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

Gilson, Christopher

LSE Research Online

blogs.lse.ac.ukhttp://blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/2015/06/13/chris-christies-pension-win-north-carolinas-right-turn-and-kansas-big-tax-hike-us-state-blog-round-up-for-6-12-june/Governor Peter Shumlin of Vermont, Credit: Community College of Vermont (Flickr, CC-BY-2.0)Chris Christie’s pension win, North Carolina’s right turn, andKansas’ big tax hike: US state blog round up for 6 – 12 JuneUSApp 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 Dirigo Blue comments that the state’s Governor, Paul LePage, is making good on his recentpromise to veto any bill sent to him which was introduced by a Democratic member until his ballot measure whichwould prevent the state income tax is approved for November.Vermont’s Governor, PeterShumlin, this week announcedthat he would not be seeking athird term next year. VTDiggerreports that the state’s Republicanleaders have responded to thenews by issuing scathingindictments of his tenure in office,and have also said that Shumlin isadmitting that he has failed as aneffective leader for the state.In more gubernatorial news,RIFuture covers Rhode IslandGovernor Gina Raimondo’s lastminute additions to the state’s2016 budget which would mandate that every insurer offering coverage on the state’s health insurance exchangewould have to offer multiple plans which do not cover abortion. Both Planned Parenthood and the ACLU haveexpressed surprise at the new proposals.New York saw the dramatic escape of two prisoners from the Clinton Correctional Facility, near to the Canadianborder. State of Politics has the news that the state has offered up to $100,000 as a reward for information leadingto the capture of the two men, who were in prison for murder.PolitickerNJ reports that the New Jersey Supreme Court this week reversed a lower court ruling that the stategovernment must contribute more towards the pensions of state workers. They say that the ruling is a win forGovernor Chris Christie who is in an ongoing ‘tug-of-war’ with public sector unions. Blue Jersey comments thatthe state Supreme Court has confirmed that contracts in the state ‘don’t mean squat’, referring to the 2011 lawsigned by Governor Christie (and thrown out by the Court) which mandated pension funding.SouthOn Tuesday, The Atlantic  looks at the recent rightward turn in the Old North State. They say that this week NorthCarolina was poised to pass a state Senate bill which would allow state officials to proclaim a policy of refusing tomarry same-sex couples on the basis of having a religious objection, though same-sex couples would retain thelegal right to be married. Later in the week, The Federalist reports that the North Carolina state legislature hasoverridden Governor Pat McCrory’s veto of the bill, who had argued that state officials should keep their oaths tothe state constitution.Credit: Stuart Seeger (Flickr, CC-BY-2.0)Moving down to Georgia, Peach Pundit argues this week that the state’s new bill to reform its civil asset forfeiturelaws does not go far enough as it does not place enough protection on innocent Georgians whose property maybe seized by law enforcement.In the Sunshine State, Saint Peters Blog says that GOP Governor, Rick Scott, is pushing for mediation betweenFlorida and the federal government via a federal court to resolve the current impasse over the state’s budget andreductions in the $1 billion Low Income Pool healthcare program funding to be provided by the federalgovernment. Staying in Florida, The Shark Tank writes that the state’s new abortion law, which requires womenwho are planning to have an abortion in Florida to wait an extra 24 hours has angered the pro-choice lobby in thestate.The Lone Star State has done well economically, with many referring to the ‘Texas Miracle’ in the context of formerGovernor Rick Perry’s term. Wonkblog takes a close look at the facts of the state’s economic successes,commenting that while job growth has been very good, ordinary households aren’t doing that much better.MidwestEclectablog says that the Great Lakes State is ‘under assault’ this week, as Governor Rick Snyder has signed abill which would deny welfare benefits to an entire family if one of their children is chronically truant. Other billssigned by the Michigan governor include a measure to allow adoption agencies to refuse referrals that violate theirreligious beliefs.Heading down to Indiana, Ogden on Politics wonders if Governor Mike Pence can revive his political career, giventhat ‘Pence must go’ signs are appearing across the state. They say that Pence, who is due to announce that he isseeking a second term, needs to rebuild his base and stop running from the religious freedom issue which hascaused him so much grief.Progress Illinois writes Thursday that the state’s budget woes are continuing – now the state Comptroller hasstated that the state could stop paying most of its bills by months’ end if the legislature and governor cannot breaktheir budget impasse.On Tuesday, Blogging Blue of Wisconsin says that the state’s Republicans are now seeking to abolish thenonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau after it produced a scathing audit of the controls of the Wisconsin EconomicDevelopment Corp, Governor Scott Walker’s economic development agency.Kansas is also facing budgetproblems – after tax cuts pushed byGovernor Sam Brownback left thestate with a massive budget hole.PoliticusUSA reports that this weekthe state’s GOP-controlled Senatehad passed a massive $471 milliontax increase which would be thelargest in the state’s history.Heading up to the Mount RushmoreState, Dakota Free Press has theinteresting factoid that South Dakotaholds 18 percent of U.S. bank assets.They also say that the financeindustry is the most important for the state’s economy, despite the ‘boosterism’ of the state’s Department ofAgriculture which claims that that industry is the most important.West and PacificOn Monday, Blog for Arizona says that Governor Doug Ducey’s recent plan to take money from the state’s landtrust to fund K-12 schools to the tune of $2.2 billion is actually a surreptitious attempt to settle a lawsuit overeducation funding for state schools.Heading over to the Silver State, Roll Call’s At the Races reports on Tuesday that Brian Sandoval, Nevada’s GOPGovernor will not be running for the state’s open Senate seat. They say that Sandoval’s move will be helpful toNevada Representative, Joe Heck, who is the top choice of national Republicans.The Brennan Center for Justice this week calls for Oregon to allow campaign contribution limits. They say that lastyear the donation of $250,000 to former Governor John Kitzhaber’s re-election campaign, and the appearancethat it led to a special legislative session which in turn resulted in a special tax deal for Nike, has shakenOregonian’s confidence in government.Moving on to the Golden State, this week Outside the Beltway reports that the Supreme Court has declined toaccept an appeal in a case which arose out of a challenge to San Francisco’s law which required handguns to bekept locked up, or have a trigger law installed. Staying in California, Fox & Hounds looks at whether DemocraticGovernor, Jerry Brown, is building up another ‘obscene’ surplus, rather than looking to cut taxes or making goodpublic investments.In the Aloha state, Honolulu Civil Beat writes that Hawaii is 5th per capita in the country in terms of the number ofpeople killed after encounters with law enforcement.Featured image of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, credit: Gage Skidmore (Flickr, 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/1Ibf0hmCC BY-NC-ND 3.0 2014 LSE USAPP

Chris Christie’s pension win: North Carolina’s right turn: and Kansas’ big tax hike: US state blog round up for 6 – 12 June

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