Concealed weapons—or knitting needles—won't be allowed ...

Monday, September 1, 2008 Exclusive articles on state policy, politics and trends from the staff of Stateline.org Monday, August 25, 2008 Concealed weapons—or knitting needles—won't be allowed at convention Aug. 25, 2:00 p.m. EDT DENVER — The police who protect the U.S. Mint in downtown Denver were a bit surprised when Stateline.org stumbled on a training exercise involving officers in riot gear outside the building’s gates. Nervous officers escorted two reporters around the exercise and encouraged them to keep walking. Even the Mint is protecting Denver from the possibility of lawlessness by protestors. Their guards are part of an elaborate security effort planned for months by state and federal officials. The Colorado Legislature approved a law this year allowing out-of-state officers to back up officers in Colorado cities. Nearby Aurora sent 300 officers, part of an additional 900 additional officers dispatched to the downtown area. The National Guard has 2,900 personnel helping secure buildings and ready to respond to a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear attack. At least six federal agencies are involved in the security efforts, joining Denver police. Colorado may be one of the states that allow a person to carry a concealed weapon, but guns, knives and other weapons are banned from the Pepsi Center and Invesco Field where the convention will take place. Just to be clear, the Demcratic National Committee issued this list of prohibited items: weapons, plastic replica of weapons, any size knife, explosives, fireworks, umbrellas, poles and sticks, laser lights and laser pointers, coolers, glass bottles, cans, spray containers, aerosols, mace/pepper spray, tripods for cameras (except news media), sharp and/or pointed objects, scissors, knitting needles, leatherman tools, voice enhancement devices such as bullhorns, noisemakers such as air horns, whistles and drums, banners, signs, placards, flashlights and unopened envelopes or packages. --Stephen C. Fehr Comments Monday, August 25, 2008 Obama's record in the Illinois Senate Aug. 25, 2008 6:00 p.m. EDT Uncanny timing and thorough preparation have propelled Barack Obama’s political career forward — even when Obama served in the Illinois state Senate, from 1997 until his swearing in as a U.S. senator in 2005. Obama’s time in Springfield is a key component of his biography, which his campaign is focusing on in speeches Monday (Aug. 25) at the Democratic National Convention. The Illinois state Senate is the first place Obama served in elected office, it was his longest-held political position and it was the perch from which he launched his U.S. Senate bid. The bulk of Obama’s accomplishments in Illinois’ upper chamber came in 2003, the first year Democrats held a majority in the Senate during Obama’s career and the first time in 26 years that Democrats controlled Illinois government. It also coincided with the start of Obama’s U.S. Senate campaign, for which he had the backing of powerful Illinois Senate President Emil Jones Jr. That support allowed Obama to take the lead on several high-profile issues ahead of other state legislators. In 2003, Obama had two major tasks: writing a law to require police to record their interrogations of murder suspects and negotiating a measure to study whether Illinois police treat motorists differently because of their race. In both cases, Obama stepped in on issues earlier championed by other legislators. House Speaker Michael Madigan (D) tried numerous times to pass a videotape interrogation measure, but couldn’t get it out of his own chamber, while Sen. Rickey Hendon, another Chicago Democrat, was a vocal proponent of the racial-profiling study. Deep flaws in Illinois’ death penalty system that sent more than a dozen innocent men to death row put Page 2 pressure on lawmakers to enact several reforms, including the recording requirement for interrogations. Leaders of the new Democratic majorities made clear that they wanted to move ahead with both interrogation recording and the racial profiling study, clearing a path for Obama. But he also made concessions that eased law enforcement’s concerns, according to people involved in those talks. For example, on the recording requirement, Obama helped police departments get money from the state to buy video equipment and specified that murder cases wouldn’t unravel because of a faulty video recorder, said Laimutis Nargelenas, deputy director of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police. Joe Birkett, an elected county Republican prosecutor from the Chicago suburbs, said Obama helped forge the final agreement, but his role was limited. “He was not the nuts-and-bolts guy. He got credit for it, but he did not put it together. This was a lot of hard work and negotiation between lawyers and law enforcement.” A thorny issue for police in the racial profiling study was how to correctly identify the race of drivers they stopped. So Obama suggested that police mark down the race they thought a driver was to determine whether patrolmen were disproportionately stopping people they thought were minorities, Nargelenas recounted earlier this year. The study found last year that blacks are three times as likely as whites to be stopped for vehicle searches. Another of Obama’s signature legislative accomplishments — major ethics reform — came when he was still a newcomer to the Illinois Senate. The late U.S. Sen. Paul Simon, a Democrat revered for his integrity in Illinois political circles, urged state lawmakers in 1998 to overhaul Illinois campaign and ethics laws for the first time in 25 years. Obama served as his caucus’ point man in those negotiations, which led to the Gift Ban Act. Obama often points to that law as an example of how he works across party lines. His Republican co-sponsor of the measure, McCain supporter Kirk Dillard, even appeared in an Obama TV ad (see “Carry” above) in Iowa last summer to highlight their relationship. The 1998 law prohibited politicians from using their campaign funds for personal use, banned fundraisers in Springfield during legislative sessions and required candidates to file their fundraising information online, so the public could see who was paying for a campaign before the election. Lawmakers, including Obama, revisited the campaign finance laws again in 2003, adding restrictions on lobbyist activities and beefing up enforcement of ethics laws. See also: Stateline.org’s story on the controversy over Obama’s “present” votes as a state legislator, plus The Page 3 Associated Press’ and The New York Times’ overview of Obama’s state legislative career. -- Daniel C. Vock Comments Monday, August 25, 2008 Illinois in the spotlight Aug. 25, 2008 9:30 a.m. EDT Politicians from the Land of Lincoln will be featured prominently on Monday, as Barack Obama showcases important people from his life. Obama’s wife, Michelle, gets top billing, but several Illinois officeholders will address the delegates as well. They include: Dan Hynes – Obama beat Hynes, who finished second, in an eight-way race in the 2004 Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. Hynes, now serving his third term as state comptroller, was an early supporter of Obama’s presidential bid Lisa Madigan – Madigan is the second-term Illinois attorney general who served with Obama for four years in the Illinois Senate. Alexi Giannoulias – Giannoulias, the Illinois state treasurer, owes his job in large measure to Obama. In the 2006 primary, Obama appeared in a TV commercial (watch here) with Giannoulias, at a time when Giannoulias’ candidacy was in trouble because of questions about his family bank’s ties to organized crime. Miguel del Valle – Now the Chicago city clerk, del Valle served with Obama in the Illinois Senate for four years. Later in the week, Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran and the director of the Illinois Department of Veteran Affairs, will lead a tribute to American troops on Wednesday night, when Barack Obama emphasizes his foreign policy credentials. Duckworth was a Black Hawk helicopter pilot who lost both legs and damaged an arm when her helicopter was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade in 2004. When she ran for Congress in the Chicago suburbs in 2006, Obama cut a TV commercial for her highlighting the fact that he and Duckworth both supported “John McCain’s plan” to address illegal immigration. Noticeably absent from the program is Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, whose relations with other Illinois Page 4 Democrats ranges from strained to hostile. Although 11 other sitting governors will appear on stage, Blagojevich’s close relationship with convicted political fundraiser Antonin “Tony” Rezko could call attention to Obama’s dealings with Rezko, too. Rezko raised money for several Obama campaigns and later bought a vacant lot next to Obama’s house in a deal that helped Obama buy the house. Obama later called the dealings with Rezko a “boneheaded mistake” but denied any impropriety. -- Daniel C. Vock Comments Monday, August 25, 2008 Presidents make a difference Mon. Aug. 25, 2008 9:30 a.m. EDT When Stateline.org asked historian Brian Balogh of the University of Virginia why a presidential election matters to the states, he did not hesitate to retrieve an example. “Abraham Lincoln,” he replied. “His election sealed the fate of the union. If you ever wanted to pick out one example of when an election mattered to states it was Lincoln.” Not every election is that momentous, but the point is that a president makes a big difference to states in setting policy as well as tone. Read more in Stephen C. Fehr’s Aug. 22 article in Stateline.org. -- Stephen C. Fehr Comments Monday, August 25, 2008 Florida and Michigan get out of the penalty box Page 5 Aug. 25, 2008, 9:30 a.m. EDT DENVER – The Democratic Party’s decision Aug. 25 to lift the sanctions against Florida and Michigan for holding their primaries too early doesn’t end the debate whether something should be done to prevent a repeat of states’ mad dash to the front of the nominating pecking line. Click here to read Stateline.org’s account of what both parties are considering this week on that topic. The Democratic National Committee rules had stripped these two states of their delegates, because they held their presidential primaries sooner than the party had allowed. A DNC panel in May later reinstated the delegates, butgave each delegate only half of a vote. At the behest of the Obama campaign, that penalty was lifted on the eve of the party’s presidential convention. The parties aren’t the only ones talking about this year’s chaotic rush for early spots on the presidential primary calendar. Click here to access the audio of several governors’ comments with Stateline.org earlier this year on their thoughts of changing the primary system. -- Pamela M. Prah Comments Monday, August 25, 2008 Democrats' draft platform promises states relief Aug. 25, 2008, 10:00 a.m. EDT Tucked in its hefty 94-page draft platform report (PDF), an Obama administration expresses some strong sentiment for improving “partnerships with states” — going as far as promising “significant and immediate temporary funding” to help with the billions of dollars in budget shortfalls facing more than half the states. State-federal relations have been strained in recent years by pricey programs coming down from Washington, D.C., but not more money, such as Real ID and No Child Left Behind. The draft platform acknowledges that states “have had to innovate and take matters into their own hands — and they have done an extraordinary job. Yet they should not have to do it alone.” It goes on to offer state and local governments, as well as territories and tribes, “a partner in the federal government, and a president who understand that prosperity comes not only from Wall Street and Washington, but from the perseverance of the American people,” the draft says. Democrats will formally endorse a platform during their convention. -- Pamela M. Prah Page 6 Comments Tuesday, August 26, 2008 Arkansans find convention bittersweet By Stephen C. Fehr, Stateline.org Staff Writer Photo courtesy of the Democratic Party of Arkansas U.S. Rep. Mike Ross (D) speaks during the first gathering of Arkansas Democrats following the murder of the Bill Gwtaney, chairman of the Arkansas Democratic Party. DENVER — Long before a gunman fatally shot Bill Gwatney on Aug. 13, the chairman of the Arkansas Democratic Party had asked that the soulful 1979 tune “We are Family” be played at the daily breakfast meetings of the state delegation to the Democratic National Convention. On Monday, Gwatney’s request was honored as the 53 delegates and alternates filed into a ballroom at a south Denver hotel for their first breakfast. Gwatney’s widow, Rebecca, who took his place as a superdelegate, was among them. “I’m taking this 30 minutes at a time,” she told delegate Karen Garcia. Of all the state delegations to the convention, Arkansas’ is hurting the most. Their pain began when Hillary Rodham Clinton lost the Democratic presidential nomination; Arkansas had been hoping for another Clinton in the White House. But nothing prepared the party for the horror of Aug. 13 when a 50-year-old Searcy, Ark., man entered the state Democratic Party headquarters in Little Rock and killed Gwatney. Police later killed the gunman. They have not established a motive. Gwatney, a former state senator who would have celebrated his 49th birthday during the convention, was to lead the state’s delegation in Denver. Instead vice chairman Karla Bradley was thrust into that role. “This is best said by his choice of music,” she said. “We are a family. We’re a small state. We are connected in so many ways. There’s no doubt this has been sad.” Gwatney, who owned three General Motors dealerships, was a friend of the Clintons, who came to his funeral. “He should have been at my funeral, not the other way around,” said Clinton, who turned 62 on Aug. 19. The Clintons have said they would drop by Arkansas’ party tonight (Aug. 26), which is a tribute to Gwatney — complete with a band from Little