Democrats in the U.S. Senate aren't the only lawmakers making room for a new colleague this week.

The Arkansas House of Representatives is also gaining a new Democrat.

The Associate Press reports:

Arkansas state Rep. Richard Carroll said Wednesday he plans to switch when the Democrat-controlled Arkansas Legislature adjourns Friday.

Rep. Carroll is currently the country's highest-ranking elected official from the Green Party.

New Hampshire has become the next state to pass legislation legalizing gay marriage.

Earlier today, the state Senate passed a bill recognizing marriage between same-sex couples by a vote of 13-11. The legislation has already cleared the state House of Representatives, but the lower chamber must still approve several amendments made by senators.

The New York Times reports:

To some extent, the support for same-sex marriage reflects a sea change in New Hampshire politics since 2006, when Democrats gained control of the legislature for the first time in over a century. But while staunchly conservative on fiscal matters, New Hampshire has been less so about social issues, partly because its citizens’ famous libertarian streak resists government intrusion in personal matters.

Indeed, New Hampshire has been making consistent progress on this front since Democrats won those state legislature majorities. The state first recognized civil unions in 2007.

Opponents are already gearing up to pressure the governor to veto the measure.

Colorado will no longer deny state workers’ same-sex partners the health insurance and other benefits currently enjoyed by other families, under a new law passed by the state legislature Tuesday.

The bill, which now goes to Democratic Governor Bill Ritter for his signature, was quickly praised by legislative Democrats:

Rep. Mark Ferrandino, D-Denver, a sponsor of the bill and one of two openly gay members of the Legislature, acknowledged that the measure would cost the state but said, "This is just the fair and right thing to do."

With this action, Colorado joins a long list of states that have moved toward acceptance of same-sex couples. While the change is not nearly as dramatic in other states, it is good to see Colorado moving in the right direction under Democratic leadership.

North Carolina Speaker of the House Joe Hackney -- a Democrat -- is the current president of the National Conference of State Legislatures. At the end of Hackney's term, Georgia State Senator Don Balfour -- a Republican -- will succeed him.

Both men recently sat down for an interview with Stateline:

Despite their personal history and different party affiliations, they agree mostly on the big stuff: The economic stimulus and financial system rescue plan are starting to help in their states. The public has no idea about the depth of the financial troubles facing state governments, even after the stimulus money is spent.

Nationally, Republicans have spent a lot of time arguing that the Federal Recovery Package was unnecessary. Even at the state level, some GOP governors (and Republican-controlled chambers) have turned down parts of the program. But responsible leaders from both parties recognize that the Troubled Assets Relief Program and the stimulus are both key parts of future economic recovery.

The recession poses stiff challenges for lawmakers, as both leaders make clear. Georgia was forced to make $1.6 billion of cuts to balance its budget, while North Carolina faces a budget gap between $3 and $4 billion.

Complicating the situation further is the fact that both leaders have plans for necessary state improvements. Balfour believes that Georgia needs to invest $3 billion a year for 20 years to upgrade transportation infrastructure that will confront traffic congestion. North Carolina has made serious investments in reducing class sizes and improving early childhood education that are now at risk as lawmakers examine ways to make ends meet in this economy.

Watching serious legislators come up with ways to make responsible choices really does make you wonder what the heck Virginia Republicans are thinking.

Like most states, elections in Tennessee are overseen by county-level Election Commissions. Unlike most states, partisan control of every Tennessee county’s Election Commission is determined by the state legislature. With Republicans now holding narrow majorities in the State House and Senate, all 95 County Election Commissions are set to flip to Republican Control.

In the Democratic stronghold of Shelby County (containing Memphis), the new Republican commission chairman is the former head of the County Republican Party, and his “first priority” is a massive purge of the voter rolls that could remove up to 100,000 registrations.

In fairness, the county voter rolls may have a large number of delinquent registrations (e.g. voters who have moved or passed away), but Shelby County voters must be vigilant:

Critics of a purge worry that if not done judiciously, it will take voters off the rolls needlessly and might discourage voter turnout.

Voters should not have to trust a Republican Party apparatchik to “judiciously” purge voters in the state’s most reliably Democratic County. There will be enormous political pressure on him to remove as many names as possible from the rolls, even at the cost of disenfranchising legitimate voters.

Across all 95 counties, some of the new Republican election chairs will be more abusive than others. But the best way to prevent Republicans from using these positions for dirty tricks is to win back control of the legislature in 2010, putting Democrats back in control of every county Election Commission. A net pickup of just 1 House and 3 Senate seats would accomplish that.

Virginia Republicans have been facing statewide ridicule over blocking hundreds of millions of dollars in extra federal stimulus money.

Now Florida Republicans, already looking foolish over their inability to pass a budget, have decided to follow their Virginia colleagues off the cliff:

Days from the end of the legislative session, Florida lawmakers have refused to move a bill to expand unemployment eligibility in order to accept $444 million in federal stimulus aid.

As in Virginia, Florida Democrats quickly blasted the move by legislative Republicans. Their stance is so inexplicable, that even GOP Gov. Charlie Crist has asked them to reconsider:

“I think taking it is important,” Mr. Crist said. “I know the people need it, especially those who may be facing unemployment. I wish it would be reviewed again.

Without the extra stimulus money, Florida’s unemployment system will be in crisis – just like Virginia’s. But in Florida, Republican obstruction is especially outrageous because of who might have benefited from program changes needed to secure the extra money:

The state’s unemployment trust fund is expected to run out of money in August. State officials plan to ask for a federal loan for the fund, and the Legislature is moving ahead with a bill that would increase unemployment taxes on businesses.

Lawmakers are expected to pass a measure that would allow them to use $700 million in stimulus money to extend unemployment benefits for the rest of the year to 250,000 people whose benefits would otherwise expire. But they have been unwilling to make more changes, like offering benefits to those who left work because of domestic violence or the relocation of a spouse.

In other words, Florida Republicans are sabotaging their state’s economy, hitting businesses with a massive new tax hike, and refusing to help domestic violence survivors escape abusive relationships – all just to spite a Democratic president.

Floridians deserve better, but they won’t get it with Republicans in charge.

