2/19: States consider Medicaid cuts as enrollment grows

New York Times: States consider Medicaid cuts as enrollment grows

Because states are temporarily barred from reducing eligibility, they have been left to cut “optional benefits,” like dental and vision care, and reduce payments to doctors and other health care providers.

In Georgia, Gov. Sonny Perdue assumed in his budget proposal that the additional federal money would be provided, but that the state would still face a Medicaid imbalance of $608 million, said Dr. Rhonda M. Medows, the commissioner of community health. Mr. Perdue decided it would be unwise to cut optional benefits because that might drive Medicaid patients into expensive emergency rooms. He proposed instead to levy a 1.6 percent tax on hospital and managed care revenues and to cut payments to many providers by nearly 2 percent.

Gov. Phil Bredesen of Tennessee is proposing the largest cuts in the history of TennCare, his state’s Medicaid program. To trim 9 percent of the TennCare budget, he would establish a $10,000 cap on inpatient hospital services for nonpregnant adults and would limit coverage of X-rays, laboratory services and doctor’s office visits.

Concerns about health care costs are likely to dominate the winter meeting of the National Governors Association, which begins Saturday in Washington.

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: Shooting puts spotlight on university tenure process

ARKANSAS: Poultry companies in state accused of polluting sensitive watershed

FLORIDA: Lawmakers scramble to save Florida's space businesses

GEORGIA: Lawmakers take two-week break to tackle $1 billion budget deficit

KENTUCKY: Army plans to blow up stored chemical weapons in Richmond, KY

LOUISIANA: State's per capital debt grows

MISSISSIPPI: State Senate restores budget cuts, Gov. Barbour says he'll veto

NORTH CAROLINA: Charter school debate heats up in NC

SOUTH CAROLINA: State to sue over Yucca Mountain nuclear dump

TENNESSEE: TVA to buy wind power from Iowa

VIRGINIA: State AG files challenge to EPA greenhouse gas regulation

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2/15: VA education groups against charter school plan

VIRGINIA: Education groups are against Virginia's charter school plan

State education groups are voicing opposition to Gov. Bob McDonnell's plan to boost charter schools. Virginia's school boards, superintendents and teacher groups say the measure is unconstitutional because it takes away local school divisions' decision-making power.

They also say it's wrong to potentially divert public funds to create new schools during Virginia's massive budget shortfalls.

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: Gubernatorial candidates lend their campaigns $5 million

ARKANSAS: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries may build wind turbine plant in Arkansas

FLORIDA: U.S. Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart won't seek re-election

GEORGIA: 191 schools to be investigated for cheating on CRCT tests

KENTUCKY: State Senate approves taking in nuclear waste from other states

LOUISIANA: Gov. Jindal to present budget today

MISSISSIPPI: Senate approves one tuition price for in-state, out-of-state college students

NORTH CAROLINA: Lawmakers prepare new clean-government changes

SOUTH CAROLINA: Legislators look at saving millions through funds

TENNESSEE: TVA faces uncertain future as power sales fall

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1/18: Haiti earthquake a foreshadowing of Mississippi Delta quake?

Christian Science Monitor: Haiti earthquake a foreshadowing of Mississippi Delta quake?

Geologists consider the New Madrid fault line a major seismic zone and predict that an earthquake roughly the magnitude of the Haiti earthquake (7.0 on the Richter scale) could occur in the area during the next 50 years. And, the poverty of this area is being compared to that of Haiti.

In many areas, people still live in shanties. Healthcare is sparse. Even clean water is scarce in some places. Often, public and private buildings are decades-old and fragile, needing retrofitting or strengthening. Hundreds of towns could see severe structural damage, and large segments of the population displaced, says Dr. Al-Shukri, director of Arkansas Earthquake Center.

The New Madrid fault zone crosses five state lines and the Mississippi River in at least three places. It extends from northeast Arkansas through southeast Missouri and into western Tennessee, western Kentucky, and southern Illinois.

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: 'Connecting Alabama' broadband initiative head to next phase

ARKANSAS: State leads the nation in battling childhood obesity

FLORIDA: State to push minority count, targeting ten groups, in U.S. Census

GEORGIA: State prisons to go smoke-free by end of the year

KENTUCKY: Bill would make it easier to build nuclear power plants in state

LOUISIANA: Editorial: Keep your eyes on the road

MISSISSIPPI: State BOE to be restructured in next few months

NORTH CAROLINA: Pig power: Business explores using pig manure as source of power

SOUTH CAROLINA: Confederate flag still visible in state, even as it's gone from top of State House dome

TENNESSEE: Sen. Alexander's nuclear push faces many obstacles

VIRGINIA: Lawmakers to consider ethics reform plans

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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

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9/21: Europeans fear U.S. lacks political will on climate change

New York Times: Europeans fear U.S. lacks political will on climate change

Climate talks are to begin this week at the United Nations, and Europeans are expressing little hope that the U.S. Senate will act on a climate bill before the Copenhagen talks begin in December.

European leaders say the American reluctance to accept any agreement that would require legally binding and internationally enforceable targets for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions could doom the Copenhagen session.

And, inaction in the Senate limits the flexibility of the U.S.'s chief climate negotiator, Todd Stern.

The Copenhagen meeting is in three months.

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: New 911 technology could be tested in Alabama

ARKANSAS: Jobless rate falls to 7.1% in state

FLORIDA: Offshore drilling to be pushed again by Florida Energy Associates

GEORGIA: Brutal attack could result in renewed call for hate crime law in Georgia

KENTUCKY: Student test results to be released Wednesday

LOUISIANA: River Bend nuclear power reactor is shut down

MISSISSIPPI: Work begins on state budget

NORTH CAROLINA: State tries new public health insurance program

SOUTH CAROLINA: Immigrants make up 4% of state's population

TENNESSEE: State lawmakers want resolution on highway bill

VIRGINIA: State announces sales tax holiday for appliances

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Megaregion talks held in Charlotte

Charlotte Observer: Megaregion talks held in Charlotte

The 'megaregion,' described as stretching from Raleigh, NC to Birmingham, Ala. , is drawing a lot of attention from elected officials, executives, planning officials, and academics. Closed-door sessions, hosted by Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory and Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, were held on Tuesday to consider the fast-growing urban area.

The megaregion's population is expected to grow by almost 70 percent by 2050, according to estimates presented at the Atlanta forum. Its gross regional product is $1.1 trillion, 10 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product.

A news conference will be held today to allow the mayors to discuss what issues they've identified from the energy, transportation, and environmental sectors.

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: Solution to tri-state water wars is....conservation

ARKANSAS: Chinese ambassador to U.S. says Arkansas is key to trade with China

FLORIDA: State approves plan to build nuclear plant in Levy County

GEORGIA: State's leaders call for immigration reform

KENTUCKY: State's tax revenue receipts show economy is still down

LOUISIANA: Survey shows state's residents vulnerable to swinging oil rates

MISSISSIPPI: Black male enrollment lags at state's colleges

NORTH CAROLINA: Congressman Butterfield faces hecklers at health care forum

SOUTH CAROLINA: Drug addiction running high among S.C.'s health-care workers

TENNESSEE: Editorial: A new role for Tennessee
"If America is headed, however haltingly, toward a more environmentally responsible and energy independent path, Tennessee is well positioned to lead the way."

VIRGINIA: Fairfax Co. schools look at new CDC swine flu strategy

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