1/29: Editorial: Share the water across the South

ARKANSAS, Press-Register: Editorial: Share the water across the South

"Negotiate, don't litigate.

"That’s the best advice we can offer officials in Mississippi, Alabama and other Southern states that have been embroiled in long, costly courtroom “water wars.”

"Millions of dollars in legal fees have flowed into the decades-long struggle that pits Georgia against Alabama and Florida. In recent years, time and money have been invested in the fight between Mississippi and the city of Memphis over water in an aquifer that straddles the Mississippi-Tennessee-Arkansas state lines. (More)

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: State lawmakers want President Obama to focus on national security

FLORIDA: State Farm drops 125,000 Florida property policies

GEORGIA: No high-speed rail for Georgia, just funds for feasibility study

KENTUCKY: State partners with Microsoft to offer free technical training

LOUISIANA: Gov. Jindal condemns break-in at Sen. Landrieu's office

MISSISSIPPI: Merger of three Historically Black Colleges 'dead on arrival'

NORTH CAROLINA: Gov. Perdue goes on 'secret vacation' to a 'warm place'

SOUTH CAROLINA: Bill on warrantless search heads to Chamber floor

TENNESSEE: Grassoline: Switchgrass to be used by ethanol refinery in TN

VIRGINIA: Bill to toughen seat-belt law stalls in House

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

1/25: 24 states' laws could be moot with campaign finance change

New York Times: 24 states' laws could be moot with proposed campaign finance change

Laws in 24 states will be directly or indirectly called into question after the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that the federal government may not ban political spending by corporations or unions in candidate elections.

Richard Hasen, an election law specialist at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, said he expected state judicial races to be especially affected by the Supreme Court decision. States like Florida and Ohio can expect to see the biggest and quickest influx of money, as it is relatively expensive to run campaigns and most are competitive.

However, David Primo, a political science professor at the University of Rochester, counseled caution about predicting the impact of the Supreme Court decision. While it grants corporations and unions new access, it is also likely to spur state officials and campaign reform groups to push for new types of restrictions.

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: Unemployment in state hits 11%

ARKANSAS: U.S. Rep. Marion Berry to announce retirement today

FLORIDA: Some expect President Obama to announce billions for high speed rail in Florida

GEORGIA: Report says state's foster care system has problems of abuse and neglect

KENTUCKY: Census officials having a hard time filling jobs in Kentucky

LOUISIANA: Gov. Jindal gets boost with anti-tax stance

MISSISSIPPI: Doctors turn to Iran to find out how to reduce MS's high infant mortality rate

NORTH CAROLINA: N.C. Attorney General suggests way to resolve water issue with S.C.

SOUTH CAROLINA: Lawmakers put off tax evaluation report

TENNESSEE: Regular legislative session opens today with dire budget situation

VIRGINIA: Coalition wants to create offshore wind industry

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12/29: TN legislators want to expand community colleges' mission

TENNESSEE: State legislators want to expand community colleges' mission

Gov. Phil Bredesen is developing an overhaul of the state's education system that could mean more students will attend four-year community college programs.

Lawmakers will open debate next month on a plan meant to cut costs and bolster Tennessee's graduation rate by realigning how the state's two-year colleges and four-year universities work together.

The plan would shift some course work from public universities to community colleges while also making it easier for students to transfer credits between schools.

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: Gov. Riley publishes book touting life in the state

ARKANSAS: New iPhone application lists state's laws

FLORIDA: State Supreme Court orders statewide managed mediation program for glut of foreclosures

GEORGIA: One analyst's look at health reform costs in Georgia

KENTUCKY: Schools await new state standards

LOUISIANA: State's first-time jobless claims drop

MISSISSIPPI: 'Most religious' state is Mississippi

NORTH CAROLINA: State to compete for high-speed rail funding

SOUTH CAROLINA: Little clarity in race to replace Gov. Sanford

VIRGINIA: Drop in 7% noted in state's manufacturing jobs

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12/16: Governors set aggressive timeline for tri-state water plan

Governors set aggressive timeline for tri-state water agreement

The governors of Georgia, Florida and Alabama met Tuesday for two hours to work towards ending the 20-year water war between the states. At issue: The Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river basin.

All three governors will leave office during 2010, putting a greater push on getting an agreement sealed. Georgia Gov. Perdue alluded to the pres­sure of time and politics saying Tuesday that he believed "it would be shameful" to allow the knowledge that the three gover­nors have gained working on the water disputes to transfer to their successors.

Gov. Riley said, "As long as we look at what's best for that Southern region -- these three states -- I'm still convinced that we can reach a resolution."