Rock. Page 7 Photo by Barbara Rosewicz, Stateline.org Arkansas delegate Karen Garcia at the opening night of the Democratic National Convention in Denver.The delegates will remember Gwatney in other ways. Each night of the convention they will wear “Gwat-zilla” buttons. That was his nickname, not that he was a tyrant. “He was the best chairman we’ve ever had,” said Garcia, the party treasurer. U.S. Rep. Mike Ross told the delegates that although “this is an exciting week to be a Democrat,” the convention will be subdued for Arkansas because of Gwatney’s death and Hillary Clinton’s loss. In a dig at the convention planners’ decision to locate Arkansas in a relatively remote hotel, Ross said Hillary Clinton’s “biggest victory in America was in Arkansas with 70 percent of the vote. And we get a hotel an hour away.” Several of the Arkansans said the ultimate tribute to Gwatney would be to put his death behind them and concentrate on electing Barack Obama on Nov. 4. “Anyone who beats the Clintons, you better not underestimate him,” Ross said of the Illinois senator. Like many Hillary Clinton supporters, Gwatney was a superdelegate pledged to the New York senator but switched to Obama after Clinton pulled out of the race. “I ask you to remember the reasons that you began supporting the Clintons,” Gwatney wrote on his blog. “We support Barack Obama for the same reasons.” At the funeral, Gwatney’s brother Russell compared his brother to the Charlie Brown character in the “Peanuts” comic strip. Gwatney, his brother said, often said, “Nobody loves me.” You wouldn’t believe that sitting among the Arkansas Democrats on Monday. See Related Stories: Conventions to look at primary process (8/24/2008) Why presidential elections matter to states (8/22/2008) Contact Stephen C. Fehr at sfehr@stateline.org. Tuesday, August 26, 2008 "The First State" gets first-rate attention with Biden on the ticket Page 8 Aug. 26, 9:00 a.m. EDT DENVER – Barack Obama’s selection of Delaware’s Sen. Joe Biden as his running mate has put the state and its Democratic chairman in an unusual position – the spotlight. “For once, the size of the state or particularly geographic location isn’t the [deciding factor]", said Delaware Party Chairman John D. Daniello, as his state’s delegation gathered for its first breakfast during the convention. “It vindicates Joe in terms of his ability and his work and his performance as a senator … It vindicates us . Just because we are a small state doesn’t’ mean we don’t have people with ability.” Daniello said he expects Biden’s sudden national prominence will make his job as state party chairman just a tad better. “It will be easier to throw events and rally people to our cause” with Biden and his state garnering so much attention. He said he received more than a half dozen calls from Republican friends “who might just vote Democratic just because of the pride they feel in our ticket.” The economy and war in Iraq are top issues Daniello said he thinks an Obama-Biden administration will dramatically change. “Our own attorney general, who by the way is the son of the vice presidential nominee, is on his way to Iraq,” he noted. Delaware’s attorney general, Beau Biden, is a captain in the National Guard and is being deployed to Iraq in October. As the Delaware delegates finished their breakfast and headed downtown to the convention for a day of caucuses and rallies and the first night on primetime TV, Molly K. Jurusik, executive director of the Delaware Democratic Party, shouted “You’re going to really be excited to see where we are sitting.” The state of the vp pick is rewarded with a coveted front and center spot on the convention floor. Audio from the Stateline.org interview with Daniello: -- Pamela M. Prah Comments Tuesday, August 26, 2008 Ohio SOS pledges smoother election Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2008, 12 noon EDT DENVER- Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, elected two years ago on a promise to fix the state’s voting systems, is predicting a smoother election this fall when a record 80 percent of voters are expected to Page 9 show up to cast ballots. “This year you’ll see a big difference in Ohio than what you’ve seen in the past,” Brunner told an audience of journalists and voting analysts convened by electionline.org. President George W. Bush was re-elected in 2004 by winning Ohio. But the election was marred by allegations of vote fraud in some places and inconsistent rules applied between counties that could have favored Bush. There were long lines and problems with inexperienced poll workers. By creating a more transparent voting process, Brunner said, “we fret less about the mechanics” of voting and on the results themselves. She defended her decision to require voters in 56 counties that use electronic touch screen voting machines to have the option of using paper ballots in November. --Stephen C. Fehr Comments Tuesday, August 26, 2008 Native sons—almost Aug. 26, 2008 1 p.m. EDT What are the odds? Democratic Party officials often assign several state delegations to the same hotel. So Arkansas, Hawaii and Delaware were bunched together at a south Denver hotel long before Barack Obama chose Joe Biden to be his running mate. The irony was not lost on Arkansas party official Karla Bradley, who noted that the hotel, a Marriott, could wind up hosting the home states of the former Democratic president, the next Democratic president and the next vice president. Close. Though Clinton was born in Arkansas and Obama in Hawaii, Biden actually is a native of Scranton, Pa. But he has lived in Delaware most of his life. Page 10 --Stephen C. Fehr Comments Tuesday, August 26, 2008 Advice from Schweitzer: Get a border collie Aug. 26, 2008, 2:00 p.m. EDT Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer, a Democrat in a traditionally “red” state, says there’s no single tactic for convincing Republican voters to cast their ballots for Democrats, but having a dog doesn’t hurt. “There’s no magic formula. My formula is a dog; a border collie. He’s the smartest politician in Montana. He’s good-looking. He has one blue eye. He’s got one brown eye,” Schweitzer said during an Aug. 25 roundtable with the media hosted by the Democratic Governors Association. “His approval rate is 10 points higher than mine,” Schweitzer quipped. “So maybe if Barack is listening, get him a border collie.” Schweitzer’s famous sidekick, Jag, even has his own book. Click here to read more about it. -- Pamela M. Prah Comments Tuesday, August 26, 2008 Former Hillary supporters wooed to Obama camp Aug. 26, 2008, 3:00 p.m. EDT DENVER – Party unity is a major theme here for the Democrats — some still smarting after a bruising primary season — but Delaware Gov. Ruth Ann Minner (D), a former supporter of Hillary Clinton, is solidly on board. “I’m strongly behind the Biden-Obama ticket.” Minner had initially endorsed Joe Biden of her home state until he dropped out of the presidential race. Obama picked him as his running mate shortly before the convention began Aug. 25. Page 11 “I think there are some (Clinton supporters) who are very upset over the Hillary thing,” Minner said after her delegation’s Aug. 25 breakfast. “I think when Hillary speaks, she will probably explain to them that she appreciates their support. I have talked to her and told her she has my support any time in the future when she wants to do something, but it isn’t this time. We should all support the Democrat ticket for president and vice president.” Clinton is expected to tell her pledged delegates that they can vote for Obama at this week’s roll call during the convention. Minner was one of 11 Democratic governors who had endorsed Clinton, the same number Obama had won before Clinton conceded the race June 7. Since then, Obama has received the official backing of all 28 Democratic governors. Click here for Stateline.org's chart that tracks each state’s presidential primary or caucus results and the governor’s pick in each race. Minner is term-limited and cannot run again. The state's primary is Sept. 9. She has endorsed Lt. Gov. John Carney, who is running against State Treasurer Jack Markell for the Democratic ticket. Republicans running are Dave Graham, an accountant; Bill Lee, a retired judge; and Mike Protack, an airline pilot. Click here to access Stateline’org’s 2008 interactive election guide. -- Pamela M. Prah Comments Tuesday, August 26, 2008 Hawaii sees jump in Democratic rolls, thanks to Obama Photo by Barbara Rosewicz, Stateline.org Hawaii Democratic Party Chairman Brian Schatz celebrates opening night of the convention with fellow delegate Andy Winer, director of Barack Obama's state campaign committee. Aug. 26, 2008, 5:00 p.m. EDT DENVER — Barack Obama may represent the Land of Lincoln, but his Hawaiian roots have been a boon to the Aloha State’s Democratic Party. “Sen. Obama’s nomination has been one of the best things for our party’s growth,” Brian Schatz, chairman of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, said during a break during the state’s delegation Aug. 25 breakfast. Page 12 The party’s membership rolls spiked by 36,000 in just one day following Obama’s decisive win in the state’s Feb. 19 caucuses, he said. “We know he’s the senator from Illinois but we take great pride in the fact that he grew up in Honolulu,” he said. Schatz said the party hopes to build on that momentum to win back the governor’s seat in 2010, when current Republican Gov. Linda Lingle must step down because of term limits. “We have several good possibilities" in terms of Democratic candidates, he said. Schatz said with Obama in the White House, Hawaii hopes to see more federal dollars for a $6 billion rail project, the biggest in state history. He also said he hopes the next president and Congress give Native Hawaiians the same federal recognition that Native Americans have. Obama supports the legislation, he said. Audio from the Stateline.org interview with Schatz: —Pamela M. Prah Comments Tuesday, August 26, 2008 Ark. delegation coping with death of leader Aug. 26, 2008, 4:00 p.m. EDT DENVER - The trip to Denver has been bittersweet for Arkansas' Democratic delegates. They just buried their party chairman, Bill Gwatney, last week. He was fatally shot Aug. 13. Read more in Arkansans find convention bittersweet. --Stephen C. Fehr Comments Tuesday, August 26, 2008 Census - Uninsured down, poverty up By Christine Vestal and Pauline Vu, Stateline.org Staff Writers Page 13 State assistance programs for the uninsured paid off last year, but little progress was made reducing overall poverty, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Aug. 26. The new numbers show a small increase in poverty, bringing the total to 37.3 million people, while median family income rose slightly. But that was before the current economic downturn took hold. “These 2007 results are as good as they get,” said Jared Bernstein, senior economist with the Economic Policy Institute. “It’s a virtual certainty that poverty is increasing in 2008, and median incomes are falling.” Even after six years of economic growth, the 2007 census report shows median income lower and poverty rates higher than they were when the nation recovered from the last slowdown in 2001, according to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP). But the nation’s health-care crisis appeared to improve. About 1.3 million previously uninsured Americans obtained insurance in 2007, marking the first time in seven years, and the first time under the Bush administration, that the rate — 15.3 percent in 2007, down from 15.8 percent in 2006 — and number of uninsured people have fallen. For most of 2007, inflation was below 3 percent, real wages were rising and unemployment was below 4 percent. Today, unemployment is 5.7 percent and rising, inflation is 5.6 percent and skyrocketing enrollment in Food Stamps and other assistance programs indicate the ranks of the poor are expanding, CBPP said. “The main thing driving the poverty numbers is real estate, the oil shock, the war (in Iraq) and globalization. We can only hope for economic improvement. Otherwise, next year’s numbers are going to be very bad,” Douglas Besharov, poverty expert at the American Enterprise Institute told Stateline.org. Based on historical trends, Besharov predicted the economic downturn has caused another half percent increase in poverty between June 2007 and June 2008. Both liberal and conservative experts say the economy is the main driver of the nation’s poverty and healthcare problems, but long-term state and federal anti-poverty and health care policies can help. “There are no effective short-term anti-poverty solutions, only long-term remedies,” Besharov said. In the last two years, several states have put poverty at the top of their agendas, with a primary goal of reducing child poverty and analyzing traditional anti-poverty programs to determine what type of low-income assistance works best. While the 2007 increase in overall poverty was only slight, the number of children living in poverty jumped by 500,000 to 13.3 million, and the child poverty rate climbed from 17.4 percent in 2006 to 18 percent in 2007. Page 14 Since 2001, child poverty rates have increased more than 40 percent in 13 states: Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, Rhode Island, South Dakota and Virginia, Tweedie said. “These trends are particularly worrisome, because it can mean a continuation of persistent poverty from one generation to the next,” said Jack Tweedie, poverty expert with the National Conference of State Legislatures. The 2007 report indicates most of the country was not deeply affected by the changing economy. But in Michigan, where 45,000 more people fell below the poverty line and median income slipped 1.2 percent, the recession came early. In contrast, energy-producing states, including Alaska, Montana, Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming, got a boost from the energy crisis that is still hurting the rest of the country. At $68,080, Maryland had the highest median household income and Mississippi had the lowest at $35,338. Mississippi also had the highest poverty rate at 20.6 percent, followed