by Pamela M. Prah, Stateline.org Staff Writer
States are in rebellion over Washington’s actions — and inaction — on some of the nation’s most pressing problems.
Disgusted with federal gridlock, states are carving out their own global-warming and immigration laws and are warning they simply may ignore Uncle Sam’s costly plan for tough national standards for driver’s licenses.
And while proposals to expand health care to the uninsured are presidential campaign fodder going nowhere in Congress, at least a dozen states acted in 2007 to cover more uninsured children. They did so even though they were caught in a crossfire between Congress and the Bush administration over whether to boost federal funding for health care for low-income children.
Not all the headlines from state capitols in 2007 dealt with policy. Also grabbing attention were New Jersey Gov. Jon S. Corzine’s (D) near-fatal traffic accident that brought renewed attention to seat-belt safety; a corruption sting in Alaska’s Statehouse that led to bribery convictions of three former lawmakers; and budget impasses in Pennsylvania and Michigan that resulted in short-lived government shutdowns.
These are just some of the highlights of 2007 that set the stage for the coming presidential election year. 2007 may be best-remembered, however, as the year many states upended the presidential primary calendar to give their voters a greater say in choosing candidates. Voters in 23 states are to choose presidential nominees on Feb. 5, turning it into “Super-duper” Tuesday.
Apart from the elections, states are entering 2008 with growing unease over the economy, worried that big plans to expand health care or fix crumbling bridges may have to wait. A slumping housing market and skimpier sales-tax collections created a $14 billion hole in California’s budget, while New York was eyeing $4.3 billion in red ink and Florida $2.5 billion in projected deficits.
Read the full report at stateline.org
And check out Stateline.org’s 50-state look at the cutting-edge policy trends (and colorful events) in statehouses during 2007.