More than one in 100 American citizens is currently in prison. Most of the nation's prison facilities are located in rural areas, far away from the places that most of the inmates would call home.

Those facts present a unique set of problems as we prepare for the Census -- how do we count those in prison and how does that count influence the way we draw legislative districts?

To be clear:

The Census Bureau has no plans to change the way it counts prisoners in 2010. Spokesman Robert Bernstein said, "We're following the concept of 'usual residence' -- where the person lives and sleeps most of the time."

Under the concept, as explained on the bureau's Web site, people who are temporarily away from their usual residence on Census Day -- vacationers or business travelers, for example -- will be counted as residents wherever they live "most of the time." People "without a usual residence . . . will be counted where they are staying on Census Day."

But a range of reform groups are calling for the Census Bureau to reevaluate this policy. The NAACP and New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, for example, have suggested that prisoners be counted as residence of their at their last known addresses.

Close readers of this blog know that we’ve been following the marriage equality debate very closely in the wake of the momentous decisions of the Iowa Supreme Court and the Vermont Legislature legalizing same-sex marriage.

Today is the first day that the Iowa decision goes into effect, marking the end of a long road to marriage equality for all Iowans:

Gay and lesbian couples flocked to county buildings throughout Iowa today to marry legally for the first time in the wake of the state supreme court's landmark same-sex marriage decision.

Melisa Keeton and Shelley Wolfe, a lesbian couple in Iowa's capital city, exchanged vows outside the Polk County Administration building before a swarm of friends, family and news crews.

"By the power vested in the state of Iowa and God, I now declare you legally married," said the couple's pastor, Peg Esperanza of the CHS Rainbow Cyber Church.

"What an honor," Esperanza added. "Amen!"

Most Iowans will someday look back upon this day with pride. Pride for their state’s place at the potential tipping point of the nationwide marriage equality debate; pride for the Democratic state legislators who were so outspoken in support of equality in the first fragile moments following the decision; and pride for their friends, neighbors, and family members who can now participate in the sacred institution of marriage –- starting today.

In last week’s story about a new proposal in Texas to promote solar energy produciton, we noted that Iowa, behind Texas, is the United States’ 2nd leading wind energy producer.

Thanks to two new bills passed by the Iowa Legislature, Iowa might soon be expanding its wind energy economy and attracting new jobs to the state:

“Today’s a great day in Iowa in the realm of renewable energy,” [Gov.] Culver said before signing into law two bills designed to expand Iowa’s wind energy industry.

The governor put his signature on Senate File 456, which utilizes unused tax credits to promote small wind energy projects across the state. He also approved House File 817, which provides economic incentives for wind component manufacturers who are looking at building or expanding in Iowa.

“With my signature, these bills will continue Iowa’s efforts to chart its own course toward energy independence,” he told attendees at a bill-signing ceremony. “By doing so, we’ll continue to create jobs in every part of the state, and strengthen our role as a national leader in both the business and the practice of energy production.”

Kudos to the Iowa Democrats who supported these bills and to Governor Culver for signing them into law. Together, they’ve shown us once again how states can lead the way to a clean energy economy.

Republicans in the Virginia Legislature recently rejected $125 million in extra federal stimulus money for the state’s unemployment system. Desperate to explain why they sabotaged their own state’s economy, the Republican leadership has started making things up as they go along.

Republican legislators called a press conference to peddle outright falsehoods about what the extra money would cost businesses:

They introduced folks like Donnie Caffrey, who owns a natural food store in Richmond and said he believed the changes to the unemployment insurance program would double his unemployment taxes. "It's a huge burden--just draw more blood out of me," he said. [emphasis added]

That claim has repeatedly been debunked by the Virginia press. In fact, the Republican decision to reject the stimulus will leave the state unemployment system broke by the end of the year. When that happens, unemployment taxes will more than double - something the extra stimulus money could help prevent.

Still, Republicans have no plans to reconsider their atrocious vote. Instead, House Speaker William Howell continues to whine that he’s doing “everything possible” for the unemployed (another obviously false claim), but House Minority Leader and DLCC Finance Chair Ward Armstrong rightly argues that Howell and the Republicans are missing the point:

"If we don't take the $125 million, it's going to one of the other 49 states, and there are Virginia taxpayer dollars in that," Armstrong said. "I have a real problem letting that money go to another state and I have a real problem with not using it if it can help some people."

April has been a month of legislative progress for Maryland’s working families. On consecutive days at the end of the legislative session, House and Senate Democrats passed two key bills to protect workers’ rights.

The first of these establishes Fair Share policies for most state employees’ union representation. AFSCME Maryland explained what the change will mean for state workers:

As an AFSCME MD member, Fair Share will not change your contribution. You already pay your fair share through your union dues. It means that other state workers, who are not AFSCME members but who are covered by collective bargaining, will pay their fair share toward the cost of collective bargaining.

The recently passed Fair Share legislation will make this system fairer by putting Fair Share to a vote to all state employees who are covered by collective bargaining agreement. If a majority of state employees say yes, then all employees will pitch in toward the cost of union representation.

The day before that victory, House and Senate Democrats also overwhelmingly passed the Workplace Fraud Act of 2009, a bill to crack down on employers who fraudulently reclassify their employees as independent contractors to avoid paying for their healthcare and other benefits. Through stiff fines and new avenues for legal action, Maryland workers will be better able to protect themselves from employers trying to cheat them out of their benefits.

These are both important victories for Maryland workers, and state Democrats should be very proud of the grassroots efforts that went into passing them.

Colorado will soon become the third state in the country where voters will have the freedom to register to vote online.

One month ago, the House of Representatives passed HB1160:

[The bill] would allow people to register to vote, request a mail-in ballot or change their voting address online through what bill proponents say will be a highly secure website run by the Colorado secretary of state's office. The bill would not allow people to cast votes online.

The measure enjoyed sweeping support, with a final vote of 60-4.

Today, the Senate passed its version of the bill with unanimous support.

Voters in Arizona and Washington currently utilize this kind of online process, and advocates say that the system has led to higher registration numbers. Others point out that this system is in many ways more secure than the paper registrations processed in other states.

