Same-sex benefits ban gets Palin veto
Attorney general told her the bill was unconstitutional
By KYLE HOPKINS, Anchorage Daily News
Gov. Sarah Palin vetoed a bill Thursday that sought to block the state
from giving public employee benefits such as health insurance to same-sex
couples. In the first veto of an administration that isn't yet a month old,
Palin said she rejected the bill despite her disagreement with a state
Supreme Court order earlier this month that directed the state to offer
benefits to same-sex partners of state employees. Advice from her new
attorney general said the bill passed by the Legislature was
unconstitutional, she said. "Signing this bill would be in direct violation
of my oath of office," Palin said in a prepared statement released by her
administration Thursday night.
Audit reveals less than full disclosure
APOC director says more than 70% of legislators' reports are incomplete
By PAT FORGEY, Juneau Empire
The key to Alaska's government ethics law is disclosure, but the most
recent financial reports filed by state legislators are replete with
incomplete, unresponsive, and in some cases, allegedly untruthful answers. A
review by the Empire of numerous legislators' reports showed that most
failed either to complete parts of the required paperwork or made obvious
errors or omissions in their filings with the Alaska Public Offices
Commission. The commission's executive director said her staff had found
much the same situation.
McCall claims lead in Texas House speaker race
By LISA SANDBERG, Houston Chronicle
State Rep. Brian McCall holds a one-vote lead in the race for speaker of
the Texas House after receiving two sought-after endorsements from
colleagues today, McCall's spokesman said. According to Roy Fletcher, a
consultant for McCall, the Plano Republican has secured pledge cards from 73
members, including 17 Republicans and 56 Democrats. Craddick maintains the
backing of 72 members, including 13 Democrats and 59 Republicans, Fletcher
said.
Rival
confident he'll strong-arm Craddick out
McCall says House speaker's heavy-handedness to
cost him spot
By LISA SANDBERG and POLLY ROSS HUGHES, Houston Chronicle
The man who hopes to unseat Tom Craddick said Tuesday the House
speaker's reputation as a heavy-handed, inflexible leader will ultimately
cost him his powerful position. "He's known for his tough, strong-armed,
mean-spirited tactics," said Rep. Brian McCall of Plano, a fellow
Republican. "There's a rebelliousness occurring in the House for that very
reason." McCall expressed confidence that he had secured enough pledges from
disgruntled members, including many of the 109 who last month signed pledge
cards for Craddick, to topple him next month. McCall declined to give a
number or any names. He insisted he had the support of several committee
chairs of both parties. McCall filed for the job Friday. A self-described
social conservative, he said he did not differ with Craddick on policy
issues but threw his hat in the ring because he'd had it with what he
described as the speaker's "(my) way or the highway kind of thinking."
Governor giddy over plans for surplus
By David Postman, Seattle Times
Gov. Christine Gregoire showed me something I hadn't seen before when
she unveiled her budget this week: A governor with unbridled enthusiasm for
spending. For years, governors have talked of the hard choices they had to
make in writing the state's two-year spending plan. In tough times, they've
increased taxes and trimmed budgets. In good times, they've cut business
taxes — billions of dollars worth. But Gregoire seemed as excited by her
budget as I was about getting my lights back on after five days in the dark.
"I'm very proud of the budget," she told reporters. "I'm excited about it."
She even said she loved her budget.
DeLay prosecutors' appeal set for Jan. 24 hearing
By the Associated Press, Houston Chronicle
Texas' highest criminal appeals court will hear arguments Jan. 24 on
whether it should reinstate a dropped conspiracy charge against former House
Majority Leader Tom DeLay. A Travis County grand jury indicted DeLay and two
political consultants last year on felony money laundering and conspiracy
charges stemming from Republican fundraising in the 2002 legislative races.
DeLay stepped down as majority leader after the charges were filed and
announced his resignation from Congress a few months later. A state district
judge threw out one of two conspiracy charges and let stand the money
laundering charge. Prosecutors asked the appeals court to reinstate the
dropped conspiracy charge, a move that has postponed trial proceedings on
the remaining charges. DeLay and other Texas Republicans have accused
prosecutor Ronnie Earle, a Democrat, of conducting a political vendetta.
Morales placed in halfway house after release from prison
By JOHN MORITZ, Ft. Worth Star-Telegram
Former Texas Attorney General Dan Morales, whose once-promising
political career was left in tatters when he was imprisoned on fraud charges
in 2003, has been released from the federal lockup in Texarkana and placed
in a halfway house in the San Antonio region. Morales was a rising star in
the Texas Democratic Party when he left the attorney general’s office after
two terms in 1999. The year before, he landed the landmark $17.3 billion
settlement for the state with the nation’s largest tobacco companies, which
he had sued on grounds that they knowingly had endangered the lives of Texas
smokers for decades. But only after the settlement was announced did it come
to light that Morales had entered into a "side agreement" with Houston
lawyer Marc Murr, a longtime friend and associate. Morales and Murr
contended that Murr was due $560 million from the fee pool for his work on
the tobacco case. The other lawyers objected, saying that Murr had done
virtually no work on the suit.
Addicts would get own prison
S.D. legislator proposes building 2 separate sites
By TERRY WOSTER, Sioux Falls Argus Leader
A Rapid City legislator wants South Dakota to begin planning for two
stand-alone prisons to handle repeat-offending drunken drivers and inmates
with other drug problems. Republican Sen. Bill Napoli said the state in
recent years has increased its emphasis on dealing with methamphetamine
users, but its cells are crowded with people serving time for multiple
driving-under-the-influence offenses or other drug- and alcohol-related
crimes.
Equality task force recommends civil union law
By the Oregonian
As expected, Gov. Ted Kulongoski's Task Force on Equality in Oregon has
recommended the Legislature approve same-sex civil unions and a ban on
discrimination based on sexual orientation. The 11-member task force,
appointed in February and chaired by Paul J. Kelly Jr., former global
director of public affairs for Nike, presented its recommendations Thursday.
The task force conducted a series of public meetings around the state and
reviewed laws in 10 Oregon cities, two counties and 17 other states. It
recommended the governor introduce the discrimination ban and a civil union
law similar to Vermont's that would give same-sex couples all the state
legal rights of marriage. Similar proposals were defeated in the 2005
Legislature. But gay rights activists see better prospects for them in 2007,
given that Democrats will control both chambers of the Legislature.
N.D. legislator proposes free college tuition
By Janell Cole, Grand Forks Herald
Spend your childhood in North Dakota, study hard, and North Dakota
promises to pay your college tuition. That's the pitch from state Sen. Tony
Grindberg, R-Fargo, who will ask the Legislature to enact his plan called
the North Dakota Promise. For a first-year cost of $10 million to $12
million, he said, the program will cause measurable population growth by
keeping young families in the state, attracting more and creating a highly
educated workforce.
