track, Fall ‘09
Monroe Community College
MCC is located minutes south of Lake Ontario in Rochester NY. The College enrolls approximately 36,000 students each year. ...
>> View full listing
Faculty, Information Technology, Full-Time, Tenure-Track, Fall 2009
Salem State College, MA
Salem State College is an equal opportunity / affirmative action employer. Persons of color, women and persons with ...
>> View full listing
Assistant Professor, Oboe/Bassoon/Music Theory #056400
University of Montana
Discover your future at The University of Montana.
>> View full listing
Postdoctoral Research Associate
University of Denver
Job Summary: Post-doctoral study in fundamental thermal transport in quantum sensor structures and ...
>> View full listing
Dean, Technical Careers
Lansing Community College
Founded in 1957, Lansing Community College serves 40,000 students. A public community college governed by an elected board of ...
>> View full listing
Chairperson, Media, Arts and Information Technologies
Lansing Community College
Founded in 1957, Lansing Community College serves 40,000 students. A public community college governed by an elected board of ...
>> View full listing
Dean, Fine Arts and Humanities
St. Cloud State University
Date of appointment: July 1, 2009; negotiable (contingent on funding) Responsibilities: The Dean provides vision, leadership, ...
>> View full listing
President
Pittsburg State University
The Presidential Search Committee of Pittsburg State University and the Kansas Board of Regents seek nominations for and ...
>> View full listing
Visiting Assistant Professor of Art History
Oberlin College
The Department of Art at Oberlin College seeks a full-time, one-year faculty position in the College of Arts and Sciences.
>> View full listing
Assistant Professor, Psychiatry
Yale University
Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, is recruiting a Forensic Psychiatrist to serve as Deputy Training Director ...
>> View full listing
To change your subscription preferences, log in at http://insidehighered.com/settings
or send an email to newsroom@insidehighered.com
© Copyright 2008 Inside Higher Ed
Inside Higher Ed • 1320 18th Street NW, 5th Floor • Washington, DC 20036
December 29, 2008
Hello. Here's what's new on our site today:
Revising and Defending the Foreign Language Major
At MLA, professors describe how their departments are rethinking the curriculum and the tenure-track/adjunct divide. Beyond pedagogy, programs want to protect themselves.
>> View full article
The Teaching Paradox
Women who teach English and other languages are more satisfied with classroom work than other aspects of their jobs, but also report shame over pride in areas other than research, MLA survey finds.
>> View full article
The Admissions Gap for Big-Time Athletes
Investigative report by Atlanta newspaper finds incoming academic credentials of football and basketball players badly lag fellow students.
>> View full article
ADVERTISEMENT
Advance Your Future. Penn Graduate School
of Education offers a doctorate in higher education
management -- earned while keeping your current job.
Click here to learn more.
First ‘Minerva’ Grants Awarded
Pentagon program to support social science research is officially started; some scholars remain concerned about its impact.
>> View full article
Guidance on New GI Bill
U.S. proposes regulations to govern Post-9/11 GI Bill, including — of interest to private colleges — rules for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
>> View full article
Quick Takes: Harvard Prof and Alleged Anti-Aging Drug, Priorities at RPI, Nashville Presidents Oppose ‘English Only’ Measure, Savings on Textbooks, NYU Lost $24M to Madoff, TMI for Graduation Speech, Adjuncts Get to Pay for Layoff Notice, MLA Parody
>> View full article
VIEWS
The Committee Is Now in Session
Carolyn Foster Segal considers — with some fear — the number of meetings professors must attend.
>> View full article
ADVERTISEMENT
Saundra K. Schuster, Esq., has joined the National
Center for Higher Education Risk Management as
a partner. Saunie has over 20 years of experience
in student affairs, higher education law, and the
legal issues of community colleges. Visit NCHERM.
Inside Higher Ed's Home for Academic Blogging:
Intellectual Affairs - The Blog
Interview Hell Sunday December 28, 2008
Getting to Green
Thoughts on Boxing Day Saturday December 27, 2008
The Education of Oronte Churm
Godfrey Wishes You A Good Holiday Season Wednesday December 24, 2008
Confessions of a Community College Dean
Ask the Administrator: What Makes a Good Job Talk? Sunday December 21, 2008
Mama PhD
Math Geek Mom: Ready, Set, Interview! Thursday December 18, 2008
University Diaries
The Catharctic Half-Light -- Norman Maclean, Part Two Sunday November 16, 2008
Reality Check
Performing to Make MoneybMaking Money to Perform Sunday October 19, 2008
Looking for more information?
To make sure you get the next issue of our newsletter, please add newsroom@insidehighered.com to your address book.
Looking for a job?
Browse our job listings:
Faculty: 3,672
Executive: 184
Administrative: 1,599
Outside Higher Ed: 21
Click to search all jobs.
TODAY'S FEATURED JOBS
Vice President for Enrollment Management
Confidential
A small private college in the New York City area is seeking a Vice President for Enrollment Management. A member of the ...
>> View full listing
Student Affairs Director
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky is one great place to work. UK’s agenda—simple—to accelerate the movement toward academic ...
>> View full listing
Philosophy, Faculty Member Tenure-Track, Fall ‘09
Monroe Community College
MCC is located minutes south of Lake Ontario in Rochester NY. The College enrolls approximately 36,000 students each year. ...
>> View full listing
Faculty, Information Technology, Full-Time, Tenure-Track, Fall 2009
Salem State College, MA
Salem State College is an equal opportunity / affirmative action employer. Persons of color, women and persons with ...
>> View full listing
Assistant Professor, Oboe/Bassoon/Music Theory #056400
University of Montana
Discover your future at The University of Montana.
>> View full listing
Postdoctoral Research Associate
University of Denver
Job Summary: Post-doctoral study in fundamental thermal transport in quantum sensor structures and ...
>> View full listing
Dean, Technical Careers
Lansing Community College
Founded in 1957, Lansing Community College serves 40,000 students. A public community college governed by an elected board of ...
>> View full listing
Chairperson, Media, Arts and Information Technologies
Lansing Community College
Founded in 1957, Lansing Community College serves 40,000 students. A public community college governed by an elected board of ...
>> View full listing
Dean, Fine Arts and Humanities
St. Cloud State University
Date of appointment: July 1, 2009; negotiable (contingent on funding) Responsibilities: The Dean provides vision, leadership, ...
>> View full listing
President
Pittsburg State University
The Presidential Search Committee of Pittsburg State University and the Kansas Board of Regents seek nominations for and ...
>> View full listing
Visiting Assistant Professor of Art History
Oberlin College
The Department of Art at Oberlin College seeks a full-time, one-year faculty position in the College of Arts and Sciences.
>> View full listing
Assistant Professor, Psychiatry
Yale University
Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, is recruiting a Forensic Psychiatrist to serve as Deputy Training Director ...
>> View full listing
To change your subscription preferences, log in at http://insidehighered.com/settings
or send an email to newsroom@insidehighered.com
© Copyright 2008 Inside Higher Ed
Inside Higher Ed • 1320 18th Street NW, 5th Floor • Washington, DC 20036
Sunday, December 28, 2008
North Dakota Information Technology Council
Happy Holidays!:
ITCND’s board of directors and staff would like to wish everyone Happy Holidays!
Strategic plan and work plan approved:
The ITCND board of directors met Dec. 16 and approved ITCND’s 2009 strategic plan and work plan.
The 2009 work plan identifies three top priorities for ITCND:
1. Implement the 2009 Legislative Agenda
2. Develop and implement IT Career Awareness Program
3. Explore a membership networking initiative
These priorities were developed as a result of ITCND’s annual strategic planning session, which was held on Oct. 13.
If you have any questions or comments regarding the strategic plan or work plan, contact ITCND Executive Director Deana Wiese.
Be a voice for IT at the North Dakota Legislature:
North Dakota’s 61st Legislative Assembly convenes on Jan. 6. ITCND is active in the legislative process as an advocate and lobbyist for IT issues. As with any organization, ITCND looks to its members for support in encouraging the use, growth and development of IT through legislation. One way to help is by testifying about IT issues important to you. Legislators enjoy hearing from people working in and dependent upon different industry sectors; you provide the personal connection to the issues. Grassroots lobbying can be very effective, and ITCND would appreciate your voices of support.
ITCND will send out a legislative update every Friday during the session. In each update, a list of committee hearings will be posted. Stay informed and read up about the issues facing the IT industry in North Dakota. If you feel passionate about an issue, please contact ITCND and offer to testify at a hearing. Hearings before North Dakota legislative committees are generally informal, and the process is simple:
Before the Hearing You Should…
1. Find out when and where the bill will be heard, and be on time for the hearing. Usually, once a hearing is closed on a particular bill, no further testimony is heard.
2. Plan your testimony. ITCND can help you write and prepare your testimony. If ITCND knows of others testifying on the same bill, it will help you coordinate your testimony to avoid duplication.
At the Hearing You Should…
1. Be present at the start of the hearing. All persons present usually get a chance to speak; however, it is not always possible to give everyone a chance to speak. If you do not get the opportunity to testify, your presence may be acknowledged and you will be asked if you favor or oppose the bill. You can always submit written testimony.
2. Sign the witness sheet at the lectern. List the bill number, your position in favor or opposition of the bill, your name, lobbyist registration number (if applicable) and who you represent (if other than yourself).
3. Wait your turn. The chairman will announce the beginning of the hearing on a particular bill, and the clerk will read the bill. The first speaker is usually the bill’s sponsor. The chairman then asks for testimony, first from proponents and then opponents.
4. Begin your testimony by addressing the chairman and committee members, giving your name, address and why you are there. For example, “Mr. or Madam Chairman and members of the committee, my name is John Q. Public from Scranton. I’m in favor/oppose this bill because…”
5. Be brief and conversational. There is no need to be nervous or worried about doing something wrong. Legislators are your friends and neighbors who want to hear what you have to say.
6. Expect some questions and comments from committee members. If you do not know the answer to a question, offer to follow-up on the issue.
7. Respect other testimonials by avoiding clapping, cheering, booing or other demonstrations.
After the Hearing
1. Some committees vote right after a hearing, others wait until the end of the meeting and others postpone voting until another meeting.
2. All committee action is public, so you can stay and listen to the committee debate and vote if you wish.
3. One or two days later you can check with the committee clerk, your legislator, ITCND or the Legislative Information Kiosk to find out how the committee voted on the bill.
Your involvement in the legislative process is important to ITCND and to North Dakota legislators. Please inform ITCND by calling 701-355-4458 if you are interested in learning more about testifying on IT-related issues.
Legislative Hearing process provided by the North Dakota Legislature’s website.
Skills USA judges and sponsors needed:
North Dakota SkillsUSA will host its annual competition and conference April 5-7 at the North Dakota State College of Science (NDSCS) in Wahpeton. SkillsUSA is a national organization that serves trade, industrial, technical and health occupations students in high schools, career and technical centers and colleges. It is committed to preparing students for leadership in the workforce through occupational and leadership competition and training. Approximately 600 students and advisors are expected to attend the 2009 event.
There are three competitions relating to IT: internetworking, programming and computer maintenance. North Dakota SkillsUSA is looking for judges and sponsors for these competitions.
Judges
Two judges are needed for each of the three competitions. The time commitment would be Monday, April 6, from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The judges need to have certain skill sets for each competition. Internetworking: Knowledge of programming routers and switches as this competition involves designing and setting up networks. Programming: Knowledge of reading and understanding written code as this competition involves programming several projects using Visual Basic. Computer Maintenance: Knowledge of working with hardware components and installing operating systems as this competition involves building a computer from components.
Sponsorship levels
Any level of sponsorship would be greatly appreciated. Monetary sponsors, scholarship sponsors or prize sponsors are all welcomed. Awards will be presented to students the day following the competition, Tuesday, April 7, between 8 a.m. and noon. Sponsors have the opportunity to exhibit their business/organization, meet and visit with the winning students and present the awards they sponsored.
The deadline to sponsor is March 1 in order to be listed and acknowledged in the North Dakota SkillsUSA State Conference program.
Contact Ray Hintz, Supervisor of Information Technology at the ND Department of Career & Technical Education, at 701-328-1720 or visit the North Dakota SkillsUSA website for more information.
Laptops and projectors requested:
The 20th annual Marketplace of Entrepreneurs will be held in Bismarck Jan. 13-14 at the Civic Center. Projectors and laptops will be used during various classes that will be held during the event. Marketplace is in need of four laptops and 14 projectors from the evening of Jan. 12 until the end of day Jan. 14.
If you are willing to borrow a laptop or projector for use at the event, please contact Dirk Monson, Technology Director for Marketplace, at 701-214-5734 or Marilyn Kipp, Director of Marketplace, at 701-663-0150. Any contributions will be recognized in-kind at Marketplace for Entrepreneurs.
ITCND represented at career expo:
As part of its IT Career Awareness Program, ITCND had a booth at the Health, Tech and Trades Career Expo in Fargo on Dec. 11. More than 2,000 freshman students and their teachers were in attendance. Many took advantage of the opportunity to chat live via web cam with North Dakota IT employees about job opportunities, skills required and classes needed to pursue IT careers. This was through coordination with the North Dakota Department of Commerce Career Conversations program. Also featured at the booth was information on occupations and postsecondary IT education options at North Dakota two- and four-year institutions.
Unsubscribe
ITCND’s board of directors and staff would like to wish everyone Happy Holidays!
Strategic plan and work plan approved:
The ITCND board of directors met Dec. 16 and approved ITCND’s 2009 strategic plan and work plan.
The 2009 work plan identifies three top priorities for ITCND:
1. Implement the 2009 Legislative Agenda
2. Develop and implement IT Career Awareness Program
3. Explore a membership networking initiative
These priorities were developed as a result of ITCND’s annual strategic planning session, which was held on Oct. 13.
If you have any questions or comments regarding the strategic plan or work plan, contact ITCND Executive Director Deana Wiese.
Be a voice for IT at the North Dakota Legislature:
North Dakota’s 61st Legislative Assembly convenes on Jan. 6. ITCND is active in the legislative process as an advocate and lobbyist for IT issues. As with any organization, ITCND looks to its members for support in encouraging the use, growth and development of IT through legislation. One way to help is by testifying about IT issues important to you. Legislators enjoy hearing from people working in and dependent upon different industry sectors; you provide the personal connection to the issues. Grassroots lobbying can be very effective, and ITCND would appreciate your voices of support.
ITCND will send out a legislative update every Friday during the session. In each update, a list of committee hearings will be posted. Stay informed and read up about the issues facing the IT industry in North Dakota. If you feel passionate about an issue, please contact ITCND and offer to testify at a hearing. Hearings before North Dakota legislative committees are generally informal, and the process is simple:
Before the Hearing You Should…
1. Find out when and where the bill will be heard, and be on time for the hearing. Usually, once a hearing is closed on a particular bill, no further testimony is heard.
2. Plan your testimony. ITCND can help you write and prepare your testimony. If ITCND knows of others testifying on the same bill, it will help you coordinate your testimony to avoid duplication.
At the Hearing You Should…
1. Be present at the start of the hearing. All persons present usually get a chance to speak; however, it is not always possible to give everyone a chance to speak. If you do not get the opportunity to testify, your presence may be acknowledged and you will be asked if you favor or oppose the bill. You can always submit written testimony.
2. Sign the witness sheet at the lectern. List the bill number, your position in favor or opposition of the bill, your name, lobbyist registration number (if applicable) and who you represent (if other than yourself).
3. Wait your turn. The chairman will announce the beginning of the hearing on a particular bill, and the clerk will read the bill. The first speaker is usually the bill’s sponsor. The chairman then asks for testimony, first from proponents and then opponents.
4. Begin your testimony by addressing the chairman and committee members, giving your name, address and why you are there. For example, “Mr. or Madam Chairman and members of the committee, my name is John Q. Public from Scranton. I’m in favor/oppose this bill because…”
5. Be brief and conversational. There is no need to be nervous or worried about doing something wrong. Legislators are your friends and neighbors who want to hear what you have to say.
6. Expect some questions and comments from committee members. If you do not know the answer to a question, offer to follow-up on the issue.
7. Respect other testimonials by avoiding clapping, cheering, booing or other demonstrations.
After the Hearing
1. Some committees vote right after a hearing, others wait until the end of the meeting and others postpone voting until another meeting.
2. All committee action is public, so you can stay and listen to the committee debate and vote if you wish.
3. One or two days later you can check with the committee clerk, your legislator, ITCND or the Legislative Information Kiosk to find out how the committee voted on the bill.
