Issue 2 -- January 29th, 2004 -- State Edition
ALICE offers high-wage, low-waste, worker-friendly, publicly-accountable state and local policy. Our website serves as a collaborative clearinghouse for local elected officials, activists, organizations, and issue experts who want a map and a vehicle to take the high road.
High Road: Eliminate Predatory Lending
In Indiana, legislators are pushing to tighten predatory lending laws. The house committee restricted certain home-loan practices, especially when loans include high fees and interest rates. The banned practices include multiple refinancing that doesn’t benefit borrowers, the financing of insurance policies through home loans, and certain late-payment fees. South Dakota is also looking hard at changing payday lending laws, and Oklahoma just instituted the “Don’t Borrow Trouble” Network. In Pennsylvania, the Attorney General says predatory lending is a "serious problem". For more, visit ACORN’s page to Stop Predatory Lending.
Low Road: Ohio Anti-Worker Legislation
As the legislature attempts to alter Ohio work rules through a series of corporate-friendly proposals, it’s worth pulling back the curtain to expose the wizard of worst practices. This ALEC Bill actually eliminates employer responsibility for worker safety, requiring that employees must prove that drug and alcohol use did not cause a workplace accident. Currently, the burden is on employers to show that drug and alcohol use caused a workplace accident, rather than assuming automatic fault of the employee. This bill takes the low road, automatically assuming a worker is on drugs or alcohol. Perhaps the same ought to be asked of those who concocted this bill. For more, visit ALICE’s low road section to get the scoop on worst practices.
Trailblazers: Leaders in the States (Special Edition on Children)
Arizona: Welfare reform viewed as model
Efforts to reform child welfare could be a case study for other states struggling to provide protection for abused and neglected children.
Nebraska: 3 child-protection bills are introduced
The proposals set caps on child protection worker caseloads, revamp the way allegations of abuse and neglect are prosecuted, and expand the authority of the Foster Care Review Board.
Pennsylvania: Bill to protect foster children
Legislation would tighten the screening process for foster parents, asking county child welfare agencies to consider additional factors, including protection-from-abuse orders, divorce proceedings, financial stability and drug and alcohol-related arrests and hospitalizations.
Florida: Democrats push for kid care
In a rare show of ''put up or shut up'' politics, lawmakers used a little-known legal maneuver to clear a growing waiting list of 74,000 poor children in need of state-paid healthcare.
Virginia: Leaving the President Behind
The Republican-controlled House of Delegates approved a resolution calling on congress to exempt the state from the requirement of the no child left behind act. According to the resolution, the act "represents the most sweeping intrusions into state and local control of education in the history of the united states" and will cost "millions of dollars that Virginia does not have."
Kansas: State leader seeks to boost minimum wage
State Rep. Ted Powers, a Mulvane Republican, filed legislation that would increase the state minimum wage to $7.50 per hour during the next three years.
Wisconsin: Governor Doyle pushes minimum-wage hike
State Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-West Bend, responded that some workers aren’t productive to the point where they are worth more than $5.15 an hour.
North Carolina: Lowest state wages to rise
Nearly 900 state workers are getting rare raises aimed at lifting them above the poverty level.
New Hampshire: More part-time workers could collect benefits
The State should expand unemployment benefits to cover more workers who want to work part time, supporters of a House bill testified.
New Mexico: Businesses plan to offer workers time off to vote Feb. 3
Companies say they'll give workers time off to vote during the caucus even though, unlike a traditional election, there's no legal mandate to do so.
Maryland: Panel urges public campaign-financing
The state is encouraged to lessen influence of big contributors on political campaigns by 2010.
Wisconsin: Panel to study issue ads
The Supreme Court said candidates and political parties use the ads to do an end-run around donation and spending limits.
Minnesota: Gov. Tim Pawlenty seeks approval for reimportation
Saying it would "Save Minnesota taxpayers tens of millions of dollars”, other states continue to follow suit. Iowa Governor Vilsack is also seeking an OK for drug import program as he offers his plan for cheaper drugs .
Arkansas: Hispanic workers’ needs get spotlight
Arkansas companies should offer more English classes and hire more bilingual supervisors, said one participant in a two-day workshop on strengthening the state’s Hispanic work force.
Kansas: Hundreds rally outside capitol for driver's licensing changes
People rallied in favor of a bill to permit illegal immigrants to obtain temporary driver's licenses.
Oregon: DEQ proposal could raise fines for polluters
Corporate polluters could wind up paying larger penalties under a new proposal backed by the state department of environmental quality.
Maine: State buys more land for future
They agreed to fund 26 land conservation projects around the state, which will protect more than 93,000 acres for public recreation, wildlife habitat and farmland.
News from the States
Virginia:
Support picks up for legislation to reduce power-plant emissions
Environmentalists and health groups are pushing to reduce air
pollution, and
the cost to consumers would be only about $1 more on their monthly
electric
bills.
Oregon:
State seeking Enron claims of $448 million
Officials are seeking $448 million for penalties from unlawful
electricity
trades and losses on stock by the state's public employee retirement
fund,
according to new claims filed with the Bankruptcy Court.
Vermont:
Lawmaker seeks dimmer lights, darker skies
Bob Kiss, lawmaker and city dweller, worries that bright lights will
blind
the beauty and economic value of twinkling stars in a dark sky. He has
proposed a bill calling for state guidelines for outdoor lighting and
a ban
on the brightest lights.
Maryland:
Ehrlich to push raising title, registration fees
Gov. Robert Ehrlich told lawmakers that he will propose a
transportation
bill that increases the cost of buying or registering a vehicle.
High Road Reports
CPA: As legislators from 44 states head back to their capitols for 2004 legislative sessions, fiscal concerns weigh heavily on their agendas. The Center for Policy Alternatives offers 28 progressive options to close state budget deficits.
EPI: Jobs are shifting to lower-paid industries according to a report released by the economic policy institute. In 48 out of 50 states, jobs are shifting from higher-paying industries such as manufacturing and information to lower-paying industries such as retail and hospitality.
Good Jobs First’s report The jobs are back in town: Urban smart growth and construction employment provides evidence that job-related arguments against smart growth are dead wrong. Rather than diminishing the number of construction jobs, it turns out that smart growth is often better than sprawl for creating employment.
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If you have innovative state legislation you like to share with the rest of the country, send it to Andy Gussert, ALICE National Director, care of andy@highroadnow.org