By Peter Urban, Arkansas News BureauWASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Tim Griffin, D-Little Rock, questioned today why the U.S. Air Force awarded a $355 million contract to a foreign competitor of Hawker Beechcraft that has a plant in Little Rock.

By Alia Beard Rau, The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)The Arizona Legislature returns to work Monday looking both backward and forward.

By Jaimee Rose, The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)People were talking when the gunman began to fire. They were gathered outside a grocery store near Tucson, a year ago today, to talk to their congresswoman. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords had invited them because she wanted to listen, because democracy is a conversation in which everyone has a say. The bullets stopped the talking.

By Howard Fischer, East Valley TribuneState lawmakers return to the Capitol on Monday facing something they have not seen in years: More money than they immediately need to balance the budget.

By Howard Fischer, East Valley TribuneThe legislative testimony, the press conference and the boycotts over SB 1070 are pretty much all history. And its architect is gone, the victim of a recall.

By The Associated Press, The Forum (Fargo)Rep. Gabrielle Giffords led a crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance, her words ringing out across a cold Tucson night in a rare public appearance Sunday evening at a candlelight vigil one year after surviving a deadly shooting.

By Alia Beard Rau, The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)The legislative session doesn’t begin until Monday, but state lawmakers already have proposed more than 100 bills.

By Staff, The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)The Arizona Legislature convenes at noon Monday at the state Capitol. The launch of the second regular session of the 50th Legislature comes as Arizona enters its centennial year and as the House and Senate welcome new GOP leadership.

By Dan Nowicki, The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)Will she or won’t she?

By Howard Fischer, East Valley TribuneGov. Jan Brewer will propose a major revamp of how the state funds schools, a move that could make more cash available for private and parochial schools.

By Michelle Reese, East Valley TribuneArizona law allows K-12 students to enroll in any public school in the district where they live, schools in other districts, or in charter schools.

By The Associated Press, East Valley TribuneFirst-term Republican Rep. Paul Gosar says he plans to seek office in Arizona’s 4th Congressional District instead of his Flagstaff-based 1st District, setting up a GOP primary fight in the rural district.

By E.J. Montini, The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)The Arizona politicians who cut the state budget last session and actually created a surplus have been boasting about their accomplishments.

By Jaimee Rose, The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)A year to the day after she was shot in the head at a constituent event, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords will appear at a public candlelight vigil on Sunday in Tucson to observe the anniversary with the city, the victims and their families.

By Mary K. Reinhart, The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)A U.S. District Court judge Wednesday dismissed Arizona’s lawsuit seeking to clarify whether its voter-approved medical-marijuana law trumps federal drug laws.

By Staff, The Wall Street JournalWhen taking the economic pulse of California, one of Groucho Marx’s best lines comes to mind: Either this state is dead or my watch has stopped. Any sign of life is welcome news in the once Golden State, and a bit arrived last week in the form of a state Supreme Court decision, which sounded a rare note of economic sanity in this overtaxed, overregulated state.

By Adam Nagourney, The New York TimesLOS ANGELES — Gov. Jerry Brown called on California voters Thursday to approve $6.9 billion in temporary new taxes, including a surcharge on big earners, as part of yet another bad-news budget proposal, this one for 2012. He warned that without those tax increases, California would be forced to impose severe cuts in public schools that could reduce the school year by three weeks.

By Michael B. Maois and James Nash, BloombergCalifornia Governor Jerry Brown proposed a budget that would lop off the equivalent of three weeks from the public school year if voters reject his proposal for $7 billion in temporary tax increases.

By Will Evans, California WatchBehind the legislative record of newly chosen Senate Republican Leader Bob Huff is a host of special interests that have funded his campaigns and given him expensive gifts.

By Dan Walters, The Sacramento BeeThe state Constitution requires governors to unveil their proposed budgets for the next fiscal year by Jan. 10.

By Torey Van Oot, The Sacramento BeeCalifornia’s top Senate Democrat today shut the door on Gov. Jerry Brown’s budget proposal to make deep cuts to social services programs in the first few months of the year.

By Tim Hoover and Lynn Bartles, The Denver PostPolitical strategist Karl Rove has predicted that Colorado would be ground zero for the presidential race, but the state’s first take-no-prisoners political battle actually begins Wednesday under the Gold Dome.

By Staff, The Denver PostGRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — Republicans have increased their voter registration in west-central Colorado by 6 percent over the past four years as Democrats slipped slightly.

By Patrick Malone, The Pueblo ChieftainHe would rather see compromises than controversy, but Gov. John Hickenlooper is not naïve. He knows that rancor and partisan rifts threaten to stall progress in the legislative session that begins Wednesday.

By Staff, The Denver PostAs Gov. John Hickenlooper prepares to enter his second year in office, critics from both left and right are calling on him to exercise more decisive leadership — especially on controversial issues in which he’d have to risk political capital.

By Patrick Malone, The Pueblo ChieftainColorado House Republicans lifted the curtain Thursday on the agenda for regulatory reform that they intend to push during the legislative session that begins next week.

By Jon Lender, The Hartford CourantHundreds of Medicare-eligible state retirees or their dependents called state officials in the past week to say that they did not receive new 2012 prescription cards that would enable them to obtain medications they need – and the Office of the State Comptroller’s health care benefits division has had to call pharmacies to help them have the prescriptions filled.

By Keith M. Phaneuf, The Connecticut MirrorA new report showing state government’s operating cash pool is running low sparked a partisan dispute Friday between minority Republicans in the House of Representatives and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s administration.

By Jacqueline Rabe Thomas, The Connecticut MirrorA year into new management at the troubled Department of Children and Families, a report card issued by the court-ordered monitor outlines the “significant challenges” that remain before he is convinced abused and neglected children are in good hands with the state.

By Mark Pazniokas, The Connecticut MirrorGov. Dannel P. Malloy marked his first anniversary in office today by finalizing the deal for the state to invest $291 million in a genetics research institute at the University of Connecticut Health Center.

By Mark Pazniokas, Connecticut PostIn a victory for Democrats, the Connecticut Supreme Court has directed its special master on redistricting to make minimal changes as he draws new lines for the state’s five U.S. House districts.

By Keith M. Phaneuf, The Connecticut MirrorWith gasoline prices already climbing since December, a Meriden lawmaker and Connecticut’s service stations want to put the brakes on a volatile state fuel tax that accelerates prices hikes even further.

By Jacqueline Rabe Thomas, The Connecticut MirrorGov. Dannel P. Malloy may have given an energizing pep talk on education reform to a roomful of education advocates and leaders Thursday, but it was the comments he made to reporters afterward that will likely receive the largest cheers from those who have long said the state is shortchanging education.

By Nichole Dobo, The News Journal (New Castle-Wilmington)Newark Charter School has proposed an expansion that would add four grade levels and nearly double its enrollment by 2020.

By Chad Livengood, The News Journal (New Castle-Wilmington)State officials would be required to disclose whether a family member works for state government, a public school, university or an agency that receives tax dollars under legislation introduced Thursday.

By William E. Gibson, The Orlando SentinelA political courtship is about to unfold for the hearts, minds and votes of Florida’s senior citizens. Democrats as well as Republicans are targeting older voters in Florida and other key states this year, knowing they turn out in big numbers and could sway the presidential election as well as majority control of Congress.

By Charles Rabin, The Miami HeraldThere’s nothing scientific about it. But the Internet publication 24/7 Wall Street has ranked Miami as the worst-run city in the nation. Don’t snicker, Hialeah: You’re ranked 10th.

By Mary Ellen Klas, The Miami HeraldDespite the promise of thousands of jobs and the millions of dollars spent on lobbying and land buying, the proposal to bring destination resort casinos to Florida faces steep odds when lawmakers take up the landmark proposal during the 60-day legislative session that begins Tuesday.

By Steve Bousquet, The Miami HeraldThe Florida Legislature convenes Tuesday for an unusual and unpredictable 60-day session that will be dominated by two highly partisan subjects: the redrawing of political districts and yet another round of budget-cutting.

