Vol. 49, No. 9 The Council of State Governments October 2006the council of state governments Vol....

thecouncilofstategovernments www.csg.org �

Vol. 49, No. 9 The Council of State Governments October 2006

statenews

Schools Use More Technology to Educate Students

� statenews october�006

9 Fighting the FluStates suggest health care workers get vaccine.

BySeanSlone

senior editorJackPenchoffmanaging editorMaryBranhamDusenberryassociate editorLauraColemangraphic design coordinatorJessicaDowneyproofreaderChrisPryorreprint permissions(800)800-�9�[email protected] and advertising sales(800)800-�9�[email protected](859)�44-800�[email protected]

headquartersDanielM.Sprague,ExecutiveDirector�760ResearchParkDriveP.O.Box��9�0Lexington,KY40578-�9�0(859)�44–8000

washingtonJimBrown,GeneralCounselandDirectorHalloftheStates444N.CapitolSt.N.W.,Suite40�Washington,DC�000�(�0�)6�4–5460

easternAlanV.Sokolow,Director50BroadStreet,Suite5�0NewYork,NY�0004-�3�5(��)48�–�3�0

midwesternMichaelH.McCabe,Director70�E.��ndStreet,Suite�0�Lombard,IL60�48(630)9�5–�9��

southernColleenCousineau,DirectorP.O.Box98��9Atlanta,GA30359(404)633–�866

westernKentBriggs,Director��079thStreet,Suite650Sacramento,CA958�4(9�6)553–44�3

15The Age of FitnessStaying active is important in every generation.

ByMaryBranhamDusenberry

11State of Decay

More teeth means increased need for dental care.

By DanLorentz

Photo Credits:

Thecoverphotoandotherphotosaccompanyingthear-ticle,“WiredforSuccess,”weretakenbyfreelancephotographerAmy WallotofFrankfort,Ky.Inthecoverphoto,ShaheemAndersonworksonaquizatHayesMiddleSchoolinLexington,Ky.,Aug.3�.OtherphotographsweretakenatHenryClayHighSchool,alsoinLexington.

19Wired For Success

Schools using more technology to educate students.

By LauraColeman

Departments

28Stemming ResearchFeds won’t fund stem cell research, but states will.

ByKristiGuillory

4 Inside Story SchoolsGoHighTech ByJackPenchoff

5 Toolbox SafeguardingAgainstTerrorismBenefitsforLow-IncomeFamilies

6 State Sources Aroundupofrecentreportsandresources forstateofficials

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7 State Snapshot AlignmentforStateTesting

35 CSG Spotlight HighlightsofactivitiesandeventsbyCSG, itsaffiliatesandotherassociations

38 Conference Calendar MeetingsandconferenceactivitiesofCSG, itsaffiliatesandotherassociations

39 Timeline Alookbackintime

24Rent Within Reach

Safe, affordable housing becoming more difficult to find.

ByJenniferBurnett

33Back in the Black

Expanding economy helps states build reserves.

ByTheNationalAssociationofStateTreasurers

By Jack Penchoff

Technology has become prevalent in the na-tion’s schools. Software programs help schoolskeeptrackofstudentattendance,administertestsandprovideAdvancedPlacementcourses. For students, technology has enhanced thelearning experience with problem-solving chal-lenges,bettercomputerskillsandmoreengagedclassparticipation. No longer novel or cutting edge, computersandsoftwareprogramshavebecomecustomaryinthiscountry’sclassrooms. ThismonthLaura Coleman,State Newsasso-ciateeditor,writeshowdifferentstatesincorporatetechnologyintheirclassrooms.Oneof themostambitiousprogramsisMaine’sLearningTechnologyInitiative,whichequipsallthestate’sseventhandeighthgradestudentswithApplenotebookcomputers. The initiative not only provides a level technology playing field for studentsthroughoutthestate,italsoprovidesthestatewithbettereducatedstudentsmoreabletocompeteintheglobalmarketplace. Therearepitfalls for states toconsider,writesColeman.Statesmust face thehighcostoftechnologyandthecostoftrainingteachers.Withoutteachertraining,saidoneMaineofficial,thelaptopbecomes“afivepoundpaperweight.” This is the timeofyearwhenpeoplestartgetting theirflushots. Influenza isthesixthleadingcauseofdeathforadultsintheUnitedStatesandiseasilyspreadbetweenhumans. Surprisingly,fewerthanonehalfofhealthcareworkersreceiveannualfluvacci-nations,accordingtotheCentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention.Sean Slone,aCSGhealthpolicyanalyst,reports. Inanefforttoreducethe36,000deathsand200,000hospitalizationsresultingfromtheflueachyear,theCDCencouragesstatelegislatorstopromotevaccinationprogramsintheirstatesandsponsorbillsthatrequirehealthcarefacilitiestoofferthevaccinations. Reducingtheincidenceofflunotonlykeepsastatehealthy,italsolowersthelossofproductivityintheeconomy. Statesalsobenefitwhentheirolderadultsarehealthy.Stateprogramsthatfosterphysicalactivity for theirolderpopulationreport their seniorsnotonly improvephysicallybutmentally,too.AndhealthierolderadultsreducethestrainonstateMedicaidandpublichealthbudgets. Mary Branham Dusenberry,State Newsmanagingeditor,reportsthismonththatstatesrealizetheadvantagesofphysicalactivityprograms.Thisyear,38statessubmittedproposalstothenationalCenterforHealthyAgingforgrantsthatpro-motelow-costphysicalactivityprogramsforolderadults. Thekeyforstates,saythosewhoworkwiththeaging,istodevelopstrongpart-nershipswithprivategroups.

—Jack Penchoff is CSG assistant director for communications and senior editor of State News.

Executive Committee

PresidentGov.JimDouglas,Vermont

ChairSenatePresidentEarlRayTomblin,WestVirginia

President-ElectGov.BradHenry,Oklahoma

Chair-ElectRep.DeborahHudson,Delaware

Vice ChairRep.KimKoppelman,NorthDakota

2006 executive committeeMs.KayBuck,DepartmentofTecnologyandInformation,Del.•SecretaryPedroCortes,Pe.•SecretaryTreyGrayson,Ky.•Ms.KathyHill,DepartmentofEconomicDevelopment,Iowa•Sen.GaryNodler,Mo.•Ms.JodyWagner,SecretaryofFi-nance,Va.•Sen.CarolynAllen,Ariz.•AssemblymanJeffrionAubry,N.Y.•Sen.DonBalfour,Ga.•Mr.JerryBassett,Legis-lativeReferenceService,Ala.•Mr.BruceBaughman,Alabama• State Emergency Management Agency • Mr. Robert Bip-pert,Dept.ofGeneralAdministration,Wash.•Sen.WalterBoasso,La.•Rep.DanBosley,Mass.•Sen.ShaneBroadway,Ark. • Del. Anthony Brown, Md. • Sen. Kate Brown, Ore.Rep.RayBunt,Pa.•Mr.DavidByers,SupremeCourt,Ariz.•Mr.MarkCarey,Minn.•Rep.JoeCarothers,Jr.,Ala.•Sen.BarbaraCegavske,Nev.•Lt.Gov. JohnCherry,Mich.•Mr.PhilipCherry,Dept. ofNatural Resources& EnvironmentalControl,Del.•Sen. JohnChichester,Va.•MemberRussellCopeman,QuebecNationalAssembly•Sen.KevinCoughlin,Ohio•Rep.BobDamron,Ky.•Sen.BartDavis,Idaho•Sen.Bill Doyle, Vermont • Sen. Denise Ducheny, Calif. • Treas.RandallEdwards,Ore.•Sen.KarenFacemyer,W.Va.•Sen.HughFarley,N.Y.•Rep.Craig Fitzhugh,Tenn.•Rep.Rob-ertGodfrey,Conn.•Ms.BeckyHarilson,OfficeoftheSen.President,Ky.•Sen.ToniHarp,Conn.•Sen.DouglasHenry,Tenn.•AssemblymanLynnHettrick,Nev.•Sen.LindaHig-gins,Minn.•Sen.JohnHottinger,Minn.•Gov.MikeHucka-bee,Ark.•Rep.DeborahHudson,Del.•Rep.JeanHunhoff,S.D.• JudgeRobertHunter,CourtofAppeals,N.C.•Rep.ThomasJackson,Ala.•Ms.LiliaJudson,SupremeCourt,Ind.•Dr.MichaelKing,LegislativeOfficeforResearchLiaison,Pa.•ChiefJusticeJosephLambert,Ky.Sen.T.D.Little,Ala.•Rep.WardLoyd,Kan.•Sen.MichaelMachado,Calif. •Gov. JoeManchin,W.Va.•Sen. JohnMarchi,N.Y.•Sen.Pres.Ken-nethMcClintock,PuertoRico•Gov.RuthAnnMinner,Del.•Rep. JoeMiro,Del.•Rep. JeffMorris,Wash.•Rep.MikeMurphy,Ind.•Gov.FrankMurkowski,Alaska•Sen.RaphaelMusto,Pa.•Gov.JanetNapolitano,Ariz.•Sen.DaveNeth-ing,N.D.•Lt.Gov.JaneNorton,Colo.•Gov.GeorgePataki,N.Y.•Gov.TimPawlenty,Minn.•Treas.JohnPerdue,W.Va.•Gov.SonnyPerdue,Ga.•Rep.DanicePicraux,N.M.•Ms.MaryRegel,DepartmentofCommerce,Wis.•Gov.JodiRell,Conn.•Rep.RogerRoy,Del.•Sen.StanRosenberg,Mass.•Rep.Chris Ross, Pa. • Sen. Steve Saland,N.Y. • Sen.Di-AnnaSchimek,Neb.•Sen.BobSchuler,Ohio•Mr.JohnSelig,Dept.ofHealthandHumanServices,Ark.•Rep.TomSloan,Kan.•Rep.MarySkinner,Wash.•Ms.AnneSoileau,Dept.ofStateCivilService,La.•AttorneyGeneralWayneStene-hjem,N.D.•Rep.DonnaStone,Del.•AttorneyGen.PaulSummers,Tenn.•Sen.RonTeck,Colo.•Sen.DonneTrotter,Ill.•Rep.SteveUrquhart,Utah•Sen.LeticiaVandePutte,Texas •Ms. PamVarni, LegislativeAffairsAgency,Alaska •Sen.JeffWentworth,Texas•Sen.Pres.DavidWilliams,Ky.•Ms.SandraWintson,WorkforceInvestmentBoard,Ark.

STATE NEWS, 1549-3628, October 2006, Vol. 49, No. 9— Published monthly with combined issues in June/July and Nov./Dec. by The Council of State Governments, 2760 Research Park Drive, Lexington, KY 40511-8410. Opinions expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Council of State Governments nor the views of the editorial staff. Readers’ comments are welcome. Subscription rates— In the U.S., $55 per year. Single issues are available at $6 per copy. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to State News, Sales Department, P.O. Box 11910, Lexington, KY 40578-1910.

Advertising—Black and white, two-color and full-color ad-vertising available. For complete circulation and advertising information, contact the advertising department at (800) 800-1910. Mailing lists are available for rent upon approval of a sample mailing.

Copyright 2006 by The Council of State Governments. Periodicals postage paid at Lexington, Ky., and at additional mailing offices.

insidestorySharing capitol ideas. SchoolsGoHighTech

toolboxFindTipsforSafeguardingAgainstTerrorism Astechnologyallowsboundariestobecomelessrestrictive,statelawenforcementagenciesfacenewissuesinterrorismpre-vention. These changing conditions require an unprecedentedlevelofcooperationamonglawenforcementagencies. AccordingtoarecentlyreleasedpolicybrieffromTheCoun-cilofStateGovernments,thesechangingcontextsrequirestatelawenforcementagenciesto:

Collectandshareinformationandintelligence;

Conductterrorism-relatedinvestigations;

Protectcriticalinfrastructureandkeyassets;

Collaboratewithfederalandlocallawenforcementontaskforces;and

Preparetorespondtoavarietyofnewthreatsandhazards.

Thepolicybriefprovidesdescriptionsofinterstatecompactsthat deal with public safety and law enforcement. Interstatecompactsprovidestateswith:

Analternativetofederalactionforaddressingregionalorbi-stateissues;

Flexible,rule-makingauthoritiestoadapttochangingpub-licsafetyconditionswithoutseekinglegislativechanges;

Information sharing systems that account for disparatestatelawsandpractices;and

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Ameansofappropriationsoffundingbythestatestosup-portcriticalinterstatefunctions.

Collaborationamongstateandlocalagenciesislikelytogrowinimportance,accordingtothereport,andstateleadersneedtopromotebothpoliciesandtheenvironmentforcooperation. Tofindouthowtostrengtheninterstateandintrastateagree-mentstoprotectagainstpublicsafetythreats,view“OvercomingtheJurisdictionalDivide:CompactsforSharingLawEnforce-mentIntelligenceandResources,”inPDFathttp://csg-web.csg.org/policy/pubsafety/documents/PSNjune06revised.pdf.

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BriefExaminesBenefitsforLow-IncomeFamilies

TheNationalGovernorsAssociationCenterforBestPractices(NGACenter)outlinesstrategiestoreducebarriersandimproveaccesstobenefitsandworksupportsforlow-incomefamiliesinanissuebriefreleasedinAugust.

While state-administered programs—such as TANF, foodstamps, child care and Medicaid—help low-income familiesachieveeconomicself-sufficiency,manyfamilieshaveproblemsobtainingandretainingbenefits.Mostprograms,accordingtotheNGAreport, operate independentlyof eachother andaresupportedbydifferentfundingstreams. TheNGACenterfoundtheindependentnatureofsuchpro-gramshasledtoahighlyfragmentedservicedeliverysystem,atime-consumingandburdensomebenefitapplication,verifica-tionandrenewalprocessandlimitedoutreachefforts. Toreducethesebarriers,theissuebrief—ImprovingAccesstoBenefitsforLow-IncomeFamilies—identifiesseveralinno-vativeapproachesstatescantaketoreducebarriersandstream-lineandintegrateaccesstoprograms,including:

UsingtheInternettodeveloptoolsthatdetermineeligibil-ityformultipleprogramsandcreateonlineapplications;

Creatingsingleapplicationsformultipleprogramssofami-liescanapplyforseveralbenefitsthroughoneapplication;

Establishingcallcentersandcollocatingserviceswithinlo-calorganizationsthathavestrongconnectionstoworkingfamilies;and

Aligning program policies regarding eligibility, verifica-tionandrenewalsobenefitsarecoordinated.

Toreadtheissuebrief,visitwww.nga.org.

