Highlights: ME: Maine lawmakers loosen teen work rules and Divisive labor union bill headed for hearing; VT makes history: Shumlin signs health care bill into law; WI: Dane County judge strikes down collective bargaining law; Massachusetts State Senate limits collective bargaining rights; approves $30.5b budget; 2011 MT Legislature threw state workers under the bus; Ohio senators prepare changes to state budget plan; Dayton administration starts plans for government shutdown; consequences could be far-reaching; full Scrooge Alert here http://dailyscroogealert.blogspot.com/
National
Pawlenty says honesty now badly needed
The Union Leader
When asked by a member of the audience how he felt about the Right to Work legislation currently being debated in Concord, Pawlenty said his family had deep ...
Vermont
VT: Shumlin signs health care bill into law
Governor Peter Shumlin has signed a bill that puts Vermont on a path to become the first state in the country to adopt a single-payer health system.
Wisconsin
WI: Dane County judge strikes down collective bargaining law
A Dane County judge Thursday struck down legislation repealing most collective bargaining for public employees, but the measure could still gain new life from the state Supreme Court or a fresh vote by lawmakers.
Maine
Maine GOP's Revival of 'Right to Work' Bill Inflames Partisan Tensions
MPBN News
Republicans in the House referred a so-called "right-to-work" bill back to committee after some Democrats claim that GOP leaders had told them that the bill ...
ME: Maine lawmakers loosen teen work rules
Gov. Paul LePage is expected to sign into law legislation allowing 16- and 17-year-olds in Maine to work longer hours during the school year, his office confirmed Thursday. But the legislation provoked lengthy debate before being enacted earlier this week, with some lawmakers arguing students need to be students first.
Democrats question handling of union bill
Kennebec Journal
State law now requires every state worker to join the Maine State Employees Association or pay a fee, which goes to the union to cover the cost of collective bargaining and grievances. About 2100 state workers pay the service fee.
So-called 'Right to Work' revives in Maine, takes a blow in New ...
Daily Kos
by Laura Clawson for Daily Kos It seems that the Bangor Daily News' prediction (which I linked) of the imminent demise of Maine's so-called "Right to Work" ...
Divisive labor union bill headed for hearing
Tensions rose in the state Senate Thursday as lawmakers sparred over a Republican effort to consider a contentious labor union bill in the final weeks of the legislative session.
Michigan
Gov. Rick Snyder signs budget, controversy continues
Gov. Rick Snyder and Republican majorities in both houses of the Legislature placed an exclamation point Thursday on a remarkable week of change at the Capitol by completing a transformational state budget a day after Snyder signed into law a sweeping tax overhaul.
GOP-led state legislature finishes budget; Dems say schools shortchanged
The Michigan Legislature completed work on the 2011-12 state spending plan this afternoon, months earlier than has been the custom in recent years, but with no less partisan division.
Michigan Senate sends final budget bills to Snyder
The Republican-led Michigan Legislature has finished approving a new state budget that will cut state aid for education and many state departments.
Ohio
Ohio senators prepare changes to state budget plan
Ohio senators are closely scrutinizing the accountability of charter schools, changes to public employee pensions and plans to privatize certain state assets as they prepare to put their mark on the $55.6 billion state budget.
Senator denies SB 5 backlash prompting resignation
Columbus Dispatch
Jimmy Stewart says he'd vote again for the law limiting collective-bargaining rights. Gov. John Kasich called Stewart "a guy who's got a lot of courage." ZANESVILLE, Ohio - The lure of a job as president of the Ohio Gas Association, and not his vote in
Ohio nursing home lobby back on the air with television commercials over proposed budget cuts
A week after pulling an ad that attacked Gov. John Kasich, Ohio's largest nursing home lobbying group is back on the air with a new television commercial and a new target.
Public officials, employees speak out against state budget, SB5
The Newark Advocate
The group, which also included police and firefighter union representatives and council members, also spoke about Senate Bill 5, which seeks to limit collective bargaining. Guthrie was a co-sponsor on Ohio's 1983 collective bargaining bill,
Massachusetts
State Senate limits collective bargaining rights; approves $30.5b budget
Boston Globe
They warned that Massachusetts was moving in the direction of Ohio, Wisconsin, and other Republican-led states that have sharply cut the collective bargaining rights of public employees. But once Senate leaders indicated they would go along with the ...
New Hampshire
Delay for right-to-work vote? | New Hampshire NEWS06
After two weeks of frenetic lobbying by labor, business and politicians, a vote to override Gov. John Lynch's veto of the so-called right-to-work bill may ...
Montana
2011 Legislature threw state workers under the bus
The 2011 legislature is now four weeks gone, but the ugly mess it created in state employee pay lingers on.
Minnesota
Group's $1M ad campaign backs Dayton on budget
With a high-stakes budget deadlock gripping the state, Alliance for a Better Minnesota has launched a $1 million television advertising campaign urging Minnesotans to back DFL Gov. Mark Dayton's plan to tax the wealthy.
Dayton administration starts plans for government shutdown; consequences could be far-reaching
More than 4,600 people made reservations to visit a Minnesota state park over Independence Day last summer, and this year the 74 state parks and recreation areas are expecting as many or more visits — if the parks are open come July 1.
Arizona
AZ: Supreme Court upholds Ariz. law punishing companies that hire illegal immigrants
Arizona, the state at the forefront of efforts to crack down on illegal immigration, may revoke the business licenses of companies that knowingly employ undocumented workers, the Supreme Court ruled Thursday.
Florida
FL: Rick Scott vetoes record $615m from budget
THE VILLAGES, Fla. -- At a campaign-style event that banned some Democrats, Republican Gov. Rick Scott fashioned himself into Florida's new veto king Thursday when he axed $615 million from the state budget before signing it.
Iowa
GOP, Democrats disagree on scheduling budget talks
Not only are Iowa Republicans and Democrats having trouble agreeing to a state budget, now they're at odds about whether both sides are willing to negotiate.
New Jersey
NJ: Gov. Christie declares regional cap-and-trade initiative ineffective, 'gimmicky' partnership
Gov. Chris Christie Thursday declared the nation's first regional cap-and-trade program designed to reduce air pollution a failure and promised to pull New Jersey out of it by the end of the year.
Christie to pull NJ out of cap-and-trade energy program
NorthJersey.com
Christie said he still believes in global warming and will work towards .... Got Kids you got it right from the bear hunt, to the beach access, to this. ...
