European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 19, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                New Hampshire educational programs Ara aimed is preventing students com dropping out other Bills Viil address problems resulting from rapid growth such As the dwindling Stock of inexpensive housing. New Jersey the legislature was id conclude its session Jan. 12, alter the Senate considers increasing 8 cent per gallon gasoline lax 1o 10w cents la help pay for Road projects gov. Thomas Kcal will sign measure to give the state Broad Powers to take Over failing school districts. Surplus of up to $600 million expected in s 10.4 billion budget or fiscal year ending in june. New Mexico gov. Carrey Carithers is calling for welfare Reform and increases in funding or economic development programs. He also is socking new budget of $1.559 billion up 3.1 percent from current year s expenditure. New York gov Mario Cuomo saying 198b should begin a decade of the  Calls or better education health care and housing for children. A proposed increase in minimum wage from $3.35 to $3.7s and increase in maximum weekly unemployment benefits from $180 to 1230, North Carolina gov. Jim Martin 13 expected to renew Call for a $1.5 billion Bond Issue to finance a Public school construction program the legislature will try to remove North Carolina from a Southeastern compact that has chosen the slate As Host for a regional Low level radioactive waste facility. North Dakota no 1983 session. Ohio gov. Richard Celeste will Call for improvements in Economy and education going into the 1990s" he says he will have some initiatives in education but has offered no specifics yet. The legislature will seek to Reform Auto registration system ending political kickbacks from agents who sell plate and stickers. Oklahoma gov. Henry Bellmon is proposing $2.37 billion budget that includes an Oxtra $100 million Lor education. For first Lime in several years the legislature has not had to make major budget cuts or raise Taes mainly because of last year s $275 million income tax increase. Oregon no 1988 session. Pennsylvania a top priority is finding a Sile for a facility that will accept Low level radioactive waste from generators in Pennsylvania Maryland West Virginia and Delaware. The general Assembly will hold a special session to Deal with changing the local lax system to ease the Burden on properly owners. Rhode Island gov Edward d. Diperle is calling lot increased spending on education to share the state s current Boom limes with next generation the Strong Economy has allowed in income taxes three years running but collections from the stale sales tax have dropped and Federal Aid to state May be Cut. South Carolina Tho proposal causing the most Early controversy would allow cities and counties to raise local sales tax by 1 percent Whilo lowering property taxes. Tho idea is to give local governments hurting financially because of cutbacks in ederal Aid an Aller native to raising the much disliked property tax. There Are also proposals to legalize Parl Mutual betting and Start a lottery. South Dakota now. George Mickelson wants slate and local school districts to share the Cost of pay increases to teachers. The 13-cent motor fuel lax May Rise by 3 cents or 4 cents a gallon to provide $12 million to $16 million More for Highway repair and construction. Tennessee gov. Ned Mcwheeler wants the legislature to raise teacher salaries by is ,575, bringing the minimum to $16,925, at Cost of $83.9 million legislature will debate a proposal to repeal All forms of gambling including parimutuel belting Al horse tracks. Texas no 1988 session Utah amid Public outcry after last year s $66 million tax hike gov. Norm Bangerter lacing re election recommended a fiscal 1988-69 budget o jz.7llion, Down 3,1 percent from last year s 12 85 billion spending plan. Tax limitation coalition of Utah is seeking to place in the ballot a measure that would reduce stale and local taxes by More than $300 million. Vermont gov. Madeleine Kunin presented a proposed budget of $526.3 million including a one Lime $8.5 minion Cut in the personal income tax. She proposes using a $31 million surplus to clean up Lake Champlain for a housing and land conservation Trust fund an agricultural loan fund and adding $6 million to a contingency fund. Virginia state officials Are requesting $800 million for Long neglected human services programs. The legislature will determine whether state should rain tha Speed limit to 65 Mph on Rural stretches o interstate and vote on whether to appropriate $5.5 million for sex education program for Public schools. Washington gov. Booth Gardner is proposing to supplement a j10.2 billion budget with $90 million supplement balanced by 1 percent spending