Your involvement in the legislative process is important to ITCND and to North Dakota legislators. Please inform ITCND by calling 701-355-4458 if you are interested in learning more about testifying on IT-related issues.
Legislative Hearing process provided by the North Dakota Legislature’s website.
Skills USA judges and sponsors needed:
North Dakota SkillsUSA will host its annual competition and conference April 5-7 at the North Dakota State College of Science (NDSCS) in Wahpeton. SkillsUSA is a national organization that serves trade, industrial, technical and health occupations students in high schools, career and technical centers and colleges. It is committed to preparing students for leadership in the workforce through occupational and leadership competition and training. Approximately 600 students and advisors are expected to attend the 2009 event.
There are three competitions relating to IT: internetworking, programming and computer maintenance. North Dakota SkillsUSA is looking for judges and sponsors for these competitions.
Judges
Two judges are needed for each of the three competitions. The time commitment would be Monday, April 6, from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The judges need to have certain skill sets for each competition. Internetworking: Knowledge of programming routers and switches as this competition involves designing and setting up networks. Programming: Knowledge of reading and understanding written code as this competition involves programming several projects using Visual Basic. Computer Maintenance: Knowledge of working with hardware components and installing operating systems as this competition involves building a computer from components.
Sponsorship levels
Any level of sponsorship would be greatly appreciated. Monetary sponsors, scholarship sponsors or prize sponsors are all welcomed. Awards will be presented to students the day following the competition, Tuesday, April 7, between 8 a.m. and noon. Sponsors have the opportunity to exhibit their business/organization, meet and visit with the winning students and present the awards they sponsored.
The deadline to sponsor is March 1 in order to be listed and acknowledged in the North Dakota SkillsUSA State Conference program.
Contact Ray Hintz, Supervisor of Information Technology at the ND Department of Career & Technical Education, at 701-328-1720 or visit the North Dakota SkillsUSA website for more information.
Laptops and projectors requested:
The 20th annual Marketplace of Entrepreneurs will be held in Bismarck Jan. 13-14 at the Civic Center. Projectors and laptops will be used during various classes that will be held during the event. Marketplace is in need of four laptops and 14 projectors from the evening of Jan. 12 until the end of day Jan. 14.
If you are willing to borrow a laptop or projector for use at the event, please contact Dirk Monson, Technology Director for Marketplace, at 701-214-5734 or Marilyn Kipp, Director of Marketplace, at 701-663-0150. Any contributions will be recognized in-kind at Marketplace for Entrepreneurs.
ITCND represented at career expo:
As part of its IT Career Awareness Program, ITCND had a booth at the Health, Tech and Trades Career Expo in Fargo on Dec. 11. More than 2,000 freshman students and their teachers were in attendance. Many took advantage of the opportunity to chat live via web cam with North Dakota IT employees about job opportunities, skills required and classes needed to pursue IT careers. This was through coordination with the North Dakota Department of Commerce Career Conversations program. Also featured at the booth was information on occupations and postsecondary IT education options at North Dakota two- and four-year institutions.
Unsubscribe
Saturday, December 27, 2008
North Dakota State Senator John Warner Announces Senate Democrat's Staff for 2009 Legislative Session
Best wishes for the holidays!
Your committee on employment for the Senate Democrat-NPL caucus has completed its work and is happy to announce a great set of employees.
Joining us as again as administrative assistant is Kathy Wachter, (let’s hear a big cheer). She brings her wealth of experience at both the state and national levels and promises to keep us all in line although that won’t be nearly as much work now that Joel is gone.
Matt Perry is coming back to us after a stint in Congressman Pomeroy’s office to be the staff researcher, the job filled last session by Kyle Martin. Matt’s even disposition and good humor will bring a welcome note to this busy office.
The House and Senate caucuses together have offered the position of Communications and Press relations to Jonathan Rivoli, formerly of the Bismarck Tribune and more recently communications director of the Kennedy Center. Jon worked extensively with Senator Mathern’s recent gubernatorial campaign and is nationally known for his reporting, receiving recognition for his writing for papers in cities under 75,000.
Our page for the coming session is Wanda Barr-Hoechst. Wanda was a lobbyist for the Railroad Clerks Union in the 1980s and brings a lifelong interest in the political process. She’ll make a great addition to our caucus.
Stay safe and warm now over the New Year’s holiday and lets hit the ground running in the new session.
John
Your committee on employment for the Senate Democrat-NPL caucus has completed its work and is happy to announce a great set of employees.
Joining us as again as administrative assistant is Kathy Wachter, (let’s hear a big cheer). She brings her wealth of experience at both the state and national levels and promises to keep us all in line although that won’t be nearly as much work now that Joel is gone.
Matt Perry is coming back to us after a stint in Congressman Pomeroy’s office to be the staff researcher, the job filled last session by Kyle Martin. Matt’s even disposition and good humor will bring a welcome note to this busy office.
The House and Senate caucuses together have offered the position of Communications and Press relations to Jonathan Rivoli, formerly of the Bismarck Tribune and more recently communications director of the Kennedy Center. Jon worked extensively with Senator Mathern’s recent gubernatorial campaign and is nationally known for his reporting, receiving recognition for his writing for papers in cities under 75,000.
Our page for the coming session is Wanda Barr-Hoechst. Wanda was a lobbyist for the Railroad Clerks Union in the 1980s and brings a lifelong interest in the political process. She’ll make a great addition to our caucus.
Stay safe and warm now over the New Year’s holiday and lets hit the ground running in the new session.
John
North Dakota Developmental Grants
NEWS from the North Dakota Department of Human Services
600 E Boulevard Ave, Bismarck ND 58505-0250
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 23, 2008
Contacts: Andrea Peña, Executive Director of the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, 701-328-4847, or Heather Steffl, Public Information Officer, N.D. Dept. of Human Services, 701-328-4933
State Council on Developmental Disabilities awards grants to local organizations
BISMARCK, N.D. - The North Dakota State Council on Developmental Disabilities has awarded 11 grants totaling over $363,000 to organizations throughout the state who serve individuals with developmental disabilities. Grant funds are intended to support employment, education, early intervention, and community supports for persons with developmental disabilities, as well as quality assurance efforts.
“Council grants benefit consumers of services, their families, and providers throughout the state, and also financially assist nonprofit advocacy organizations who help meet the needs of people with developmental disabilities,” said Andrea Peña, the Council’s Executive Director.
Organizations receiving funding for the 2009-2010 project period include: Family Voices of ND, an information and advocacy organization based in Edgeley, N.D.; Open Door Center, Valley City, N.D.; Missouri Valley Family YMCA, Bismarck, N.D.; Pride, Inc., Bismarck, N.D.; North Dakota Centers for Persons with Disabilities, Minot, N.D.; North Dakota Protection and Advocacy Project, Bismarck, N.D.; Arc of Bismarck, N.D.; ND Disabilities Advocacy Consortium, Bismarck, N.D.; and L.I.S.T.E.N. Inc., of Grand Forks, N.D.
Council Chairperson Mary Simonson said the grants provide important resources to operate programs that otherwise may not exist such as after-school programming for adolescents with developmental disabilities, advocacy training for individuals with disabilities and their family members, transitional employment programs, disaster preparedness planning, and more.
The Council advocates for policy changes that promote choice, independence, productivity and inclusion for North Dakotans with developmental disabilities, and supports projects and activities that maximize opportunities in these areas for consumers and families. For information about the council, visit the Governor’s Web site at http://governor.nd.gov/boards/ or contact Andrea Peña at 701-328-4847 or apena@nd.gov.
# # #
600 E Boulevard Ave, Bismarck ND 58505-0250
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 23, 2008
Contacts: Andrea Peña, Executive Director of the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, 701-328-4847, or Heather Steffl, Public Information Officer, N.D. Dept. of Human Services, 701-328-4933
State Council on Developmental Disabilities awards grants to local organizations
BISMARCK, N.D. - The North Dakota State Council on Developmental Disabilities has awarded 11 grants totaling over $363,000 to organizations throughout the state who serve individuals with developmental disabilities. Grant funds are intended to support employment, education, early intervention, and community supports for persons with developmental disabilities, as well as quality assurance efforts.
“Council grants benefit consumers of services, their families, and providers throughout the state, and also financially assist nonprofit advocacy organizations who help meet the needs of people with developmental disabilities,” said Andrea Peña, the Council’s Executive Director.
Organizations receiving funding for the 2009-2010 project period include: Family Voices of ND, an information and advocacy organization based in Edgeley, N.D.; Open Door Center, Valley City, N.D.; Missouri Valley Family YMCA, Bismarck, N.D.; Pride, Inc., Bismarck, N.D.; North Dakota Centers for Persons with Disabilities, Minot, N.D.; North Dakota Protection and Advocacy Project, Bismarck, N.D.; Arc of Bismarck, N.D.; ND Disabilities Advocacy Consortium, Bismarck, N.D.; and L.I.S.T.E.N. Inc., of Grand Forks, N.D.
Council Chairperson Mary Simonson said the grants provide important resources to operate programs that otherwise may not exist such as after-school programming for adolescents with developmental disabilities, advocacy training for individuals with disabilities and their family members, transitional employment programs, disaster preparedness planning, and more.
The Council advocates for policy changes that promote choice, independence, productivity and inclusion for North Dakotans with developmental disabilities, and supports projects and activities that maximize opportunities in these areas for consumers and families. For information about the council, visit the Governor’s Web site at http://governor.nd.gov/boards/ or contact Andrea Peña at 701-328-4847 or apena@nd.gov.
# # #
Friday, December 26, 2008
ComputerWorld Resources
Computerworld and IDG invite you to learn more about Business Management and what you might not know in these resources.
Major Independent Analyst Firm ~ ASGs BSM Story
In their April 2008 SWOT Analysis titled The BSM Success Of ASG, Forrester reveals why ASG has been successful with their pragmatic Business Service Management (BSM) approach.
Find out all the details here!
http://www.accelacomm.com/jlp/CTW-cobr122608/11/50204418/
Smart Considerations for Strategic Decision Makers
Drawing on industry-leading research, this white paper discusses:
-The strengths and limitations of CMDBs based on relational and object-oriented data models
-How federation can enhance CMDB functionality
-The metadata advantage in a CMDB data store
The key to choosing the right CMDB lies in knowing how it manages data. If you know this, youll know what it can (and cannot) deliver for you and your business. Act now to get the objective information you need to make a wise choice.
Get this resource here!
http://www.accelacomm.com/jlp/CTW-cobr122608/11/50204873/
Thank You,
Computerworld
CONTACTS/SUBSCRIPTIONS
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and...
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If the above URL is not enabled as a link, please copy it in to yourbrowser window to access our Subscription Page.
Copyright 2008 | Computerworld Inc. | 1 Speen Street | Framingham MA 01701
Major Independent Analyst Firm ~ ASGs BSM Story
In their April 2008 SWOT Analysis titled The BSM Success Of ASG, Forrester reveals why ASG has been successful with their pragmatic Business Service Management (BSM) approach.
Find out all the details here!
http://www.accelacomm.com/jlp/CTW-cobr122608/11/50204418/
Smart Considerations for Strategic Decision Makers
Drawing on industry-leading research, this white paper discusses:
-The strengths and limitations of CMDBs based on relational and object-oriented data models
-How federation can enhance CMDB functionality
-The metadata advantage in a CMDB data store
The key to choosing the right CMDB lies in knowing how it manages data. If you know this, youll know what it can (and cannot) deliver for you and your business. Act now to get the objective information you need to make a wise choice.
Get this resource here!
http://www.accelacomm.com/jlp/CTW-cobr122608/11/50204873/
Thank You,
Computerworld
CONTACTS/SUBSCRIPTIONS
Hey.....
Want to stay on top of the latest business and technology trends? Computerworld offers a variety of alerts that are designed to keep you in the know. Click here to sign up today.
and...
Computerworld has 46 other e-mail newsletters that may be of use to you? Click here to find out more.
FEEDBACK
To submit feedback about Computerworld's e-mails, contact our online customer service group at online@computerworld.com. Please include your subscriber e-mail address in all correspondence.
PRIVACY POLICY
Computerworld's online privacy policy is at: http://www.computerworld.com/action/pages.do?command=viewPage&pagePath=/about_policies
SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES
To unsubscribe, change your preferences, or change your e-mail address, go to the following URL:
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If the above URL is not enabled as a link, please copy it in to yourbrowser window to access our Subscription Page.
Copyright 2008 | Computerworld Inc. | 1 Speen Street | Framingham MA 01701
ComputerWorld Resources
Computerworld and IDG invite you to learn more about Business Management and what you might not know in these resources.
Major Independent Analyst Firm ~ ASGs BSM Story
In their April 2008 SWOT Analysis titled The BSM Success Of ASG, Forrester reveals why ASG has been successful with their pragmatic Business Service Management (BSM) approach.
Find out all the details here!
http://www.accelacomm.com/jlp/CTW-cobr122608/11/50204418/
Smart Considerations for Strategic Decision Makers
Drawing on industry-leading research, this white paper discusses:
-The strengths and limitations of CMDBs based on relational and object-oriented data models
-How federation can enhance CMDB functionality
-The metadata advantage in a CMDB data store
The key to choosing the right CMDB lies in knowing how it manages data. If you know this, youll know what it can (and cannot) deliver for you and your business. Act now to get the objective information you need to make a wise choice.
Get this resource here!
http://www.accelacomm.com/jlp/CTW-cobr122608/11/50204873/
Thank You,
Computerworld
CONTACTS/SUBSCRIPTIONS
Hey.....
Want to stay on top of the latest business and technology trends? Computerworld offers a variety of alerts that are designed to keep you in the know. Click here to sign up today.
and...
Computerworld has 46 other e-mail newsletters that may be of use to you? Click here to find out more.
FEEDBACK
To submit feedback about Computerworld's e-mails, contact our online customer service group at online@computerworld.com. Please include your subscriber e-mail address in all correspondence.
PRIVACY POLICY
Computerworld's online privacy policy is at: http://www.computerworld.com/action/pages.do?command=viewPage&pagePath=/about_policies
SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES
To unsubscribe, change your preferences, or change your e-mail address, go to the following URL:
http://optout.computerworld.com/online.aspx?emid=lQvyILkeVnQ2dqSu7S8qamdbn0pqwcnLhdEW%2bgtenC4%3d
If the above URL is not enabled as a link, please copy it in to yourbrowser window to access our Subscription Page.
Copyright 2008 | Computerworld Inc. | 1 Speen Street | Framingham MA 01701
Major Independent Analyst Firm ~ ASGs BSM Story
In their April 2008 SWOT Analysis titled The BSM Success Of ASG, Forrester reveals why ASG has been successful with their pragmatic Business Service Management (BSM) approach.
Find out all the details here!
http://www.accelacomm.com/jlp/CTW-cobr122608/11/50204418/
Smart Considerations for Strategic Decision Makers
Drawing on industry-leading research, this white paper discusses:
-The strengths and limitations of CMDBs based on relational and object-oriented data models
-How federation can enhance CMDB functionality
-The metadata advantage in a CMDB data store
The key to choosing the right CMDB lies in knowing how it manages data. If you know this, youll know what it can (and cannot) deliver for you and your business. Act now to get the objective information you need to make a wise choice.
Get this resource here!
http://www.accelacomm.com/jlp/CTW-cobr122608/11/50204873/
Thank You,
Computerworld
CONTACTS/SUBSCRIPTIONS
Hey.....
Want to stay on top of the latest business and technology trends? Computerworld offers a variety of alerts that are designed to keep you in the know. Click here to sign up today.
and...
Computerworld has 46 other e-mail newsletters that may be of use to you? Click here to find out more.
FEEDBACK
To submit feedback about Computerworld's e-mails, contact our online customer service group at online@computerworld.com. Please include your subscriber e-mail address in all correspondence.
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Copyright 2008 | Computerworld Inc. | 1 Speen Street | Framingham MA 01701
Thursday, December 25, 2008
2009 Legislative Forums in Minot North Dakota by the Minot Area Chamber of Commerce
Please excuse our error; there will NOT be forums on February 21 & 28 due to crossover and a short week. Thanks to Senator Krebsbach for bringing this to our attention.
Listed below is the current schedule. All forums are at the City Auditorium and begin at 9 a.m.
January 17, room 201
January 24, room 301
January 31, room 301
February 7, room 201
February 14, room 201
March 7, room 201
March 21, room 201
April 4, room 201
This email was sent on behalf of Minot Area Chamber of Commerce by ChamberMaster, 14391 Edgewood Drive, Baxter, MN 56425. Report suspected email abuse by clicking here. If you have questions or comments concerning this email or ChamberMaster services in general, please contact us by email at support@chambermaster.com.
