May 14, 2008
State & Policy News
 N.J. enacts paid family leave
New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D) said his near-fatal car accident last year changed the way he thought about several state policy priorities. Paid family leave was one of them. Stateline.org Read the article.
New help for rape victims
Starting next year across the country, rape victims too afraid or too ashamed to go to police can undergo an emergency-room forensic rape exam, and the evidence gathered will be kept on file in a sealed envelope in case they decide to press charges. The Associated Press in the Los Angeles Times Read the article.
Oil refiners see profits sink as consumption falls
While drivers are facing sticker shock at the pump these days, here is a bigger shock: high prices are putting a strain on oil refiners. New York Times Read the article.
Some detainees are drugged for deportation
The U.S. government has injected hundreds of foreigners it has deported with dangerous psychotropic drugs against their will to keep them sedated during the trip back to their home country, according to medical records, internal documents and interviews with people who have been drugged. Washington Post Read the article.
House Democrats seek surtax on the wealthy
House Democrats are proposing a surtax on high-income earners -- valued at more than $50 billion over 10 years -- as a way to fund an expansion of education benefits for veterans. Wall Street Journal Read the article.
The post-Bush Climate
John McCain has been engaged in the fight against global warming for years, even at the expense of breaking with Republican orthodoxy and with President Bush on the issue. But it was still an important moment this week when Mr. McCain, the presumed Republican presidential nominee, decided to raise the profile of climate change in the 2008 campaign. Opinion in the New York Times Read the article.
Election to cause big turnover in Neb. legislature
Nebraska is one of 15 states that limit the terms of state lawmakers, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The Associated Press in the Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan Read the article.
Suffolk County lawmakers move to nix texting while driving
New Jersey and Washington State have banned text-messaging while driving. The National Conference of State Legislatures says lawmakers in at least 23 other states are considering doing so. Newsday Read the article.
Calif installs 1st black female legislative leader
California's Assembly is the first state legislative body in the nation to be led by a black woman, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The Associated Press Read the article.
Police push links to ID pre-paid phones
Although no bills are pending in Congress, legislation requiring photo identification for prepaid-phone purchases is surfacing in statehouses nationwide. The National Conference of State Legislatures is following bills in Michigan and Georgia. Lawmakers in New Jersey, Texas and Pennsylvania also have considered legislation. Washington Times Read the article.
States, locals swamp immigration program
Law enforcement ranks first as an issue in immigration-related legislation introduced on the state level as of March 2008, according to an April report of the National Conference of State Legislatures. Stateline.org Read the article.
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