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Rendell Welcomes New Solar Energy Center

Pennsylvania – Pennsylvania’s suburbs will soon house the nation’s fourth largest solar energy center, a facility capable of generating enough electricity to power about 400 homes a year. “The sun does shine in Pennsylvania,” Gov. Ed Rendell said. And when it does, the Exelon-Epuron Solar Energy Center will be there to capture its rays on 17,000 solar panels that Epuron LLC will erect on a 16.5-acre parcel. While the governor commended the Epuron-Exelon partnership, Rendell also used his remarks to underline the need for more solar energy projects in Pennsylvania. “It’s time to invest in our future,” he said. “We need to move fast. We need to do it for the environment and for the economy.”
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AZ – Napolitano Announces Funding to Stem Foreclosures. Gov. Janet Napolitano announced that Arizona will receive $1.45 million in federal funding to expand mortgage foreclosure mitigation and counseling services through the state. Congress appropriated this FY08 funding as part of the National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling Program, the first time federal funds wholly dedicated to foreclosure counseling have reached Arizona. “When homes are foreclosed, dreams and hopes are too,” said Governor Janet Napolitano. “Thousands of Arizonans have subprime loans that will jump to higher rates, and many are in danger of losing their homes. This grant expands the options for homeowners, but homeowners must take the first step by reaching out for assistance.”
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CO – Ritter to Unveil Bold Education Plan. Students entering high school will spend more time preparing for college or whatever else it is they want to do after graduation. Calling it the boldest change in education reform in decades, Gov. Bill Ritter and a bipartisan group of lawmakers said they plan to introduce a measure into the Legislature that completely changes the focus of secondary education. The long-term goal is to cut the state’s dropout rate in half, close the achievement gap for minority students and double the number of high school students who go on to college, Ritter said. “We believe it’s time to push hard against the status quo and create a bold new vision for education in Colorado, a vision that very much begins with the end in mind,” he said. “It’s a vision that assumes every Colorado student deserves the opportunity to live up to his or her God-given potential. It’s a vision that allows us to thoroughly prepare every Colorado student for college or the 21st century work force.”
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KS – Sebelius Announces Opening of Homeland Security Education Center. Gov. Kathleen Sebelius announced the opening of a new homeland security education center in Topeka. The Eisenhower Center for Homeland Security Studies is a collaborative public/private initiative that will support local and state government and private sector homeland security partners. Designed as a one-stop shop for homeland security activities, initiatives and best practices for all of Kansas, the center is planned to serve as a classroom, simulation center, and as a rapid set-up situational awareness facility for assisting with large-scale disaster response. “Collaboration is the key to successful homeland security efforts,” said Sebelius. “This center will help Kansans work together as a team and best leverage our physical and intellectual resources for dealing with future challenges.”
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MD – O’Malley Hoping for Quick Vote on Foreclosure Bill. The Maryland senate unanimously approved a bill Wednesday to help homeowners avoid foreclosure. The measures include setting up a new crime of mortgage fraud and to give homeowners more time before a foreclosure can be made final. “We are very near passage of some comprehensive foreclosure reform in our state, that in essence, will eliminate a fast track to foreclosure in Maryland,” O’Malley says. The bill will lengthen the foreclosure period from 15 to 90 days, as well as requiring more upfront disclosure from mortgage services.
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MI – Granholm Pushes Alternative Energy, Jobs. Michigan’s winds, wood-product waste and shuttered factories could be used to create renewable and alternative energy sources as well as thousands of new jobs, Gov. Jennifer Granholm said. The state is “uniquely positioned” to take the lead in the development of renewable power and alternative fuels for transportation, she said during a town hall meeting that focused on energy and the economy. She wants the Legislature to require that more of Michigan’s electricity come from wind, solar and other renewable sources. Her proposed renewable portfolio standard would require that 10 percent of the state’s power come from renewable energy by the end of 2015.
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NH – Lynch, House Endorse Global Warming Initiative. New Hampshire’s House is endorsing a 10-state regional effort to cut greenhouse gas emissions to preserve the state’s climate and way of life. Gov. John Lynch believes the initiative will help New Hampshire’s environment and economy. “We are dedicating ourselves here in New Hampshire to reducing the pollution that causes global warming and climate change, and joining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative is a major part of that effort. Cutting our greenhouse gas pollution is the right thing to do for the long-term health of our citizens, the health of our environment and our economy,” Lynch said. The bill adds New Hampshire to the other New England states, New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland in a market-based, “cap and trade” program to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from the region’s power plants.
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TN – Senate Education Committee Approves Bredesen’s K-12 Budget. Gov. Phil Bredesen’s proposal to spend $25 million to increase pre-kindergarten classrooms across Tennessee is advancing in the Legislature. The measure is part of the governor’s $4.97 billion budget for elementary and secondary education that was approved by the Senate Education Committee. The money is expected to pay for 250 new pre-K classes. The governor has said he wants to grant universal access to pre-K programs before he leaves office in 2010.
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WA – Gregoire Signs Bills For Soldiers. Gov. Chris Gregoire marked the five-year anniversary of the U.S. involvement in the War in Iraq by highlighting a few bills designed to help soldiers and their families. The governor signed a bill that allows military spouses to take 15 days of unpaid leave when their loved ones come home from the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. “We will give our military families an opportunity to connect,” the governor said.
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WV – Lawmakers Approve Manchin’s Budget. Millions of dollars will head to teacher pay raises, university research and a host of other programs under a $10 billion-plus budget passed by the state Legislature. The new state budget passed by lawmakers will take effect July 1 and largely reflects the priorities that Gov. Joe Manchin spelled out in his proposed budget. More than half of the general fund—about 58 percent—has been dedicated either to public education or higher education. The state Department of Health and Human Resources receives the next largest chunk—22 percent of the budget. Lawmakers also approved more than $273 million in supplemental appropriations during the budget session. Among them was $50 million for Manchin’s “Bucks for Brains” program, which will be used to stimulate research and development at West Virginia University and Marshall University.
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