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thecouncilofstategovernments www.csg.org 5

StudyFindsStates’Tests,StandardsAreaMismatch

statesources

6 statenews october�006

AreportbytheAmericanFederationofTeachersfoundmoststatesmade progress in developing clear grade-by-grade standards, butmany have not aligned their high-stakes math, reading and sciencetestswithastrongsetofcontentstandards. TheAFTreport,releasedinJuly,saidthatcouldleadtoadistortedpictureofhowstudents,schoolsandteachersareperforming. “SmartTesting:Let’sGetitRight—HowAssessment-SavvyHaveStatesBecomeSinceNCLB?”examinesthequalityofcontentstan-dardsforreading,mathandscienceinthe50statesandWashington,D.C. The report analyzes whether state tests for those subjects arealignedwithstrong,clearandgrade-specificcontentstandards. Only11statesmettheteachersunion’scriteriaforstrongstandardsandteststhat“align”withthem,accordingtothereport.Thereportfound states’ weakest content standards are in reading, while thestrongeststandardsareinscience.Allbutsixstates—Colorado,Illi-nois,Montana,Nebraska,PennsylvaniaandWisconsin—havegrade-by-grade standards in readingandmath, as requiredbyNCLB, the“SmartTesting”reportfound. Basedon itsfindings, theAFTmade the following recommenda-tionstoimprovestatetesting:

Stateswithweakreadingstandardsneedtoeliminaterepetitiousstatementsandwriteclearercontentstandardsforallgradelevels;

Statesthatdonothavegrade-by-gradeorcourse-specificstandardsneedtodosotoimprovethequalityoftheirhighschools;

Statedepartmentsofeducationneedmorefundingtofullydevelopqualityassessmentsystems;

Statedepartmentsofeducationshouldcoordinatetheworkofstatetestingandcurriculumdivisionsothatmaterialsinformandcom-plementratherthancontradicteachother;

Statesshouldprovideprofessionaldevelopmentontheassessmentsforteachersandadministrators;and

Statesshouldpostinformationaboutstandardsandtests—andhowtheyalign—onWebsitesandkeepitcurrent.

To read the report online, visit www.aft.org. Also, check out the“Snapshot”onPage7ofthisissueofStateNews.

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Study:TermLimitsErodeEffectiveness

Term limits in state legislatures have not accomplished thechangespromisedbyproponents,accordingtoanewreportbytheJointProjectonTermLimits. “CopingwithTermLimits:APracticalGuide”waspreparedbyJenniferDrageBowseroftheNationalConferenceofStateLeg-islatures,Dr.KeonS.ChiofTheCouncilofStateGovernmentsandThomasH.Littleof theStateLegislativeLeadersFounda-tion.ItwasreleasedinAugustatNCSL’sannualmeeting. Thereportfoundthatinsteadofgreatersocial,genderandra-cialdiversityinlegislaturesandadecreaseinpoliticalcareerism,termlimitshavegivenrisetoinexperiencedlawmakersandpo-

larizedlegislatures.Thestudyalsofoundtermlimitshavetippedthebalanceofpowerawayfromlegislaturesandtowardgover-nors’officesandtheexecutivebranch. Termlimitsbecamepopularinthe1990s,when21statesen-actedthem.Sincethen,thelimitshavebeenrepealedordeclaredunconstitutionalinseveralstates.TheJPTLprojectincludescasestudies insixstates—Arkansas,Arizona,California,Colorado,Maine and Ohio—with term limits, and three states—Illinois,IndianaandKansas—withoutthem. Legislatorsandstaffcanobtaina freecopyof the reportbyvisitingwww.ncsl.org/programs.

AlignmentforStateTestingstatesnapshots

Testing Test Documents Some Documents Don’t Match Standards Not Online Standards Are Weak

Alabama ✓ ✓

Alaska ✓

Arizona ✓

Arkansas ✓ ✓

Colorado ✓ ✓

Connecticut ✓ ✓

Delaware ✓ ✓

D.C. ✓

Florida ✓

Georgia ✓ ✓

Hawaii ✓ ✓

Idaho ✓ ✓

Illinois ✓ ✓

Iowa ✓ ✓

Kansas ✓

Kentucky ✓

Maine ✓ ✓

Maryland ✓ ✓

Massachusetts ✓

Michigan ✓

Testing Test Documents Some Documents Don’t Match Standards Not Online Standards Are Weak

Minnesota ✓

Mississippi ✓ ✓

Missouri ✓ ✓ ✓

Montana ✓ ✓ ✓

Nebraska ✓ ✓ ✓

NewHampshire ✓

NewJersey ✓ ✓

North Carolina ✓ ✓

North Dakota ✓

Oklahoma ✓

Oregon ✓

Pennsylvania ✓ ✓

Rhode Island ✓

South Carolina ✓ ✓ ✓

South Dakota ✓ ✓

Texas ✓

Utah ✓ ✓

ermont ✓ ✓

Wisconsin ✓ ✓

Wyoming ✓ ✓

“Smart Testing: Let’s Get it Right—How Assessment-Savvy Have States Become Since NCLB?” by the American Federation of Teachers, released in July, examines the quality of content standards for reading, math and science in the 50 states and Washington, D.C. The report analyzes whether state tests for those subjects are aligned with strong, clear and grade-specific content standards.



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The Councilof State Governments

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MillionsofAmericanswillstartgettingflushotsduringOctobertotrytowardofftheillnesswhichkills36,000peopleayearandhospitalizes200,000more. Somestatesaremakingafurtherefforttolimitthespreadofinfluenzabyencour-agingthevaccinationofhealthcareworkers. Formore than20years, theCenters forDiseaseControlandPreventionhasrecommendedannualvaccinationsforhealthcareworkers.Despitetheavailabil-ityofthevaccinefrommanyhealthcareorganizations,onlyabout40percentofworkersreceivethevaccinationseveryyear.

Why Should Legislators be Concerned? Influenza,thesixthleadingcauseofdeathforadultsintheUnitedStates,isacontagiousrespiratoryillnesscausedbyavirus. Inhospitalsandotherhealthfacilitiesacrossthecountry,healthcareworkershavedailycontactwith thosemostvulnerable toseriousflucomplications, thesickandelderly. “Unvaccinatedhealthcareworkerscanspreadinfluenzaandinfectothersbe-fore theythemselvesrealize theyaresick,”saidDr.AbbyShefer,associatedi-rectorofscienceintheImmunizationServicesDivisionoftheCDC’sNationalImmunizationProgram.“Unvaccinatedhealthcareworkerscanspreadinfluenzatopatients,aswellasfamilyandotherpersonsaroundthem.” Thefluvaccinehasbeenshowntobehighlyeffectiveinpreventingthefluforhealthyindividualsunderage65.Accordingtoarecentstudyofdiseasepreven-tionactivities,annualadultfluimmunizationstiedforthefourthhighestincosteffectivenessandhealthimpact.AndCDCofficialsbelievecommunitiesbenefitwhenthediseasehaslessopportunitytospread. “An improvement invaccination coveragewouldhelp toprotect health careworkers,theirpatientsandthecommunityatlarge,”saidShefer.“Influenzaout-breaksinhealthcaresettingshavebeenseenwhenlownumbersofhealthcareworkershavebeenvaccinated.” Theannualdirectcostofinfluenzainfectionisestimatedbetween$3billionand$5billion.It’sestimatedthatthefluvaccinesaves$182inmedicalcostsforeverypersonoverage65whoreceivesit. Thosenumbersdon’t take intoaccount the impactofdecreasedworkerpro-ductivityonbusinessesandstategovernmentsalikeasfluseasonrollsaround.Studieshaveshownthatfluvaccinationdecreasesworkabsenteeism,healthcareprovidervisitsanddaysworkingwithdecreasedeffectiveness.


Fighting the

FLUStates Suggest Health Care Workers Get Vaccine

Some states are beginning to encourage health care workers get an annual flu shot—a recommendation the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has made for 20 years. While the vaccine is available, only about 40 percent of health care workers receive the vaccinations every year.

By Sean Slone

�0 statenews october�006

What Can Lawmakers Do? Manystatelegislatorsarenowworkingtohelpincreaseinflu-enzavaccinationsamonghealthcareworkersandthusworkingtocontrolthespreadofinfluenzaintheirstates.Intheirroleofprotecting thehealthof thepublic, lawmakers canworkwithpublichealthofficials,healthcareprofessionalsandotherlegis-latorstobringaboutchange. Theycanusetheirpositionsofinfluencetopromotevaccina-tionprogramsforhealthcareworkers,sponsorbillstorequirehealthcarefacilitiestoofferthevaccinations,andsupportfund-ingandinsurancecoverageforadultimmunizations. Amongthegeneralactionslawmakerscantake:

Supportcollaborationamongstateandlocalpublichealthagencies,statehealthcareassociationsandhealthcarepro-viderstoincreasevaccinationrates;

Supportvaccinationeffortsthroughmediaevents;and

Considerintroducinglegislationtoincreaseinfluenzavac-cinationofhealthcareworkers.

Proposedlegislationcantaketheformof:

Reducing barriers to accessing vaccinations by requiringinsurerstoreduceoreliminatecost-sharingforflushots;

Allowingnon-physicianproviderstoadministerflushotstoimproveaccessibility;

Requiring health care facilities to report flu vaccinationratesofemployeeseitherasastate licensingrequirementfor the facilities or as part of state quality programs forhealthcareorganizations;and

Requiring facilities to follow CDC recommendations re-lating to health care worker immunization requirements.These include providing the flu vaccine at no cost to allworkerswithdirectpatientcontactandeducatingemploy-ees regarding thebenefitsofvaccinationand the risksoftheflu.

Sheferalsooffersthissuggestion:“Statelawmakerscanalsosupport the new 2007 Joint Commission on Accreditation ofHealthcareOrganizationsstandardthatrequiresaccreditedor-ganizationstoofferinfluenzavaccinationtostaff(whichis)ap-plicabletohospitalsandlong-termcareprograms.”

What States Have Done NewHampshirestateSen.AndreMartelsponsoredsuccess-fullegislationin2004torequirehospitals,residentialcare,adultdaycareandassistedlivingfacilitiestoprovideinfluenzaandpneumococcal (pneumonia-causing bacteria) immunizationsto both residents and employees. Martel says it was the NewHampshire Medical Society and other professional organiza-tionsthatfirstbroughttheissuetohisattention. “Severalstateshadalreadypassedinfluenzaandpneumococ-callegislation,”Martelsays.“NewHampshire’simmunizationrateforthesevaccineswasonly62percentforadultsage65andover. Innovative and new approaches were needed to providevaccinations.” Martelsaiditwasimportanttobeproactiveandexpandthescopeofthelegislationbeyondjustnursinghomes.Thegoal,hesays,isto“protectthehealthofasmanypeopleaspossibleandstopthesediseasesfromspreading.”

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Somehealthcareindustrygroupsinitiallyexpressedconcernwhen Martel introduced his legislation. Their concerns dealtwithprivacyanddocumentationissuesunderthefederalHealthCarePortabilityandAccountabilityActof1996(HIPAA). Martel says their concernswere fully addressedduring thecourseof debate on the bill.He recommends that lawmakersconsidering such legislation understand the privacy require-mentsintheHIPAAregulations. In addition, he attributes the successful legislative effort toeducating legislators on the importance of immunization, de-velopingabroadcoalitionofco-sponsors,andengagingprofes-sionalandindustryorganizationsaboutthelegislation. Thisyear,NewHampshirealsoestablishedastatewidepub-licdatabaseofhospitalinfectioninformation.Vaccinationratesforworkersandpatientsarereportedtothestatehealthdepart-mentforinclusioninthedatabase.Onceitgoesonlinenextyear,anyonewillbeabletousethedatabasetocompareindividualhospitalvaccinationrateswiththoseofotherhospitals. Elsewhere,NorthCarolinalawmakershaveadoptedlegisla-tionrequiringbothresidentsandemployeesofnursinghomesandassisted-livingcenterstoreceivepneumococcalimmuniza-tionandannualinfluenzavaccination. Kentucky’s General Assembly established similar require-mentsforthestate’slong-termcarefacilitiesin2002.Eachfa-cilityalsoreceiveseducationalinformationaboutthevaccinesfromtheKentuckyDepartmentofPublicHealth. Indeedvaccinationprogramsincorporatingseveraldifferenttacticsoften result in increased ratesof immunizations,CDCofficialssay.Ongoingeducationprogramsalongwitheffortstomakereceivingthevaccinationsconvenientandavailableatnocostappeartohavehadsuccess. Pennsylvania’sDepartmentofHealthisusingteleconferencesand news releases to expand educational efforts to providers.That follows a 2004 survey in the state which found that al-thoughmostnursinghomeresidentsreceivedimmunizations,alowproportionofhealthcareworkersgotthefluvaccine. AccordingtotheCDC,asofJuly2005,15statesrequireatleastsomehealthcarefacilitiestoofferthefluvaccineforhealthcareworkers.CDCofficialsbelievestateeffortslikethesecanhave a significant impact on limiting the spread of influenzaduringtheupcomingfluseason.

—Sean Slone is a health policy analyst at The Council of State Governments.

“”

An improvement in vaccination coverage would help to protect health care workers, their patients and the community at large. Influenza outbreaks in health care settings have been seen when low numbers of health care workers have been vaccinated.

—Dr. Abby Shefer, associate director of science Immunization Services Division, CDC

Fewer seniors are losing all their teeth, but states are not keeping pace with their dental care needs.

More Teeth Means IncreasedNeed for Dental Care

By Dan Lorentz

ecay

State of

”

�� statenews october�006

ur bodies are not falling apart asquicklyastheyoncedid. For the most part, we’re gettingchronic diseases such as heart dis-easeandarthritislaterinlifeand—ifwe’re middle-aged—we’re likely to

livemuchlongerandwithmuchlessphysicalmiserythanear-liergenerations.That’saccordingtoresearchfromaroundtheworldsummarizedinarecentNew York Timesseriesonscienceandaging. Butwedon’thavetolookfarforproofthatourbodiesarehold-ingtogetherbetterthanbefore.ConsidertheteethofAmericans.Inthe1950s,morethanhalfofAmericansage65andolderweretoothless.Now,fewerthanaquarterofolderAmericanshavelostalltheirnaturalteeth. So,moreofusarekeepingourteethintooldage.Whilemostwouldagreethat’sgoodnews,thereisacatch—moreteethmeanscontinuedneedfordentalcare.Andthat“catch”becomesamajorpublichealthpolicyconcernwhenyoutakeintoaccountthatbytheyear2030,people65andolderwillcomprise20percentoftheU.S.populationandthatmostseniorshavetopayfordentalcareoutofpocket.

A State of Decay? Howisstategovernmentrespondingtothischallenge,whichdeveloped because we’re living longer and healthier lives andkeepingmoreofourteeth? Notverywell,accordingtoa50-statesurveyconductedinAu-gust2003byOralHealthAmerica,anonprofitadvocacyorgani-zationdedicatedtoimprovingtheoralhealthofAmericans.

AsAmericans retire,most lose employer-baseddental insur-ance. Simultaneously, most see a reduction in their incomes.Medicare, the federal health insurance plan for people 65 andolder or younger people with certain illnesses and disabilities,doesn’tcoverroutinedentalcare.Only22percentofseniorsarecoveredbyprivatedentalinsurance. ThroughMedicaid,aprogramforlow-incomepeoplewhocan’taffordmedicalcare,stateshavetheoptionofcoveringdentalser-vicesforadults. Accordingtothesurvey,however,fewstatesaredoingthat. Amongother factors, the surveygraded each statebasedonhowmanyofitsseniorshadprivatedentalinsurance,thelevelofadultMedicaiddentalcoverageprovided,andhowclosetomar-ketpricesthestate’sreimbursementrateswereforadultMedicaiddentalservices. Thegradesweredismal:15statesgotFs;29statesgotDsandonly sevenstates receivedCs.Thehighestgradewent toCali-fornia—aCplus—largelybecausemanyresidentshaveprivatedentalinsuranceandbecausethestateoffersahighlevelofadultMedicaiddentalcoverage.Accordingtothesurvey,“27statesarefailingtomeeteventhemostminimalstandardsofcare”forpoorseniors. Elizabeth Rogers, communications director of Oral HealthAmerica, said the 2003 survey, titled, “A State of Decay: TheOral Health of Older Americans,” would probably not changemuch,ifatall,ifitwereconductedagaintoday. “Barring Medicaid reform, there’s not much that states arewillingtodorightnow,”Rogersexplained.“Andthere’snothingmuchhappeningwithMedicareeither. “There’s lots of action (improving access to dental care) forkidsrightnow,butIthinkdoingsomethingaboutoralhealthfor

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If we could get the impetus to try to include some adult dental care in Medicaid (it would be an important first step).