On Monday, a unanimous Democratic Senate Caucus joined most State Senate Republicans in passing a landmark program to establish Texas as a world leader in solar energy production.

The $500 million incentive program, funded by a monthly utilities surcharge of $0.20 for residential customers, would provide tax rebates to homeowners and businesses -– as well as commercial energy producers -– who install solar cells on their property. Over five years, analysts expect the program could nearly double the entire solar energy production capacity of the United States.

"These new bills would bring [Texas] into the forefront of states that have solar incentives and possibly help make them a leading producer of solar electricity," said Glen Andersen, who tracks renewable energy for the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The bill now moves to the State House for consideration.

Despite its history as a major oil producer, Texas has long been a leader in energy conservation and alternative energy development. Existing laws to incentivize wind energy have already made Texas the nation’s preeminent wind energy production state, generating 2.5 times more than the #2 state (Iowa) and making Texas the 6th biggest wind energy producer in the world. Earlier this decade, Texas also led the way in mandating tough energy-efficiency standards in new home construction.

The State Senate’s solar energy plan also uses state building codes to make solar power more accessible, requiring developers of large-scale subdivisions to offer solar-cell installation for home buyers.

Around the world, other countries have already demonstrated the effectiveness of using building codes to support alternative energies. In Spain, which in 2006 went even further than the Texas plan by requiring installation of solar cells on all new and renovated buildings, solar power production nearly tripled in 2008, firmly establishing Spain as the second-largest solar power producer in the world.

Texas legislators are hoping for similar success. If all goes well, their program will prove yet again that states like Texas can also lead the way on progressive priorities like clean energy.

In a dramatic show of support, New Mexico’s Democratic-led House and Senate both voted unanimously to provide all U.S. military veterans and their families with in-state tuition rates at New Mexico colleges, universities, and vocational schools.

The legislation, which goes into effect on August 1st, was promptly signed by Governor Bill Richardson:

"I'm proud of this tremendous bipartisan effort from our state legislators," Gov. Bill Richardson said. "Signing this bill into law is a way of thanking our veterans for their service to our country, and thanking their families for their sacrifice when sending a spouse or parent to war."

This was obviously the right thing to do, but despite the potential costs, this plan may also pay off for the state economy as veterans from around the country seek educational opportunities for their families in New Mexico:

"This is a "win-win' situation," said state Veterans Affairs Secretary John Garcia. "Veterans and their dependents can attend our fine educational institutions, and the state can be the beneficiary of a G.I. benefit which could be worth up to $30,000 apiece, depending on where they choose to attend."

Ray Seva, spokesman for the state Department of Veteran Affairs, said the intent of the bill was to help make New Mexico become a destination state for veterans who want to pursue higher education.

The DLCC is very proud of the Democratic lawmakers who stepped up to support this bill.

Our veterans and their families make enormous sacrifices in defense of our country, and this bill was an excellent way for New Mexico to show them the thanks of a grateful nation.

At the end of March, Ohio Republican Sen. Jon Husted introduced legislation that would radically alter the way that legislative and Congressional districts are drawn in his state.

Yesterday, he kicked off a hearing in support of his bill.

Husted's proposal would strip the legislature of responsibility for drawing the lines for U.S. House districts, and scrap the Apportionment Board, which currently draws the maps for state lawmakers' districts.

Instead:

Senate Joint Resolution 5 would establish a bipartisan, seven-member commission to oversee the creation of the districts after each census.

Text of the bill is available here.

While Congress, President Obama, and a wide array of interest groups continue to debate proposals for national health care reform, many states around the country are already experimenting with innovative new programs to cut costs and improve quality of care.

Besides providing valuable evidence for national policymakers to consider, these reforms prove once again how important it is to elect progressive state legislators willing to take risks and lead the way with bold innovations.

Dozens of states have begun what are known as “medical home” programs that use electronic record-keeping to target additional preventive services (like checkups and screenings) to chronic disease patients most at risk of complications:

By promoting disease management, patient education, electronic records and more personal primary care, the programs are intended to improve care while cutting health care costs for patients with chronic illnesses, such as diabetes and asthma.

What’s prevented are unnecessary emergency room visits, hospital readmissions, redundant and expensive tests, and serious procedures, such as amputations for diabetics.

The potential cost savings to state governments alone (in addition to savings for private citizens and business health plans), are enormous. A North Carolina program that went statewide for the first time in 2005 is already shaving $300 million per year (PDF) from the state’s Medicaid costs. Pennsylvania began its Medical Home program “after the state reportedly spent in 2007 almost $4 billion in avoidable hospital costs just from four chronic diseases: asthma, diabetes, heart disease and lung disease.”

In addition to cost savings, that Pennsylvania program is already paying dividends by improving quality of care and motivating structural reform at the heart of the health industry:

Switching to a medical home model means extra money for doctors who revamp how their practices operate. That strikes at what experts say is necessary for improving health care – giving doctors a reason to provide more care upfront.

(…)Because of the initiative, Mt. Airy also began evening group meetings to coach diabetics on how to better manage their disease. One of Lyon’s patients who was struggling to control his diabetes attended three sessions in six weeks. At a recent visit, the doctor learned that for the first time in a year and a half, his patient had lost weight. Also, his blood pressure and blood sugar had fallen to ideal levels.

“He’s deciding to respond to these diabetes classes,” Lyon said. The state’s program hasn’t even been around a year yet, but “we’re providing better care to our patients. …We’re letting less slip by than we used to.”

As states continue to lead the way on health care, national policymakers would be wise to consider these examples as they craft their own proposals for reform.

Earlier this year, Florida Speaker of the House Ray Sansom, a Republican, was forced to step down from his leadership post after a grand jury agreed to examine accusations that the lawmaker had traded appropriations in exchange for a job with Northwest Florida State College.

On Friday, Samson was indicted on a felony charge.

Prosecutors allege that the former legislator falsified the state budget to create $6 million for an aircraft hangar sought by a company owned by a wealthy friend and major GOP political donor named Jay Odom.

The grand jury report makes a strong connection between the $6 million airport building and the political contributions, totaling more than $1 million, that Odom made to the Republican Party of Florida, to a political committee Sansom controlled and to Sansom's own campaigns.

