2/12: Home heating aid shifts to the South

ABC News: Home heating aid shifts to the South

The recent cold snap in the Deep South has sucked federal emergency home heating dollars away from traditional cold-weather states, causing heating aid to dry up faster than usual in many northern states.

Last month, $490 million in emergency heating funds were released by the Obama administration once a formula that took into account colder-than-normal temperatures and, for the first time, unemployment levels. Both of these factors favored the South.

Emergency funding more than tripled for Florida and Georgia, and more than doubled in North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas.

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: Bill to create charter schools in state is tabled indefinitely

ARKANSAS: Fiscal session's first week ends with no-raise expense bill in place

FLORIDA: State sees decline in illegal immigrants

GEORGIA: Details on CRCT cheating at public schools released

KENTUCKY: Hundreds take part in rRally against mountaintop removal held in Frankfort

LOUISIANA: Gov. Jindal's $24 billion budget spares higher education

MISSISSIPPI: Gov. Barbour signs bill to restrict over-the-counter medicines used in meth making

NORTH CAROLINA: Editorial: Pressing for justice

SOUTH CAROLINA: Report shows state needs tougher jobless laws

TENNESSEE: State to resume enrollment in CoverKids, the uninsured children's program

VIRGINIA: State budget continues to be a mystery

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

12/23: Census reports slow growth in states

USAToday: Census reports slow growth in states

New state population estimates show Louisiana added 40,563 residents, a 0.9% increase -- nearly to the population level before Hurricane Katrina.

In the South, Georgia, Florida, and North Carolina saw increases of 16% or more, and Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky and Louisiana saw growth of under 10% as compared with population numbers recorded in 2000.

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: U.S. Rep. Parker Griffith announces he'll switch parties

ARKANSAS: Immigrant population expanding in state

FLORIDA: State leaders plan statewide conference on job creation

GEORGIA: Task force says Lake Lanier is Atlanta's best source for drinking water

KENTUCKY: State's Race to the Top program doesn't include charter schools

LOUISIANA: Gov. Jindal balances budget by cutting $248 million from state agencies

MISSISSIPPI: Special Gulf Coast census under consideration

NORTH CAROLINA: Sen. Kay Hagan defends health care bill tradeoffs

SOUTH CAROLINA: New poll says electorate is tired of Sanford drama

TENNESSEE: Attorney General to appeal the guns-in-bars decision

VIRGINIA: Incoming governor names Sean Connaughton as state's transportation secretary

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

9/29: Ala. officials worried about Ga.'s reservoir idea

Birmingham News: Ala. officials worried about Ga.'s reservoir plan for Coosa River

A proposed 2,000-acre reservoir in north Georgia has Alabama officials worried that too much water will be taken from the Coosa River.

The plan to pipe 100 million gallons a day into metro Atlanta still has a load of legal and political hurdles to clear in Georgia, but it could open a new front in the water wars.

"Alabama cannot accept the building of a new reservoir that would simply add to the problem by adding to what's already being taken," said Todd Stacy, a spokesman for Alabama Gov. Bob Riley, the state's lead negotiator in the water wars. He would not speculate if Alabama would go to court to stop the project. However, he did say that "Governor Riley will do what is necessary to protect Alabama's water resources."

Also in the South:

ARKANSAS: State begins lottery ticket sales

FLORIDA: Convicted felons working in some nursing homes, investigation finds

GEORGIA: Census shows nearly 26,000 metro Atlanta families now in poverty

KENTUCKY: Vulgarity continues in Mongiardo's Senate race

LOUISIANA: State's poverty rate remains high, according to census

MISSISSIPPI: Gov. Barbour makes economic trip to Asia

NORTH CAROLINA: Immigrant policy at community colleges could face challenge

SOUTH CAROLINA: Gov. Sanford sets up mass transit council

TENNESSEE: Senate Speaker wants delay of Voter Confidence Act

VIRGINIA: Gov. Kaine talks about tax amnesty program

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

9/17: Dixie Democrats key to labor bill

Southern Political Report: Hastings Wyman: Dixie Democrats key to labor bill

"The AFL-CIO and other unions began a major lobbying push earlier this month to pass the Employee Freedom of Choice Act (EFCA), which would make it easier for unions to organize non-union concerns. However, EFCA’s chief backer, US Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), has since told a union audience that the bill will not likely come up for a vote this year. The death of Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA), who supported the measure, as well as the opposition of at least one Democratic senator -- Blanche Lincoln (AR) -- means that Harkin doesn’t have the 60 votes necessary to stop a filibuster against the measure.

"But even that is not a sure thing. On September 15, recently minted Democrat Arlen Specter (PA) told a national AFL-CIO meeting in Philadelphia that a compromise is in the works which will be “totally acceptable to labor” and will pass Congress before the year is out. The revised bill will reportedly omit the controversial “card check” provision which would allow unionization of a company without an actual election. If the card check is deleted, some wavering Democrats might decide to support the bill." More...

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: Infant mortality rate declines during 2008 in Alabama

ARKANSAS: State's workers won't be affected by federal takeover of pension plans

FLORIDA: State criticized again for ignoring suggestions on fixing death penalty

GEORGIA: Tax breaks draw film industry to Georgia, boosting economy

KENTUCKY: 47 jobs eliminated by state judicial branch

LOUISIANA: Tom Baxter: It's no easy task, tackling corruption in New Orleans

MISSISSIPPI: Gov. Barbour defends budget cuts to statewide audience

NORTH CAROLINA: State educators to vote on immigrant policy

SOUTH CAROLINA: Report says state could gain jobs, revenue with offshore drilling

TENNESSEE: State AG fights misleading 'notario publico' ads aimed at Hispanics

VIRGINIA: Another 200 state workers face layoffs

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