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/2015/05/23/chris-christie-demands-an-apology-nebraska-drops-the-death-penalty-and-los-angeles-raises-minimum-wage-us-state-blog-round-up-for-16-22-may/Chris Christie demands an apology, Nebraska drops the deathpenalty, and Los Angeles raises minimum wage : US state bloground up for 16 – 22 MayUSApp Managing Editor, Chris Gilson, looks at the week in U.S. state blogging. Click here for our weeklyroundup of national blogs.NortheastThis week, Maine’s Pine Tree Politics looks at budget proposals from the state’s Republicans, Democrats, andGovernor. They say that the budget that does end up being passed will likely increase spending by as much as$200 million, and that if the state government had exercised more fiscal discipline in years past, then the budgetwould not be the ‘bloated mess’ that it is today.Moving down to New Hampshire, Granite Grok reports that Republican Yvonne Dean-Bailey became one of theyoungest women ever elected to the State House. They say that Dean-Bailey, who is 19, won because of herbelief in fiscal responsibility and lack of negative attacks against her opponent. Staying in the Granite StateMiscellany Blue says that embattled GOP Congressman Frank Guinta, who recently acknowledged that hefunded his 2010 campaign with an illegal $355,000 loan from his parents, has apologized, but is also now insistinghe did nothing wrong.On Tuesday, Blue Mass Group commends the State Senate for adopting a budget amendment which will raiseadditional revenues in a progressive way, by repealing the formula which had previously caused the income taxrate to be automatically raised. In addition, the amendment will also allocate some of the new revenue to freezingthe state’s Earned Income Tax Credit program (benefiting those on low incomes), as well as increasing thepersonal income tax exemption.This week The Atlantic looks at the massive public housing currently facing New York City. They say that thisweek, Mayor Bill de Blasio has unveiled a new plan for the city’s housing authority, but that this plan does notinclude dismantling some of the city’s ‘ageing towers’ in poor neighborhoods.New Jersey Governor, Chris Christie, courted controversy this week by demanding an apology from the mediaover their coverage of the”Bridgegate” scandal over the past year and a half.  Save Jersey comments that whileChristie ‘sort of’ deserves an apology from the media, who rushed to judge the Governor over his alleged role inthe closure of lanes on the George Washington Bridge in 2013, members of the public deserve an apology evenmore from the media for their biased coverage of politics in general.SouthThis week saw the Republican Primary for the Kentucky governor’s race, but as of Friday there was doubt overthe winner, with Matt Bevin having only 83 more votes than James Comer, who has asked for a re-canvas. PageOne has a comprehensive run down of the all the candidates, the results, and what is likely to happen next.Heading down to Florida, The Seminole Democrat says that GOP Governor Rick Scott’s plan to bridge thefunding gap created by his administration’s refusal to accept federal Medicaid funding by asking hospitals to savemoney has been rejected by some in his own party, who claim that he is trying to socialize the profits of hospitals.Staying in the Sunshine State, The Shark Tank shows that Democrats are also having issues with one of theirown this week. They say that Representative Alan Grayson, who is considering running for the state’s Senateseat in 2016 is not well liked by his own party – mostly because he has tried to press criminal charges against hisestranged wife for using his credit card, and his propensity to be abusive towards Republicans.Florida Governor Rick Scott Credit: Gage Skidmore (Flickr, CC-BY-SA-2.0)On Friday, Left in Alabama reports that thestate legislature, lacking a budget with only fivedays left in the session, has rushed to passmore ‘unconstitutional’ bills. They say that astate constitutional amendment, passed in1984, requires the legislature to pass a budgetfirst, but that has not stopped the body frompassing laws which have taken it out of themarriage business, and several ant-abortionmeasures.In Louisiana this week, Republican GovernorBobby JIndal issued an executive order whichwould allow businesses to discriminate againstpeople based on their religious beliefs,reports Louisiana Voice. The order comes aftera similar bill failed to pass through the stateHouse Civil Law Committee. They say that while Jindal often complains of government overreach on the nationallevel, he seems to have no problems with putting in place measures which control millions of lives when it ispolitically expedient for him to do so.Blue Daze of Texas writes this week that Republican Governor, Greg Abbott this week signed a bill into law whichwould force every state municipality to demonstrate that any limits places on oil and gas development were“commercially reasonable”. They say that the measure was written by the oil and gas industry, and that effectivelyoverturns a ballot initiative in the town of Denton which banned fracking last November.MidwestPlunderbund of Ohio writes Tuesday that the state legislature has a plan to