2/5: Senate likely to be less diverse after elections

Washington Post: Senate likely to be less diverse after elections

In contests in Florida, Texas and North Carolina, black candidates face daunting challenges to joining the Senate, from difficulty raising cash to lack of name recognition to formidable rivals.\\

By next year, the number of black Senators could be zero, despite the fact that 12.2% of the population is black. David Bositis, a senior political analyst with the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, noted that blacks don't make up the majority population in any state and in states where there are large numbers of blacks, as in the South, there are racial divisions that make getting elected difficult.

Florida is more likely to produce the next Hispanic senator than it is the next black senator.

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: Legislation on using Alabama Trust Fund for roads and bridges is withdrawn

ARKANSAS: FEMA to provide federal funding to state for flood damage

FLORIDA: 7.5% drop in property taxes over three years hurts state's budget

GEORGIA: State gets a "D" from voter rights group

KENTUCKY: House approves ban on texting while driving

LOUISIANA: Sen. Landrieu defends $400 million Medicaid deal

MISSISSIPPI: State stops prison growth by releasing more nonviolent offenders

NORTH CAROLINA: Sen. Larry Shaw says he won't seek re-election

SOUTH CAROLINA: Conference to draw 200 to discuss future of state's land use

TENNESSEE: Sen. Alexander introduces bill to reduce mercury emissions

VIRGINIA: Bill to end ban on radar detectors advances

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8/17: Reforestation proposed for Central Appalachia

Kentucky: 125 million tree program proposed for Appalachian mine sites

A group is proposing a massive reforestation plan to plant 125 million trees on Appalachia mine sites that were cleared or leveled and is seeking $422 million in federal funds for the project.

The goal is to put back trees on hundreds of thousands of acres where they once stood, but which coal companies reclaimed as grassland after surface mining over the last three decades.

The plan could boost the economy in one of the nation's most chronically poor areas, ultimately providing an estimated 2,000 jobs for forestry technicians, tree-planters, bulldozer operators and others, backers estimate. It could also improve water quality in streams, help soak up carbon dioxide and boost the economy by expanding the wood-products economy.

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: Gov. Riley signs occupational tax into law to benefit Jefferson County

ARKANSAS: 68 hospitals to become part of state's new trauma system

FLORIDA: Healthcare debate impacted by campaign donations from insurance companies

GEORGIA: Impact of water wars to be reach across the state

KENTUCKY: GOP Senate candidate Rand Paul predicts death of grandmothers under Obama's plan

LOUISIANA: State agencies cutting jobs, reducing work hours as budgets shrink

MISSISSIPPI: GOP spends time, money to push for voter ID on ballot

NORTH CAROLINA: Property rights took a hit this year in General Assembly

SOUTH CAROLINA: A look at how the GOP is doing in aftermath of Sanford affair

TENNESSEE: State's high-cost public insurance experiment fuels health care debate

VIRGINIA: UVA-UM study shows ancient slash-and-burn farming may have altered global climate

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