3/31: Redistricting to result from census

Stateline: Redistricting to result from census

Texas is expected to pick up three congressional seats when the census is finalized. Other states that are expected to pick up a seat in Congress and play a primary role in redrawing districts include Florida, Georgia, Nevada, South Carolina and Utah. Arizona and Washington are slated to pick up at least one new congressional seat, but these states use commissions to draw new lines.

The Constitution leaves it up to the state to determine the method it wants to use for redistricting. In all but about a dozen states, state legislators and governors play key roles in the process, while commissions are in charge in the other states.

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: House passes Education Trust Fund budget

ARKANSAS: State agency threatened by new student loan law

FLORIDA: Massive protest aimed at education bill under consideration in FL legislature

GEORGIA: State to consider selling property surplus to save $230 million over five years

KENTUCKY: State wants to improve its chances on Race to the Top round two

LOUISIANA: Gov. Jindal tells legislators: "We will not raise taxes"

MISSISSIPPI: State tightens rules on release of mentally ill acquitted of crime

NORTH CAROLINA: State's poultry farms to increase

SOUTH CAROLINA: Debate over cigarette tax to begin today in legislature

TENNESSEE: House committee's surprise move ends attempt to ban mountaintop mining

VIRGINIA: President Obama to allow gas and oil drilling off VA coast

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

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

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

9/16: Florida's health insurance program has no clients

St. Petersburg Times: Florida's health insurance program has no clients

Florida Health Choices, a program touted as a solution to the state's high rate of uninsured last year by the GOP House leaders, still has no insurers or businesses signed up.

A program created by Gov. Crist at the same time, "Cover Florida," has only 4,130 policies while the number of uninsured in the state has grown to 3.6 million.

These results mean neither Gov. Crist nor Marco Rubio, his opponent in the GOP primary for U.S. Senate, can use these programs as campaign fodder.

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: Poultry industry in Alabama closely watching trade battle with China

ARKANSAS: Problem gambler program sets up in state as lottery gears up for first day

GEORGIA: President Carter comments on Rep. Wilson's outburst: "(It's) based on racism"

KENTUCKY: Electric vehicles to be built in state by Global Green Cars

LOUISIANA: Federal health officials say state owes $362 million for Medicaid overpayments

MISSISSIPPI: Proposed $43 million program could create 4,800 jobs in state

NORTH CAROLINA: State expands foreclosure prevention program

SOUTH CAROLINA: Rep. Wilson's son defends dad's outburst

TENNESSEE: State solar project gets federal approval

VIRGINIA: Tax collections down 6.6% in August

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