Examines the implementation of Short-Lived Unanticipated Grants (SLUG) in Connecticut to determine to what extent the political process distorted the reform. Describes the SLUG proposal and its estimation in the median-voter model. Describes evidence of special-interest behavior of the school bureaucracy. Questions use of median-voter model to…

Whether joint custody should be mandated by state law as the norm for divorcing couples is hotly debated between fathers' and mothers' rights groups and among mental health and legal professionals. This debate is traced, and the public policy implications of recent joint custody research are discussed. Policies for strengthening coparenting after…

Estimates impact of liberalization of New York State abortion law in 1970 on adolescent childbearing in New York City. Analyzes monthly data on number of births to White and Black adolescents from 1963-87. Findings indicate that level of births to Black adolescents fell 18.7 percent and births to White adolescents fell 14.1 percent after the law…

Addresses the question of generational equity and discusses several intergenerational policies that have been proposed, including family leave and long-term home health care. Concludes that the aging lobby must adapt to a changing political landscape, view intergenerational policy proposals in a more favorable light, and devote more attention to…

Examines Ohio's Public Employee Collective Bargaining Act from a union perspective and argues that the act has advanced the cause of "orderly and constructive relationships" between Ohio's public employers and their employees. (MLF)

According to a recent study, state mandates for tougher academic standards do not necessarily lead to more and better course content. Although more lower- and middle-achieving students are enrolled in academic classes, these courses are at the basic, general, or remedial level and fail to meet reform commission goals. (MLH)

Provides an overview of the issues surrounding enactment of a Nebraska statute requiring public museums to repatriate American Indian skeletal remains and burial offerings to tribes for reburial. Focuses on the bitter dispute between the Nebraska State Historical Society and the Pawnee Tribe of Oklahoma (an indigenous Nebraska tribe). (SV)

Reports on effort to influence state education policy directly through coordinated plan. Describes development, implementation, and outcomes of a Nebraska state legislative relations plan. Those seeking to influence education policy should become involved with State Education Policy Seminars, secure sponsorship of activities from foundation or…

The Health Promotion and Education Council of Virginia became an effective advocate by incorporating elements of the theory of innovation diffusion, such as working through opinion leaders, creating information exchange relationships, tailoring attributes of the innovation to achieve objectives, and communicating the innovation to legislators. (SK)

Encourages family scientists to participate in legislative activities in their own states. Suggests skills, strategies, and tactics to ensure any foray into legislative arena is of high quality and maximum value. Includes practical tips on how to avoid common mistakes. (Author/ABL)

Explores procedural and legal implications of the "Salve" decision in which the Supreme Court said that the court of appeals must review "de novo" the federal district court's determination of state law. (55 references) (MLF)

Twenty-two states now specifically outlaw such activities as entering a research laboratory without permission, releasing animals, disrupting experiments, and removing documents and photographs related to research. Several expand the definition of criminal activity to include videotaping or photographing facility interiors. Penalties vary by…

Explores Florida teachers' failure to accept state-legislated learning models imposed on them. Although 86.7 percent of teachers surveyed identified "reaching" students as the major intrinsic reward in teaching, 74 percent claimed that legislated learning questioned their competency and limited the scope of their work and/or political…

Explores the public's misconception about lotteries' intended purpose and actual use. To avoid attacks on its legitimacy (and bloated bureaucratic structure), government is relying on lotteries as policy tools. Generating public funds through lotteries appears to meet education's needs while masking the relative drop in tax-based public finance.…

After brief history of development of mandatory reporting laws to protect children from maltreatment and evaluation of assumptions underlying use of these laws for case finding, analyzes costs and benefits of reporting laws for four stakeholders (state, professionals, families, and children) and concludes that costs of laws outweigh benefits.…