By The Associated Press, The Orlando SentinelThe Florida Department of Health is launching a statewide project to humanize the effects of HIV and AIDS.

By Tia Mitchell, Tampa Bay TimesNaples insurance agent Mark Fiacable says a part of the federal health care act destroyed his business and caused him to lose his home.

By Toluse Olorunnipa, Tampa Bay TimesThe 2012 legislative session will be preoccupied with the once-a-decade chore of redistricting, but a broad spectrum of trade groups and lobbyists is still hoping to capitalize on its probusiness momentum from 2011 with an aggressive agenda.

By Angie Drobnic Holan, Tampa Bay TimesBefore we do a deep-dive into the election year excitement of 2012, we wanted to take a final look back at 2011. Here, we’re counting down to our most popular fact-checks of the year, as determined by which reports got the most online page views.

By Becky Bowers, PolitiFact, The Miami HeraldMore Floridians are working since Rick Scott, the self-anointed “jobs governor,” took office a year ago. And yet, today, PolitiFact Florida rates Scott’s central campaign promise of 700,000 new jobs Stalled. Why?

By Mary Ellen Klas and Elaine Walker, The Miami HeraldIn an effort to win support and silence critics, the Senate sponsor of the bill to bring resort casinos to Florida wants to let voters approve any new gambling and allow counties outside of Miami Dade and Broward to compete for three mega-casino permits.

By Amy Sherman, PolitiFact Florida, The Miami HeraldSupporters of a proposed bill that would allow three massive destination casino resorts in South Florida often argue that gambling is already big business here.

By Richard Danielson, Tampa Bay TimesAfter months of behind-the-scenes planning but little in-front-of-the-microphones discussion, Tampa officials Thursday provided a better glimpse of security plans for the Republican National Convention.

By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida, The Miami HeraldA Miami-Dade Circuit Court judge has issued a preliminary injunction against a plan by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) to slice millions of dollars in payments to facilities that serve people with developmental disabilities.

By Curtis Morgan, The Miami HeraldHUTCHINSON ISLAND, Fla. — Gov. Rick Scott didn’t exactly win environmentalists over in his first year in office, as he gutted growth management laws, waged a legal battle against federally imposed water quality standards and expressed general disdain for “job-killing” regulations.

By Audrey McAvoy, The Associated Press, The Republic (Columbus)Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s coordinator on homelessness has stepped down after just one year on the job.

By Jason Clayworth, The Des Moines RegisterThe stars are aligned for lawmakers to address a longtime battle to curb inequities in Iowa’s property tax system, top-ranking legislators from both parties said today.

By Mike Wiser, Sioux City JournalLawmakers return to Des Moines today after a shorter-than-typical summer break, one that was made possible by last year’s legislative stalemates.

By Staff, Statesman Journal (Salem)As if the spectacle of a small group of voters (distinguished mostly by how little they resemble Republicans nationwide) setting the parameters of the GOP presidential contest weren’t disturbing enough, the Iowa caucus process that concluded Tuesday was also dominated to an unprecedented degree by third-party bankrollers whose identities and motives remain secret.

By The Associated Press, The Muscatine JournalThe U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded Iowa over $37 million to cover the costs of repairing roads damaged by summer flooding along the Missouri River.

By Rod Boshart, The Muscatine JournalEducation leaders and key lawmakers were supportive of much, but not all, of Gov. Terry Branstad’s $25 million education-reform ideas laid out Friday.

By Mike Ferguson, The Muscatine JournalWith any luck, 99 of Jeff Kaufmann’s closest friends will be serenading him with “Happy Birthday” Monday, the day he turns 49.

By Jason Clayworth, The Des Moines RegisterOne of the top-ranking Iowa House Republicans has announced that he is not seeking reelection.

By Jason CLayworth, The Des Moines RegisterIowa House Speaker Kraig Paulsen today announced he is seeking reelection.

By Staff, The Des Moines RegisterA longtime Dyersville community advocate and Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame recipient announced today that she’s running for an House seat being vacated an assistant Republican majority leader.

By James Q. Lnch, Idaho State Journal (Pocatello)It’s a 50-50 proposition whether the Iowa Legislature approves a gas tax increase this year, according to Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs.

By James Q. Lynch, Sioux City JournalThere’s going to be a gas tax debate.

By Staff, Quad-City TimesWhen it comes to health care, Iowa’s caucus candidates missed the most important debate.

By Richard Land, The Wall Street JournalThe Iowa caucuses have again produced upheaval. The 2008 contest saw the Huckabee phenomenon and announced the Obama earthquake that toppled the Clinton dynasty. Now the 2012 caucuses have put former Sen. Rick Santorum near the front of the Republican presidential pack and demonstrated that the “religious right” — Roman Catholic and evangelical social conservatives — is alive and flourishing in the American body politic.

By The Associated Press, The Muscatine JournalLegislative leaders of both parties said they have narrowed their differences over plans to overhaul Iowa’s property tax system and are getting closer to a deal that lawmakers could approve during the session that begins Monday.

By The Associated Press, The Muscatine JournalIowa Democratic leaders say they’ll focus on the economy and jobs during the legislative session, which convenes Monday.

By The Associated Press, The Muscatine JournalDozens of Iowa court reporters laid off in 2009 were targeted because they worked for judges who had the least political power and would be less likely to protest the cost-cutting moves, a state administrator acknowledged Thursday.

By Mike Wiser, Sioux City JournalSome of the state’s best-known business leaders talked about tax credits, supply chains and agribusiness in the former Soviet Union with Gov. Terry Branstad on Thursday.

By Staff, The Idaho Statesman (Boise)The crisis of confidence that’s left Congress with record-low ratings has infected Idaho government, and top leaders are sensitive to the dismay.

By Kevin Richert, The Idaho Statesman (Boise)On Thursday, Senate Minority Leader Edgar Malepeai of Pocatello said it is time for Idaho to tighten up its ethics laws — but he offered no details about legislation, and when asked to name names, he refused to blow the whistle on his fellow politicos.

By Dan Popkey, The Idaho Statesman (Boise)Since his landslide re-election, Gov. Butch Otter is spending significantly less time in the office. Otter, 69, typically doesn’t show up at the office Mondays, instead scheduling “general office time” with no appointments. He works from home, according to a former chief of staff.

By John Miller, The Idaho Statesman (Boise)Idaho Power Co. gained more lobbying might from inside government, as another of the governor’s former chiefs of staff registered to become a paid lobbyist for the state’s biggest utility.

By Betsy Z. Russell, Spokesman-Review (Spokane)Idaho legislative leaders from both parties say they favor stronger ethics laws for Idaho lawmakers this year.

By Staff, The Idaho Statesman (Boise)There was a time when Butch Otter was the Statehouse contrarian who loved to rail about federal blackmail.In 1987, as a freshly elected lieutenant governor, Otter stood in for an out-of-state Gov. Cecil Andrus and seized the opportunity to take a stand.

By Andrew Thomason, Illinois Statehouse NewsIllinois owes a lot of money to a lot of people, including itself, and thanks to legislation passed in 2010, the state is in the front of the line to get repaid.

By Benjamin Yount, Illinois Statehouse NewsWhile the Republican presidential candidates are in New Hampshire this weekend, their surrogates are trying their best to bring the one-upmanship of the race to Illinois.

By Fredric N. Tulsky and John Sullivan, Chicago News Cooperative, The New York TimesIn most states and municipalities, government officials who vote to spend taxpayer dollars on proposals that also put money in their own pockets as lobbyists could be accused of illegal conflicts of interest. Not in Illinois.

By Benjamin Yount, Illinois Statehouse NewsGov. Pat Quinn closed the headline grabbing double-dipping loophole in Illinois’ pension system, but critics say legal questions and pension costs also must be addressed.

By The Associated Press, Northwest Indiana Times (Munster)Public employees can no longer rely on some loopholes to inflate their state benefits, including one that allowed two union officials to qualify for teachers’ retirement perks after a single day in the classroom, under a law signed Thursday.

By Paul Merrion, Crain’s Chicago BusinessIllinois will test the bond market’s appetite for its debt next week with an $800-million offering of general obligation bonds to finance various transportation projects and other capital expenditures.

