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Manchin Hosts Southern Governors in W. Va.

As chairman of this year’s Southern Governors Association meeting, Governor Joe Manchin welcomed lawmakers from as far south as the Virgin Islands. The goal of the meeting is to get local lawmakers on the same page when it comes to important issues facing the country—like the current energy crisis and education. “Citizens of all our respective states expect governors to make decisions and to make things happen, and we have a specific time period to do that in,” said West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin. “Even with oil at over $100 a barrel, the most precious natural resource is still talent, and the states and nations that find it, encourage and nurture it, grow it, incentivize it, reward it are those that are going to be successful,” said Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine. Read more

CAMPAIGN NEWS

IN – Long Thompson Opens New Campaign Office. Jill Long Thompson is opening a Michiana campaign office. Her supporters celebrated the opening of their Mishawaka office. Steelworkers are lending their union hall to help the campaign. The office will serve as a base for volunteers as they make phone calls and canvass neighborhoods. Long Thompson is expected to make several stops at the office before November’s election. Read more

MO – GOP Nominee Faces Challenges. Technically, there is no “challenger” in Missouri’s open governor’s race. But Republican Rep. Kenny Hulshof has a big challenge in his gubernatorial campaign. Hulshof starts at a disadvantage to Democratic Attorney General Jay Nixon – in money, name recognition and the public’s seeming desire for change that could hit Republicans harder because they control both the presidency and Missouri’s Capitol. Read more

ENERGY NEWS

IA – Culver Promotes Renewable Energy. Gov. Chet Culver said he hopes the Hawkeye State will become the world’s renewable energy capital. After a meeting with renewable energy business leaders at the Iowa State Fair, Culver said solar power could have a bright future in Iowa. “We don’t just talk the talk, we’re walking the walk,” he said. “I think this is a wonderful opportunity to show the world that Iowa is the leader when it comes to renewable energy.” Read more

WV – Manchin Pushes Renewable Energy. Gov. Joe Manchin plans to push renewable energy projects ranging from hydroelectric dams to solar power in West Virginia. Speaking at a Southern States Energy Board meeting, Manchin said more renewable projects will protect West Virginia from criticism as it pushes coal as critical to helping America achieve energy independence. Manchin says using wind, biomass, even waste to generate electricity still leaves West Virginia 75% or more short of meeting its needs. But Manchin says doing so means no one can discredit the state’s message about coal. Read more

WY – Freudenthal Launches Energy Conservation Program. Several state agencies are participating in a public information campaign to educate Wyoming residents on how to use less energy and where to get help with high heating bills. The Energy Wise Wyoming campaign will continue throughout the fall and winter with information about how residents can prepare for and cope with high heating bills. “The problem is, we can’t bring the price down,” Gov. Dave Freudenthal said. “The only thing the average person can do is to try to reduce the amount of natural gas we’re going to use to heat our homes. The time to caulk leaky windows and to add insulation is now, not when we get an early snowstorm in October,” he said. Read more

GENERAL NEWS

IL – Blagojevich Expands Property Tax Relief for Disabled Vets. Gov. Rod Blagojevich used his amendatory veto power to give a full property tax exemption to an estimated 16,000 Illinois veterans with severe disabilities. The exemption would affect veterans who have a service-connected disability of 50% or more. The new legislation would expand the Disabled Veterans Standard Homestead Exemption. Blagojevich was joined by more than 200 veterans and their families to announce the plan during the Illinois State Fair Veteran’s Day. Read more

NJ – Corzine Signs Bill Package to Protect Hospitals. Gov. Jon S. Corzine signed a landmark package of four bills into law, designed to curb a devastating trend that has seen 18 New Jersey hospitals close since 2000. The bills were designed to “improve access to health care, protect the uninsured and strengthen the accountability and transparency of the health-care delivery system” throughout the state, according to the Office of the Governor. Read more

PA – Rendell Establishes Leaner Tax System. Gov. Ed Rendell recently signed a law spelling out a more efficient earned income tax collection system that could yield more than $200 million for municipalities across the state. Under the law Pennsylvania’s number of earned income tax collectors will be reduced from 560 to 69, which roughly matches the number of counties, but is not a function of county government. “This fixes what is now probably, the most complex and confusing local taxing environment in the nation, with more local earned income tax collectors (560) and more local taxing jurisdictions (nearly 2,900) than all other states combined,” Rendell said. Read more

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