With this kind of leadership from Florida Republicans, it is no surprise that the state is in tough shape financially.

No wonder GOP lawmakers are working on passing a new voter suppression bill.

Last week, Matt told us about an outrageous new plan by Florida Republicans to suppress legitimate votes and frustrate voter-turnout efforts.

The plan would force recently-moved voters to use provisional ballots and outlaw anyone from approaching a line of voters, even to offer legal advice on combating disenfranchisement.

With local media starting to pay attention, Republicans are doing everything they can to stifle debate and force their plan through the legislature:

The 81-page bill was debated for just six minutes before it passed on a 10-5 party-line vote at a one-hour meeting at 8 a.m. of the House Economic Development Council. No other committee is slated to review the bill, so there's no chance for additional public testimony in the two weeks left in the session.

(…)On Friday, Republican Rep. Jennifer Carroll of Green Cove Springs suggested restricting debate to six minutes. When the committee chairman, Rep. Dave Murzin, R-Pensacola, allowed two people to make brief statements, Rep. Rob Schenck, R-Brooksville, insisted that no more testimony be allowed.

But despite these efforts, the plan’s embarrassing details continue to leak out.

The prohibition on anyone interacting with voters at the polls apparently also makes it illegal for volunteers to hand out water on hot election days –- an important practice, particularly in case of delays or machine malfunctions at polling places.

The people of Florida deserve better than this disgraceful piece of legislation.

Now that Colorado Senate President and DLCC board member Peter Groff has earned a well-deserved appointment to President Obama’s Department of Education, Colorado Democrats have acted quickly to choose new leadership – effective upon Sen. Groff’s departure at the end of the legislative session.

Current Majority Leader Brandon Shaffer, representing Longview, was unanimously chosen to follow Sen. Groff as Senate President, while Colorado Springs Sen. John Morse will replace Shaffer as Majority Leader.

In accepting the appointment, Sen. Shaffer offered a tribute to the outgoing President:

Shaffer said he was "humbled" by being elected president, and he thanked Groff for his service.

"You're an inspiration to all of us, the way you carry yourself, the confidence you project," Shaffer said. "You are able to articulate the way I feel about issues, hit the right tones, hit just the right notes, when we are talking about issues that matter."

Sen. Morse, for his part, will be making history as the first Democrat from Colorado Springs ever to hold a leadership post in the State Senate. Sen. Morse’s rise in the state’s toughest Republican stronghold illustrates the broad and dramatic gains Colorado Democrats have made over the last several cycles.

Both new leaders have promised to forge a pragmatic governing style that focuses on how best to meet the needs of Coloradans. All of us at the DLCC wish them luck in their new positions.

Last week, Virginia Republicans rejected $125 million in extra federal stimulus money for the state unemployment system. Without the extra money, the system will go broke much sooner than it would have – probably by the end of the year – forcing state businesses to absorb a doubling of unemployment taxes (from $95 to $201 per worker per year). That’s a pretty steep price for Virginia businesses, one that reveals the embarrassing cost of the Republicans’ petty temper tantrum.

In Texas, a similar situation has played out, with much more interesting results.

Republican Governor Rick Perry, desperately trying to win back the right-wing base in his primary fight with Republican Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, pledged to reject more than $550 million in stimulus funds for the Texas unemployment system.

Perry’s “reasoning” on the matter was the same as Virginia Republicans -– he opposed minor changes to the unemployment system that would have made it slightly -– and temporarily -– more generous.

But when Texas State Senators learned that their unemployment system would also be broke by October, they voted overwhelmingly to take the money.

Even with Democrats united behind the plan, Republican support was needed to pass the measure in the GOP-held Senate. After one more procedural vote in the Senate, the bill will move on to the house, where support is also strong. The 22-9 Senate vote (a unanimous Democratic caucus joined by 10 Republicans) was best summed up by Democrat Rodney Ellis:

Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, applauded Eltife for carrying the bill and called the governor's opposition "penny-wise and pound-foolish."

"I doubt most Texans think sending a half-billion of our tax dollars to other states while doing nothing to save the state's faltering unemployment trust fund is the best way to pull ourselves from this recession," he said.

Like in Virginia, failure to accept this money would cause enormous strain on Texas businesses, which would be hit with a special “‘deficit’ unemployment insurance tax.” To their credit, Texas Democrats and some Republicans saw the numbers and decided to show a little foresight and common sense.

Back in Virginia, Republicans are still as stubborn as ever.

This week, lawmakers in Nevada voted to accept $35 million in federal stimulus funds for education. The money will go to K-12 schools that have a high percentage of students from low-income families.

Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, a DLCC board member, stressed the importance of making wise decisions with the new funds in talks with school officials:

If these dollars don't get used right, it's a huge missed opportunity for our children. I recognize the pressure that you all are under to meet your budget cuts. I would hope that pressure wouldn't cause you to keep these dollars, and use them in a way that wouldn't be in the best possible way for those schools.

The legislature has asked to receive updates on how the money will be used and regular reports on improved student performance.

Just before Election Day last year, we learned how early voting in Florida had turned into a disaster.

Republican legislators had only themselves to blame. Earlier in the year, they insisted on limiting the number of polling sites in the state and their hours of operation, and those decisions led to long lines and plenty of frustrations. Finally the governor had to step in and order extended hours of operation.

Now the Florida GOP is at it again:

Republican lawmakers, who control both houses of the Legislature, have proposed sweeping changes to the state’s election laws, including new procedures on registering voters, and requiring voters to use a provisional ballot if they move shortly before an election.

The rules would also prevent anyone, including those with video or audio equipment, from getting within 100 feet of a line of voters, even if that line is outside a polling place. This would also prevent anyone from offering legal advice to voters in line.

Apparently, Republicans are convinced that the only way to win elections future in Florida is to continue pushing these voter suppression tactics.

In Arizona, Democrats and Republicans are locked in a fierce battle over how to deal with the state's budget.

Though they are in the minority, Democratic legislator have put together a series of proposals to cut costs and improve basic services that has earned them praise across the state.

In an effort to generate new ideas and draw the public into the discussion, Democratic lawmakers began hosting open budget hearings statewide in January.

Now, Republican legislators are trying to get in on the act, but they're going about it in exactly the wrong way.

