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Byline: Jason Axelrod Starting next year, local governments in Colorado will be able to increase their minimum wages past the state standard of $11-per-hour. Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed House [...]

In recent years, Mississippi has temporarily suspended civil service protections for employees in some departments, reorganized those departments, and then reinstated civil service protection in those departments. State HR directors are surveyed to seek their opinions about at-will employment. Five survey items focus on the respondents' opinions concerning at-will employment as a managerial instrument; the responses are discussed and analyzed. We find that HR directors from smaller agencies and HR directors who trust political officials find utility in atwill employment as a managerial tool. We also find that female HR directors and HR directors with private sector experience disagree with the at-will employment in the public sector as a managerial tool., Shortly after becoming Mississippi's governor, Haley Barbour asked the state legislature to remove state workers from civil service protections to provide him with flexibility to reorganize state government. Governor Barbour, [...]

States are not doing a good job regulating funeral homes, cemeteries, crematories and casket makers. Among the issues discussed in the article, one is the strong influence of several profit-driven chains, which control 15% of the US death market.

Local governments can be held accountable by court orders which often hamper fiscal policies. Court orders are also prone to 'unintended consequences,' whose effects may be more far-ranging than originally intended. This often hurts local government efficiency.

1 Alaska's Sesquicentennial Russia ceded the territory of Alaska to the United States in the Treaty of Cession, signed in March 1867. The actual transfer of the territory took place [...]

Because of the E-Government Act of 2002, signed into law by President George W. Bush on Dec. 17, 2002, state and local governments have had access to purchase firmware, software, [...]

California's tax structure is elastic, reflected most notably by its highly volatile and progressive income tax, which has the highest threshold tax starting point in the United States, at $35,000 per year. However, the state's spending is highly inelastic, thanks in large part to rigid spending demands that have been imposed through ballot measures. Complicating matters is the need for a two-thirds supermajority in the state legislature to pass the state budget or to raise taxes, and the imposition 25 years ago of Proposition 13 which fixed local property taxes.

Alabama's tax structure is badly flawed. More than 50% of the state's revenues come from selective and general sales taxes. However, the state's tax code is filled with loopholes and exemptions, while most services are not taxed. In addition, the state's tax code is complicated, with four separate sales tax rates.

In October, 54 percent of Alabama voters rejected the governor's proposal to create a statewide lottery system. The lottery was projected to increase annual state revenues by $150 million. Governor [...]

The digital revolution that has transformed communications and commerce over the past decade is fast approaching one of its final frontiers: the county recorder's office. Electronic recording (ER) -- using [...]

Late last year, the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) issued definitive guidance on how state and local governments should account for any legal obligation to remediate pollution. The new standard, [...]

State legislative efforts that affect law enforcement are examined, including measures in 20 states to control racial profiling, efforts in several states to lower blood alcohol levels at which a driver will be considered to be driving under the influence and legislation that would require DNA testing for all felons.

Editor's note: The following is adapted from an article that appeared in Maine Townsman, January 1998, published by the Maine Municipal Association (MMA). Before municipal officials connect to the Internet [...]

Six more states--Alabama, Florida, Kansas, Nebraska, Utah and Vermont--have adopted the new standards for state-issued driver's licenses required under the federal REAL ID Act. This brings the total to 19 [...]

Ten issues which are expected to be the focus of state legislative action in 1995 are presented. The main protagonists, the states where the issues are considered top priority and the expected legislative outcomes are also presented.

The deregulation of the electricity industry is not as effective as planned in making power prices more competitive for customers, and in allowing utilities generate more power to keep up with states' power demand. As such, legislators are planning options like adopting a revised regulation with a rate cap and directing customers to switch utilities to avoid an unfairly large market share for big companies.

There is no denying that same-sex marriage is going to become a central battle in the intergovernmental wars. The federal government too will find itself unable to resist and any prospects for peaceful resolution on this matter will simply disappear.

Environmental promises and laws made 30 years ago contain political risks for political leaders looking to break or amend those vows or statutes. While these promises and laws may be burdensome, they have also kept governments from moving ahead too rashly with development projects. In addition, they have also opened up the decision-making process, thus giving the public entry into how decisions are made.

Wyoming's tax system is marked by its lack of any type of income tax, and one of the lowest property tax burdens of any state. 'Other' taxes accounted for the largest portion of the state's tax collections in 2001 at 46.3%, followed by general sales tax collections at 36.1%.

Wisconsin's tax system is marked by the state having the oldest income tax law of any state, as well as a high local and state tax burden. Individual income taxes accounted for the largest portion of the state's tax collections in 2001 at 43.8%, followed by general sales taxes at 30.7% and selective sales taxes at 13.6%.

West Virginia's tax system is marked by its use of multiple tax instruments, such as a severance tax on coal and a tax on electricity generation. Individual income taxes accounted for 29.8% of the state's tax collections in 2001, followed by general sales taxes at 27.1% and selective sales taxes at 26.6%.

Washington's tax system is marked by its heavy reliance upon sales taxes and its lack of an income tax. General sales taxes accounted for 63.6% of the state's tax collections in 2001, followed by selective sales taxes at 15.7%.

Delaware's tax system is marked by the lack of a general sales tax and its heavy reliance upon corporate franchise fees. The state derived 43.8% of its tax coll ections in 2001 from 'other' sources, followed by individual income taxes at 33.1%.

Virginia's tax system is marked by its having the lowest cigarette tax of any state at 2.5 cents per pack. The state also is one of five states that derive more than half of its revenues from income taxes. Income taxes accounted for 55.1% of the state's tax collections in 2001, followed by general sales taxes at 19.3%.

Vermont's tax system is marked by a steeply graduated income tax system and a generally high tax burden. However the system is structured so that poorer residents are not overtaxed. Food and other necessities are tax exempt and property taxes are means adjusted. Individual income taxes accounted for 31.1% of the state's tax collections in 2001, followed by property taxes at 23.7%.

Utah's tax system is marked the state's allocation of all its revuenues derived from income taxes toward education. However, the income tax is not adjusted for inflation. Income taxes accounted for 41.9% of tax collections in 2001, followed by general sales taxes at 36.4%.

Texas' tax system is marked by the abscence of a corporate or personal income tax and the state's heavy reliance upon local property and state sales taxes. General sales taxes accounted for 50% of the state's tax collections in 2001, followed by selective sales taxes at 29.2%.

Tennessee's tax system is marked by the lack of a broad-based individual income tax and extremely high sale taxes. General sales taxes accounted for 57.3% of the state's tax collections in 2001, foolowed by selective sales taxes at 17.4%. Individual income taxes accounted for only 2.5% of collections in that year.

South Dakota's tax system is marked by its taxation of a wide range of services. While the broad range keeps rates low, the tax system is also regressive due in large part to the lack of a state income tax. Sales taxes accounted for 52.7% of tax collections in 2001, followed by selective sales taxes at 24.8%.

Pennsylvania's tax system is marked by its tilt toward senior citizens due to the exemption of retirement income from taxation. Individual income accounted for 31.7% of tax collections in 2001, exceeded by sales taxes at 32.1%. Selective sales taxes accounted for another 15.2%.

Oregon's tax system is marked by the high percentage individual income taxes provide for the state's tax collection in 2001, at 74.4%. Oregon does not have a general sales tax, making it one out of only five such states. Selective tax collections were in second place in 2001, with 11.3% of collections.