The state of Washington is in contempt of court and the Supreme Court has imposed a $100,000 per day fine for the legislature’s failure to come up with a plan to fully fund public schools by 2018. Plus, the state’s Medicaid program, Medi-Cal, now provides coverage for an astounding one of every three Californians. Quotas should not be used unless there is adequate proof that safe levels are indeed possible; often there are disputes about this issue. The Forest Service manages public lands in national forests and grasslands. As a result, Massachusetts is embroiled in debate: Does the state need more charter schools or not? Understand the general process and difficulties of policymaking. The 2010 Gulf oil spill exposed many organizational problems and concerns within the agencies managing offshore drilling. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) was enacted to ensure that federal agencies completed thorough and adequate assessments before approving projects that carried significant environmental risk, including offshore drilling. While it isn’t in a budget crisis, like some states, the Delaware government is not flush with cash. How do resources that are not owned by anyone get used? Four years of transferring money from the Kansas Department of Transportation road-building programs to the State General Fund has delayed high-profile projects. Respondents of a January Hawaii Poll for the Star-Advertiser ranked homelessness their top issue. For example, it influences the public policy agenda by filtering the various events and interest-group areas of attention and it can serve as a sort of “watchdog” over both business and government exposing any unethical practices. Nick Smith has been covering state politics for The Bismarck Tribune since December 2011. Many US states have developed programs to fill in the gap occurring at the federal level. This will manifest itself differently in Phoenix Arizona than in will in the everglades of Florida. The legislation’s language would replace the municipal airport authority with a nine-member board. Delaware’s largest city has faced a surge in gun violence, with record numbers of shootings and deaths in the past few years. As construction cranes dot the region, many question whether enough of the highrise units will be within reach of local home buyers, or if most will be luxury investment properties accessible only to high-end, out-of-state buyers. David Ige has declared a state of emergency. The issue has loomed over lawmakers this session and over candidates preparing for the upcoming election. The battle is expected to continue between the chambers to find a way to fund the $1.2 billion in repairs the state’s Department of Transportation director says is needed. If Congress hadn't decided to contract out to private companies more, I might have still been unemployed right now. More recently, questions have arisen about attendance at online schools. For example, refrigerators have almost no rebound effect, while increases in motor vehicle efficiency have been linked to a 10 percent to 20 percent increase in driving. Ian Donnis has been the political reporter for Rhode Island Public Radio Since 2009. Click to Tweet Alaska’s top policy issues. jackie@ypradio.com Measures are often an average (e.g., over a twenty-four-hour period or per year), as concentrations vary by time of day and by season (e.g., due to weather changes). In March of this year, Wolf signed an executive order raising the minimum wage by nearly $3 an hour for state employees under his direct authority and workers on jobs contracted by the state. No taxpayer money currently is spent on abortions in Iowa, and pro-choice legislators support the status quo on compromise policy for medical exceptions and funding of women’s health services. Bill Walker – are projected to save the state as much as $420 million over the next 10 years. The Wyoming legislature holds the distinction of having the oldest average age, and fewest women and minorities in the nation. Business efforts to influence public policy and government include not only individual company efforts but also business association efforts. In the absence of government intervention, when externalities exist, market prices do not reflect the full costs or benefits in the production or consumption of a good. alexgangitano@gmail.com The state’s first medical marijuana dispensaries opened in 2015. A potential ballot measure for the November general election is poised to divide labor unions and business interests in what is certain to be an expensive campaign. A record turnout in an early presidential primary reinforced the result. It has sent droves of students (including yours truly) to in-state schools, and the rising tide has also improved the state’s higher education system. An externality occurs when a so-called third party who is not directly involved in an economic transaction is affected by that market transaction. The bill would also add $10 to Idaho’s grocery tax credit. Although the United States is the second largest emitter of GHG, it is not a participant in the Kyoto Protocol. It was originally envisioned as a dedicated source of cash for transportation projects, but the state has relied heavily on borrowing. This includes more than 42,000 registered lobbyists in state capitals across the nation. The market on its own (without government) works best—and makes the most efficient use of society’s limited resources—when public goods and externalities (see the more detailed discussion that follows) are not involved. Branstad lands in the middle on both school funding and tax policy. Table 3.1 "Examples of NGOs That Influence Sustainable Business" lists some of the NGOs active in support of sustainable business activities in the United States. The protection of the Great Lakes is paramount to many, and a major focus is on combatting invasive species. Rick Scott is among the governors that has called on Congress to block Syrian refugees. In that position, he covers Northwest politics and public policy as well as the Washington State legislature. The governor proposed expanding the provider tax for doctors and medical facilities to fill the bulk of the approximately $55 million dollar shortfall. Arkansas, which elects judges, just had the most expensive cycle of judicial races in its history. And that’s just equity. Alabama is one of several Republican-controlled states that has not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. These individuals and groups use numerous tactics to advance their interests. Initially viewed by pundits as running a quixotic presidential campaign, Sen. Bernie Sanders has become an electoral force. At the same time, the practice of extracting natural gas through hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, remains a potent issue, despite attempts to mediate the conflicts between energy companies and local communities. In contrast, the United States in 2009 generated less than 5 percent of its power from newer forms of renewable energy and has a current target for 2025 to reach 16 percent (or just over 20 percent, including hydroelectric power). Melissa Davlin, Idaho Public Television I completely agree that public policy is important to everyone, no matter which sector they are in. From the Tea Party to Rick Perry’s “Fed Up”, to Greg Abbott’s call for a convention of states, to claim some of the powers now wielded by the federal government. The project was first conceived in 2001, received state and local permitting in 2009 and federal permitting in 2010, and is expected to be operational in 2013 (see the following sidebar). Walker, in his State of the State address, focused heavily on ways to make college more affordable. Government and public policies have strong impact on all businesses. Republican House members had different plans, though, and passed a bill that would shave 0.1 percent off the top two brackets of Idaho’s income tax and 0.1 percent off the corporate income tax. One of the potentially negative aspects of standards is that they have often been of a command and control nature; that is, they prescribe not only, or even necessarily, a goal but a specific means of achieving that goal. Yet whenever the idea of tolls to pay for new facilities is floated, opposition is firm – and loud. These “chunks” proposed by the Obama administration included. The 2015 decision by the court doubled the projected liability of Oregon’s system to at least $18 billion spread over the next few decades, most of it to pay benefits to public workers hired before the system was overhauled in 2003. It is his second tour with the service, initially arriving at the publication in 1998 following stints with several local newspapers. Ohio has steadily added jobs over the past six years, though the pace continues to trail the national average. The 2016 budget calls for more cuts and borrowing from the Education Trust Fund.