They say their town hall meetings will be public, but they're asking attendees to donate $5 to the Republican party at the door.

Arizona Democratic party chair Don Bivens told reporters:

Republican lawmakers already cut funding from jobs and education, causing deep harm to middle-class families. Now they want a $5 donation? The public should have free access to their elected leaders.

To ask charge for entrance to a public town hall town hall is pretty stupid. But to ask citizens to donate money for the right to voice their opinions while the economy ailing is unforgivable.

Eleven days ago, the Supreme Court of Iowa declared that the state had no right to prohibit same-sex couples from seeking marriage licenses.

Now, right-wing Republicans are trying to amend the state's constitution and target Democrats who support equal rights.

Yesterday, Bryan English, a spokesman for the Iowa Family Policy Center, told the New York Times:

"This isn’t over, not even for this year."

Conservatives are pledging to hold rallies at the Capitol, and Republican lawmakers have threatened to delay important budget discussions in an effort to pass a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. Right-wing groups are already raising money to target lawmakers with this issue next fall.

If Republicans take control, this amendment is sure to be one of their top priorities.

As always, we need your help to ensure that they never get the power to enact their radical, right-wing agenda in any of our statehouses.

Last week, Virginia Republicans blocked $125 million in federal stimulus money for the state’s unemployment system, a move we at the DLCC rightly called economic “sabotage.”

This week, we learn that the state’s unemployment trust fund is about to go broke, proving once and for all that Virginia Republicans’ stubbornness and ineptitude have no limits.

According to state researcher Donald Lillywhite, the state unemployment trust fund will run out of money by the end of the year. With the extra $125 million in stimulus funding, the system would still be in trouble, but "that would have enabled us to go longer without going broke.” Now the state is facing huge new debts and massive tax increases on businesses to cover the losses.

Supposedly, Republicans rejected the stimulus money to protect businesses from a tax increase of $4.56 per worker per year – an increase that would only happen if the state decided to keep two unemployment policy changes needed to qualify for the $125 million. If not, the program could return to its previous policies, costing businesses nothing.

But by protecting businesses from such a minuscule risk, state Republicans exposed them a massive tax hike when the trust fund runs out, from $95 to $201 per worker.

To put that in perspective, that’s a 111% tax increase worth $106 per worker per year – a tax hike 23 times bigger than the one Republicans claimed would stifle job growth. When and if that happens, Republicans will have only themselves and their penny-wise pound-foolish grandstanding to blame.

Sadly, ordinary Virginians will pay the price.

To answer why Democrats have been calling for a greater response to the recession, Nate Silver looks at how red and blue states are being impacted by the economic crisis.

He shows that recession might in fact be worse in blue states, but it all depends on how you choose to define a state as Democratic.

Of note for our purposes:

State Legislatures. States in which the lower state house is controlled by Democrats have higher unemployment rates -- 8.0% versus 6.7% for the Republican-led states. The difference is smaller when examining the upper chambers (7.8% versus 7.4%), as high-unemployment states like Michigan and Ohio still have Republican-controlled state senates. Interestingly, the eight states where the upper and lower houses are divided (Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alaska, Pennsylvania, Virgina and Montana) are having a particularly difficult go of things, as their unemployment rates average 8.6% percent.

It is no surprise to see that there is a greater tendency to support Democrats in parts of the country where the recession is worse.

Voters in this country have always turned to Democrats when they see the need for action.

Colorado State Senate President and DLCC Board member Peter Groff has been appointed to head the Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Center in President Obama’s Department of Education.

Sen. Groff, one of the state’s leading advocates of education reform and innovation, has promised to serve until the end of the legislative session before moving to Washington with his family.

The days following the announcement have been filled with near-universal praise for Sen. Groff’s leadership in the Senate and his long history of consensus-building in state politics.

A glowing Denver Post editorial noted that respect for Sen. Groff extends across the political spectrum in Colorado – including even the Senate’s Republican leadership.

In statements over the weekend, Governor Ritter and legislative Democrats expressed pride in the appointment but also sadness over Sen. Groff’s departure:

"Sen. Groff is a man of faith, and I believe President Obama and Secretary Duncan made a great choice," the governor said in a statement. "While I consider him a great partner in the legislature, I know this is a wonderful opportunity for him and his family, and I wish them the best."
(…)
House Speaker Terrance Carroll, D-Denver, praised the appointment.

"Peter is more than a leader, more than a barrier-breaker, more than a role model: Peter's been a friend and a mentor to me and to so many African-Americans, so many Coloradans," Carroll said in a statement.

"It has been a true privilege and honor to serve with my partner in history, my dear friend and colleague. I will truly miss having his presence in the Capitol and in Colorado."

The Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Center is intended to support “faith-based and community groups, enlisting them in support of the department's mission to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence for all Americans.”

Based on his success in the legislature, we at the DLCC are certain Sen. Groff will be an incredible success as the Center’s director.

We congratulate him and wish him all the best in his new role.

Ancient Jewish tradition requires Jewish families to place a mezuzah (a small case containing a Hebrew prayer) on the doorframes of their homes as a reminder of G-d’s presence. The object itself, typically only a few inches long, is so unobtrusive that it might be unnoticeable to anyone who isn’t looking for it. Nevertheless, for Texas’ 120,000 practicing Jews it is a non-negotiable religious rite that does not usually spark controversy.

But for one Jewish couple who recently moved into a Houston area condominium, their mezuzah made them the targets of harassment, hysterical rants, and legal threats by the head of their condominium’s residents’ association. The accusation? The couple’s mezuzah had been placed in the “general common elements” of the complex, which the association claimed included the couple’s doorway. Many other residents of the complex were displaying plants, doormats, and other decorations without suffering similar consequences – a double standard that raised the concern of local legislators.

State Representative and DLCC Board of Directors Member Garnet Coleman was outraged about the abuse this couple had endured:

“When I looked at the situation, I immediately said it’s wrong. Our country is founded on religious freedom, the freedom to practice the religion of your choice without impediments. The Constitution is very clear about that. Freedom of religion is one of the few things in the Constitution that is a choice-based protection.

