1/15: NC, VA consider privatizing liquor sales

Stateline: North Carolina, Virginia consider privatizing liquor stores

North Carolina and Virginia (and Washington) are considering eliminating state-run liquor stores, turning over the sale of booze to the private sector. Currrently, nineteen states control their liquor sales.

Virginia's Gov.-elect McDonnell, who will be sworn in as the state's governor on Saturday (Jan. 16), made privatization of the state’s 300 liquor stores a central theme of his winning campaign last fall. He said it would raise about $500 million in one-time money for transportation, but critics say it will never pass the General Assembly because the state would have to give up about $100 million a year in revenue that helps pay for public schools, human services, prisons and other services.

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: Legislature rejects plan to furlough state workers

ARKANSAS: State official says Medicaid could face big deficit in 2012

FLORIDA: State sets new foreclosure record in 2009

GEORGIA: Gov. Perdue wants regional sales tax to pay for transportation

KENTUCKY: House Speaker Stumbo favors rollback of sales tax

LOUISIANA: State's education system gets a C grade from Quality Counts

MISSISSIPPI: Recovery in Mississippi to be slower, harder says Economic Outlook 2010

NORTH CAROLINA: State law doesn't address freed sex offenders

SOUTH CAROLINA: State Dept. of Natural Resources faces budget crisis, plans layoffs

TENNESSEE: House may act today on teacher tenure legislation

VIRGINIA: Opinion: For Virginia politicians, is a Southern accent a bad thing?

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

11/30: Commentary on Electoral College and the South

Southern Political Report: John Tures: Electoral College is stacked against the South

"How many times have you heard that a candidate can't win the Electoral College without winning the South, only to find somebody prevails by only taking a handful of states below the Mason-Dixon Line? Well, you may be surprised to learn that the South is largely disenfranchised by the Electoral College. In layman's terms, Dixie is getting gypped out of a lot of votes in the Presidential Election.

"Most Southerners I talk to about the subject don't even realize what's happened. After all, they have some of the largest states in the Electoral College, like Texas (34), Florida (27), Georgia (15) and North Carolina (15). Take those four alone and you're about a third of the way to the White House."

(For more, click here)

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: Editorial: Who will lead Alabama recovery?

ARKANSAS: State ranks 40th in overall health as smoking and obesity still problems

FLORIDA: 2009 hurricane season mild for Florida

GEORGIA: State takes more careful approach to public-private toll road planning

KENTUCKY: 'Sin taxes' bring in new revenue for some towns

LOUISIANA: Educators in New Orleans fight hunger in schools

MISSISSIPPI: Alliance built among Southern states to win federal tanker deal

NORTH CAROLINA: State officials see big increase in fake ID labs

SOUTH CAROLINA: A look at state trends in senior tax breaks

TENNESSEE: Lawmakers questioning state program allowing radioactive waste in landfills

VIRGINIA: State's new smoking ban begins December 1

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

9/11: States continue to streamline budgets

Stateline: States continue to streamline budgets

In Louisiana, Gov. Bobby Jindal this year created a new panel to address the question of where the state can find savings.

Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine has announced he would lay off 593 state employees, The Roanoke Times reported. Tens of thousands of other state workers will be forced to take an unpaid furlough day in May. The moves come as Kaine tries to address a $1.5 billion shortfall; it’s the fourth time in the current two-year budget cycle that the governor has had to resort to cuts in spending.

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: State drops high school graduation tests

ARKANSAS: Gov. Beebe says state can be major player in wind energy industry

FLORIDA: State's economic recovery lags behind other states

GEORGIA: Georgia Works program grows, acts as model for other states

KENTUCKY: Marijuana farming rebounds in tough economy

LOUISIANA: More Louisiana students test at the 'basic' level

MISSISSIPPI: Gov. Barbour announces initiative for small businesses

NORTH CAROLINA: Census report shows drop in poverty in state

SOUTH CAROLINA: Constituents comment on Rep. Wilson's outburst

TENNESSEE: State delays approval of megasite, but still supports project

VIRGINIA: Governor's race issues: Taxes, electricity rates

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