3/11: Record unemployment rates in the South

New York Times: Four Southern states posted record unemployment rates in January

Unemployment rose in 30 states in January according to the Labor Department, and of the top five states, four are in the South: South Carolina, 12.6 percent; Florida, 11.9 percent; North Carolina, 11.1 percent; and Georgia, 10.4 percent.

In South Carolina, the unemployment rate is expected to pass 13% this year. "The worst is not over," said Sam McClary, a labor analyst for the South Carolina employment commission.

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: State's infant mortality rate, out-of-wedlock births are up

ARKANSAS: Gov. Beebe responds to Justice Department's action on mass institution

FLORIDA: Bill to ban texting while driving moves forward in legislature

GEORGIA: RehydrateUS.org launched by Savannah man

KENTUCKY: Political signs banned from state highways

LOUISIANA: State would benefit from cap-and-trade proposal

MISSISSIPPI: State faces federal lawsuit over children's mental health

NORTH CAROLINA: Foreclosure filings up 54% from February 2009

SOUTH CAROLINA: Payback of $2.5 billion in federal loans could take state 5-9 years

TENNESSEE: Racist e-mail from Nashville hospitality CEO could hurt state's tourism industry

VIRGINIA: State is first to ban mandatory health insurance

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2/22: Governors meet in Washington

USA Today: Governors meet in Washington

The winter meeting of the National Governors Association is underway in Washington, and governors from both parties are seeking more financial help from President Obama and Congress. They also want more attention from Washington.

High unemployment in many states has driven down tax collections even as the costs of Medicaid, the joint federal-state health insurance program for low-income people, continue to skyrocket. Thirty-six states have been forced to cut $55.7 billion in fiscal year 2010, the report said, and states eliminated 18,000 jobs in January alone.

And, to add to the problem, 37 governorships -- currently, 19 Democrats and 18 Republicans -- will be decided in November's elections.

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: No-bid clause part of electronic bingo bill in Alabama Senate

ARKANSAS: State's efforts on childhood obesity lauded by First Lady Obama

FLORIDA: Former House Speaker Ray Sansom resigns from legislature on Sunday

GEORGIA: Four-day school weeks get more interest from county BOEs

KENTUCKY: Number of uninsured in Kentucky rises sharply, acco. to survey

LOUISIANA: State's wetlands affected by Mississippi's dams along Missouri River

MISSISSIPPI: Editorial: Alabama, Mississippi need stronger voter ID law

NORTH CAROLINA: Opinion: Toward improving imperfect system

SOUTH CAROLINA: Bill seeks to cut corporate income tax

TENNESSEE: Agricultural tourism proves to be a boon for farmers, state

VIRGINIA: House and Senate adopt competing budget plans on Sunday

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

2/18: Internet access hard to find in MS, AL

Census Bureau says: Hard to find Internet access in Mississippi, Alabama

Data released Wednesday shows that Mississippi and Alabama rank at the bottom nationally in the percentage of households with access to the Internet. Neither state has gotten much help from a $7.2 billion pool of stimulus money to fund broadband expansion.

Only 56.6 percent of homes in Mississippi have Internet access, last in a nation where 73.5 percent of homes have access. In Alabama, 61.7 percent of households have access to the Web.

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: Editorial: Alabama legislature snubs charter schools

ARKANSAS: Gov. Beebe proposes repaying lawmakers' project fund

FLORIDA: Big crowd rallies against EPA's plans for stiffer environmental regulations

GEORGIA: Groups oppose Gov. Perdue's hospital bed tax

KENTUCKY: State is one of eight to take part in early college pilot project

LOUISIANA: Rating the health of the state's parishes

MISSISSIPPI: State House will likely kill proposed soda tax

NORTH CAROLINA: NC Innocence Inquiry Commission frees first wrongly-accused man

SOUTH CAROLINA: Tourism is an $18 billion industry in the state
TENNESSEE: Senate approves Health Freedom Act

VIRGINIA: Gov. McDonnell takes away discrimination protections for state workers

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