By Eric Kelderman, Stateline.org Staff Writer

Five state legislatures took steps this year to curb the threat of toxic waste created by the proliferation of
discarded computer gear and other digital junk, making 2007 a banner year for passage of electronic recycling
laws. Leading the pack, Minnesota enacted the nation's strongest "e-cycling" law. It requires manufacturers of
electronic goods to recycle 60% of the volume of their products sold in the state. Less stringent recycling laws
passed and were signed into law in Connecticut, Oregon and Texas this year and North Carolina Gov. Mike
Easley (D) also is expected to approve an e-waste law passed by his state's Legislature.

Those five states join California, Maine, Maryland and Washington, which pioneered electronic recycling
programs from 2003 to 2006.

State legislatures are being pressed to act by local governments worried about the hazards of lead, mercury
and fire-retardant plastics in electronic devices, and the cost of cleaning those chemicals up in landfills, said
Barbara Kyle a spokeswoman for the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition.

At the same time, states recognize that federal legislation requiring electronic recycling -- preferred by the
electronics industry -- seems highly unlikely in the short-term, said Kyle, whose group is lobbying for stronger
recycling measures.

While the nine states with mandatory electronics recycling have each taken different approaches,
manufacturers are bearing the bulk of responsibility and the initial costs of recycling in eight of them. California,
the first state to pass an electronics recycling law, is the exception, charging consumers $6 to $10 at the point
of sale to dispose of digital waste.
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Minnesota's law, which took effect in July, goes furthest by requiring manufacturers to pay for the recycling
based on their annual sales and to recover 60 percent of the weight of products sold in the state in the first
year and 80 percent of that volume in the second year.

Consumer Electronics Association Director Parker Brugge predicted the Minnesota law would be expensive
and difficult for manufacturers to meet. Television manufacturers are especially worried about an unexpected
cost for recycling products that they made years ago, he said.

Computer producers prefer the new Texas law and the North Carolina bill, which allow manufacturers freedom
to tailor their own recycling programs.

Those programs could include an option that the Dell Corporation already provides to all of its customers
worldwide -- free shipping to return a computer to the company. In fact, Dell was a strong supporter of the
Texas law, because it allows companies the most options to meet their customers' needs, said Dell
spokesman Sean Donahue.

In Oregon, electronics manufacturers can set up their own recycling program or pay into a state-run effort,
while in Maine producers can opt out of a statewide program if they're products make up more than 5 percent
of the recycled electronics.

Brugge said members of Congress are discussing a framework for possible legislation, and companies fear
the costs and administrative burdens of a patchwork of state laws. But until there is a federal bill states are
going to continue to take their own steps to address the issue, he said.

"A lot of states have waited, hoping Congress would take it up ... they're tired of waiting," he said.

Related stories:
No consensus on recycling electronic junk
E-waste disposal -- states' computer-age headache

Comment on this story in the space below by registering with Stateline.org, or e-mail your feedback to our
Letters to the editor section at letters@stateline.org.

Contact Eric Kelderman at: ekelderman@stateline.org

Wednesday, August 22, 2007
State election officials steer neutral in 2008
By Pamela M. Prah, Stateline.org
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(Endorsements chart updated 4:27 p.m. EDT, Aug. 23)

At least a dozen states are determined to avoid one of the political minefields exposed by the cliffhanger 2000
presidential race.

Whether by law or choice, state officials who oversee local and national elections in these states are declining
to serve on political campaign committees or publicly endorse candidates to assure the public that elections
referees dont have a stake in the outcome.

Still, in Indiana, Arizona and Rhode Island, theres no question who the top state election official hopes will win
the presidency in 2008: Their secretaries of state have endorsed presidential candidates.

Most states have few restrictions in this area, and contenders for the White House covet endorsements of
statewide officials, including secretaries of state and governors who have political networks and connections to
donors.