ChamberMaster is a registered trademark of MicroNet Incorporated.
Listed below is the current schedule. All forums are at the City Auditorium and begin at 9 a.m.
January 17, room 201
January 24, room 301
January 31, room 301
February 7, room 201
February 14, room 201
March 7, room 201
March 21, room 201
April 4, room 201
This email was sent on behalf of Minot Area Chamber of Commerce by ChamberMaster, 14391 Edgewood Drive, Baxter, MN 56425. Report suspected email abuse by clicking here. If you have questions or comments concerning this email or ChamberMaster services in general, please contact us by email at support@chambermaster.com.
ChamberMaster is a registered trademark of MicroNet Incorporated.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Higher Education News Brief
AACTE Weekly News Briefs | December 23, 2008___________
. . . delivered to your inbox so you can enjoy up-to-date news on Colleges of Education, Teaching and the Classroom, Campaigns, Legislation, STEM Teacher Issues, International Teacher Issues, Grants, and Upcoming Events. Please click on linked headlines for full story.
AACTE ANNOUNCEMENTS
The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
AACTE Weekly News Briefs will be taking a holiday vacation. Please stay tuned for AACTE’s next issue to return in early January 2009.
AACTE 61st ANNUAL MEETING & EXHIBITS
February 6 - 9, 2009
Hyatt Regency Chicago - Virtual Tour
Chicago, IL
REGISTER NOW!
Click here for more information on the 61st Annual Meeting & Exhibits as well as direct links for registration, hotel reservations, and answers to frequently asked questions.
AACTE Announces 2009 Annual Meeting Planner
Did you know that you can search an online database for ALL confirmed sessions as well as create your own customized itinerary for AACTE’s 61st Annual Meeting & Exhibits? You can do all that and more by using AACTE's exclusive Online Itinerary Planner!
NATIONAL NEWS
Secretary Spellings Applauds Nomination of Arne Duncan, Underscores Credibility and Expertise as Integral to Education Success
From The U.S. Department of Education
Read U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spelling’s statement regarding the nomination of Arne Duncan as U.S. Secretary of Education.
More Schools Facing Sanctions Under NCLB
From Education Week
Almost 30,000 schools in the United States failed to make adequate yearly progress under the No Child Left Behind Act in the 2007-08 school year. For states with comparable data for the 2006-07 school year, the number of such schools increased by 28 percent.
Common Academic Standards Get Influential Push
From Education Week
The push for common state standards in reading and math got a high-profile boost today as organizations representing governors and state education chiefs formally put their weight behind the goal of aligning academic expectations in those subjects across states and benchmarking the standards against those of other countries.
A ‘Third Way’ for Arne Duncan?
From National Review Online
Last Tuesday, President-Elect Barack Obama ended weeks of speculation by selecting Chicago schools CEO Arne Duncan to be his secretary of education. The conventional wisdom is that Duncan is a “consensus” pick, bridging the Democratic Party’s major divide on education.
NEWS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY
New IU School of Education program addresses need for test experts
From Indiana University
The Indiana University School of Education is now offering a new doctoral program in Inquiry Methodology, a program just approved by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education. The Inquiry Methodology Ph.D. focuses on the study of research strategies used with both quantitative and qualitative data, allowing students to pursue a wide range of interests and contribute to better informing public debate on education and educational policy.
Austin teachers getting nearly $1M in bonuses
From Stateman.com
State reading and math test scores at Lanier High School have improved significantly each of the past four years. But this year, unlike in the other years, teachers there will get an extra $4,000 in their paychecks for the improvements.
Other Announcements
ACE, VA to Convene Regional Meetings on New GI Bill Implementation
The American Council on Education, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, will host three regional meetings to educate campus leaders about provisions of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 and solicit input on the implementation of payment systems.
These meetings are open to representatives of the higher education community on a first-come, first-served basis at the following locations:
January 6, 2009: Los Angeles, California
January 9, 2009: Washington, D.C.
January 14, 2009: Chicago, Illinois
· Further information and online registration is available.
Alyssa J. Mangino
Communications Manager
AACTE
1307 New York Ave., NW Suite 300
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 478-4596 -Direct
(202) 457-8095 -Fax
amangino@aacte.org
. . . delivered to your inbox so you can enjoy up-to-date news on Colleges of Education, Teaching and the Classroom, Campaigns, Legislation, STEM Teacher Issues, International Teacher Issues, Grants, and Upcoming Events. Please click on linked headlines for full story.
AACTE ANNOUNCEMENTS
The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
AACTE Weekly News Briefs will be taking a holiday vacation. Please stay tuned for AACTE’s next issue to return in early January 2009.
AACTE 61st ANNUAL MEETING & EXHIBITS
February 6 - 9, 2009
Hyatt Regency Chicago - Virtual Tour
Chicago, IL
REGISTER NOW!
Click here for more information on the 61st Annual Meeting & Exhibits as well as direct links for registration, hotel reservations, and answers to frequently asked questions.
AACTE Announces 2009 Annual Meeting Planner
Did you know that you can search an online database for ALL confirmed sessions as well as create your own customized itinerary for AACTE’s 61st Annual Meeting & Exhibits? You can do all that and more by using AACTE's exclusive Online Itinerary Planner!
NATIONAL NEWS
Secretary Spellings Applauds Nomination of Arne Duncan, Underscores Credibility and Expertise as Integral to Education Success
From The U.S. Department of Education
Read U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spelling’s statement regarding the nomination of Arne Duncan as U.S. Secretary of Education.
More Schools Facing Sanctions Under NCLB
From Education Week
Almost 30,000 schools in the United States failed to make adequate yearly progress under the No Child Left Behind Act in the 2007-08 school year. For states with comparable data for the 2006-07 school year, the number of such schools increased by 28 percent.
Common Academic Standards Get Influential Push
From Education Week
The push for common state standards in reading and math got a high-profile boost today as organizations representing governors and state education chiefs formally put their weight behind the goal of aligning academic expectations in those subjects across states and benchmarking the standards against those of other countries.
A ‘Third Way’ for Arne Duncan?
From National Review Online
Last Tuesday, President-Elect Barack Obama ended weeks of speculation by selecting Chicago schools CEO Arne Duncan to be his secretary of education. The conventional wisdom is that Duncan is a “consensus” pick, bridging the Democratic Party’s major divide on education.
NEWS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY
New IU School of Education program addresses need for test experts
From Indiana University
The Indiana University School of Education is now offering a new doctoral program in Inquiry Methodology, a program just approved by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education. The Inquiry Methodology Ph.D. focuses on the study of research strategies used with both quantitative and qualitative data, allowing students to pursue a wide range of interests and contribute to better informing public debate on education and educational policy.
Austin teachers getting nearly $1M in bonuses
From Stateman.com
State reading and math test scores at Lanier High School have improved significantly each of the past four years. But this year, unlike in the other years, teachers there will get an extra $4,000 in their paychecks for the improvements.
Other Announcements
ACE, VA to Convene Regional Meetings on New GI Bill Implementation
The American Council on Education, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, will host three regional meetings to educate campus leaders about provisions of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 and solicit input on the implementation of payment systems.
These meetings are open to representatives of the higher education community on a first-come, first-served basis at the following locations:
January 6, 2009: Los Angeles, California
January 9, 2009: Washington, D.C.
January 14, 2009: Chicago, Illinois
· Further information and online registration is available.
Alyssa J. Mangino
Communications Manager
AACTE
1307 New York Ave., NW Suite 300
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 478-4596 -Direct
(202) 457-8095 -Fax
amangino@aacte.org
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
WEB 2.0 Tools for Communication - Webinar
Dear Tom Seymour,
For those concerned with improving your government communications through
digital technologies, join us for our leading 60-minute webinar:
"Facebook, YouTube & Online Communities: Connecting with Your Citizens"
Tuesday, January 13, 2009, 1:00 PM ET
http://www.governmenteducator.com/6X/0/2/p25254c/p1JJMANGi/p0e
Government agencies are increasingly turning to new medias to connect with
their communities. What are the appropriate social media & eGovernment
technologies to introduce to your organization, & how can they improve your
current communication efforts? Join us for a 60-minute webinar where you will
discover:
** Strategies to Maximize Your Communication Efforts through Social Medias
** Keys to Meeting Citizen?s Expectations with Digital Technologies
** Best Practices for Sharing Information Internally & Externally
** What eGovernment Technologies Work Best for Your Organization?
SPEAKER
Joseph Clark is an instructional project manager and faculty member at Florida
State University, where he provides internal consulting and workshops on
instructional technology and online learning as well as other pedagogical
strategies.
** He holds a Master's in Communication and has previously worked as a web
designer, including the pioneering of an award-winning website in the early
days of the web at one of Florida's largest state agencies, with additional
experience in assessment and technical writing. Mr. Clark has been
investigating, promoting, and applying "Web 2.0" applications in higher
education for several years.
** He currently teaches "New Communications Technology and Contemporary
Society" online and is pursuing a Ph.D. in Communication, with research
interests in emerging Multi-User Virtual Environments and their role in
communication and education.
Hosted by Progressive Business Publications, the leader in fast-read
actionable advice on workplace issues, the webinar gives you
the opportunity to add immediate, impact to your marketing efforts in a
manner that is:
FAST - No wasted time here. Get right to the heart of the matter in a
1-hour block designed to easily fit into your busy schedule.
CONVENIENT - No airlines. No travel. No time out of the office.
Listen from the comfort and convenience of your desk.
EASY - A telephone is all the equipment you need. Just dial in, punch
in your access code, and you're in. That's it. Follow along with the
webinar handouts provided in advance.
ACTIONABLE - Our webinar provide money-saving tactics you can
start using right when you hang up the phone.
IDEAL FOR MULTIPLE LISTENERS - Use a speakerphone and as many people as
you want can listen in - at no extra cost to you. Many professionals
use these sessions as a cost-efficient, time-efficient means of
training supervisors, managers, and staff and reinforcing key
issues in a fresh new manner that they will remember and act on.
AFFORDABLE - Priced at $199, it is a fraction of the cost of travel and
attendance fees for other high-priced conferences or seminars.
** Facebook, YouTube & Online Communities: Connecting with Your Citizens**
** Live, 60-Minute Webinar **
** Tuesday, January 13, 2009, 1:00 PM ET **
Register now for this exciting event by clicking the following link or
calling 800-964-6033.
http://www.governmenteducator.com/6X/0/2/p25254c/p1JJMANGi/p0e
We hope you'll join us.
Sincerely,
Government Educator
384 Technology Drive
Malvern, PA 19355
P.S. As usual we offer a full refund if not satisfied from now until
7 days after the event.
If you do not wish to receive further notices about this conference, or
future conferences, please click here:
http://www.governmenteducator.com/6X/9K/2/p25254c/p1JJMANGi/p0e
Please do not reply directly to this e-mail, as we are unable to
process it. We sent this using a "send only" address.
If registering by phone, please refer to your priority
code: 75213
ContactID#: -1689200476
For those concerned with improving your government communications through
digital technologies, join us for our leading 60-minute webinar:
"Facebook, YouTube & Online Communities: Connecting with Your Citizens"
Tuesday, January 13, 2009, 1:00 PM ET
http://www.governmenteducator.com/6X/0/2/p25254c/p1JJMANGi/p0e
Government agencies are increasingly turning to new medias to connect with
their communities. What are the appropriate social media & eGovernment
technologies to introduce to your organization, & how can they improve your
current communication efforts? Join us for a 60-minute webinar where you will
discover:
** Strategies to Maximize Your Communication Efforts through Social Medias
** Keys to Meeting Citizen?s Expectations with Digital Technologies
** Best Practices for Sharing Information Internally & Externally
** What eGovernment Technologies Work Best for Your Organization?
SPEAKER
Joseph Clark is an instructional project manager and faculty member at Florida
State University, where he provides internal consulting and workshops on
instructional technology and online learning as well as other pedagogical
strategies.
** He holds a Master's in Communication and has previously worked as a web
designer, including the pioneering of an award-winning website in the early
days of the web at one of Florida's largest state agencies, with additional
experience in assessment and technical writing. Mr. Clark has been
investigating, promoting, and applying "Web 2.0" applications in higher
education for several years.
** He currently teaches "New Communications Technology and Contemporary
Society" online and is pursuing a Ph.D. in Communication, with research
interests in emerging Multi-User Virtual Environments and their role in
communication and education.
Hosted by Progressive Business Publications, the leader in fast-read
actionable advice on workplace issues, the webinar gives you
the opportunity to add immediate, impact to your marketing efforts in a
manner that is:
FAST - No wasted time here. Get right to the heart of the matter in a
1-hour block designed to easily fit into your busy schedule.
CONVENIENT - No airlines. No travel. No time out of the office.
Listen from the comfort and convenience of your desk.
EASY - A telephone is all the equipment you need. Just dial in, punch
in your access code, and you're in. That's it. Follow along with the
webinar handouts provided in advance.
ACTIONABLE - Our webinar provide money-saving tactics you can
start using right when you hang up the phone.
IDEAL FOR MULTIPLE LISTENERS - Use a speakerphone and as many people as
you want can listen in - at no extra cost to you. Many professionals
use these sessions as a cost-efficient, time-efficient means of
training supervisors, managers, and staff and reinforcing key
issues in a fresh new manner that they will remember and act on.
AFFORDABLE - Priced at $199, it is a fraction of the cost of travel and
attendance fees for other high-priced conferences or seminars.
** Facebook, YouTube & Online Communities: Connecting with Your Citizens**
** Live, 60-Minute Webinar **
** Tuesday, January 13, 2009, 1:00 PM ET **
Register now for this exciting event by clicking the following link or
calling 800-964-6033.
http://www.governmenteducator.com/6X/0/2/p25254c/p1JJMANGi/p0e
We hope you'll join us.
Sincerely,
Government Educator
384 Technology Drive
Malvern, PA 19355
P.S. As usual we offer a full refund if not satisfied from now until
7 days after the event.
If you do not wish to receive further notices about this conference, or
future conferences, please click here:
http://www.governmenteducator.com/6X/9K/2/p25254c/p1JJMANGi/p0e
Please do not reply directly to this e-mail, as we are unable to
process it. We sent this using a "send only" address.
If registering by phone, please refer to your priority
code: 75213
ContactID#: -1689200476
Monday, December 22, 2008
North Dakota Technology Advisory Committee Meeting
MEETING MINUTES
State Information Technology Advisory Committee
Monday, December 15, 2008
1:00 – 4:30 PM
Bank of North Dakota, 1200 Memorial Highway, 2nd Floor Training Room (Room 201)
1:30 pm – 1:40 pm Welcome Lisa Feldner
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by Lisa Feldner.
Members present:
Lisa Feldner - Information Technology Dept.
Eric Hardmeyer – Bank of North Dakota
Carol Olson – Dept. of Human Services
Maren Daley – Job Service
Arvy Smith – Dept. of Health
Sparb Collins – Public Employees Retirement
Tom Trenbeath – Office of Attorney General
Cory Fong – Tax Dept.
Sally Holewa – Supreme Court
Senator Rich Wardner – Legislative Assembly
Kurt Link – MDU Resources Group
Tim Horner representing -- Dept. of Transportation
Jim Silrum representing – Secretary of State
Members Absent:
Francis Ziegler – Dept. of Transportation
Alvin Jaeger – Secretary of State
Laura Glatt – University Systems
Pam Sharp – Office of Management and Budget
Bruce Furness – Workforce Safety & Insurance
Representative Bob Skarphol – Legislative Assembly
Craig Hewitt, MeritCare Health System
Guests Attending / Presenting:
Representative David Monson -- Legislative Assembly
Linda Belisle – ND Central Services Division
Joe Herslip – Bank of North Dakota
James Barnhardt – Bank of North Dakota
Rob Forward -- Workforce Safety & Insurance
Cher Thomas – Attorney General’s Office
Russ Buchholz -- Dept. of Transportation
Mike Ressler – Information Technology Dept.
Dan Sipes – Information Technology Dept.
Nancy Walz – Information Technology Dept.
Gary Vetter – Information Technology Dept.
Pat Forster – Information Technology Dept.
Jeff Quast – Information Technology Dept.
Jeff Swank – Information Technology Dept.
Mark Molesworth – Information Technology Dept.
Brandi Fagerland – Information Technology Dept.
Kevin Nosbusch – Information Technology Dept.
Eli Cornell – Information Technology Dept.