—Arkansas Rep. Tommy G. Roebuck

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thecouncilofstategovernments www.csg.org �3

olderAmericansisjustoneofmany,manythingsthatlegislatorshave toconsider. It’saveryslowmovingtrainfornow.”

Other Barriers Limitedincomeandlackofcoverageunderfederalandstateprogramsareonlytwoofthebarriersfacedbyseniorsneedingdentalcare. Otherbarriersinclude:

Notunderstandingorseeingtheneedforregu-lardentalcare;

Fearofdentistsanddentalcare;

Transportationandmobilitydifficulties;

Limitedavailabilityofdentalservicesincertainurbanandruralcommunities;

Lack of accessible dental services in nursinghomes.(While80percentofnursinghomessayservicesareavailableintheirfacilities,studieshavefoundthatonly19percentofresidentsac-tuallyreceiveddentalcare.)

Oral Health at Risk The policy train for dealing with the oral healthneedsofolderAmericansmaybemovingslowly,buttheoralhealthriskstheyfacearerealandpresent. AccordingtoDr.BarbaraF.Gooch,DMD,MPH,fromtheCentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention(CDC), seniors are challenged by an array of oralhealthproblems,including: Tooth decay.Cavitiesdon’tjustaffectkids.Nearlyone infiveadultshaveuntreatedcavities that in theabsenceoftimelydentalcarecanresultinextensiveandcostlytreatmentortoothloss. Periodontal (gum) diseases.Leftuntreated,gin-givitis—themildestformofgumdisease—mayleadtomoresevereperiodontaldisease,aninfectionofthetissuesandbonesthatsupporttheteeth.Thiscanleadtotoothloss. Loss of teeth. While many older Americans arekeepingtheirteeth,asignificantnumberarestilllos-ingallofthem.Evenwithdentures,maintaininggoodnutrition can become more difficult as those with-out theirnatural teeth tend toavoidfreshfruitsandvegetables in favor of softer, more chewable foods.Low-incomeseniorsaremorelikelytolosealltheirteeth than their counterparts with higher incomes.InKentuckyandWestVirginia,about40percentofolder residentshave lostall their teeth—thehighestpercentagesamongthestates. Dry mouth.Toolittlesalivainthemouth,throatandlipswillincreaseriskfortoothdecayandmouthinfectionsandmaycausedifficultieswithchewing,tasting, swallowing and even talking. Hundreds ofmedications,includingdiureticsandcommonantide-pressantsandallergydrugs—cancausedrymouth,ascansomemedicaltreatmentslikechemotherapyandheadandneckradiation.

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Oral cancers.Oralcancers,whichincludecancersofthemouth,tongue,lipsandthroat,killabout7,200Americanseveryyear.Ifcaughtearlyenough,however,thereisafive-yearsurvivalrateofover80percent.

Help for States from the CDC Eventhoughoralhealthforseniorsmaynotyetbeonthetopofthepublichealthagendaformany,statesaregettinghelpfromtheCDCtopromoteimprovedoralhealthforAmericans,includingolderAmericans. In2005,Arizona,IowaandRhodeIslandreceivedfundsfromtheCDCtoimplementpilotoralhealthprogramsforseniorswhogettheirmealsdeliv-eredathomeorwhogotomealcenters.Withthefunds,thestateswilllearnmoreabouttheoralhealthneedsoftheseseniors—mostofwhomarelowincomeandfromminoritycommunities.Thepilotprogramsusedavarietyofapproaches—includingtheuseoffluorideproducts,healtheducationandreferralstodentalcareproviders—toraiseawarenessaboutoralhealthandeffectivepreventionstrategiesforolderadults. TheCDChasalsodirectedanadditional$3.8millionsince2003 tohelpstrengthenstateoralhealthprogramsin12states—AlaskaArkan-sas,Colorado,Illinois,Michigan,Nevada,NewYork,NorthDakota,Or-egon,RhodeIsland,SouthCarolinaandTexas. Some state programs provide examples of best practices regardingoralhealth.

OralHeathforOlderAmericans:PolicyResources ThisCDCbackgrounder,developedfortheAmericanSocietyonAging,providesanoverviewabouthowtopreventoraldis-easesamongolderAmericans.Thebackgrounderisavailablefordownloadatwww.asaging.org. Did your state make the grade in terms of providing ac-cess to oral health care for seniors through private insur-anceandMedicaid?ReadOralHealthAmerica’s�003report,“A StateofDecay:TheOralHealth ofOlderAmericans,” atwww.oralhealthamerica.org. In“TheStateofAgingandHealthinAmerica:�004,”theMerckInstituteofAging&Health,theCentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention,andtheGerontologicalSocietyofAmericaassessthehealth status of the growing number of olderAmericans andmake recommendations to improve their mental and physicalhealth.Thereportincludesasectiononoralhealthforseniors.Itcanbeaccessedat:www.cdc.gov/aging. Readasuccinctsummaryofhowdemographictrendsarein-tersectingwithoralhealthcarerealitiesforolderAmericansin“OralHealthforOlderAmericans,”partofCDC’sNationalCen-terforHealthStatisticsseriesofpublicationsonagingtrends.Findthereportatwww.cdc.gov/nchs/data/agingtrends. For access to a variety ofresources related to oral healthin general, visit CDC’s Oral Health Resources Web site atwww.cdc.gov/OralHealth/index.htm. To learn about best practices in state and community oralhealth,gototheAssociationofStateandTerritorialDentalDi-rectorsWebsiteatwww.astdd.org.


Drink fluoridatedwater anduse a fluoride tooth-paste.Fluoride’sprotectionagainstdentaldecay isnotjustforkids.

Brushandfloss.Takecareofyourteethandgums.Thoroughtoothbrushingandflossingtoreduceden-talplaquecanpreventgingivitis,agumdisease.

Avoidtobacco.Smokershaveseventimestheriskofdevelopinggumdiseasecomparedtonon-smok-ers.Tobaccouseinanyform—cigarette,pipes,andsmokeless (spit) tobacco—increases the risk forgumdisease,oralandthroatcancers,andoralfungalinfections.

Limitalcohol.Heavyuseofalcoholisalsoariskfac-torfororalandthroatcancers.Whenusedalone,alcoholandtobaccoareriskfactorsfororalcancers,butwhenusedincombinationtheeffectsareevengreater.

Eat wisely. Avoiding sugars and starches whensnackingappliestoadultsaswellaschildren.Limitthe number of snacks eaten throughout the day.The recommendedfive-a-day helpingof fiber-richfruitsandvegetablesstimulatessalivaryflowtoaidremineralizationoftoothsurfaceswithearlystagesoftoothdecay.

Gotothedentist.Check-upscandetectearlysignsoforalhealthproblemsandcanleadtotreatmentsthatwillpreventfurtherdamageandinsomecasesreverse the problem. Professional tooth cleaningalsoisimportantforpreventingproblems,especiallywhenself-careisdifficult.

Adapted from CDC’s fact sheet on oral health for adults, www.cdc.gov/OralHealth/factsheets/adult.htm.

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InArkansas,forexample,theCDCfundingisbeingused to reduce disparities in oral diseases in the stateandtopromotetheexpansionofwaterfluoridation—themost cost-effective way to prevent cavities in both theyoungandold. Coloradocontinues touse its funds toimplement a preventive oral health program targetinghigh-riskchildrenandadults,andtoworkwithlocalpro-gramstoestablishoralhealthinfrastructureatthecom-munitylevel. In North Dakota, funds are being used to boost theawarenessofboththepublicandpolicymakersoftheim-portanceoforalhealth. Additionally, the CDC supports information-sharingsystems.An example is theNationalOralHealthSur-veillanceSystem,www.cdc.gov/nohss,whichlinksoralhealthdatafromstatesystems,suchastheadult-focusedBehavioralRiskFactorSurveillanceSystem—adatabasethatcontainsessentialinformationabouttheoralhealthofolderAmericans.

ProspectsfortheFuture TheCDC’seffortstohelpstrengthenstateoralhealthprogramspromisetogenerateimportantinformationforpolicymakers touse indevelopingeffectivepolicies toimprovetheoralhealthofolderAmericans.Butmajorstateeffortstoensurebroadaccesstoneededdentalcareforallseniorslikelywon’toccurinthenearfuture. InArkansas,forexample,evenaprojected$700mil-lionbudgetsurplusin2007isn’tgettingstateRep.Tom-myG.Roebucktooexcitedabouttheprospectsforswiftactiontoaddresstheoralhealthneedsofseniors. Roebuck,apracticingdentistandalegislativeleaderinimprovingoralhealthinhisstate,recognizesthatoral

WhatWorksinOralHealth:ProvenPreventionStrategiesforKidsandSeniors

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Older adults can see great improvements in their health through physical fitness programs. States are now beginning to realize the benefits of getting the baby boomer generation involved in physical activity, and are developing programs to encourage and facilitate that activity.

By Mary Branham Dusenberry

THE AGE OF

FitnessStaying Active is Important in Every Generation

ancyWhitelawhassomeadviceforpolicymakers developing physicalactivityprogramsintheirstates.“Don’tleaveolderadultsout,”saidWhitelaw, director of the nationalCenter forHealthyAginganda se-nior vice president of the NationalCouncilonAging.“There’sjustsuch

atendencyaroundwalkingprogramsandpreventioncampaignsandanti-obesityeffortstonotincludeolderpeople.Buttheycanmaketremendousgains.” Whitelaw should know. The Administration on Aging, ofwhichhercenterisapart,haslaunchedagrantsprogramandapublic-privatepartnershiptoincreaseolderpeople’saccesstoprogramsthathaveproveneffectiveinreducingtheriskofdis-ease,disabilityandinjury.Exerciseprogramsareincluded. “It’smore than just tellingpeople they shouldwalkmore,”Whitelawsaid.“Theseareactuallyinterventionsthathavegonethroughrandomizedtrials.” The evidence-based programs that have gone through thedemonstrationprojectphasehavemadeadifferenceinwellnesslevels, Whitelaw said. The programs that received the grantsin September will reflect collaboration between state officesonagingandhealthdepartmentsworkingwithprivategroups.Whitelawsaid38statessubmittedproposals,and12wereex-pectedtobefunded. “There’sa lotofworkgoingon trying topromoteeffectivelow-costphysicalactivityprogramsforolderadultstobringrec-ognitionofthevaluetothecommunity,”shesaid.

The Programs Project Enhance in Washington state is an evidence-basedprogramwhichbacks thatup.DirectorSusanSnydersaid theprogrambeganintheearly1990sasastudyinwhichagroupexerciseclasswasoffered. “The results were very positive,” Snyder said. “The par-ticipantshaddecreasedpain,decreasesindepression.Theywere more physically active, more socially connected andlessisolated.” Theprogramsoonexpandedoutsidethatcenter,andeventual-lyintoseveralWashingtoncounties.ProjectEnhanceeventuallydevelopedatrainingmanualforinstructors,andbeganofferingclassestoorganizationsthatwantedtooffertheprogram. The key to success of these programs, Snyder and othersbelieve, is the partnership between governments and privateentities. “I don’t think you can run good programs without havingstrongpartnershipswithpeopleatalllevels,”Snydersaid. TheAgingTexasWellprogramrecognizestheimportanceofpublic-privatepartnerships, according toCoordinatorMi-chaelWilson.TheprogramwasformalizedbyGov.RickPer-ryin2005. “It’s his vision and his interest,” Wilson said, “to draw to-getheralltheimportantdomainswithinaperson’slifeexperi-ence.Physicalhealthisakeydomainthathelpsinsurequalityoflife.” TexasencouragesfitnessthroughtheTexerciseprogram,thestatewidephysicalfitness campaign administered through theTexasDepartmentofAging.It’stargetedtoallagelevels.

“ ”There’s just such a tendency around walking programs and prevention campaigns and anti-obesity efforts to not include older people. But they can make tremendous gains.

—Nancy Whitelaw, directorCenter for Healthy Aging

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By Jennifer Ginn thecouncilofstategovernments www.csg.org �7

The strength of Texercise, Wilson says, is that itfunctions through statewide partners, includingDADS—the Department of Aging and DisabilityServices—health insurers, fitness centers and areaagenciesonaging. Onesuchagency,theNorthCentralTexasCouncilofGovernmentsAreaAgencyonAging,isusingtheTexerciseprogramasitsmodel,butplanstomakeitamoreactiveprogram,saidDoniVanRyswyk,man-agerofagingprograms. “Theresearchsuggestsolderadults,andalladults,tend to stick with programs better if they’re activeandnotpassive,”VanRyswyksaid.Passiveprogramsarethoseprogramsthatgiveoutinformationabouthealthandexercise.VanRyswykwill addaclinical component tomakeTexerciseamoreactiveprogram. “Wereallyneedencouragementfromfriendsandprofession-als,”VanRyswyksaid.

Why States Care VanRyswykisinterestedinseeingherprogramparticipantsbecomemoreactivebecauseshe’sconvinced theirhealthwillimprove.Butshealsothinkswhenthehealthofolderindividu-alsimproves,thestateanditstaxpayerswillbenefit. “TexasisfacingescalatinghealthcarecoststhroughtheMed-icaidprogram.Medicarecostsaregoingupall the time,”shesaid. “Prevention makes so much more sense. If we can takesomebodywhoisobeseandhashighbloodpressureandgetherinvolvedinanexerciseprogram,she’slesslikelytohaveaheartattack,lesslikelytospendtimeinICU.” VanRyswyksaidmanytimes,thegovernmentprogramsfo-cus on skilled care, “but they don’t always do a good job ofpayingforpreventivecareandtrytoavoidsomeofthehightechexpensivecare.” VanRyswykisn’taloneinherassessmentof thebenefitsofpreventivecare.ArecentanalysisofMedicarecostsandpatientdatafoundthatobesityandcertainchronicconditionswerema-jorfactorsdrivingvirtuallyallMedicarespendinggrowthforthepast15years. Thestudy,byeconomistsKennethThorpeandDavidHow-ard, found that the rate of obesity among Medicare patientsdoubledfrom1987to2002,andspendingonthoseindividualsmorethandoubled. “Whatthisstudytellsusisthatweneedtoaggressivelyputinplaceinterventionstodealwithobesityandchronicdiseaseprevalence among the elderly to control spending,” Thorpe,chairmanof theDepartmentofHealthPolicyManagementatEmoryUniversity,toldUSA Today. TheU.S.DepartmentofHealthandHumanServices—inan-nouncing the grants program for evidence-based programs—saidithadgeneratedagrowingbodyofscientificevidenceontheeffectivenessofinterventionprogramsaddressingnutritionanddiet,exerciseandavoidinginjuriessuchasfalls. “The Medicaid population and costs are important and dobenefitfromthesetypesofprograms,”Wilsonsaid.“ThestateofTexasisalwayslookingforopportunitiestoprovidechronicdisease management to partners across the state and in localcommunities.