Group pushes Richardson for president
By Steve Terrell, Santa Fe New Mexican
A former aide to incoming Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on Thursday
launched an effort in the early presidential caucus state of Nevada to
"draft'' New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson to run for president. Reynaldo
Martinez, a former chief of staff for the Nevada senator -- and a native of
Chama -- issued a statement announcing the creation of the Draft Richardson
Committee dedicated to a Richardson candidacy in the January 2008 Nevada
Democratic caucus.
Ref C revenue up by $2 billion
Economic forecast credits tax windfall for
'astonishing' rise
By Lynn Bartels, Rocky Mountain News
Thanks to an income tax windfall, Colorado expects to collect $2 billion
more in Referendum C money than estimated when voters approved the measure
in 2005. "That's great news, especially if you hate potholes," Speaker of
the House Andrew Romanoff, D-Denver, said Thursday. Colorado's spending
limits allow the budget to grow by only 6 percent each year; excess money
must go into two funds - building construction and repair and roads, thus
Romanoff's pothole comment. The legislature's nonpartisan economic staff on
Thursday released its quarterly revenue forecast, crediting the growth in
revenue to an "astonishing" jump in income tax collections.
La. likely to lose congressional seat
By GERARD SHIELDS, Baton Rouge Advocate
The population diaspora caused by Hurricane Katrina will likely result
in Louisiana losing one of its seven U.S. House of Representatives seats,
analysts said Thursday. Though the 2010 U.S. Census that will ultimately
determine the shape of the congressional districts is still four years away,
the nearly 220,000 population loss over the last year estimated by the
Census Bureau indicates that the state will have to fight to maintain its
congressional power.
New
president of Mexico praises accomplishments of expatriates
By Lourdes Medrano, Arizona Daily
Mexican President Felipe Calderón on Wednesday made a brief visit to
this border city, where he praised his country's expatriates for keeping
strong ties to Mexico. Speaking at a checkpoint a few miles south of the
border, Calderón said he would work during his six-year term to keep
Mexicans at home through job creation. The president said he would work to
ensure fair treatment of Mexican migrants on both sides of the border. He
lauded the Paisano Program, which aims to expedite the process of travel
documentation for tens of thousands of Mexicans living in the United States
— legally and illegally — who return home each year to spend the holidays
with families and friends. The program also combines state and federal
resources to eradicate the potential extortion of Mexican travelers by
government employees, a source of complaints for years.
$1 billion surge forecast for state revenue
Colorado's top economist cites strong growth in income
taxes...but formulas lock up the funds for road and other projects
By Mark P. Couch, Denver Post
The state of Colorado's top economist gave lawmakers a sunny forecast
Wednesday - predicting a $1 billion boost in revenues over the next five
years. The extra money is flowing into the state because more people are
working and they are making more money, according to the report presented to
the state Joint Budget Committee. As a result, state revenue collected from
individual income taxes is growing at an "astonishing rate," the quarterly
report said. "From the state's perspective, this is probably the best news
I've given you in five years," said state economist Mike Mauer. While
lawmakers said the bump in revenues is encouraging, they also noted that
existing state budget formulas lock up every dime of the money in spending
on roads and other major construction projects. "In a major way, we are on
autopilot for where the money's going to go," said Sen. Abel Tapia,
D-Pueblo, chairman of the Joint Budget Committee.
Broad legislative agenda includes energy, schools
By Chris Frates, Denver Post
Gov.-elect Bill Ritter met with legislative leaders from both parties
Wednesday to lay the groundwork for when lawmakers arrive at the Capitol on
Jan. 10 for their next session. Ritter and legislative leaders from both
parties agreed that renewable energy, health care, transportation and
education will be tackled when lawmakers return to Denver on Jan. 10. While
talking about renewable energy, Ritter said he was being "vague by design"
because he does not yet have his team in place. He alluded to possibly
creating a clean energy fund to provide incentives.
Report says officials hindered inquiry
Records altered, witnesses pressured in probe of
health agency lobbying complaint
By the Associated Press, Dallas Morning News
Officials changed documents, pressured witnesses and delayed an
investigation into whether the state health department inappropriately used
lobbyists to push legislation last year, a state investigative report shows.
The report by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission's Office of
Inspector General said the delay gave potential targets of the inquiry time
to obscure the paper trail, so investigators could not determine whether the
Department of State Health Services did anything wrong. But the report
concluded that three mental health advocacy groups improperly used state
grant money to lobby for a bill the health department favored. The bill,
which failed, would have privatized state mental health services. State law
bars a state agency from directly contracting with a registered lobbyist.
Two advance to runoff to fill dead legislator's seat
By the Associated Press, Dallas Morning News
Two Pearland business owners advanced Tuesday to a runoff to fill the
post held by late state Rep. Glenda Dawson, who won re-election last month
even though she was dead. Mike O'Day received 48 percent of the vote and
Randy Weber 28 percent in complete but unofficial returns in the four-man
field in the special election. Both are Republicans. Dawson died in
September from a brief illness, but it was too late under state law to
remove her name from the ballot for the District 29 seat. The traditionally
GOP district includes northern and western sections of Brazoria County and
all of Matagorda County in southeast Texas.
Gregoire proposes $4 billion increase in spending
By Andrew Garber and Ralph Thomas, Seattle Times
Saying we're in "exciting times," Gov. Christine Gregoire on Tuesday
proposed dramatically increasing state spending by more than $4 billion over
the next two years. Gregoire's 2007-09 general-fund budget of nearly $30
billion would add nearly 3,800 new state jobs; spend about $1 billion on pay
raises for teachers and state workers, $343 million for public schools and
$110 million for health-care programs; and put millions more into state
parks, higher education and early learning. It also would burn through most
of a projected $1.9 billion budget surplus and possibly set the state up for
a shortfall of more than $600 million when lawmakers have to put together a
new budget in 2009. "These are good times, these are exciting times. Now is
the time to make the investments in the future," Gregoire said. "If we fail
to make the investments ... then the future can say, 'Shame on us.' We had
the opportunity and passed it up."
Attacks escalate on flat tax plan
By Bob Bernick Jr. and Lisa Riley Roche, Deseret Morning News
Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s new $100 million flat-rate income tax proposal
would push about as many Utahns as possible into the simplified system, his
chief economist said Friday. "This is it," the economist, Robert Spendlove,
said of the proposal expected to attract about 60 percent of taxpayers. "In
fact, to get more people to switch is very expensive. ... Eventually, it
just gets into the billions of dollars." But just days after Huntsman's
tax-cutting package was unveiled as part of his $10.7 billion budget, there
is rising opposition from some critics who claim it is not real tax reform
and could — in the long run — prove even more chaotic than the current
income tax system.