“(…)On a doorjamb, a reasonable person would not think that [the placement of a mezuzah] is intrusive. So, why would somebody say you can’t do that? To me, it said somebody didn’t want a Jewish symbol in a doorjamb and that’s what really bothered me. I’m a Christian, and I wonder, if it had been a cross, would they have said the same thing?

“The bottom line is: Nobody should have to figure that out. The law should protect a religious item that people affix in their doorway.”

To protect his constituents’ right to religious freedom, Rep. Coleman introduced HB 3025, which would guarantee the rights of Texas residents to display religious symbols and prevent Texas homeowners’ associations from barring such displays. Anti-Defamation League representative Paul Colbert, a former state representative himself, has high hopes for Coleman’s bill, which has attracted little opposition among legislators.

For Democratic State Senator Paul Bookout, leadership runs in the family. Nearly two decades ago, Sen. Bookout’s father, Jerry Bookout, served as President Pro Temp of the Arkansas Senate. On Thursday, his fellow senators voted to elect the younger Sen. Bookout to that position starting in 2011:

"What more can you ask for when your colleagues believe in you well enough to be the leader in the next session in the Senate?" Bookout, D-Jonesboro, asked after the secret-ballot election. "It is a ways off but we'll certainly be looking forward to doing a lot of good things when the time comes."

The election took place on Thursday, the final day of the 2009 regular session, as prescribed in the state constitution. Regular legislative sessions in Arkansas occur on every odd-numbered year.

Sen. Bookout, who represents the Jonesboro-based 14th senate district, will follow outgoing President Bob Johnson. In the past, Sen. Bookout has been an effective advocate for middle-class tax cuts, state funding for medical research, and other Democratic priorities in the legislature.

All of us at the DLCC congratulate Sen. Bookout on his win and wish him luck in the 2011 legislative session. We also salute Senator Johnson for his vision and effective leadership in this year’s session.

During a public hearing over a proposed voter ID law, Republican State Rep. Betty Brown told a spokesperson for the Organization of Chinese Americans that to avoid being disenfranchised by the new law, Asian-Americans should choose new names that are “easier for Americans to deal with.” Brown also asked the spokesperson, “Do you think that it would behoove you and your citizens to adopt a name that we could deal with more readily here?”

The idea of an elected official telling American citizens to abandon elements of their proudly-held culture in order to avoid voter disenfranchisement is offensive on its face, and Texas Democratic Party Chairman Boyd Ritchie was quick to condemn Brown:

"It's already shameful enough that the Republican Elections Committee members are trying to suppress the votes of countless Texans with their partisan Voter ID bill, and now Rep. Brown is adding insult to injury with her disrespectful comments," said Texas Democratic Party Chairman Boyd Richie. "We are calling on Rep. Betty Brown to apologize for her offensive and out-of-touch remarks." (H/T Burn Orange Report)

One underreported implication of Brown’s statement was that Asian-American voters are not real Americans. She told the OCA spokesperson that they were “your citizens” and that it should be up to them to make it “easier for Americans to deal with” them, a disgusting attack on ethnic groups with proud histories and important contributions to American society. Indeed, Rep. Brown’s own district is a mere half hour’s drive from downtown Dallas and is part of a metropolitan area that’s home to almost 300,000 Asians, according to the Greater Dallas Asian American Chamber of Commerce. That she would openly insult so many of her own area’s citizens speaks very poorly of her character and her willingness to stand up for her constituents.

As for the substance of the hearing, voting complications would arise because Asian-Americans and others often use legal names that are transliterated from their native alphabets – and the results are often difficult for unaccustomed poll workers to pronounce or read. (For instance, the name “Xiuquan” is pronounced as if it begins with an “sh-,” like in the word “shoe.” A busy poll worker might not think to check the names that begin with X.) This is further complicated because many Asian cultures use first names as family names. Depending on what order was used in the state database, the poll worker may not even be looking for the right name.

One last issue is that Asians who expect to interact regularly with Westerners (e.g. those living in the U.S., Europe, or in many of the coastal cities of East Asia) often adopt a familiar English first name like Sandy or Simon. In the United States, this English name might appear on some legal documents but not others, causing lawful voters to be rejected because the first name on their ID might not match the voting rolls.

Today, on the Ballot Box blog, Josh Goodman makes an important point -- this week's victory for equal rights in Vermont was actually won last November at the polls:

In November, four Democrats won seats in the Vermont House of Representatives by 34 votes or fewer. The gay marriage veto override passed on a largely party-line vote, without a single vote to spare. Every one of those four Democrats voted for the veto override.

[...]

[W]ithout those seats, getting a two-thirds vote would have been very difficult. This was, after all, Vermont's first successful veto override in 19 years. It's probably not an exaggeration to say that a key milestone in the debate over one of the most controversial public policy questions of our time never would have occurred had it not been for a few dozen votes in a few obscure legislative elections.

Over the course of the next year, we're going to spend a lot of time talking about the seats we need to win before legislative redistricting in 2011. But it's important to remember that chamber margins always matter -- even in a state like Vermont, which only has one Congressional seat.

In this economic crisis, any responsible lawmaker should jump at the chance to improve their state’s economy while lending a hand to those who’ve lost their jobs – especially if it won’t cost state government a dime. Sadly, Virginia Republicans are out to prove that they’re anything but responsible.

Republicans in the House of Delegates yesterday rejected two small changes to the state’s unemployment system that would unlock $125 million in extra federal stimulus money.

In order to accept the money, Gov. Kaine proposed temporarily allowing part-time workers to receive benefits and extending eligibility for laid-off workers in job training programs. In return, the state would have $125 million pumped directly into the economy, and the Virginia families hardest-hit by the recession (those who have lost their jobs) would get a little bit of extra relief. And, by encouraging workers to seek job training, the changes would also encourage new business development by improving the quality of its workforce.

Since the state budget would not shoulder any of the financial burden for the plan, it was clearly a win-win proposition. DLCC Finance Chairman and State House Minority Leader Ward Armstrong saw it that way and spoke in favor of the plan prior to the vote:

"It's a defining moment as to whether or not you're for the average guy who's out there struggling and the average small business that's trying to stay afloat."