kick poor children off of their healthinsurance, via provisions in the state budget which would require those receiving Medicaid to pay a certainamount to maintain their health insurance coverage. They say that the measure may force poor families to choosebetween feeding their children and providing them with health insurance.This week Progress Illinois looks at a new report which shows that union membership in the state has fallen by97,000 over the past decade, with the unionization rate now standing at just over 15 percent. They furthercomment that GOP Governor Bruce Rauner is pushing for local communities to be able to enact their own ‘Rightto work’ laws (which would eliminate the requirement that workers pay union dues whether or not they are in a jobcovered by a collective bargaining agreement), rather than for one to be brought in at the state level as has beenthe case elsewhere.In the Badger State this week, Blogging Blue looks at the troubled Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation(WEDC), created by Governor Scott Walker. They report that the high ranking aides to Governor Walker pushedfor a loan of $500,000 to the WEDC in 2011, and that the loan is now being questioned by state auditors.Nebraska made national news this week after its state legislature approved a measure which would abolish thedeath penalty. The Daily Signal says that many of the legislature’s Senators cites their own conservativeprinciples as the reason for their opposition – the death penalty being in their view expensive and bureaucratic.On Thursday, Wonkblog covers new measures recently put in place by the Kansas state legislature which punishthose who are receiving benefits. From July 1st, beneficiaries will be unable to withdraw more that $25 from ATMand prevent them redeeming benefits from places such as swimming pools, movie theatres and tattoo parlours.The ATM restriction is especially harsh as it is effectively an $20 restriction, given that few ATMs carry $5 notes.As part of a continuing series, Minnesota’s MN Progressive Project examines how the state’s Republican Party is‘screwing’ rural voters. This week, they say that it is tax cuts which they say will give away $15 for every $1invested in the state’s school children.Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker Credit: GatewayTechnical College (CC-BY-NC-ND-2.0)West and PacificIn the Centennial State this week, Colorado Peak Politics warns thatthe fees for the state’s Obamacare health insurance exchange,Connect for Health will more than double next year, as nearly $200million in federal subsidies will sunset. They also say that in theshort time it has been in operation, the estimated annual cost ofrunning Connect for Health have ballooned from $26 million to $54million. Staying on the topic of healthcare in Colorado, ColoradoPolswrites that the state’s new Senator, Republican Cory Gardner, hasmade good on his 2014 Senate race promise to introduce legislationwhich encourage drug manufacturers to file an application with theFood and Drug Administration for their products to be sold over thecounter. They say that the bill would actually end up makingcontraceptives more expensive and less available, as it wouldremove the requirement for insurance to cover birth control.On Sunday, New Mexico’s Progress Now NM reports that, in whatthey say was a rare bipartisan move, the State Senate approved thefunding of budget commitments ‘critical’ to communities such astribes, seniors and students. Unfortunately, they also write that thebudget deal was scrapped by Republicans in the State House whoaltered the $264 million capital outlay bill, funnelling funding awayfrom schools and projects for senior citizens to roads.Blog for Arizona comments this week on the state Governor, Doug Ducey’s ‘pattern of abuse of authority’. Theysay that Ducey is showing a clear pattern of asserting extra-constitutional authority and abuse of power, such asfiring the head of the state’s new Department of Child Safety without reason and his push to dissolve theDepartment of Weights and Measures.This week saw the recently announced candidate for California’s open Senate seat in 2016, Loretta Sanchez, inhot water over making a stereotypical Native American war cry when talking to an audience of Indian-AmericanDemocrats. Calbuzz says that many media outlets have been struggling to describe Sanchez’s actions, but thatthe term ‘ululation’ has now entered California’s political lexicon. Staying in the Sunshine State, Fox & Houndswonders how businesses will react to the Los Angeles’ City Council’s recent vote to increase the minimum wagein the city to $15 an hour by 2020. They say that the increased wage will be phased in, so its impact will not beimmediately felt, but they should ‘keep score’ of the effects when they do hit, so officials can be aware of them.Featured image: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie Credit: Gage Skidmore (CC-BY-SA-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/1IUZMRsCC BY-NC-ND 3.0 2014 LSE USAPP

Chris Christie demands an apology, Nebraska drops the death penalty, and Los Angeles raises minimum wage : US state blog round up for 16 – 22 May

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