By The Associated Press, Evansville Courier and PressWith 80-foot zip lines, outdoor concerts and an array of food pavilions, downtown Indianapolis is hoping to create the festive atmosphere of a summer street fair — without the heat — for this season’s Super Bowl and to show tens of thousands of visitors that a cold-weather city can put on the glitz for the NFL’s big game.

By Jessica Wray, Evansville Courier and PressHoosiers hoping for a little extra cash from Gov. Mitch Daniels’ automatic taxpayer refund program might want to wait before deciding how they’re going to spend it.

By The Associated Press, Northwest Indiana Times (Munster)Gov. Mitch Daniels’ decision to rescind strict new security procedures at the Statehouse took the heat off him and his administration at the start of what was already guaranteed to be a raucous 2012 session. But it also deprived Indiana’s House Democrats a major political tool they could have used in their continuing boycott of a divisive labor bill.

By Rob Earnshaw, Northwest Indiana Times (Munster)Approximately 500 people packed the Teamsters Local 142 building Sunday for a rally against Indiana’s proposed right-to-work law.

By Mark Guarino, The Christian Science MonitorIndiana Democrats are refusing to allow the state’s House to come to session because of the bill. They want Republicans to agree to hold public hearings on the issue around the state.

By Monica Davey, The New York TimesRefusing to appear on the State House floor, Democrats prevented the start of a scheduled lawmaking session for a second day in a row on Thursday, as pressure over “right to work” legislation mounted in Indianapolis.

By Tom Davies, The Associated Press, Northwest Indiana Times (Munster)An Indiana Senate committee on Thursday unanimously endorsed a proposal to toughen penalties for sex trafficking, which legislators hope to pass into law before football fans converge on Indianapolis for next month’s Super Bowl.

By The Associated Press, Northwest Indiana Times (Munster)Growing tension among defiant House Democrats facing stiff fines and sparse resources threatens to disrupt a no-show effort aimed at blocking a bill that would make Indiana the first state in more than a decade to enact right-to-work legislation.

By Dan Carden, Northwest Indiana Times (Munster)State revenue continued to exceed expectations last month, even after budget officials boosted their revenue projections based on improved economic conditions.

By Dan Carden, Northwest Indiana Times (Munster)Despite Friday’s unusual House-Senate joint committee meeting on a right-to-work bill, the House committee cannot vote on the controversial labor policy because the legislation technically does not exist.

By The Associated Press, Evansville Courier and PressIndiana residents whose driver’s licenses or state identification cards expire this year were being urged to renew them soon to avoid long lines due to a record number of renewals.

By Brad Cooper, Kansas City StarStart with taxes. Then add a dash of schools. Spice it up with redistricting. Mix in some immigration and you could have the recipe for a lively session of the Kansas Legislature when it convenes this week in Topeka.

By The Associated Press, The Lawrence Journal-WorldA woman who’s been serving as interim director of Kansas’ Division of Health Care Finance for the past six weeks will have the job permanently.

By Brad Cooper, Kansas City StarKansas House Speaker Mike O’Neal on Thursday apologized for an email that made fun of first lady Michelle Obama’s hair style and mockingly called her “Mrs. YoMama.”

By Staff, Bowling Green Daily NewsWhile lawmakers convene in Frankfort this week for the beginning of the General Assembly, we hope they remember who they represent – the citizens of Kentucky.

By Joe Gyan Jr., The Advocate (Baton Rouge)A state appeals court in Baton Rouge wrestled Thursday with the question of whether a private company contracted to perform a large portion of a city government’s public services is subject to Louisiana’s public records law.

By Marsha Shuler, The Advocate (Baton Rouge)A state appeals court has thrown the Louisiana Board of Ethics a curve ball in a campaign finance case involving state Rep. Nick Lorusso.

By Marsha Shuler, The Advocate (Baton Rouge)Gov. Bobby Jindal is hosting a fundraiser — seeking up to $5,000 per contributor — to help Billy Nungesser get rid of $1 million in personal debt from his losing bid for lieutenant governor.

By The Associated Press, Boston HeraldThe Massachusetts Senate is set to debate a bill calling for stricter oversight of taxpayer-funded special education collaboratives. The legislation was prompted by investigations of the Merrimack Special Educational Collaborative that uncovered alleged abuses. They included lavish spending on entertainment, unjustified salary expenses and improper charges made to a related nonprofit group.

By The Associated Press, Boston HeraldProponents of stricter rules against cellphone use while driving in Massachusetts will have a chance to make their case on Beacon Hill this week. The Legislature’s Transportation Committee has scheduled a public hearing Tuesday on bills that would ban motorists in Massachusetts from using their cellphones while driving unless they have a hands-free device.

By Staff, Boston HeraldA left-leaning think tank has issued a report lamenting the growing income inequality between rich and poor in Massachusetts, and has offered up the one solution that is just about guaranteed to make that problem worse.

By Stephanie Ebbert, The Boston GlobeConservative activists are asking the state’s new Republican Party chairman to resign over his disclosure that he contributed to Democratic Governor Deval Patrick’s reelection bid.

By The Associated Press, The Boston GlobeA Massachusetts state legislator who has represented Worcester’s 15th District since 1993 is leaving his post to take a new job.

By Jim McElhatton, The Washington TimesFormer Massachusetts Gov. William F. Weld will be paid more than $20,000 in legal fees working for bankrupt Solyndra LLC — mostly in connection with congressional hearings during which company executives refused to answer questions.

By Chelsea Conaboy and Martin Finucane, The Boston GlobeMassachusetts lawmakers must quickly come up with about $150 million to provide health insurance to tens of thousands of legal immigrants, after the state’s highest court ruled yesterday that they were illegally excluded from subsidized coverage available to other residents.

By Dave Wedge, O’Ryan Johnson and Chris Cassidy, Boston HeraldJoseph P. Kennedy III’s bid to become Camelot’s newest knight, with a run for the congressional seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, drew swift warnings yesterday — Massachusetts voters don’t want a coronation, and the Kennedy name isn’t the shining armor it once was.

By The Associated Press, The Boston GlobeFREETOWN, Mass.—Massachusetts officials are releasing nearly $80,000 to fund operations of volunteer and rural fire departments serving smaller communities. State Department of Conservation and Recreation Commissioner Edward Lambert Jr. is scheduled to award some of the money to the towns of Freetown, Dover, Edgartown and Gosnold on Friday, marking the beginning the first in a series of Volunteer Fire Assistance Grants awards.

By Mark Arsenault, The Boston GlobeThe Kraft Group discussed a potential Foxborough casino with two top town officials last summer, months before the public, or other town officials, learned of plans to build a $1 billion gambling resort in their town.

By Annie Linskey and Michael Dresser, The Sun (Baltimore)Democratic leaders in Annapolis have compiled a “To Do” list for the next three months that includes raising taxes and changing the definition of marriage. Some also want to close off big chunks of Maryland to development and open even more casinos in the state.

By Steve Kilar, The Sun (Baltimore)According to demographers, cities like Baltimore that have experienced extreme population declines can start growing again only by embracing foreign-born residents. They say the city government and its residents should be prepared for the expansion of ethnic enclaves dominated by people from Latin America, Asia and Africa — a trend that helped Philadelphia and Washington reverse long slides.

By Earl Kelly, The Capital (Annapolis)When the General Assembly convenes Wednesday, Gov. Martin O’Malley is expected to push for increasing gasoline taxes, legalizing same-sex marriage, developing offshore wind-powered turbines, limiting septic systems and expanding sales taxes to services.

By Earl Kelly, The Capital (Annapolis)On Wednesday, House Speaker Michael Busch will become the longest-serving speaker in Maryland history. The Annapolis resident is the 106th speaker, and the eighth from Anne Arundel County.

By Staff, The Washington PostMaryland state Sen. C. Anthony Muse (D-Prince George’s) officially entered the race for the U.S. Senate on Thursday night, telling supporters that he is challenging U.S. Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin (D) to address critical issues, including disparities in education, high unemployment and the foreclosure fiasco.

