Vol. 31 No. 1, January - January 2005
Index
- The female factor.
- Indiana Democrats found themselves completely out of power in the State House for the first time in 16 years when the GOP took control of the House by a 52-48 margin.
- Louisiana Senator Melvin "Kip" Holden became the first black mayor-president of Baton Rouge when he defeated Republican incumbent Bobby Simpson, in a rematch of the 2002 race.
- Maryland's House of Delegates will observe a 300-year-old tradition--unique among the world's legislative bodies--when it convenes in January.
- Oklahoma's first Republican speaker in 80 years, Todd Hiett, says he will "govern with open arms.".
- Reapportionment pitted Green Party Representative John Eder against another incumbent.
- The Colorado legislature switched control, and with at made leadership history.
- The election left the Pennsylvania Senate with one more OP seat and three vacancies.
- Three state legislators who were re-elected in November, couldn't give victory speeches.
- Van Tran became the nation's first Vietnamese-American legislator when he was elected to the California Assembly Nov. 2.
- Comparison shopping for drugs.
- Gains & losses.
- California protects child prostitutes.
- New Jersey seeks second in command.
- Regional changes in legislative seats.
- Supreme Court wrestles with juvenile executions.
- A wild idea.
- Can you hear me now--and again?
- Shoo-in for some.
- The covenant conundrum.
- Who's buckling up the best?
- A soy solution.
- America the colorful.
- Big skies, small salaries.
- Can you spare a dime?
- No Billy goats gruff here.
- Try it, you'll like it.
- State legislatures' top 10: here's a sample of the key policy issues that promise to cross state borders and test political wills.
- Federal Top 10: on the agenda in Washington D.C., are--at the very least--10 issues that state legislators will keep their eyes on.
- Budgets on the rebound? Revenues are showing signs of recovery, but will that be enough to keep state budgets solvent?
- A responsibility for civility: the lack of trust and respect in Congress makes it mighty hard to be effective.
- Fiscal folly? Colorado can't claw its way out of a severe fiscal crisis because of its TABOR amendment, which has the state slashing programs while refunding taxes. Although it has its supporters, others say it has to change. And with new party control, it just might.
- Nuts & bolts of TABOR: Colorado voters approved a constitutional amendment that limits the growth of government like nowhere else.
- Gambling on gaming: revenues from gambling are just too tempting for troubled state budgets.
- How to prevent paper overload: as a legislator or a staff member, you need a strategy for processing all the information that enters your office, or the new session will quickly morph into stress and chaos.
- Rural remedies: sometimes overlooked is the boost a small town's health care workers can give the local economy.
- Symbolmania: by statute or resolution, legislators continue to adopt symbols to represent their state. Do these gestures trivialize the process?
- As they see it.