New York has balanced its budget, and California finally shed its reputation as a fiscal laggard, reaching its budget on time for the first time in years. But other states are not on similar paths. In Minnesota, if the Democratic governor and Republican-led legislature cannot agree on a budget by midnight tonight, all nonessential services will shut down, including state parks—dire news, ahead of the July 4 weekend. So why is it taking so long? And what can we learn from states that have already settled their books? 

According to a new report, spending on state Supreme Court elections has doubled in the last decade. According to polls, three in four Americans believe money spent on campaigns for judgeships can affect later courtroom decisions; some states are calling for methods to protect the court system from special-interest money donated during election season.

Attorneys general from 16 states are challenging the health care legislation that was signed into law by President Obama last month. They're contesting the constitutionality of the law.

On Saturday, Houston, Texas became the largest American city to elect an openly gay mayor. Mayor-elect Annise Parker joins us to discuss her campaign, her opposition and the country's political and cultural landscape.

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick is expected to appoint former Democratic National Committee Chairman Paul G. Kirk to fill Sen. Ted Kennedy's vacant Senate seat later this morning. Kirk has been a longtime Kennedy family friend, and Ted Kennedy's family reportedly lobbied the governor on Kirk's behalf. Kirk will hold the seat until a special election in January seats a replacement for the remainder of Kennedy's term. Frank Phillips, the state house bureau chief for the Boston Globe, joins us with the details of the nomination.

The state of Rhode Island is having an identity crisis. 573 years after Rhode Island was founded, the state is considering changing its name from “The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations” to simply “The State of Rhode Island.” The Takeaway talks to Rhode Island personality Buddy Cianci. He’s a radio host with WPRO and the former Mayor of Providence, Rhode Island.

The situation of admitted adulterer Governor Sanford is not unique. From Illinois to New Jersey to South Carolina to New York echoes the sound of gubernatorial apologies. New York Times columnist Gail Collins joins The Takeaway as we take an historical tour of the worst governors and their best antics.

On Monday New York State Senate Republicans staged a coup against the Democratic majority. In response, the Democrats refused to unlock the gates to the Senate chamber, and state business has come to a standstill. Rex Smith, Editor of the Albany Times-Union, joins The Takeaway with a look at the New York state government's chaos.

Watch footage from the floor of the Senate in the video below.

The swine flu remains an "outbreak" not a "pandemic," but global health officials are warning that it could turn into one. The virus is now in at least 10 countries and World Health Organization has raised its pandemic threat level to Phase 5. How prepared are the states after shedding thousands of workers in their health departments? The Takeaway is joined by Dr. Paul Jarris, executive director of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan recently advocated in favor of mayoral control of big-city schools. It is a system that is already in cities such as New York, Boston, and Chicago and Los Angeles, Dallas, and Newark are considering making the move. Is this growing trend good for the students? So far test results show that students aren't necessarily doing better in schools run by mayors. Here to help us take a closer look at the pros and cons of school governance is Joseph Viteritti, professor at Hunter College and editor of When Mayors Take Charge.

Listen to Educator-in-Chief Arne Duncan's interview on The Takeaway.

Who runs your school system? Tell us here!

Yesterday Vice President Biden announced the federal government is releasing $2.3 billion in recovery act funding for child care and vaccines. The announcement is the latest in a flurry of national and local announcements on how stimulus spending will be spent. Some states, such as Maryland, have immediately jumped on the money and started planning, spending, and even building. Other states (New York, for example) have done next to nothing with the money yet. Joining us to discuss the stimulus spending in the the states is Takeaway Correspondent Andrea Bernstein, who is watching stimulus spending for our ShovelWatch Project, and Mark Steiner, host of the Marc Steiner Show on WEAA in Baltimore.

And we're continuing our investigation of the stimulus plan on air and online. What are your elected officials telling you is coming to your area? What do you know about the projects coming to your community? Where should the stimulus money go instead? Crowdsource the stimulus plan.

The president stopped by a meeting of 49 state representatives gathered to discuss ARRA, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (aka "the stimulus bill") and got a big round of applause. But his aides were not treated so politely...

The White House called in a group of state representatives to discuss implementation of the stimulus bill — but several pool reports (see below) paint a picture of anxiety and confusion.