But despite Virginia’s unemployment rate doubling in the last year, state Republicans voted against the plan on party-line votes in both the State House and Senate. Initially, many observers thought the plan might receive significant Republican support, but even some Republicans who promised to support the measure voted against it.

One GOP lawmaker even promised to support the plan because it would help the 45 employees he recently laid off at the business he owns. But in the end, he voted with the rest of his caucus to hang his former employees out to dry, along with the rest of his state.

The Iowa Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage in Iowa sparked a flurry of responses from state lawmakers – some supportive, some outraged, and still more who were ambivalent.

When State Senate Majority Leader and DLCC Chair Mike Gronstal was asked to co-sponsor a constitutional amendment overturning the high court’s decision, he again showed his determination to be on the right side of history:

All of us at the DLCC are proud of Sen. Gronstal’s clear and unequivocal response.

Until today, every state that allows gay couples to marry reached that position because of a court order.

That all changes with Vermont.

This morning, both the state House and Senate voted overwhelmingly to override Gov. Jim Douglas's veto of a gay marriage bill. The lower chamber voted in favor of the measure 100-49, while the override passed in the Senate 23-5.

On September 1 of this year, gay couples will legally be be allowed to marry in Vermont.

This action comes nine years after the state first allowed civil unions.

Home foreclosures are at the heart of the economic crisis in America. Falling values of real estate and mortgage-backed securities have wrought havoc with the nation’s financial sector and brought some of the worlds biggest companies to their knees.

More foreclosures threaten to worsen the country's already-struggling economy, and that's why Illinois lawmakers are taking an important step to address the situation:

[Gov. Pat] Quinn called the legislation an important step in addressing the crisis that has swept Chicago, the state and country.

The new law gives homeowners extra time to work with lenders, by prohibiting foreclosures in the first 30 days of delinquency.

Lenders must tell homeowners they have another 30 days to work with a credit counselor—and give them yet another 30 days if they see a credit counselor approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The new regulation allows a total grace period of 90 days for struggling homeowners – enough time to find a new job, seek help from a credit counselor, or find some other way to make ends meet.

Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan believes the 90-day window will help many homeowners get out from under crushing debts imposed by predatory lenders:

"This is really a continuing struggle," Madigan said. "A continuing battle against people who don't care about neighborhoods. Their only concern is to make money."

Madigan added: "Let the word go out to predatory lenders—don't come back."

In a state as hard-hit by foreclosures as Illinois (Cook County has seen foreclosures more than double in the last 2 years), the law provides a good test of how this kind of policy will effect banks and homeowners alike. If the policy is a success, we might see it replicated in other states or at the federal level, where Congress is already considering other plans to reduce foreclosures.

Iowa State Representative Kerry Burt (D-Waterloo) was “in the right place at the right time,” according to a grateful Sue Jennings, a state employee who began to choke on her sandwich in the Capitol cafeteria on Thursday. Rep. Burt recognized that the employee was in distress and used the Heimlich maneuver to clear Ms. Jennings’ airways – just another reason why Rep. Burt is a good person to have around:

Burt, who's served on Waterloo Fire Rescue for the past 12 years, has used the Heimlich maneuver before. He described the latest situation as a textbook case.

"It was not out of the ordinary, per se, for me to notice that and then just react accordingly," Burt said.

Those watching the scene in the cafeteria area applauded the happy ending.

"I wasn't embarrassed at the time, because I just wanted to breathe," Jennings said. "But you know, now I kind of am, but it's better than the alternative."

Thankfully, Rep. Burt was able to act quickly, and Ms. Jennings was not seriously injured in the accident.

With Democrats nursing a 4-seat lead in the Louisiana State Senate and a 1-seat lead in the State House, the three legislative special elections this past Saturday had statewide implications. But despite state Republicans making a serious run at all three seats over the weekend, Democrats pitched a shutout in their two open seats, preventing any Republican advance in the Legislature.

Louisiana legislative elections use a unique, non-partisan primary system where the top two vote-getters move on to a runoff election. In both open Democratic seats – the New Orleans based 97th House District and the 24th Senate District based in Opelousas and northern Lafayette – all runoff participants will be Democrats.

The Senate runoff will be the more interesting of the two, featuring members of two famous local political families, Patricia “Pat” Cravins and State Representative Elbert L. Guillory. Rep. Guillory finished first on Saturday, but the Cravins Family has a deep well of support in the district, making the runoff a true tossup. In New Orleans, Democrats Jared Brossett and Leroy Doucette will compete in the runoff for the 97th House District.

The third seat, the Republican-held 16th Senate District anchored in the southeast suburbs of Baton Rouge, stayed in Republican hands. The result was disappointing but expected in one of the toughest districts in the state for Democrats. I should know – I worked that territory for a special congressional election in 2008, and it would have taken an exceptional Democrat to win or even come close.

With the legislature so close in Louisiana, every seat counts. Even without gaining the 16th Senate seat, state Democrats should be proud that they beat back two Republican challenges so soundly this weekend.

This morning, the Supreme Court of Iowa issued a ruling which held that the state has no right to prohibit same-sex couples from seeking marriage licenses.

Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal -- the chair of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee -- and Speaker of the House Pat Murphy took a firm stance in support of that decision and for equal rights.

Their statement is worth reprinting in full:

Thanks to today’s decision, Iowa continues to be a leader in guaranteeing all of our citizens’ equal rights.

The court has ruled today that when two Iowans promise to share their lives together, state law will respect that commitment, regardless of whether the couple is gay or straight.

When all is said and done, we believe the only lasting question about today’s events will be why it took us so long. It is a tough question to answer because treating everyone fairly is really a matter of Iowa common sense and Iowa common decency.

Today, the Iowa Supreme Court has reaffirmed those Iowa values by ruling that gay and lesbian Iowans have all the same rights and responsibilities of citizenship as any other Iowan.

Iowa has always been a leader in the area of civil rights.

In 1839, the Iowa Supreme Court rejected slavery in a decision that found that a slave named Ralph became free when he stepped on Iowa soil, 26 years before the end of the Civil War decided the issue.

In 1868, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that racially segregated “separate but equal” schools had no place in Iowa, 85 years before the U.S. Supreme Court reached the same decision.