by Louisiana (18.6 percent), New Mexico (18.1 percent), Arkansas (17.9 percent) and Kentucky (17.3). New Hampshire had the lowest poverty rate at 7.1 percent, followed by Connecticut (7.9 percent), Hawaii (8 percent) and Maryland (8.3 percent). The decline in the number of uninsured came entirely because of increased government subsidies such as Medicaid, the state-federal low-income health program, and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). During the same period, the rate of employers offering coverage fell slightly, from 59.7 percent to 59.3 percent. Experts predict that the worsening economy will further depress the number of businesses offering health insurance and states’ budget woes will mean curtailed use of Medicaid to cover the uninsured. As a result, the number of uninsured, like poverty levels, is expected to rise. But in at least one state, a dramatic decline in the ranks of the uninsured points to the success of a new policy initiative. Massachusetts’ ambitious universal health care plan, which took effect in 2006, requires anyone who can afford it to buy insurance, while the state subsidizes coverage for those with income levels up to three times the federal poverty level. Now the Bay State is tied with Hawaii for the lowest percentage of uninsured citizens – 8.3 percent – over a three-year average. That compares to 24.4 percent in Texas, the state with the highest rate of uninsured, and a national average of 15.4 percent. Massachusetts’ Division of Health Care Finance and Policy reported earlier this month that 439,000 new people got coverage from June 2006 through March 2008. In contrast, California, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) last year failed in his effort to get a universal health Page 15 care law enacted, leaving about 6.7 million people without coverage, the most in the nation. Contact Christine Vestal at cvestal@stateline.org. See Related Stories: Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; Page 16 mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; Page 17 mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; Page 18 mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} States adopt bold anti-poverty measures (8/7/08) Feds pinch state welfare programs (2/3/2006) States retool welfare under new TANF rules (7/9/2006) Minnesota's welfare program shows dramatic results (5/31/2000) Tuesday, August 26, 2008 Florida and Michigan: So much for punishment Photo by Barbara Rosewicz, Stateline.org The Pepsi Center, site of the Democratic National Convention. Aug. 26, 2008, 6 p.m., EDT Democratic convention delegates from Florida and Michigan are finding that party leaders do indeed forgive and forget — at least in terms of seating. Delegates from the two states — which were penalized by the party this year for moving up their primary dates without permission — are perched almost directly in front of the speaker’s podium in a much-coveted spot immediately adjacent to the delegation from Sen. Barack Obama’s home state of Illinois. That could have something to do with the fact that both states are considered key battlegrounds in November’s presidential election. Other, more Republican states weren’t quite as fortunate. Page 19 Utah delegates, for example, have found themselves in the far reaches of the Pepsi Center, in “our traditional seats with a good view of the butt” of the speaker, state Democratic Party Executive Director Todd Taylor lamented to the Deseret News. Democrats haven’t won the state in a presidential race in 44 years, and 2004 nominee John F. Kerry was clobbered by 46 percentage points there, his biggest loss anywhere, the paper reminds. A look at the convention's official seat chart reveals that other Republican-leaning states, including Mississippi, Texas and South Dakota, are also at the fringes of the action. But some traditionally red-leaning states have been rewarded with surprisingly good seats this year, in another sign that Democrats hope to put them in play in November. For example, delegates from Virginia — which, like Utah, hasn’t voted for a Democrat for president since 1964 but is considered competitive this year — are situated directly behind Obama’s backers from Illinois. One longtime convention-goer told The Washington Times that the seats were the best the state has had in at least 20 years. Former Virginia governor and current U.S. Senate candidate Mark Warner (D) is the convention’s scheduled keynote speaker tonight. Montana delegates also are enjoying “incredible” seats, in the words of one super delegate, according to The Bozeman Daily Chronicle. Obama’s campaign considers Montana competitive this year even though the state went for President Bush by 20 percentage points four years ago. —John Gramlich Comments Wednesday, August 27, 2008 Three governors face possible Senate picks By John Gramlich, Stateline.org Staff Writer Barack Obama’s selection of Joseph R. Biden Jr. as his running mate in November’s presidential election has put a third governor on notice that he or she may be called upon to name a new U.S. senator once the next commander-in-chief is known. Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) of Illinois and Gov. Ruth Ann Minner (D) of Delaware would choose replacements in the Senate for Obama and Biden, respectively, if the Democrats claim the White House in the fall. Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, another Democrat, would fill the Senate vacancy left by Republican candidate John McCain should he ascend to the presidency. Unlike Obama, McCain has not announced his running Page 20 mate, but he is expected to do so before the Republican National Convention kicks off Sept. 1. The three governors would choose replacements only to serve out the remainder of the senators’ terms, or until a special election can be called. The rare presence of three sitting senators in the same presidential election has touched off a frenzy of speculation in the candidates’ home states about who their potential Senate substitutes might be. One thing, however, already appears certain: no governor’s appointment is likely to alter the chamber’s delicate balance of political power. That’s because Napolitano is required by state law to choose a Republican to replace McCain if he prevails. Arizona is one of only three states where the governor must choose a Senate replacement from the same political party that vacated the seat, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The other states are Hawaii and Wyoming. In Illinois and Delaware, by contrast, Blagojevich and Minner can choose anyone they want to fill a vacant Senate seat and the two Democrats would be loath to look to the GOP, experts say. That means only the voters — not a governor — will have a say in which party has the upper hand next year in the fiercely contested Senate, where Democrats and Republicans each hold 49 seats and where both parties are seeking a filibuster-proof majority of 60 votes that would allow them to dominate the legislative process. Nationally, 33 Senate seats are up for election in the fall; 21 are held by Republicans and 12 by Democrats. Obama’s decision to choose Biden as his running mate has caused many pundits to speculate that Minner would choose the vice presidential hopeful’s son, Delaware Attorney General Joseph R. “Beau” Biden III, to replace him in the Senate. But that scenario has met with a complication: Beau Biden is a member of the Delaware Army National Guard and will leave Oct. 3 for a year-long deployment to Iraq. The younger Biden has said he plans to serve out the deployment. Few other names have been seriously mentioned as a possible Senate replacement in Delaware since Obama tapped Biden as his running mate Aug. 23. But prominent Democrats who are widely seen to have a chance at Biden’s seat include Secretary of State Harriet Smith Windsor or — if he loses his current campaign to succeed the term-limited Minner as governor — John C. Carney Jr., the state’s lieutenant governor. If the Democrats win in November, Minner and Biden are likely to have discussions over the best Senate substitute, said James Soles, the former chairman of the University of Delaware’s Department of Political Science and International Relations. In Illinois, the parlor game over a possible Obama replacement has been clouded by the legal and political Page 21 troubles surrounding Blagojevich, whose administration has been the subject of several investigations into alleged wrongdoing, ranging from kickback schemes to illegal hiring practices. The scandals have caused immense political damage to the governor, plunging his approval rating to as low as 13 percent in some polls, alienating him from state Democrats and Republicans alike and making it difficult to assess where his loyalties lie with respect to a possible Senate appointment, said James D. Nowlan, senior fellow at the Institute of Government and Public Affairs at the University of Illinois. “People have such a hard time figuring out the governor that all we have is relatively wild speculation,” Nowlan said. Several Democrats holding statewide offices have been mentioned as potential replacements for Obama, including Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Secretary of State Jesse White and Comptroller Dan Hynes. Prominent members of the state’s delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives also have received attention, including Reps. Jesse Jackson Jr., Bobby Rush and Rahm Emanuel. The latest addition to the list of possible appointees is state Senate President Emil Jones, who abruptly announced this month that he will retire from the legislature in January, was a mentor to Obama when both were state lawmakers and has proven to be a rare ally of Blagojevich. Jones — like White, Jackson and Rush — is African-American, which could play a role, because Obama is the nation’s only black senator. There even is talk that Blagojevich could appoint himself to the Senate should Obama win, as a way of escaping the relentless pressure he has faced in Illinois. Alternately, some analysts say, he could appoint a Democrat who otherwise would run against him for governor in 2010, brightening his own prospects for reelection. In Arizona, even though Napolitano’s potential Senate choices would be limited to the GOP, state law allows the governor to name any Republican she sees fit, rather than choosing from a list of possibilities nominated by the state party (as happened last year in Wyoming). That means she could choose a moderate who shares some of her views, rather than a staunch conservative with whom she would have little in common. A spokeswoman for Napolitano, Jeanine L’Ecuyer, acknowledged that “everybody’s talked about” the possibility that the governor may have to choose a replacement for McCain. But L’Ecuyer said it is premature to discuss the subject now. “There’s nothing to do at this point,” she said. “McCain has not resigned his seat.” That hasn’t prevented the rumors from flying. Among the names being discussed among state Republicans are former state attorney general and McCain staffer Grant Woods, former congressman Jim Kolbe, former Page 22 state representatives Chris Herstam and Deb Gullett and Tucson Mayor Robert E. Walkup, all considered moderate enough to win Napolitano’s support. One thing about Napolitano’s potential choice already is certain, Arizona Republicans claim: the governor’s own political ambitions will factor heavily into the equation. Republicans say Napolitano probably is considering running for the U.S. Senate when her gubernatorial term expires in 2010; if McCain wins in November, she may seek to appoint a “placeholder” Republican who is interested only in serving the final two years of his term, so she would have the advantage of contesting an open seat. “I don’t think it’s any secret that Governor Napolitano certainly doesn’t see her last role in office as being governor of the state,” said Camilla Strongin, a spokeswoman for the state GOP. Strongin noted that Napolitano has been mentioned as a potential cabinet officer in an Obama administration, should the Illinois senator win in November. See Related Story: Craig scandal: All eyes on a governor, again (9/10/2007) Contact John Gramlich at jgramlich@stateline.org. Wednesday, August 27, 2008 Meanwhile, in Sacramento... Aug. 27, 2008, 9:00 a.m., EDT A budget crisis in California that has stretched on for nearly two months is putting Democrats in the nation’s most populous state in an awkward position as the party’s convention ramps up in Denver. State lawmakers are under heavy pressure to finish their work at home, but with two Republican votes still needed for the budget to clear the state Senate, many Democrats wish they were attending the festivities in Colorado instead — and, indeed, some of them are. State Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata (D), a convention delegate, has vowed to keep his chamber open this week and refused to travel to Denver until lawmakers’ work in Sacramento is done. But the decision did not come as easily to his counterpart in the lower chamber, Assembly Speaker Karen Bass (D), who last week decided to close up shop for most of this week and allow representatives to attend the convention if they wished (even though she herself vowed to stay in California). Bass faced an immediate backlash over the decision and since has rescheduled votes throughout this week — though she stopped short of ordering other Democrats in the state Assembly to stay home. A handful of California Democrats attended the convention on Monday, but flew back to Sacramento in time for a late-afternoon floor session. Lawmakers in the Golden State are divided over how to close the state’s Page 23 estimated $15.2 billion budget shortfall, and they also must take action on hundreds of non-budget bills. Republicans are not exempt from the political scheduling conflicts. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, one of his party’s most recognizable faces, is scheduled to address the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis on Monday, but has refused to attend until the budget is finished. —John Gramlich Comments Wednesday, August 27, 2008 Who would replace Biden, Obama, McCain in Senate? Aug. 27, 12 noon, EDT Among the many undercurrents at the Democratic National Convention this week is talk of the party’s rising stars. Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury, for example, made news on Tuesday when he announced he is likely to run for governor in 2010, when the state’s current chief executive, Democrat Ted Kulongoski, must give up the seat. Rancher-turned-governor Brian Schweitzer of Montana also attracted attention Tuesday when he delivered a crowd-pleasing attack on Republican presidential nominee John McCain in a high-visibility speaking slot just ahead of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D). Among the most interesting subplots of the convention is speculation over who would replace Barack Obama and Joseph R. Biden Jr. in the U.S. Senate if the two Democrats are successful in November. Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) of Illinois and Gov. Ruth Ann Minner (D) of Delaware would appoint replacements for Obama and Biden, and the rumors over the candidates’ potential substitutes are already flying. Of course, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano (D) also could be called on to choose a Senate replacement if McCain wins the White House. Find out which potential Senate substitutes are being mentioned in Arizona, Delaware and Illinois by reading Stateline.org's Three governors face possible Senate picks. —John Gramlich Page 24 Comments Wednesday, August 27, 2008 Straight talk—from the Democratic convention Photo by Stephen C. Fehr, Stateline.org Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell tells delegates Tuesday night that Barack Obama is “committed to producing enough homegrown fuel to replace every drop of the oil we import from the Middle East and Venezuela in just 10 years.” Aug. 27, 2008, 1:30 p.m. EDT DENVER – It isn’t just Republican John McCain who’s offering straight talk on the presidential campaign this year. Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, a former Democratic national chairman, offered a little of his own, dismissing suggestions his party’s nominee will radically reshape the presidential map this year. He predicted Democrat Barack Obama will win the key state of Pennsylvania, by a modest 3 or 4 percentage points. But he said that dreams of turning important red states blue this year aren’t likely to be realized. Photo by Barbara Rosewicz, Stateline.org Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) talks politics at a Denver Press Club breakfast, sponsored by the John Hopkins University Center for the Study of American Government and the Financial Times. “I think Sen. Obama’s effort to expand our base and turn more states blue – like Colorado, Virginia – in the main part will fail. When he runs for re-election, he’ll get those states, but not this time,” Rendell said in an appearance Tuesday at the Denver Press Club, hours before he addressed the full convention on energy policy. Add to Obama’s column Iowa, New Hampshire and Ohio and “a few states that voted red in the last election,” he said. But in what Rendell expects to be an electoral-vote cliffhanger, he predicted no “huge change in the map from four years ago,” when President Bush won the key swing states of Florida, Missouri and Ohio and U.S. Sen. John Kerry carried Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Rendell said Michigan would be "a real struggle" if McCain were to choose as his running mate Mitt Romney, former governor of Massachusetts and son of a Michigan governor. A new Quinnipiac University poll Tuesday showed Obama behind McCain in Florida, even with him in Ohio and holding onto a seven-point lead in Pennsylvania. Rendell noted that Obama wins bonus points in Pennsylvania Page 25 for his vice-presidential pick of Joe Biden, a hometown boy from Scranton, Pa., whose career as a U.S. senator from nextdoor Delaware has landed him on eastern Pennsylvania TVs for 35 years. Sounding like the Hillary Clinton supporter he once was, Rendell said that for Obama to win the White House he will need to win for himself two of Mrs. Clinton's core audiences: white, blue-collar workers and women who wanted Hillary. In the end, all but 5 percent to 6 percent of Mrs. Clinton’s fans will come around to vote – though maybe not work enthusiastically – for Obama, he predicted. Rendell showed off a convention button he got from someone in Mrs. Clinton’s home state of New York: “Hillary supports Obama. So do I.” But he stuck it back in his pocket, not on his lapel. —Barbara Rosewicz Comments Wednesday, August 27, 2008 Democratic govs rip GOP, back Obama Aug. 27, 2008, 3:00 p.m., EDT Democratic governors backing the presidential candidacy of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois used jokes, statistics and even good old audience participation to fire up the party faithful in Denver Tuesday. Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer (D) Ten current governors addressed the Democrats' convention. Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer put on a show between the keynote address of former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner and the closing speech from U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York. Schweitzer, wearing his familiar blue jeans and bolo tie, bounced back and forth at the rostrum while he mixed talk of energy policy with call-and-response with the crowd. Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius made fun of presumptive Republican presidential nominee, U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona, for owning seven homes. "I'm sure you remember a girl from Kansas who said there's no place like home. Well, in John McCain's version, there's no place like home. And a home. And home. And home," she said. In another venue, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine used a Daily Show appearance to joke about the thoroughness of the vice presidential vetting process. And Kaine gave host Jon Stewart a campaign button depicting Kaine's signature arched eyebrow. Here are videos and prepared remarks from the governors' appearances: Page 26 Virginia's Kaine on the Daily Show Warner, the former Virginia governor, gives the keynote address (prepared remarks) Strickland, the Ohio governor (prepared remarks) Sebelius, the Kansas governor (prepared remarks) Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano (prepared remarks) Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (prepared remarks) Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (prepared remarks) Iowa Gov. Chet Culver (prepared remarks) West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin (prepared remarks) New York Gov. David Paterson (prepared remarks) Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle (prepared remarks) --Daniel C. Vock Comments Wednesday, August 27, 2008 Page 27 Delegates speak: Issues facing the states Aug. 27, 2008, 4:00 p.m. EDT Q. What serious issue in your state would you like the next president to address? Wisconsin delegate Mary Goulding Wisconsin on jobs Keeping jobs in America. It is so important. We are losing jobs in Wisconsin. We have a GM plant (in Janesville) that is going to close down. And those are thousands of jobs. We also have a paper factory who has left us. We have another one that planning on closing. We also have small cheese factories that have closed. We don’t have jobs for these people to go to. You can retrain them on jobs … skills and things. But where do they go for jobs? The jobs are not there. They are going to either overseas, or just gone... That is the biggest concern. Because if you don’t have a job, you have nothing. You can’t go the store and buy the bread and milk that we need to survive, or the food. And you can’t, of course, afford mortgages. ... You can’t even rent if you don’t have a job. ... You have to have a job to survive in life. Audio: —Wisconsin delegate Mary Goulding of Greenbay, 57, secretary with the public school district interviewed by Barbara Rosewicz, Stateline.org Maine on energy Energy costs are a strong issue for me because obviously we have cold winters and not a lot of people. There’s the whole discussion about being on the energy grid and how we can leverage that and get our money’s worth, but the good side is that we are uniquely positioned for wind energy and tidal energy, and I really believe Barack Obama is committed to renewable energy and not just drilling and trying to find more oil in our oceans. Audio: Page 28 —Maine delegate Jennifer DeChant, 35, of Bath interviewed by Pamela M. Prah, Stateline.org New Mexico delegate Mary Gail Gwaltney New Mexico on health care I have four children and six grandsons.Seniors need help. If they don't get it, they are burdens to their families. In New Mexico, jobs aren't good enough for employers to pay employees adequate health insurance. —New Mexico delegate Mary Gail Gwaltney of Las Cruces, 73, retired interviewed by Stephen C. Fehr, Stateline.org Comments Thursday, August 28, 2008 Renewable energy fuels Colorado governor By Louis Jacobson, Stateline.org Columnist Louis Jacobson is the editor of CongressNow, an online publication launched in 2007 that covers legislation and policy in Congress and is affiliated with Roll Call newspaper in Washington, D.C. Jacobson originated the “Out There” column in 2004 as a feature for Roll Call, where he served as deputy editor. Earlier, Jacobson spent 11 years with National Journal covering lobbying, politics and policy, and served as a contributing writer for two of its affiliates, CongressDaily and Government Executive. He also was a contributing writer to The Almanac of American Politics and has done political handicapping of state legislatures for both The Rothenberg Political Report and The Cook Political Report. LOVELAND, Colo. — Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter (D) is not the only governor who has championed renewable energy. But he began earlier, took up the issue more forcefully than most and has managed to turn it into a winning issue for a wide swath of Colorado voters. Ritter, scheduled to address the Democratic National Convention Thursday (Aug. 28) in a prime spot shortly before U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) accepts his party’s presidential nomination, was elected in 2006. That was two years after Colorado voters broke new ground by approving a “renewable portfolio standard,” or minimum requirement for utilities to use renewable energy. Voters approved the measure after the General Assembly, then controlled by the Republicans, bottled up efforts to pass similar legislation. Page 29 At the time, the state’s leading utility, Xcel Energy, opposed the ballot measure, which required that 10 percent of the energy used by utilities comes from renewable sources by 2015. But shortly after voters passed the measure, the company got to work on implementing the new requirement. It went so well that Xcel and the newly elected governor soon teamed up on legislation to double the requirement, to 20 percent renewable by 2020. That passed the legislature, by then in Democratic hands, by a wide, bipartisan margin. Since then, Xcel and the governor have continued to work together on setting new energy-related goals. “You learn things as you go,” said Frank Prager, Xcel’s vice president for environmental policy. “We were able to meet the requirements at the end of last year, eight years prior to the mandate. That’s why when the governor came in and proposed doubling the standard, we were supportive.” Xcel — which serves about 70 percent of the Colorado market and also provides electricity to parts of Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Texas and New Mexico — is now the number-one wind provider among utilities in the nation and ranks fifth in solar energy. Ritter touts renewables as a triple win, offering the state a more diversified energy base, a cleaner environment and a way to create new, high-paying jobs in research, design and manufacturing. And the current concern over high gasoline prices, which hit a new peak well after Ritter had helped make renewables a big issue in Colorado, has only increased the urgency of his crusade. To be sure, Ritter’s administration hasn’t been free of turbulence. His unionization of state workers sparked a major backlash, especially among Republicans, and his efforts to hike the severance tax on oil and gas drilling — and to plow the revenues into a number of other areas, including renewables — has inspired a fierce and well-funded counterattack from the oil and gas industry. All told, his approval rating has ranged from the 40s to near 60 percent. But even when it’s been down, there is wide agreement here that his focus on developing renewable energy has been one of his strongest suits. “It’s a shining star of his administration so far,” said Bill Kaufman, a formerRepublican state House Speaker Pro-Tem and ex-chairman of the Republican Party of Larimer County, which includes Loveland. Renewables are no longer the province of liberals, if they ever were. “Renewable energy has become the cornerstone of each major political party's agenda,” state Sen. Brandon Shaffer (D) said. “This is a result of Gov. Ritter's leadership.” Seth Masket, a delegate to the Democratic convention, sees the bipartisan support Ritter has received on renewable energy as natural, given Colorado’s economic situation. Page 30 “There are a lot of Republican landowners in the mountains who recognize that if there is too much environmental damage, people will stop visiting, and the economy will be hurt,” he said. In addition, Colorado has a mix of resources that make it well-suited to become a renewable energy hub. The state’s dry, windswept plains are perfect for wind turbines and solar panels, and it has a populous hub — the Denver-Boulder-Fort Collins corridor — that offers strong academic research institutions and a well-educated workforce. Already, Vestas, the Danish windmill giant, has begun dotting the state with new facilities, creating upwards of 2,500 jobs. That has helped ease doubts about renewable energy’s ability to