"You're giving governors a lot of responsibility to administer it, but we're not always kept in the loop," a representative from New Hampshire told Obama senior adviser Valerie Jarrett. Or take this exchange with Deputy Transportation Secretary Thomas Barrett (Another man asked how and why Maryland has already started transportation projects under stimulus, going back to the morning session's theme where some states are nervous they've missed opportunities to fund projects, or are behind the curve):

"They started using their own money," Barrett said.

"So we can do that?" the man said.

"If you have the money," Barrett said.

Then, following some back and forth...

"If there's confusion on it —" Barrett said, then was cut off by one of the state reps:

"There certainly is."

You get the idea. The full reports are worth a read and *bonus* there's a list of state representatives at the end of report #3.

The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 yesterday to limit the Voting Rights Act. The ruling says there is no duty to draw voting districts that will elect black candidates in areas where blacks are less than a majority. The Takeaway talks to Nathaniel Persily, Columbia University law professor, and Richard Pildes, New York University law professor, about the implication of the ruling. Specifically, the role of race in elections almost 50 years after the Voting Rights Act was passed, and that the Supreme Court might rule on another section of the Voting Rights Act next month.

Governors in nine states, mostly in the South, are thinking about rejecting millions of dollars in federal stimulus money pegged for increased unemployment insurance. Joining us this morning is Michael Luo, a New York Times writer who is reporting that many jobless people in those states are angry that they may not get benefits from the stimulus package.

Read Michael Luo's article from the New York Times at Jobless Angry at Possibility of No Benefits

Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour discusses why he turned down funds for his state.

As the economic downturn hits the states, some governors are considering an unusual cost-cutting measure: abolishing the death penalty. Since capital cases cost three times as much as cases where the death penalty is not sought, cash-strapped states are increasingly looking at the option. Ian Urbina has been reporting on this for the New York Times and he joins us now.

For more, read Ian Urbina's article, Citing Cost, States Consider Halting Death Penalty, in today's New York Times.

Today Detroiters head to the polls for a special mayoral primary to replace former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, who left office under a hail of crime and scandal. When it comes to Detroit there is no denying that it is time for a change. The city has been burdened by political scandal, it’s facing a deficit that could approach $300 million, and unemployment rates are at a precipitous 10.7 percent. But voter turnout suggests change is beyond reach: Only 10-15 % of Detroit’s registered voters are expected to cast ballots today. For a look at what the stakes are with this special election and the dangers of voter apathy, we turn to Rochelle Riley, the Metro Columnist for The Detroit Free Press.

Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill have been a united party over the past few weeks, as they refused to help pass President Obama’s plan to stimulate the economy. Now that the stimulus bill has become law, despite the lack of Republican support, how are Republicans on the state level handling the stimulus money heading to their states? Joining us to talk about where he comes down on the plan is Minnesota's Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty. He joins us this morning from Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Click through for the transcript!

Senator Roland Burris is promising to fully cooperate with a new investigation into his contacts with the administration of now-ousted Gov. Rod Blagojevich. But while he may be talking to investigators, he says he'll no longer be talking to reporters. Especially not at the Chicago Tribune. Joining us now is Robert Wildeboer is a criminal justice reporter for Chicago Public Radio.

After three days of intense negotiations, California lawmakers are still unable to deliver a budget. In the face of a multi-billion dollar deficit, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is preparing to lay off 10,000 government workers and plans to halt the last 275 state-funded public works projects still in operation. To answer what this means for California and for state workers we turn to Zoe Corneli, reporter at KALW public radio in San Francisco, and Ryan Sherman, spokesperson for the California Correctional Peace Officers Association, a union that is facing layoffs under the Governator's plan.

California waitress Val Simons has little faith in the legislator's ability to resolve this crisis.

California is facing down a $42 billion budget gap and now Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced lay offs of over 10,000 government workers and an immediate halt to all public works projects. All this while another state, Missouri, takes the lead in applying stimulus money to the ailing transportation system by having the first economic recovery act in the country already under construction. Pete Rahm, Director of the Missouri Department of Transportation, makes a stop at The Takeaway on his publicity push.


Here's the Missouri Department of Transportation's stimulus wish list: