4/23: Group says MS youth are unfit for military service

Clarion-Ledger: Nonprofit group says Mississippi youth are unfit for military service

Mission: Readiness, a nonprofit group of retired military officers, said Thursday that 75% of 17-24 year olds are not qualified for military service. In Mississippi, they cite the low graduation rate, high childhood obesity and large numbers of youth in the justice system as problems for the state and for national security.

"We need to support long-term strategies in our state that will help our young people in Mississippi maintain healthy lifestyles, help them to succeed in school and help keep them on the right side of the law," retired Brig. Gen. Augustus Collins said.

"If we can give our kids a good solid foundation, we won't have to deal with these other problems, and that solid foundation comes with early childhood education," Shields said. Mississippi is the only state in the nation without a state-funded pre-kindergarten program.

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: Legislative session ends without passing ethics reform

ARKANSAS: Former Pres. Clinton in Little Rock promoting green energy

FLORIDA: Gov. Crist signs into law a bill that expands use of private-school vouchers

GEORGIA: More state employees seeking retirement as future is uncertain

KENTUCKY: State Supreme Court strikes down aid to private religious school

LOUISIANA: Ecological risk grows as oil rig sinks off Louisiana coast

NORTH CAROLINA: Ten sites chosen by Duke Energy for solar panels

SOUTH CAROLINA: Loophole has allowed SC political caucuses to spend secretly

TENNESSEE: House Speaker threatens to remove two lawmakers over tax quarreling

VIRGINIA: State to end criticized test for special needs students

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

11/10: SPR: 21st Century agenda in works for South

Southern Political Report: Tom Baxter: Group attempts to forge 21st Century agenda for region

"What kind of place do you want the South to be in 2020? That thought-provoking question was the subject which brought together more than 30 planners, politicians, academics and journalists – your humble scribe included – for a conference at Davidson College this past weekend by the Center for a Better South.

"The Center for a Better South is the grandchild of the LQC Lamar Society, which was founded in 1969 by a group of young Southern leaders, including former Mississippi Gov. William Winter, former North Carolina Sen. Terry Sanford, Alabama publisher H. Brandt Ayers and Mississippi writer Willie Morris, to forge a vision for a post-segregation South that would, as Sanford once put it, 'avoid making Northern mistakes in a Southern setting.'

"Proposing an agenda for the region took more courage 40 years ago took more courage than it does today, but arguably it has never been harder, in what the center’s president, Andy Brack, described as 'increasingly partisan and media-saturated world of small soundbites for big problems.'"

(Read more.)

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: Editorial: Alabama needs a tougher ethics law and it needs to be enforced

ARKANSAS: Pedestrians in state face more danger than many

FLORIDA: Gov. Crist moves away from previous support of stimulus package

GEORGIA: Smoking ban in state extended to prisons

KENTUCKY: State Chamber says state workers should pay more for health insurance

LOUISIANA: State turns to 'career diplomas' to cut high school dropout rate

MISSISSIPPI: State considers textbook rental system at public universities

NORTH CAROLINA: State pays millions to for state vehicles to sit parked

SOUTH CAROLINA: Wind turbines could be 8 miles offshore in SC

TENNESSEE: Nashville the site of today's Tennessee Solar Symposium

VIRGINIA: Rep. Perriello defends 'yes' vote on health bill

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

9/8: Florida GOP chairman reverses course on Obama's speech

Washington Post: Florida GOP chairman reverses course on Obama's speech

The speech that President Obama will give to school children today at 1 p.m. has generated a lot of news.

After last week's comments from Florida GOP chairman Jim Greer, who accused the president of trying to "indoctrinate America's children to his socialist agenda," the actual reading of the remarks elicited a different response. Greer said he'll now let his children watch. "It's a good speech," Greer said Monday. "It encourages kids to stay in school and the importance of education, and I think that's what a president should do."

Some schools will be showing the speech live, while others will record it and show it at another time -- or not at all.

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: Gov. Riley heads to Europe to recruit businesses

ARKANSAS: State lawmakers taking a look at prison after incidents

FLORIDA: New tax on tobacco results in lower sales of cigarettes

GEORGIA: Budget cuts mean cases piling up in state's courts

KENTUCKY: Global Green Cars to build electric vehicle plant in Kentucky

LOUISIANA: Economist says state's shrimpers face 'fight of their lives'

MISSISSIPPI: AG Jim Hood challenges Gov. Barbour on partial vetoes

NORTH CAROLINA: Outer Banks Ocean Energy Corp. wants to build offshore wind farm

SOUTH CAROLINA: State's lawmakers staking out key roles in the health care debate

TENNESSEE: Solar farm project waiting on federal approval

VIRGINIA: Gov. Kaine says state employees must take one furlough day

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

8/27: States tap rainy-day funds

Stateline: States tap rainy-day funds to shore up budgets

Alabama's rainy-day fund, which is designated for education, has been emptied to shore up the budget for the current fiscal year. At least 11 states have accessed their emergency funds -- including Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi, in order to provide services to residents.

Despite the risks to future budget cycles, budget experts support the use of rainy day funds during hard times.

“The rainy day funds exist to help states buy some time while they consider where they might need to cut their budget or where they might want to raise taxes, so I think it makes sense to withdraw money … in the current situation,” said Liz McNichol, a senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), a group that tracks government spending on low-income families.

In Alabama, for example, the reserve money helped shield schools from scarring funding reductions.

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: State Republicans want Democratic state Rep. Terry Spicer to resign

ARKANSAS: U.S. Trade Symposium to be held across state during September

FLORIDA: State loses 42,300 manufacturing jobs in the past 12 months

GEORGIA: Solar power becoming more attractive option in Georgia

KENTUCKY: 'Almighty God' reference in state homeland security law struck down

LOUISIANA: The Black infant mortality rate and the role racism plays

MISSISSIPPI: Unemployment rate now above 10%

NORTH CAROLINA: Pamlico Sound noted as best spot for utility-scale wind energy farm

SOUTH CAROLINA: Gov. Sanford resists Lt. Gov. Bauer's call to resign

TENNESSEE: Sen. Bob Corker speaks out against AARP

VIRGINIA: GOP leaders put pressure on powerful GOP legislator to resign before party is hurt

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

8/19: A look at 2009 legislative sessions

8/19: Stateline: A look at 2009 state legislative sessions

History was made on the political front and on the social policy front, according to a study by Stateline.org. Along with budget issues, state lawmakers also dealt with a variety of contentious social policy questions, ranging from gay marriage to abortion to the death penalty.

The study gives a state-by-state review detailing how states handled budget deficits and the federal stimulus package, as well as trends developing in key areas such as education and health care, notable new legislation, and a chart of completed sessions and political control.

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: Ag commissioner outlines benefits of gambling as way of bringing jobs to state

ARKANSAS: Rep. Snyder says public option to health care reform won't make it through Congress

FLORIDA: State Supreme Court says mediation needed for enormous number of foreclosures

GEORGIA: PSC member wants to know why solar power isn't selling in state

KENTUCKY: State faces major challenges as ACT scores are low

LOUISIANA: State-backed insurance company faces $95 million bill

MISSISSIPPI: Democratic U.S. Rep. Travis Childers says he won't vote for health reform bill in current form

NORTH CAROLINA: State's community colleges review immigrant policy

SOUTH CAROLINA: State leaders talk of offshore drilling impact today

TENNESSEE: Greenpeace releases list of dangerous chemical plants in state

VIRGINIA: Gov. Kaine expected to seek more than $1 billion in budget cuts

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