Highlights: Michigan Senate passes bill requiring public workers to pay 20 percent of health insurance premiums; ME: Bill to loosen teen labor laws poised for passage; MA Cities, towns could save $100 million under state Senate health planNV: Sides far apart on taxes, collective bargaining; Democrat wins special election in heavily Republican New Hampshire ...; NJ: As Republicans push Christie to seek presidency, a growing number disapprove of governor in N.J.; Michigan lawmakers seek compromise over education cuts on next budget; full Scrooge Alert here http://dailyscroogealert.blogspot.com/
All Around
Unions, Connolly speak out against pension proposal
Missouri
Two labor history professors vindicated after conservative blogger tries to distort video and make them look as though they were advocating violence to advance union agenda
Pt. 1: http://www.democracynow.org/2011/5/17/getting_wise_to_breitbarts_lies_missouri
Pennsylvania
House moving school tax referendum bill...
Drilling impact fee won't go to those who ban it
Local governments that want to share revenue from a proposed impact fee on natural gas drilling cannot adopt more stringent zoning regulations than a statewide "model ordinance" called for in a Senate bill.
Nonprofits rally against proposed state cuts
Faced with looming budget cuts, the supporters of nonprofit organizations who rallied in Market Square today only had one question: Why?
Maine
ME: Bill to loosen teen labor laws poised for passage
Teenagers in Maine would be allowed to work longer and later during the school week under a bill that received initial approval in the House on a largely party-line vote Wednesday evening after a heated debate.
'Right to work' bills inspire little support
Kennebec Journal
"Those who oppose the 'right to work' bills have been extremely galvanized, more so than I've ever seen in my 21 years in the Legislature," said Senate Minority Leader Barry Hobbins, D-Saco. "Quite frankly, (the business community) vetted this issue ...
Ohio
Ohio voters say new collective bargaining law should be repealed, new poll shows
A majority of Ohio voters say the state's new collective bargaining law, known as Senate Bill 5, should be dumped, a new survey shows.
Big majority favors repealing SB 5, poll shows
Ohio voters stand ready to repeal Senate Bill 5, judging by the first poll on the controversial measure since it became law last month.
Prevailing-wage lawsuit dismissed
The Ohio Supreme Court will not weigh in on a dispute over the payment of prevailing wages to workers on a school-construction project.
New Hampshire
Photo ID confusion riles polls
A bill that would require photo ID cards of all voters hasn't even become law yet, but it raised an election dispute in New Boston on Tuesday. The New Boston town clerk posted a sign telling all voters in a special election to present a photo ID to obtain a ballot, citing a pending bill in the Legislature. The move raised complaints from supporters of a Democratic candidate.
Democrat wins special election in heavily Republican New Hampshire ...
Daily Kos
But in the mean time, with a Republican attempt to overturn Democratic Gov. John Lynch's veto of a so-called right to work bill looming, the New Hampshire ...
Democrat Daler rolls in election
The Keene Sentinel
... far exceeding the turnout in any previous special election for state Representative in New Hampshire history,” Democratic Party Chairman Raymond Buckley said, in a statement. “The results tonight are a loud and clear message; right to work for less ...
Michigan
Michigan Senate passes bill requiring public workers to pay 20 percent of health insurance premiums
Public employers in Michigan at the state, local, school and university levels could pay no more than 80 percent of employees' health insurance premiums under legislation that cleared the Senate today.
Michigan lawmakers seek compromise over education cuts on next budget
Michigan lawmakers worked Wednesday on a possible compromise plan to reduce some of the education spending cuts proposed in Gov. Rick Snyder's budget.
Teachers, local government workers facing higher health care costs
State Senate Republicans used a big stick Wednesday to accomplish what Gov. Rick Snyder has been trying to do with a carrot: get cities, counties and schools to force their employees to pay a bigger share of health care costs.
Wisconsin
SeniorCare survives budget cuts; GOP leaders work on deal to spare schools
Wisconsin's popular prescription drug program for senior citizens will not be changed as Gov. Scott Walker proposed, and a deal is being worked on to spare some schools from the level of aid cuts he put forth in his budget, Republicans who control the Legislature said Wednesday.
Wisconsin Democrats delay vote on voter ID bill
Democrats on Wednesday successfully delayed a final vote on a bill in the Wisconsin Senate that would require voters to show photo identification at the polls.
Ethics complaints over Wisconsin union bill dismissed
The state ethics board said Wednesday it dismissed all ethics complaints against lawmakers that arose from the dispute over Republican Gov. Scott Walker's divisive collective bargaining bill, including a complaint against Walker after he was recorded saying he and his staff considered planting political agitators among demonstrators protesting the measure.
Massachusetts
Cities, towns could save $100 million under state Senate health plan
Eagle Tribune
It looks just like Indiana to me. I am profoundly disappointed in every Democrat who voted to do away with collective bargaining here in Massachusetts," Haynes said in response to the House. Yesterday, however, after taking several hours to review the ...
Florida
FL: Governor could be warming up to SunRail
Gov. Rick Scott says he still has not made up his mind about the SunRail commuter train, but supporters of the $1.2 billion project suggest he could be warming up to it.
Nevada
NV: Sides far apart on taxes, collective bargaining
Democratic lawmakers want to raise taxes. Republicans say there will be no deal unless there are long-term reforms to reduce government overhead by cutting public employee benefits and making changes to collective bargaining.
New York
NY: State court system lays off 367 workers
The state court system announced 367 layoffs on Wednesday, cutting dozens of court reporters, clerks and aides. The layoffs, which take effect June 1, hit all 13 judicial districts in the state, but more than half are in New York City courts, state officials said.
New Jersey
NJ: As Republicans push Christie to seek presidency, a growing number disapprove of governor in N.J.
The results of a poll made public Wednesday find New Jerseyans disapprove of Gov. Chris Christie's job performance by 49 percent to 47 percent, a nine percent increase since February in those who dislike his effort