tul in most stale programs and using income from renting prison Colls to Federal government. Other issues include deregulation of Pacific Northwest Bell. West Virginia the state has a $30 million shortfall in tax income to fund the $1,49 billion budget slate health insurance is projected to be $67 million behind on its payments and the stale faces $30 million in medical Bills Tor the poor. The legislature May increase the sales lax from 5 to 6 percent or impose a 5 percent sales lax on Legal and medical services to help Boa the budget shortage. Wisconsin gov. Tommy g. Thompson wants to provide Between 1250 million and $700 million in property tax relict. Lawmakers also Are expected to take up Bills to provide for Early retirement Lor government employees change the state s mediation arbitration Law. Regulate Sui Rogale Molher contracts and provide s3 million Lor state Park improvements. Wyoming the state May have to divert $5z million from Reserve accounts to finance $730 a million two year budget because the sagging Energy Industry has Cut revenues gov. Mike Sullivan Wells a 4 percent pay increase Tor most slate employees Many of whom have not received a raise since 1985. He also wants increases in taxes on cigarettes from b cents a pack to 20 cents and on malt beverages from 2 cents per gallon to 22 cents education issues High on state agendas by Mike Silverman associated presso Oklahoma gov. Herey Bellmon is pulling an extra Sim million Lor education into the new budget. Maryland gov. William Donald Schaeler wants to Speed $50 million of his surplus on higher education. Teachers in Tennessee and Mississippi May get salary increases. Improving education is the primary concern in Ninny slates As Legislatures around the nation Convene Tor their 1988 sessions according to results of an associated press Survey of All 50 slates. New York s gov. Mario Cuzino declared in his slalom of the stale speech that 1988 should inaugurate a decade of the child with a Sziics of goals including better schools and a higher minimum Wago. In California gov. George Dukmejian boasts of being a super Power of Prosperity and wants to increase Aid to schools by $977 million to $13,5 billion a 7.6 percent hike that critics still say is not enough. Education occupies the no. 1 priority in virtually every state said Colorado stale Senate president Ted shriek land. He is president of the National conference of Nuary 19.1968 Sale Legislatures which last Friday released its own Survey on state s fiscal agendas. Gut in some states the fiscal emphasis with be on merely slaying afloat. Louisiana described by  buddy Roemers in a mess faces a Budzol deficit As do Arizona Iowa Kentucky and wast Virginia. Revenue problems of a less drastic nature confront Illinois Utah Washington and Wyoming. In Georgia legislators will consider an aids Law making it crime for a Parson Wilh Tho a Elhel virus to engage in sax acts or share drug Needles Wilh another person without disclosing the condition to Iho partner. Laws mandating aids education Are under consideration in several other Stales including California and Nebraska while Hawaii May require widespread to Sling last year Illinois and Louisiana passed sweeping aids Laws Hal Requiro tests Lor couples seeking Marriaga licenses. In Delaware the top priority is passing a Law to make hostile corporate takeovers More difficult. The state wants to protect its reputation As a Good place for businesses to incorporate because of favourable tax Laws and lenient requirements about How much information companies must provide. Missouri s legislature is trying to save the stale s lottery from dying for Lack of business by removing restrictions on the percentage of ticket sales that can go into prizes and operating expenses. Louisiana s financial problems Slem largely from the Oil Industry plump. The state laces a projected of illicit of $360 million in its $5.9 billion budget this year on lop of a $400 minion deficit accumulated from the past two years. We re in a Mesa. We All know that Hoenjr said. We Are going to scrub the budget. Well coma Oul of this but it s going to take sacrificing by everybody " a said he will outline emergency cutbacks in a special legislative session Afler he takes Over irom outgoing gov. Edwin Edwards on March 14 Illinois does not have a deficit but Money is so tight that gov. James r. Thompson cancelled his slate Mohe state speech to dramatize his assertion that to budget and need Lor a lax increase is the Central Issue facing the stale. Tha slate legislature rebuffed his bid Lor a la increase last year. A tax increase in Utah provoked such an outcry Hal gov. Norm Bangerter. Lacing re Electon is recommending a new budget of $2.7 billion Down 3, t percent trom last year. The stars and stripes Page 15