Kulongoski posts priority bills for 2007 session
By the Oregonian
More children would get state-assisted health care and pre-school
programs, more students would get help with college tuition and more state
police would patrol Oregon highways under a sheaf of bills Gov. Ted
Kulongoski released Friday. The 20-plus bill drafts reflect the governor's
priorities for the upcoming legislative session and a big projected increase
in state revenues, which is expected to give lawmakers 20 percent more money
to spend over the next two years compared with the current two-year budget.
Kulongoski also filed bill drafts that would boost the use of renewable
energy by offering some tax breaks and by setting a statewide standard of
blending ethanol and biodiesel for some fuels. And he wants to beef up
enforcement of state ethics laws, by seeking an independent source of
funding for the state ethics commission and by placing limits on gifts
lobbyists can give public officials.
State democrats seek a new leader
Will state Democrats choose the established wisdom of
age - Ben Lujan, 70 - or the aggressive stance of youth - Ken Martinez, 47 -
when selecting the next speaker of the House?
By Kate Nash, Albuquerque Tribune
State Rep.-elect Nathan Cote doesn't take office until next year. But
the Democrat freshman-to-be today is set to cast a critical vote in his
budding career in politics. Cote must choose between House Speaker Ben Lujan
and Majority Leader Ken Martinez, as Martinez looks to displace Lujan in the
House's top post. While Cote will be casting a secret ballot during today's
closed-door Democratic caucus, he's still a a bit anxious about whom to
pick. He won't say whom he's leaning toward. "I don't necessarily feel
pressure, but I feel that this is a big decision," said Cote, who lives in
Organ. "I feel the usual stress that goes along with making a key decision."
Lujan defends friendship with former housing director
By the Associated Press, Santa Fe New Mexican
House Speaker Ben Lujan has been dogged by questions about his
friendship with the former executive director of a troubled
Albuquerque-based housing authority. But the Santa Fe Democrat dismisses
the issue as an underhanded political attack. "My opponents are trying
to destroy my reputation by these innuendoes," Lujan told the
Albuquerque Journal in a copyright story published Sunday. "There was
never any intention for me to do anything unethical, whatsoever." Lujan
faces a challenge from Majority Leader Ken Martinez of Grants in a
contest to be decided Monday when House Democrats nominate a candidate
by secret ballot. Meanwhile, critics are questioning whether former
Region III Housing Authority executive director Vincent "Smiley"
Gallegos, benefited politically from his friendship with Lujan. Gallegos
- a lobbyist who frequents the speaker's office while the Legislature is
in session and a former House member - resigned from the post Aug. 1.
Session lacked a strategy
Planning, Democratic cohesiveness said sorely lacking
By WILL SENTELL, The Advocate
Gov. Kathleen Blanco’s special-session spending plans failed because of
poor planning and disarray among her Democratic allies, officials inside and
outside the State Capitol said. Just nine days ago, Blanco spelled out an
historic spending package of at least $1 billion that included pay hikes of
$2,100 a year for public school teachers, $1,500 for police and fire
personnel and $1,500 for state workers. But many said the governor’s
spending package crumbled last week for three reasons: Blanco and her staff
were either caught off guard by the two-thirds vote needed to make her plans
reality, or they failed to understand how difficult it would be to get that
much support. Defiance and criticism of the governor from fellow Democrats
—especially her hand-picked Senate president, Don Hines of Bunkie — made for
a chaotic political environment. Opposition from House Republicans, who
formed a highly unusual but effective voting bloc against the Democratic
governor. The session that ended Friday might foreshadow even more
legislative bickering in 2007, when voters decide the governor’s race.
Do campaign funds bankroll a cushy lifestyle?
Exclusive: Area legislators defend thousands in
non-election expenses
By EMILY RAMSHAW, Dallas Morning News
Campaign contributions are designed to fund runs for office –
advertising, mailings and voter turnout drives to help candidates win. But
North Texas lawmakers also spend thousands of their campaign dollars on fine
dining, luxury hotel stays and gifts from designer retailers; tens of
thousands on car leases, home rental, and even private airplanes; and
hundreds of thousands on contributions to other candidates, including
friends and colleagues. A Dallas Morning News review of campaign finance
reports filed by the area's lawmakers in the last two years shows that
nearly half of what they spent – about $2.2 million – went for things
unrelated to their campaigns.
Gov. Likely Won't Back Remap Plan
By Jeff Jones, Albuquerque Journal
Gov. Bill Richardson appears less than eager to embrace an early
congressional redistricting proposal that could help the next Democratic
challenger to Republican Rep. Heather Wilson.
Freudenthal pans fuel tax hike plan
By JOAN BARRON, Star-Tribune
Gov. Dave Freudenthal said Wednesday he cannot support a bill that would
increase the gasoline tax by a nickel a gallon and offset the cost by a
reduction in motor vehicle registration fees. The Joint Interim Revenue
Committee endorsed the bill Tuesday to raise about $34 million, most of it
targeted at the state highway system. "I don't, frankly, expect it to get to
my desk," the governor said during his weekly news conference. "It is not a
measure I would support."
Gregoire budget calls for more medical professionals
By Nicholas Geranios, Seattle Times
Gov. Christine Gregoire today proposed freezing tuition at community
colleges for the next two years, and limiting annual tuition increases at
Washington universities to 7 percent. In the higher education budget she
will propose to the Legislature next week, Gregoire also will call for
spending an additional $106.6 million to produce more doctors, dentists,
nurses and other high-demand workers over the next two years. "We all know
that a healthy economy and community depends on a skilled, educated work
force," Gregoire told a news conference here. In all, the governor is
proposing $172.9 million in new spending in the nearly $4 billion higher
education budget, her office said. The tuition freezes and limits will cost
$24.7 million. Much of the new spending will require legislative approval.
Judge
voids state ID rules
By David Migoya, Denver Post
A Denver district judge voided Colorado's rule that applicants for a
driver's license or state ID card need two specifics types of identification
to prove legal presence, age and identity. The ruling is the result of a
lawsuit brought by lawyers advocating for homeless people and others who
have had difficulty getting IDs, in some cases despite a litany of records
they say should be enough to prove who they are.
Murkowski makes exit on notorious jet
Plane trip costs governor's office $1,689 per hour
By PAT FORGEY, Juneau Empire
The jet that helped bring former Gov. Frank Murkowski's political career
to an end also carried him out of state at the end of his term. On Dec. 1,
Murkowski flew out of Juneau for the last time as governor on the $2.5
million executive jet he bought over the objections of many political
leaders. His wife accompanied him on his final trip. Murkowski's destination
on Dec. 1 was Texas, after a stop in Salt Lake City, where the Murkowskis
own a vacation home. Nancy Murkowski got off the plane there, and Frank
Murkowski flew alone to Texas, according to the Department of Public Safety.
