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

8/21: Older Americans' concerns over health care not irrational

8/21: New York Times: Older Americans' concerns over health care not irrational

Bills in Congress, if passed, would "squeeze savings out of Medicare on the assumption that doctors and hospitals can be more efficient." President Obama has also said Medicare and private insurers could improve care and save money by following advice from a new federal panel of medical experts on “what treatments work best.”

Mr. Obama has repeatedly said, “Nobody is talking about cutting Medicare benefits.” At the same time, he wants to eliminate what he describes as “unwarranted subsidies” and giveaways to private Medicare Advantage plans, which use some of the money to provide extra benefits.

Knowing that Medicare itself faces a financial crisis, many older Americans object to Congress’s tapping the program to help pay for coverage of the uninsured.

This debate will likely continue for some time.

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: Gov. Riley named chairman of Southern Governors' Association

ARKANSAS: Prisoners provide labor for food bank programs

FLORIDA: State leads nation in rate of mortgage problems

GEORGIA: State's only corn ethanol plant faces bankruptcy

KENTUCKY: Jobless rate hits 11% in state

LOUISIANA: State to propose help for hurricane-damaged homes

MISSISSIPPI: Big stimulus grant goes to SmartSynch to help manage energy use at public facilities

NORTH CAROLINA: Labor unions invest in state's Democrats

SOUTH CAROLINA: New deal may end push for planned coal-burning power plant

TENNESSEE: TVA to increase electric rates, borrow billions

VIRGINIA: Creigh Deeds' speech set to brand him as moderate pragmatist

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