Maternal Mortality Rate Spikes in Texas; Budget Ax Looms for North Dakota State Workers
Connecting state and local government leaders
Also in our State & Local Daily Digest: Soda tax measure in Boulder; wildfire burns out of control near Los Angeles; and feral cats are endangering Hawaiian seals.
AUSTIN, TEXAS
PUBLIC HEALTH | While the rate of pregnancy-related deaths increased across the nation in recent years, it has jumped more in Texas compared to other states, and researchers are trying to figure out what’s led to that increase, which includes a spike from 2010 to 2012. In a new study from the September issue of the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology, there were more than 600 deaths linked to pregnancy from 2010-2014. "It really seems like that's where the state officials should be focusing on trying to improve health and safety," according to Dr. Daniel Grossman of the University of Texas at Austin, who has studied the issue. A task force created in 2013 to study the problem is scheduled to release recommendations in September. [The Dallas Morning News]
BISMARCK, NORTH DAKOTA
STATE BUDGETING | State government workers in the Peace Garden State are on edge waiting to see how they will be impacted by looming budget cuts that Gov. Jack Dalrymple has asked agencies to make. But at this point, it’s not clear how that will translate into eliminated jobs or slashed salaries. "At this point, there are several [agencies] that have identified salaries,” North Dakota Office of Management and Budget Director Pam Sharp told reporters Tuesday. “It’s unique for each agency." In addition to the 2.5 percent cuts the governor is seeking, Dalrymple asked agencies to start designing 2017-19 budgets at 90 percent levels of the spending approved for the current two-year budget. [The Bismarck Tribune]
BOULDER, COLORADO
SODA TAX | Thursday will be a busy day for the Boulder City Council, which will hear protests of two citizen-initiated ballot measures that would place three-term limits on council members and an excise tax on soda distributors. A decision on the soda tax measure was delayed, and both are being challenged—their legality to be determined by the city clerk or possibly a district court judge. Opponents argue the tax measure fails to mention the state Taxpayer Bill of Rights and thus petition signers were not aware of the implications. The city attorney is opposed to including TABOR provisions because it would leave the city legally vulnerable. Format and language are at issue with the term-limit measure. It’s possible, if appealed, that judges won’t settle one or both matters before the first week of September deadline to set the ballot, though courts usually act quickly on such things. [Daily Camera]
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
WILDFIRES | A new, rapidly expanding wildfire in the vicinity of Cajon Pass has led authorities to issue evacuation orders for 80,000 people in a mountainous area northeast of Los Angeles. The fire was initially only a few acres but on Tuesday grew in ferocity, impacting 47 square miles over the course of 24 hours. "In my 40 years of fighting fires, I have never seen such extreme fire behavior,” an incident commander said during a Wednesday morning news conference. The wildfire has created fire tornadoes. Interstate 15, the major highway link between the Los Angeles area and Las Vegas, was closed through the important mountain pass. [KPCC; Los Angeles Times; CalFire]
HONOLULU, HAWAII
ENVIRONMENT | Feral cat populations are not a new issue on the island of Oahu. But there’s a new problem stemming from the estimated 300,000 felines that don’t have homes: Their feces, which can carry a parasitic disease called toxoplasmosis, has been linked to the deaths of endangered Hawaiian monk seals, spinner dolphins, nene geese and native bird populations in recent years. But there’s disagreement over what to do: Control the feral population through TNRM programs (trap, neuter, release and manage), which the Hawaiian Humane Society advocates; other groups want to take a more aggressive approach, including euthanizing cats. [Honolulu Civil Beat]
SAGINAW COUNTY, MICHIGAN
POLICE | The state agreed three years ago to take over the county sheriff’s Area Records Management System containing incident and accident reports, evidence data and internal human resource and training logs. Michigan State Police will use the new State Record Management System to connect agencies and officers, but the Saginaw pilot is slow going. The county just agreed to a three-year contract to house the system’s computer servers locally, buying State Police more time to make the transition. [The Saginaw News / MLive]
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