“Through exercise, physical fitness and good nutrition, thestatehopes tomakeadent incostsassociatedwith thesedis-easesandconditions.” AgingTexasWellhasseenadifferenceinthehealthandfit-ness of older adults in communities where health and fitnessprogramsareestablished,accordingtoWilson. “Itmakessenseonsomanylevels,”saidVanRyswyk.“Firstof all on an individual level, research shows thatmost of thehealth problems that older adults confront are modifiablethrough lifestyle choices. If people engage in regular activityandmakesoundeatingchoices,theywillbemorelikelytobehealthy,tobeindependent,tospendlessmoneyonmedicalser-vicesandtobehappier.” Many communities across the country have programs fortheirelderlypopulation.MarciaOry,PhD,MPH,oftheActiveforLifeprograminTexas,saidthat’sthegoodnews.Thebadnews,shesaid,isthatnoteverycommunityinAmericahassuchaprogram. “We know, for example, that stoplights are really good forpreventingroadhazards,”shesaid.“Thiswouldbe likesomecommunitieshavingstoplightsandothersdon’t. “The key is to figure out what has enabled these commu-nities to get these programs for their seniors and how theseprograms can be picked up by other communities and otherstates,”Orysaid. Active for Life works to make information about effectiveprogramsavailabletootherstatesandcommunities.Whilethefocusisnotexclusivelyonolderadults,informationisavailableforthatagegroupaswellasforyoungerpeopleandschoolagechildren. Ory,inapresentationthissummerataHealthyStatesSum-mit, said barriers to physical activity—including assumptionsolderpeopledon’tneedtobeactive,lackofprogramsorpoli-ciestargetedtoolderpeople,nothavingtheabilitytobecomemoreactiveandfailuretotranslateresearchtopractice—canbeovercome. ShetellsthestoryofTed,an82-year-oldWorldWarIIvet-eran. Before the program, Ory told Healthy States attendees,Tedwasareclusewithstiffachingjointsandpooreatingandexercisehabits.Aftertheprogram,hehadanimprovedmentalattitude,experiencedlessstiffnessandachinginhisjointsandwalkstwomileseveryday. Hisstoryisnotuncommon,accordingtothosewhoworkwiththeelderlypopulationinexerciseprograms. “Alotoftimes,theassumptionhasbeenexercisedoesn’tmakesense when you have mobility limitations or cognitive prob-

”

StatedBriefly:

Statehealthinitiativesshouldincludetheelderly.

Public-privatepartnershipsmakeprogramsstronger.

Activeprogramsthatworkwithparticipantsproducetangibleresults.

Preventativecarepays:whenelderlycitizens’healthimproves,thestateandtaxpayersbenefit.

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lems,”VanRyswyksaid.“Butpeoplewhoarefrailcanbenefitfrom exercise because regular exercise can improve strength,endurance,flexibilityandalsohasalotofmentalhealthbenefitsaswell.”

Getting Involved Physicalactivityisimportantatanyage,andplaysamajorroleinhelpingpeopleavoidchronicdiseasesastheygetolder. “We see headlines every day about how being more activeseems tobe related to lowering the risksofdiabetes,cognitiveimpairment,”Whitelawsaid. Theflipside,shesaid,isthatpeoplerecognizethatmedicineandmedicalcarearenotthesamethingashealth. “Medicalinterventionsareimportant,”Whitelawsaid,“andweneedgoodstrongmedicalcaresystems,buttheycan’tcompen-sateforunhealthyenvironmentsandunhealthylifestyles.” Reachingthegoalsofphysicalactivityprogramswillrequirecreativethinkingonthepartsofparticipants.VanRyswyksaidifadoctorencouragesanelderlypatienttoexercise,butshedoesn’tfeelsafeintheneighborhoodinwhichshelives,thatmaynotbepossible.That’swhyit’simportantprogramparticipantsbegivenoptions—whattheythinktheycankeepupwithonaregularba-sis. Herprogramswill also reachout to anunderservedpopula-tion,thosepeoplewholiveincongregatefacilitiessuchasgrouphomesorassistedlivingfacilities. Thoseinvolvedinexerciseprogramsforolderadultsagreeit’lltakeavillageofcommunitygroupsalongwithstategovernmentstobringsuccess.

States should be involved, Snyder says, because they wanttheircitizenstobehealthy.“Theyshouldbeinvolvedbecausetheycareabouttheirconstituentsbeingabletoleadproductivelivesandbeapartofthecommunity.Healthcarecostsareeat-ingupalotoftheresourcesthatcould—ifthosecostsweren’tsohigh—gointootherprograms.” Washington’sProjectEnhancehasevidencetoshowitworks. “Thereisasubstantialdecreaseinhealthcarecostsforpeo-pletakingtheclassescomparedtosimilarfolkswhoarenottakingtheclass,”Snydersaid.“Ifyoucandecreasecostsforasmallnumberofthosepeople,you’regoingtohaveresourc-esused for thatavailable forotherprogrammingor servicesneededinthatstate.”

—Mary Branham Dusenberry is the managing editor of State News magazine.

Formoreinformationonhealthandfit-nessprogramsforolderadults,visittheseWebsites:

www.cfah.org

www.dads.state.tx.us

www.agingtexaswell.org

www.projectenhance.org

www.healthystates.csg.org

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First of all on an individual level, research shows that most of the health problems that older adults confront are modifiable through lifestyle choices. If peo-ple engage in regular activity and make sound eating choices, they will be more likely to be healthy, to be independent, to spend less money on medical services and to be happier.

—Doni Van Ryswyk, manager of aging programsNorth Central Texas Council of Governments


WIREDFOR SUCCESS

Technology in the classroom is no longer novel or cutting edge. Many educators say it’s a necessity to better educate America’s students.

By Laura Coleman

Schools Using More Technology to Educate Students

sentationandcalculations,theymusthavequestionedtheparttheyconsiderincorrect. How did Henry Clay High afford these smart remotes? Itdidn’t. “IwroteagranttogetthoseCPSsystems,”saidGill.“Ittookaboutsixhours…Itwasn’tthatbad.” “Butthat’sahighdemandonteachers,giventheotherrespon-sibilitiestheyhave,”Drakeinterjected.

Using Technology in the Classroom High-techclickersaren’ttheonlynewtechnologytoolteach-ersfinduseful.Softwareandprograms,equipmentlikelaptopsandvirtualschoolsystemsareonlyafewtechnologiesteachersusetoenhancestudents’classroomexperiences.

Software and Programs Software created specifically for educators can enhance astudent’sexperienceinnearlyeveryfacetofalearningenviron-ment. Software programs are available that can help teachersidentifyastudent’sweaknessesincontentareas,generatetestsandpracticeproblemsspecifictotheareaswheretheyneedim-provementandautomaticallyalertparentsiftheirchildrenareindanger,amongamyriadofothertasks. Gill uses several Web-based systems for students’ assign-ments.OneofthoseprogramsisWebHomework,afreeservicethroughtheUniversityofTexas.Itassignsallstudentsthesameproblems, but uses different numbers for each student to de-creasetemptationtoshareanswers. FayetteCountyPublicSchoolshasalsobegunapartnershipwith the UCLA IMMEX (Interactive Multi Media Exercises)Project, sponsored by the National Science Foundation. TheWeb-based IMMEXsoftwareprovides studentswithproblemscenariosandrequiresthemtouseproblem-solvingskillsthat

aren Gill, a physics teacher with 16yearsexperience,ischargedwithadif-ficulttask:toteach,challengeandmo-tivateaclassofhighschoolstudents. Tohelpherinhertask,Gill’sphysicslabprovidesauniquesettingatHenryClay High School, which has 1,900students and is located inLexington,

Ky. Her classroom is equipped with innovative technology tohelpengagestudents,keepthemactiveinclasses,enhancetheirperformance,andallowthemtocollectveryaccuratedata. “HenryClayisafairlytypicalschool,”saidGregDrake,co-ordinatorofInstructionalTechnologyforFayetteCountyPublicSchools.“Karen’sclass is technology rich,but isn’t typicalofthisschool.” Onadaythisfall,forexample,Gill’sclassusedClassroomPerformanceSystems(CPS)to“vote”ontheaccuracyoftheirpeers’ in-classpresentations.These“clickers,”as thestudentscall them,actas remotecontrols similar to the remotesaudi-encemembersuseonthetelevisionshow,“WhoWantstoBeaMillionaire.”Thestudents’votesthenwereprojectedfromtheirremotestoatelevisionatthefrontoftheclassroom. “The kids are using the clickers in class today,” said Gill.“They have analyzed some data and are presenting their in-formation.Theclasswillthenaskquestionsaboutthedatathepresenters presented and I’ll try not to give away whether ornottheirpresentationsarecorrect—andtheclasswillthenofferfeedbacktofixeverything.” Studentslistentotheirpeers’presentationsandaskquestionstocorrectmiscalculationsandinaccuratedata.Then,theclick-ers—theclassvotesonwhethertoacceptorrejectthefinalpre-sentation. The accuracy of their votes makes up a portion ofeachstudent’sclassparticipationgradefortheday.Andifthecriticsinthecrowdvotenottoaccepttheirclassmates’finalpre-

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I’d say to policymakers, when it comes to making America strong, when it comes to making sure America has the people to make sure we are the country we are today, to have a quality public educa-tion, they need to be like Nike and just do it to make sure schools have the money they need.

—Reg Weaver, president National Education Association

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integrate concepts with real-life situations. IMMEXproblems provide students the resources to develop,test and refine theirhypotheses to arrive at solutionstocomplexproblems.Italsohasauniqueassessmentcomponent that allows teachers to evaluate studentcontent knowledge and reasoning skills by using thesearchpathmapsthesoftwaregenerates. “MykidscallIMMEXWebHomeworkonsteroids,”saidGill.“It’sacontextrichproblemwheretheyhavetomakedecisions and judgewhat information is es-sentialtosolvingtheproblem.It’snotquiteasdifficultastherealworld,butyoutakeastepclosertowhattherealworldis.” Just down the road from Henry Clay High Schoolat the three-year-oldEdytheJ.HayesMiddleSchool,800middleschoolstudentsreporttotheirclassroomsfivedaysaweek.Andiftheydon’t,theirparentsknowaboutitautomatically. Hayes Middle School educators use student atten-dance software to track and record attendance. Thesoftware then allows teachers to generate an atten-dance report and letters to other staff members andparentsbyusingtheattendancedata.Italsointegrateswith telephone software to automatically call absentstudents’parents. SherriJoHeise,theschool’sprincipal,saidparentsappreciate this kind of notification. “They expect ustohaveit,”shesaid.“Ifachildisabsent,itmakesanautomaticcallhome.Ithelpskeepthemincheck. “The main thing is keeping that child safe,” shesaid.“Itgoesbeyondthelearning.Itkeepsthechildsafe,too.”

Computers and Hardware Manyschoolsystemsrealizehownecessaryitistomakesurestudentshaveaccesstoup-to-date,functionalcomputersandIn-ternetavailability,whichwillhelpequipthemwithskillstheyneedinthe21stcentury. Inoneuniquecase,however,anentirestatecommitteditselftothisgoal.TheMaineLearningTechnologyInitiative,afour-year-oldprogram,hasequippedmorethan32,000seventhandeighthgradersand4,000teacherswithApplenotebookcomput-ers,wirelessnetworks,trainingandtechnicalsupport. “Theprojectingeneralistryingtolookathowweteachandhowkidslearnandhowtechnologycanbeusedtoenhancethatprocess,” said Jeff Mao, coordinator of Educational Technol-ogyfortheMaineDepartmentofEducation.“Therealcoreofwhatwe’retryingtodoandwheremostofourattentiongoesisteachertrainingandtoproducebestpractices. “Itgetsa lotofattention, thefact thatwe’vespentsomuchmoneyonallthisequipment,”hesaid.“Butthat’snotthereasonwedidthis,nottoteachkidscomputerskills.Thekidswillgaincomputerskillssimplybyplayingwithacomputer.WetriedtofigureouthowasanEnglishteacher,youcanreachyourgoals,notifeverykidknowshowtomakeaPowerPoint.” FormerMaineGov.AngusKingtookinitialstepstowardtheprojectin1999.“GovernorKingisverycharismatic,”saidMao.“Hedeeplycaresaboutthestate,andwhenhelatchedontotheidea,hewasabletomoveacrowdandbringpeoplealong.”

ChallengesinClassroomTechnology

BillThomas,directoroftheSouthernRegionalEducationBoard,listedsomeissuespolicymakersshouldbeawareofwhenconsideringtech-nologyprogramsforschoolsintheirstates:

Technologyiscostly.

Technologychangesrapidly.

Schoolshaveproblemssupportingtechnology,and

Trainingforteachers,anabsolutenecessity,isoftenneglected.

JeffMao,coordinatorofEducationalTechnologyfortheMaineDe-partmentofEducation,echoedThomas’sentimentsabouttheneedfortraining. “Whether or not a teacher knows how to use the technology iscrucial,”he said.“If a laptopbecomesafivepoundpaperweight, yourunintoissues. Istheleadershipprovidingsupportandresourcesforadequatetrainingandisitdemandingthatteachersusetechnologyandattendthetraining?Ifnot,it’sthesameasmakingakidcarryaroundaneightpoundmathbookwithoutusingit.” Replacingoutdatedequipmentisanotheressential.“Anoldcomput-ersittinginaroomiscompletelyuselessandcanbecounter-produc-tive,”saidRansomHolbrook,schooltechnologycoordinatorforHayesMiddleSchoolinLexington,Ky.“Ifwebuystuffforschools,wethinkitshouldlastforeverinsteadoftreatingitthewaywetreatabusiness.” Butwhileupdates, training,andequipmentcanbecost-prohibitive,Maopointsoutthat,asinthecaseofMaine’s�:�laptopprogram,anentirestatehasalotmorebuyingpowerthanaschooldistrict. “Thepricewe’venegotiated,”hesaid,forcomputers,networks,tech-nicalsupportandtraining,“Iwouldbetisbetterthanwhateveryotherdistrictinthecountryisabletoget.”

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AccordingtoMao,theinitiativewasbornthroughthegover-nor’sdesiretomoveMaineaheadofotherstatesintermsofeco-nomicdevelopment.“Herealizedintalkingtoothergovernorsthatifwedidthesamethingsotherstatesweredoing,we’dstaywherewewereranked,”saidMao.“Tomakeachange,wemustthinkbeyondthesimplethings.” MaosaidKingthenspokewithprofessionallocationspecial-ists—peoplewhoadvisecompanieswheretoopen—andaskedthemwhatmotivatedcompaniestolocatetocertainareas. “Thenumberonethingwastheableandreadyworkforce,”saidMao.“Youcanalwaysdealwithtaxes,thereareplentyoflocationsthatarenearenoughtotransportationsoyoucangetsupplies,butifyoudon’thaveaneducatedworkforce,youendupspendinganenormousamountofmoneytobringoneinoreducateone. If thework forcealreadyexists somewhere,youcanplopthefactorydownthereandletthemgo.” WhileitwasKingwhoinitiatedtheproject,hecouldnothavetakenitonalone.“Ithinkwhatittakesintheendissignificantpoliticalwillatthelegislativelevel.Schoolsalonecan’tdowhatwe’redoing—there’s justnot enoughmoney in the traditionalschoolformula,”saidMao. AndMaine’slegislaturemadesureschooldistrictsdidn’thavetogoitalone.“Intheend,ifyoustripeverythingaway,someonehastopayforthis.Thisisstatefunded,”saidMao.“Thelegis-laturesupportedtheproject,listenedtoconstituents,decideditwasagoodprogramandwhenitcametimetoputtheirthumbsupordown,theyputtheirthumbsup.” To Mao, this initiative helps level the educational playingfield.“Ithinkoneofthethingstolookatorconsideristhatweoftentalkinstategovernmentaboutequityandservingthepop-ulation,”hesaid.“Whenwelookathowschoolsarefunded,wesayit’sequitable,butit’saseparatebutequalkindofequitable.Inaschooldistrict,thefundingformulagivesfewerdollarsperhead to richer districts than to those which are economicallydepressed.Thismakessense. “Butontheotherhand,welookathowourprojectwasde-ployed,anditwasadifferentkindofequity,”hesaid.“Everystudentandeveryteacherwasgiventhedeviceandtraining.Itgetsallthewaydowntotheclassroomlevel.”

Virtual Schools Wherelaptopsgrantaccesstocomputerequipmenttostudentswhomaynothaveitathome,virtualschoolscanhelpincreaseaccessibility to classes and teachers some students would notnormallybeabletoexperience. “The number one advantage to virtual schools is that theyprovidecoursesirrespectiveofwherestudentsreside,”saidBill

TheSREB in�00�releasedareportonconsiderationsforplanningastatevirtualschool.Accordingtothereport,statesshould:

Establishthestate’svision:TheWeboffersvalueandopportunities to increase students’ access to qualityeducationandtoimprovestudentachievement.

Identifywhichcoursesareneeded:Budgetshortagesthat limit thenumberofqualifiedteachers incertainsubjectareas, intensifiedbyhighstudentenrollmentsandhigh turnover amongnew teachers createsnewaccessibilitychallengesthatcanberemediedbyoffer-ingWeb-basedcourses.

Organizeactions tomeetstateneeds:Whatadmin-istrativestructurewillberequiredtomanagethede-liveryofcourses,coordinateactivities,andassessthequalityofcoursesandeffectivenessoftheprogram?Tocreateavirtual school,astatemustdeterminewhatcourseswillbeavailableandhowtomeasurequality.

Determinecostand fundingmethods:TheKentuckyVirtualHighSchooloffersonlinecoursestoschooldis-tricts,whichpay$�75forone-halfcreditand$500fora two-semester course. Florida’s legislature providesitsstate’svirtualschoolwithsufficientfundingsoanystudentinthestatemaytakecoursesatnocosttothestudentortheschool.

Moreconsiderationsandinformationonvirtualschools,aswellascasestudiesandexamplesofbestpractices,areavail-ableatwww.sreb.org.

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Continued on page 32

�� statenews october�006

Photo Credit: Maricopa County Regional Parks (Lake Pleasant)

PhoenixAnnual State Trends and Leadership Forum

Nov. 30–Dec. 3

THE COUNCILOF STATE GOVERNMENTS ’06

share • grow • achieve

Photo Credit: TPC Scottsdale

Photo Credit: Grand Canyon Railway

Photo Credit: Henry Fechtman

Photo Credit: Babe Sarver

Photo Credit: William HawkesPhoto Credit: Usery Mountain Regional Park

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Plan now to join state leaders from across the nation in Phoenix, Ariz., Nov. 30–Dec. 3, 2006.

The Council of State Governments Annual State Trends and Leadership Forum gives you the opportunity to share ideas with offi cials from every branch of state government and every region of the country.

The Pointe Hilton at Squaw Peak, surrounded by the scenic landscape of the Sonoran Desert, provides a unique and relaxing location for rejuvenating your mind.

This year, the conference will feature speakers and workshops which emphasize the driving change factors in state government. Among those invited to speak are U.S. Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne, U.S. Sen. John McCain, and U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez. Program highlights include sessions on sustainable water solutions for states, recent state health care reform and state innovations. For our full agenda visit our Web site at www.csg.org.

Register Now Register online at www.csg.org or by faxing a completed registration form (available for download on CSG’s Web site) to (859) 244-8117. Full meeting registration to the CSG Annual State Trends and Leadership Forum includes admission to business sessions, committee meetings, workshops, plenary sessions, task force meetings and exhibit hall. It also includes meeting materials and meal functions.

Exhibit Information Meet the states’ key decision makers attending CSG’s Annual State Trends and Leadership Forum and showcase your products and services in CSG’s Expo Hall. Space is limited. Visit our Web site today at www.csg.org for more information.

joinjoin us...j


RENTWithin Reach

More people in low- to moderate- income brackets are finding it difficult to locate affordable rental housing. The problem is a growing public policy concern, but there are programs that can help address the problem.

Safe, Affordable Housing Becoming More Difficult to Find

In 1949, the Housing Act—passed during the Truman Ad-ministration—called for“adecenthomeanda suitable livingenvironmentforeveryAmericanfamily.” Fifty-seven years later, many Americans are struggling tocovertheoverwhelmingcostofputtingaroofovertheirheads.Renterswithlow-tomid-rangelevelsofincomearefindingitincreasinglydifficulttoobtainsafe,decenthousingwithintheirfinancialreach.Withthefutureofthehousingmarketunclear,thelackofaffordablerentalhousingisagrowingconcernforpolicymakersandcitizensalike. The2006NationalHousingOpportunityPulsebytheNation-alAssociationofRealtors indicates thataffordablehousing isonmanyAmericans’minds.Morethan42percentofthe1,000respondentstoJune2006surveyaboutvarioushousingtopicscitedthelackofaffordablehousingintheircommunitiesasone

By Jennifer Burnett

oftheir topthreeconcerns.Morethan68percentsaidhavingenoughmoneytopayrenteverymonthwasdifficultforfamiliesintheircommunity,anincreaseof7percentoverlastyear. Thesurveyresultssuggestthatsolvingthecrisisinaffordablehousing isan importantpublicpolicypriority.Eightypercentofthesurveyrespondentssaidtheywouldbewillingtosupportmoreaffordablehomesbeingmadeavailableforpeopleintheircommunity,and68percentsaidtheywouldbemorelikelytovoteforacandidatewhoworkedtomakehousingmoreafford-ableintheirarea.

A Hot Housing Market Recent and long-running economic trends have had a sig-nificantimpactontheavailabilityofaffordablerentalhousing.Whentheeffectiveinterestrateonaconventional30-yearfixedratemortgagedippedbelow5.5percentinmid2003,thehous-ing industry experienced revitalization. The low rates pulledmillionsofconsumersintothemarket,andhomeownershiplev-elsreachedrecordhighs. Thiswhirlwindofactivityalsohelpedlaunchrealestatepric-esintothestratosphere,particularlyintheWestandNortheast.Forexample,thenationalmediansalesprice(in2005dollars)ofexistingsingle-familyhomesincreasedby18.3percent—from$185,100in2003to$219,000in2005.Duringthissametimeperiod,thepriceincreaseintheWesternregionwasastagger-ing32.2percent,raisingthemedianto$340,300. TheFedreactedtorisinginflationbyincreasinginterestrates17consecutivetimessinceJune2004.Thisresultedinarelativecooldownofthehousingmarketinnearlyeveryregionofthecountry.Thehousingbubblethatgrewdueinparttolowinter-estratesappearstobecomingtoanend. The National Association of Realtors reports that in July2006,salesofpreviouslyownedhomesfelltothelowestlevelinmorethantwoyears,withpriceappreciationflattening.Sellersarewaitinglongerforbuyersasthesupplyofunsoldhousesonthemarketreachesnewpeaks.Theinitialeffectofhigherinter-estratesmaybefewerpeoplebuyinghomesandtherebypush-ingdownrealestateprices.However,theremaybeunintendedconsequencesforrentalhousing.

Evolving Needs As people exit homeownership because of in-creasing interest ratesand join the rentalmarket,rental ratesare likely torisedue to the increaseddemand.So,althoughthehousingmarketmaycooloff,rentalpricesmaycontinuetoclimbevenhigher.Affordabilityintherentalmarkethasbeenerodingforawhile,and thecurrenthousingmovement isonlyexacerbatinganalreadytroublingtrend. According to America’s Rental Housing:Homes for a Diverse Nation, issued by HarvardUniversity’s Joint Center for Housing Studies,grossmonthlyrentsincreasedfrom$611in1996to $711 in 2004—a 16.4 percent hike. Over thesametimeperiod,monthlyrenterincome(in2005dollars)effectivelyfellby1.1percent.Thistrendindicatesthatalthoughrentsareincreas-ingatarelativelysteadyspeed,incomeisnotkeep-ingpace.


Thoseat thelowerendofthewagescaledealwithanevenmore difficult problem. Market-driven, unsubsidized afford-ablehousinghasessentiallydisappeared.Afull-timeminimumwageearnercanno longeraffordabasic two-bedroomapart-mentatfairmarketvalue—anywhere.Low-incomeelderlyanddisabledindividualsalsoareprofoundlyaffectedbythesebroadupswingsinrentalrates. Asrentpricesescalate,affordabilityproblemsarealsomovinguptheincomedistributionladder.Inhigh-costmetropolitanar-eassuchasBoston,Washington,D.C.andSanFrancisco,school-teachers, nurses and other middle-income professionals can’taffordmodestrentalhousing.Figure1illustratesthistrend. Thenumberofrentalhouseholdsthatarecost-burdened,with30 to 50 percent of income devoted to housing, and severelycost-burdened,thosewithmorethan50percentofincomede-votedtohousing,hasincreasedinthebottomandtwomiddleincomequartilesfrom2001–2004.Eventhetopincomequartileexperiencedadeclineinthosewithnoburden,spending30per-centorlessonhousing. As spending on housing costs consumes a greater percent-age of household income, less money remains to cover otherbasicexpenses.Harvard’srentalstudyconcludesthat,afterpay-ingmorethanhalfoftheirincomesonrent,householdsinthelowest expenditure quartile haveonly $384 amonth left overtomeetfood,transportation,healthcareandotherbasicneeds.Bycontrast,theaverageAmericanhouseholdspendsmorethan$450amonthonfoodalone. Rental housing is becoming increasingly difficult to obtaingiventhefinancialrealityofmanypeople.Thenumberofaf-fordablerentalhousingunitsisdecreasingwhilethenumbersofpeoplewhoneedthemcontinuestogrow.Thereasonsbehindthe loss of affordable rental housing are complicated, numer-ousandsometimescontroversial.Thereareafewdevelopments,however,thatclearlyaffecttheavailabilityofaffordablerentalunits for people with low- tomid-range income levels.Theseinclude:

Basic economic trends including increasing prices in thegeneral housing market and the accompanying disparategrowthofincome;

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Bottom 25%

Lower-Middle 25%

Upper-Middle 25%

Top 25%

No Burden(30% or less)

Moderate Burden(30%–50%)

Severe Burden(over 50%)

Perc

ent

Cha

nge

Income Brackets

Figure 1:IncomeSpentonRent(Percent Change 2001–2004)

Data Source: Joint Center of Housing Studies of Harvard’s tabulations of the 2001 and 2004 American Community Surveys.


States adopt poli-cies to increase re-newable energy use

Therenovationandgentrificationofpreviouslyaffordableunits;and

Theexpirationoffederalsubsidiesandcontracts.

Thedramaticswellinthevalueofexistinglandandrealestategenerated compelling incentives for owners to take advantageofemerging,higherpricedmarkets.Previouslyaffordableunitshavebeenconvertedtohigherpricedrentalunitsorintocondos.“Lowendrentalunitswerebeingrenovatedandgentrifiedinareallybigway…suddenlythelandbecamemorevaluableanditwasn’tworththeir(landlords’)whiletorentataverylowratewhentheycouldupscaleit,”saidDeanBaker,co-directoroftheCenter for Economic and Policy Research. “They could thenrentitatamuchhigherrateormoretypically,sellitasacondoandmakeaverybigprofit.”As the real estate market cools, the practice of renovatinglowercostunitsandresellingthemforaveryhighreturnshouldslowdown.Manyareas,however,havealreadylostlargenum-bersofaffordableunits,andreplacingthemwillbedifficult.

Government Assistance in Affordable Housing While the lossof affordablehousing throughrenovationandresaleiscertainlyaseriouscon-cern,itismostlikelycyclicalanddifficulttoad-dressthroughpublicpolicy.Policydecisionscan,however, affect the regulation of subsidies andcontracts. A number of federal subsidies and contractsthat help regulate the cost of housing for lowerincome people will be expiring in the near fu-ture.Forexample,contractsgoverningmorethan1millionfederallyinsuredapartmentswithproj-ect-basedSection8assistancehaveexpiredinthepastseveralyearsorwillexpiresoon.WhentheseandothercontractsonHUD-assistedaffordablehousing expire, the owners of such propertieshave the opportunity to leave the governmentsponsored programs, and they increasingly arechoosingtodo. Many affordable housing experts believe thatzoning restrictions—often described as exclu-sionaryzoning—arealsotoblameforadeficitinaffordablerentalhousing. “Thepracticeofzoningouthighdensityhous-ing isoneof theprimary reasons for theshort-ageinaffordablerentalstock,”saidRichardM.Haughey, director of Multifamily DevelopmentforTheUrbanLandInstitute. Oftentimes,residentsopposebuildingafford-ablerentalhousingintheircommunities—usu-ally with concerns over aesthetics, propertydevaluation and crime. Those concerns some-times lead local zoning officials to segregateaffordablehousingfromtherestofthecommu-nity. However, as Haughey said, “…The prod-uct (multifamilyunits) isbecominga lotmoresophisticated.Itisbeingdeliveredasmixed-use

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HousingasanEconomicStimulus,areportpublishedbyOregon Housing and Community Services cites severalbenefits to affordable, quality housing—beyond the directandmostvisibleimpacts—includingthefollowing:

Greateravailabilityofmoneytospendonfoodandotherhouseholdnecessities

Increased housing stability and reduced risk ofhomelessness

Safer neighborhoods and less crowded living quar-tersforpeoplewithlowincomes

Better school performance and reduced dropoutrates

Better behavior and increased motivation amongchildren

Improvedhealthstatusincludinglowerincidenceofobesity

Increasedcoverageinhealthinsurance

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BeyondtheNumbers

andmixed-incomedevelopment that ismore congruentwiththeexistinghousing.” Therearemanyprogramsandorganizationswhoseprimarypurposeistoaddresstheaffordablehousingcrisis.Theserangefromthefederalleveltothelocalnonprofit,frombroadrentalassistanceprogramstoneighborhoodlevelinclusionaryzoningregulations.Theirfunding,popularityandeffectivenessisjustasvaried. Federal rental assistance programs provide three differentservices: public housing, project-based assisted housing andtenant-based housing assistance. There are also other federalhousingprogramsthatpromoteaffordablehousing,suchastheLow Income Housing Tax Credit and the HOME InvestmentPartnership(HOME).In recent years, federal funding levels for these programshasbeen inconsistent andonadownward trend.At a recentFannieMaeHousingConference,BruceKatz,directoroftheCenteronUrbanandMetropolitanPolicy,madeclearthede-clining importanceofaffordablehousingfundingandinitia-tivesatthefederallevel. “In real terms, federal funding for affordable housing pro-gramshasplummetedover thepastseveraldecades,”hesaid.“Few members of Congress develop an expertise in housingpolicies.HUDisabackwaterinthefederalgovernmentandhasalmostdisappearedfromtheradarscreenduringthecurrentad-ministration.” While the federal government’s support has diminished,stateand localgovernmentsupport foraffordablehousing isexpanding.Severalprogramsareavailabletostateandlocalgovernments,includinghousingtrustfundsandinclusionaryzoningpractices.Both programs have produced encouraging results across theUnitedStates.Housingtrustfundsseektoencourageaffordablehousing through finance, while inclusionary programs allowgovernmentsandcommunitiestoplanforaffordablehousingby“zoning”itin.Thesearetwoseparateapproachesthatseektoalleviatethesameproblem. Housingtrustfundsareusedinawiderangeofprogramsthatsupport affordable housing for both homeowners and renters.Theyhaveadedicatedsourceofpublicfundingcommittedtoaffordablehousing. At the state level, according to Mary Brooks, director oftheHousingTrustFundProjectat theCenter forCommunityChange,legislationispassedthatdedicatespublicrevenuestosupportaffordablehousinginongoingprograms.

