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Culver Raises Pay for Teachers, Expands Preschool

Iowa – Gov. Chet Culver signed into law a giant $1.3 billion spending package that finances the next step in raising teacher pay and expanding preschool programs. Culver made both moves a priority of the 2006 legislation session, his first as governor. “The bill is about one thing, giving every student in Iowa a quality education,” said Culver, a high school teacher before being elected secretary of state and then governor. The spending package Culver signed sets aside $75 million for the next step in a teacher pay plan designed to raise salaries in the state to 25th in the nation.
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CAMPAIGN NEWS

WV – Editorial: Manchin Record One of Progress. West Virginians have enjoyed three good years during Gov. Joe Manchin’s term in office. So much progress has been made on so many issues involving the state and everyone who lives here that we have no doubt that voters will elect Manchin to another four-year term in office. Manchin doesn’t need our endorsement or, for that matter, formal support from any corner. His record speaks for itself. So many Mountain State residents have been touched beneficially by the governor’s actions that it is clear that he will be the voters’ choice again this year, despite the fact that a Raleigh County legislator has chosen to oppose him in the Democratic Party primary.
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NC – Perdue Ready to Take on Opponent. Lt. Gov. Bev Perdue is looking forward after a hard-fought campaign with a 16-point victory over her nearest Democratic opponent in Tuesday’s primary election. “This campaign is going to be about the middle class, about kitchen-table issues,” she said. “I hear everywhere I go from families working as hard as they can, struggling as hard as the can to put milk in the refrigerator, pay the mortgage, the car payment.” Perdue said she believed that the primary proved “once and for all that North Carolina voters want to spend their time finding the best leader to move them forward and I’m clearly that leader.”
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AS – Tulafono Announces Re-Election Bid. American Samoa incumbents Gov. Togiola T.A. Tulafono and Lt. Gov. Ipulasi Aitofele Sunia announced that they will seek re-election in the Nov. 4 general election, putting to rest long standing questions as to whether Togiola and Ipulasi will run as a team in the gubernatorial race. “My friends, we are here to announce the worst kept secret of this season: I, Togiola Tulafono and Ipulasi Sunia, hereby announce our candidacies for governor and lieutenant governor,” Togiola said.
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GENERAL NEWS