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: Services to be cut if funds can't be found

ARKANSAS: Report says state is prepared for medical health emergencies

FLORIDA: State DOT criticized for rail bill e-mails

GEORGIA: Governors predict water agreement by end of 2010

KENTUCKY: Gov. Beshear supports payday-loan rate

LOUISIANA: Sen. Landrieu approves current health care bill

MISSISSIPPI: Federal bill includes $150 million for Mississippi projects

NORTH CAROLINA: A look at future growth along N.C. 3

SOUTH CAROLINA: State cuts $238 million from budget

TENNESSEE: Special session called by Gov. Bredesen on schools

VIRGINIA: Drug use is up among youth in Virginia

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12/11: Climate policies as job creators

Center for American Progress: Stronger climate policies will create low-carbon jobs worldwide

From John Podesta, Saya Kitasei and Andrew Light:

"This week, delegates from 192 countries arrived in Copenhagen to move forward on the terms of a new international agreement on curbing carbon pollution. Nevertheless, many countries, including the United States, are under severe attack that the measures they are taking to address climate change cannot be justified while their economies remain weakened by the global recession. The International Labor Organization estimates that global unemployment in 2009 will increase by between 18 million and 50 million relative to 2007. Stimulating growth, reducing unemployment, and maintaining competitiveness have become top priorities around the world.

"Yet growing evidence suggests that investing in a low-carbon economy will not only reduce our dependence on fossil fuels but generate new economic opportunities. In fact, the global recession has increased the urgency of building new industries that can support new jobs and sustainable growth during the 21st century. Policymakers around the world have seized this opportunity, creating renewable energy and energy efficiency provisions in domestic stimulus bills and designing climate legislation to produce dividends in employment and economic growth." More

And in the South:

ALABAMA: State's public schools spend savings to keep doors open

ARKANSAS: Group of medical professionals looks at how state will adjust to Medicaid changes

FLORIDA: Editorial: High-speed rail is on fast track

GEORGIA: Environmentalists say state could do more in water conservation

KENTUCKY: State revenue is up for first time in eleven months

LOUISIANA: Dramatic drop in number of Louisiana smokers noted

MISSISSIPPI: Economist says education was a factor in sluggish state economy

NORTH CAROLINA: Editorial: Keep the reform train rolling

SOUTH CAROLINA: New study shows manufacturing still a mainstay of state's economy

TENNESSEE: Group renews effort to block Tennessee's foster-care law

VIRGINIA: Wind power turbines now allowed in one Virginia county

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

12/7: Rendering a more balanced state tax structure

Statehouse Report: Andy Brack: Rendering a more balanced state tax structure

"With a quarter of the state’s population jobless, underemployed or fed up looking for work, a pretty good case can be made that if the state of South Carolina wants to move past the recession, it needs to seriously rethink its priorities.

"Instead of continuing to do things the same ways they’ve always been done, now might be the best time to shake things up a little. Perhaps it is time to focus more on underfunded areas that, if funded better, could generate real rewards."

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: Jobless hotline in state swamped with calls

ARKANSAS: State to get lottery vending machines in Spring 2010

FLORIDA: House lawmakers to vote on commuter rail today

GEORGIA: Spread of hemlock woolly adelgid worries Georgia foresters

KENTUCKY: State to adopt protocol for death row executions

LOUISIANA: Analysis: Gov. Jindal quiet on Medicaid fix he sought

MISSISSIPPI: Three cities legalize Sunday alcohol sales

NORTH CAROLINA: State Chamber of Commerce talks taxes with state policy makers

SOUTH CAROLINA: Five reasons why Sanford may remain state's governor

TENNESSEE: State improves on ranking of healthy states, moving from 48th to 44th

VIRGINIA: Gov. Kaine proposes expanding health benefits to partners

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

12/3: FDIC report released on bank accounts

AP: FDIC report says South's households more likely to live without banks

Nationwide, of the 1.3 million households that stopped having bank accounts in 2008, more than 31 percent said they closed them because of overdraft fees, service charges or high minimum balance rules. A slightly larger group, 34.1 percent, said they did not have enough money to need an account, the report says.

As noted in Southern Political Report, the South has the highest percentage of households which don't have checking or saving accounts, and Mississippi has the highest percentage in the country with 16.4 percent, followed by Georgia and Alabama.

Instead of banks, those without accounts rely on pawn shops, checking services, payday loans or similar non-bank instruments to meet their financial needs.

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: Two insurers to cut property owners' Gulf Coast wind coverage

ARKANSAS: 10% of Arkansas households have no bank account

FLORIDA: Rail project is the subject of today's special legislative session

GEORGIA: Ethics complaint considered against House Speaker Richardson

KENTUCKY: State extends unemployment benefits

LOUISIANA: Reasons for farmers to support action against global warming

MISSISSIPPI: Gov. Barbour to announce more budget cuts on Thursday

NORTH CAROLINA: New fund created to invest in state businesses

SOUTH CAROLINA: Economists say state's recession will last through 2010

TENNESSEE: Another candidate drops out of governor's race

VIRGINIA: Three days left on tax amnesty

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