By Mark Lagerkvist | New Jersey Watchdog TRENTON – A New Jersey Watchdog investigation found 15 current legislators — six senators and nine Assembly members — who receive state retirement checks in addition to their salaries, according to public records. The nine Democrats and six Republicans receive an average of $43,000 in pensions plus $49,000 a [...]Read More>>

By Jim Dooley | Hawaii Reporter HONOLULU – Nearly 90 per cent of the investigators in the Hawaii Attorney General’s office are retired police officers working under special 89-day contracts that allow them to collect full police pensions plus $45,000 state paychecks. David M. Louie, state attorney general, pictured at right. Attorney General David Louie said 37 of 43 [...]Read More>>

By Mike Cronin | Texas Watchdog HOUSTON – The cost of October’s performance audit by a national education nonprofit of the Houston school system’s way of buying goods and services is about $16,000, district officials say. The Council of the Great City Schools, based in Washington, D.C., has delivered a bill of $15,807.06, said Jason Spencer, a spokesman for [...]Read More>>

By Phil Drake | Montana Watchdog HELENA – There was some double-barreled action on the Keystone XL Pipeline on Thursday as a state department inspector general’s report was released and a Montana lawmaker joined colleagues in introducing a bill that would allow the pipeline to be constructed immediately in some states. Reuters reported Thursday that an internal review cleared [...]Read More>>

By Katy Grimes | CalWatchdog SACRAMENTO – Proving once again why California needs a part time Legislature, a recent news story about state-funded cars for legislators showed some bad deals and financial abuses. But the rest of the story is not just who drives which car, and how much it costs; the story is the lack [...]Read More>>

By Phil Drake | Montana Watchdog HELENA – Draft plans for possible ways to redraw Montana’s legislative districts are now posted online atwww.leg.mt.gov/districting. The Montana Districting and Apportionment Commission is required to redraw legislative district lines after each decennial Census. Historically, districting has been used as a tool to give a party a political advantage. The plans, drafted by commission staff, reflect one [...]Read More>>

By John Hood | Carolina Journal RALEIGH – With the increasing likelihood of Mitt Romney becoming the Republican nominee, attention will shift to general-election polling and other trends in presidential swing states such as North Carolina. But the presidential race, as important as it is, won’t be the only political story that focuses on battleground states. Republican hopes [...]Read More>>

By Rob Nikolewski | New Mexico Watchdog SANTA FE — There is plenty of heated debate at the Roundhouse as we head into the last 11 days of the 30-day legislative session. But one odd source of irritation for one state senator concerned … gift bags that legislators received last week in connection with American Indian Day [...]Read More>>

By Earl Glynn | Kansas Watchdog TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) hosted a live Twitter chat on Friday to address questions about Lexie’s Law and the changes imposed by that law on child care facilities. In January KDHE announced the completion of post-hearing changes for Lexie’s Law that became effective on Friday.  A recent Chanute [...]Read More>>

By Patrick B. McGuigan | CapitolBeatOK From the editor’s notebook — A new program to offset Oklahoma’s weak performance in Algebra and mathematics, Oklahoma Christian University’s Brain Bush moves to the “think tank” world, and a retired university professor makes a second run at public office. Superintendent of Public Instruction Janet Barresi has unveiled a digital pilot programintended [...]Read More>>