“Abouthalfofthefundsareadministeredbystatehousingfi-nanceagenciesandareusuallydistributedbyaproposalprocesssothateligibleapplicantscanapplyforavailabledollars,”shesaid. Therearemorethan400housingtrustfundsin38states. Forinstance,thehousingtrustfundknownasARegionalCo-alitionofHousing (ARCH) is a partnershipof suburbanEastKingCountyinWashingtonandisfundedbythemembercitiesandthecounty.ARCHworkswithitsmemberjurisdictionstoassisttheminexpandingaffordablehousing. “Wesupportthegrowthandpreservationofaffordablehous-ingthroughassistingcitiesintheirplanningefforts,helpingcit-iescoordinatetheallocationoftheirresources,andhelpingthecitiesadminister thoseprogramsover time,”saidARCHPro-gramManagerArthurSullivan. Jurisdictionsinwhichtrustfundsoperatehavereportednu-merouseconomicbenefits,butSullivanbelieves thatARCH’sfirst success is “that these cities have voluntarily created thisorganization,acknowledgedthataffordablehousingisanissueintheircommunityandtheyneedtoaddressit.” Becauseexclusionaryzoningcandiscouragetheproductionand preservation of affordable housing, inclusionary housingprogramsprovideanotheroptionforstateandlocalgovernmentstoaddressthisissue.Inclusionaryhousingisanyprogramthataimstoincreaseaffordablehousingbyrequiringorencouragingprivatedeveloperstomakeacertainpercentageoftheirhous-ingaffordable to low-ormoderate-incomehouseholds.Theseprogramscanbeeithermandatoryorvoluntary,butemergingresearchsuggeststhatmandatoryrestrictionsaremorelikelytoproducethedesiredresult. There are several long-standing inclusionary zoning pro-grams, including ones in California, Maryland and Virginia.Massachusettsenactedastatewideinclusionaryzoningstatutein1969knownasChapter40B,but theseprogramsareoftenadministered and conceived at the local level. MontgomeryCounty,Md.,isoftenconsideredapioneerinpassingsuchpoli-ciesanditsprogramhasproducedmorethan10,000unitssince1973. As affordability problems move up the income scale and abroaderrangeofpeopleareaffected,morestateandlocalgov-ernmentswillbelookingtoprogramssuchasthesetoaddresstheproblem.

—Jennifer Burnett is a research analyst with The Council of State Governments

“ ”In real terms, federal funding for affordable housing programs has plummeted over the past several decades. Few members of Congress develop an expertise in housing policies. HUD is a backwater in the federal government and has al-most disappeared from the radar screen during the current administration.

—Bruce KatzDirector, Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy


�8 statenews june/july�006

StemmingResearch

Feds Won’t Fund Stem Cell Research, But States Will

President George W. Bush’s first-ever veto retained limitations on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. The vetoed bill that would have allowed—with restrictions—such research was passed with overwhelming bi-partisan support. States, however, continue to fund embryonic stem cell research.

By Kristi Guillory

csg washington


n July, PresidentBush vetoed legislation thatwouldhave lifted someof the restrictionsonfederal funding for embryonic stem cell re-search. However, several states, includingCalifornia, New Jersey, Maryland, Connecti-cutandIllinois,usestatemoneytofundsuchresearch. Theissueofembryonicstemcellresearchis

oneofthemostdivisiveamongpolicymakers. Funding stem cell research and new developments in thescienceofisolatingcellsfromembryoshasaddedfueltothedebate. Although there are restrictions on federal funding for stemcellresearch,somestatescontinuetofinanciallysupportsuchendeavors. Somepolicymakersadvocatelimitingresearchtoadultstemcells.Forthemtheissueisanethicalonebecausetheybelievederivingstemscellsfromembryosisunethical. Othersbelievethatrestrictingresearchtoadultstemcellswilllimitthepotentialpromisethatstemcellsholdintreatingde-generativediseasessuchasAlzheimer’s,juvenilediabetesandParkinson’sdisease. Therearenorestrictionsonfundingadultstemcellresearch.Bonemarrowtransplants,forexample,areadultstemcellther-apy.Butadultstemscellsarenotasusefultoresearchers.Adultstemcellslacktheabilitytodividemultipletimes,haveashort-erlifeexpectancyandmaynotbeabletodevelopintoasmanytissuesasembryoniccells. FederalfundingforhumanembryonicstemcellresearchwasapprovedbylegislationinAugust2001.However,themeasurelimitedresearchto“existingstemcelllines”—thoselinesthatexistedbeforeAug.9,2001. Treatmentsbasedonstemcellresearchareestimatedtobeatleastadecadeaway,andquestions—suchashowstemcellsrepair damaged tissues and how to use stem cells in trans-plants—remain. Meanwhile,newdevelopments,andtheinvolvementofstatesinfundingresearch,couldchangethetenorof thedebateontheissue.

Latest Research Developments InAugust,researchersannouncedanewmethodofobtainingstem cells from an early stage human embryo. The research-ersdescribed the technique inanarticle forNaturemagazineinwhich they implied the experimentwascompletedwithoutdestroyinganyembryos.Theresearchersbelievedthatifcellscould be extracted from embryos without destroying the em-bryo, theywouldbeaddressing theethical arguments againststemcellresearch.

ShortlyafterNature issuedapressreleaseaboutthestudy,themagazine issuedaclarificationstating thatall theembryos intheexperimentweredestroyed. Advanced Cell Technologies Inc. (ACT), a biotechnologycompany in Alameda, Calif., stands by its study, contendingthat the techniqueholdspromise forsomedayextractingcellswithoutdestroyingembryos. Researchers previously conducted experiments by takingclumpsofcellsfromfive-day-oldembryosthatwerefrozendur-ing invitro fertilization, aprocess thatdestroys theembryos.ACTofficialssaytheirtechniqueofferstheadvantageofdevel-opingnewstemcelllinesderivedfromasinglecellofatwo-day-oldembryoafter the fertilizedegghasdivided intoeightcells,calledblastomeres. ACTmaintainsinvitrofertilizationclinicsthatlookforge-neticflawsinnewlyfertilizedembryosareusingtheprocess. Taking one cell or two cells doesn’t seem to interfere withlaterfetaldevelopment,butthereisstillariskofdamagingtheembryo.ACTworkedwith16embryosandextracted91indi-vidualcells.Basedonthose91cells,theresearcherswereabletoproducetwostemcelllines. Dr.JamesBattey,headofthestemcelltaskforceattheNa-tionalInstitutesofHealth,saiditisnotclearifthisnewmethodwillbecompatiblewiththefederalrestrictionsbecauseremovalofablastomerestillplacestheembryosatrisk. ItisalsostillunclearwhetherthestemcelllinescreatedbyACTdiffersignificantlyfromotherstemcelllines.

State Initiatives Meanwhile, several statescontinue to fundembryonicstemcellresearch. In2002,Californiaenactedthefirststatelawpermittingre-searchinvolvingembryonicstemcellsaswellasclonedhumanembryos. In November 2004, voters approved Proposition 71amendingthestateconstitutiontofacilitatestemcellresearchandtoestablishtheCaliforniaInstituteforRegenerativeMedi-cine(CIRM). Proposition71alsoestablishedafundingstreamforstemcellresearchbyauthorizingabondsaletogenerate$3millionforresearchoverthenext10years,withthefundslimitedonlytoscientists and facilities inCalifornia.CIRMcouldpotentiallyfaceachallengeinNovemberwhenastateSenatebill,ifpassed,wouldrequireCIRMtoconductmoreopenmeetingsandreturnaminimumroyaltytothestate. NewJerseybecame thesecondstate toenacta lawpermit-tingembryonicstemcellresearchinJanuary2004.WhileNewJerseyappropriatedfundsforadultandembryonicstemcellre-search,itnonethelesssimultaneouslyendorsedtheBushpolicyofbanningreproductivecloning.

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InMay2004,theStemCellInstituteofNewJerseywases-tablishedand received funding totaling$15million infiscalyears2005and2006.NewJerseyrecentlycreatedthenation’sfirst publicly funded bank for umbilical-cord and placentalbloodforuseintreatmentandresearch. IllinoisGov.RodBlagojevichbypassedthelegislaturetwotimestoallocatestatefundsforstemcellresearch.Lastyearthegovernorallocated$10millionforresearch.Thisyearheannounced10grantstotaling$10millionforbothembryonicandadultstemcellresearch. Thestatehealthdepartmentawarded10grants tosevenre-searchcentersinIllinois.Thegovernorisalsosupportinglegis-lationtoallocateanother$100millionfromthestate’stobaccosettlementtofundsuchresearchoverthenextfiveyears. In March 2006, the Maryland legislature passed a billproviding $15 million in stem cell research funding foroneyear.Thebillalsoestablishesapaneltoauthorizeandawardgrants. In2005,ConnecticutGov.JodiRellsignedlegislationpro-vidingfor$200millioninfundingforstemcellresearchoverthenext10years. Otherstateshaveenactedlegislationprohibitingfundingforthistypeofresearch.AsofJuly,26stateshavelawsimposingsome restrictionson stemcell research.SouthDakota is theonlystatethatforbidsstemcellresearchentirely.

Latest Developments in Federal Stem Cell Policy PriortotheBushAdministrationpolicy,nofederalfundshadbeenusedtosupportstemcellresearch.CongresshadattachedaridertofundinglegislationfortheNationalInstitutesofHealthin1996.Thisrider,knownastheDickeyamendment,prohib-itedtheU.S.DepartmentofHealthandHumanServicesfromusingfundsforthecreationofhumanembryosforresearchorforresearchinwhichtheembryosweredestroyed.TheDickeyamendmentwasplacedintoappropriationsbillsforthedepart-mentfromfiscalyears1996to2006. TheU.S.Senatein2006consideredthreepiecesofstemcelllegislation. TheFetusFarmingProhibitionActof2006(S.3504)prohib-itedthesaleoruseoftissuefromfetusesgestatedforresearchpur-poses.Infetalfarms,humanembryoscanbemadeinanonhumanuterusorfromhumanpregnanciesthatwerecreatedspecificallyforthepurposeofresearch.ThisbillwasunanimouslyapprovedbytheHouseandSenate,andlatersignedbythepresident. Asecondbill,“TheAlternativePluripotentStemCellThera-piesEnhancementAct,”(S.2754)failedtopassduetoaproce-duralmovebytheHouseofRepresentatives,afteritwaseasilypassedintheSenate.Thebillsoughttoencourageresearchintomethodsofobtainingstemcellswiththesamepropertiesasem-bryonicstemcells,butwithoutthedestructionofembryos,suchasusingadultstemcells. Ofthethreebillsinthestemcellpackage,H.R.810,the“StemCellResearchEnhancementActof2005,”wasperhapsthemostimportant. H.R.810wouldhaveallowedfederalfinancingforthederiva-tionofnewstemcelllinesbyusingembryosleftoverfrominvitrofertilizationprocedures.This is importantbecause federal sup-portofresearchofthiskindisonlylimitedtostemcelllinescre-atedbefore2001.ThisbillwaspassedintheHouseinMay2005,butittookayearofnegotiationsbeforeSenateMajorityLeaderBillFristofTennesseewasabletobringittotheSenatefloor. Mostof the languageof thebill focusesonethical require-mentsforobtainingstemcellstobeusedforresearch.Thisbillhad overwhelming bipartisan support, with 200 co-sponsors.Thebillplaced the following restrictionsonembryosused instemcellresearch:

Thestemcellsmustbederivedfromhumanembryosdo-natedfrominvitrofertilizationclinics,createdfortheex-press purpose of fertility treatment, and in excess of theclinicalneedofindividualsseekingfertilitytreatment;

Theembryoswouldneverbe implanted in awomanandwouldbediscarded;and

Embryodonationsmustbeobtainedthroughwrittencon-sent from the individual seeking treatment and consentmustbeobtainedwithoutmonetarycompensationorotherinducements.

President Bush vetoed H.R. 810 July 19. This was the firstvetoofhispresidency.TheHousewasunsuccessful in its at-tempttooverridetheveto.

—Kristi Guillory is senior policy analyst and assistant counsel in CSG’s Washington, D.C., office.

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Where stem cells come fromScientists believe stem cells from human embryos have the potential to cure disease because they can morph into any cell in the body. In theory, stem cells could someday be used to replace damaged brain cells in Alzheimer's patients, for instance. The research raises ethical questions, however, because stem cells are taken from embryos. Here is an outline of how the stem cells are harvested.

M A R K N O W L I N / T H E S E A T T L E T I M E S

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Fertilized human egg,

created for in-vitro, or lab-dish, fertility treatments.

After five to seven days,

the nascent embryo, called a blastocyst,

is packed with stem cells. The cells have

not yet transformed into human tissue,

such as heart muscle.

Stem cells develop into

specialized cells.

Blood

Neural

cells

Muscle

cells

Source: University of Wisconsin-Madison

Inner stem-cell mass. This is a cluster of

cells that is harvested for research. The

outer mass, which later forms the placenta

around the fetus, is discarded.

Once isolated in a lab dish, scientists can make the cells

multiply indefinitely, potentially to supply other

researchers around the world.

Stemcellspotentiallyholdgreatpromisefortreatingde-generativediseasessuchasAlzheimer’s, juvenilediabetesandParkinson’s. Researchusingstemcellsbeganin�98�whenembry-onic stem cells were isolated from mouse embryos. In�998twogroupsofU.S.scientistswereabletoisolatehu-manembryonicstemcellsfromhumanembryos.Thepro-cessofremovingstemcellsfromtheembryoisthemostcontroversialaspectoftheresearchbecausetheremovalofthecellsdestroystheembryo. Aside from deriving stem cells from human embryos,therearetwoothermethodsofderivingstemcells—so-matic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) and the useof adultstemcells. SCNTisalsoreferredtoascloning.Inthisprocess,thenucleusofaneggisremovedandreplacedwithanucleusfromamaturebodycell.Thisprocedurewasusedtocre-ateDollythesheepin�996. AdultstemcellresearchisnotascontroversialasSCNTorhumanembryos,andfederal fundingusingadultstemcellsisnotrestricted.Bonemarrowtransplantsareanex-ampleofadultstemcelltherapy.

AboutStemCells

Mostcells in thehumanbodyhaveaspecific function,butstemcellsareundifferentiated.Stemcellscanbecomeanycellinthebody,whichaccountsfortheirabilitytore-pairdamagedtissuesortogeneratenew,healthytissues,whichcanprovideinsightsintothecausesofbirthdefectsandgeneticabnormalities.

