USApp Managing Editor, Chris Gilson, looks at the week in U.S. state blogging

Gilson, Christopher

LSE Research Online

blogs.lse.ac.ukhttp://blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/2015/05/30/cuomo-and-de-blasio-face-falling-approval-ratings-illinois-pension-crisis-and-arizonas-new-welfare-restrictions-us-state-blog-round-up-for-23-29-may/New York Mayor, Bill de Blasio Credit: thierry ehrmann (CC-BY-2.0)Cuomo and de Blasio face falling approval ratings, Illinois’pension crisis, and Arizona’s new welfare restrictions: US stateblog round up for 23 – 29 MayUSApp Managing Editor, Chris Gilson, looks at the week in U.S. state blogging. Click here for our weeklyroundup of national blogs.NortheastThis week in the Pine Tree State Dirigo Blue says that Governor Paul LePage should not wait for a constitutionalamendment which would repeal and ban income tax in Maine. They say that rather than pushing for a referendumon the amendment, LePage only needs to propose it in his next state budget (2018-2019). The measure wouldlead to a $3.6 billion revenue gap that his successor would have to deal with.Heading down to Vermont, VTDigger writes Thursday that Governor Peter Shumlin this week signed acontroversial bill which would remove the philosophical exemption to the requirement that children be vaccinatedto attend schools.In the Empire State, Capitol Confidentialreports on a new poll that shows that New YorkGovernor Andrew Cuomo’s favorability hasreached a new low, with 53 percent in favor,compared to 63 percent in June 2014. They saythat Cuomo’s job performance rating is also atan all-time low, and that 90 percent of votersfeel that corruption in state government is aserious problem. Staying in New York,RedState writes this week that the ‘GreatDemocratic Experiment’ currently underway inNew York City in the form of left-wingDemocratic Mayor, Bill de Blasio, is not workingas his approval rating stands at 44 percent.Moving on, Save Jersey says on Friday that,once again, Governor Chris Christie has thrownthe South Jersey Republican Party ‘under the bus’. They write that Christie has come out in support of NorthJersey casinos, something which will hurt business owners in South Jersey, and will in turn cost local GOPcandidates support. Staying in the Garden State, PolitickerNJ reports this week that Jersey City has approved aresolution which supports state driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants, making it the eighth municipalityin the state to do so.SouthThis week saw a ‘recanvas’ in Kentucky’s Republican gubernatorial primary after Matt Bevin gained only 84 morevotes than his rival. National Journal writes that Bevin’s first task will be to court the state’s Republican donors,given that he raised very little in the recent primary and in the 2014 Senate race.Heading down to the Sunshine State, Saint Petersblog looks at a new report which shows that the outlook forwomen in Florida is grim, with women earning only 85 cents on the dollar compared to men and a poor score inCredit: travelling.steve (CC-BY-NC-SA-2.0)the areas of poverty, access to health insurance and education levels.Heading up to Alabama, Yellowhammer reports on Wednesday that the state House of Representatives has votedto ban abortion clinics from opening near to schools. Conservatives in favor of the measure have stated that thebill will protect school children from protesters’ graphic protests near to abortion clinics.The Arkansas blog says on Thursday that privatized prisons are now back on the agenda in the state. They writethat Governor Asa Hutchinson is looking towards outsourcing more prison services in order to handle the state’soversupply of inmates, and that the Corrections Corporation of America has been lobbying the Governor’s criminaljustice task force.Blue Oklahoma comments on Wednesday that the record rainfall the state has been experiencing recently is anexample of the type of weather extremism which is becoming more and more common due to global warming.They say that the burning of fossil fuels has helped to create a new reality for the state which includes recordrainfall and earthquakes due to fracking.In the Lone Star State, Burnt OrangeReport says that we should get ready forguns to be in Texas’ schools as this weekthe state House passed a bill whichrequire public universities to allowconcealed handguns on campus.MidwestOn  Wednesday, Outside the Beltwayreports that Cleveland’s policedepartment has reached a settlement withthe Department of Justice related to a2014 report which found misconduct anddiscrimination in the force.Heading up to Michigan, Hit & Run saysthat state legislators on the HouseJudiciary Committee are reconsideringforfeiture laws which allow suspects’ assets to be seized without them being convicted.Illinois, like many states, faces a crisis in paying for its public pensions. The American Interest  writes that thestate’s Supreme Court is facing a series of unpleasant choices such as switching workers into a pension plan thatwould earn less generous benefits or enabling benefit changes for future years of service. They say that otherstates facing similar problems are watching Illinois with interest to see how (and if) its pension problems can beresolved.Wisconsin’s The Political Environment comments that new ‘ugly’ data shows that the state’s population increasedby only 0.25 percent from 2013 – 2014. They say that the low rate of increase does little to deny the recent claimsthat the state is ‘hollowing out’.Nebraska’s state legislature voted to repeal the death penalty last week, but this week that move was threatenedby the Governor’s veto. Leavenworth St reports that while 30 state Senators voted to override Governor PeterRicketts’ veto another Senator has already started to explore the possibility of starting a citizen-driven ballotinitiative to give an option of reinstating the death penalty.SayAnything blog writes this week that a town in North Dakota has an unusual problem – it is running short onpoop. Anticipating future demand, the town of Ray built an $2.5 million expansion to its sewage treatment facility,but the expected population boom has not occurred. They say that city leaders have blamed the slowdown in oilactivity.West and PacificCredit: Roadsidepictures (Creative Commons BY NC)On  Monday, Daily Kos says that Arizona has reached another ‘milestone of hate’, as the state’s legislature cutlifetime welfare benefits to one for everyone, including children and the disabled. The state is the only one to havesuch a stringent and all-encompassing limit. Staying in Arizona, PoliticusUSA reports that the Democratic Partyhas landed a ‘top candidate’ to take on incumbent Senator John McCain in the form of Representative AnneKirkpatrick. They say that Kirkpatrick could mean trouble for McCain as she was able to win her Congressionaldistrict in 2012 even though it gave more votes to MItt Romney.On Friday, Daily Kos has the news that the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has struck down Idaho’s law whichbanned abortions after 20 weeks and required that all second trimester abortions be performed in hospitals.Heading down to California, Outside the Beltway has the news that despite lobbying for Los Angeles’ minimumwage increase, the city’s unions want an exemption from it for companies with unionized workforces. They feelthat companies with workers represented by unions should have the leeway to negotiate a wage below theminimum. Also in the Golden State this week, Fox & Hounds argues that it is time to improve California’s budgetprocess to make it more transparent.Featured image: Governor of New York State, Andrew Cuomo Credit: Diana Robinson (Flickr, CC-BY-2.0)Please read our comments policy before commenting .Note:  This article gives the views of the author, and not the position of USApp– American Politics and Policy, norof the London School of Economics.Shortened URL for this post: http://bit.ly/1BxLCQbCC BY-NC-ND 3.0 2014 LSE USAPP

Cuomo and de Blasio face falling approval ratings, Illinois’ pension crisis, and Arizona’s new welfare restrictions: US state blog round up for 23 – 29 May

Cuomo and de Blasio face falling approval ratings, Illinois’ pension crisis, and Arizona’s new welfare restrictions: US state blog round up for 23 – 29 May

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