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This article reports that in November 2005 Ohio voters will decide the fate of an initiative to amend that state's constitution to put congressional and state legislative redistricting in the hands of a five-member panel instructed to draw the most competitive districts possible. The measure, Issue 4, is touted by Democrats and backed by California Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. It would adopt a partisan index formula based on the outcome of recent statewide elections. If the plan is adopted, members of the state's congressional delegation would be running in new districts in 2008.

This article reports that California voters will determine in the first week of November 2005 whether to allow a mid-decade redrawing of the state's congressional and legislative district boundaries. But even if the measure is approved, expected legal challenges would probably delay its implementation until 2008. Proposition 77, one part of a reform agenda that prompted Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to call the November 8 special election, would amend the state constitution to give redistricting power to three retired judges instead of the state Legislature.

The article focuses on the New Jersey gubernatorial primaries. Candidates include Senator Jon Corzine and Republican businessman Doug Forrester. Clifford Sobel, ambassador to the Netherlands and a major fundraiser for President George W. Bush's 2000 campaign, also has been mentioned as a potential Senate candidate. Meanwhile, several Democrats in the state's House delegation are positioning themselves as the next junior senator from New Jersey. All have been mentioned as Corzine's possible successor, although Representatives Robert Menendez, Frank Pallone and Robert Andrews have been the most visible.

This article reports that Californian lawmakers are moving to rein in the data-collection industry after a leading firm announced the personal information it collected on nearly 150,000 consumers was fraudulently accessed. The data breach, announced in March 2005 by ChoicePoint Inc., included Social Security numbers, credit reports and criminal records. Some lawmakers speculate the incident came to light only because of a California law enacted in 2003, although a ChoicePoint spokesman denied it.

Today's cloture vote on the proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage touches on a litany of issues plugged by the Roman Catholic Church, but it is unlikely to recreate the political friction caused by the abortion issue. Bishop Wilton Gregory of Belleville, Illinois. in a letter last week urged senators to support the same-sex marriage ban. The vote comes only weeks after a task force of U.S. bishops meeting in Colorado, where three Catholic candidates are vying to replace retiring GOP Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell, released draft recommendations for Catholics engaging in political life. The Denver meeting occurred in the midst of widespread controversy about Colorado Springs Bishop Michael Sheridan's outspoken refusal to serve communion to politicians. Two candidates for Campbell's seat; former GOP Republican Bob Schaffer and Republican beer magnate Peter Coors, have said they oppose abortion.

The article reports that, voters in Arizona, home to campaign reform maverick Grand Old Party Senator John McCain, likely will decide in November whether the state will retain its landmark public financing system. Under the state's public financing system, candidates who choose to participate agree to forgo private funds and collect dollar 5 contributions to qualify for public grants and supplemental funding against privately funded contenders. The system also is funded by voluntary income tax donations matched by state funds.

The article reports that Democratic Caucus Chairman Robert Menendez of New Jersey, who was selected last week to succeed Democratic Governor-elect Jon Corzine in the Senate, has raised $3.4 million this election cycle, as of the end of the third quarter. Of that amount, nearly $700,000 came from political action committees (PACs). Organized labor PACs gave the most, donating almost $148,000. That figure includes maximum donations of $10,000 each from the Machinists Non-Partisan Political League, the Teamsters' Democrat-Republican-Independent Voter Education PAC, the International Union Of Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers PAC and the Sheet Metal Workers' International Association Political Action League.

The article reports that U.S. President George W. Bush has threatened to veto the FY06 Defense appropriations bill if it includes a provision by Senator John McCain, banning the torture or "cruel, inhumane and degrading" treatment of detainees. If the president follows through on his threat, the White House might bet that an override would fail,or not even be attempted. Congress has not overridden a presidential veto of an appropriations bill since 1982. In August of that year, President Ronald Reagan vetoed a $14.1 billion supplemental spending bill, saying it was short on military spending and too generous to social programs.

This article reports that House Democratic Caucus Chairman Robert Menendez is often mentioned as a potential replacement for Senator Jon Corzine of New Jersey. This might give lawmakers of the U.S. House, an edge over other contenders looking to succeed Corzine when he becomes governor next year. Corzine, had $4.16 million in his House campaign account at the end of the third quarter more than double the cash on hand of any other New Jersey Democrat. Running for a full term is likely to be costly, given that the state is split between the New York and Philadelphia media markets, and the potential for formidable GOP opposition from state Senator Tom Kean. Kean, whose father was governor in the 1980s, has amassed $767,935 in his campaign account in anticipation of year's senate primary.

