3/8: NC's Gov. Perdue wants census count change

NORTH CAROLINA: Gov. Perdue wants a census change on how deployed troops are counted

Gov. Beverly Perdue is focusing on changing the way deployed troops are counted. Currently, military personnel in the United States are counted as living in their barracks or off-base residence where they spend most of their time. But deployed soldiers are counted by either their home state, their legal residence or the last base they were assigned to before deploying.

Gov. Perdue wants deployed soldiers counted by their base assignments, which could mean more federal money coming to the state (up to $641.5 million over the next ten years).

While it's not likely to change for this census count, it could be considered for the 2020 census.

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: Experts say alternative energy could boost Alabama's revenue

ARKANSAS: Gov. Beebe: Making Arkansas count

FLORIDA: South Florida tourism aims to appeal to Chinese tourists

GEORGIA: State's use of medical reprieves for inmates on the rise

KENTUCKY: General Assembly enters tenth week of 2010 session

LOUISIANA: Civil Service Commission backs pay-raise plan for 61,000 state workers

MISSISSIPPI: Education and prisons at the top of budget discussions at Capitol

SOUTH CAROLINA: State's budget more dependent on fines, fees than one would think

TENNESSEE: State proposes tax on free hotel breakfasts

VIRGINIA: State AG tells colleges to end gay protections

If you have a news story about public policy to suggest, send an email to info@bettersouth.org

2/16: Urban, rural areas battle over prison population count

NPR: Urban, rural areas battle over who gets to count prison population in census

Prison inmates are counted as residents of the prisons where they are locked up, which can inflate the population of mostly white, rural towns with prisons. Activists say counting the prisoners in the census unfairly shifts political and economic power away from the poor, innercity areas where most inmates came from.

As reported last week in The New York Times, a number of states, including Florida, are considering legislation requiring that prisoners be counted at their last known address — for purposes of reapportionment, a change that would likely favor larger and mostly Democratic cities.

However, Rep. William Lacy Clay (D-Missouri), who is chairman of the census subcommittee, said the 2010 census “will again be counting incarcerated people as residents of the rural, predominantly white communities that contain prisons.”

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: State Senate enters bingo battle -- to legalize or not

ARKANSAS: Gov. Beebe reports more than $1 million raised in January for campaign

FLORIDA: Editorial: Oil drilling could change Florida for the worse

GEORGIA: Gov. Perdue's plan to use lottery funds may be unconstitutional

KENTUCKY: New report shows Kentucky, Tennessee rank low in quality of life

LOUISIANA: Mardi Gras 2010 kicks off

MISSISSIPPI: State sees transition in farming from crops to tree farms

NORTH CAROLINA: Analysts say it'll be a tough election year for state Democrats

SOUTH CAROLINA: Naturalists worried about boom in feral hog population

TENNESSEE: Stimulus funds to pay for health information technology improvements

VIRGINIA: Lawmakers look to loosen firearm restrictions in state

If you have a news story about public policy to suggest, send an email to info@bettersouth.org

2/11: Pew Center releases State of the States 2010

Stateline: Pew Center releases State of the States 2010

The State of the States 2010 report looks at the larger trends that have the potential to change state government in lasting ways. The report says that states still are working to find the bottom of a fiscal crisis prolonged by historic revenue drops, eye-popping budget deficits, double-digit unemployment in more than a dozen states and rising demands for social services.

The report could help inform choices made by policy makers and voters in the upcoming year.

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: New report says more black students taking AP exams

ARKANSAS: Gov. Beebe's spending plan for upcoming year stalls in Senate

FLORIDA: Congressman promotes U.S. Senate campaign by sponsoring NASCAR vehicle

GEORGIA: "Suspicious" school test scores widespread across state

KENTUCKY: Gov. Beshear, three others defend Toyota

LOUISIANA: State says State Farm's 19% rate hike is 'unreasonable'

MISSISSIPPI: Legislature gives first OK to guns in parks, restaurants

NORTH CAROLINA: Foreclosures in state rose 32% from a year ago

SOUTH CAROLINA: Bill to give students healthier foods advances in legislature

TENNESSEE: Lawmaker pushes for juvenile sex offender registry

VIRGINIA: Gov. McDonnell wants state to have more charter schools

If you have a news story about public policy to suggest, send an email to info@bettersouth.org

1/14: AL religous groups fight gambling legislation

ALABAMA: Religious groups to fight gambling legislation

Religious groups are lining up to fight legislation that would expand and tax gambling in the state.

On Wednesday in Montgomery, the Rev. Jimmy Jackson, president of the Alabama Baptist State Convention, called gambling "an evil" that the Legislature should stop. The Rev. Joe Godfrey, director of the Alabama Citizen Action Program, said he opposes letting Alabama citizens vote on expanding gambling. He said operators and machine manufacturers would spend millions on the referendum, and opponents couldn't match that.