Up until 2000, secretaries of state were relatively obscure statewide officials. That changed when then-Florida
Secretary of State Katherine Harris made a series of decisions regarding the recount in the nations tightest
presidential race while serving as co-chair for the George Bush campaign in Florida.

Four years later, in Ohio, where a win was crucial for President Bushs re-election, J. Kenneth Blackwell came
under fire for his actions regarding voter challenges while he served as secretary of state and chairman of
Bushs re-election campaign there. Blackwell tried to quell possible conflict-of-interest concerns when he ran
for governor in 2006 by delegating key duties to the assistant secretary of state. Blackwell lost to former U.S.
Rep. Ted Strickland, a Democrat, who is now Ohios governor.

It just doesnt make sense to have the states election administrator being involved in partisan politics. The
perception of conflict of interest can be too great, said Mary Boyle, a spokeswoman for Common Cause, a
lobbying watchdog group.

Deborah Goldberg, program director of the Brennan Center for Justices Democracy Program at New York
University Law School, said more needs to be known about the role of chief election officials in recent
campaigns. This is an issue ripe for more research. People dont fully understand the partisan nature of the
secretaries of state weve had.

Current secretaries of state have voluntarily refused to serve on political campaign committees or to publicly
endorse candidates for office in Connecticut, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oregon,
Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Vermont, according to a recent National Association of Secretaries of State
(NASS) survey of members in which 25 offices responded.
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Four other states Colorado, Massachusetts, Ohio and Virginia limit their chief election officials political
activity because of new restrictions put into place within the last year, says Boyle of Common Cause.

Wisconsin is the only state with a law requiring the chief state election official and all state board of elections
staff to be nonpartisan, according to Kay Stimson, a NASS spokeswoman.

Besides the four states that acted within the last year, Georgia, Louisiana and Nebraska have ethics
codes that restrict secretaries of states from serving on political campaign committees and publicly endorsing
candidates, according to NASS. Maines secretary of state is prohibited from forming or being involved with a
political action committee. New Mexico has a newly appointed ethics task force exploring the issue.

Those top elected officials who have shown their partisan colors on the Republican side include Indiana
Secretary of State Todd Rokita, who is backing former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, while Arizona
Secretary of State Jan Brewer is stumping for U.S. Sen. John McCain of her home state. Rhode Island
Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis has endorsed fellow Democrat U.S Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York.

The top election official in Utah Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert (R) is backing Romney. Utah is one three states
without a secretary of state (Alaska and Hawaii are the others).

South Carolina Secretary of State Mark Hammond, a Republican also has endorsed McCain, but Hammond
does not serve as the states top election official.

While most secretaries of state are responsible for overseeing elections, 11, like Hammond, are not. Other
duties include licensing businesses, registering corporations and trademarks, and serving as their states chief
notaries. In some states, the job involves heading up the state boxing commission.

Of the countrys 47 secretaries of state, voters elect 35 (Alaska, Hawaii and Utah dont have the position and
tap their lieutenant governor to assume the duties).


Of the nine secretaries of state who are appointed by the governor, three serve as chief state election officials
Florida, Pennsylvania and Texas. (The other states in which governors make the selection are Delaware,
Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma and Virginia). Legislatures in Maine, New Hampshire and
Tennessee make the selection in their states.

Comment on this story in the space below by registering with Stateline.org, or e-mail your feedback to our
Letters to the editor section at letters@stateline.org.

Contact Pamela M. Prah at pprah@stateline.org
Page 5
See related stories:
Govs start to back 2008 candidates
Secretaries of state: Flashpoint in '06?
Lt gov: Not quite a fifth wheel




Thursday, August 23, 2007
States trying to extend foster-care benefits
By Christine Vestal, Stateline.org Staff Writer

Photo courtesy Kristal McCoy
Foster care alumna, Kristal McCoy, graduated from California State University, Hayward in 2006.

In most states, youths in foster care are on their own when they turn 18.

Thats because federal funding for payments to foster parents and group homes is cut off when foster kids
reach 18, leaving those who have not been adopted