This article reports that U.S. House Representative Tom DeLay of Texas, is the sixth member of the Congress to be indicted in the past decade. Representative William Janklow, resigned on January 20, 2004, after he was convicted of vehicular homicide in the August 2003 death of a motorcyclist. The former governor was convicted in December 2003 and sentenced to 100 days in prison. South Dakota's Supreme Court upheld his conviction. Representative James Traficant of Ohio, was expelled from the House in 2001 after he was convicted of bribery and racketeering violations. Former Representative James Kolter, pleaded guilty in 1996 to conspiring to trade government-purchased postage stamps and vouchers for cash.

The article informs that while lawmakers from Connecticut and South Dakota--both hard hit by Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's recommended defense base closures and realignments--are fighting to keep their bases intact, members from districts that stand to gain from the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) round are busy touting their successes. Maryland stands to add more jobs than any other state, but unlike other potentially large beneficiaries, those gains are mostly civilian and contractor, rather than military, jobs. The state stands to lose 1,570 military jobs, while adding 9,012 civilian and 1,851 contractor jobs.

The article discusses the political situation of nomination to the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. As it takes up Thomas Griffith's nomination to the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia today, the Senate Judiciary Committee is re-entering a long battle over the chamber's role in approving presidents' nominees to the federal courts. Griffith, counsel to the Senate during President Bill Clinton's impeachment, has drawn criticism for contentious statements about Title IX and for not joining the Utah bar after becoming Brigham Young University's general counsel.

The article reports that Democrats, Republicans and third parties in California and Washington state aim to thwart initiatives on Tuesday's ballot that would eliminate party primaries for most offices. If they pass, party leaders might try to circumvent the new systems by nominating candidates at conventions or challenging the initiatives in court. The measure would allow voters to choose one candidate, regardless of party, in the primary and then decide between the top two vote-getters in November. A similar measure in Washington state, Initiative 872, is being pushed by the Grange, an agricultural organization, but has been shunned by most members of the state's congressional delegation.

The article focuses on Proposition 89, which would establish a voluntary public campaign finance system and would limit an individual's contribution to a candidate for statewide office or to an independent expenditure committee to $1,000. Sponsored by the California Nurses Association, the Proposition 89 has aroused national interest, and both backers and opponents are debating whether it would stand up to constitutional scrutiny.

The article informs that a U.S. House Judiciary subcommittee approved legislation that aims to give U.S. District Court judges greater expertise in patent disputes. The measure, sponsored by California Representative Darrell Issa was passed by the House Judiciary Courts and the Internet and Intellectual Property Subcommittee by voice vote without discussion.

The article reports that convicted former U.S. Administration official David Safavian has requested a new trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He argued that the inclusion of e-mails between him and lobbyist Jack Abramoff as evidence constituted hearsay that might have prejudiced jurors. Safavian, the former administrator of the office of federal procurement policy, was found guilty of three counts of making false statements to investigators and one count of obstruction of justice surrounding a golf trip to Scotland he and others, including Representative Bob Ney, Republican from Ohio, took with Abramoff in 2002.

The article reports that while expressing support for the newly introduced chemical security legislation, an advocate for the chemical industry on June 29, 2006 urged the U.S. congress to strengthen the bill's pre-emption of state laws on the subject. The bill, introduced by the Homeland Security Economic Security Subcommittee Chairman Dan Lungren, would pre-empt only laws that frustrate federal regulation and allows those that do not conflict with federal law to remain in place. The bill leaves it unclear whether the Homeland Security Department would regulate the transportation of potentially hazardous chemicals or not.

The article presents news briefs related to the decisions of the several courts in the United States. The U.S. Supreme Court has avoided a much-needed clarification of patent law by dismissing a patent claim on a test for Vitamin B deficiencies. The court also upheld the deportation of an illegal immigrant, who in the 1980s was sent back to Mexico but later returned undetected. The Supreme Court upheld a jury's award to a female forklift operator in Tennessee who said she was punished for accusing her employer of sexual harassment.

