Capitol Comments

Elections 08: Pennsylvania Primary Election Results

In addition to holding their much anticipated presidential primary election, residents of the Keystone State headed to the polls Tuesday (April 22) to choose which statewide candidates would move on to the November general election. Candidates for the executive positions of attorney general, treasurer and auditor general were chosen. Additionally, candidates for both chambers of the state General Assembly were on the ballot. Here's how the numbers break down after the primary:

States Enact Education Compact

Kansas and Kentucky have enacted laws intended to ease the educational transition for military children as their parents move with different assignments to new locations. The laws establish the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children, which was developed by The Council of State Governments and the U.S. Department of Defense and will become operational when it’s adopted in eight other states.

Twenty-one other states are actively considering the measure, known as the Compact on Education Transition for Military Children, and 14 of those state legislatures have submitted bills in one or both chambers. Kansas adopted the compact April 9, and Kentucky followed suit April 10. Adoption in 10 states makes the compact operational.

"We are thrilled that Kansas and Kentucky are leading the nation in seeking uniform standards for school transition for military children," said Leslye A. Arsht, deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy.

Shared Vision for Homeland Security

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is marking its fifth anniverary this year, and 21 national organizations have developed a clear vision for how the nation should address homeland security in the 21st century.

The organizations -- including the National Emergency Management Association, a CSG affiliate -- make up the National Homeland Security Consortium. The consortium believes the nation is at a crossroads in its efforts to secure the homeland.

In its white paper, Protecting Americans in the 21st Century: Imperatives for the Homeland, the consortium calls for acknowledgement that homeland security is a shared responsibility between all levels of government, the private sectors and citizens. The consortium believes all those groups should be equal partners with the federal government in setting national goals and the supporting policies and procedures.

Read more about the white paper in a NEMA press release.

Revisiting Immigration in Oklahoma

Oklahoma Lawmaker Plans Follow-up to State Immigration Law

After Oklahoma’s House Bill 1804 was passed in 2007, the state immigration law became the center of multiple court cases challenging its constitutionality. And although some of those lawsuits were dismissed, other lawsuits are still pending.

Even though H.B. 1804 might strike some as controversial, the bill’s author, Oklahoma Rep. Randy Terrill, plans a follow-up legislative effort, building on 1804. He’s nicknamed the effort, “Son of 1804.”

The attorney turned college professor said as important as the bill was, “we have some unfinished business.”