By Matthew Hay Brown, The Sun (Baltimore)While President Barack Obama described plans Thursday to make the U.S. military “leaner,” officials in Maryland said the focus of installations and defense contractors here on intelligence, cyberwarfare, research and development is likely to protect the state from the deep cuts feared elsewhere.

By Michael Dresser, The Sun (Baltimore)When Maryland legislators return to Annapolis next week for their annual 90-day legislative session, one of their first tasks will be to decide what to do about Sen. Ulysses Currie’s admitted ethical lapses that helped land him in federal court on bribery and extortion charges last year.

By The Associated Press, The Capital (Annapolis)A Maryland board approved a wetlands license on Wednesday for work that would be needed to prepare for a potential third nuclear reactor at the Calvert Cliffs nuclear power plant in Lusby by the Chesapeake Bay.

By The Associated Press, Bangor Daily NewsWith Iowa’s caucuses just over and New Hampshire’s primary days away, presidential politics to be played out this year are revving up in Maine, where Republicans will hold caucuses over several days next month.

By Mal Leary, Bangor Daily NewsLeaders of the legislature’s Criminal Justice Committee say they need to take action to update state laws that ban synthetic marijuana as chemists have changed the chemicals used to make the drug, called “spice” on the street.

By Bill Trotter, Bangor Daily NewsCiting substandard conditions in low-income housing in the Norway area, Maine State Housing Authority officials are promising to make changes to how such housing units are inspected.

By Eric Russell, Bangor Daily NewsGov. Paul LePage on Thursday used his authority to veto a trio of Democratic-sponsored bills that passed during the Legislature’s first session last year.

By Kathryn Skelton, Sun Journal, Bangor Daily NewsChanges in the state budget approved last spring and now in effect include cutting MaineCare coverage for hundreds, stopping food stamps for some and, in two weeks, telling 2,500 people receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families: Your time’s up.

By Nok-Noi Ricker, Bangor Daily NewsBREWER, Maine — Maine transportation officials recently eliminated the proposed route they selected in 2003 to ease heavy traffic flow between Canadian Maritime Provinces and the federal highway system and now support the route preferred by Holden residents. News of the state’s new preferred route — 2B2 — to connect Route 9 and Interstate 395 came as a surprise to municipal leaders in Brewer and Eddington, who said this week they knew nothing about the Maine Department of Transportation’s plans until late last week.

By The Associated Press, Bangor Daily NewsPORTLAND, Maine — Experts say a 15 percent decline in commercial bankruptcy filings in Maine in 2011 is a good sign, even though it fell short of the 20 percent decline in filings nationally.

By Staff, Detroit Free PressOur readers’ love-hate relationship with Gov. Rick Snyder continues. On Friday, the Free Press Editorial Board offered its grades for Gov. Rick Snyder. We wanted to give readers a chance to have their say, too. And it looks like As and Fs rule for the most part.

By Jeff T. Wattrick, mlive.comDetroit Mayor Dave Bing, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, and U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced today that they will support efforts by the M1 Rail consortium to construct a 3.4 mile light rail line between downtown and New Center as a compliment to the proposed bus rapid transit system (BRT).

By The Associated Press, mlive.comMichigan Gov. Rick Snyder has returned all but $1 of his 2011 salary to the state, spokesman Sara Wurfel said Friday.

By Julie Mack, mlive.comRepublican leaders in Lansing say they do not plan to cut K-12 funding for the upcoming school year as the state’s economy begins to rebound and state officials contemplate an unexpected surplus from fiscal 2011.

By Rob South, mlive.comWith a projected $1 billion surplus in Michigan’s 2013 budget, lawmakers are already tossing out ways to spend it.

By Shannon Murphy, mlive.comState Sen. Mike Green plans to introduce state legislation this year to earmark federal gas tax dollars to fund maintenance and operation of bascule bridges, including those in Bay City.

By Bob Wheaton, mlive.comJackson County State Rep. Mike Shirkey told Michigan Radio that there will be more incentive for Michigan to become a “right-to-work” state if Indiana becomes such a state.

By Ed White, The Associated Press, Lansing State JournalA lawsuit aimed at recouping millions in union dues paid by Michigan child-care providers has fizzled.

By The Associated Press, mlive.comMichigan Democrats said Thursday they plan to endorse their candidates for the state Supreme Court and statewide education boards in March, an attempt to launch campaigns for those races earlier than usual.

By Robin Erb, Detroit Free PressWhen it comes to persuading residents to get a flu shot, no news is actually bad news for public health officials.

By David Ashenfelter, Detroit Free PressThe ACLU of Michigan sued the state and Gov. Rick Snyder in federal court today to try to overturn a state law that prohibits certain public employers from providing health insurance and other benefits to same-sex domestic partners.

By Tim Martin, The Associated Press, Detroit Free PressGov. Rick Snyder’s office says it is too early to tell whether Michigan will push to require drug tests for welfare applicants, an issue likely to be debated in many states this year.

By Bob Watson, Jefferson City News TribuneChanges to Missouri’s sentencing procedures and judicial appointments are among some lawmakers’ priorities this new year.

By Bob Watson, Jefferson City News TribuneAt 163 seats, Missouri’s House of Representatives is the nation’s fourth largest state House.

By Elizabeth Crisp, The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson)Without hesitation, Mississippi’s new lieutenant governor, Tate Reeves, names education and job creation as his key priorities.

By Elizabeth Crisp, The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson)Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves officially took office during a swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol today.

By The Associated Press, MissoulianThe executive director for the Montana Arts Council has been elected president of the board of directors for the national group for all state arts agencies.

By Rob Christensen, The Charlotte ObserverDemocratic Gov. Bev Perdue has named a panel to help screen judicial candidates, but Republicans immediately criticized it as being too laden with partisan Democrats.

By The Associated Press, The Winston-Salem JournalThe N.C. Association of Educators and Democratic Gov. Beverly Perdue accused Republican legislative leaders Thursday of holding an illegal overnight meeting to overturn the governor’s veto of a bill that some considered punishment for the NCAE’s political activity.

By Staff, The News & Observer (Raleigh)Well, you’ve got to give them this.

By Staff, The News & Observer (Raleigh)Well, you’ve got to give them this.

By Staff, The Bismarck TribuneEnvironmental politics in Minnesota have spilled over into North Dakota, violating this state’s right to do business across state lines and hitting consumer and business pocketbooks here.

By The Associated Press, The Forum (Fargo)Bismarck state Sen. Ron Carlisle says he wants to run for his own four-year term in the North Dakota Senate.

By Dale Wetzel, The Associated Press, Grand Forks HeraldPublic Service Commission Chairman Tony Clark, who is leaving office at year’s end, end, is being considered for a spot on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, a spokesman for North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven said.

By The Associated Press, Grand Forks HeraldSenior member of ND Senate seeking re-election.

By Nick Smith, The Bismarck TribuneDistrict 30 state Rep. Mike Nathe, R-Bismarck, announced Thursday that he will run for a second term in office.

By Ben Vig, The Forum (Fargo)I agree with Rep. Jon Nelson, R-Rugby, N.D., at least on one thing, in his recent letter to the editor (“Why Dalrymple’s farm background matters” – Dec. 26). Indeed, it is exciting as a farmer to see that agriculture is still the state’s top industry, and indeed, we should be proud of the role agriculture has played in building North Dakota into what it is today.

By Teri Finneman, Grand Forks HeraldIt’s a “slap in the face to all voters in North Dakota” that Gov. Jack Dalrymple isn’t participating in two debates sponsored by the North Dakota Tea Party, his challenger said Wednesday.

By Ryan Johnson, Grand Forks HeraldRepublican attacks on Heidi Heitkamp began Thursday, even before the former North Dakota Attorney General and possible U.S. Senate candidate has announced if she will run for office next fall.

By The Associated Press, The Forum (Fargo)North Dakota’s congressional delegation says the Federal Emergency Management Agency is providing a $1 million grant toward flood recovery in Minot.

