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Beshear Boosts College Loan Program.

Kentucky state officials have a way to help thousands of college students banking on a student loan to help finance the coming fall semester, Gov. Steve Beshear said. The state is buying a $50 million bond to help the Kentucky Higher Education Student Loan Corporation offer students loans in time for the coming academic year. The bond will serve as a “short-term bridge” until federal money arrives later, Beshear said. “This is a very innovative approach, and an innovative solution to a difficult problem,” Beshear said. “It’s a solution that many other states have not found.” Read more

CAMPAIGN NEWS

MO- Nixon Makes Health Care Top Priority. Jay Nixon is betting that health care is the problem that Missouri’s next governor can actually address. The Democratic candidate has built his campaign on how the high cost and often limited availability of medical care wreak havoc in individual lives, burden taxpayers and hurt the economy. Nixon last month proposed an ambitious plan that would cover every child in the state with modestly priced insurance. It would reduce the number of uninsured adults by restoring eligibility for Medicaid to 2005 levels. And by reducing the number of uninsured and fostering price competition among insurers, the plan would attempt to bring down health insurance costs for everyone. Read more

VT- Symington Praised for Her Determination. The 1997 legislative session ran long, into an unusually hot June. “We were all getting to a point where it was hard to read the document again,” recalled Paul Cillo who was chairman of the conference committee for the bill. He turned to freshman legislator Gaye Symington. Cillo had learned that Symington had the tenacity to wade through the land mines of legislative language. Cillo had tapped into a tireless determination that has been Symington’s mark throughout her life. It is what prompted her to go for an MBA so she could better understand food marketing systems. It is what triggered her, when she was worried about her children’s schools, to take a course in education financing and launch a political career she never intended. It is what propelled her to become speaker of the House. Read more

GENERAL NEWS

CO- Ritter Announces New Wind Energy Jobs. Wind turbine manufacturer Vestas plans to build two plants and bring a total of 1,350 more jobs. “Vestas will be building two new manufacturing plants in Brighton, Colorado,” Gov. Bill Ritter announced. “One will be a wind blade plant and the second an assembly factory.” Ritter said it’s another indication of Colorado’s success with what he’s calling “our new energy economy.” He said Colorado is setting a new standard in renewable energy, recognized internationally. “In Europe, when they talk about research and development around wind and solar, they talk about Colorado as the center,” Ritter said. Read more

ME- Editorial: Baldacci Thoughtful in Responding to Energy Crisis. Gov. John Baldacci has devised a series of short-term actions to help Mainers meet the difficult challenge of high energy prices through the end of 2008. From heating oil aid to an optional four-day work week for some state workers, the governor’s plan is an appropriate and thoughtful response to the growing crisis in the state. The plan distributes it largely as heating oil aid, but also in a number of other ways. Baldacci is also establishing an alternative work schedule pilot program in the state’s finance department that will allow staff the option of four-day work weeks as an energy-saving measure. And in a nod to one of the state’s endemic problems, Baldacci said that many families are having trouble paying for adequate food because high energy prices, and his administration has already asked the federal government to give more generous food stamp benefits to certain LIHEAP-eligible families. That request has already been granted. Read more

MD- O’Malley Awards Record Grants For Residential Solar, Geothermal Energy. Maryland Energy Administration officials say they have awarded $591,000, a record level, to Maryland residents for the solar and geothermal program. Gov. Martin O’Malley said the grant money was awarded just weeks after becoming available. “The residential solar and geothermal grant program has helped hundreds of Maryland families contribute to a cleaner and more sustainable economy, while also helping to reduce household energy costs,” said Gov. O’Malley. The record level of funding was made possible by new legislation championed by Governor O’Malley to update the solar and geothermal grant program. Read more

NH- Lynch Announces new Job Training Grants. Gov. John Lynch announced that an additional 600 New Hampshire workers will receive job training through $300,000 in matching grants awarded to 10 companies across the state. Gov. Lynch made it a priority to reinstate the Job Training Fund, which distributes up to $1 million annually in matching grants. “It is important that we make wise investments in our economy, especially during this downturn in the national economy. Job training helps our companies – and their workers – grow and compete, and helps keep New Hampshire’s economy moving,” Lynch said. Read more

NC- Easley Cracks Down on Sex Offenders. North Carolina authorities will soon have new powers to punish sex offenders. Gov. Mike Easley announced that he signed five bills into law, including those designed to help state officials protect children from sex offenders. One law makes it a felony for a registered sex offender to use a social networking Web site accessible to minors. It also increases the penalties for some sex crimes involving children. The other law requires registered sex offenders to give law enforcement their e-mail addresses and online user IDs, starting May 1. That information can be provided to social networking Web sites so they can screen users. Read more

WV- Manchin Promotes Homegrown Products. Gov. Joe Manchin and state Agriculture Commissioner Gus Douglass joined ranks at the West Virginia State Fair and touted an e-commerce Web site created last year that’s linking up chefs and farmers across the state, http://www.wvfarm2u.org. “I’m here to say thank you to the farmers. As someone who enjoys your finished product; my wife shops all the time at the farmers market,” Manchin said. “Now, with the collaborative effort and with the Web site, you’re able to connect every household and every restaurant to sell West Virginian homegrown products. It’s really what it’s all about. We are speaking about billions of dollars of economic impact. That’s how important it is.” Read more

WI- Doyle Brings More Land under State Protection. As part of his nine day tour of the northwoods, Gov. Jim Doyle is leaving his mark in Tomahawk. He made a big announcement regarding the protection of a large amount of frontage land along the Tomahawk River, announcing the acquisition of 1,546 acres of land in Oneida County. As part of the Wisconsin Stewardship Fund, the move will protect a seven mile stretch of streambank along the Tomahawk River. The governor says he is proud that the move will mean people can continue to fish, camp, and go canoeing in the Northwoods for generations to come. Read more

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