Art Bakke – Information Technology Dept.
1:40 pm – 1:55 pm IT Standards, Enterprise Architecture Study Updates & EPMO Standards
Cher Thomas
Mark Molesworth
Cher Thomas (Architecture Review Board Chair) provided an update on EA activity:
The future state of the Desktop Domain Team was modified slightly with housekeeping items. Lisa Feldner accepted a motion from Eric Hardmeyer, a second from Carol Olson, and a unanimous vote for approval.
EA Standards Presented:
• The online user authorization standard was changed to exclude local law enforcement officers as “public” entities.
• The standard and template for acceptable use of electronic communications devices were updated to include new technologies such as blogging, instant messaging, and hand-held devices.
• The access control standard was changed to enhance password requirements from 6-to-8 characters. Passwords also cannot be reused until after 24 other passwords have been created.
Lisa Feldner accepted a motion from Cory Fong, a second from Tom Trenbeath, and a unanimous vote for approval.
The PC life-cycle guideline was updated to address “Green IT” initiatives and the disposal of electronic equipment. Disposal strategies that are environmentally friendly are encouraged, including trade-in programs offered by vendors as they become available. Linda Belisle commented that a state-wide strategy is in place today that includes State Procurement. They are releasing an RFP this week that will address “e-waste”. They also assist underfunded schools and political subdivisions with acquiring state surplus.
EA Study Teams:
• Data-at-Rest team will address data security on portable devices (laptops, external hard-drives, etc.).
• Collaboration team will address software for wikis, blogs, electronic team-rooms, etc.
• Electronically Stored Information team will address e-discovery and records retention. They are looking first at business requirements/risks and then at appropriate technical solutions.
Mark Molesworth from the Enterprise Project Management Office presented an updated standard for review. It is designed to be the middle-ground between ND Century Code and the project management guidebook. Minimum requirements are clearly defined. A document repository, trained project manager, project startup report, scope variance reports, and project closeout report are now required on all large projects.
Lisa Feldner accepted a motion from Sally Holewa, a second from Eric Hardmeyer, and a unanimous vote from approval.
1:55 pm – 2:30 pm IT Planning Legislation Changes
Jeff Swank
Jeff Swank described potential legislative changes:
• Housekeeping
• Allow CIO to exempt entities from IT planning
• IT Plan due date changed from July 15th to August 15th
• Allow CIO to extend IT plan filing deadline
• Remove detailed list of content for IT plans
• Remove budget language
Operation, project, and budget information would be gathered from agencies using less onerous documentation. Lisa Feldner accepted a motion from Carol Olson, a second from Maren Daily, and a unanimous vote for a supporting resolution.
2:30 pm – 3:00 pm Cyber Security Presentation / ITD
Eli Cornell
Dan Sipes
Eli Cornell provided awareness on cyber-security. Most organizations allocate significant resources to strengthening their parameter, so attackers are now targeting application vulnerabilities. Cross-site scripting is the top security risk today; some sources predict that 85% of web-sites are at risk. Another 20% of applications are vulnerable to injection flaws.
As an end-user, the best protection is to patch your software, directly link to sites, and utilize browsers with “no script” plug-ins and cross-site scripting filters. Organizations can protect themselves by enhancing awareness/education and by implementing application firewalls, scanning tools, and a formal incident handling process.
3:00 pm – 3:15 pm Break
3:15 pm – 3:40 pm SharePoint Demo/Bank of ND Joe Herslip
James Barnhardt
Eric Hardmeyer outlined the business value of the BND intranet. Using SharePoint technologies, they have developed a site called “Synergy” that helps them to communicate within the Bank of North Dakota. James Barnhardt and Joe Herslip presented a live demonstration of the site.
Kevin Nosbusch is ITD’s product manager; he can assist agencies that are interested in learning more about SharePoint.
3:40 pm – 3:55 pm Agency Reports
Mark Molesworth
Rob Forward from Workforce Safety & Insurance reported on a new Medical Data Mining Solution. Using a $300,000 budget and a 2-year proof-of-concept, the project is designed to address medical fraud, abuse, and errors.
3:55 pm – 4:20 pm Highlight ITD’s 2009-11 Budget Request Mike Ressler
ITD’s 2009-11 core “operational” budget is $111,324,078 and includes 256 FTEs. Other programs, such as the K-12 network, the Longitudinal Data System, GIS, CJIS, EduTECH, the Center for Distance Education, and the Education Technology Council bring the total budget to $139,599,433 and 330.2 FTEs.
Twenty-three large IT projects were ranked by SITAC; fifteen were included in the Governor’s Budget.
4:20 pm – 4:30 pm Wrap-up
Lisa Feldner
State Information Technology Advisory Committee
Monday, December 15, 2008
1:00 – 4:30 PM
Bank of North Dakota, 1200 Memorial Highway, 2nd Floor Training Room (Room 201)
1:30 pm – 1:40 pm Welcome Lisa Feldner
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by Lisa Feldner.
Members present:
Lisa Feldner - Information Technology Dept.
Eric Hardmeyer – Bank of North Dakota
Carol Olson – Dept. of Human Services
Maren Daley – Job Service
Arvy Smith – Dept. of Health
Sparb Collins – Public Employees Retirement
Tom Trenbeath – Office of Attorney General
Cory Fong – Tax Dept.
Sally Holewa – Supreme Court
Senator Rich Wardner – Legislative Assembly
Kurt Link – MDU Resources Group
Tim Horner representing -- Dept. of Transportation
Jim Silrum representing – Secretary of State
Members Absent:
Francis Ziegler – Dept. of Transportation
Alvin Jaeger – Secretary of State
Laura Glatt – University Systems
Pam Sharp – Office of Management and Budget
Bruce Furness – Workforce Safety & Insurance
Representative Bob Skarphol – Legislative Assembly
Craig Hewitt, MeritCare Health System
Guests Attending / Presenting:
Representative David Monson -- Legislative Assembly
Linda Belisle – ND Central Services Division
Joe Herslip – Bank of North Dakota
James Barnhardt – Bank of North Dakota
Rob Forward -- Workforce Safety & Insurance
Cher Thomas – Attorney General’s Office
Russ Buchholz -- Dept. of Transportation
Mike Ressler – Information Technology Dept.
Dan Sipes – Information Technology Dept.
Nancy Walz – Information Technology Dept.
Gary Vetter – Information Technology Dept.
Pat Forster – Information Technology Dept.
Jeff Quast – Information Technology Dept.
Jeff Swank – Information Technology Dept.
Mark Molesworth – Information Technology Dept.
Brandi Fagerland – Information Technology Dept.
Kevin Nosbusch – Information Technology Dept.
Eli Cornell – Information Technology Dept.
Art Bakke – Information Technology Dept.
1:40 pm – 1:55 pm IT Standards, Enterprise Architecture Study Updates & EPMO Standards
Cher Thomas
Mark Molesworth
Cher Thomas (Architecture Review Board Chair) provided an update on EA activity:
The future state of the Desktop Domain Team was modified slightly with housekeeping items. Lisa Feldner accepted a motion from Eric Hardmeyer, a second from Carol Olson, and a unanimous vote for approval.
EA Standards Presented:
• The online user authorization standard was changed to exclude local law enforcement officers as “public” entities.
• The standard and template for acceptable use of electronic communications devices were updated to include new technologies such as blogging, instant messaging, and hand-held devices.
• The access control standard was changed to enhance password requirements from 6-to-8 characters. Passwords also cannot be reused until after 24 other passwords have been created.
Lisa Feldner accepted a motion from Cory Fong, a second from Tom Trenbeath, and a unanimous vote for approval.
The PC life-cycle guideline was updated to address “Green IT” initiatives and the disposal of electronic equipment. Disposal strategies that are environmentally friendly are encouraged, including trade-in programs offered by vendors as they become available. Linda Belisle commented that a state-wide strategy is in place today that includes State Procurement. They are releasing an RFP this week that will address “e-waste”. They also assist underfunded schools and political subdivisions with acquiring state surplus.
EA Study Teams:
• Data-at-Rest team will address data security on portable devices (laptops, external hard-drives, etc.).
• Collaboration team will address software for wikis, blogs, electronic team-rooms, etc.
• Electronically Stored Information team will address e-discovery and records retention. They are looking first at business requirements/risks and then at appropriate technical solutions.
Mark Molesworth from the Enterprise Project Management Office presented an updated standard for review. It is designed to be the middle-ground between ND Century Code and the project management guidebook. Minimum requirements are clearly defined. A document repository, trained project manager, project startup report, scope variance reports, and project closeout report are now required on all large projects.
Lisa Feldner accepted a motion from Sally Holewa, a second from Eric Hardmeyer, and a unanimous vote from approval.
1:55 pm – 2:30 pm IT Planning Legislation Changes
Jeff Swank
Jeff Swank described potential legislative changes:
• Housekeeping
• Allow CIO to exempt entities from IT planning
• IT Plan due date changed from July 15th to August 15th
• Allow CIO to extend IT plan filing deadline
• Remove detailed list of content for IT plans
• Remove budget language
Operation, project, and budget information would be gathered from agencies using less onerous documentation. Lisa Feldner accepted a motion from Carol Olson, a second from Maren Daily, and a unanimous vote for a supporting resolution.
2:30 pm – 3:00 pm Cyber Security Presentation / ITD
Eli Cornell
Dan Sipes
Eli Cornell provided awareness on cyber-security. Most organizations allocate significant resources to strengthening their parameter, so attackers are now targeting application vulnerabilities. Cross-site scripting is the top security risk today; some sources predict that 85% of web-sites are at risk. Another 20% of applications are vulnerable to injection flaws.
As an end-user, the best protection is to patch your software, directly link to sites, and utilize browsers with “no script” plug-ins and cross-site scripting filters. Organizations can protect themselves by enhancing awareness/education and by implementing application firewalls, scanning tools, and a formal incident handling process.
3:00 pm – 3:15 pm Break
3:15 pm – 3:40 pm SharePoint Demo/Bank of ND Joe Herslip
James Barnhardt
Eric Hardmeyer outlined the business value of the BND intranet. Using SharePoint technologies, they have developed a site called “Synergy” that helps them to communicate within the Bank of North Dakota. James Barnhardt and Joe Herslip presented a live demonstration of the site.
Kevin Nosbusch is ITD’s product manager; he can assist agencies that are interested in learning more about SharePoint.
3:40 pm – 3:55 pm Agency Reports
Mark Molesworth
Rob Forward from Workforce Safety & Insurance reported on a new Medical Data Mining Solution. Using a $300,000 budget and a 2-year proof-of-concept, the project is designed to address medical fraud, abuse, and errors.
3:55 pm – 4:20 pm Highlight ITD’s 2009-11 Budget Request Mike Ressler
ITD’s 2009-11 core “operational” budget is $111,324,078 and includes 256 FTEs. Other programs, such as the K-12 network, the Longitudinal Data System, GIS, CJIS, EduTECH, the Center for Distance Education, and the Education Technology Council bring the total budget to $139,599,433 and 330.2 FTEs.
Twenty-three large IT projects were ranked by SITAC; fifteen were included in the Governor’s Budget.
4:20 pm – 4:30 pm Wrap-up
Lisa Feldner
http://www.statenet.com
A year ago, during the dying days of the
global economic boom, state officeholders
throughout the land glowed in the anticipation
of continued prosperity. When the National Conference
of State Legislatures (NCSL) reported on the fiscal
health of states in November 2007, not a single state
Top Story SNCJ Spotlight
Save Our States
State Net Capitol Journal
gave a pessimistic appraisal of its prospects. Indeed, governors across the land were
unveiling creative initiatives that seemed to ratify Supreme Court Justice Louis
Brandeis’ famous declaration that states are laboratories of democracy.
The boldest plan came from CALIFORNIA, where Republican Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger proposed a far-reaching health care program that would have
covered most of the uninsured. Five other states — ILLINOIS, MISSOURI, NEW
MEXICO, NEW YORK, and PENNSYLVANIA — also planned to expand health
insurance in significant ways. In ARIZONA, Gov. Janet Napolitano (D) proposed free
college tuition for every child in the state who graduated from high school with a B
average. WASHINGTON talked of providing its citizens with paid family leave.
All these rosy ideas were blown away like autumn leaves by the housing collapse
and the subsequent economic implosion. When NCSL issued this year’s November
report, 38 states had budget gaps and many of them were trimming programs or
freezing payrolls in an effort to reduce deficits. “The state budget situation is grim and
getting worse with each new revenue revision,” the report said. Corina Eckl, director
of fiscal programs for NCSL, said in an interview that the situation will become
“frightening” in fiscal 2010, which for all but four states begins on July 1. Every source
of state revenue is plunging fast. As unemployment rises, income tax revenues decline.
As housing foreclosures intensify and people spend less, sales tax revenues fall.
States that depend on tourism, such as NEVADA and HAWAII, have been hurt by a
decline in travel. Even the handful of states, such as WYOMING and TEXAS, that are
relatively well-off because of income from resource taxes, have been hurt by slumping
oil prices. In ALASKA, where the state budget was supposed to be perpetually
balanced, a deficit opened this month after the price of oil dropped below $65 a barrel.
The plight of the states exacerbates a downturn that economists say has the potential
to become the worst since the Great Depression. The human costs are high, particularly
in jobless benefits and health care services. Thirty states are at risk of having the funds
that pay out unemployment benefits become insolvent by late spring or early summer;
MICHIGAN and INDIANA are already borrowing funds from the federal government
to make these payments. Several governors have asked Congress to provide additional
funds for the Medicaid program that serves the poor and disabled.
Testifying before Congress on Dec. 11, NEW JERSEY Gov. Jon Corzine (D) said
that the decline in revenues in his state had impacted child welfare agencies, prisons,
and aid for the developmentally disabled and mentally ill. He asked for federal help for
infrastructure projects he said were “shovel-ready.” At the same hearing WISCONSIN
Gov. Jim Doyle (D) said he faced a $5.4 billion gap, 17 percent of the fiscal 2010 budget,
despite a 10 percent cut in the state work force. “We will be forced to cut the very tools
and services that people depend on to pull them out of recession,” Doyle said.
In total shortfall, populous California is far and away the dubious leader.
CALIFORNIA anticipates a $41.8 billion budget gap by July 2010, nearly half the
$86 billion in revenue the state expects to collect during the coming fiscal year.
State Net Capitol Journal
Unless the budget is soon balanced,
warns State Treasurer Bill Lockyer
(D), the state will need to shut
down hundreds of public works
projects — exactly the opposite of
what it should be doing during a
recession. CALIFORNIA’s troubles
are only partially to blame on the
economy; for years, the state’s
dysfunctional Legislature failed
to address a persistent structural
deficit. The gimmick-laden budget
passed this year by the Legislature
after months of delay was out of
balance before the ink was dry on
the document. Still, half a dozen
states have larger budget gaps
than CALIFORNIA if measured
as percentages of the general
fund. Six states — ARIZONA,
GEORGIA, NEVADA, NEW
HAMPSHIRE, RHODE ISLAND
and SOUTH CAROLINA — have
deficits of more than 10 percent
of their general funds, and NCSL
projects this number to grow to at least 15 states in 2010.
Since states are required to balance their budgets and the federal government
is not, governors will be coming hat in hand to the incoming administration of
Barack Obama in hope of bailouts. This is the reverse of the situation that faced the
states during the early years of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “New Deal for
the American people.” The federal safety net was virtually non-existent when FDR
came into office in 1933 — indeed, the New Deal created most of it, including Social
Security. What little help there was for America’s jobless, a quarter of the work force,
and for the poor came from the states. “Practically all the things we’ve done in the
federal government are like things Al Smith did as governor of NEW YORK,” FDR
said early in 1936, when he would be re-elected by a landslide. And it wasn’t just
NEW YORK. Animated by the Progressive movement, states such as CALIFORNIA,
MINNESOTA, NEW JERSEY, and WISCONSIN created early in the 20th century
unemployment insurance and welfare programs designed to cushion families in hard
times. Now, during our Great Recession, the states are supplicants, as much as the
banks and the insurance companies and the automakers.
Are there rays of light in this darkness? Perhaps.