By Dale Wetzel, The Associated Press, The Forum (Fargo)A former Ward County commissioner and Republican activist made a last-minute appeal Tuesday to increase the size of the North Dakota Legislature, saying it would help prevent rural districts from becoming too large under a new redistricting plan.

By Kevin O’Hanlon, Lincoln Journal StarRepublican Attorney General Jon Bruning said Thursday that two legislative bills aimed at taking control of a fund his office uses to give grants is politically motived and meant to undermine his U.S. Senate bid.

By Christopher Rowland, The Boston GlobeRepublican voters are not just struggling to pick the party’s nominee for president. As the candidates darting to diners and school gyms across New Hampshire frequently proclaim, they are mapping the future of the party.

By Garry Rayno, The Union Leader (Manchester)A state database will be created to track and review abuses by federal airport security agents under a bill the House approved Thursday.

By Garry Rayno, The Union Leader (Manchester)Concealed weapon permits would be optional under a bill the House passed Thursday despite opposition from law enforcement. Law enforcement also opposed another House-passed bill that would repeal prohibitions against loaded weapons in vehicles.

By Garry Rayno, The Union Leader (Manchester)State workers who are not union members would no longer have to pay fees to cover the costs of negotiating and administrating collective bargaining contracts under a bill approved Thursday by the House.

By John DiStaso, The Union Leader (Manchester)A top Newt Gingrich supporter not only took aim at Mitt Romney as a weak, flip-flopping “Massachusetts moderate” Thursday, but also raised questions about the ideological purity of Gingrich conservative rival Rick Santorum.

By Michael D. Shear, The New York TimesCONCORD, N.H. — As Rick Santorum sprinted Thursday through New Hampshire, a state with fewer social conservatives than Iowa, his views on social issues like same-sex marriage were quickly challenged.

By Katharine Q. Seelye, The New York TimesMANCHESTER, N.H. — For Emily Renfer, a 21-year-old college student from Nashua, voting is like a triple bank shot. “I think Mitt Romney will win, but I can stomach Jon Huntsman because he is moderate and liberal-ish, so if he can get a little boost in New Hampshire, he can become a larger player, and then you wouldn’t have Newt as second to Mitt,” she said.

By Trip Gabriel, The New York TimesNewt Gingrich is running for president of the United States, but as he blazed a trail over the White Mountains, he showed that he had not forgotten that all politics is local.

By Matt Viser, The Boston GlobeSALEM, N.H. – Newt Gingrich labeled Mitt Romney’s economic plan “timid.” Rick Santorum told voters not to “settle for less.” And Jon Huntsman urged them not to support a “coronation” of the former Massachusetts governor.

By Staff, The Star-Ledger (Newark)In a dramatic move, Democratic leaders plan to announce at a news conference Monday that a bill legalizing gay marriage will be the first measure introduced in the new session of the Senate and the Assembly, sources with knowledge of their intentions said last night.

By Staff, The Star-Ledger (Newark)The new Legislature that takes over Tuesday will look very much like the old one — and not much like New Jersey. White males once again will dominate the 120-member Legislature, which will also have lots of 50-somethings and lawyers, according to a Star-Ledger review.

By John Reitmeyer and Juliet Fletcher, The Record of Bergen CountyGovernor Christie said he’s out of excuses when it comes to the Port Authority, promising to “get my arms around this agency” in 2012.

By Tom Hester Sr., newjerseynewsroom.comEven as state senators and Assembly members face lengthy voting sessions Monday as they wrap up the current session of the Legislature, preparations are taking shape for Gov. Chris Christie’s annual State of the State address and the beginning of the 215th session on Tuesday.

By Jenna Portnoy, The Star-Ledger (Newark)Regrets? He has a few. Maybe he shouldn’t have stayed at Disney World after a blizzard buried parts of the state in 30-plus inches of snow last winter. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to tell reporters they should “take a bat” to state Sen. Loretta Weinberg.

By Staff, The Star-Ledger (Newark)Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno’s irritation with the state Council on the Arts is no secret, but The Auditor was surprised to learn the council had been banished from the Department of State website.

By The Associated Press, The Star-Ledger (Newark)New Jersey lawmakers are set to expand the ways in which residents can gamble. The state legislature will vote today on bills that would legalize sports betting and set up a pilot program in which patrons at up to 12 bars or restaurants could place bets on horse races.

By Staff, The Star-Ledger (Newark)Foreclosures proliferated like so many mushrooms in the wake of the housing and mortgage collapse. About 150,000 houses are in some stage of the foreclosure process in New Jersey. Vacant and boarded up, these houses are a blight on their neighborhoods, an invitation to vandalism and crime, and a drag on property values.

By Tim Dillingham, The Star-Ledger (Newark)Legislation has been introduced (S3156 by Sen. Paul Sarlo and A4335 by Assemblyman Albert Couhtino) that would give us dirty water, higher utility costs and paved-over open spaces. It is moving quickly through the state Senate and Assembly.

By Staff, The Star-Ledger (Newark)It is telling that the political bosses in Trenton pulled this stunt on a Friday evening, hoping to slip the bill unnoticed into the flood of business the Legislature will do today, the final day of the lame-duck session.

By David Giambusso, The Star-Ledger (Newark)A bill to eliminate requirements on publishing legal ads in newspapers will cost towns more money, kill jobs and muddy transparency in local and state government, media industry experts say.

By Jason Method, Asbury Park PressA bill that paves a legal path toward new public-private schools in three cities – including the Lanning Square Elementary School in Camden – passed two legislative committees Thursday.

By The Associated Press, The Record of Bergen CountyNew Jersey is giving the whip to its stalled effort to increase off-track wagering on horse races.

By The Associated Press, The Record of Bergen CountyThe Senate Judiciary Committee approved David Rebuck to be New Jersey’s top casino gambling regulator on Thursday.

By Matt Friedman, The Star-Ledger (Newark)Lovebirds in the Garden State wouldn’t have to wait three days to get married under a bill that cleared an Assembly panel today.

By Matt Friedman, The Star-Ledger (Newark)An Assembly panel has approved a bill to remove the state’s two-year statute of limitations on lawsuits for child sexual abuse.

By Matt Friedman, The Star-Ledger (Newark)Political fundraising on all public property would be illegal under a bill that cleared a Senate committee today.

By Staff, Santa Fe New MexicanPostage stamps honoring New Mexico’s 100th anniversary as a state went on sale nationwide Friday after a first-day-of-issue ceremony at the New Mexico History Museum in downtown Santa Fe.

By Staff, Santa Fe New MexicanNew Mexico’s “short” legislative session is just around the corner. Remember the “short” session? That’s the 30 days the Legislature is required to meet every other year to deal with budget issues.

By Kate Nash, Santa Fe New MexicanNew Mexico’s future lawmakers will come from more minority communities across the state and will get to work at the Roundhouse with a transporter, one local political observer predicts.

By Jon Ralston, Las Vegas SunHaving returned from a holiday recess — I made no appointments nor did I hold any pro forma sessions — I am bursting with musings, especially about the elephantine problems of the state GOP.

By Laura Myers, Las Vegas Review-JournalNevada Republican Party Chairwoman Amy Tarkanian said Thursday that she will resign Feb. 5, the day after the GOP presidential caucus, to avoid a conflict of interest as husband Danny Tarkanian runs for Congress.

By Fredric U. Dicker, New York PostLong-simmering tensions between Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos erupted last week at Gov. Cuomo’s State of the State Address, although few in the 2,000-member audience knew it.

By Jon Campbell, Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester)The responses came from Buffalo to Albany, from Plattsburgh to Long Island, from states as far away as Nevada. Everyone from college students to senior citizens sent them in, even a child the age of six. They were written online and by hand, from elected officials to everyday citizens and business owners.

By Staff, Times Union (Albany)New York Republicans want to add a Senate seat. Is that the only way they can keep their majority?

By James M. Odato, Times Union (Albany)After 33 years at the New York State Museum, Clifford A. Siegfried never felt as blue about the one-time mecca for research on Madison Avenue. “Morale, not only at the museum but at the Office of Cultural Education, is very poor,” he said last week as he retired after 33 years in various museum science and leadership posts. “I have not seen it so bad in my entire tenure.”