The governor's office is billed $1,689 an hour for use of the jet, according
to the Department of Public Safety, which operates the plane. Deputy
Commissioner of Public Safety Ted Bachman said the agency doesn't track the
reasons for trips by the governor. "You'd have to call the governor's office
for that," he said. "We just bill them at an hourly rate."
State mine inspector indicted on fraud, theft charges
By the Arizona Republic
Attorney General Terry Goddard today announced the indictment of Douglas
K. Martin, the Arizona state mine inspector, on three counts of theft, three
counts of fraud and three counts of procurement code fraud. The indictment
alleges that Martin, 67, of Queen Creek, between September 2004 and March
2006, illegally bought four vehicles (three new Ford Explorers and one new
Ford F-150 4x4 Supercab) for the Arizona State Mine Inspector's Office (ASMI).
The purchases were in violation of both the Arizona Procurement Code and a
1993 intergovernmental agreement (IGA), which required ASMI to acquire its
vehicles either from federal agencies or from the Fleet Management Office of
the Department of Administration (DOA).
Possible merger of Delta, US Airways worries Utah legislators
By Brice Wallace, Deseret Morning News
Utah's legislative leadership is weighing in on the possible merger of
Delta Air Lines with US Airways, calling for the U.S. Department of Justice
to review the possible economic impacts. A Dec. 4 letter from four
legislators to U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales urges a Justice
Department review of the potential impacts of the merger on all U.S. markets
"and the important competitive and economic consequences to the communities
where these airlines serve." The merger "raises potential risks that could
harm not only Utah's airline industry but also the economy of the West as a
whole," their letter states. Utah could suffer if Salt Lake's Delta hub
status is lost or diminished, and Utahns could see fewer flights, higher air
fares, fewer nonstop routes, fewer airline choices and other potential
problems, it said.
Budget battles brewing
By Bob Bernick Jr. and Lisa Riley Roche, Deseret Morning News
Politics makes strange bedfellows, and it seems that some state Senate
Republicans may not like the intentions of the downstairs bunkmates: GOP
House members. After a Senate GOP caucus Wednesday, Senate President John
Valentine, R-Orem, told members of the Executive Appropriations Committee
that GOP senators wanted to talk more about the year-old base-budget
adoption process. After Valentine's talk, a legislative source said that
some GOP senators were worried that fiscally conservative House members may
use the base-budget process to politically blackmail the upper body's
majority. "That is a legitimate concern," Valentine told the Deseret Morning
News. Despite the concerns raised by Valentine at the committee meeting,
legislative leaders approved almost half of their budget more than a month
before the general session begins, just as they have done the past two
years.
GOP beats up on Blanco plan
Spending cap effort still stuck after 3 days
By Jan Moller, Times-Picayune
The House of Representatives struck a crippling blow Wednesday to Gov.
Kathleen Blanco's bid for public employee pay raises, road construction
dollars and other new spending, refusing for the third straight day to raise
a constitutional cap on state spending. The mostly party-line vote left the
governor's spending agenda in tatters and sent administration officials
scrambling to find silver linings in the 10-day special lawmaking session
Blanco convened to distribute a $2.4 billion tax windfall. With legislators
set to adjourn no later than Sunday, Blanco is still on track to win support
for a $239 million plan to refund hurricane-related insurance surcharges,
and to set aside $300 million in incentives for a German steel manufacturer
should the company decide to build a factory in St. James Parish.
Toole sees big energy debate facing state
By MATT GOURAS, Helena Independent Record
The newest member of the state Public Service Commission says the sale
of NorthWestern Energy is only one piece in the biggest energy debate facing
Montana in decades. Much more is at stake than proposed sale to Australia’s
Babcock & Brown Infrastructure Ltd., said Democrat Ken Toole. The
Legislature will decide early next year whether to re-regulate the state’s
largest utility, hoping to add stability to energy prices not seen since the
days of the old Montana Power Co. At the same time, the governor is touting
the state as the potential home for new energy technologies, such as wind
power and turning coal into gas. None of it is likely to get Montana
ratepayers the same cheap power they had under Montana Power, but the
decisions will dictate for years the shape of Montana’s energy policy, Toole
said.
Minority party said election gains warranted change
By Gregory Hahn, Idaho Statesman
All 19 Democrats walked off the House floor in protest Friday after the
new Republican leaders refused to allow the minority party a third seat on
the important and powerful budget committee. The protest was a fiery end to
two slow days of organizational meetings of the new Legislature, and it
could signal the start of a more contentious and adversarial relationship
between the two parties when they return for business in January. Democrats
picked up six House seats this November and now make up 27 percent of the
70-member House. Jaquet and her caucus argued that they should have been
given three of the 10 House seats on the Joint Finance-Appropriations
Committee. After Friday's walk-out, the Republicans proceeded with the short
meeting and adjourned without the Democrats on the floor. That alone could
signal a break from tradition upheld by former House Speaker Bruce Newcomb,
who would not conduct business when no minority party members were present,
even though the Republicans have enough seats to maintain a quorum.
Lawmakers won't lift the cap on spending
Lawmakers put lid on Blanco's agenda
By Jan Moller, Times-Picayune
Gov. Kathleen Blanco's push for $2.1 billion in new spending and tax
cuts ground to a halt in the House on Sunday, prompting the governor's floor
leaders to search for common ground with Republican lawmakers opposed to
lifting a constitutional cap on spending. The House adjourned for the day
without taking up any bills, and House Speaker Joe Salter acknowledged that
the chamber is well short of the two-thirds majority needed to lift the
spending cap. Unless at least 70 members of the 105-member House vote to
lift the cap, lawmakers can spend only $155 million during the 10-day
special session that must adjourn no later than midnight Sunday.
Hidden
life again claims a pastor
"I have struggled with homosexuality since I was a
5-year-old boy"
By Eric Gorski, Denver Post
In a tearful videotaped message Sunday to his congregation, the senior
pastor of a thriving evangelical megachurch in south metro Denver confessed
to sexual relations with other men and announced he had voluntarily resigned
his pulpit. A month ago, the Rev. Paul Barnes of Grace Chapel in Doug las
County preached to his 2,100-member congregation about integrity and grace
in the aftermath of the Ted Haggard drugs-and-gay-sex scandal. Now, the
54-year-old Barnes joins Haggard as a fallen evangelical minister who
preached that homosexuality was a sin but grappled with a hidden life.
Airport's trees stoking "war on Christmas"
By Stuart Eskenazi, Seattle Times
The departure of Christmas tree displays at Seattle-Tacoma International
Airport — the Port of Seattle's response to a local rabbi's insistence that
an electric menorah also be put up — is accelerating into an international
spectacle in the so-called "war on Christmas." And that is not what Rabbi
Elazar Bogomilsky wanted.
