1/15: NC, VA consider privatizing liquor sales

Stateline: North Carolina, Virginia consider privatizing liquor stores

North Carolina and Virginia (and Washington) are considering eliminating state-run liquor stores, turning over the sale of booze to the private sector. Currrently, nineteen states control their liquor sales.

Virginia's Gov.-elect McDonnell, who will be sworn in as the state's governor on Saturday (Jan. 16), made privatization of the state’s 300 liquor stores a central theme of his winning campaign last fall. He said it would raise about $500 million in one-time money for transportation, but critics say it will never pass the General Assembly because the state would have to give up about $100 million a year in revenue that helps pay for public schools, human services, prisons and other services.

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: Legislature rejects plan to furlough state workers

ARKANSAS: State official says Medicaid could face big deficit in 2012

FLORIDA: State sets new foreclosure record in 2009

GEORGIA: Gov. Perdue wants regional sales tax to pay for transportation

KENTUCKY: House Speaker Stumbo favors rollback of sales tax

LOUISIANA: State's education system gets a C grade from Quality Counts

MISSISSIPPI: Recovery in Mississippi to be slower, harder says Economic Outlook 2010

NORTH CAROLINA: State law doesn't address freed sex offenders

SOUTH CAROLINA: State Dept. of Natural Resources faces budget crisis, plans layoffs

TENNESSEE: House may act today on teacher tenure legislation

VIRGINIA: Opinion: For Virginia politicians, is a Southern accent a bad thing?

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