By Erik Kriss, New York PostThe state Senate’s top energy man yesterday threw some cooling water on Gov. Cuomo’s desire to close Indian Point. Senate Energy Committee chairman George Maziarz said that shuttering the nuclear power plant in Westchester County — which supplies about one third of New York City’s electricity — would take more than 2,000 megawatts off the grid and send electric rates “through the roof.”

By James M. Odato, Times Union (Albany)Gov. Andrew Cuomo may be colliding with state laws controlling competitive bidding with his plan to create a $4 billion convention center in Queens. A state board is charged with deciding the fate of development at Aqueduct Race Track, not the governor, and only after an open competition.

By Joseph Spector, Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester)Gov. Andrew Cuomo will be hoping for heavy private investments to fund his plans to repair the state’s aging infrastructure and upgrade its power grid.

By Jimmy Vielkind, Times Union (Albany)If you want to donate money to a candidate for governor, New York will do the least to limit you. But if Gov. Andrew Cuomo has his way, that will change. During his State of the State presentation on Wednesday, Cuomo skipped over one hot topic of reform — his desire for nonpartisan redistricting — but called for system of public finance for campaigns.

By Casey Seiler, Times Union (Albany)Prosecutors refer to it as “the CSI effect”: the expectation of juries schooled on police-procedural TV dramas to the notion that modern forensic technology will be able to identify the guilty based on less evidence than it might take to fill a teaspoon. Which makes it rather appropriate that Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s call for an expansion of the state’s DNA database was followed by a statement of support from one of the stars of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.”

By JAMES M. ODATO, Times Union (Albany)The Research Foundation of the State University of New York has reversed its long-standing position and agreed it is subject to the state’s Freedom of Information Law.

By Brent Larkin, The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)Few people in public life have escaped as many brushes with political oblivion as Dennis Kucinich.

By Dean Narciso, The Columbus DispatchSome central Ohio communities are starting to feel the effects of state budget cuts: higher fees and cuts in long-offered services.

By Jack Torry and Jessica Wehrman, Dayton Daily NewsFrom cutting the payroll tax to slashing the federal budget, every controversy in the nation’s Capitol last year featured House Speaker John Boehner in a starring role.

By Lynn Hulsey, Dayton Daily NewsThe Montgomery County Board of Elections will meet at 11 a.m. Saturday and certify Ryan Steele of Beavercreek to the ballot for the 10th Congressional district race, said Steve Harsman, director.

By Ben Sutherly, Dayton Daily NewsThe state of Ohio today launches a formal effort to shift the health care industry’s business model from one based on volume to one based on value.

By Laura Bischoff, Dayton Daily NewsThe Ohio Ballot Board will meet Monday to determine whether a proposed constitutional amendment over giving fertilized eggs the rights of personhood is one amendment or multiple proposals jammed into one.

By Sabrina Eaton, The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)Former Florida Democratic congress member Alan Grayson, an outspoken liberal who is seeking a newly-created congressional seat in central Florida after losing his old seat in last year’s GOP sweep, is lending some fundraising help to Cleveland Democratic Rep. Dennis Kucinich.

By Joe Guillen, The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)Democratic lawmakers today announced a plan to comply with President Barack Obama’s federal health care law and create a new state health exchange – a marketplace for Ohioans to buy health insurance.

By Pat Galbincea, The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)The first public meeting between Democratic opponents Marcy Kaptur and Dennis Kucinich was peaceful.

By Sharon Coolidge and JanePrendergast, The Cincinnati EnquirerOhio health officials yanked a grant to curb sexually transmitted diseases away from the city of Cincinnati – a grant the city has received annually for 30 years – saying the city had done a lousy job on both prevention and administration, according to interviews with state health officials and documents obtained Thursday by the Enquirer.

By David Eggert, The Columbus DispatchThe Ohio Supreme Court will not rule on the legality of state legislative maps until just a month before the March 6 primary, at the earliest.

By Lnn Hulsey, Dayton Daily NewsCandidates for U.S. Senate and the Ohio Supreme Court on Tuesday were certified by Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted for the March 6 primary election.

By William Hershey, Dayton Daily NewsMontgomery and Greene counties are part of something unusual in Ohio — a competitive U.S. House district.

By The Associated Press, Corvallis Gazette-TimesOregon hopes to join 11 other states getting waivers from the requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind education law.

By The Associated Press, Corvallis Gazette-TimesTwo candidates in a special election offered competing visions of who should lead the 1st Congressional District less than six months after a scandal forced an Oregon congressman from office.

By Bill Church, Statesman Journal (Salem)If politicos are your celebs of choice, thank Mitt Romney.

By Dennis Thompson, Statesman Journal (Salem)Organizers with the Governor’s State Employees Food Drive are trying something new this year — a full-fledged kick-off event at the Capitol.

By Yuxing Zheng, The Oregonian (Portland)Oregon City residents interested in local affairs are invited to apply for a seat on the City Commission now vacant after Commissioner Jim Nicita’s recall last month.

By Ryan Kost, The Oregonian (Portland)It’s been a year now since Gov. John Kitzhaber took office for a record third term. We figured it was about time we took a look and two of the more ambitious proposals from his campaign and update our Kitz-O-Meter.

By Michelle Cole, The Oregonian (Portland)Republicans braced for another four years battling a governor notoriously known as “Dr. No” when Democrat John Kitzhaber won election to a history-making third term.

By The Associated Press, Corvallis Gazette-TimesA former case manager for the Oregon Department of Human Services was sentenced Wednesday in Portland to 15 months in prison for embezzling $62,000 from the state.

By Stefanie Knowlton, Statesman Journal (Salem)Oregon might transform the way it measures schools’ success next fall if the state gets the green light on its proposed waiver to No Child Left Behind.

By Peter Wong, Statesman Journal (Salem)A panel is likely to urge Oregon lawmakers to hold the line against issuing new state bonds, backed by income taxes or lottery proceeds, to pay for new public works projects in the next year.

By Jeff Mapes, The Oregonian (Portland)A new independent poll finds that Democrat Suzanne Bonamici leads Republican Rob Cornilles, 50 to 39 percent, in the special election race for Oregon’s 1st Congressional District.

By Jeff Mapes, The Oregonian (Portland)The two major candidates in Oregon’s 1st Congressional District are now directly attacking each other in their TV commercials.

By Brad Bumsted, Pittsburgh Tribune-ReviewIn his classes at the University of Pittsburgh, political communications professor Jerry Shuster sometimes referred to Gov. Tom Corbett as “GIH,” for governor in hiding, because people rarely saw him during budget negotiations.

By Monica Von Dobeneck, The Patriot-News (Harrisburg)Recent federal legislation that could open the door for horse slaughter operations to open in the United States is unlikely to have any effect in Pennsylvania, according to several in the horse industry.

By Katherine Gregg, The Providence Journal”We want tools.” That was the message that an army of mayors and towns managers said they delivered to Governor Chafee during their 1-hour 45-minute closed door meeting with him Thursday morning.

By Staff, The Providence JournalFormer Providence Mayor and now U.S. Rep. David Cicilline was a guest on a recent segment of WPRI’s “Newsmakers.” When the subject of public pension funds came up, Cicilline was asked how often his administration properly funded the city’s pension system.

By Maria Armental, The Press of Atlantic CityA Rhode Island woman who accused Democratic state Rep. John M. Carnevale of sexually assaulting her in her Johnston home died of massive bilateral pulmonary thromboembolism, according to an autopsy conducted Wednesday by the state Medical Examiner’s Office.

By Staff, The Wall Street JournalGood news in politics is rare these days, but an event that qualifies is the liberal state of Rhode Island’s recent landmark pension reform. Gina Raimondo, the state treasurer who led the effort, visited the Manhattan Institute yesterday to explain the miracle, and it turns out she didn’t need heavenly powers, only political nerve and good judgment.

By Tom Benning, The Dallas Morning NewsAs Mitt Romney worked through his standard stump speech blasting President Barack Obama on Thursday, a military cargo plane interrupted him with a roaring engine overhead.

