A person can’t open a newspaper these days without catching sight of at least one article reporting on recent slashes in some local or state budget or in one of the many threads of the country’s social safety net. From coast to coast, over the course of just the last two weeks, cuts have been announced: Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski (D) announced that several million dollars will be cut this year and next from the state’s Medicaid program, which had been heralded for its success in providing mental and dental benefits, in addition to the traditional hospital care, to Oregon’s poor, elderly, and disabled residents; newly-elected Maryland Governor Bob Erhlich (R) has proposed a $25 million cut in state-funding for child care for low-income parents – this is on top of a 70% cut in funds for Maryland’s Child Care Resource Centers Network, which provides families of all income levels with guidance and information on available local child care providers.

Estate Tax Moves to the ?Top Ten? in the Senate (02/24/2003)
With approval of the FY 2003 spending bills finally accomplished, Senate Republican leaders unveiled their legislative agenda for the 108th Congress on February 15, 2003. Permanent repeal of the estate tax made their list of top-ten legislative items. In January 2003, Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) introduced a bill to accelerate full repeal (currently scheduled for one year in 2010 by the 2001 Bush tax cut) to 2005 and permanently eliminate the estate tax thereafter. Several other bills have since been introduced to make repeal permanent after 2010.

President Signs FY 2003 Appropriations Omnibus Bill (02/24/2003)
On February 20, nearly five months after the October 1 start of federal fiscal year 2003, the President signed into law an omnibus bill providing funding for the departments and programs covered by the 11 appropriations bills that were not completed by the October 1 deadline last fall.

Church Electioneering Bill Gains Sponsors (02/24/2003)
Rep. Walter Jones' (R-NC) bill to allow houses of worship to engage in partisan electioneering, including endorsing or opposing candidates, during religious services and similar events has gained 54 co-sponsors in the House. The bill, H.R. 235, is a scaled back version of legislation that failed to pass the House last year. While the new bill limits electioneering to religious services, it has still raised concerns about houses of worship becoming soft money conduits and indirect tax subsidies for partisan activity based on tax deductibility of donations to religious organizations.

EPA Extends Deadline for Comments on New Source Review Proposal (02/24/2003)
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has extended the deadline for public comments on its proposal to relax air pollution standards under the New Source Review (NSR) program by 60 days, from March 3 to May 2. The proposal (part of a broader effort to overhaul NSR) would expand the definition of “routine maintenance,” allowing older power plants to make more extensive upgrades without having to install new anti-pollution equipment required of a “new source.”

CPSC Finds Dangers to Children, Decides Not to Act (02/24/2003)
Staff at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)are recommending that the agency defer action on a petition to ban chromium copper arsenate (CCA) pressure-treated wood, despite finding that children who play on equipment made from such wood face an increased risk of developing lung or bladder cancer.

EPA Publishes Weak Rule on Livestock Waste (02/24/2003)
The Environmental Protection Agency published a weak final rule on February 12 to limit runoff from livestock waste, requiring about 15,500 concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) to obtain permits under the Clean Water Act.

EPA Scales Back Wastewater Rule for Metal Finishers (02/24/2003)
EPA has significantly weakened a rule to address wastewater from facilities that manufacture, rebuild or maintain metal parts, products, or machines, covering only 2,400 facilities rather than the 89,000 covered by the original Clinton-era proposal.

GAO Dropped Cheney Lawsuit Under Threat of Budget Cuts (02/24/2003)
The Hill newspaper is reporting that Republicans, who control both houses of Congress, threatened the General Accounting Office (GAO) with deep budget cuts unless GAO dropped its lawsuit against Vice President Cheney over Cheney’s refusal to turn over documents related to the Vice President’s Energy Policy Task Force.

Plan for Disclosing Proxy Voting Records Appealed to OMB (02/24/2003)

An industry trade group for mutual fund companies, says it would be too burdensome for mutual fund companies to disclose how they voted when they cast votes for their investment clients in shareholder decisions. Until now, mutual fund companies have kept their voting records secret. The Investment Company Institute (ICI) is asking the Office of Management and Budget to overturn a decision by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to require public disclosure of proxy voting records. (See “Ray of Sunshine at SEC?" in the February 10, 2003, issue of the Watcher).


Contact State and Local Officials With OMB Watch's "Take Action" (02/24/2003)
As part of the "Take Action" section of our website, users can contact state, county, and local officials, all from a centralized page. Contact information for officials in all 50 states and five territories can be found by zip code, or by either searching or browsing a municipality name. Use this service to find names, addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers and email addresses for anyone from the president of the state legislature to the county executive to the town clerk.