4/27: Florida is No. 1 in mortgage fraud

St. Petersburg Times: Florida is No. 1 in mortgage fraud

Florida is the No. 1 state in mortgage fraud, a position it has held for four years in a row. An annual ranking by the Mortgage Asset Research Institute showed that the state has close to three times the expected amount of reported loan fraud and misrepresentation.

The failure to stop Florida's epidemic of mortgage fraud imperils the state's already weak economy.

Georgia ranks 8th in mortgage fraud for the second year in a row.

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: Venture capital funding lags in Alabama, South

ARKANSAS: State is at the top in broadband competition

GEORGIA: State environmental groups want bill on new water rules to pass

KENTUCKY: Gov. Beshear vetoes bill giving General Assembly oversight over more gov't contracts

LOUISIANA: Fragile coastal wetlands threatened by oil spill

MISSISSIPPI: CDC says Mississippi needs stronger anti-tobacco regulations

NORTH CAROLINA: State to distribute radiation-fighting pills to 120,000 living near nuclear plant

SOUTH CAROLINA: Editorial: 50 cents is the least we can do

TENNESSEE: Voter registration dispute leads to TBI investigation, legislature battle

VIRGINIA: Moose lodges in Virginia raided for illegal video gambling

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

4/8: New poll released on top states likely to add jobs

Morris News Service: New poll released on top states likely to add jobs

A report issued by the American Legislative Exchange Council puts four of the South's states in the top ten states most likely to grow jobs. Florida ranked 5th, Virginia ranked 8th, Georgia ranked 9th, and Tennessee ranked 10th.

Economist Arthur Laffer compared each state on 15 factors. Georgia fared in the middle of the pack when it comes to worker's compensation costs, property taxes and the top rate for personal income taxes. Its sales-tax burden as a share of personal income ranked in the bottom third.

One note: South Carolina, which currently is ranked 31st, could catapult toward the top of the list if state legislative efforts to eliminate the state income tax pass.

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: Editorial: An epidemic in Alabama

ARKANSAS: Parents get public school option under state law

FLORIDA: Legislature to take up gambling, education bills

GEORGIA: State sees big jump in number of Medicaid and food stamp applications

KENTUCKY: Mining officials in the state examine safety measures

LOUISIANA: University faculty, students question raising tuition

MISSISSIPPI: Gov. Barbour approves bill requiring quick records response

NORTH CAROLINA: Pollen rate hits 9,632 grains per cubic meter in Winston-Salem

SOUTH CAROLINA: Some S.C. politicians aim to take lead on knocking out health care reform

TENNESSEE: State drops about 100,000 from Medicaid rolls

VIRGINIA: Gov. McDonnell amends Confederate history proclamation to include slavery

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

2/3: Food hardship report: Poverty up in South

Examiner: Food hardship report shows increase in poverty in South

Ten of the eleven states the ThinkSouth blog covers are suffering the highest rates of hunger in America -- Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Louisiana, South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida and Georgia.

Mississippi, the state with the highest incidence of food hardships report, saw their numbers increase when children under the age of 18 were factored into the statistics. Mississippi households without children held a hunger rating of 22.5 percent while Mississippi households with children held a hunger rating of 33.8 percent.

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: State Senate fails to pass $1 billion road construction bill

ARKANSAS: Counselors see increase in gambling addictions in Arkansas

FLORIDA: Including illegal immigrants in census count becomes an issue in Senate race

GEORGIA: PSC wants refund for taxpayers from abandoned Yucca Mtn. nuclear waste project

KENTUCKY: State highway plan could cost $11 billion from 2010-2016

LOUISIANA: Coastal restoration funds in President Obama's proposed 2011 budget

MISSISSIPPI: Commentary: Odds stacked against state lottery

NORTH CAROLINA: State has exhausted ability to borrow money according to new report

SOUTH CAROLINA: Study links port expansion to health problems

TENNESSEE: Nursing home care in state ranks very low

VIRGINIA: Under Gov. McDonnell, death penalty likely to expand

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

1/6: Extended cold spell raises concerns over FL crops

New York Times: Extended cold spell raises concerns over Florida crops

Central and southern Florida are in the grips of a cold spell that could damage the state's orange, strawberry and tomato crops. The weather was also blamed for four deaths in Tennessee and has produced record snowfalls in New England. And, schools were closed in Arkansas and parts of West Virginia due to heavy snow.