By Susan Saulny and Jeff Zeleny, The New York TimesCHARLESTON, S.C. — Enjoying a strong lead in New Hampshire polls, Mitt Romney flew here Thursday to get a jump-start with voters in the first Southern primary and begin what might be his biggest challenge yet: convincing Republicans in this socially conservative state that he is the candidate who best represents their values.

By Gina Smith, The Greenville NewsRick Santorum’s S.C. base — at least financially speaking — is BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, located in northeast Richland County.

By Fredreka Schouten, USA TodayWASHINGTON — Newly empowered outside groups have spent more than $13 million to shape the unfolding presidential contest and are racing to deploy television and direct-mail attacks in South Carolina and other early GOP battleground states, federal elections data and interviews show.

By Eric Connor, The Greenville NewsIn South Carolina, any registered voter is allowed to participate in any primary without revealing political affiliation, though the voter must choose only one primary that day.

By Amanda J. Crawford, The Columbus DispatchWhen South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard proposed his $4 billion budget last month, the Republican included something unthinkable in most capitols in recent years: across-the-board bonuses for state workers.

By The Associated Press, Rapid City JournalA year after deep cuts were made in education funding, South Dakota lawmakers are ready to increase state financial aid school districts, according to a survey by The Associated Press.

By The Associated Press, Rapid City JournalSouth Dakota lawmakers who responded to a survey by The Associated Press lean toward approving Gov. Dennis Daugaard’s plan to give state employees a pay raise after a three-year freeze on those salaries.

By The Associated Press, Argus Leader (Sioux Falls)South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley says state law already has outlawed synthetic drugs.

By Steve Young, Argus Leader (Sioux Falls)A growing number of employers across the U.S. are making hiring decisions today based in part on whether applicants smoke.

By Jon Walker, Argus Leader (Sioux Falls)The faces are the same and so are many of the issues as South Dakota legislators gather for their annual session starting Tuesday in Pierre.

By The Associated Press, Sioux City JournalA survey by The Associated Press shows that more South Dakota lawmakers are beginning to be upbeat about the economy than are worried about a further decline.

By Chet Brokaw, The Associated Press, Sioux City JournalSouth Dakota lawmakers appear poised to support Gov. Dennis Daugaard’s plan to tap reserve funds to help pay for fighting last summer’s extensive flooding along the Missouri River and battling the infestation of mountain pine beetles in the Black Hills.

By Chet Brokaw, The Associated Press, The Republic (Columbus)A year after deep cuts were made in education funding, South Dakota lawmakers are ready to increase state financial aid school districts, according to a survey by The Associated Press.

By The Associated Press, Rapid City JournalA year after deep cuts were made in education funding, South Dakota lawmakers are ready to increase state financial aid school districts, according to a survey by The Associated Press.

By Michael Cass, The Tennessean (Nashville)As none other than Gov. Bill Haslam co-hosted a campaign fundraiser for state Sen. Kerry Roberts in Green Hills on Tuesday, Haslam’s fellow Republicans in the General Assembly were getting ready to roll out a plan that could make all those kind words and big dollars meaningless.

By Beth Warren, The Commercial Appeal (Memphis)State Sen. Brian Kelsey wants the state to pay expectant mothers in three Memphis ZIP codes $50 each time they visit the doctor during their pregnancies.

By Chris Carroll, Chattanooga Times Free PressMembers of the GOP-controlled state Legislature today released a new congressional district map proposal, potentially reshaping districts in and around Chattanooga for the next decade.

By Michael Cass, The Tennessean (Nashville)The Tennessee Tea Party is calling it quits after nearly three years, the group’s husband-and-wife leaders wrote in a message to members Thursday.

By Pam Sohn, Chattanooga Times Free PressNuclear regulators appear to be edging closer to cracking down on how nuclear power plants store about 3,300 metric tons of spent fuel in the Chattanooga region, and a local anti-nuclear group is claiming at least some of the credit.

By Andy Sher, Chattanooga Times Free PressGov. Bill Haslam today unveiled a comprehensive plan to reduce drug abuse and trafficking, curb violent crime and lower the rate of repeat offenders in Tennessee.

By The Associated Press, The Tennessean (Nashville)Republicans appear in no hurry to reveal their plans for reshaping Tennessee’s congressional districts.

By Tony Gonzalez, The Tennessean (Nashville)Leading Tennessee Democrats on Thursday amped up threats of a court challenge over the Republican House redistricting plan released the day before. Critics of the plan want changes to the proposed boundaries, which pit pairs of Democratic incumbents against each other, particularly in districts currently represented by African-Americans.

By Cliff Hightower, Chattanooga Times Free PressCircuit Court Judge Jeff Hollingsworth is expected to issue an order today delaying a hearing on the recall of Mayor Ron Littlefield just as candidates can begin picking up qualifying petitions. The delay was prompted by a new lawsuit in which the Hamilton County Election Commission is challenging the constitutionality of Tennessee’s recall statute.

By Andy Sher, Chattanooga Times Free PressState Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman plans to lay off 26 employees as part of the department’s belt tightening. Reports circulated that as many as 70 people would lose their jobs. That is not the case, said Huffman spokeswoman Kelli Gauthier.

By Staff, Argus Leader (Sioux Falls)Chris Nelson was named chairman of the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission at the agency’s meeting Tuesday.

By O. Ricardo Pimental, The San Antonio Express-NewsTime to quit, Governor.

By Theodore Kim, The Dallas Morning NewsWhen state Rep. Van Taylor of Plano won his seat during a special election in 2010, he was among the area’s most junior legislators. A slew of retirements and turnover, however, will soon push Taylor into a more senior role.

By Jay Root, The Texas TribuneNo phrase sums up Rick Perry’s political DNA better than this one: He has never lost an election.

By Patricia Kilday Hart, The Houston ChronicleBack in July, when Gov. Rick Perry was evaluating a presidential race, the Chronicle’s Richard Dunham interviewed an Austin political consultant whose words now seem prescient.

By Ross Ramsey, The Texas Tribune, The New York TimesThe whole thing oozes competence and confidence, doesn’t it? Rick Perry got kicked in the stomach in Iowa on Tuesday night, whispered “uncle,” slept it off and stepped right back into the fight after he went for a run Wednesday morning. Is this any way to run for president?

By Jay Root, The Texas Tribune, The New York TimesNo phrase sums up Rick Perry’s political DNA better than this one: He has never lost an election. Yet after an awful fifth-place showing in Iowa and top aides telling him he should consider pulling out of the presidential race, the specter of a first defeat has come into focus.

By Heather May, The Salt Lake TribuneFive years after she pushed to require minors to get parental consent before using tanning beds, Sen. Patricia Jones, D-Holladay, wants to ban underage tans altogether.

By Tom Harvey, The Salt Lake TribuneA Utah state senator is taking another shot at a huge problem called affinity fraud, in which a member of a group takes advantage of a shared bond of trust and defrauds another.

By Staff, The Salt Lake TribuneUtah should pull the plug on daylight saving time once and for all. Rep. Jim Nielson, R-Bountiful, has put forth HB 199, which would take Utah out from under federal guidelines that have us springing ahead one hour in the spring and falling back an hour in the fall and breaking the mainsprings in our biological clocks every time.

By David Sherfinski, The Washington TimesRICHMOND, Va. — Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell’s Republican Governors Association hauled in a record $44.7 million last year, far outpacing the Democratic Governors Association’s $20 million in the latest chapter of Mr. McDonnell’s rivalry with Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley.

By Bill Bartel, The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk)A new national defense strategy outlined Thursday by the Obama administration – which puts a greater emphasis on mobile platforms such as Navy ships, smaller elite units such as SEALs, and more high-tech defense systems – appears to bode well for Hampton Roads.

By Julian Walker, The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk)Add Gov. Bob McDonnell and Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling to the list of those asking the Virginia Republican Party to cancel plans to make voters pledge loyalty to the eventual nominee before voting in the March 6 presidential primary.