produce tangible economic results. “People see a potential for realistic economic growth,” said Glen Andersen, an energy specialist with the National Conference of State Legislatures. Other states have moved aggressively on renewables as well. More than half of states now have some form of minimum requirement for utilities to use renewable energy. In Hawaii, where the state’s remote location means high prices for traditional fuels, Republican Gov. Linda Lingle has worked with the Democratic legislature to pass a requirement that all new homes have solar panels beginning in 2010. She also signed a bill that would provide low-interest loans to farmers who develop their own energy systems. Other bills would accelerate the process for building renewable energy facilities. And in Minnesota — home of next week’s Republican National Convention and a Republican governor, Tim Pawlenty — the state is shooting for 30 percent renewables by 2025. Specialists credit Pawlenty as being a champion of renewables, just like Ritter. Still, Colorado faces challenges in its quest to expand the use of renewable energy. Besides the obvious technical obstacles to making renewables as economical as traditional energy sources, Colorado is seeing population growth and expanding development, exemplified by a massive, upscale complex here in Loveland called Centerra that sprang up quickly in the high plains. Such expansion means that the new renewable goals must also account for future population growth and energy demand. And politically, while support for renewables here is broad, it is not necessarily a guarantee of re-election by itself. “I think renewables have been popular, but I’m not sure of where it ranks for voters when they cast their ballot,” Bob Duffy, a Colorado State University political scientist, said in an interview here. Other staples of state policy, such as taxes, spending and education, are expected to be uppermost in voters’ minds at election time, and analysts say Ritter will have to earn good marks on those issues to win a second Page 31 term in 2010. That’s no easy assignment, given the state’s precarious budget situation. “If I were a governor,” said University of Colorado political scientist E. Scott Adler, “I wouldn’t want to run on energy.” Thursday, August 28, 2008 Delegates speak: California on federal funding Wed. Aug. 28, 2008, 9:00 a.m. EDT Q. What serious issue in your state would you like the next president to address? During the last eight years, we’ve seen the federal government abandon states like California with huge urban populations. When you look at the rate of return of tax dollars generated in California, it’s been an abysmal rate of return, especially when you compare it to the previous eight years under the Clinton administration. I believe under an Obama administration, you’d have a better coordination of services between the federal and state level. You’d actually have the federal government funding the programs that they mandate. You’d have government integration that works in a much more meaningful way.” Audio from the Stateline.org interview with Perez: —California delegate John Perez, 38, of Los Angeles, representative of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, interviewed by Pamela M. Prah, Stateline.org Comments Thursday, August 28, 2008 Delegates speak: Texas on illegal drugs Texas delegate Rey Trevino Wed. Aug. 28, 2008 12 p.m. EDT Q. What serious issue in your state would you like the next president to address? Highway 35 is the drug corridor in Texas, which means we're using local tax dollars to pay for enforcement. All those drugs are going to places like Ohio and Illinois. This is a national issue, not a Texas issue. —Texas delegate Rey Trevino, 51, of Lytle, engineer, interviewed by Stephen C. Fehr, Stateline.org Comments Page 32 Thursday, August 28, 2008 McCain's water plan is fightin' words for Western govs Aug. 28, 3:00 p.m. EDT DENVER – Republican presidential candidate John McCain’s idea to renegotiate a Western water supply deal has stirred quite a bit of controversy here, but no one has quite described the issue as Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer (D). “That’s the dangest thing I’ve ever heard,” Schweitzer said during a roundtable with reporters at the Democratic National Convention. “In the West, whiskey is for drinking and water is for fighting and some son of a seahorse snapdragon downstream says they are going to steal your water, it’s time to reach for your rifle.” McCain, the presumptive GOP nominee, recently told The Pueblo Chieftain that the 1922 Colorado Water compact among seven Western states doesn't take into account increases in population and changing water needs and should be renegotiated. “So when you got a guy from Arizona saying what we need to do is just move Colorado’s water down, I don’t think that’s a formula for winning Colorado and Wyoming. I don’t think it’s going to make him any friends in Utah. I’m sure they’re not going to like that message in Nevada or New Mexico,” Schweitzer said. “I’m going to bet you Barack Obama is not going to steal Colorado’s water and send it downstream,” he said. Audio of Schweitzer from the roundtable: --Pamela M. Prah Comments Thursday, August 28, 2008 State reporters on the big stories Aug. 28, 4:30 p.m. EDT Statehouse reporters from across the country are keeping tabs on their home-state politicians’ attempts to snatch a piece of the national spotlight in Denver during the Democratic National Convention. Pat Doyle of The Minneapolis Star-Tribune caught up with Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R), a potential John McCain vice presidential pick and popular battleground state campaigner, at his State Fair before the governor Page 33 headed to the Mile High City to barnstorm on television talk show against Barack Obama Thursday (Aug. 28). North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley’s uncharacteristically vocal presence at his party’s convention caught the eye of Under the Dome, The (Raleigh) News & Observer’s Capitol news blog. The Boston Herald’s Dave Wedge interviewed Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D), who voiced concerns about racially charged threats against Obama’s life. Rachel Kipp looked beyond the governor’s mansion for a profile in The News Journal of the little-known Delaware schoolteacher who took the stage to introduce Sen. Joe Biden as the Democrats’ official vice presidential nominee. Hawaii Democratic party leaders and delegates spoke with Richard Borreca of The Honolulu Star-Bulletin about Hawaii’s connection to the star of the convention, the first Hawaii-born and educated presidential nominee. -—Leah Szarek Comments Thursday, August 28, 2008 Delegates speak: Kansas on energy, education Kansas delegate, state Rep. Valdenia Winn Aug. 28, 2008, 5:00 EDT Q. What serious issue in your state would you like the next president to address? Based on last year’s legislative session, energy was a divisive issue. So we’ve got to do something with renewables (energy made from renewable natural resources), because (energy) affects the price of everything else. Page 34 HUD is not working in the urban core in my district. I also tutor after school, and it’s frightening how our kids are not educated. And then, of course, health care....But because of our really contentious session, energy has to be first. Audio from the Stateline.org interview with Winn: —Kansas delegate, state Rep. Valdenia Winn, 57, of Kansas City, history professor at Kansas City, Kan., Community College, interviewed by Barbara Rosewicz, Stateline.org Comments Thursday, August 28, 2008 Delegates speak: On the pocketbook Aug. 28, 2008, 6:00 p.m. EDT Q. What serious issue in your state would you like the next president to address? Florida on the mortgage crisis I live in Florida, so where should I start? The mortgage crisis, the insurance crisis, the lack of confidence in FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) being there to help people in an emergency … It just doesn’t seem like McCain gets it, that these are real problems, that they affect real people. I guess if you have seven houses and one of the mortgages get foreclosed on, you just go to one of your other ones. I don’t think (McCain) has thought through the mortgage crisis and the ramifications it has. If people are foreclosed, then neighborhoods go into decline. Just because I still have my job and my house is occupied and my neighbor loses his, suddenly the yard isn’t cut and it becomes a haven for crime. It affects everybody and everything. It affects the schools in the area. I just don’t think he gets that. Audio from the Stateline.org interview with King: —Florida delegate Lisa King, 45, of Jacksonville, interviewed by Pamela M. Prah, Stateline.org Page 35 Pennsylvania on the economy We come from a rural area mainly, in Adams County, Pennsylvania. We have farmlands etc. and working families struggling to pay for gas, food, clothing for their children and health care. Most people don’t have health care in this region. We need to fix the economy and Barack Obama has promised us, and we have the faith that he will do this for us. Audio from the Stateline.org interview with Manning: —Pennsylvania delegate Patricia Manning, 66, Hamilton Township, interviewed by Pamela M. Prah, Stateline.org Comments Friday, August 29, 2008 What would an Obama win mean for states? By Pamela M. Prah and Stephen C. Fehr, Stateline.org Staff Writers DENVER — If elected president, Democrat Barack Obama promises closer ties with states and an infusion of federal dollars that states could use to expand health care, create “green” jobs and fix the country’s crumbling roads and bridges. "Barack Obama has a comprehensive domestic energy plan"Gov. Brian Schweitzer (D), Montana Only four years after he left the Illinois Senate for the U.S. Senate, Obama formally accepted the presidential nomination Aug. 28 at the Democratic National Convention. If he were to defeat Republican U.S. Sen. John McCain in November, Obama would be the first former state legislator in the White House since President Jimmy Carter was elected in 1976. Obama focused largely on the problems of the middle class in his speech to 70,000 supporters at Invesco Field at Mile High stadium, promising a more active government role in seeking solutions."Ours is a promise that says government cannot solve all our problems, but what it should do is that which we cannot do for ourselves – protect us from harm and provide every child a decent education; keep our water clean and our Page 36 toys safe; invest in new schools and new roads and new science and technology," he said. State leaders here all week have expressed confidence that an Obama administration would lessen a string of tensions between Washington, D.C., and statehouses. “All the governors need a partner in the White House, and Barack Obama has promised us that he will, in fact, be a partner with us,” said Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland (D). "He won’t stand by when bridges collapse, while levees collapse"Gov. Martin O'Malley (D), Maryland Democrats say that the Obama campaign has actively enlisted the support and advice of governors — a strategy that insiders say John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic presidential candidate, did not always embrace. West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin, who chairs the Democratic Governors Association, lauded the Obama campaign for reaching out to the governors’ ranks. “We’ve sat down intimately with Barack. We’ve had dinner. We’ve had discussions. We’ve been on phone calls. We’ve been talking about the problems we’re having state by state,” Manchin said. “That’s something very fresh.” Even Obama’s background — eight years in the Illinois Statehouse compared to four in Congress — inspires optimism that he won’t lose sight of how national policies play out at the state level. That same hope was dashed, though, with President George W. Bush, who proved not to be a champion of states' rights despite having served as governor of Texas. Despite a huge federal budget deficit, state Democratic leaders are banking on an Obama administration opening the federal purse strings, for needs ranging from roads to energy to health care. “President Obama will have … our federal government actually invest in things,” Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) said. Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter (D) on Obama's energy policy:For example, Obama’s energy policy proposes to pump $150 billion over the next 10 years into developing clean-energy technology. Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter (D) said states would benefit from “a new energy economy” that would create an estimated 5 million jobs building solar and wind farms and clean-coal and geothermal plants. As motorists nationwide suffer with nearly $4-a-gallon gasoline, the Denver convention was striking in that nearly every governor who spoke touched on some aspect of climate change, oil exploration, renewable fuels or fuel-emission standards. "I really believe if we get the nation going the right direction, which I believe Barack can do, then we won’t have as many unfunded mandates coming down to the states"Wyoming State Sen. John Hastert (D) Page 37 “Barack Obama has a comprehensive domestic energy plan,” said Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer (D). “I think that is the largest issue facing our country. We don’t have money to finance education or health care or infrastructure as long as we are sending a trillion dollars to those dictators (to buy foreign oil).” Of immediate interest to states, Obama proposes to rush $50 billion in federal aid to states in an effort to halt the nation’s economic tailspin. At least 29 states are facing budget problems this year because of falling revenues triggered by the housing and mortgage crisis. Obama pledges a quick infusion of $25 billion to help states offset budget cuts, and another $25 billion for infrastructure. The cost of the rescue plan would pay for itself through increased economic activity, Obama has said. State treasuries also would get a boost from Obama’s proposal for a second package of federal tax rebates to stimulate the economy, similar to Bush’s refund checks of up to $1,500 this year. Because many state tax systems are tied to the federal tax structure, states also would be impacted by Obama’s pledge to raise taxes on the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans while preserving Bush’s tax cuts for people making less than $200,000 a year, and to add a new tax cut for middle-class Americans of $500 for individuals and $1,000 for married couples. He also would increase the capital gains tax. A year after the deadly collapse of a Minnesota bridge inspired a re-examination of the nation’s crumbling infrastructure, Obama says he also would help the economy by pumping $60 billion over 10 years into a national infrastructure fund. The money would go to repair highways, bridges, roads, ports, airports and rail systems in every state, creating an estimated 2 million jobs. Maryland’s O’Malley said, “He won’t stand by when bridges collapse, while levees collapse.” "All the governors need a partner in the White House, and Barack Obama has promised us that he will, in fact, be a partner with us"Gov. Ted Strickland (D), Ohio Obama's ambitious proposal to provide universal access to health insurance, if enacted, would be the single biggest change for states, said Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D). “It wouldn’t take the state out of providing dollars and services for health care, but it would lessen the burden that we have right now. Since I’ve been governor, the single biggest driver of our budget expansion has been increasing health-care costs.” Obama also is expected to be more generous in giving states leeway — and money — to expand state programs for the uninsured, particularly for children. Ohio’s Strickland said his state has been waiting for a year for the green light from the Bush administration to begin covering 35,000 more children on the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. State officials also are hopeful that the Illinois Democrat will scrap or overhaul what states call “unfunded mandates,” laws that Washington, D.C., orders them to carry out without enough federal dollars to do the job. Page 38 High on that list is the Real ID Act, the federal overhaul of driver’s licenses inspired by the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that could cost states $4 billion, and No Child Left Behind, President Bush’s signature domestic policy that requires regular testing of students’ math and English skills and penalties to schools that don’t measure up. A number of both Republican- and Democratic-led states have rebelled at the Real ID law for what they regard as federal intrusion and expensive changes in state-issued driver’s licenses. “It looks like Real ID is going down," no matter who wins the White House, Rendell said. Obama in the past has called the law an unfunded mandate that he opposes. State Sen. John Hastert (D), who represents Green River in southwest Wyoming, said, “I really believe if we get the nation going the right direction, which I believe Barack can do, then we won’t have as many unfunded mandates coming down to the states.” Here are Obama’s proposals to address other issues and problems important to states: Education: Addressing some of states’ concerns with the No Child Left Behind law, Obama promises to provide more money to cover states’ expenses and to move away from that law’s single test to track students’ progress. He also would boost federal education spending by about $18 billion, with much of the money going to pre-kindergarten programs, teacher training and mentoring programs. Immigration: Obama would allow undocumented immigrants to pay a fine, learn English and “go to the back of the line” to become U.S. citizens. He also plans to add border agents and to sanction employers that hire undocumented workers. He also favors allowing states to issue driver's licenses to illegal immigrants and giving grants to states to help promote citizenship. Environment: Attacking global warming with tactics already being piloted by several states, Obama proposes to require a cut in carbon emissions by 2050 and to stipulate that 25 percent of the nation’s electricity come from renewable sources by 2025. Energy: Obama opposes drilling for oil in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge but supports some exploration along the coasts. To encourage energy conservation over consumption, he proposes to channel federal money to states that begin allowing utility companies to earn higher profits for gains in energy efficiency. Obama wants to require governors and local officials to make energy conservation part of their planning efforts in order to receive federal transportation money; current law asks governors to “consider” conservation. He also proposes a competitive grant program to reward states and local governments that Page 39 adopt codes for new buildings that make energy efficiency a priority, and federal matching funds for states that put up money for energy upgrades in older buildings. Abortion: Obama supports abortion rights. While in the Illinois Senate, he voted against a bill to ban late-term abortions because, he said, it did not contain a clause to protect the life of the mother. Obama has strongly supported federal funding of contraception and teen-pregnancy prevention programs. Same-sex marriage: Obama has said he personally believes that marriage is between a man and a woman but fully supports marriage equality for gay and lesbian Americans. He is opposed to state constitutional bans on same-sex marriage, including a California ballot measure this year that seeks to stop gay weddings occurring there, and he supports state efforts to allow marriage equivalents such as civil unions and domestic partnerships. Gun ownership: Though his campaign has not issued specifics on what kind of gun restrictions he approves of, Obama in the past has voiced support for a national ban on concealed weapons that would nullify individual state “concealed carry” laws. He also supports a permanent, nationwide ban on assault weapons. Affirmative action: Obama supports affirmative action, a policy that promotes opportunities for racial minorities and women in hiring and education, though he has suggested that such programs should eventually focus on income, not race. Still, he opposes anti-affirmative ballot measures pending in Colorado and Nebraska and possibly Arizona. Death penalty: Obama supports executing those who commit the “most heinous crimes.” He recently criticized the U.S. Supreme Court for ruling that a handful of states could not execute those convicted of raping — though not killing — children. At the same time, he has expressed concern that capital punishment is administered unfairly and does little to deter crime. Crime: Obama has vowed to boost funding for state and local law enforcement initiatives, including restoring funds to a grant program that helps pay for state and local anti-drug efforts. All 50 governors and state attorneys general have unsuccessfully lobbied the Bush administration and Congress to restore a 67 percent cut to the program. Obama also has promised to do more to address racial profiling, violence against women and recidivism. National Guard: He has vowed to address equipment shortages — a persistent problem for the state-run militias — and wants to expand National Guard and Reserve benefits. He supports making the Guard’s commander a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, giving him a more prominent seat at the table with other Pentagon leaders. Page 40 See Related Stories: Census - Uninsured down, poverty up (8/26/2008) Why presidential elections matter to states (8/22/2008) No end in sight to death penalty wrangling (7/31/2008) States worry about dwindling road funds (7/23/2008) Weak economy squeezing more states (6/19/2008) Real ID showdown averted (4/4/2008) States think smaller, slower on immigration (4/3/2008) On health care, govs are tightening belts (3/17/2008) No letup in unrest over Bush school law (7/7/2005)) Contact Pamela M. Prah at pprah@stateline.org and Stephen C. Fehr at sfehr@stateline.org. Stateline.org staff writers John Gramlich, Christine Vestal, Daniel C.Vock and Pauline Vu, managing editor Barbara Rosewicz and intern Nathaniel Weixel contributed to this report. Friday, August 29, 2008 Summertime blues hit states By Stephen C. Fehr, Stateline.org Staff Writer Michael and Fern Merle-Jones had every reason to be nervous this summer. The couple run a small wedding company on the blissful Hawaiian island of Kauai, marrying couples at beaches, waterfalls, gardens and a lush fern grotto. For a little extra, they’ll release butterflies. Their wedding business was down about 25 percent this summer because of a steep decline in travel between the mainland U.S. and Hawaii, which depends on tourists more than any state. “It’s our lifeblood,” says Michael Merle-Jones. “This summer, there’s been a lot of uncertainty.” A summer-long travel slump, brought on by high air fares and gasoline prices and a slowing economy, has pounded Hawaii, but also could nick the economies of other states where tourism is a leading industry; tourism is the first, second or third largest employer in 29 states. With school starting in many places this month and the summer travel season nearing an end, state tourism officials and industry analysts are hoping for at least mixed results. But few of them dispute that the summer of 2008 will be one of the worst of the decade. Page 41 The hotel industry’s occupancy rate — the percentage of rooms that are full — has declined nationally for six straight months, and analysts say they expect the trend to continue when July and August numbers are available. The trade group representing the nation’s airlines predicts a 1.3 percent drop in passengers this summer compared to last. AAA says fewer people traveled over the busy Memorial Day and Fourth of July weekends than in 2007. John Townsend, AAA spokesperson, says the Labor Day numbers are expected to be down almost 1 percent from last year. He says it’s the first time this decade that travel across all three summer holidays has declined. The National Park Service says that the number of visitors to national parks declined 4 percent in July over last year. The superintendent of Mount Rushmore, Gerard Baker, doesn’t need statistics to confirm that visitation fell 18 percent in July. He says he could tell simply by eyeballing the smaller crowds gathering around the state flags that line the entrance to the monument’s visitor center. Other travel and tourism officials share similar anecdotes from the summer: fewer gamblers at the casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, shorter hours at the new Hard Rock theme park in Myrtle Beach and a falloff in renters of cottages at Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Hawaii’s predicament has reached a crisis level for the state government. The number of tourists visiting the islands dropped 14.2 percent in June compared to last year, prompting the state Council on Revenues to recently slash in half its growth forecast for the year. The council predicted the state would lose another $46.4 million in revenue. Gov. Linda Lingle (R) already ordered a 4 percent across-the-board spending cut in June and may be forced to consider deeper cuts if the current trend continues the rest of the year. “It’s going to remain a challenge,” Lingle said, noting that airlines have reduced flights to save money. “It’s all about getting more seats into the state and then filling those seats. You need the seats before you can convince people to come here.” The only way to get to Hawaii is by air or cruise ship, so the run up in fuel prices has made the islands especially vulnerable. Air travel from California, which makes up a fourth of Hawaii’s market, fell 21.5 percent in June. Travel from the East Coast dropped 17 percent compared to the same month last year. The Hawaii Legislature approved spending $5 million as an emergency step to stimulate tourism, but some hotel executives are pushing for increased state involvement heading into the fall season. “There’s a sense of, ‘What can we do to move the needle forward?’” said Rex Johnson, executive director of the Hawaii Tourism Authority. The state agency attracted record attendance to its annual tourism conference Aug. 7-8 because of the worry over the travel slump. Page 42 Though Americans’ are taking fewer leisure trips this summer, it’s not as if they have stopped taking vacations altogether. Instead, they are changing their trip behavior to save money: staying fewer days, choosing destinations closer to home, buying fewer souvenirs and sleeping and eating at cheaper hotels and restaurants. “Travel is very much a part of our culture. It’s not like we’re going to stop doing that,” said Liping Cai of the Purdue University Tourism and Hospitality Research Center. “This summer is about choices.” State tourism officials and their advertising agencies have attempted to adapt to the shift in travel patterns by appealing to residents and people living in states a few hours away to spend their down time in the same region. Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt (R) took his family in an RV on a “Show-Me Tour” of 12 tourist stops in May to coax residents “to explore the many opportunities within arm's reach, right here in Missouri.” Each state has tried to outdo the other with a clever advertising slogan aimed at local and regional tourists. Florida came up with “Been There, Haven’t Done That.” Michigan is emphasizing its natural and cultural resources in its “Pure Michigan” campaign. Ohio wants its residents and those a few hours away to spend the night at its attractions because the state is “Too Much Fun for Just One Day.” Use of the blended word “staycation,” referring to a vacation that takes place either at or near home, has exploded this year. Wal-Mart has even applied for the trademark rights to the word as part of a campaign to sell products to enjoy “the special moments of summer in your own backyard.” Arkansas tourism director Joe David Rice, who heads the National Council of State Tourism Directors board, said the emphasis on in-state vacations was “more of a coincidence than a planned effort. We’re all rolling with the punches. A lot of us have been creative in reminding people there are things in their own backyard they have yet to see.” Creative Illinois officials are offering a $50 American Express gift card to anyone who books a three-day trip there. Hotels in Maryland’s largest city, Baltimore, are throwing in a third night free to guests who pay for two nights. Several national hotel chains are handing out gasoline cards for frequent stays. The efforts to cater to people staying near home are paying off in some states. Idaho tourism administrator Karen Bullard said the number of vacationers was up 7 percent in June over the same month last year, largely because of the local Idaho market and visitors from nearby Washington state. Richard Behr, managing director of the Arizona Grand Resort in Phoenix, said in-state summer traffic has jumped from 35 percent in 2005 to 53 percent so far this summer. “Staycationers” have helped save Florida’s slumping summer tourist season as airlines have slashed seats. The Liberty Bell in Philadelphia displayed its crack to 15 percent more guests in June than a year ago. Page 43 Alan Dubberley, deputy director of the Wyoming tourism division, expressed optimism that Wyoming would not be affected as much as a state like Hawaii because most of its visitors drive there. “The general feeling is still positive here,” he said. But a few days after Dubberley was interviewed, the managers of Cheyenne Frontier Days, which bills itself as the world’s largest outdoor rodeo, reported that attendance was off 5.2 percent from last year. They blamed it on the high price of gasoline. See Related Stories: States scramble to ease pain at the pump (5/21/2008) Tourism incentives get tri-state tryout (8/10/2006) See the U.S.A., win a Chevrolet (6/15/2004) Cooling economy slows growth of state tourist income (8/14/2001) Contact Stephen C. Fehr at sfehr@stateline.org. Friday, August 29, 2008 WORTH NOTING: DNC edition By John Gramlich, Stateline.org Staff Writer “Unity” was the buzzword at this week’s Democratic National Convention, but the Illinois delegation took the theme to an unexpected level. U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D), apparently tired of the Democratic in-fighting that has long gone on between Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) and House Speaker Michael Madigan (D), demanded that the two political nemeses publicly embrace, the Chicago Tribune discloses (with video proof!). Jackson also participated in what the paper called a “surreal hugfest,” embracing two other Democrats, state Sen. Debbie Halvorson and Chicago Mayor Richard Daley. A word of caution to Alabama politicians eyeing a run for governor two years from now: a big obstacle could be in your way — all 6-foot-5 of him. Rumored to be exploring a run for the governor’s office in his home state, former NBA star Charles Barkley confirmed as much in an interview with CNN.com at the Democratic convention. The plain-spoken Barkley may not have endeared himself to voters, however, when he said, “I can’t screw up Alabama.” Oregon State University may not be as prominent as the University of Oregon when it comes to intercollegiate sports, but the school picked up a key win in Denver this week. Oregon State men’s basketball coach Craig Robinson happens to be the brother-in-law of Democratic president nominee Barack Obama, and used his prime-time speaking slot on Monday as any good coach would. “Go Beavers!” Robinson told the thousands of assembled Democrats, The Oregonian reports. Page 44 With so many Democrats in one building, it was inevitable that some would get worse convention seats than others. No surprise, then, that those on the fringes included delegates from reliably Republican states where a Democratic win in November appears unlikely. Utah delegates complained about seats “with a good view of the butt” of the speaker, the Deseret News reports, while Idaho was moved from a close-up spot to the “nose bleed seats” to make room for vice presidential nominee Joe Biden’s home-state delegation from Delaware, the (Spokane, Wash.) Spokesman-Review notes. Contact John Gramlich at jgramlich@stateline.org. Friday, August 29, 2008 Alaska gov 1st woman in No. 2 GOP slot By Christine Vestal, Stateline.org Staff Writer In less than two years, the first woman to serve in Alaska’s top post has become the first female vice president running mate in the Republican Party. Sarah Palin — presumptive presidential nominee John McCain’s vice president pick — is also among the youngest and least experienced presidential running mates chosen by any major party candidate. Before entering the governor’s mansion in 2006, the 44-year-old mother of five was city councilwoman and mayor of tiny Alaskan village, Wasilla, and a star high school basketball player and beauty queen. A staunch social conservative, Palin is a lifelong National Rifle Association member, and avid hunter and fisherman. Abortion foes, who earlier this month expressed concern that McCain might choose one of two abortion-rights supporters reportedly on his list — Independent Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman and former Pennsylvania governor and Homeland Security Chief Tom Ridge — were pleased with his choice of Palin, an outspoken abortion opponent. "With this bold and inspired selection, Sen. McCain has verified his stated commitment to assembling a truly pro-life administration," said Charmaine Yoest, president of anti-abortion group AUL Action. Like McCain, Palin is considered a political maverick. In 2006, she beat Alaska’s Republican incumbent Gov. Frank Murkowski in the primaries on a promise of cleaning up corruption. She is now experiencing top approval ratings. Page 45 In her short time in politics, Palin has earned a reputation as a tough negotiator on energy – a key issues in the Republican presidential platform. As governor, she has spent much of her time wrangling with oil company executives over a proposed $49 billion pipeline that would transport much-needed natural gas to the lower 48 states. She also served on the state’s Oil and Gas Conservation Commission under Murkowski. McCain’s selection of a woman broke a Republican mold, but he already had veered from tradition by considering five other governors — Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, and former governors Mike Huckabee (Arkansas), Mitt Romney (Massachusetts) and Tom Ridge (Pennsylvania) — a rarity in presidential politics. Not since 1972 when Richard Nixon chose Maryland Gov. Spiro Agnew as his No. 2, has a sitting governor served as presidential running mate in either party. In the history of U.S. presidential politics, only 11 former governors have served as vice president. Agnew was the last to run as a vice presidential candidate, but the most recent former governor to serve in the post was Nelson Rockefeller of New York, who became vice president to Gerald Ford after the resignations of Agnew and Nixon. The vice presidency aside, history shows it’s a good bet at least a few governors or former governors will be heading for Washington, D.C., in 2009. President Bush turned to four of his fellow Republican governors in his first term: Ridge, sworn in as the country’s first homeland security advisor in 2001; Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson, who was named secretary of Health and Human Services; New Jersey Gov. Christie Todd Whitman, who became administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2001 and who was succeeded in 2003 by Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt, who later became secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Two more governors were tapped in Bush’s second term: Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne to be secretary of the Interior Department and Nebraska Gov. Mike Johanns, who served as secretary of agriculture until September 2007. The absence of a governor in the top tier of presidential contenders is rare in recent years. Four of the last five presidents were governors first, and 17 of 43 presidents were governors. The contest between McCain and Obama will be the first general election since 1972 that neither major party candidate was a governor or former governor. The 1972 race pitted Nixon against George McGovern, a U.S. senator. Nixon had lost in a 1962 race for California governor. Contact Christine Vestal at cvestal@stateline.org. Page 46 Friday, August 29, 2008 Delegates speak: Health care, vetetans' assistance Aug. 29, 2008, 9:00 a.m. EDT Q. What serious issue in your state would you like the next president to address? Wyoming on health care Health care is number one still. We still have a lot of people who don’t have adequate health care in this nation. Someone has to do something…The cost and price of energy, although helping our state tremendously as far as giving us surpluses, but still causing a lot of heartache for the people of Wyoming. So those are the two issues: energy costs and health care. (As president, Barack Obama) will push forward some kind of national health care… I think we are going to see some additional help with health care dollars and getting people covered. Audio from the Stateline.org interview with Hastert: —Wyoming delegate, State Sen. John Hastert, 50, of Green River, interviewed by Pamela M. Prah, Stateline.org Virginia on veterans' assistance I served one year in Vietnam and three years in the military and then went to school on the GI Bill after that. Page 47 The veterans from the war in Iraq are coming home and have no place to go … I’m thinking about these GIs now, after 12 months, ready to come home and then (their tour) is extended for another six months. You don’t know how much pressure that is on a young GI. I was 19 in Vietnam and most of the vets in the volunteer Army are between 18 and 25 years old. They may say they love it ….but the reason they go in the first place is because they are looking for a better life for themselves. They are not going to war because they want to kill and maim someone else, and they don’t want to be killed or maimed themselves. When they get out of there, we don’t take care of them. Audio from the Stateline.org interview with Brown: —Virginia delegate Willie L. Brown, 62, of Chesapeake, Army veteran, interviewed by Pamela M. Prah, Stateline.org Comments Friday, August 29, 2008 Texas lawmaker decries infrastructure crisis Aug. 29, 2008 12:00 p.m. EDT DENVER — The information technology industry boomed in the 1990s and this decade, in part, because it inherited a first class system of roads, bridges, air and rail, Texas State Sen. Kirk Watson (D-Austin) said on a panel at the Democratic National Convention here. Watson, a former Austin mayor, spoke of Texas-based Dell, which was able to expand because it could distribute its products successfully. Today, Watson said, he worries that the economy can no longer expand until the nation’s infrastructure is improved. (See States worry about dwindling funds.) “We’ve used it up,” Watson said of the existing infrastructure. “We’re in a drought of infrastructure.” Audio from Watson's panel: —Stephen C. Fehr Page 48 Comments Friday, August 29, 2008 Delegates speak: American Samoa on voting rights Aug. 29, 2008, 1:00 p.m. EDT Q. What serious issue in your state would you like the next president to address? What concerns me most is that U.S. citizens are not allowed to vote … I know some people are trying to get something done that allows U.S. citizens in some of the territories to be able to vote in national elections. We voted in our caucuses, but when it comes to a national election, we can’t vote. Audio from the Stateline.org interview with AhChing: —American Somoa delegate Marilyn AhChing, 64, of Nu’uuli, interviewed by Pamela M. Prah, Stateline.org Comments Friday, August 29, 2008 Delegates speak: Michigan on health care Michigan delegate, Zina Kramer Aug. 29, 2008, 1:30 p.m. EDT Q. What serious issue in your state would you like the next president to address? One of the main issues really winds up being health care and being able to reduce the cost of health care and make health care affordable. And even when it comes to the manufacturing industry, we find now that somewhere between $1,500 and $1,700 of every automobile that you buy that's American are really health care costs. And so to be able to reduce those kinds of costs would be a tremendous benefit to the workforce in the state of Michigan because we believe that that would help more people buy American cars. Audio from the Stateline.org interview with Kramer: —Michigan delegate Zina Kramer, 63, of Bloomfield Hills, marketing business owner, interviewed by Barbara Page 49 Rosewicz, Stateline.org Comments Friday, August 29, 2008 Delegates speak: North Dakota on teachers' salaries North Dakota delegate Amanda KubikAug. 