JEFFERSON
RE-ELECTED
Voters side with congressman in fight for his political life
By Bruce Alpert Frank Donze and Michelle Krupa, Times-Picayune
Overcoming the specter of a roiling federal corruption probe that
threatened to draw the curtain on his 16-year career on Capitol Hill, U.S.
Rep. William Jefferson survived the fight of his political life Saturday,
easily defeating state Rep. Karen Carter to win his ninth term in the 2nd
Congressional District.
Jefferson wins new term
By JOE GYAN JR., The Advocate
Jefferson’s legal woes, including allegations in an FBI affidavit
that he hid $90,000 in bribe money in a freezer, came to light shortly
before Katrina made landfall on Aug. 29, 2005. Jefferson’s homes and
offices, including his congressional office, were raided but he has not
been charged with a crime and he maintains his innocence.
House panels OK Blanco's spending, tax cuts
By Jan Moller, Times-Picayune
Gov. Kathleen Blanco's $2.1 billion spending and tax-cut package sailed
through a pair of House committees Saturday with little opposition and minor
modifications, clearing the first major hurdle of a 10-day special session
that was called despite objections from many lawmakers.
Special session to spend windfall set to start today
By Jan Moller, Times Picayune
BATON ROUGE -- After a week of political brinksmanship, Gov. Kathleen
Blanco today will convene a reluctant Legislature for a pre-holiday special
session to spend an unprecedented tax windfall on a slew of tax cuts,
insurance rebates and new spending. Political tensions at the Capitol
appeared to cool somewhat Thursday as lawmakers got their first extensive
look at the administration's $2.1 billion spending and tax-cut plan. Several
lawmakers, joined by political watchdog groups and business lobbyists, had
called for the session to be postponed or canceled.
Blanco's plan to oust Hines will fail, he says
State Senate chief has enough votes to thwart move
By Ed Anderson, Times-Picayune
BATON ROUGE -- Senate President Donald Hines, D-Bunkie, said Wednesday
he has the votes to ward off any attempt by Gov. Kathleen Blanco to oust him
from his leadership position and promised that he will not drop his
opposition to putting $827 million in surplus money on the table in the
upcoming special session. Meanwhile, Blanco insisted that she has made no
move against her hand-picked Senate president and attributed the persistent
rumors about a potential leadership change to Agriculture Commissioner Bob
Odom, the governor's stiffest competition as the most powerful Democrat in
state government.
Support for annual sessions growing, Oregon Senate leader says
By Brad Cain, Statesman Journal
SALEM -- Senate President Peter Courtney says he senses growing support
among lawmakers for giving annual legislative sessions a test drive
beginning in January — an idea he believes would help bring the Legislature
into the 21st century. The Salem Democrat said House and Senate members of
both parties are open to a session limited to 120 days in 2007, followed by
a 60-day session in 2008. “I’m encouraged by the reception I’m getting,”
Courtney said at a news conference this morning. In a tradition that dates
to Oregon statehood, the Legislature has met every other year, instead of
annually, as in 44 other states.
Surplus poses problem
Spending caps limit how legislators can use it
By Bob Bernick Jr., Deseret Morning News
SALT LAKE CITY -- When Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. announces his proposed
2007-08 budget next week and a new Legislature meets in a month to consider
it, there will be a lot of extra cash on the table. But legislators could
find themselves hamstrung in their freedom to spend the cash any way they
wish because of various spending limitation caps now being hit as the state
becomes flush with hundreds of millions of dollars.
State Supreme Court rules on transit tax collection
By LARRY LANGE, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
SEATTLE -- The State Supreme Court today said Sound Transit can continue
to collect a 0.3 percent motor-vehicle excise tax to pay off $350 million in
bonds issued in 1999 to finance its light-rail system. The 8-1 ruling
negated one part of Initiative 776, which was approved in 2002 by voters
statewide but rejected by voters in Sound Transit's three-county service
area. The court upheld other parts of the initiative, which struck down the
excise tax. But in today's ruling it said the excise tax could continue
because it had been pledged to pay off the bonds before statewide voters
approved the initiative.
State Supreme Court finds tribal corporations immune from lawsuits
By JOHN K. WILEY, Seattle Times
SPOKANE - Commercial activities of the Confederated Tribes of the
Colville Reservation are protected from lawsuits under tribal sovereign
immunity, the state Supreme Court ruled today. The ruling reverses a court
of appeals decision in a racial discrimination lawsuit filed by a non-Indian
against two corporations of the Eastern Washington tribe and a supervisor.
The opinion, written by Justice Richard B. Sanders, found that state laws
echo federal laws granting the Colvilles' tribal corporations sovereign
immunity unless there is an express waiver by the tribe or immunity is
abrogated by Congress.
Perry assails some limits on migrants
He splits with base on border wall, ending 'birthright citizenship'
By KAREN BROOKS, Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry sharply criticized several immigration
proposals Wednesday, saying "divisive" ideas – such as a wall along
the border, cutting off public education for illegal immigrants and
taking away "birthright citizenship" – should give way to "real
solutions."
"Any of those types of legislation that create divisions are bad,"
Mr. Perry told reporters at a meeting of public officials from the
border region. "We need to look at ways to be bringing people
together, rather than driving wedges between them."
The comments put him in direct opposition to other Republican
leaders, as well as the lawmaker leading the charge to challenge the
right to automatic citizenship of children born to illegal
immigrants on American soil. That plan is backed by the state GOP.
Lawmaker says Texas should create its own guest worker program
By LIZ AUSTIN PETERSON, Waco Tribune
AUSTIN — Illegal immigrants would be allowed to live and work in
Texas as long as they had a full-time job or met other
requirements under a state guest worker proposal outlined
Thursday by a lawmaker who made national headlines by seeking to
deny welfare benefits to the American-born babies of
undocumented parents.
State Rep. Leo Berman said his plan would require employers to
take their undocumented workers to a registration center to get
a temporary work permit. Workers who passed a background check
and an English fluency test would receive a permanent card
allowing them to stay in Texas as long as they have a full-time
job that pays more than the minimum wage.
"We have 1.4 million illegal aliens in Texas, we've got to deal
with them somehow," Berman said Thursday at an immigration
reform summit sponsored by the Texas Association of Business, an
influential lobby group.
Perry call border wall idea 'preposterous'
By JOHN MORITZ, Ft. Worth Star-Telegram
Gov. Rick Perry told the Texas Border Coalition on Wednesday that
erecting a wall to separate the United States from Mexico is a
"preposterous idea" and that proposed legislation to deny
citizenship to U.S.-born children of undocumented aliens is needlessly
divisive.
"Good neighbors do not foster fear and engage in divisive appeals, they
seek solutions," the newly re-elected Republican governor told the
coalition that seeks to improve economic conditions in South Texas.
"Divisive appeals do nothing to solve problems, even if they do score
some temporary political points."
