Top 10 issues facing state legislatures

Here are the issues busying state lawmakers nationwide, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures:
Immigration (32 states approved 84 new laws on immigration in 2006; expect more in 2007). Homeland security and standardized ID cards (states will have to spend at least $11 billion over the next five years to comply with the federal Real ID Act). Budget pressures. Health insurance. Sexual offenders and predators (Congress is requiring states to meet new requirements on how information about sex offenders is collected and shared). Energy and environment. Minimum wage (39 states now have a minimum wage above the federal requirement; Kansas has the lowest minimum wage). Higher education reform. Privacy (identity theft, Social Security number protection, etc.). Obesity (trans fat may be the new tobacco).
Posted by Phillip Brownlee

14 Comments

  1. GSheridan
    Posted January 31, 2007 at 4:43 am | Permalink

    What they ought to be doing is cracking down on the disgusting tactics of some of the anti-war protesters, like spitting on one-legged veterans, and painting anarchist graffiti on the steps of our nation’s Capitol building.

    Pathetic.

  2. fleettwood
    Posted January 31, 2007 at 7:32 am | Permalink

    I think the state of Kansas should sue Big Fat, then blow it like we did the Tobacco money.The Nanny state lives because we are too stupid to live our lives without goverment assistance.Seat belt/helmet laws? Let Darwin have his way. Leave me alone.

    Why don’t we track robbers? I don’t want them living next to me, either.

  3. Door King
    Posted January 31, 2007 at 7:43 am | Permalink

    36.67 per card.

  4. Ken
    Posted January 31, 2007 at 8:39 am | Permalink

    “like spitting on one-legged veterans,”

    GS is starting another urban legend / internet myth —-

  5. Brenda Shull
    Posted January 31, 2007 at 9:57 pm | Permalink

    GS,So I guess they should adopt the kind and gentle ways of the “pro-life” protestors outside Tiller’s clinic!

  6. political_mom
    Posted January 31, 2007 at 10:10 pm | Permalink

    I’d like to know what they used to write on the steps. Sounds like it must not have been that big, they washed it off right away.

    Spitting on one legged soldiers, aint happening.

  7. Worker
    Posted January 31, 2007 at 10:23 pm | Permalink

    Pmom:Why is this post so neglected? Considering how passionate most of the posters get on issues that our state policy makers can do nothing about, why is there so little interest in things that we can do something about? There are bills in the legislature about:

    Immigration HB 2163Sex Predators HB 2095Minimum Wage HB 2165Health Insurance HB 2172

    Where is the outrage that nothing is being done to advance these ideas?

  8. political_mom
    Posted January 31, 2007 at 10:30 pm | Permalink

    I think it’s because this thread would be all over the place if we addressed all 10 issues.

    Individually, we’ve had discussions on these things, and they’ve been quite good.

    I like following the bills in the legislature, but have you ever tried tracking those bills on the state site? It’s crazy. I wish there was a website that was easier to use.

    More like a daily legislative newspaper- with full exclosure on who voted for what- and the upcoming agenda for the day.

  9. Worker
    Posted January 31, 2007 at 10:46 pm | Permalink

    PmomGood feedback;Maybe I am too close to it, but I think you have expressed something that can be worked on and give you the tools you need to stay in touch with what your legislature is doing in a way that is helpfull to you.

  10. political_mom
    Posted January 31, 2007 at 10:51 pm | Permalink

    Is exclosure even a word? What the heck was I thinking lol?

  11. Worker
    Posted January 31, 2007 at 11:00 pm | Permalink

    No problem, I get ti! LOL

  12. mrcontroversy
    Posted January 31, 2007 at 11:31 pm | Permalink

    What irritates me the most is that there was no legislator–R or D–willing to sponsor a “real person” law like South Dakota’s.If a midwestern, conservative state like that can have the courage to require companies to have human interaction with customers, why can’t Kansas?Aren’t we all sick to death of voice mail, phone menus that have nothing to do with anything we’re calling about, web forms that spit back emails that are completely unrelated to what we took the time to write them about, and being placed on hold for 30 minutes, only to get someone on the line with an accent so thick, you know he’s not from the neighborhood?I’d much rather see our solons work on that than another attempt at making English the official state language (which, when you stop and think about it, is another unfunded government mandate).

  13. political_mom
    Posted January 31, 2007 at 11:34 pm | Permalink

    YES Mr C. I would love to see that law!

    But that would be ‘anti-business’.Phht.

    Heaven forbid they actually have to hire someone to answer the damn phone.

  14. KSGolfnut
    Posted January 31, 2007 at 11:54 pm | Permalink

    you people think the government should do everything for you. Are you not able to think and do for yourself?