FL
RI
MA
ME
CT
NJ
NH
VT
DE
KY MD
TX
IA
MT
AZ
WA
AK
CO
NM
ND
AL GA
SC
TN
MO
OH
VA
CA
OR
NV
UT
WY
SD
NE
HI
MN
NC
AR
LA
MS
IL
MI
IN
PA
NY
WV
OK
KS
Projected 2009 budget gap less
than 10% of state budget
Projected 2009 budget gap 10-15% of state budget Projected 2009 budget gap more than 15% of state budget
ID WI
Source: National Conference of
State Legislatures
Bird’s eye view
State budget gaps widen
The National Conference of State
Legislatures (NCSL) released its latest
update on the states’ fiscal health this
month. The national survey of legislative
fiscal officers found that, despite closing
a cumulative budget gap of nearly $40
billion going into FY 2009, states are
now $31 billion in the hole, due to gaps
that have opened up since they completed their budgets. The
report also shows that 26 states are projecting a cumulative
shortfall next fiscal year of $65 billion, a number that is only likely
to grow as more states assemble their FY 2010 forecasts.
State Net Capitol Journal
States are no less likely than individuals to exaggerate the impact of both booms
and busts. Scott Pattison, executive director of the National Association of Budget
Officers and a former director of finance in VIRGINIA, told Stateline.org that he
wondered if the forecasts that were once so rosy are now excessively grim and “might
slightly overcorrect.” Beyond this possibility — which amounts to a hope that the
recession will be shorter and milder than generally predicted — states may benefit from
the gigantic federal stimulus that Barack Obama has said he will propose to rebuild
roads, bridges, and other parts of the nation’s crumbling infrastructure. The conundrum,
as The Economist observed, is “that it is hard to spend both rapidly and wisely.”
Clearly, the President-elect has a sense of this difficulty: he has pledged that his
administration will choose the “best” projects based on overall utility rather than on
political considerations. But this is not a promise Obama can redeem by himself. To
succeed, he will necessarily rely on the recommendations of states, vital partners in
America’s federal system. If the stimulus is to be spent wisely, states will have to do
more than identify the projects that are, in Gov. Corzine’s words, shovel-ready to begin.
— Lou Cannon
Budget & taxes
DEMS LAUNCH BUDGET END RUN IN CA: CALIFORNIA’s
Democratic legislative leaders hatched a bold plan last week to ease the
state’s fiscal crisis: raise gas, sales and income taxes through a series of
legal maneuvers that circumvent the state’s two-thirds majority requirement for
— and Republican resistance to — tax increases.
The gambit would raise $9.3 billion through a three-quarter-cent increase in
the sales tax, a 13-cent-per-gallon hike in the gas tax and a 2.5 percent income tax
surcharge. Combined with billions in cuts to schools, healthcare and other programs,
it would almost halve the $41.8 billion budget shortfall projected for the state over
the next 18 months.
The plan hinges on the legal distinction between taxes, which are imposed
broadly and used for general purposes, and fees, charged to users of specific public
benefits, such as roads, and an arcane loophole in state law allowing the passage of
a tax bill with a simple majority vote as long as the tax doesn’t raise more revenue.
What the Democrats intend to do is eliminate the gas tax and some other existing fees
and substitute them with tax increases, including the income tax surcharge and a 9.9
percent levy on oil extraction. Then the Democrats would re-impose the gas fees at
higher levels (fees can also be raised with a simple majority vote), generating billions
of dollars in new revenue.
State Net Capitol Journal
With Republicans having repeatedly blocked their budget and tax proposals,
Democrats said the plan was the only way to break the budget deadlock, which
has dragged on for over a month since Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) called
lawmakers into special session.
“I still believe in bipartisanship,” said Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg
(D) at a Capitol news conference before voting on the proposal last Wednesday. “But
there is an even greater responsibility than practicing bipartisanship, and that is to
govern. And that is what we intend to do here today.”
Republicans saw things a little differently.
“Raising taxes on people and playing funny math and calling it fees is not
governing,” said Assembly GOP leader Mike Villines. “That’s trickery, is what that is.”
Jon Coupal, president of the Howard
Jarvis Taxpayers Association, said the
Democrats’ plan violates Proposition 13,
the 1978 initiative capping property taxes
and requiring all other tax increases to be
approved by a two-thirds vote.
“If they proceed with this proposal to
raise taxes with a simple majority vote, they
will be sued and they will lose,” Coupal said. “So we’re very confident this is more of
a ploy than anything else.”
Legal experts said there was no way of knowing how the courts would rule on the
law if it passed. Judges might strike it down, fearing a recall effort like the populist
uprising that led to Prop. 13, they said, or the courts might refuse to take action that
could plunge the state into insolvency.
“It is absolutely a shell game,” said Kirk Stark, a professor at UCLA School of
Law, although he pointed out that “in the 30 years since Prop. 13 was enacted, the
courts have been accommodating of legislative ingenuity.”
But the proposal faces another stumbling block that could prevent it from ever
making it to the courts. A spokesman for Schwarzenegger said the governor wouldn’t
sign the bill unless it included mortgage relief, provisions allowing more of the
construction and management of government facilities to be done by private firms,
and cuts to the state’s workforce, which public employee unions are resisting.
“If it doesn’t have these components, then the vote...is nothing more than a drill,”
the spokesman said. (LOS ANGELES TIMES)
STATE-LOCAL GOVERNMENT STIMULUS SPAT: The nation’s worsening
economy is increasing tension between state and local governments. Case in point: a
report sent Dec. 15 by the National League of Cities and the National Association of
Counties to Obama’s transition team advising them of the best way to distribute the
infrastructure money from the economic stimulus package that is in the works.
“Raising taxes on people
and playing funny math
and calling it fees is
not governing. That’s
trickery, is what that is.”
State Net Capitol Journal
“The quickest, most effective way to achieve the
intended results of a federal stimulus package is to
send federal funds directly to local governments,” the
report said.
City and county leaders, bothered about state
officials slashing local government aid to shore up their
own budget gaps and about the governors’ visit with
Obama earlier this month to ask him to direct stimulus
money to the states, felt the need to make their case
that cities and counties should actually get most of the
money because they have most of the infrastructure.
The local officials focused on Obama’s assertion
that speed is critical in order for the stimulus effort to
be effective.
“We must make sure that the funding is
spent quickly, and not stuck in federal or state
bureaucracies,” said Miami Mayor Manny Diaz,
president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, which
submitted a $90 billion infrastructure plan to the
transition team.
State officials countered that giving the money
directly to cities and counties wouldn’t save time,
and Congress set up the current system, with state
transportation departments making the majority of the
spending decisions, because states are able to look at
the big picture and not just the transportation concerns
of a single area.
“It has to do with setting priorities,” said Raymond
C. Scheppach, executive director of the National
Governors Association. “You have to plan statewide.”
A spokesman for state transportation officials seemed inclined to agree. He said
state officials aren’t trying to pick a fight with cities and counties.
“But we have a proven system that works. All we have to do is get the money in
the pipeline.” (STATELINE.ORG)
BUDGETS IN BRIEF: For the first time in a quarter of a century, states expect
to see a decline in spending this fiscal year, according to a report released last week
by the National Association of State Budget Officers and the National Governors
Association. State spending grew only 5 percent last fiscal year, well below the 9
percent rate in FY 2007 and even lower than the 30-year average of 6.4 percent
(STATELINE.ORG). • FLORIDA legislative leaders announced last week that they
The week in session
States in Regular Session: CA, IL, OH
States in Recess: DC, IN 2009, MI, NJ,
NY
States in Special Session: CA 2009 “a”,
CA 2009 “b”
Special Sessions in Recess: DE “b”
States in Informal Session: MA
In Pro Forma Session: US
States in Perfunctory Session: IL
Special Sessions “a”-”z”
States Currently Prefiling or Drafting
for 2009: AL, AR, AZ, CT, FL, GA, IA, KY,
MO, MT, ND, NH, NM, NV, OK, SC, SD, TN,
TX, VA, WA, WY
States Adjourned in 2008: AK, AL, AZ,
CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IN, KS,
KY, LA, MD, ME, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH,
NM, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, UT, VA, VT,
WA, WI, WV, WY
State Special Sessions Adjourned in
2008: AK “c”, AK “d”, AL “a”, AR “a”, CA “a”,
CA “c”, CT “a”, CT “b”, CT “c”, CT “d”, CT “e”,
DE “a”, KY “a”, LA “a”, LA “b”, ME “a”, MS “a”,
NC “b”, NE “a”, NH “a”, NM “a”, NV “a”, NY “a”,
NY “b”, OR “a”, PA “a”, UT “a”, VA “a”, VA “b”,
WI “c”, WI “d”, WI “e”, WV “a”, WV “b”
Letters indicate special/extraordinary sessions
— Compiled By JAMES ROSS
(session information current as of 12/18/2008)
Source: State Net database
State Net Capitol Journal
will convene a two-week extraordinary session Jan.
5 to close the state’s growing $2.3-billion budget
hole (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES). • Last week,
ALABAMA Gov. Bob Riley (R) announced a 12.5
percent across-the-board spending cut, the largest
since education spending was reduced 14.1 percent in
1961 (ASSOCIATED PRESS, SUN HERALD [BILOXI]). NEW YORK Gov. David
Paterson (D) released a 2009-10 budget proposal last week calling for massive cuts
to education and healthcare, elimination of a residential property tax rebate program
and 88 new taxes and fees (DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE [ROCHESTER]). •
ILLINOIS Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) signed SB 1981, legislation that raises the
state’s film tax credit to 30 percent. The credit, which was previously 20 percent, is
given to filmmakers for money spent on goods and services purchased in the Prairie
State, including wages paid to state residents (CHICAGO TRIBUNE).
— Compiled by KOREY CLARK
Politics & leadership
A TALE OF TWO U.S. SENATE SEATS: These are the best of times and
the worst of times for ILLINOIS, home of both the first African-American
president-elect of the United States and the national scandal over his
U.S. Senate seat. The melodrama continued last week, with the attorney for Gov.
Rod Blagojevich (D), Ed Genson, appearing before the House committee weighing
whether to recommend the governor’s impeachment.
Genson told the committee it would be illegal for them to use material from the
federal wiretaps of Blagojevich discussing selling and trading Obama’s Senate seat,
which he simultaneously dismissed as “people jabbering.” He also took exception to a
rule adopted by the committee stipulating that the governor’s legal representation not
be provided “at public expense.” He even challenged the panel itself, saying some of its
members ought to be removed because of statements they’d made about the governor.
“A number of people on this committee expressed views that were perfectly clear
that they already made up their minds,” he said.
The committee’s chairwoman, Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie (D), rebuffed Genson’s
objections, saying the panel was committed to “due process and fair play,” it was “not
the appropriate venue” for deciding whether Genson should be paid by the state’s
taxpayers, and it had wide latitude on handling evidence.
“We’re not a court of law. We’re not quite a grand jury,” she said. “We’re not
bound by specific rules of evidence.”
Upcoming elections
12/18/2008 - 1/8/2009
01/06/2009
Virginia Special Election
House 081 (Suit, Terrie L.)
State Net Capitol Journal
Blagojevich had been invited to attend the hearing
but had elected to remain in Chicago. He told reporters
before going for a morning jog, however, that he was
eager to discuss the allegations against him.
“I can’t wait to begin to tell my side of the story
and to address you guys and, most importantly, the
people of Illinois. That’s who I’m dying to talk
to,” he said.
Even without telling his side of the story, the
governor scored a big victory last week, when the
state Supreme Court denied an emergency request
from the state’s attorney general, Lisa Madigan —
who’s been mentioned as a possible candidate both
for Obama’s Senate seat and for governor in 2010
— to remove him from power. Madigan had argued
that “the pervasive nature and severity” of the federal
corruption case against Blagojevich had rendered
him “incapable of legitimately exercising his ability
as governor.” But without issuing an opinion, the
court rejected Madigan’s request along with a second
motion for a temporary restraining order that would
have barred the governor from making Senate
appointments, cutting off one of the state’s shortest routes out of its current straits.
The Democrats who control the state Legislature closed off another one,
adjourning without bringing a plan to fill Obama’s Senate seat through a special
election up for a vote. Republicans accused the Democratic majority of trying to hold
onto the seat by denying the public a
right to vote.
“We need leadership from
majority Democrats in the
Legislature; instead, what we are
getting is the same old insider
political games,” said Deputy
Republican Leader Christine
Radogno. She added: “Frankly,
after the past week, most people in
Illinois are wondering how much
more embarrassment the state must endure. Apparently, legislative Democrats think
the state needs more embarrassment.”
Democrats maintained that a special election would be too costly and that
they were trying to figure out the best alternative. Clearly, one that ends with the
In the hopper
At any given time, State Net tracks tens of thousands
of bills in all 50 states, the US Congress
and the District of Columbia. Here’s a snapshot
of what’s in the legislative works:
Number of 2009 prefiles last week: 797
Number of 2008 Intros last week: 448
Number of 2009 Intros last week: 58
Number of bills enacted/adopted last
week: 91
Number of 2008 prefiles to date: 21,697
Number of 2009 prefiles to date: 7,314
Number of 2008 Intros to date: 93,582
Number of 2009 Intros to date: 214
Number of bills enacted/adopted overall
to date: 28,532
— Compiled By JAMES ROSS
(measures current as of 12/17/2008)
Source: State Net database
“Frankly, after the past week,
most people in Illinois are
wondering how much more
embarrassment the state
must endure. Apparently,
legislative Democrats
think the state needs more
embarrassment.”
State Net Capitol Journal
appointment of another Democrat to the U.S. Senate would be the most desirable
for them. With a special election and Blagojevich’s removal from office by the state
Supreme Court off the table, that basically leaves the governor’s criminal conviction,
impeachment or resignation.
The first two options may not be particularly expeditious, but it doesn’t seem
likely the governor will be delivering his “It is a far, far better thing I do, than I have
ever done” farewell speech any time soon.
Another U.S. Senate seat also made headlines last week: the one soon to be
vacated by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NEW YORK). Caroline Kennedy, the
daughter of President John F. Kennedy, publicly disclosed her desire to enter the
family business by succeeding the Secretary of State-to-be. The news was broken last
Monday by NEW YORK Gov. David Paterson (D), but Kennedy confirmed it herself
two days later on a road trip across the state, reminiscent of Clinton’s own outreach
tour in 1999 and 2000, the first time she ran for the Senate.
“I just wanted to say, as some of you may have heard, I would be honored to be
considered for the position of U.S. senator,” Kennedy told reporters as she left Syracuse
City Hall. “I wanted to come upstate to meet Mayor Driscoll and others to tell them
about my experience and also learn how Washington can help upstate New York.”
Kennedy’s handlers ushered her off when she was asked what her qualifications
for the U.S. Senate were. But Clinton had never held public office before she was
first elected. And Kennedy briefly spoke to the experience issue at a subsequent stop,
in Rochester.
“I just hope everybody understands that it is not a campaign but that I have had a
lifelong devotion to public service,” she said. “I’ve written books on the constitution
and the importance of individual participation. I think I really could help bring
change to Washington.”
Paterson has said he won’t name a replacement until Clinton is confirmed,
which isn’t likely to happen until at least the end of January. But Kennedy is the
highest profile name to throw a hat in the ring. Attorney General Andrew Cuomo,
son of former NEW YORK Gov. Mario Cuomo, is also believed to be on Paterson’s
short list, but he hasn’t said publicly whether he’s interested. A Siena College poll
released the day of Kennedy’s outing showed nearly identical approval ratings for
her and Cuomo.
Republicans immediately pounced on Kennedy’s lack of government experience.
“If anything, it makes me more determined to run,” said Rep. Peter King (R) of Long
Island, who’s expressed interest in the seat, which was once held by Caroline’s uncle,
Robert F. Kennedy. “As far as record of achievement, I strongly believe that I’m
much more qualified, much more experienced, and have an independent record,” he
said. “Nothing against Caroline Kennedy, but I don’t think anyone has a right to a
seat.” (WALL STREET JOURNAL, ASSOCIATED PRESS, YAHOO NEWS, NEW
YORK TIMES CHICAGO TRIBUNE, TIMES UNION [ALBANY])
10
State Net Capitol Journal
POLITICS IN BRIEF: The nation’s 538 electors
performed their constitutional duty last week, casting
their ballots in accordance with the popular votes in
their states without exception and officially electing
Barack Obama the 44th president. The election will
not be complete, however, until Congress certifies the
outcome of the Electoral College vote at a joint session
scheduled for Jan. 6 (USA TODAY).
— Compiled by KOREY CLARK
Governors
ARIZONA GOP URGES MORATORIUM ON EXEC ORDERS:
With ARIZONA Gov. Janet Napolitano (D) soon to join the Obama
administration, incoming Republican legislative leaders are calling on her
to refrain from issuing any further executive orders. The request came as Napolitano
prepared to issue an order that would grant about 25,500 state workers a labor
authority known as meet-and-confer, which would allow those employees to vote on
whether they’d like union representation and, if so, require that agency directors meet
at least quarterly with the chosen union representatives.