Perry's speech during a conference at a downtown Austin hotel and his
question-and-answer session with reporters afterward contained a shift in
rhetoric from the recent political campaign where border security was the
primary theme when the debate turned to relations between Texas and Mexico.
The governor also appeared to open considerable distance between him and some
Republican lawmakers -- who plan to push, during the upcoming legislative
session, an array of bills designed to discourage illegal immigration into
Texas.
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Lawmakers still have little taste for public-paid Sonics
arena
By CHRIS McGANN, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
For the second year running, the Seattle Sonics are pushing for a new
publicly financed arena -- this time in Bellevue or Renton. The P-I's
previous stories about the sale of the Sonics and the teams potential move
can be found here -- The no-longer-in-Seattle Sonics and Storm? But as new
owner Clay Bennett limbers up for the public dance sports magnates around the
country have elevated to an art form, the Legislature is hardly clamoring for
front-row seats. In the House, where Speaker Frank Chopp, D-Seattle, has made
it clear his priorities do not include finding money for a new basketball
arena, other leading Democrats have taken a wait-and-see attitude.
Palin to examine last-hour job blitz
By ANNE SUTTON, Anchorage Daily News
Gov. Sarah Palin will revisit 35 appointments made by her predecessor in
the hour before he left office this week, especially one she called
"bizarre." The appointment is that of Murkowski's former chief of
staff, Jim Clark, to the volunteer seven-member board of the Alaska Natural
Gas Development Authority. At least one board member said Clark --
Murkowski's right-hand man in the failed negotiations with oil companies on a
$25 billion natural gas pipeline -- has bucked the board's decisions since
its inception. Board member Scott Heyworth questioned Murkowski's motives as
well as Clark's support for the authority. "To do this at the 11th hour
and then appoint his chief of staff who's been at odds with ANGDA since Day
One, it's amazing," said Heyworth. Palin's spokesman, Curtis Smith, said
he told Palin of the appointment minutes before she took the stage for her
swearing-in at the Carlson Center in Fairbanks.
Human smuggling verdict tossed
Judge cites lack of evidence on migrant
By Jahna Berry, Arizona Republic
A Maricopa County judge dealt a surprise blow to the county attorney's
crusade to prosecute immigrants who pay coyotes to smuggle them into Arizona.
Using a rare court procedure, Judge Thomas O'Toole on Tuesday tossed out a
jury's guilty verdict and acquitted Aldolfo Guzman-Garcia, an undocumented
immigrant who paid $700 to have a coyote bring him to Arizona. The judge said
he did not believe there was sufficient evidence to show that Guzman-Garcia
was part of a human-smuggling ring.
S.
Ariz. busts at record pace after Mexican bumper crop
By Brady McCombs, Arizona Daily Star
Marijuana seizures by U.S. Border Patrol agents in the Tucson Sector
appear headed to new highs for a second consecutive year. A year after
hauling in 616,534 pounds of pot to shatter the previous record set in 2005,
seizures are 26 percent ahead of that pace two months into fiscal year 2007,
said Tucson Sector Chief Michael Nicley. The numbers both encourage and worry
Nicley. On one hand, they show that his agents are seizing illegal drugs more
effectively. On the other hand, they likely signal that more marijuana is
coming across the U.S.-Mexican border in Arizona.
Lawmaker resigns, cites Amendment 41
Joe Stengel joins Sens. Ron Teck and Dan Grossman in resigning
By Lynn Bartels, Rocky Mountain News
Rep. Joe Stengel resigned from the legislature Tuesday, making him the
third lawmaker to bow out weeks before the start of the new session because
of the impact of Amendment 41. A provision in the ballot measure, billed as
the "ethics in government" issue, requires a two-year cooling off
period for statewide elected officials and lawmakers before they can do
business with former colleagues.
Akaka: Ruling bodes well for recognition
The appeals court didn't mention sovereignty, but did note the plight of
native Hawaiians
By B.J. Reyes, Honolulu Star Bulletin
Although yesterday's appellate court ruling on Kamehameha Schools'
admission policy did not specifically address the issue of federal
recognition for native Hawaiians, U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka says he believes it
sent a strong message. Akaka, the main backer of federal recognition, said,
"There is no doubt that today's ruling recognizes the special
circumstances of native Hawaiians." A 15-judge panel of the 9th U.S.
Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 8-7 yesterday in favor of Kamehameha Schools'
admissions policy, overturning an earlier decision that said the practice was
illegal. Although the case did not focus on the issue of Hawaiian
sovereignty, the majority opinion said that the preference policy was unique
because Congress has singled out the plight of native Hawaiians as it has
with Alaskan natives and American Indians.
Denney, Deal in final stretch for House speaker
Decision to be made tonight at closed caucus dinner; the speaker's race is
too close to call, some legislators say
By the Associated Press, Idaho Statesman
Idaho Republican lawmakers will vote tonight on a new House speaker, a
powerful leader who will select the chairmen of all key House committees.
Moderate Nampa Rep. Bill Deal is facing conservative Majority Leader
Lawerence Denney of Midvale for the job. The leadership vote takes place at a
closed caucus dinner tonight in Boise. On Thursday and Friday, the new
leadership teams will name committee chairmen and make committee assignments.
Leadership in the Senate is expected to remain the same, though five
committees need new chairmen. The big race is for House speaker. The House
assistant majority leader race is also contested, with Rep. Scott Bedke of
Oakley considered to have the advantage over Hayden's Jim Clark. The
speaker's race is still too close to call, some lawmakers said Tuesday.
Blanco spending plan is stymied
$1.6 billion available but may not be spent
By Jan Moller, Times-Picayune
A booming post-hurricane economy has produced soaring tax collections
that will add almost $1.6 billion to the state's coffers this year, a
forecasting panel said Tuesday, giving lawmakers a broad menu of spending
options as they prepare to meet in a special session Friday. But how much of
that money will be spent during the 10-day pre-holiday session -- or whether
the session will even go on as advertised -- remained in doubt as the
political feud between Gov. Kathleen Blanco and her handpicked Senate
president threatened the governor's spending plan.
GOP, Dems differ over state's use of surplus
By MIKE DENNISON, Billings Gazette
Republican and Democratic leaders for the incoming 2007 Legislature said
Tuesday that they must work together to accomplish things - and then promptly
staked out vastly different views on how to spend Montana's $1 billion budget
surplus.
Gov. Hoeven's $6.3 billion North Dakota budget: Let the good
times roll
By the Associated Press, Bismarck Tribune
Bolstered by an overflowing state treasury, Gov. John Hoeven presented
the North Dakota Legislature with a two-year, $6.3 billion proposed budget
Wednesday. It includes robust spending increases for colleges and state aid
to local schools and a major building project for North Dakota's state
prison. Hoeven's blueprint features $116.7 million in property tax discounts,
which would be deducted from the tax bills of residential, commercial and
industrial property owners for each of the next two years. Homeowners would
get a 10 percent tax break while businesses, farmers and ranchers would see a
5 percent property tax reduction for each of the next two years.