Adultstemcellsmaynothavethesamecapabilitiesasembryonicstemcells,suchastheabilityofthecellstodi-videmultipletimes.Also,adultstemcellsmayhaveshorterlifeexpectanciesthanembryonicstemcells,andtheymaynotbeable todevelop intoasmany typesof tissuesas

3� statenews october�006

AState of Decay continued from pg 14

healthcareforseniorsisanimportantissueespeciallyforthosewithlowerincomes.“InArkansas,themedianincomeiswellbe-lowthenationalaverage,”Roebucksays.“MedicaidinArkansasdoesnotcoveradultdentalcare,notevenforreliefofpain,whichisludicrous.” “IfwecouldgettheimpetustotrytoincludesomeadultdentalcareinMedicaid(itwouldbeanimportantfirststep),”Roebucksays.Butheacknowledgesthatit“wouldtakeaprettygoodefforttogetthatpassed.

OralHealthLinksforYourConstituents:HelpConnectSeniorCitizensWithExpertAdvice ThisCDCfactsheetonoralhealthforolderAmericansprovideseasy-to-followadviceonhowtopreventoralhealthproblems.Linkyourconstituentstothefactsheetatwww.cdc.gov/OralHealth/factsheets/adult-older.htm Foranswerstoquestionsaboutoralcancer,directconstituentstothisCDCWebpage:www.cdc.gov/OralHealth/topics/cancer.htm TheAmericanDentalAssociation’s“YourOralHealth”Webpageoffersusefulinformationforthegeneralpublicaboutawiderangeoralhealthtopics.Linktothispageatwww.ada.org/public/index.asp.

“Alotofothergroupswantthatmoneyalso,”heexplained. “Itwouldbegood for thegeneralhealthof thesepatients toreceivetheseservices.Ifyouletitgo,itgetsworse.Ifwedon’tgetitearly,it’sgoingtogetworse,noquestionaboutit.” At the national level, advocates for dental care have beenchampioninglegislationtorequirestates toprovidemoreoralhealthservicestoseniorseitherthroughtheMedicaidprogramorbyaddingdentalbenefitstoMedicare.Sofar,Congresshasn’ttakenaction.

Rogers,fromOralHealthAmerica,however,seessomepositivesignsforthefuture,too. “Health insurance companies are detectingandnoticingthelinks”betweenprovidingpre-ventivedentalcare forseniorsandsavingonmoreexpensivetreatmentforpreventableoralhealthproblems,Rogerssaid.“I’dsaywithinthe next three to five years, you’ll see a lotmoreresearchthatwillshowwhyandhowitpaystoaddressthehealthcareneedsofseniorsearly.Thatwillhelplegislatorsdefenddentalcareprogramsforseniors.”

—Dan Lorentz is editor of Healthy States Quarterly, a publication of the Healthy States Initiative.

Wired for Success continued from pg 22

Thomas, director of the Southern Regional Education Board.“Theycanbeusedtofillgapsincurricula,whether it iswithAdvancedPlacementcourses,coresubjectsorthingspeoplere-fertoaselectives.” Thomassaid12ofthe16SREBstatesalreadyprovideWeb-based courses, with Florida leading the pack. Florida’s pro-gram began in 1997, and this year alone, more than 40,000highschoolstudentaretakingonlinecourses.Theprogramisfundedbythestate. “Schoolsonlygetmoneyfromthestateifastudenthassuc-cessfullycompletedthecourse,”saidThomas,notingthatFlor-idarequiresthatstudentspasstheclass. SuccessratesinFloridarangefrom90to92percent.Ofthe137 students who took Advanced Placement courses throughFlorida’svirtual school in2000–2001,more thanhalf earnedscoresof4or5—onafive-pointscale—ontheexams.About65percentofthestudentsearnedscoresof3orhigher—bestingthenationalaverageof61percent. “Weseetheseprogramsasgoodeconomics,”saidThomas.“Whyshouldeverybodycreateallcourses?Onceonlinecours-esaredeveloped,teacherscanteachthesamecourseandmakecopiesofit.Youcouldhavefiveor50algebrateachersteachingthatcourse.” Thebestpartofvirtualschools,saidThomas,isthatthepro-grams are closely monitored no matter where the students are.“Ruralkidsorinnercitykidswhohaveneverhadaccesstoaqual-ityteachercanhaveanationallyboardcertifiedteacher,”hesaid.

‘Just Do It’ ToRegWeaver,presidentoftheNationalEducationAssocia-tion,it’sassimpleasthis:Ifeducationisatoppriority,policy-makershavetoprovideforbettertechnologyintheclassroom. “WhenAmericadecidessomethingisimportant,theyfindthemoney,”saidWeaver.“I’dsaytopolicymakers,whenitcomestomakingAmericastrong,whenitcomestomakingsureAmericahasthepeopletomakesurewearethecountrywearetoday,tohaveaqualitypubliceducation,theyneedtobelikeNikeandjustdoittomakesureschoolshavethemoneytheyneed.”

—Laura Coleman is the associate editor of State News magazine.


Expanding Economy Helps States Build Reserves

In 2001, states were tightening their belts, some dealing with shortfalls of more than $1 billion. States were using their reserve funds to cover expenses. All that’s changed, as a growing national economy has helped to in-crease state tax revenues.

BlackBack in the

By The National Association of State Treasurers


Fouryearsagodwindlingrevenuesandhemorrhagingexpen-dituresplaguedstatetreasuriesandlegislatures. Thedownwardslide in thenation’seconomichealthduringthe first few years of the century tightened tax proceeds andburdenedstatecofferswithadditionalunemploymentandeco-nomicstimulusexpenditures. Many states, including New York, New Jersey and Texas,dealtwithshortfallsofmorethanabilliondollars.Atthetime,nearlyall50stateswereutilizingtheirreservefunds,normallyreservedforemergenciesandotherunforecastedexpenses.Oth-erstates,suchasNorthCarolinaandTennessee,feltpressuretodipintotheirtobaccosettlementfundsjusttomakeendsmeet. Fastforwardto2006andallthosetroublesseemlongforgot-ten.Manystatesreportsignificantincreasesintaxrevenuesandsome,likeIndianaandVermont,haveactuallyrecordedmulti-milliondollarsurpluses. Forty-twostateshavereportedtheirrevenuesaresurpassingprojections.Oklahoma,infact,isdoingsowellthatithascom-pletelyrestockeditsreservefundandstillhas$520millioninexcess. This year in Connecticut, $455.1 million—the largestamountever—willbedepositedintothestate’sbudgetreserve. Sowhywerestatesabletoturnthingsaroundinwhatappearstobeashortamountoftime? ThemainreasonisthattheeconomyisfinallyonanupswingaftersufferingfromtheeffectsofaMarch–November2001re-cession.ThecollapseofthestockmarketandthedishearteningeffectsofSept.11,2001,tightenedpersonalincomesandmadethegeneralpopulacewaryofinvestmentandbigexpenditures. Asaresult,nationalunemploymentjumpedfromlessthan4.5percentinJanuary2001toalmost6percentinJanuary2002,andtaxrevenuesinalmosteverystatedriedup.Facedwiththesecir-cumstances,stategovernmentshadseveraloptions:raisetaxes,cutgovernmentservices,issueadditionaldebtordipintoreservefunding.Thefirsttwooptionswerenotheavilyutilized. Sincemanystates’balancedbudget requirementspreventedthemfromissuingexcessiveamountsofdebtandmanyothersprided themselvesonahigh leveloffiscal solvency, the thirdoptionwasnotutilizedtoagreatextenteither.Notsurprisingly,statesbegandippinginto theirreservefundsandotherunear-markedfundslikethetobaccosettlementfundstoaddresstheirbudgetaryshortfalls. Since2001,stateofficialshavebeendiligentinclosinganag-gregate$264billionbudgetarygap,allowingmanygovernorsandtreasurerstorestocktheirstates’reservefunds.Nationalun-employmentisdownto4.6percentandstrongeconomicgrowthoverseascoupledwitharelativelyweakdollarhasincreasedthedemandforAmericangoods.

Theeconomyisproducingclosetoitsfullcapacity,andwhenproductionisup,personalincomesandspendingareup.Whenthoseareup,soareincomeandsalestaxproceeds.Sinceunemploymentislow,stateexpendituresonunemploy-mentbenefitsandothersocialwelfareexpenseshavedeclined.Now,statesarefacinganewbutwelcomechallenge:whattodowithextrarevenue. InIndiana,thesurplusmaytaketheformofstatewide,full-day kindergarten—but then the priority shifts to paying offdebts.Thestateendedthefiscalyearwith$410million in itsmaincheckingaccount.But$160millionhasbeendirectedto-wardbackpaymentstoschools.Thecurrentbudgetauthorizesanother$176millionindebtowedtouniversitiesandlocalgov-ernmentsbepaidthisfiscalyear. Other states allocated portions of their surplus amounts tospecial projects. In Vermont, for example, legislative leaderswilldivert$8.9milliontoanemergencyinitiativetohelpdairyfarmerswhohavebeenhurtbylowmilkprices,highfuelcostsandpoorweather. The future of the state’s surplus is in debate in Arkansas,wheresomearecallingforat leastapartial refundgo to tax-payerstodefrayescalatingenergycosts.WhileotherstatescallforthecreationofaRainyDayFund,stateslikeNevadawanttheexcesscashtobeusedforfutureupkeepofstateroadsortosupplementmotorfueltaxes. States suchasMontanaandMassachusetts arecountingonthemoneytomakealargedentintheircurrentlyunderfundedpensionplans. While most states enjoyed thinking of the most beneficialuses of their surplus money, New Jersey was saddled with aweeklonggovernmentshutdown.Aslegislatorsworkedthroughthenightona$31billionspendingplan,thestate’scasinosre-mainedclosedwhileworkerswerefurloughedattheheightofthe region’s busiest tourist season. The casino closures alonecostasmuchas$16millionaday,withthestatemissingoutonthe8percenttaxofthecasinoindustry’s$1.1billionpayroll. Lawmakerseventuallyagreedtoraisethestatesalestaxfrom6 percent to 7 percent and use the money generated to lowerpropertytaxes,whichareamongthehighestinthenation. Whether it’s tax rebates or maintaining a static balance inthegeneralfund,thereareaboutasmanyoptionsforusesforthemoneyas therearedollars togoaround.Butone thing iscertain:nowisthetimetoact.Thisproactivestoringoffundscouldbecrucial asFederalReserveChairmanBenBernankerecentlytoldtheSenateBankingCommitteethathepredictedaneconomicslowdowninthenearfuture. According to Bernanke, the steady escalation of petroleumpricesandarecentreportbytheCommerceDepartmentindi-catingadeclineinthehousingmarket—adrivingforceintheeconomicexpansionover thepast fewyears—all suggest thattheeconomywillstarttoslowfairlysoon.

—The National Association of State Treasurers (NAST) is a CSG affiliate and is recognized as a national force whose work has influenced public policy at both the state and federal levels. NAST membership is composed of all state treasurers, or state finance officials with comparable responsibilities, from the United States, its commonwealths, territories and the District of Columbia. Visit www.nast.org for more information.

Vermont legislative leaders will divert $8.9 million of its surplus to an emergency initiative to help dairy farmers who have been hurt by low milk prices, high fuel costs and poor weather.

csgspotlightNAST,CSPNCelebrateSection5�9FederalTaxExemption

EffortsbytheNationalAssociationofStateTreasurers(NAST)andtheCollegeSavingsPlanNetwork(CSPN)toextendthetaxexemptstatusforcollegesavingsplanshavepaidoff. PresidentGeorgeW.BushonAug.17signedthePensionProtectionAct—whichin-cludesrevisionstothetaxcodethatrepealsthe2010sunsetforthefederaltaxexemptionfortheSection529CollegeSavingsPlans. NASTandCSPNhavebeenworkingformorethanadecadetoclarifythefederaltaxtreatmentoftheseplans.LeadersofNASTandCSPNwereonhandforthebillsigningandwerepleasedtoseethisimportantlegislativemilestonefinallyachieved. “Thisisanimportantdayforfamiliesacrossthecountry.Iapplaudthepresidentformakingpermanent thetaxbenefitsof thecollegesavingsplansusedbynearlymillionU.S.families,”saidRandallEdwards,NASTpresidentandOregonstatetreasurer.“Ap-provalofthePensionProtectionActencouragesmillionsmoretobeginsavingnowthatthetaxbenefitsareclearlydefined.Itwillalsosendaclearmessagethatthosewhosaveforcollegewillberewarded.” With thepassageof thePensionProtectionAct,millionsofchildrenenrolled in theplanswillbeabletouseallthemoneytheyhavesavedtopayforcollegeratherthanhavetheearningssubjecttofederalincometaxesiftheincentiveswereallowedtoexpire. “TheprovisioninthePensionProtectionActmakingthetaxexempttreatmentof529planspermanentisgreatnewsforfamiliescurrentlysavingina529planandforthosefamilieswhoareconsideringwhetherornot toparticipate in theseplans,” saidJackieWilliams,CSPNchairandexecutivedirectoroftheOhioTuitionTrustAuthority.“IknowthiswillencouragemorefamiliestosaveforcollegeusingSection529planswhicharethebestsavingsvehiclesforcollege.” ForinformationaboutNASTgotowww.nast.org.ForinformationaboutSection529

President Bush signed the Pension Pro-tection Act into law Aug. 17. Joining him were, from left, Secretary of La-bor Elaine Chao, Rep. Buck McKeon of California, Rep. John Boehner of Ohio, Sen. Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, Sen. Michael Enzi of Wyoming and Rep. Bill Thomas of California. Included in the bill is a provision making permanent the tax exempt treatment of 529 college sav-ings plans. Now the nearly 9 million chil-dren enrolled in the plans will be able to use all the money they have saved to pay for college rather than have the earnings subject to federal income taxes. The tax exempt status had previously been set to expire in 2010.

Regional prioritieswere the focus of TheCouncil of State Gov-ernments’ EasternRegional Conference46th Annual Meetingand Regional PolicyForuminPhiladelphiaJuly30–Aug.2.

Morethan400attendeesmethigh-rankingstategovernmentofficialsandpolicyexpertsfromacrosstheNortheasttodiscussawiderangeoftimelyissuesincludingenergypolicy,U.S.-Can-ada relations, illegal immigration, the overstretched NationalGuard,NoChildLeftBehind,healthcoveragefortheuninsuredandfederal-staterelations. Membersattendingtheclosingbusinesssessionadoptedthreeresolutions:

UrgingCongresstopostponeimplementationoftheWest-ernHemisphereTravelInitiative.

Urging inclusion of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin IslandsandtheotherU.S.territoriesinsurveysperformedinthe50statesbytheU.S.CensusBureau.

Urging Congress to allow the interstate sale of state in-spectedmeatandpoultry.

Theresolutionsareavailableatwww.csgeast.org.

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Speakersat themeeting (picturedat left) included twogov-ernors, Ruth Ann Minner of Delaware and James Douglas ofVermont;KennethMcClintock,SenatepresidentofPuertoRico;presidentialhistorianMichaelBeschloss;Washington Postcol-umnistDavidBroder;andNational Journal founderNealPeirce,whowasthekeynotespeakerattheopeningsessiontitledTheNortheastEnergyFuture:ChallengesandOpportunities. DavidHughes,presidentofAmtrak,addressedtheExecutiveCommittee on “The Future of Amtrak in the Northeast Cor-ridor.” Paul Cellucci, former U.S. ambassador to Canada andformergovernorofMassachusetts,spoketodelegatesaboutthepressingtopicofU.S.-Canadaborderissues. Inadditiontodiscussionsonstatepolicy,therewasameetingwithmultiplestakeholdersconcerningthedevelopmentofmodellegislationon the recyclingof electronicswaste, a symposiumoninternationaltrade,andameetingoftheNortheastStatesAs-sociationforAgriculturalStewardship. The Annual Meeting brought together senior elected andappointed officials from the legislative and executive branch-es of the 10 Northeastern states, the U.S. Virgin Islands, theCommonwealthofPuertoRico,theprovincesofQuébec,NewBrunswick,Newfoundland&Labrador,NovaScotia andOn-tario, and the region’s private sector. This important regionaleventprovidedparticipantswithanopportunitytoshareideasandexperiences inorder toactonpublicpolicy issues facingthesejurisdictions.