The article reports that the U.S. House Subcommittee Reviews Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Reactor Safety Process. With the U.S. administration looking to increase nuclear capacity to meet U.S. energy demand, a House panel examined whether procedures for ensuring safety at aging nuclear plants are sufficient. Lawmakers' concerns focused largely on an incident at the Davis-Besse plant in Ohio, which in 2002 had received satisfactory safety ratings before inspectors discovered an acid leak that nearly ate through a six-inch thick steel cap on the reactor vessel. The corrosion, labeled the most extensive found at a U.S. nuclear reactor, was linked to employees who covered up serious damage.

The article reports that U.S. Representative Mike Ross has gained a new chief of staff in constituent Drew Goesl. Goesl finished an eight-year tenure with Senator Blanche Lincoln on Friday and begins his new post today. When Lincoln was running to replace retiring Democratic Senator Dale Bumpers, Goesl joined her campaign's fundraising staff as a volunteer. In 1994, he graduated from Arkansas High School in Texarkana, where his parents still live.

This article reports that despite pressure on lawmakers to address rising fuel prices, few state legislatures have cut gas taxes. Some have delayed or suspended increases, but only New York; home of the highest fuel taxes in the U.S. has made cuts. As of June 1, a New York law limits the state's 4 percent excise tax to the first $2 per gallon. At current prices, the Division of the Budget said the cap would cost the state $220 million a year. Democrat Paul Tonko, who chairs the Assembly Energy Committee and sponsored the bill, lambasted the U.S. Congress for not taking further action.

The article reports that four Democrats have removed themselves as co-sponsors of U.S. House Energy and Commerce Chairman Joe Barton's bill to require automakers to make available to repair shops technological information. The bill had enjoyed bipartisan support, but Energy and Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protections Subcommittee Democrats expressed concerns with the bill at a markup in May 2006, saying bill advocates failed to demonstrate that automakers were denying repair shops access to information they need to make repairs. According to Barton's spokeswoman, the measure is expected to be marked up by the full Energy and Commerce Committee by the end of 2006.

The article reports that political brushfires are igniting in two Western states in the U.S. over potential ballot initiatives that would restrict illegal immigrants' access to state social services. Most prominent is a measure conceived by Representative Tom Tancredo of Colorado, that would amend Colorado's Constitution to deny them many non-federal, non-emergency public services. The "Defend Colorado Now" initiative has high-profile support from former three-term Democratic Governor Richard Lamm, as well as high-profile opposition from Federico Pena, the former Democratic mayor of Denver and Energy and Transportation secretary during the administration of Bill Clinton. In Washington state, a similar measure might be on the fall ballot.

The article reports that a U.S. House Energy and Commerce subcommittee advanced a bill to require automobile makers to share with repair shops the information needed to access increasingly complex technologies of cars. The move came as lawmakers quarreled over whether the bill was needed, with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle lambasting the automobile repair and parts industry groups for failing to give them data justifying a need for legislation. The legislation would now protect information related to the design and manufacturing of parts.

This article reports that the U.S. Republicans are in danger of losing control of the House if they do not recommit to fiscal restraint and conservatism. House Representative Mike Pence, the chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee, stated that Washington could be a very different place next year. Responding to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley's call to eliminate penalties for seniors who enroll late in a Medicare prescription drug plan, Pence said that such a change would represent the "first crack in the wall of expanding that entitlement." Under law, seniors who did not enroll by Monday are subject to penalties and cannot sign up until November, when the open enrollment period for 2007 begins.

This article reports that property taxes have risen in the U.S., as home prices have soared, and governors and state lawmakers are scrambling to catch up before the elections. The average price of a house in the U.S., grew nearly 13 percent in the past year alone, according to the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight. Bert Waisanen, a fiscal analyst for the National Conference of State Legislatures, said that the last seven years have seen particularly high increases, because property taxes are paid annually but are often reassessed every few years, property tax rates can take a while to catch up with homeowners. In New Jersey, the state's highest-in-the-nation property taxes dominate the political arena. Pennsylvania's per capita state and local property taxes are $1,034, near the national average. In Pennsylvnia, Democratic Governor Ed Rendell faces Republican nominee Lynn Swann, who has made tax relief a cornerstone of his campaign. In Texas, the Legislature wrapped up work Friday on a bill to reduce school property taxes by about a third over the next two years, while raising teacher salaries.

This article reports that the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee wrestled today with how to reauthorize expiring provisions of the Voting Rights Act in ways that would survive a constitutional challenge. Discussion focused on Section 5, which requires the U.S. Department of Justice to pre-approve changes in voting laws or practices in areas with a history of voting discrimination. That section sunsets next year. Some legal scholars and members of the U.S. Congress fear the court might invalidate a status quo approach to Section 5 on the grounds that the Congress lacks the authority to monitor state actions in light of improvements in minority voting rights since the original law passed in 1965.