Kulongoski's to-do budget boosts spending by 20%
By BETSY HAMMOND, HARRY ESTEVE and MICHELLE COLE, The Oregonian
Oregon would spend 20 percent more in the next two years, including a
$1.1 billion increase for education and a $700 millon jump in health care and
human services, under a budget unveiled Monday by Gov. Ted Kulongoski. The
proposed increases, gargantuan compared with any budget since 1999, drew
praise from Democratic lawmakers and educators,
Smoking ban plan stirs rage
Furious e-mailers are bombarding Belmont Mayor Coralin Feierbach's inbox,
comparing her to Adolf Hitler and Osama bin Laden
By Kelly Pakula, San Jose Mercury News
Angered by a proposal to ban smoking in Belmont, furious e-mailers are
bombarding Belmont Mayor Coralin Feierbach's inbox, comparing her to Adolf
Hitler and Osama bin Laden. The authors of these e-mails are enraged by the
city council's move to ban smoking in all public places and multi-unit
dwellings. The proposal is in the hands of the city attorney, who will draft
an ordinance that the council will be asked to approve, Councilman William
Dickenson said. If the measure passes, residents will only be legally allowed
to smoke inside detached, single-unit homes. The e-mails to Feierbach are
littered with variations of every four-letter expletive in the dictionary of
obscenities. One features a doctored photo of Feierbach dressed in a Nazi
uniform. Another calls her and the members of the city council fascists and
"flower child liberals,'' while still another wishes physical violence
upon all of the council members. Feierbach said she's lost count of the
number of hateful messages she has received, noting that additional messages
are being posted on such blogs as speakeasyforum.com and fark.com. One person
writes, "I would like to take a 747 loaded with fuel and visit your
worthless'' city council.
Final map
approved; now up to Congress
By Rebecca Walsh and Glen Warchol, Salt Lake Tribune
After hours of behind-closed-doors wrangling, Utah lawmakers approved a
plan for carving the state into four congressional districts. The map will be
forwarded to Congress for debate in a lame-duck session that begins today.
Utah's new Republican-leaning fourth seat would balance a Demo-
cratic-leaning voting seat for Washington, D.C. "If Utah wants to be a
part of this process, this is our vote," said House Majority
Leader-elect Dave Clark, co-chairman of the redistricting committee.
"Anytime Utah has an opportunity to expand our voice, we should take a
look at it. The sooner, the better." In the end, despite the closed-door
GOP caucus discussions, lawmakers returned to a map adopted last week by a
special redistricting committee. The plan creates a largely urban and
liberal-leaning 2nd District, linking northern Salt Lake County with
Snyderville Basin and Park City. Three remaining districts combine urban
Utahns with rural, and more conservative, voters. Through a spokesman, Gov.
Jon Huntsman Jr. said he was "pleased" with the map. Huntsman
prodded lawmakers to create a new map before Congress adjourns for the year.
By late Monday the map had been forwarded to Congress.
Judge scraps deportation order against lawmaker's wife
By ANNA VARELA, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
An immigration judge on Tuesday scrapped a deportation order filed
against the wife of state Sen. Curt Thompson, allowing her to remain in the
country. Federal officials went into court Tuesday morning and supported
Sascha Herrera Thompson's bid to block her deportation. "Based on the
unique facts of this case, we agreed not to appeal reopening the case,"
said Terry Bird, chief counsel for the Atlanta office of Immigration and
Custom Enforcement.
GOP
reps call for immediate hearing on Border Patrol Agents case
By Sara A. Carter, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
Fifteen congressional representatives this week urged the outgoing
chairman of the House Judiciary Committee to immediately hold hearings in the
case of two Border Patrol agents convicted of shooting a drug smuggler. The
congressmen, led by Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas, and Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C.,
made their plea in a letter to committee Chairman Rep. James Sensenbrenner,
R-Wis. Sensenbrenner could not be reached late Friday for comment. "The
purpose in having this hearing is to shed more light on the facts of what
occurred on the border that day," Poe said Friday. "An
investigation is necessary to make sure that all the evidence was presented
fairly, without a hidden agenda."
Georgia legislator's wife in hiding, faces deportation
By the Associated Press, Los Angeles Times
The wife of a Georgia legislator known as an outspoken advocate for
immigration rights is in hiding after federal agents came to their home with
a deportation order, her lawyer said. Sascha Herrera, the wife of Democratic
state Sen. Curt Thompson, was ordered deported after she missed a federal
court hearing in February 2005, her lawyer, Charles Kuck, said. Kuck said he
planned to ask an immigration judge Monday to reconsider the order calling
for her deportation, though it could take as long as a month before a
decision is made. During that time, Kuck said Herrera could be deported if
caught.
Abductions intensify Laredo-area fear
As drug cartel violence grows, many avoiding border crossing
By ELIZABETH WHITE, Dallas Morning News
It is a terrifying yet familiar tale: Three more Texans vanish in the
dangerous Mexican countryside across the Rio Grande, abducted as part of the
escalating violence between warring drug cartels. The kidnapping of a
prominent Laredo businessman and two other Texans last weekend is the latest
of dozens of abductions in recent years that have more people in Laredo
avoiding the border.
Gibbons takes oath on Jan. 1
Swearing-in next day during inauguration will be 'ceremonial act'
By ED VOGEL, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Jim Gibbons will be sworn in as governor on New Year's Day because of a
legal requirement that he must take the oath of office on the first Monday in
January. At a brief 10 a.m. ceremony, Chief Justice Bill Maupin will give the
oath of office to Gibbons, Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki, Attorney General Catherine
Cortez Masto, Secretary of State Ross Miller, state Treasurer Kate Marshall
and state Controller Kim Wallen. Supreme Court Justices Michael Cherry and
Nancy Saitta also will be sworn into office that day. "There is not
going to be a lot of pomp and circumstance," Brent Boynton, Gibbons'
communications director, said Friday. "He will raise his hand and say 'I
do.' " Boynton said members of Gibbons' transition team consulted with
state Archivist Guy Rocha after realizing that the first Monday in January
fell on New Year's Day.
Vegas police won't push Gibbons case
By the Associated Press, Reno Gazette-Journal
Police said they will recommend that no criminal charges be filed against
Republican Gov.-elect Jim Gibbons, a congressman accused of assaulting a
cocktail waitress in a parking garage three weeks before Election Day. The
investigation into 32-year-old Chrissy Mazzeo's accusation was completed
earlier this week and a case file was sent Friday to Clark County District
Attorney David Roger, police said.