CSG/ERCDelegatesDiscussRegionalIssues



The Midwest Legislative Conference set a record for atten-danceatitsannualmeetinginChicagoinAugust. Legislators from theMidwest electednewofficers,honoredalongtimeleaderandfinalizedplanstoreturntoCanada. Morethan750peopleattendedthefour-dayevent,thehighestattendanceintheMLC’s61-yearhistory.Attendeesparticipatedin anarrayofpolicy sessions,networkedwithcolleagues, andexchanged ideasand informationonkey issues that affect thisregion. MichiganSen.PatriciaBirkholzwaselectedtoserveasconfer-encechairin2007.Amongherdutieswillbecoordinatingnextyear’sMLCAnnualMeetinginTraverseCity,Mich. IllinoisSen.DonneTrotterwillserveasimmediatepastchairin2007.OthernewofficersareSouthDakotaSen.TomDempster,firstvicechair,andKansasSen.JayEmler,secondvicechair. Alsoatthemeeting,two-timeMLCchairFredRisser—who

will soon be the nation’s longest-serving legislator—was pre-sented a plaque for his distinguished career. The MLC alsopassedaresolutionrecognizingtheWisconsinsenator’scontri-butionstotheorganizationandstategovernment. Attendeesapprovedplans tohold the2010meeting inTo-ronto.TheprovincesofManitoba,OntarioandSaskatchewanareaffiliatemembersofthe11-stateMLC,whichheldits2005meetinginRegina,Saskatchewan. Other highlights from the August event include the fol-lowing:

TheMLCpassed18resolutions.

Participants tookpart inpolicysessionsonimmigrationtrends, disaster preparedness, student performance andeducation standards, the uninsured, the region’s futuretransportation needs, and the impact of recent and up-comingU.S.SupremeCourtdecisions.

RegionaleconomistDianeSwonkspokeaboutthefutureof theMidwest economy,while other speakers and ses-sionsfocusedonrevitalizingtheregion’scities,exploringhowthe regioncanrespond to risingenergyprices,andadjustingtochangesinthemanufacturingsector.

Well-knownbroadcasterBillKurtisspokeabouttheim-portanceofsavingsmall-townAmerica.

Political commentators Donna Brazile and Rich Galengaveapreviewofthe2006fallelections.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Doris Kearns Goodwinclosedthisyear’smeetingwithaspeechaboutAbrahamLincoln.

Moreinformationonthemeeting,includingspeakers’PowerPointpresentations,isavailableatwww.csgmidwest.org.

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RecordNumberAttendMLCMeeting

Illinois Sen. Donne Trotter presented Wisconsin Sen. Fred Risser a plaque from the MLC honoring Risser’s 50 years of distinguished legisla-tive service.

InresponsetoagrowingdemandbyWesternlegislatorsforcontinuingeducation,CSG-WEST launchedanannuallegisla-tivetrainingassembly(ALTA)duringitsyearlymeetingAug.10–13inBreckenridge,Colo.

CSG-WESTLaunchesALTAforWesternLawmakers

Hawaii Sen. Lorraine Inouye and New Mexico Rep. Jose Cam-pos confer on an assignment at ALTA, a new professional de-velopment day held in conjunction with the CSG-WEST annual meeting.

ALTA is a one-day professional development session thatfocusesonbuilding“process”skills tohelp legislatorsatallstages of their legislative careers. It will become a regularfeatureatCSG-WESTannualmeetings. At thefirstALTA,nationalexpertsdeliveredthreeclassesdesignedtostrengthenlegislativeskillsandinstitutions.

SeniortrainerJenniferColosimotaughtlessonsfromSte-venCovey’slatestbook,“The8thHabit:FromEffective-nesstoGreatness.”

VeterannegotiatorandseniorNebraskaSen.DaveLandisintroducedparticipantstotoolsofconsensusbuildingtai-loredforthepoliticalarena.

John Clemens, management professor and executive di-rectorofTheHartwickLeadershipInstitute,facilitatedalivelysessionon“LeadershipattheMovies.”

ALTAjoinsanumberofCSGprogramsattheregionalandnational levelcommitted tocreatingexcellence in stategov-ernmentthroughprofessionaldevelopment.

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Michigan Rep. Bill Huizenga asks a question of historian Doris Kearns Goodwin during the closing session of the MLC Annual Meeting as Iowa Rep. Linda Upmeyer looks on.

csgspotlight

Statelegislatorsfacedatoughdecisionthissummer:whichHealthyStatesmeetingtoattend. TheoneinSanFranciscoinJuly?BostoninAugust?Septem-berinMemphis? TheHealthyStatesInitiativeisdesignedtohelpstateleadersmakeinformeddecisionsonpublichealthmatters.Theinitiative,whichisfundedbytheCentersforDiseaseControlandPreven-tion(CDC),isapartnershipamongTheCouncilofStateGov-ernments,theNationalBlackCaucusofStateLegislatorsandtheNationalHispanicCaucusofStateLegislators. Morethan125statepolicymakersrepresentingall50states,PuertoRico,GuamandtheVirginIslandparticipatedin thethreemeetings.

July in San Francisco: Building Healthier Communities During thefirst day at theBuildingHealthierCommunitiesforOurYouthandAdultssummitinSanFrancisco,whichtookplaceJuly17–19,legislatorsdividedintofacilitator-leddiscussiongroupsaboutkeypublichealthchallengesfacingyouth:obesity,physicalactivity,nutritionandtobaccocessation.Thefollowingday,thefocusshiftedtoadults,andlegislatorsdiscussedarangeofpreventionpolicies,includingthoseaimedatreducingheartdiseaseandstroke,diabetesandobesity. Dr. Harold Goldstein, the nationally recognized leader ofthegrowingmovementtoaddresschildhoodobesitybypro-motinghealthyeatingandmorephysicalactivityinschools,delivered the keynote address. California state Rep. Mark

Leno,whorepresentspartsofSanFrancisco,welcomedcon-ferenceattendees.

August in Boston: Science into Policy In Boston, at the Transforming Science into Policy for aHealthierNationforumfromAug.24–26,formerU.S.SurgeonGeneralDr.JoycelynEldersgot themeetingstartedbyurgingthestatelegislativeaudiencetotackletherangeofpublichealthissues facing Americans with policies scientific research hasproveneffective. Legislators explored health disparities among adolescents,graduated driver’s licensing policies, and policies to fight thespreadofsexuallytransmitteddiseases.Theyalsolearnedaboutadultfluvaccines,earlydetectionprogramsforautismandoth-er developmental disabilities, and environmental public healthtracking.NewYorkstateRep.DavidKoon,FloridastateRep.ReneGarciaandGuamSen.LarryKasperbauerwereamongthepolicymakerswhopresentedatthemeeting.

September in Memphis: Promoting Healthy Lifestyles AtthePoliciestoPromoteHealthyLifestyles:ChildhoodandBeyond forum held Sept. 17–19 in Memphis, state legislatorscametogethertolearnaboutinnovativeapproachestohelpkidseatmorehealthfullyandtogetmoreexerciseatschoolandathome.Themeetingalsoexploredpoliciesdesignedtopromotehealthylifestylesamongadults. Duringthemeeting,whichwassponsoredbytheRobertWoodJohnsonFoundation,legislatorsreviewedpolicyexamplesfromavarietyofstates.Dr.LauraWhitsel,aresearchpolicyanalystat theAmericanHeartAssociation,gavethekeynoteaddress,andDr.HowellWechsler,aprominentresearcheronnutritionpoliciesanddirectorofCDC’sdivisionofadolescentandschoolhealth,offeredhisperspectiveattheconclusionofthemeeting.

PublicHealthisFocusatThreeCSGMeetings


Former U.S. Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders delivered the keynote address at the Healthy States forum for state legislators on Transform-ing Science into Policy for a Healthier Nation, held Aug. 24–26 in Boston. The forum was one of three Healthy States meetings on public health topics held this summer.

MeettheNewestClassofBILLDFellows

This year, 11 lawmakers became graduates of the BowhayInstitute forLegislativeLeadershipDevelopment (BILLD), anintensivefive-dayprograminMadison,Wis.Theannualeventhelpsdeveloplawmakers’leadershipskillsthroughacurriculumofprofessionaldevelopmentworkshopsandpolicyseminars. TheBowhayInstituteisconductedbyCSG’sMidwesternLeg-islativeConference, inpartnershipwiththeUniversityofWis-consin’sRobertM.LaFolletteSchoolofPublicAffairs. Midwestern legislation are awarded BILLD fellowshipsthroughanonpartisan,competitiveselectionprocess. Applicationsfornextyear’sBowhayInstitute,setforJuly13–17,willbeavailableinDecember.Formoreinformation,contactLauraA.Tomakaat(630)[email protected].


conferencecalendar

November 2006Nov.�0–�3 CSG/Southern Legislative Conference—Fall Conference—

Savannah,GA—HyattRegencySavannah.ContactNaiHallmanattheSLCat(404)633-�866orvisitwww.slcatlanta.org.

Nov.�9–Dec.�State International Development Organization—Annual Meet-ing—Phoenix,AZ.ContactChrisWhatley at (�0�) 6�[email protected](�0�)6�[email protected].

Nov.30–Dec.3CSG—2006 Annual Trends and Leadership Forum—Phoenix,AZ.ContactWandaHinesat(859)�44-8�[email protected].

December 2006Dec.3–6 CSG/National Association of State Treasurers—Treasury Man-

agement Conference and Exposition—NewOrleans,LA—[email protected](859)�44-8�75.

January 2007Jan.�6–�8 CSG/National Association of State Personnel Executives—2007

Mid-Year Meeting—Arlington,VA—HyattArlington.ContactLeslieScottat(859)�44-8�8�[email protected],orvisitwww.naspe.net.

March 2007March��–�4 CSG/National Association of State Treasurers—Legislative Con-

ference—Washington,D.C.—Willard InterContinentalHotel.Visitwww.nast.org.ContactKerryHoltatkholt@csg.orgor(859)�44-8�75.

July 2007July��–�5 CSG/National Association of State Personnel Executives—

2007 Annual Meeting—Williamsburg,VA—ContactLisaCollinsat(859)�44-8�[email protected].

August 2007Aug.�5–�7 CSG/Southern Governors’ Association (SGA)—73rd Annual

Meeting—Biloxi, MS. Contact Liz Purdy at (�0�) 6�4-5897 [email protected].

This calendar lists meetings as designated by CSG’s AnnualMeetingCommittee.Fordetailsofameeting,callthenumberlisted. “CSG/” denotes affiliate organizations of CSG. Visitwww.csg.orgforupdatesandmoreextensivelistings.

Othermeetingshavevaluetostateofficials.Purchaseameet-inglistingbycalling(800)800-1910orbye-mailingsales@csg.org.Announceyourmeetingstothousandsinthestategovern-mentmarketthroughanadvertisementoraWeblisting.

timeline

40 Years Ago—October 1966Medicaid in Infancy, But Growing MedicaidprogramsinlinewithTitleXIXofthefederalSo-cialSecurityAmendmentsof1965wereoperatingin16statesand Puerto Rico by October 1966, according to that month’sissueofState Government News. TitleXIXprovidesforbroadmedicalassistanceinallpublicassistanceandcertainothercategories,jointlyfinancedbystatesand the federal government. The U.S. Department of Health,EducationandWelfarehadapprovedthoseprograms.TheNewYorkprogramwaspendingfinalapprovalbyHEW,andeightstatesandterritorieshadsubmittedMedicaidplans. TheactrequiredthatbyJuly1,1967,statesjoiningthepro-grammustofferatleastfiveservices:inpatienthospitalservic-es,outpatienthospitalservices,laboratoryandX-rayservices,skillednursinghomeservices,skillednursinghomeservicesforpersons21andolder,andphysicians’services.

25 Years Ago—October 1981Redistricting Alters Power of States The1980censustriggeredaredistrictingofCongressandstatelegislatures.State Government News inOctober1981reportedontheredistributionofseatsbasedonpopulationshifts.Stateswerebusyaddressingthechangesbeforethe1982elections. Partisanbattles in the stateswere intense as legislatorsbe-gandrawingnewdistrictlines.GovernorsinWashington,Indi-anaandColoradovetoed thecongressional redistrictingplansdrawn by legislatures. Six states—Alaska, Delaware, NorthDakota,SouthDakota,VermontandWyoming—hadonlyonecongressmananddidn’trequireredistricting.

Update The decennial struggle for political control happens every 10 years, after the new census is complete. By 2001, several states had worked to get the partisanship out of redrawing district lines. By 2001 12 states—Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsyl-vania and Washington—have given primary responsibility for redrawing state legislative boundaries to independent commis-sions instead of politicians, according to the National Confer-ence of State Legislatures. A story on Stateline.org in 2001 raised questions about how nonpartisan the commissions actually were. In New Jersey, for example, the 10-person committee—evenly split between Demo-crats and Republicans—couldn’t agree on a remap plan, so the

Althoughthefederalgovernmenttendstogetmoreattention,stateofficialsareoftenonthefrontlinesofcutting-edgetrendsandissues.Ontheotherhand,sometimesinthecommunityofstategovernments,themorethingschange,themoretheystaythesame. Inprintsince1958,State News(formerlyState Government News)haschronicledmanyofthechanges…andcontinuities. Here’swhatwereportedon:

Supreme Court’s chief justice chose a nonpartisan 11th member to cast the tie-breaking vote. That vote, which sided with the Democratic plan, has led to a lawsuit over racial fairness that was sent to the U.S. Supreme Court.

10 Years Ago—October 1996Justice System Changes with the Times State Government Newstookacloselookathowstateswerehandling thechanges in the justice system ina specialFocussectioninOctober1996. Articles focusedonways individual communitiesweredeal-ingwithcrime.Severalprojectstestedinthefinaldecadeofthe20thcenturyreflectedarestorativeapproachto justice.Severalstates were using the circle approach, in which the victim andoffender—as well as their families and friends—discussed theimpactofthecrimeandmakeaplanfortheoffendertosolveit. Otherapproachesinvolvedgettingthecrimevictimsandtheoffenders to settle on a system of justice. A Bethlehem, Pa.,program,forinstance,organizedFamilyGroupConference,inwhichparentsareencouragedtoaffirmorre-establishparentalcontrol.Italsoallowedyouthtothinkovertheconsequencesofcrimeonothers.

Update The justice system continues to undergo change in its focus. With the focus on preventing terrorism in the United States after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, for instance, groups are starting to look at the impact of jurisdictional boundaries on the justice system. The Council of State Governments recently published a Public Safety Brief looking at the impact of interstate compacts in “Overcoming the Jurisdictional Divide.” The brief predicted collaboration between state and local law enforcement agencies will grow in importance as new security threats emerge, people become more mobile, technology con-tinues to blur jurisdictional lines and the public and officials demand safety and security.


Vol. 49, No. 9 The Council of State Governments October 2006the council of state governments Vol....

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Transcript of Vol. 49, No. 9 The Council of State Governments October 2006the council of state governments Vol....