In Florida, Gov. Charlie Crist signed an executive order giving state agencies the authority to provide growers help. Farmers are so worried about the effects of a prolonged freeze that Charles H. Bronson, Florida’s agricultural commissioner, asked Mr. Crist on Tuesday to lift a weight limit on trucks that haul produce.

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: Judge halts raid on new gambling center

ARKANSAS: State tax collections continue to decline

GEORGIA: Editorial: Obama effigy in Georgia shows little progress

KENTUCKY: State legislators still planning big projects despite $1 billion shortfall

LOUISIANA: Agencies release details of budget cuts

MISSISSIPPI: Legislature passes two bills on economic development on first day

NORTH CAROLINA: State's tax collection effort nets $427 million

SOUTH CAROLINA: Study shows SC lost $94 million on uncollected Internet sales tax last year

TENNESSEE: Four deaths tied to cold weather in state

VIRGINIA: Gov.-elect to allow Cabinet secretaries to serve on corporate boards

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

9/10: New Ag chairwoman may not change committee's position on climate bill

New York Times: New Ag chairwoman may not change committee's position on climate bill

Even though Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) is an outspoken critic of the cap-and-trade bill, it's not likely that her new position as chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee will significantly alter how the Senate deals with farm concerns in the climate bill.

Concerned that the cap-and-trade bill may increase costs for farmers too much, Lincoln recommended that the Senate instead take a more narrow approach with renewable energy legislation by taking up the energy bill the Energy and Natural Resources Committee passed this summer.

Now as head of one of the more than six committees that could weigh in on global warming this fall, Sen. Lincoln brings a different voice to the climate and farmland conservation discussions than the previous chairman. It will be interesting to watch.

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: University of Alabama researchers tout kudzu's dietary value

ARKANSAS: Sen. Lincoln named head of Senate agriculture committee

FLORIDA: George LeMieux gets ready to be Florida's newest senator

GEORGIA: Three GOP elected officials don't like public option for health care

KENTUCKY: Gov. Beshear urges Congress to extend unemployment benefits

LOUISIANA: State's politicians comment on President Obama's speech

MISSISSIPPI: ACLU files lawsuit against state agency for religious overtones to event

NORTH CAROLINA: State lottery doing well despite general downturn in gambling

SOUTH CAROLINA: Rep. Joe Wilson heckles President Obama during speech

TENNESSEE: Child advocacy group works to block new state foster-care law

VIRGINIA: Now, Gov. Kaine says nearly 600 state employees to be laid off

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

8/19: A look at 2009 legislative sessions

8/19: Stateline: A look at 2009 state legislative sessions

History was made on the political front and on the social policy front, according to a study by Stateline.org. Along with budget issues, state lawmakers also dealt with a variety of contentious social policy questions, ranging from gay marriage to abortion to the death penalty.

The study gives a state-by-state review detailing how states handled budget deficits and the federal stimulus package, as well as trends developing in key areas such as education and health care, notable new legislation, and a chart of completed sessions and political control.

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: Ag commissioner outlines benefits of gambling as way of bringing jobs to state

ARKANSAS: Rep. Snyder says public option to health care reform won't make it through Congress

FLORIDA: State Supreme Court says mediation needed for enormous number of foreclosures

GEORGIA: PSC member wants to know why solar power isn't selling in state

KENTUCKY: State faces major challenges as ACT scores are low

LOUISIANA: State-backed insurance company faces $95 million bill

MISSISSIPPI: Democratic U.S. Rep. Travis Childers says he won't vote for health reform bill in current form

NORTH CAROLINA: State's community colleges review immigrant policy

SOUTH CAROLINA: State leaders talk of offshore drilling impact today

TENNESSEE: Greenpeace releases list of dangerous chemical plants in state

VIRGINIA: Gov. Kaine expected to seek more than $1 billion in budget cuts

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