In 1873, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled against racial discrimination in public accommodations, 91 years before the U.S. Supreme Court reached the same decision.

In 1869, Iowa became the first state in the union to admit women to the practice of law.

In the case of recognizing loving relationships between two adults, the Iowa Supreme Court is once again taking a leadership position on civil rights.

Today, we congratulate the thousands of Iowans who now can express their love for each other and have it recognized by our laws.

That kind of vision is why we're proud to call Sen. Gronstal our chair.

The year 1979 was a fairly unremarkable one in Texas, perhaps best remembered for a string of tornadoes that devastated Wichita Falls. But the year was also significant because the Texas legislature overrode then-Governor Bill Clements’ veto of a wildlife and fisheries bill.

That was 30 years ago, and the Texas legislature has not overturned a single veto since.

You might think that in the rough and tumble of Texas politics it would be unusual for one side of state government to have its way so often, for so long, but this three-decade-long winning streak has its roots in a little-known quirk of Texas law. The Texas Constitution gives the governor the authority to veto bills after the legislative session has ended and the lawmakers have gone home. Then, only the governor can call a special session to overturn the vetoes – which is hard to imagine a state executive doing. In practice, this lets the governor veto even the most wildly popular bills and then refuse to allow the legislature to meet to override him.

But if state lawmakers have their way, this power will soon be coming to an end.

The State House recently voted 131-to-16 to approve a constitutional amendment (which the governor cannot veto) allowing the legislature to call its own special sessions to address gubernatorial vetoes.

Legislative supporters of the amendment argue that it restores the rightful balance of state power – after all, why should the legislature have an authority it can never use? For that matter, why should wildly popular legislation – even bills passed unanimously – be held hostage by future governors who might be stubborn, corrupt, or simply out of the mainstream in their views?

On the other hand, Gov. Perry and his outnumbered legislative allies on this issue make a sound case themselves. They see the end of session veto as the governor’s most important check on the power of a legislature that is granted much greater power than the governor under the state constitution. In their view, the amendment itself is the real threat to separation of powers.

State Senate opponents of the amendment are outnumbered but well-positioned to kill the proposal in committee for the second year in a row.

If it does pass, it then goes to a statewide vote, giving the people of Texas the final say.

In New York, for years, a division of the state Senate Research Service was responsible for creating a daily "Digest of Newspaper Clippings."

Because Republicans controlled the chamber, these jobs were filled by patronage and the clips were only sent to political allies. The program cost the state about $1.92 million and most people -- even those inside the legislature -- never knew that it existed.

Now Democrats are taking a stand to eliminate the patronage jobs and update the information distribution process:

The Research Service was targeted by Democrats not long after they took power for the first time in four decades in January, with a newly-elected 32-30 seat majority. Tuesday marked the Research Service's last full day of operation, which included the clipping service as well as a core of writers and researchers who toiled in a leased office just up the street from the state Capitol.

The thing to note here is that, instead of filling the positions with loyal Democrats, the new leadership is actually updating the process to take advantage of new technology and offering the content to everyone, regardless of party affiliation:

Democrats' newly-hired Chief Information Officer Andrew Hoppin will oversee an electronic version of the service, in which a small crew will compile stories from newspapers Web sites as well as blogs and e-mail them to Senate members, both Republican and Democrat.

It's amazing how going from X-acto knives to the Internet can change things.

While the death of several prominent regional newspapers has captured headlines recently, there's another, more quiet, change in the media scene that could have long term ramifications for state governments almost everywhere.

The job of statehouse reporter is in serious decline:

This winter, [the American Journalism Review]conducted its fifth census of newspaper reporters who cover state government, its first since 2003, and found a staggering loss of reporting firepower at America's state capitols.

The tally found only 355 full-time newspaper reporters at the nation's state capitols, a 32 percent decrease from just six years ago. It discovered that 44 statehouses have fewer full-time reporters than they did six years ago. The number of full-time reporters remained the same in four states and increased modestly in two.

In many cases, these are journalists who have played a valuable role as watchdogs in past. These are also the reporters who have covered the passage of important legislation and the careers of notable leaders.

State government will be a very different place without them.

But this current state of affairs is not without hope. As traditional print outlets stand down, many new organizations are trying to step into the void.

There are local bloggers like Capital Annex in Texas who report breaking news from the Capitol nearly every day.

There are former journalists who are trying their hand at the web -- like the folks at the Arizona Guardian.

Nonprofits are also picking up the slack.

No one, for instance, has done better legislative session reporting than the Center for Independent Media -- which currently has sites in Colorado, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and New Mexico.

There is no denying that state journalism is in a state of flux, but the future is not as dismal as some claim.

Calling Virginia’s share of the federal stimulus bill “a breath of fresh air,” State House Democratic Leader and DLCC Finance Chair Del. Ward Armstrong recently credited the stimulus for saving up to 7,000 state jobs and helping to close a $4 billion budget deficit.

Armstrong explained that priorities like education and health services still face deep cuts under the legislature’s budget blueprint, but the extra money from the stimulus saved the jobs of nearly 7,000 teachers, health workers, and administrators throughout the commonwealth. Democratic State Senator Roscoe Reynolds believes the avoided cuts would have impacted every school district in Virginia and weakened services at every level of state government. Reynolds estimates that Virginia’s total share of the stimulus – nearly $1 billion in construction, transportation, and other projects – will ultimately help 90,000 Virginians keep their jobs.

Virginia is eligible for millions more from the stimulus, but State House Republicans are expected to work to block the money:

Armstrong said the state can receive more than $100 million in additional stimulus funds for unemployment benefits if it picks two of four changes. He predicted Gov. Tim Kaine will select changes in benefits for part-time workers and those in job training.

There is no cost to the state for two years, Armstrong said, and then the employer tax on each worker will rise from $3 to $4.

“Already partisan lines are being drawn in the sand,” he said, with Republicans “champing at the bit” to vote against stimulus money.

But, he said, such funds help sustain people and communities during hard times.

Whether the extra money arrives or not, both legislators noted that Virginia is in a better position to weather the economic crisis than other states, boasting a strong education system, low crime rates, and independent rankings as the “best state to do business in” and the “best run” state in the country.