29, 2008, 2:00 p.m. EDT Q. What serious issue in your state would you like the next president to address? Every year, North Dakota and Montana battle it out for the lowest teacher salaries in the nation. I would like the next president to address pay equity across the nation. It's shortchanging our future when you don't pay the people who teach our children. — North Dakota delegate Amanda Kubik, 27, of Fargo, graduate student, interviewed by Stephen C. Fehr, Stateline.org Comments Friday, August 29, 2008 McCain picks Alaska gov for VP Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) Aug. 29, 2008, 2:15 EDT Presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain surprised many politicos by choosing Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate. “She’s not from these parts and she’s not from Washington,” McCain said in Dayton, Ohio, in a speech to announce his pick. “She’s exactly what this country needs to help me fight the same old Washington politics of ‘me first’ and the country second.” McCain picked Palin over higher-profile options like former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman. She entered the stage to the soundtrack of “Rudy,” a movie about an underdog football player who overcame high odds to play for the University of Notre Dame. “I know that when Sen. McCain gave me this opportunity he had a list of highly qualified men and women, and to have made that list at all, it was a privilege. And to have been chosen brings a great challenge,” Palin said. “I know that it will demand the best that I have to give, and I promise nothing less.” This marks the first time since 1972, when Spiro Agnew ran with Richard Nixon, that someone with governor’s credentials appeared in the No. 2 slot. The pick also makes Palin only the second woman to serve on a major- Page 50 party ticket; in 1984, Geraldine Ferraro was Walter Mondale’s VP choice. Palin was elected governor in 2006. Before that she served as the mayor of Wasilla, Alaska. Find out more about the history of governors and presidential races by reading Stateline.org’s Govs rarely picked for VP slot, Veep stakes could shake up governorships and Will govs lose edge in presidential races? —Pauline Vu Comments Friday, August 29, 2008 Delegates speak: Nebraska on health insurance Nebraska delegate Logan Dobbs Aug. 29, 2008, 2:30 p.m. EDT Q. What serious issue in your state would you like the next president to address? For people my age, if we can't get (health insurance) from our parents, we're pretty much out of luck. I'm active. I work out. I play basketball. If I injure myself I can't afford to pay to get myself fixed. —Nebraska delegate Logan Dobbs, 22, Hastings College, senior, interviewed by Stephen C. Fehr, Stateline.org Comments Friday, August 29, 2008 Obama would be first state legislator in White House in 28 years Page 51 Photo by Stephen C. Fehr, Stateline.org In his speech accepting the Democration nomination for president on Thursday night, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois pledged new funding for renewable energy, infrastructure and education. Aug. 29, 2008, 3:00 p.m. EDT Would Barack Obama be a bigger supporter of states' rights than President Bush has been? Obama's background gives state officials hope. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, Obama would be the first former state legislator to occupy the White House since President Jimmy Carter, elected to one term in 1976. In fact, Obama served twice as long — eight years — in the Illinois Senate in Springfield than in the U.S. Senate in Washington, D.C. But then, states have been disappointed by President Bush, a Republican whose pedigree and political party suggested he would favor a strong, cooperative federal-state partnership. Bush came to the White House directly from the governor's mansion in Austin, Texas. Yet states and the federal government have clashed repeatedly during his presidency. Points of tension include federal dictates on state-issued driver's licenses, national testing standards under the No Child Left Behind Act, federal restrictions on states' efforts to provide taxpayer-subsidized health insurance to more children from low-income families, and the California-led effort to reduce global-warming gases from auto emissions. Raymond Scheppach, executive director of the National Governors Association, calls the Bush years " a period of 'coercive federalism,' where the federal government more often just tells the states what to do." (See Scheppach's full examination of state-federal relations.) The general election campaign should yield more clues as to whether where Obama has been will guide where he's going with the nation. —Barbara Rosewicz Comments Saturday, August 30, 2008 Love was in the air Aug. 30, 2008, 1:00 p.m. EDT The music blasting over the Democratic National Convention hall last Tuesday afternoon urged delegates to Page 52 “start a love train,” and it seems some people took that to heart. On Wednesday, a Florida county Democratic chairman, Rick Minor, landed a speaking spot at the delegation’s morning caucus and used it to pop the question to girlfriend Jessica Lowe, the Tallahassee Democrat reports. And on Monday, just after Sen. Edward Kennedy spoke, one Arizona delegate proposed to another, according to The East Valley Tribune. Ruben Gallegos, the delegation’s floor whip in charge of coordinating the sign waving, signaled to delegates to lower their Kennedy signs and raise his special signs, which said “Marry me, Kate” and “Will you marry me?” Both Kate Widland and Jessica Lowe said “yes.” —Pauline Vu Comments Saturday, August 30, 2008 What would an Obama win mean for states? Aug. 29, 2008, 3:00 p.m. EDT Democrat Barack Obama promises closer ties with states, if elected, and an infusion of federal dollars that could lessen tension between Washington, D.C., and statehouses on issues from health care to energy. Democrats have praised the Obama campaign for actively enlisting the support and advice of governors — a strategy that insiders say John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic presidential candidate, did not always embrace. Read more in Stateline.org’s Aug. 29 article by Pamela M. Prah and Stephen C. Fehr. —Diane Fancher Comments Sunday, August 31, 2008 Governor or Congressman? (Or neither?) Aug. 31, 2008, 9:00 a.m. EDT With Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin chosen for the Republican ticket, the future is looking bright for Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell (R). If the McCain-Palin ticket is successful in November, Parnell could ascend to the state’s top spot. Page 53 But Parnell might be aiming for Washington, D.C., by then. He challenged embattled U.S. Rep. Don Young, who is under federal investigation for allegedly taking bribes, for his House seat in the Aug. 26 Republican primary. The race is so tight, final results aren’t expected for another two weeks. With some absentee votes still to be counted, the latest tally has Young with 45.47 percent of the vote and Parnell with 45.31 percent – a difference of 151 votes. Both candidates say they are confident of victory. So Parnell’s options are: He could take a chance on the Republicans’ presidential chances this fall and pull out of the House race, putting him on the path toward the governorship, or he could remain in the race against Young and possibly add “U.S. Congressman” to his resume. On the flip side, he could lose his primary election, the Republicans could lose the presidency, and Parnellwould end up where he started: as lieutenant governor. —Pauline Vu Comments Monday, September 1, 2008 Bush, McCain view state issues similarly By Daniel C. Vock, Stateline.org Staff Writer Democrats charge that a John McCain presidency would mean “four more years” of President Bush’s policies. A close look at both men’s records shows, on issues important to states, the Republicans are not far apart. It’s tough to predict how anyone will perform as president, and, many of the states’ frustrations with the Bush administration concern how it has made decisions, as well as the substance of those decisions. But on issue after issue that affect state governments, the GOP’s presumptive nominee and the current president hold similar views. They worked together in a thwarted attempt to overhaul the nation’s immigration laws. They agree on abortion, school choice, secure driver’s licenses and off-shore drilling. The two men both opposed efforts to stimulate the economy by spending more on improving infrastructure, and McCain backed Bush’s veto of a measure to expand children’s health insurance because of its cost. Page 54 During the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn., this week, McCain is expected to share his vision of how he would run the country. But comparisons to the current GOP administration are inevitable, with Democrats trying to link the two. Michael Bird, federal affairs counsel for the National Conference of State Legislatures, was optimistic that a McCain administration would be easier to work with than the current Bush administration. “It’s been so bad, it couldn’t possibly get worse,” Bird said of states' relationships with the Bush administration. In his 26-year congressional career, McCain has focused on foreign affairs and commerce issues, which don’t intersect heavily with state programs. That means state officials don’t have a lot of experience to predict how McCain would deal with states, Bird said. But Bird said state-federal relations are at their lowest point since at least the Reagan administration. State officials and federal agencies don’t trust each other, state leaders are rarely consulted for far-reaching policy changes and states are constantly fighting administration efforts to cut programs that states rely on, he said. The McCain campaign did not return calls for comment. After Democrats took control of Congress in the 2006 elections, they pressed for a number of measures they claimed would help states. The Democrat-led Congress sent Bush a $35 billion, five-year expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, which insures working families who make too much money to qualify for Medicaid but can’t afford to buy private coverage. Bush vetoed the measure, arguing it was too costly and too expansive. McCain supported Bush’s veto. States pressed for relief — such as direct subsidies or increased Medicaid matching funds — when Congress took up an economic stimulus package this year, but didn’t receive help in the final agreement. Now several leaders, including governors Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) of California and Ed Rendell (D) of Pennsylvania, are pushing for a second stimulus package that would focus on fixing the nation's crumbling infrastructure. They argue that pumping money into states to build better roads, bridges, dams and other infrastructure would help boost the economy. Both Bush and McCain are against that idea. They have argued that existing revenue should be used more effectively, especially by eliminating “earmarks,” the pork projects added by individual members of Congress to large spending bills. But while many of their positions are aligned, McCain and Bush are far apart on global warming. Page 55 The Bush administration has resisted several state-led efforts to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other chemicals thought to cause global warming. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (backed by nine states) fought and lost a battle with Massachusetts and 11 other states over whether it had to regulate carbon dioxide as a pollutant under the Clean Air Act. The EPA also resisted California’s efforts to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide given off by automobiles. McCain, on the other hand, wants to reduce carbon dioxide emissions nationally. His plan would force companies to pay for the legal ability to pollute, while gradually allowing less greenhouse gas emissions overall. After a change-of-heart by McCain, however, the two agree on off-shore drilling. The Arizona senator once opposed new off-shore drilling for oil and gas, but McCain reversed his position in June. He said new exploration could reduce the high price of gas, even as the country develops cleaner energy alternatives. McCain’s announcement brought him in line with the president. Bush pressured Congress into lifting a federal moratorium on new off-shore projects in July by rescinding an executive order that also blocked new off-shore drilling. On other issues, the differences between McCain and Bush are small. For example, McCain opposes a nationwide ban on assault weapons, while Bush in 2000 campaigned in favor of renewing an assault weapons ban signed into law in 1994. That law expired in 2004 and hasn’t been revived. Both Bush and McCain oppose gay marriage, but McCain objected to Bush’s efforts in 2006 to add an amendment to the U.S. Constitution outlawing same-sex unions because it would usurp states’ authority. Still, McCain supports a California ballot measure this fall that would define marriage as a union between a man and a woman. On education policy, the differences between Bush and McCain tend to be a matter of emphasis. “During Bush’s campaign, education was a major issue. It barely comes across McCain’s lips,” said Jack Jennings, the president and CEO of the nonpartisan Center on Educational Policy. They both support No Child Left Behind, the 2002 federal law that relies on frequent student testing to ensure schools are performing well. They are also strong proponents of letting parents get vouchers or tax credits to pay for private schools. Page 56 Relations between states and the federal government have been strained since Bush, the former Texas governor, took the presidential oath in 2001. Republicans in the 1990s championed programs that empowered states to experiment, but Bush has pushed states to comply with new, stricter federal regulations while trying to rein in federal spending by reducing grants and aid to states and local governments. The president’s signature education initiative, No Child Left Behind, imposed new rules for states and local governments without consulting with them first. States also complain that Congress didn’t fully fund the program, leaving them to make up the difference. Bush pressed for Medicare, the federal health insurance program for senior citizens, to start paying for prescription drugs. States had hoped the plan would save them money, too, because they would no longer have to buy medicine for poor, elderly Medicaid recipients. Instead, states had to pick up most of the bill for those patients. When the president pushed his second round of tax cuts, states worked with Congress to secure $20 billion of relief for state treasuries, even though the Bush administration resisted the move. See Related Stories: What would an Obama win mean for the states? (8/29/2008) Why presidential elections matter to states (8/22/2008) Will the 2008 election improve state-federal relations? (commentary) (7/9/2008) Govs target transportation funding (2/26/2008) Govs press for more money on Real ID, Medicaid (2/25/2008) Contact Daniel C. Vock at dvock@stateline.org. — Stateline.org staff writers John Gramlich, Christine Vestal and Pauline Vu and interns Leah Szarek and Nathaniel Weixel contributed to this report. Page 57