Metro recommends no charges against Gibbons; DA sets no time
on decision
By Jeff German, Las Vegas Sun
Metro Police said Thursday it will recommend that no criminal charges be
filed against Gov.-elect Jim Gibbons over a woman's claims that he assaulted
her outside a Las Vegas restaurant. "The recommendation of the Las Vegas
Metropolitan Police Department is that no charges be filed," police said
in a one-page news release indicating that it is turning over the case to the
district attorney's office. "The investigation uncovered no evidence to
support the charge of battery." The allegations were raised by Chrissy
Mazzeo, a 32-year-old single mother and cocktail waitress, after she had been
drinking with Gibbons on Oct. 13 at McCormick & Schmick's restaurant in
the Hughes Center.
Member of Flying Elvi dies of injuries from fall
By DAVID KIHARA, Las Vegas Review-Journal
The Flying Elvis broke his pelvis. Such was the joke that circulated in
news stories and on television after Paul Moran, of the Las Vegas-based
Flying Elvi skydiving troupe, crashed to the ground during a show at the
Glacier Peaks Casino in Browning, Mont., on Sept. 29. But the joke turned
tragic on Nov. 24 when Moran, 52, died from the injuries that he sustained in
the parachuting accident, said his half-sister, Jane Blacow. "Everybody
seemed to make a big joke out of it," Blacow said from her home in
Stockton, Calif. "It was just brutal." What almost all the news
stories didn't report, Blacow said, was that Moran also sustained major
internal injuries, broke his heel and leg and was on a respirator since the
accident. "I don't think people realized how bad it was," she said.
Moran died at HarborView Medical Center in Seattle, where he had been taken
after the accident.
Study: Airport can't deliver on tourism demands
By BENJAMIN SPILLMAN, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Shorter buffet lines and desolate casino floors could be in the cards at
many Strip hotels as early as 2010 unless something is done to bypass heavy
congestion at Southern Nevada's largest airport. Researchers at the
investment firm Deutsche Bank say that if hotel development continues at its
current pace, Las Vegas resorts could face a shortfall of up to 7 million
visitors annually by 2017, the soonest a new airport could be up and running.
Thorlakson gets less than 4 years
By Stephen J. Lee, Grand Forks
Herald
After pleading guilty to
attempting to murder seven law enforcement officers and causing more than
$1 million in damages to Pembina County, James Thorlakson will serve less
than four years in the state prison, a judge ruled Friday in court here.
Thorlakson, 55, a former farmer from Hensel, N.D., 10 miles southwest of
Cavalier, sat quietly in court, answering “yes,” several times
to the judge that he understood and agreed with the plea bargain.
Tribe to bar protesters from soldier's funeral
By JAMES MacPHERSON, Bismarck Tribune
Members of a group that protests at military funerals around the country
will be barred from an American Indian soldier's funeral on the Fort Berthold
Indian Reservation, tribal officials say. Marcus Wells Jr., the chairman of
the Three Affiliated Tribes, said tribal officials were notified that members
of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan., planned to demonstrate at
National Guard Cpl. Nathan Goodiron's funeral on Saturday in Mandaree.
Members of the Westboro Baptist Church say the deaths of soldiers are
punishment from God for the country's tolerance of homosexuals. The group's
Web site said it planned to demonstrate at Goodiron's funeral.
GOP activists appointing state senator
By DALE WETZELBy DALE WETZEL, Bismarck Tribune
Republican activists are preparing to choose a successor to former state
Sen. Tom Trenbeath, R-Cavalier, in time for next week's organizational
session of the 2007 Legislature. North Dakota law gives a district committee
the power to appoint someone to a vacant seat in the state House or Senate in
situations when it would be difficult to hold an election before the
Legislature meets. The 2007 Legislature's three-day organizational session
begins Monday. Its regular session convenes Jan. 3. Trenbeath, an attorney
and Cavalier city administrator, resigned from the Senate Nov. 24 to take a
job as deputy attorney general. He represented District 10, which includes
Cavalier County and most of Pembina and Towner counties in northeastern North
Dakota.
Van
driver was twice deported
The human-smuggling suspect is facing state and federal probes following a
crash in Idaho Springs that killed four
By Kirk Mitchell and Bruce Finley, Denver Post
A driver arrested for investigation of human smuggling after his crowded
van crashed Tuesday in Idaho Springs, killing four people, was deported at
least twice before the tragedy, including eight weeks ago from Denver,
officials say. Jose Franco-Rodriguez, a 23-year- old citizen of Mexico, is
being held in Clear Creek County Jail for investigation of 46 violations of
state law, including 14 counts of human smuggling. He was deported Oct. 6
from Denver, and was previously deported from South Carolina, said Carl
Rusnok, spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Dallas. In
addition to the possible state charges, Franco-Rodriguez also is under investigation
for possible violations of federal laws. ICE agents are collecting evidence
against the smuggling operation authorities say was exposed by his arrest.
"There is a rigorous federal investigation going on right now into why
these people were there," U.S. Attorney Troy Eid said Friday.
3rd
smuggling van stopped
By The Associated Press, Denver Post
A minivan with 16 people packed inside was pulled over on Interstate 70
in the Colorado mountains today, the third suspected immigrant-trafficking
case on the highway this week. "It appears that it is another case of
human smuggling," State Patrol Master Trooper Ron Watkins said. A
trooper pulled the van over near the east portal of the Eisenhower Tunnel
about 45 miles west of Denver because it was holding back traffic and its
windows were obscured, Watkins said. The van was reported stolen from North
Carolina, he said.
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Tancredo protesters turn violent
By Anne Mulkern, Denver Post
Protestors at a Michigan law
school turned violent Thursday as they attempted to stop a speech by Rep.
Tom Tancredo, R-Littleton. Violence erupted at a Michigan law school
Thursday when protestors tried to block a speech by Colorado Congressman
Tom Tancredo. Police were called after protestors pulled a fire alarm prior
to the speech on immigration policies. There were at least three violent
incidents with protestors targeting student backers of the event, Tancredo,
R-Littleton, said today. "One was spit on, one was kicked, and one was
punched," Tancredo said in an e-mail. "Tires were also
slashed." Michigan State University College Republicans and Young
Americans for Freedom sponsored the event.
|
As Democrats flaunt new powers, all eyes on their ability to
govern
By Alicia Mundy, Seattle Times
On election night, staffers for Sen. Maria Cantwell watching the national
returns on TV at the Seattle Sheraton began chanting "Oversight!
Oversight! Oversight!" For Cantwell, oversight power means she can force
the CEOs of energy companies to testify before Congress under oath about
gasoline-price increases. Oil-industry leaders weren't sworn in when they
testified during Commerce Committee hearings in November 2005. Democrats also
can force the Federal Trade Commission to allow government researchers to
discuss their investigations of energy and gasoline pricing patterns in
detail.