Senate President-elect Bob Burns and House Speaker-elect Kirk Adams issued a
joint statement last week urging Napolitano to hold off on that order as well as any
others she may be considering before she
resigns in January.
“It would be unprecedented for an
outgoing governor to issue last-minute
executive orders that tie the hands of the
incoming administration,” Adams said.
“Unless it involves a state emergency, the
governor should not be creating new policies
that will not be her responsibility to oversee.”
Burns added that union involvement in
the state’s ongoing budget process would “complicate and stall” devising a solution for
an anticipated $1.2 billion shortfall. That didn’t get a lot of sympathy from Napolitano
spokesperson Jeanine L’Ecuyer. “If they’re worried about the budget, they might want
to get to work on it,” she said, a not so subtle dig at GOP leaders for not supporting
Napolitano’s call for a special session that would have dealt with closing the budget
hole. L’Ecuyer also indicated that the governor does not intend to self-curb her
executive order powers.
“It would be
unprecedented for an
outgoing governor to issue
last-minute executive
orders that tie the
hands of the incoming
administration.”
Upcoming stories
Here are some of the topics you will see
covered in upcoming issues of the State
Net Capitol Journal:
- Coping with Recession
- No Child Left Behind
- A view from Europe
11
State Net Capitol Journal
“She has the right to do executive orders,” L’Ecuyer said, “And when she
believes they are good policy, as she does on this one, we move forward.”
(ARIZONA REPUBLIC [PHOENIX])
CRIST EVERGLADES DEAL MOVES CLOSER: After months of
negotiations, FLORIDA water managers agreed to buy nearly 300 square miles of
land from United States Sugar last week for $1.34 billion. Fans of the land purchase,
most notably Gov. Charlie Crist (R), who has championed the deal for more than a
year, say it could ultimately revive and reshape current Everglades restoration efforts.
But even those supporters acknowledge there is a chance the state’s deepening
financial crisis could undermine the entire project.
“When push comes to shove, I’m not sure we can afford this deal,” said Shannon
Estenoz, an environmental activist and the governing board vice chair of the South
Florida Water Management District, which approved the deal. The District was in fact
so concerned about the state’s worsening budget situation that it added an amendment
to the contract that says the purchase must not “adversely affect” core district operations
like flood control.
Even with those concerns, Crist called the purchase “the most important step in
the history of true Everglades restoration.” There is, however, at least one more major
hurdle for the state to clear. Last week’s affirmative vote started a 60-day auction
period, in which United States Sugar’s shareholders must consider competing offers.
One other major offer has been made, by a family-owned farming company called
the Lawrence Group. Florida Crystals, a politically powerful competitor that owns
strategically located land for restoration, has also sued to stop a state court from
approving the contract. (NEW YORK TIMES, MIAMI HERALD)
GOVERNORS IN BRIEF: • President-elect Barack Obama has named former
IOWA Gov. Tom Vilsack (D) to lead the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Vilsack
also sought the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination before dropping out early
in the race (ASSOCIATED PRESS). • MICHIGAN Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D), on
the other hand, said last week that she does not want to be considered for an Obama
cabinet position (DETROIT FREE PRESS). • FLORIDA Gov. Charlie Crist (R)
tied the knot last week, marrying the former Carol Lynn Rome in St. Petersburg. The
event drew about 150 protesters, most of whom were there to advocate for samesex
marriage in the Sunshine State (TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT). • TEXAS
Gov. Rick Perry (R) became the longest-serving governor in Lone Star State history
last week. Perry, who became governor in 2000 when George W. Bush was elected
President and has since twice won re-election, also plans to seek another term in
2010 (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN). • OHIO Gov. Ted Strickland (D)
said he will veto legislation that would raid the state’s “Rainy Day” fund in order to
give veterans of the 1990-91 Persian Gulf War and the ongoing fighting in Iraq and
12
State Net Capitol Journal
Afghanistan bonuses up to $1,000 before Christmas. Strickland said he supports the
concept of the bonuses, but believes the state should sell bonds to fund the project
(DAYTON DAILY NEWS).
— Compiled by RICH EHISEN
Hot issues
BUSINESS: An OHIO court says a Buckeye State law that bars residents
from bringing in alcohol purchased out of state is unconstitutional. The
court said the statute conflicts with federal law that regulates interstate
commerce (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER). • CALIFORNIA-based Toymaker Mattel,
Inc. agrees to pay $12 million to settle charges that it violated consumer laws in 39
states by selling lead-tainted toys in 2007. Mattel and its Fisher Price unit recalled
more than 21 million Chinese-made toys last year, fearing the items were tainted with
lead paint and tiny magnets that children could accidentally swallow (ASSOCIATED
PRESS). • The MASSACHUSETTS Senate approves HB 4508, legislation allowing
the Bay State insurance commissioner to establish regulations to protect members of
the military and their families from unscrupulous sales practices of companies that
sell insurance. It moves to Gov. Deval Patrick (D) for review (MILFORD DAILY
NEWS). • The NEW JERSEY Assembly approves AB 2650, which would require
developers of major projects to submit audited annual financial statements, post
performance bonds worth 110 percent of the public funds dedicated to the project
and to spend at least $1 in private money for each $5 in public funds. The new
requirements, which would also set aside one-tenth of the taxpayer funds until the
project is complete, would apply to all projects using more than $50 million in federal
funds. It moves to the Senate, which has its own similar bill under consideration
(STAR-LEDGER [NEWARK]). • Still in NEW JERSEY, the state Supreme Court
rules that lawyers named to lists such as “Super Lawyers” or “Best Lawyers in
America” may include that information in their advertising. The court said such
information is constitutionally protected free speech (STAR-LEDGER [NEWARK]).
• Back in OHIO, the Senate approves HB 79, legislation that preserves the state’s
current group rating system for workers compensation insurance. A Buckeye State
court ruled in November that the system is unfair to businesses unable to access
a group, but lawmakers said they must maintain the system in order for those
businesses in special pricing groups to avoid rate hikes. The bill moves now to the
House (CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER). • Also in OHIO, the House rejects HB
230, which would have required those under age 18 to get a doctor’s prescription in
order to use a commercial tanning bed (CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER).
13
State Net Capitol Journal
CRIME & PUNISHMENT: The OHIO
Senate unanimously passes HB 215, making it
illegal to sell or possess the highly hallucinogenic
herb Salvia Divinorum. The measure now moves to
Gov. Ted Strickland (D), who is expected to sign it
(CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER).
EDUCATION: The MASSACHUSETTS House
and Senate endorse HB 4396, a measure that bars
registered sex offenders from being employed as a school bus driver. Current Bay
State law prohibits only those convicted of certain sex-related crimes from driving
the buses. The legislation moves to Gov. Deval Patrick (D) for consideration (STATE
NET). • NEW JERSEY officials announce that students using the Garden State’s
NJClas college loan program will no longer be able to defer making payments
until after they graduate. Loan program officials say they made the changes after the
number of students choosing to defer payments grew to more than 50 percent of all
loan recipients this year (STAR-LEDGER [NEWARK]).
ENVIRONMENT: The CALIFORNIA Air Resources Board orders owners of
heavy-duty diesel trucks to install soot traps on exhaust pipes of older, high-polluting
rigs or take them off the road. The new rules go into effect in 2011 (SACRAMENTO
BEE). • Still in CALIFORNIA, officials launch a “green initiative” that would
eventually require labeling on every consumer product to reveal its “environmental
footprint.” The plan is expected to require a significant number of legislative
measures and new regulations and take as long as 10 years to develop (LOS
ANGELES TIMES). • State and federal officials agree to allow bison to migrate
into parts of MONTANA from Yellowstone National Park. The move will allow at
least some bison leaving the park to avoid being shot by hunters as part of a program
meant to guard against transmissions of the disease brucellosis to cattle. More than
3,000 bison have been killed outside the park in recent years, including more than
1,600 last year (BILLINGS GAZETTE).
HEALTH & SCIENCE: The OHIO House overwhelmingly endorses SB
203, legislation that would require Buckeye State pharmacy technicians to pass
a competency test as well as a criminal background check. It moves to Gov. Ted
Strickland (D) for review (CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER). • ILLINOIS Gov. Rod
Blagojevich (D) signs SB 934, legislation that requires health insurance companies
to cover the cost of treating autism in individuals under age 21. The statute caps
required benefits at $36,000 per year (DAILY HERALD [ARLINGTON HEIGHTS]).
• FLORIDA-based Airborne Health, makers of a top-selling product marketed as a
cold prevention and treatment remedy, signs a $7 million settlement related to false
In case you missed it
State lawmakers and governors in 2009
will face a plethora of major challenges as
they struggle to guide their states through an
historic economic downturn. Last week, in
the second of a two-part series, the State Net
staff examined some of the key issues we see
lawmakers considering in the coming year.
In case you missed it, the article can be
found on our Web site at
http://www.statenet.com/capitol_journal/12-15-2008/html
14
State Net Capitol Journal
advertising claims leveled by 32 state attorneys general and the District of Columbia.
The settlement also bars the company from claiming its products treat cold symptoms
or prevent colds, flu and infections unless it provides “reliable and competent
scientific evidence” to verify the claim (SEATTLE TIMES).
SOCIAL POLICY: The OHIO Senate endorses HB 280, which would require
clinics that perform abortions to post signs noting that the procedure is voluntary.
The bill, which also increases the penalty for domestic violence against a pregnant
woman, returns to the House for expected concurrence on changes made in the Senate
before it can be sent to Gov. Ted Strickland (D), who has indicated he will sign it into
law (COLUMBUS DISPATCH, DAYTON DAILY NEWS).
POTPOURRI: The MASSACHUSETTS House and Senate each approve SB
2103, which requires drivers on multi-lane highways to give wide clearance for
roadside emergency vehicles with flashing lights. Violators could face a ticket of
up to $100. The bill moves to Gov. Deval Patrick (D) for review (STATE NET). •
The OHIO House approves SB 269, which would bar musical groups from billing
themselves as a widely recognized group unless the current lineup contains at least
one member of the original group. The measure now goes to Gov. Ted Strickland
(D) for review (COLUMBUS DISPATCH). • Still in OHIO, lawmakers endorse
legislation that requires kids younger than age 9 and less than 4-foot-9-inches tall
to sit in a booster seat when riding in a car. It also moves to Gov. Strickland, who is
expected to sign it (DAYTON DAILY NEWS, STATE NET).
— Compiled by RICH EHISEN
Once around the
statehouse lightly
BUT I CAN’T SEE THE WHITE HOUSE: ALASKA Gov. Sarah Palin
may not have won the second banana job at the White House, but she did
have the top quote of 2008. Well, kinda sorta. According to the Los Angeles
Times, Fred Shapiro, the man responsible for the Yale Book of Quotations, has listed
“I can see Russia from my house!” as the nation’s most memorable public utterance
this year. Of course, Palin herself never said that. The words actually came from
comedian Tina Fey, who was famously satirizing Palin’s lack of foreign policy
experience on NBC’s Saturday Night Live. One of the gov’s real quotes –- one in
15
State Net Capitol Journal
which she struggled to name a single newspaper or magazine that she reads — did
finish second, however.
LOW BLOW: Speaking of SNL, Palin supporters complained regularly during
the presidential campaign that the show was unfairly hammering the governor.
Now, the New York Times reports, the hue and cry is coming from the office of
NEW YORK Gov. David S. Paterson. Risa Heller, Paterson’s communications
director, took great exception to a recent skit that depicted the gov as something of a
buffoon, repeatedly mocked the governor’s blindness and made several references to
Paterson’s admitted previous drug use and marital infidelity. Heller castigated SNL
for choosing “to ridicule people with physical disabilities and imply that disabled
people are incapable of having jobs with serious responsibilities.” Both NBC and
SNL had no comment on Heller’s critique.
‘TIS THE SEASON: As if folks in the ILLINOIS statehouse don’t have enough
to worry about right now, there is apparently a sign thief running loose under the
Capitol dome! According to the State Journal-Register in Springfield, an atheist
group recently decided to protest the display of religious symbols in the statehouse by
placing a sign decrying religion amidst the holiday brick-a-brack currently adorning
the Capitol rotunda. But within the week someone had pilfered it. The group vowed
to replace the sign, but said this time they will add a second one that implores
potential thieves to remember one of the most basic Biblical commandments: Thou
shall not steal.
COLLATERAL DAMAGE: Much has been made of the potential career
damage done to the peripheral players in the ongoing corruption scandal involving
ILLINOIS Gov. Rod Blagojevich. But while those close to the fire on this one may
ultimately get burned, none are as likely to suffer from an association with Blago
as the man he replaced, former Gov. George Ryan, currently serving a 6 1/2 year
sentence for his own widespread corruption scandal. Ryan was hoping to convince
President George W. Bush to grant him clemency before Barack Obama takes office,
but as the Chicago Sun-Times reports, that now seems highly unlikely. At the least,
says former Gov. Jim Thompson, the man leading the call for Ryan’s clemency,
Blagojevich’s situation “certainly isn’t helpful” to Ryan’s cause. It probably also
doesn’t help that Blagojevich gave his public support to the clemency request just
days before his own arrest.
— By RICH EHISEN
16
State Net Capitol Journal
Editor: Rich Ehisen — capj@statenet.com
Associate Editor: Korey Clark — capj@statenet.com
Contributing Editors: Virginia Nelson, Art Zimmerman
Editorial Advisor: Lou Cannon
Correspondents: Richard Cox (CA), Steve Karas (CA),
Bruce McKeeman (CA), Jeff Kinnison (CA), James Ross (CA), Linda Mendenhall (IL),
Lauren King (MA) and Ben Livingood (PA)
Graphic Design: Vanessa Perez
©2008 State Net ISSN: 1521-8449
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global economic boom, state officeholders
throughout the land glowed in the anticipation
of continued prosperity. When the National Conference
of State Legislatures (NCSL) reported on the fiscal
health of states in November 2007, not a single state
Top Story SNCJ Spotlight
Save Our States
State Net Capitol Journal
gave a pessimistic appraisal of its prospects. Indeed, governors across the land were
unveiling creative initiatives that seemed to ratify Supreme Court Justice Louis
Brandeis’ famous declaration that states are laboratories of democracy.
The boldest plan came from CALIFORNIA, where Republican Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger proposed a far-reaching health care program that would have
covered most of the uninsured. Five other states — ILLINOIS, MISSOURI, NEW
MEXICO, NEW YORK, and PENNSYLVANIA — also planned to expand health
insurance in significant ways. In ARIZONA, Gov. Janet Napolitano (D) proposed free
college tuition for every child in the state who graduated from high school with a B
average. WASHINGTON talked of providing its citizens with paid family leave.
All these rosy ideas were blown away like autumn leaves by the housing collapse
and the subsequent economic implosion. When NCSL issued this year’s November
report, 38 states had budget gaps and many of them were trimming programs or
freezing payrolls in an effort to reduce deficits. “The state budget situation is grim and
getting worse with each new revenue revision,” the report said. Corina Eckl, director
of fiscal programs for NCSL, said in an interview that the situation will become
“frightening” in fiscal 2010, which for all but four states begins on July 1. Every source
of state revenue is plunging fast. As unemployment rises, income tax revenues decline.
As housing foreclosures intensify and people spend less, sales tax revenues fall.
States that depend on tourism, such as NEVADA and HAWAII, have been hurt by a
decline in travel. Even the handful of states, such as WYOMING and TEXAS, that are
relatively well-off because of income from resource taxes, have been hurt by slumping
oil prices. In ALASKA, where the state budget was supposed to be perpetually
balanced, a deficit opened this month after the price of oil dropped below $65 a barrel.
The plight of the states exacerbates a downturn that economists say has the potential
to become the worst since the Great Depression. The human costs are high, particularly
in jobless benefits and health care services. Thirty states are at risk of having the funds
that pay out unemployment benefits become insolvent by late spring or early summer;
MICHIGAN and INDIANA are already borrowing funds from the federal government
to make these payments. Several governors have asked Congress to provide additional
funds for the Medicaid program that serves the poor and disabled.
Testifying before Congress on Dec. 11, NEW JERSEY Gov. Jon Corzine (D) said
that the decline in revenues in his state had impacted child welfare agencies, prisons,
and aid for the developmentally disabled and mentally ill. He asked for federal help for
infrastructure projects he said were “shovel-ready.” At the same hearing WISCONSIN
Gov. Jim Doyle (D) said he faced a $5.4 billion gap, 17 percent of the fiscal 2010 budget,
despite a 10 percent cut in the state work force. “We will be forced to cut the very tools
and services that people depend on to pull them out of recession,” Doyle said.
