September 2011
The American Jobs Act: State-by-State
By Jennifer Burnett | Friday, September 9, 2011 at 3:28 pmThe American Jobs Act, as proposed by President Obama during his speech on Thursday, includes a number of provisions that would impact states. Following the president’s proposal, the White House released a Fact Sheet and Overview that provides some basic details of the program.
9/11 Opinion Survey Report: A Changed Nation: An In-Depth Look at Changed American Attitudes towards Terrorism, Personal Freedoms, and Security a Decade after 9/11
By Trina Sheets | Friday, September 9, 2011 at 2:22 pm
The National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) has co-sponsored a survey that explores public attitudes about terrorism and natural disasters a decade after the attacks of September 11, 2011.
The American Jobs Act, Long on State Funding, Short on Political Support
By Chris Whatley | Friday, September 9, 2011 at 1:41 pmThe President fired a shot across the bow of Congress last night with his $450 billion proposal to address the jobs crisis. In a reprise of the Recovery Act of 2009 (the “stimulus”), the majority of new spending in the proposal would flow through state and local government with over $110 billion devoted to infrastructure and education alone. However, state budget planners need not revise their mid-year predictions just yet as the bill will face a hurricane-force headwind as soon as it hits the House of Representatives next week.
Federal Court Throws Out Two Lawsuits on Health Reform Law
By Debra Miller | Friday, September 9, 2011 at 1:26 pmOpponents of President Obama’s health care reform act were dealt several blows yesterday by a federal appellate court in Richmond, Virginia.
The court threw out two lawsuits declaring that the plaintiffs in the case did not have standing to bring the lawsuits. The first suit was brought by Virginia Attorney General Cuccinelli, who filed suit the same day the law was enacted. The second suit was filed by Liberty University, a Christian college in Lynchburg, Va.
Missouri Teacher/Student Social Media Ban Revised
By Nathan Dickerson | Friday, September 9, 2011 at 12:10 pm
Missouri's Amy Hestir Student Protection Act was blocked in court for being too broad. The Act made it illegal for students and teachers to engage in private communications on Facebook, and it had the consequence of, in some cases, even preventing students who were the children of teachers from using social media to communicate with their parents. Now Missouri is leaving social media policy to be set by school districts, allowing them to serve as laboratories for implementation.
CSG to Convene Reciprocity Compact Drafting Team Meeting
By Crady deGolian | Friday, September 9, 2011 at 11:46 am
Staff from CSG’s National Center for Interstate Compacts will convene the first drafting team meeting of the Interstate Reciprocity Compact September 15-16. CSG, in conjunction with the President’s Forum and a team of subject matter experts, will begin drafting language for an interstate reciprocity compact with the goal of enhancing the current state regulatory environment and eliminating redundancies and inefficiencies for both institutions and the states where they reside.
White House to Hold State-Specific Conference Calls Today to Give Details on American Jobs Act Provisions
By Jennifer Horne | Friday, September 9, 2011 at 11:23 amThe White House is conducting a conference call at 4:30 ET today, Friday, September 9 to provide additional details on the provisions of the American Jobs Act. In addition, the White House is conducting several state-specific conference calls today and on Monday on the provisions of the American Jobs Act.
Education Secretary Arne Duncan to Hold Conference Call at 11:30 Eastern TODAY to discuss the American Jobs Act
By Jennifer Horne | Friday, September 9, 2011 at 11:05 amLooking for more information on the education-related provisions contained in the American Jobs Act? Education Secretary Arne Duncan and White House Domestic Policy Council Director Melody Barnes will host a call with education stakeholders today, Friday, September 9th, 2011, beginning at 11:30 a.m., Eastern time. To join the call: 800-288-8967; tell the operator that you're joining the "Jobs Package Education Call."
Don't Miss CSG's National Conference and North American Summit
By Jennifer Horne | Thursday, September 8, 2011 at 9:41 am
The Council of State Governments' 2011 National Conference, which will be held October 19-23 in Bellevue, Washington, is designed to provide state leaders with the opportunity to discuss state government trends, share cutting-edge solutions and debate what's next on the political horizon.
Intellectual Property Theft: An Economic Antagonist
By JC Hendrickson | Wednesday, September 7, 2011 at 12:53 pm
Congress is scheduled to reconvene for what is sure to be a historically busy fall session next week. With the creation of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, and the president set to address a joint session of Congress this Thursday to lay out his plan for economic recovery, the next few weeks may set the political tenor for the months, and perhaps years, to come.