Also in the South:

ARKANSAS: Arkansas Works program expanded by Gov. Beebe

FLORIDA: Most of Florida Power & Light $1 billion rate hike request rejected

GEORGIA: Senator Shafer pushes water conservation bill

KENTUCKY: Senate panel passes nuclear power bill

LOUISIANA: Attorney General files lawsuit over tainted Chinese drywall

MISSISSIPPI: Leaky water system causes fourth day of government shut down

NORTH CAROLINA: Gov. Perdue unveils education initiative aimed at improving achievement

SOUTH CAROLINA: State House censures Gov. Sanford, 102-11

TENNESSEE: House panel calls for moratorium on traffic cameras

VIRGINIA: Gov.-elect McDonnell won't push to remove corporate income tax

If you have a news story about public policy to suggest, send an email to info@bettersouth.org

1/11: Ga. bills would allow guns in more places, including church

GEORGIA: New House, Senate bills would allow guns in more places, including church

Four bills on guns are up for discussion during the legislative session that begins today in Georgia. One, House Bill 615, would make it a crime to take a firearm, knife or explosive into a building that has a courtroom, jail or prison. However, it would also remove existing restrictions on bringing a gun to a church or political rally, among other locations.

State Rep. Tim Bearden said his bill’s purpose is to clarify the definition of “public gathering” and get a head start on an expected future decision on the Second Amendment by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: Lawmakers divided over furloughs for state workers

ARKANSAS: Gov. Beebe concerned about lottery's impact on state revenues

FLORIDA: An indepth look at Gov. Charlie Crist and his run for the Senate

KENTUCKY: Cow waste experiment nets power at Western Kentucky University

LOUISIANA: State plans to handle invasive Asian carp by putting them on dinner tables

MISSISSIPPI: Gov. Barbour wants to turn South Mississippi into container ship hub

NORTH CAROLINA: State's first ethanol plant to get first shipment of corn February 1

SOUTH CAROLINA: Commentary: More work needed on Palmetto Priorities

TENNESSEE: Teachers worried about education reform that would tie tenure to test scores

VIRGINIA: A look at the upcoming legislative session's biggest issue -- the budget

If you have a news story about public policy to suggest, send an email to info@bettersouth.org

11/24: South Atlantic households to spend less this holiday season

Atlanta Business Chronicle: South Atlantic states' residents to spend less this holiday season

A survey published by The Conference Board says states in the South Atlantic will spend an average of $346, while households in the nation as a whole will spend an average of $390. Last year, the national estimate was $418.

"Consumers are approaching the holiday season very cautiously," said Lynn Franco, director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Center, in a statement. "Job losses and uncertainty about the future are making for a very frugal shopper. Retailers will need to be quite creative to entice consumers to spend, both in stores and online this holiday season, as consumers most certainly will expect major markdowns and bargains."

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: Central Alabama high school students struggle to read

ARKANSAS: A look at Gov. Beebe's 'rising star'

FLORIDA: Coalition says pending federal pollution rules won't be worth the cost

GEORGIA: Outside second-hand smoking risks tested by UGA researchers

KENTUCKY: Gov. Beshear asked to halt executions until death penalty study is complete

LOUISIANA: State says dredged river sediment could be used to rebuild coast

MISSISSIPPI: State sets up new accountability system for all schools

NORTH CAROLINA: Leaky underground oil tanks a problem for the state

SOUTH CAROLINA: Hate crimes on the increase in South Carolina

TENNESSEE: State lawmakers seek delay of workers' comp bill

VIRGINIA: Gov. Kaine hasn't ruled out tax increases to deal with budget

If you have a news story about public policy to suggest, send an email to info@bettersouth.org

10/5: Prepaid state college plans may not cover all costs

New York Times: Prepaid state college plans may not cover all costs

In the last year, the slump in the stock market and rising college costs have put all but two of the 18 prepaid college savings plans in the red.

South Carolina’s plan overseers have developed doomsday scenarios, capping how much a family would get if the program shut down completely.

Alabama closed its program to new enrollees because the fund lost almost half of its assets — more than $300 million — in the stock market in the last year, and the state might have to put its own money in to keep it solvent.

Between them, the 18 state funds serve nearly 1.6 million families and hold $23.8 billion in assets, ranging from Tennessee’s small $80 million fund serving 9,700 families to Florida’s massive $8.7 billion fund that serves about 850,000 families.

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: Military retirees stunned by 21% inpatient fee hike

ARKANSAS: Gov. Beebe responds to $55.8 million shortfall in revenue

FLORIDA: Gov. Crist gets bad media coverage lately

GEORGIA: State gets another blow in water wars as drinking water not considered in study

KENTUCKY: Gov. Beshear heads to China, Japan on trade mission

LOUISIANA: Autism numbers more prevalent than previously thought

MISSISSIPPI: Revenues down dramatically in September

NORTH CAROLINA: State asks for $5.3 billion for trains

SOUTH CAROLINA: Water Wars, Part Two: SC, NC battle over Catawba River

VIRGINIA: DNC to pump another $1 million into gubernatorial race

If you have a news story about public policy to suggest, send an email to info@bettersouth.org