In total shortfall, populous California is far and away the dubious leader.
CALIFORNIA anticipates a $41.8 billion budget gap by July 2010, nearly half the
$86 billion in revenue the state expects to collect during the coming fiscal year.
State Net Capitol Journal
Unless the budget is soon balanced,
warns State Treasurer Bill Lockyer
(D), the state will need to shut
down hundreds of public works
projects — exactly the opposite of
what it should be doing during a
recession. CALIFORNIA’s troubles
are only partially to blame on the
economy; for years, the state’s
dysfunctional Legislature failed
to address a persistent structural
deficit. The gimmick-laden budget
passed this year by the Legislature
after months of delay was out of
balance before the ink was dry on
the document. Still, half a dozen
states have larger budget gaps
than CALIFORNIA if measured
as percentages of the general
fund. Six states — ARIZONA,
GEORGIA, NEVADA, NEW
HAMPSHIRE, RHODE ISLAND
and SOUTH CAROLINA — have
deficits of more than 10 percent
of their general funds, and NCSL
projects this number to grow to at least 15 states in 2010.
Since states are required to balance their budgets and the federal government
is not, governors will be coming hat in hand to the incoming administration of
Barack Obama in hope of bailouts. This is the reverse of the situation that faced the
states during the early years of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “New Deal for
the American people.” The federal safety net was virtually non-existent when FDR
came into office in 1933 — indeed, the New Deal created most of it, including Social
Security. What little help there was for America’s jobless, a quarter of the work force,
and for the poor came from the states. “Practically all the things we’ve done in the
federal government are like things Al Smith did as governor of NEW YORK,” FDR
said early in 1936, when he would be re-elected by a landslide. And it wasn’t just
NEW YORK. Animated by the Progressive movement, states such as CALIFORNIA,
MINNESOTA, NEW JERSEY, and WISCONSIN created early in the 20th century
unemployment insurance and welfare programs designed to cushion families in hard
times. Now, during our Great Recession, the states are supplicants, as much as the
banks and the insurance companies and the automakers.
Are there rays of light in this darkness? Perhaps.
FL
RI
MA
ME
CT
NJ
NH
VT
DE
KY MD
TX
IA
MT
AZ
WA
AK
CO
NM
ND
AL GA
SC
TN
MO
OH
VA
CA
OR
NV
UT
WY
SD
NE
HI
MN
NC
AR
LA
MS
IL
MI
IN
PA
NY
WV
OK
KS
Projected 2009 budget gap less
than 10% of state budget
Projected 2009 budget gap 10-15% of state budget Projected 2009 budget gap more than 15% of state budget
ID WI
Source: National Conference of
State Legislatures
Bird’s eye view
State budget gaps widen
The National Conference of State
Legislatures (NCSL) released its latest
update on the states’ fiscal health this
month. The national survey of legislative
fiscal officers found that, despite closing
a cumulative budget gap of nearly $40
billion going into FY 2009, states are
now $31 billion in the hole, due to gaps
that have opened up since they completed their budgets. The
report also shows that 26 states are projecting a cumulative
shortfall next fiscal year of $65 billion, a number that is only likely
to grow as more states assemble their FY 2010 forecasts.
State Net Capitol Journal
States are no less likely than individuals to exaggerate the impact of both booms
and busts. Scott Pattison, executive director of the National Association of Budget
Officers and a former director of finance in VIRGINIA, told Stateline.org that he
wondered if the forecasts that were once so rosy are now excessively grim and “might
slightly overcorrect.” Beyond this possibility — which amounts to a hope that the
recession will be shorter and milder than generally predicted — states may benefit from
the gigantic federal stimulus that Barack Obama has said he will propose to rebuild
roads, bridges, and other parts of the nation’s crumbling infrastructure. The conundrum,
as The Economist observed, is “that it is hard to spend both rapidly and wisely.”
Clearly, the President-elect has a sense of this difficulty: he has pledged that his
administration will choose the “best” projects based on overall utility rather than on
political considerations. But this is not a promise Obama can redeem by himself. To
succeed, he will necessarily rely on the recommendations of states, vital partners in
America’s federal system. If the stimulus is to be spent wisely, states will have to do
more than identify the projects that are, in Gov. Corzine’s words, shovel-ready to begin.
— Lou Cannon
Budget & taxes
DEMS LAUNCH BUDGET END RUN IN CA: CALIFORNIA’s
Democratic legislative leaders hatched a bold plan last week to ease the
state’s fiscal crisis: raise gas, sales and income taxes through a series of
legal maneuvers that circumvent the state’s two-thirds majority requirement for
— and Republican resistance to — tax increases.
The gambit would raise $9.3 billion through a three-quarter-cent increase in
the sales tax, a 13-cent-per-gallon hike in the gas tax and a 2.5 percent income tax
surcharge. Combined with billions in cuts to schools, healthcare and other programs,
it would almost halve the $41.8 billion budget shortfall projected for the state over
the next 18 months.
The plan hinges on the legal distinction between taxes, which are imposed
broadly and used for general purposes, and fees, charged to users of specific public
benefits, such as roads, and an arcane loophole in state law allowing the passage of
a tax bill with a simple majority vote as long as the tax doesn’t raise more revenue.
What the Democrats intend to do is eliminate the gas tax and some other existing fees
and substitute them with tax increases, including the income tax surcharge and a 9.9
percent levy on oil extraction. Then the Democrats would re-impose the gas fees at
higher levels (fees can also be raised with a simple majority vote), generating billions
of dollars in new revenue.
State Net Capitol Journal
With Republicans having repeatedly blocked their budget and tax proposals,
Democrats said the plan was the only way to break the budget deadlock, which
has dragged on for over a month since Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) called
lawmakers into special session.
“I still believe in bipartisanship,” said Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg
(D) at a Capitol news conference before voting on the proposal last Wednesday. “But
there is an even greater responsibility than practicing bipartisanship, and that is to
govern. And that is what we intend to do here today.”
Republicans saw things a little differently.
“Raising taxes on people and playing funny math and calling it fees is not
governing,” said Assembly GOP leader Mike Villines. “That’s trickery, is what that is.”
Jon Coupal, president of the Howard
Jarvis Taxpayers Association, said the
Democrats’ plan violates Proposition 13,
the 1978 initiative capping property taxes
and requiring all other tax increases to be
approved by a two-thirds vote.
“If they proceed with this proposal to
raise taxes with a simple majority vote, they
will be sued and they will lose,” Coupal said. “So we’re very confident this is more of
a ploy than anything else.”
Legal experts said there was no way of knowing how the courts would rule on the
law if it passed. Judges might strike it down, fearing a recall effort like the populist
uprising that led to Prop. 13, they said, or the courts might refuse to take action that
could plunge the state into insolvency.
“It is absolutely a shell game,” said Kirk Stark, a professor at UCLA School of
Law, although he pointed out that “in the 30 years since Prop. 13 was enacted, the
courts have been accommodating of legislative ingenuity.”
But the proposal faces another stumbling block that could prevent it from ever
making it to the courts. A spokesman for Schwarzenegger said the governor wouldn’t
sign the bill unless it included mortgage relief, provisions allowing more of the
construction and management of government facilities to be done by private firms,
and cuts to the state’s workforce, which public employee unions are resisting.
“If it doesn’t have these components, then the vote...is nothing more than a drill,”
the spokesman said. (LOS ANGELES TIMES)
STATE-LOCAL GOVERNMENT STIMULUS SPAT: The nation’s worsening
economy is increasing tension between state and local governments. Case in point: a
report sent Dec. 15 by the National League of Cities and the National Association of
Counties to Obama’s transition team advising them of the best way to distribute the
infrastructure money from the economic stimulus package that is in the works.
“Raising taxes on people
and playing funny math
and calling it fees is
not governing. That’s
trickery, is what that is.”
State Net Capitol Journal
“The quickest, most effective way to achieve the
intended results of a federal stimulus package is to
send federal funds directly to local governments,” the
report said.
City and county leaders, bothered about state
officials slashing local government aid to shore up their
own budget gaps and about the governors’ visit with
Obama earlier this month to ask him to direct stimulus
money to the states, felt the need to make their case
that cities and counties should actually get most of the
money because they have most of the infrastructure.
The local officials focused on Obama’s assertion
that speed is critical in order for the stimulus effort to
be effective.
“We must make sure that the funding is
spent quickly, and not stuck in federal or state
bureaucracies,” said Miami Mayor Manny Diaz,
president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, which
submitted a $90 billion infrastructure plan to the
transition team.
State officials countered that giving the money
directly to cities and counties wouldn’t save time,
and Congress set up the current system, with state
transportation departments making the majority of the
spending decisions, because states are able to look at
the big picture and not just the transportation concerns
of a single area.
“It has to do with setting priorities,” said Raymond
C. Scheppach, executive director of the National
Governors Association. “You have to plan statewide.”
A spokesman for state transportation officials seemed inclined to agree. He said
state officials aren’t trying to pick a fight with cities and counties.
“But we have a proven system that works. All we have to do is get the money in
the pipeline.” (STATELINE.ORG)
BUDGETS IN BRIEF: For the first time in a quarter of a century, states expect
to see a decline in spending this fiscal year, according to a report released last week
by the National Association of State Budget Officers and the National Governors
Association. State spending grew only 5 percent last fiscal year, well below the 9
percent rate in FY 2007 and even lower than the 30-year average of 6.4 percent
(STATELINE.ORG). • FLORIDA legislative leaders announced last week that they
The week in session
States in Regular Session: CA, IL, OH
States in Recess: DC, IN 2009, MI, NJ,
NY
States in Special Session: CA 2009 “a”,
CA 2009 “b”
Special Sessions in Recess: DE “b”
States in Informal Session: MA
In Pro Forma Session: US
States in Perfunctory Session: IL
Special Sessions “a”-”z”
States Currently Prefiling or Drafting
for 2009: AL, AR, AZ, CT, FL, GA, IA, KY,
MO, MT, ND, NH, NM, NV, OK, SC, SD, TN,
TX, VA, WA, WY
States Adjourned in 2008: AK, AL, AZ,
CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IN, KS,
KY, LA, MD, ME, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH,
NM, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, UT, VA, VT,
WA, WI, WV, WY
State Special Sessions Adjourned in
2008: AK “c”, AK “d”, AL “a”, AR “a”, CA “a”,
CA “c”, CT “a”, CT “b”, CT “c”, CT “d”, CT “e”,
DE “a”, KY “a”, LA “a”, LA “b”, ME “a”, MS “a”,
NC “b”, NE “a”, NH “a”, NM “a”, NV “a”, NY “a”,
NY “b”, OR “a”, PA “a”, UT “a”, VA “a”, VA “b”,
WI “c”, WI “d”, WI “e”, WV “a”, WV “b”
Letters indicate special/extraordinary sessions
— Compiled By JAMES ROSS
(session information current as of 12/18/2008)
Source: State Net database
State Net Capitol Journal
will convene a two-week extraordinary session Jan.
5 to close the state’s growing $2.3-billion budget
hole (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES). • Last week,
ALABAMA Gov. Bob Riley (R) announced a 12.5
percent across-the-board spending cut, the largest
since education spending was reduced 14.1 percent in
1961 (ASSOCIATED PRESS, SUN HERALD [BILOXI]). NEW YORK Gov. David
Paterson (D) released a 2009-10 budget proposal last week calling for massive cuts
to education and healthcare, elimination of a residential property tax rebate program
and 88 new taxes and fees (DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE [ROCHESTER]). •
ILLINOIS Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) signed SB 1981, legislation that raises the
state’s film tax credit to 30 percent. The credit, which was previously 20 percent, is
given to filmmakers for money spent on goods and services purchased in the Prairie
State, including wages paid to state residents (CHICAGO TRIBUNE).
— Compiled by KOREY CLARK
Politics & leadership
A TALE OF TWO U.S. SENATE SEATS: These are the best of times and
the worst of times for ILLINOIS, home of both the first African-American
president-elect of the United States and the national scandal over his
U.S. Senate seat. The melodrama continued last week, with the attorney for Gov.
Rod Blagojevich (D), Ed Genson, appearing before the House committee weighing
whether to recommend the governor’s impeachment.
Genson told the committee it would be illegal for them to use material from the
federal wiretaps of Blagojevich discussing selling and trading Obama’s Senate seat,
which he simultaneously dismissed as “people jabbering.” He also took exception to a
rule adopted by the committee stipulating that the governor’s legal representation not
be provided “at public expense.” He even challenged the panel itself, saying some of its
members ought to be removed because of statements they’d made about the governor.
“A number of people on this committee expressed views that were perfectly clear
that they already made up their minds,” he said.
The committee’s chairwoman, Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie (D), rebuffed Genson’s
objections, saying the panel was committed to “due process and fair play,” it was “not
the appropriate venue” for deciding whether Genson should be paid by the state’s
taxpayers, and it had wide latitude on handling evidence.
“We’re not a court of law. We’re not quite a grand jury,” she said. “We’re not
bound by specific rules of evidence.”
Upcoming elections
12/18/2008 - 1/8/2009
01/06/2009
Virginia Special Election
House 081 (Suit, Terrie L.)
State Net Capitol Journal
Blagojevich had been invited to attend the hearing
but had elected to remain in Chicago. He told reporters
before going for a morning jog, however, that he was
eager to discuss the allegations against him.
“I can’t wait to begin to tell my side of the story
and to address you guys and, most importantly, the
people of Illinois. That’s who I’m dying to talk
to,” he said.
Even without telling his side of the story, the
governor scored a big victory last week, when the
state Supreme Court denied an emergency request
from the state’s attorney general, Lisa Madigan —
who’s been mentioned as a possible candidate both
for Obama’s Senate seat and for governor in 2010
— to remove him from power. Madigan had argued
that “the pervasive nature and severity” of the federal
corruption case against Blagojevich had rendered
him “incapable of legitimately exercising his ability
as governor.” But without issuing an opinion, the
court rejected Madigan’s request along with a second
motion for a temporary restraining order that would
have barred the governor from making Senate
appointments, cutting off one of the state’s shortest routes out of its current straits.
The Democrats who control the state Legislature closed off another one,
adjourning without bringing a plan to fill Obama’s Senate seat through a special
election up for a vote. Republicans accused the Democratic majority of trying to hold
onto the seat by denying the public a
right to vote.
“We need leadership from
majority Democrats in the
Legislature; instead, what we are
getting is the same old insider
political games,” said Deputy
Republican Leader Christine
Radogno. She added: “Frankly,
after the past week, most people in
Illinois are wondering how much
more embarrassment the state must endure. Apparently, legislative Democrats think
the state needs more embarrassment.”
Democrats maintained that a special election would be too costly and that
they were trying to figure out the best alternative. Clearly, one that ends with the
In the hopper
At any given time, State Net tracks tens of thousands
of bills in all 50 states, the US Congress
and the District of Columbia. Here’s a snapshot
of what’s in the legislative works:
Number of 2009 prefiles last week: 797
Number of 2008 Intros last week: 448
Number of 2009 Intros last week: 58
Number of bills enacted/adopted last
week: 91
Number of 2008 prefiles to date: 21,697
Number of 2009 prefiles to date: 7,314
Number of 2008 Intros to date: 93,582
Number of 2009 Intros to date: 214
Number of bills enacted/adopted overall
to date: 28,532
— Compiled By JAMES ROSS
(measures current as of 12/17/2008)
Source: State Net database
“Frankly, after the past week,
most people in Illinois are
wondering how much more
embarrassment the state
must endure. Apparently,
legislative Democrats
think the state needs more
embarrassment.”
State Net Capitol Journal
appointment of another Democrat to the U.S. Senate would be the most desirable
for them. With a special election and Blagojevich’s removal from office by the state
Supreme Court off the table, that basically leaves the governor’s criminal conviction,
impeachment or resignation.
The first two options may not be particularly expeditious, but it doesn’t seem
likely the governor will be delivering his “It is a far, far better thing I do, than I have
ever done” farewell speech any time soon.
Another U.S. Senate seat also made headlines last week: the one soon to be
vacated by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NEW YORK). Caroline Kennedy, the
daughter of President John F. Kennedy, publicly disclosed her desire to enter the
family business by succeeding the Secretary of State-to-be. The news was broken last
Monday by NEW YORK Gov. David Paterson (D), but Kennedy confirmed it herself
two days later on a road trip across the state, reminiscent of Clinton’s own outreach
tour in 1999 and 2000, the first time she ran for the Senate.