By Wesley P. Hester, Richmond Times-DispatchAmid a sea of pickup trucks and a crowd spotted with camouflage and blaze orange, Republican U.S. Senate candidate George Allen on Thursday announced “Sportsmen for Allen,” a coalition of outdoorsmen from across the commonwealth.

By Nancy Remsen and Terri Hallenbeck, Burlington Free PressFollowing a year in which storms battered Vermont with historic ferocity, the state of the state is hardly exhausted or depressed, Gov. Peter Shumlin reported Thursday. Instead, Shumlin’s first annual assessment address served as a pep rally speech in which he shouted out accomplishments from 2011 and singled out some of the people who made them happen.

By Governor Peter Shumlin, Burlington Free PressState of the State Address

By The Associated Press, Burlington Free PressTOWNSHEND, Vt. — The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has issued a draft environmental impact report that provides a straightforward construction path for two new hydroelectric facilities on Vermont’s West River.

By Mike Baker, The Associated Press, The OlympianWashington agencies wrestling with budget reductions have managed to save an additional $100 million a year beyond the cuts mandated by the Legislature.

By Mike Baker, The Associated Press, The Olympianhttp://www.theolympian.com/2012/01/09/1941225/state-saves-100-million.html

By Mike Baker, The Associated Press, The Seattle TimesWashington agencies wrestling with budget reductions have managed to save an additional $100 million a year beyond the cuts mandated by the Legislature.

By Lynn Thompson, The Seattle TimesWith just 10 days left to gather the 16,000 signatures needed to place Seattle’s plastic-bag ban before voters, opponents face a steep climb: 15,856 more.

By Joel Connelly, seattlepi.comAn emotional Thanksgiving scene with daughters, a speech three months in the writing, and a warning call to Catholic Archbishop J. Peter Sartain — such were happenings during Gov. Chris Gregoire’s “personal journey” to support same-sex marriage.

By Joel Connelly, seattlepi.comBAYVIEW — Same-sex marriage will not become law in Washington without voter approval, an influential state senator told a raucous Saturday town meeting on Whidbey Island packed with gay rights supporters.

By Rob Hotakainen, The News Tribune (Tacoma)With public schools cutting back on spending for physical education, some members of Congress want to intervene, worried that the nation’s schools are churning out too many fat kids.

By Jordan Schrader, The News Tribune (Tacoma)A marketing campaign highlighting the state’s new spending of lottery proceeds has not exactly sent tickets flying off the shelves, auditors say.

By Jordan Schrader, The News Tribune (Tacoma)State lawmakers start the year with a fresh demerit on their permanent records from the state Supreme Court, and with an assignment from the justices to fully fund schools.

By Jennifer Sullivan, The Seattle TimesFor victims such as Tracey Lundeen, the threats, telephone calls, terrifying letters and fear that someone is outside her window can go on for years.

By Mike Baker, The Associated Press, The Seattle TimesGov. Chris Gregoire said Thursday she plans to bypass the state Attorney General’s Office and seek court guidance on the constitutionality of a law limiting tax increases.

By Stephanie Kim, The Seattle TimesState Sen. Margarita Prentice, D-Renton, said Thursday she won’t seek re-election this year after 24 years in the Legislature.

By Joel Connelly, seattlepi.comRob McKenna tops Democrat Jay Inslee in three recent polls on Washington’s 2012 gubernatorial campaign, but that doesn’t keep state Republicans from vowing they will “ride” to the candidate’s “rescue.”

By Joel Connelly, seattlepi.comDemocrats said the time is now to legalize same-sex marriage, Republicans replied not while the state’s budget crisis hangs over the Legislature’s head, during the Associated Press Legislative Preview in Olympia on Thursday.

By Donna Gordon Blankinship, The Associated Press, The News Tribune (Tacoma)The Washington Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the state isn’t meeting its constitutional obligation to amply pay for basic public education, but the justices gave an endorsement to the reform work the Legislature has already started.

By Brad Shannon, The News Tribune (Tacoma)One of the Washington State Redistricting Commission members who voted to approve the state’s new political maps on New Year’s Day says the process that began in February was too long and too costly.

By Paris Achen, The Columbian (Vancouver, Wash.)If Clark County’s bipartisan legislative delegation is a microcosm of the Legislature, Olympia is in for battles next session over a sales tax hike and same-sex marriage

By Jacques Von Lunen, The Columbian (Vancouver, Wash.)Local legislators and school officials roundly applauded a Thursday decision by the Washington Supreme Court to force the state to fully pay for public education. But none thought the landmark case would ease school districts’ short-term financial pains.

By Brad Shannon, The OlympianState Rep. Chris Reykdal and Sen. David Frockt are proposing a 1 percent state tax on corporate and personal incomes, while killing off the state business-occupations tax and reducing the state sales tax.

By Alexis Krell, The OlympianKen Paulson, whose daughter was killed at a Tacoma school nearly two years ago, hopes a new proposal will keep other fathers from missing the milestones that he has.

By Mike Baker, The Associated Press, The OlympianGov. Chris Gregoire said Thursday she plans to bypass the state attorney general’s office and seek court guidance on the constitutionality of a law limiting tax increases.

By The Associated Press, The Oregonian (Portland)The Washington Supreme Court ruled today that the state isn’t meeting its constitutional obligation to amply pay for basic public education, but the justices gave an endorsement to the reform work the Legislature has already started.

By Staff, The Post-Crescent (Appleton)Gov. Scott Walker says he plans on winning if there is a recall election against him, but he’s not afraid of losing.

By Jason Stein, Milwaukee Journal SentinelA statewide recall election against Gov. Scott Walker could cost $9 million or more, election officials estimate.

By Clay Barbour and Mary Spicuzza, The Post-Crescent (Appleton)Depending on your political persuasion, this week’s news in the ongoing John Doe investigation either exonerates embattled Gov. Scott Walker or proves he’s corrupt.

By Lee Bergquist, Milford Daily NewsTwo Democratic lawmakers said Friday that mining laws in Minnesota and Michigan provide more protections for the environment than proposed legislation in Wisconsin, even though Republicans had contended that the neighboring states have better mining laws on their books.

By Dame Umhoefer, Milford Daily NewsTransferring control of funds for an annual veterans event – from an American Legion Post to an organization run by then-County Executive Scott Walker’s aide Tim Russell – was ordered by Walker in October 2009, according to a criminal complaint filed Thursday against Russell.

By Bill Glauber, Milwaukee Journal SentinelThis is what a recall looks like.

By Steve Schultze, Dave Umhoefer and Daniel Bice, Milwaukee Journal SentinelTim Russell pushed hard to make it in politics, making his first run for office as a 19-year-old south sider looking to break in as a Milwaukee alderman.

By Bill Glauber, Milwaukee Journal SentinelGov. Scott Walker told an audience Thursday in Washington, D.C., that he expected to face a recall election “sometime in early June” and said his Democratic opponent would be “someone handpicked by the unions.”

By Dave Umhoefer, Milwaukee Journal SentinelTransferring control of funds for an annual veterans event – from an American Legion Post to an organization run by then-County Executive Scott Walker’s aide Tim Russell – was ordered by Walker in October 2009, according to a criminal complaint filed Thursday against Russell.

By The Associated Press, La Crosse TribuneTwo people, including a former close aide to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker when he served as Milwaukee County executive, were arrested on felony theft charges today as part of an ongoing criminal investigation that centers on people who served in the county during Walker’s tenure.

By Dinesh Ramde, The Associated Press, The Post-Crescent (Appleton)WAUKESHA — State election officials must “take affirmative steps” to remove fake or duplicate names from recall petitions, a judge ruled Thursday, handing a victory to Republican officials who felt the Government Accountability Board wasn’t planning to be aggressive enough in vetting signatures.

By Mary Spicuzza, The Post-Crescent (Appleton)A developer nominated by Gov. Scott Walker to serve on the state Investment Board drew fire Wednesday from lawmakers, citing ethical questions from his past stint on the board.

By Trevor Brown, Wyoming Tribune-Eagle (Cheyenne)Legislative leaders said they are optimistic that they can finish the 2012 budget session on schedule despite facing the extra task of redistricting the state for elections.