KS – Sebelius Forms Energy and Environmental Policy Group. Gov. Kathleen Sebelius has named her appointments to the Kansas Energy and Environmental Policy (KEEP) Advisory Group. Earlier this year, the governor formed KEEP to bring together business leaders, energy experts and scientists to recommend ways we can reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. “Experts agree that Congress will institute a carbon tax in the coming years. By taking steps to prepare now, we better position our state for potential costs in the future. This group will recommend ways we can reduce our greenhouse gas emissions while continuing to grow our economy,” Sebelius said. “I am confident that the combined expertise of this group will lead to innovative solutions across all sectors of Kansas industry which helps every corner of our state.”
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MA – Patrick Announces Clean Energy Plans. Gov. Deval Patrick called for a greater focus on energy efficiency and green power. The governor announced a proposal that would require electric utilities to use cost-effective energy-saving technology. Utilities would have to work with businesses and homeowners to improve lighting, insulation and other improvements as long as the changes would more than pay for themselves in energy savings. Rather than treating those expenses as an add-on to utility bills, they would be included in the basic cost of energy, along with power generation. Patrick also said he is working with state House and Senate leaders on a bill to exempt biofuel from sources like wood and agricultural waste from the state’s gasoline tax.
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MT – Schweitzer: State Part of Oil Pipeline Plans. Plans are now being put in place for a new pipeline that will carry crude oil from Canada through Montana and five other states. Gov. Brian Schweitzer says the pipeline will help Montana produce energy here at home which will help in the goal for energy independence. “The Canadian pipeline will be going across Montana, so perhaps we will build refineries in Montana, next to that pipeline or perhaps our own producers will be able to pump their own oil into that pipeline,” he said.
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NH – Lynch Initiative Gives Doctors Electronic Access to Patients’ Records. New Hampshire doctors now have immediate access to medical records and histories for their Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield patients. The insurer says doctors signed up for its electronic prescription program now will have access to the records by using their computer or Internet-enabled cell phone. Last October with the support of Gov. John Lynch and the New Hampshire Citizens Health Initiative launched a statewide electronic prescribing program for doctors to use regardless of their patients’ health plan. The program alerts doctors to potentially dangerous drug interactions.
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NY – Paterson Announces Funds for Affordable Housing. Gov. David Paterson says $25 million in grants will go toward building and renovating 396 units of affordable housing in New York City and the western part of the state. The agency and corporation make grants to not-for-profit housing organizations around the state to help subsidize the cost of newly constructed homes and the renovation of existing housing. The largest portion of the grant – $18 million – will go to rehabilitate the 125-unit Caroline Apartments, a Section 8 apartment building in the Inwood section of Manhattan.
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NC – Easely Tours Tornado Damaged Areas. Gov. Mike Easley toured tornado damage in three North Carolina counties and said in addition to one fatality that eight people were injured and scores of homes were damaged. Eight homes were destroyed and at least 92 homes and businesses were damaged in the storm. “Nobody is displaced at this point,” Easley said. “Everybody has family and a place to go.” The governor also said that aid agencies, including the Red Cross, were on the scene to help people.
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OH – Strickland Signs Renewable Energy Bill. Gov. Ted Strickland signed an energy bill designed to move the state positively forward using renewable energy. The bill addresses several issues including electric rates, regulation, energy efficiency, creating a renewable and advanced energy portfolio, modernization of the state’s electric infrastructure, and reduction of greenhouse emissions. Strickland said the goal is to safeguard Ohio families through the implementation of the bill. “We will attract the jobs of the future through an advanced energy portfolio standard,” he said. “Today’s action by Ohio means that a majority of states now agree that these technologies represent the future of energy in the United States.”
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OK – Henry Evaluates Devastation Following Tornado. Rescue crews and local law enforcement still have portions of tornado-ravaged Picher, Okla., cordoned off due to power lines and debris as others sift through the significant damage caused by strong storms on Saturday. Gov. Brad Henry toured the northwest Oklahoma town and said the damage was unlike anything he had seen. “It is about the worst that I have seen,” Henry said.
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PA – Rendell Proposes School Funding Boost. Gov. Ed Rendell’s proposed permanent school funding formula would provide another $2.6 billion to Pennsylvania districts during the next six years – another $44 million locally. Rendell wants to gradually boost overall basic educational state aid to 50 percent of what districts need to reach the per-pupil costing-out level, based on past local spending. The governor’s proposal, if approved by the Legislature, would mean about $44 million in additional school funding for the Poconos over the next six years.
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VA – Kaine Announces New Jobs. Gov. Tim Kaine announced that Shenandoah Waste Services LLC will invest $4 million to expand its materials recycling operation in Page County, creating 60 jobs. The company’s recycled materials are used as an alternative fuel source for energy production. “An environmental company like Shenandoah Waste Services is valuable to Virginia,” Kaine said. “The company’s services capture waste that would otherwise go to landfills, transforming the end product into an alternative energy source – a win for Virginians and the outdoors. The Commonwealth is a great fit, as Shenandoah Waste Services’ Page County location is within close proximity to its large customers and northern construction markets.”
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WA – Gregoire: Airline Expansion to Increase Trade, Tourism, Education. Northwest Airlines announced an expansion of its trans-Pacific route network with new daily nonstop service from Seattle to Beijing. China is an economic powerhouse and key player in today’s global economy. This is particularly important to the State of Washington, according to Gov. Chris Gregoire. “China is Washington State’s number one export market with nearly limitless opportunities for growth,” said Gregoire. “Northwest Airlines’ new flight will greatly expand our ability to increase trade, tourism, education and cultural exchange with China, bringing new jobs and economic development to our state. It also reinforces Seattle as the gateway to Asia and the Pacific. I’m very pleased that we continue to lengthen our list of direct international flights from Seattle on Northwest Airlines.”
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