“I just wanted to say, as some of you may have heard, I would be honored to be
considered for the position of U.S. senator,” Kennedy told reporters as she left Syracuse
City Hall. “I wanted to come upstate to meet Mayor Driscoll and others to tell them
about my experience and also learn how Washington can help upstate New York.”
Kennedy’s handlers ushered her off when she was asked what her qualifications
for the U.S. Senate were. But Clinton had never held public office before she was
first elected. And Kennedy briefly spoke to the experience issue at a subsequent stop,
in Rochester.
“I just hope everybody understands that it is not a campaign but that I have had a
lifelong devotion to public service,” she said. “I’ve written books on the constitution
and the importance of individual participation. I think I really could help bring
change to Washington.”
Paterson has said he won’t name a replacement until Clinton is confirmed,
which isn’t likely to happen until at least the end of January. But Kennedy is the
highest profile name to throw a hat in the ring. Attorney General Andrew Cuomo,
son of former NEW YORK Gov. Mario Cuomo, is also believed to be on Paterson’s
short list, but he hasn’t said publicly whether he’s interested. A Siena College poll
released the day of Kennedy’s outing showed nearly identical approval ratings for
her and Cuomo.
Republicans immediately pounced on Kennedy’s lack of government experience.
“If anything, it makes me more determined to run,” said Rep. Peter King (R) of Long
Island, who’s expressed interest in the seat, which was once held by Caroline’s uncle,
Robert F. Kennedy. “As far as record of achievement, I strongly believe that I’m
much more qualified, much more experienced, and have an independent record,” he
said. “Nothing against Caroline Kennedy, but I don’t think anyone has a right to a
seat.” (WALL STREET JOURNAL, ASSOCIATED PRESS, YAHOO NEWS, NEW
YORK TIMES CHICAGO TRIBUNE, TIMES UNION [ALBANY])
10
State Net Capitol Journal
POLITICS IN BRIEF: The nation’s 538 electors
performed their constitutional duty last week, casting
their ballots in accordance with the popular votes in
their states without exception and officially electing
Barack Obama the 44th president. The election will
not be complete, however, until Congress certifies the
outcome of the Electoral College vote at a joint session
scheduled for Jan. 6 (USA TODAY).
— Compiled by KOREY CLARK
Governors
ARIZONA GOP URGES MORATORIUM ON EXEC ORDERS:
With ARIZONA Gov. Janet Napolitano (D) soon to join the Obama
administration, incoming Republican legislative leaders are calling on her
to refrain from issuing any further executive orders. The request came as Napolitano
prepared to issue an order that would grant about 25,500 state workers a labor
authority known as meet-and-confer, which would allow those employees to vote on
whether they’d like union representation and, if so, require that agency directors meet
at least quarterly with the chosen union representatives.
Senate President-elect Bob Burns and House Speaker-elect Kirk Adams issued a
joint statement last week urging Napolitano to hold off on that order as well as any
others she may be considering before she
resigns in January.
“It would be unprecedented for an
outgoing governor to issue last-minute
executive orders that tie the hands of the
incoming administration,” Adams said.
“Unless it involves a state emergency, the
governor should not be creating new policies
that will not be her responsibility to oversee.”
Burns added that union involvement in
the state’s ongoing budget process would “complicate and stall” devising a solution for
an anticipated $1.2 billion shortfall. That didn’t get a lot of sympathy from Napolitano
spokesperson Jeanine L’Ecuyer. “If they’re worried about the budget, they might want
to get to work on it,” she said, a not so subtle dig at GOP leaders for not supporting
Napolitano’s call for a special session that would have dealt with closing the budget
hole. L’Ecuyer also indicated that the governor does not intend to self-curb her
executive order powers.
“It would be
unprecedented for an
outgoing governor to issue
last-minute executive
orders that tie the
hands of the incoming
administration.”
Upcoming stories
Here are some of the topics you will see
covered in upcoming issues of the State
Net Capitol Journal:
- Coping with Recession
- No Child Left Behind
- A view from Europe
11
State Net Capitol Journal
“She has the right to do executive orders,” L’Ecuyer said, “And when she
believes they are good policy, as she does on this one, we move forward.”
(ARIZONA REPUBLIC [PHOENIX])
CRIST EVERGLADES DEAL MOVES CLOSER: After months of
negotiations, FLORIDA water managers agreed to buy nearly 300 square miles of
land from United States Sugar last week for $1.34 billion. Fans of the land purchase,
most notably Gov. Charlie Crist (R), who has championed the deal for more than a
year, say it could ultimately revive and reshape current Everglades restoration efforts.
But even those supporters acknowledge there is a chance the state’s deepening
financial crisis could undermine the entire project.
“When push comes to shove, I’m not sure we can afford this deal,” said Shannon
Estenoz, an environmental activist and the governing board vice chair of the South
Florida Water Management District, which approved the deal. The District was in fact
so concerned about the state’s worsening budget situation that it added an amendment
to the contract that says the purchase must not “adversely affect” core district operations
like flood control.
Even with those concerns, Crist called the purchase “the most important step in
the history of true Everglades restoration.” There is, however, at least one more major
hurdle for the state to clear. Last week’s affirmative vote started a 60-day auction
period, in which United States Sugar’s shareholders must consider competing offers.
One other major offer has been made, by a family-owned farming company called
the Lawrence Group. Florida Crystals, a politically powerful competitor that owns
strategically located land for restoration, has also sued to stop a state court from
approving the contract. (NEW YORK TIMES, MIAMI HERALD)
GOVERNORS IN BRIEF: • President-elect Barack Obama has named former
IOWA Gov. Tom Vilsack (D) to lead the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Vilsack
also sought the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination before dropping out early
in the race (ASSOCIATED PRESS). • MICHIGAN Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D), on
the other hand, said last week that she does not want to be considered for an Obama
cabinet position (DETROIT FREE PRESS). • FLORIDA Gov. Charlie Crist (R)
tied the knot last week, marrying the former Carol Lynn Rome in St. Petersburg. The
event drew about 150 protesters, most of whom were there to advocate for samesex
marriage in the Sunshine State (TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT). • TEXAS
Gov. Rick Perry (R) became the longest-serving governor in Lone Star State history
last week. Perry, who became governor in 2000 when George W. Bush was elected
President and has since twice won re-election, also plans to seek another term in
2010 (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN). • OHIO Gov. Ted Strickland (D)
said he will veto legislation that would raid the state’s “Rainy Day” fund in order to
give veterans of the 1990-91 Persian Gulf War and the ongoing fighting in Iraq and
12
State Net Capitol Journal
Afghanistan bonuses up to $1,000 before Christmas. Strickland said he supports the
concept of the bonuses, but believes the state should sell bonds to fund the project
(DAYTON DAILY NEWS).
— Compiled by RICH EHISEN
Hot issues
BUSINESS: An OHIO court says a Buckeye State law that bars residents
from bringing in alcohol purchased out of state is unconstitutional. The
court said the statute conflicts with federal law that regulates interstate
commerce (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER). • CALIFORNIA-based Toymaker Mattel,
Inc. agrees to pay $12 million to settle charges that it violated consumer laws in 39
states by selling lead-tainted toys in 2007. Mattel and its Fisher Price unit recalled
more than 21 million Chinese-made toys last year, fearing the items were tainted with
lead paint and tiny magnets that children could accidentally swallow (ASSOCIATED
PRESS). • The MASSACHUSETTS Senate approves HB 4508, legislation allowing
the Bay State insurance commissioner to establish regulations to protect members of
the military and their families from unscrupulous sales practices of companies that
sell insurance. It moves to Gov. Deval Patrick (D) for review (MILFORD DAILY
NEWS). • The NEW JERSEY Assembly approves AB 2650, which would require
developers of major projects to submit audited annual financial statements, post
performance bonds worth 110 percent of the public funds dedicated to the project
and to spend at least $1 in private money for each $5 in public funds. The new
requirements, which would also set aside one-tenth of the taxpayer funds until the
project is complete, would apply to all projects using more than $50 million in federal
funds. It moves to the Senate, which has its own similar bill under consideration
(STAR-LEDGER [NEWARK]). • Still in NEW JERSEY, the state Supreme Court
rules that lawyers named to lists such as “Super Lawyers” or “Best Lawyers in
America” may include that information in their advertising. The court said such
information is constitutionally protected free speech (STAR-LEDGER [NEWARK]).
• Back in OHIO, the Senate approves HB 79, legislation that preserves the state’s
current group rating system for workers compensation insurance. A Buckeye State
court ruled in November that the system is unfair to businesses unable to access
a group, but lawmakers said they must maintain the system in order for those
businesses in special pricing groups to avoid rate hikes. The bill moves now to the
House (CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER). • Also in OHIO, the House rejects HB
230, which would have required those under age 18 to get a doctor’s prescription in
order to use a commercial tanning bed (CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER).
13
State Net Capitol Journal
CRIME & PUNISHMENT: The OHIO
Senate unanimously passes HB 215, making it
illegal to sell or possess the highly hallucinogenic
herb Salvia Divinorum. The measure now moves to
Gov. Ted Strickland (D), who is expected to sign it
(CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER).
EDUCATION: The MASSACHUSETTS House
and Senate endorse HB 4396, a measure that bars
registered sex offenders from being employed as a school bus driver. Current Bay
State law prohibits only those convicted of certain sex-related crimes from driving
the buses. The legislation moves to Gov. Deval Patrick (D) for consideration (STATE
NET). • NEW JERSEY officials announce that students using the Garden State’s
NJClas college loan program will no longer be able to defer making payments
until after they graduate. Loan program officials say they made the changes after the
number of students choosing to defer payments grew to more than 50 percent of all
loan recipients this year (STAR-LEDGER [NEWARK]).
ENVIRONMENT: The CALIFORNIA Air Resources Board orders owners of
heavy-duty diesel trucks to install soot traps on exhaust pipes of older, high-polluting
rigs or take them off the road. The new rules go into effect in 2011 (SACRAMENTO
BEE). • Still in CALIFORNIA, officials launch a “green initiative” that would
eventually require labeling on every consumer product to reveal its “environmental
footprint.” The plan is expected to require a significant number of legislative
measures and new regulations and take as long as 10 years to develop (LOS
ANGELES TIMES). • State and federal officials agree to allow bison to migrate
into parts of MONTANA from Yellowstone National Park. The move will allow at
least some bison leaving the park to avoid being shot by hunters as part of a program
meant to guard against transmissions of the disease brucellosis to cattle. More than
3,000 bison have been killed outside the park in recent years, including more than
1,600 last year (BILLINGS GAZETTE).
HEALTH & SCIENCE: The OHIO House overwhelmingly endorses SB
203, legislation that would require Buckeye State pharmacy technicians to pass
a competency test as well as a criminal background check. It moves to Gov. Ted
Strickland (D) for review (CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER). • ILLINOIS Gov. Rod
Blagojevich (D) signs SB 934, legislation that requires health insurance companies
to cover the cost of treating autism in individuals under age 21. The statute caps
required benefits at $36,000 per year (DAILY HERALD [ARLINGTON HEIGHTS]).
• FLORIDA-based Airborne Health, makers of a top-selling product marketed as a
cold prevention and treatment remedy, signs a $7 million settlement related to false
In case you missed it
State lawmakers and governors in 2009
will face a plethora of major challenges as
they struggle to guide their states through an
historic economic downturn. Last week, in
the second of a two-part series, the State Net
staff examined some of the key issues we see
lawmakers considering in the coming year.
In case you missed it, the article can be
found on our Web site at
http://www.statenet.com/capitol_journal/12-15-2008/html
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State Net Capitol Journal
advertising claims leveled by 32 state attorneys general and the District of Columbia.
The settlement also bars the company from claiming its products treat cold symptoms
or prevent colds, flu and infections unless it provides “reliable and competent
scientific evidence” to verify the claim (SEATTLE TIMES).
SOCIAL POLICY: The OHIO Senate endorses HB 280, which would require
clinics that perform abortions to post signs noting that the procedure is voluntary.
The bill, which also increases the penalty for domestic violence against a pregnant
woman, returns to the House for expected concurrence on changes made in the Senate
before it can be sent to Gov. Ted Strickland (D), who has indicated he will sign it into
law (COLUMBUS DISPATCH, DAYTON DAILY NEWS).
POTPOURRI: The MASSACHUSETTS House and Senate each approve SB
2103, which requires drivers on multi-lane highways to give wide clearance for
roadside emergency vehicles with flashing lights. Violators could face a ticket of
up to $100. The bill moves to Gov. Deval Patrick (D) for review (STATE NET). •
The OHIO House approves SB 269, which would bar musical groups from billing
themselves as a widely recognized group unless the current lineup contains at least
one member of the original group. The measure now goes to Gov. Ted Strickland
(D) for review (COLUMBUS DISPATCH). • Still in OHIO, lawmakers endorse
legislation that requires kids younger than age 9 and less than 4-foot-9-inches tall
to sit in a booster seat when riding in a car. It also moves to Gov. Strickland, who is
expected to sign it (DAYTON DAILY NEWS, STATE NET).
— Compiled by RICH EHISEN
Once around the
statehouse lightly
BUT I CAN’T SEE THE WHITE HOUSE: ALASKA Gov. Sarah Palin
may not have won the second banana job at the White House, but she did
have the top quote of 2008. Well, kinda sorta. According to the Los Angeles
Times, Fred Shapiro, the man responsible for the Yale Book of Quotations, has listed
“I can see Russia from my house!” as the nation’s most memorable public utterance
this year. Of course, Palin herself never said that. The words actually came from
comedian Tina Fey, who was famously satirizing Palin’s lack of foreign policy
experience on NBC’s Saturday Night Live. One of the gov’s real quotes –- one in
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State Net Capitol Journal
which she struggled to name a single newspaper or magazine that she reads — did
finish second, however.
LOW BLOW: Speaking of SNL, Palin supporters complained regularly during
the presidential campaign that the show was unfairly hammering the governor.
Now, the New York Times reports, the hue and cry is coming from the office of
NEW YORK Gov. David S. Paterson. Risa Heller, Paterson’s communications
director, took great exception to a recent skit that depicted the gov as something of a
buffoon, repeatedly mocked the governor’s blindness and made several references to
Paterson’s admitted previous drug use and marital infidelity. Heller castigated SNL
for choosing “to ridicule people with physical disabilities and imply that disabled
people are incapable of having jobs with serious responsibilities.” Both NBC and
SNL had no comment on Heller’s critique.
‘TIS THE SEASON: As if folks in the ILLINOIS statehouse don’t have enough
to worry about right now, there is apparently a sign thief running loose under the
Capitol dome! According to the State Journal-Register in Springfield, an atheist
group recently decided to protest the display of religious symbols in the statehouse by
placing a sign decrying religion amidst the holiday brick-a-brack currently adorning
the Capitol rotunda. But within the week someone had pilfered it. The group vowed
to replace the sign, but said this time they will add a second one that implores
potential thieves to remember one of the most basic Biblical commandments: Thou
shall not steal.
COLLATERAL DAMAGE: Much has been made of the potential career
damage done to the peripheral players in the ongoing corruption scandal involving
ILLINOIS Gov. Rod Blagojevich. But while those close to the fire on this one may
ultimately get burned, none are as likely to suffer from an association with Blago
as the man he replaced, former Gov. George Ryan, currently serving a 6 1/2 year
sentence for his own widespread corruption scandal. Ryan was hoping to convince
President George W. Bush to grant him clemency before Barack Obama takes office,
but as the Chicago Sun-Times reports, that now seems highly unlikely. At the least,
says former Gov. Jim Thompson, the man leading the call for Ryan’s clemency,
Blagojevich’s situation “certainly isn’t helpful” to Ryan’s cause. It probably also
doesn’t help that Blagojevich gave his public support to the clemency request just
days before his own arrest.
— By RICH EHISEN
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State Net Capitol Journal
Editor: Rich Ehisen — capj@statenet.com
Associate Editor: Korey Clark — capj@statenet.com
Contributing Editors: Virginia Nelson, Art Zimmerman
Editorial Advisor: Lou Cannon
Correspondents: Richard Cox (CA), Steve Karas (CA),
Bruce McKeeman (CA), Jeff Kinnison (CA), James Ross (CA), Linda Mendenhall (IL),
Lauren King (MA) and Ben Livingood (PA)
Graphic Design: Vanessa Perez
©2008 State Net ISSN: 1521-8449
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