The article reports that the House Republicans, in the session held on May 5, 2006, seized on April 2006 job gains as evidence the George W. Bush administration's tax cuts assisting the U.S. economy. They signal an economic upturn that will reap benefits for the majority party in midterm elections. The U.S. economy added 138,000 jobs in April 2006, less than the 200,000 forecasted, the Labor Department announced today. The unemployment rate held steady at 4.7 percent, and hourly wages rose by 9 cents.

The article reports that U.S. consumer groups, joined by Representative Marion Berry, Democrat-Arkansas on Monday urged the Congress to extend the May 15, 2006 deadline for seniors to enroll in the Medicare prescription drug program without incurring a penalty. Seniors who do not enroll in a Medicare drug plan by Monday and sign up subsequently would have to pay a higher premium. Meanwhile, in an effort to build momentum for Monday's signup deadline and put Democrats on the defensive, House Republicans are expected to include on the suspension calendar this week a resolution encouraging seniors to sign up.

The article presents information on "Michelle's Law," a New Hampshire bill intended to help families with sick or injured college-aged children avoid her family's plight. It would allow college students to take a medical leave from school for up to a year without losing parental health coverage. New Hampshire lawmakers estimate the law would affect up to five students a year. The measure is expected to have little impact on premiums, according to Larry Akey, a spokesman for America's Health Insurance Plans.

This article reports that New Jersey-based Democratic Senator Robert Menendez and his challenger, GOP state Senator Tom Kean Jr. face nominal primary opposition in June 2006. Menendez will face James Kelly Jr., who last year won 8 percent of the primary vote against now-Governor Jon Corzine; Kean will face social conservative John Ginty, the former president of the Ridgewood GOP Club. In Menendez's former 13th District, two Democrats--former state Assembly Speaker Albio Sires and state House Representative Joseph Vas--are vying for the right to face Republican John Guarini, the son of former Democratic Representative Frank Guarini, for a full House term.

The article focuses on several U.S. Congressional leaders. It used to be that being a congressional leader was one of the most stable facets of life on Capitol Hill. But by announcing on Tuesday he will leave the Congress in hopes of removing a political lightning rod that could threaten continued GOP control, House Majority Leader DeLay has joined a growing list of fallen congressional leaders over the past two decades. Two Democrats came first. House Speaker Jim Wright apologized and then resigned his leadership position in late May 1989, after almost a year of ethics allegations and investigations instigated by an opportunistic Republican Representative. Newt Gingrich of Georgia over book royalties that Wright had received.

This article reports that U.S. House Majority Leader John Boehner postponed a House vote on legislation by Representative Jeb Hensarling, of Texas, that would exempt the Internet from regulation under the 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA). Under court order to revisit its decision to exclude the Internet from BCRA, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) voted unanimously to exempt all communication on the Internet, except paid advertisements on third-party Web sites, from the definition of "public communication" in BCRA. Hensarling's bill would restore the FEC's original interpretation of BCRA's treatment of the Internet, nullifying the new rule on paid Internet ads.

This article focuses on a ruling given by the U.S. Federal Election Commission (FEC), according to which blogs would not be regulated under the 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act. FEC urged the Congress to pass legislation to clarify the law's implications for Internet communications. FEC Chairman Michael Toner remarked that there will be no second-class citizens among members of the media. But the commission ruled, however grudgingly, to include paid Internet advertising among forms of "public communication" regulated under BCRA. Commissioner Hans von Spakovsky echoed sentiments shared by Toner, a fellow Republican, urging the Congress to pass legislation by Representative Jeb Hensarling of Texas that would exempt all Internet communications from the definition of "public communication" under BCRA.

This article reports that the U.S. Supreme Court agreed today to review a redistricting plan pushed by Colorado Republicans but ruled unconstitutional by the state's high court in 2003. The case, Lance v. Dennis, seeks to replace a redistricting plan drawn by a panel of judges for the 2002 elections with one approved by the state General Assembly in 2003. In an unsigned opinion today, the Supreme Court declared the district court erred when it said it lacked jurisdiction over whether that language violates the U.S. Constitution. Justice John Paul Stevens was the lone dissenter, calling the plaintiffs' claim spurious.