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State lobbyists on course towards record earnings
Arthur Kane and Mark P. Couch of The Denver Post used state records to show that “Colorado lobbyists have earned more than $7.5 million so far this year, sending some of the most influential people at the statehouse well on their way to another year of record earnings.” A worker’s compensation measure received the most…
Read MoreGovernor still wins, analysis shows
Emily Heffter and Mike Carter of The Seattle Times, with help from Cheryl Phillips, Justin Mayo, Jonathan Martin and Nick Perry, analyzed lists of voters claimed by both Washington political parties to contain the names of felons who voted improperly in the state’s gubernatorial election last year. Using a method proposed by Republicans, the paper…
Read MoreLarge endowments lead to heavy spending
Justin Pope of the Associated Press used federal data and other documents to show that “forty-seven U.S. colleges and universities now have endowments of $1 billion or more, compared to 17 a decade ago.” Along with rising endowments, many of these schools have also increased tuition: “Despite tripling its wealth over the last decade, the…
Read MoreHeavy trucks wearing down roads
Pat Stith of The (Raleigh/Durham, N.C.) News & Observer reports on how the state relaxed laws to allow overweight trucks to destroy roads, while the enforcement of heavy trucks has also declined in the past five years. “… [S]tate lawmakers voted 10 times for bills that benefit trucking interests at the public expense.” Fines for…
Read MoreIndiana bridges failing in comparison to Illinois bridges
The Northwest Indiana Times analyzed federal inspection records for 771 elevated road bridges in Lake and Porter counties (Ind.). They found “that as of 2003, 27 percent were either structurally deficient or unable to accommodate rising traffic loads because of size constraints or outdated design.” Using data from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s 2003 bridge…
Read MoreMercury levels in fish may mean more advisories
Mike Dunne of The (Baton Rouge, La.) Advocate uses state date on fish containing “action levels” of mercury to “show that about 19 lakes and streams in Louisiana may need advisories to warn pregnant women and children under 7 to limit their fish consumption.” Last year the state offered to test residents who ate fish…
Read MoreExtreme speeders get off easy
Scott Powers of The Orlando Sentinel used county traffic ticket data to show that “last year Florida Highway Patrol troopers, Orange County deputies and police ticketed 342 high rollers for driving at least 100 mph.” Those who are caught typically are young, white men and many were traveling on the Central Florida GreeneWay. “And though…
Read MoreThousands erasing convictions due to murky law
Jason Riley and Kay Stewart of The (Louisville) Courier-Journal used Kentucky court records to show that “thousands of Kentuckians are erasing their arrests and convictions every year by taking advantage of expungement laws that make it cheap and easy to bury their past mistakes.” Variances in the process and the lack of a tracking systems…
Read MoreDomestic violence cases dropped despite attorney general order
Rick Brundrett of The State continued the paper’s investigation in South Carolina domestic violence cases, finding that “more than a third of the most serious criminal domestic violence cases statewide have been dropped in the four years since South Carolina’s attorney general ordered prosecutors not to drop any unless absolutely necessary.” That amounts to nearly…
Read MoreMany to blame for social programs mess
Karen Augé of The Denver Post used state records to show that “nearly every agency, contractor and department that touched the state’s new $200 million computer benefits system in some way contributed to its debacle.” Colorado’s new system was a year late when it came online last fall, and the contractor and state officials have…
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