Connecticut
More Counterfeit Toothpaste Confiscated
Inspectors from the state's Department of Consumer Protection seized 430 tubes of counterfeit Colgate toothpaste reportedly made in South Africa and 275 tubes of Chinese-made toothpaste from stores in Hartford, West Hartford, Waterbury, Derby, and North Branford. State inspectors said more than 700 tubes of toothpaste containing a chemical that can cause liver and kidney damage have been removed from stores inspected this month. No illnesses caused by counterfeit toothpaste have been reported in Connecticut to date. Inspections will continue, state officials said.
Source: The New York Times

Rhode Island
State Taxes Rise
Rhode Island has one of the nation's highest tax burdens, according to a new study issued by a local business-backed public policy group. Based on increases in the overall state-and-local tax burden, the state ranks seventh highest nationwide, the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council study says. When it comes to property taxes, the local comparative tax burden is even higher, placing the state sixth nationwide. For every $1,000 of personal income, state and local governments collect about $123 in taxes.
Source: The Providence Journal

Florida
Governor Strives to Limit Emissions
Gov. Charlie Crist (R) signed executive orders last week matching California's standards for greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles, adding his state to the roster of those imposing aggressive limits on vehicle emissions. He pledged to reduce harmful emissions to 20% by 2050, in line with targets scientists say are necessary to contain global warming. Crist's proposals include raising energy conservation standards for new buildings and requiring utilities to produce 20% of their electricity from renewable sources.
Source: The Washington Post

Georgia
County Ranks High in "Lone Wolf" Businesses
Gwinnet county outside of Atlanta is one of the leading locations nationwide for "lone wolf" businesses, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The agency says the number of companies operated by their owners alone, without employees increased 8.4% in Gwinnett in 2005, the latest year for which figures are available. That's nearly double the 4.4% national rate. It was the only metro Atlanta county to appear on the agency's list of top performers.
The census counts about 65,000 such one-person operations in Gwinnett and more than 20 million nationwide.
Source: The Atlanta-Constitution Journal

Oklahoma
State Revenues Soar
Preliminary reports released by the state treasurer's office show the state's general revenue fund collections for the 2007 fiscal year totaled $6 billion. The total collections were 4% above the 2006 fiscal year, the treasurer's office said. All major tax categories, except gross production taxes, finished ahead of the previous year collections. Net income taxes, a combination of individual and corporate income tax payments, brought in $3 billion, or about 4.8% more than the previous year. The state's savings account, the Rainy Day Fund, will receive a deposit of $76 million to bring the fund to its maximum allowable level—10% of the prior year's certified general revenue fund collections, or $572 million.
Source: NewsOk.com

Texas
Bioenergy Strategy to Lead to Sustainability
Gov. Rick Perry (R) introduced his Bioenergy Strategy for Texas at the Greater Houston Partnership offices in downtown Houston last week. Perry said the plan focuses on technological advances that will lead to sustainability. Perry also awarded a $5 million grant to Texas A&M University to recruit faculty to not only research but also successfully market biofuels. He said that by intersecting the state's three largest industries—energy, agriculture, and petrochemicals—researchers in Texas have made considerable progress in developing bioenergy and fuel sources from plant cells, compost, and fertilizers.
Source: The Houston Business Journal

California
Economists Predict Limited Impacts of Health Care Proposals
Two new studies by the University of California-Berkeley refute assertions by businesses that the health care reform proposals currently being considered by the state would result in job losses. After reviewing the projected economic impact of reform proposals from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) and leading Democrats, University of California-Berkley researchers concluded that most firms will see little to no change in their operating costs after an adjustment period. The governor's proposal would, in the short term, raise business's operating costs about 0.1%, while the Democratic proposal would raise those costs by about 0.6%, the researchers said.
Source: The San Jose Mercury News

Idaho
Interim Panel to Debate Tax Exemptions
Idaho's $1.6 billion in annual tax exemptions will soon be discussed by an interim lawmaker committee after the Senate earlier this year blocked most efforts to tinker with the state tax system until the exemptions get broader scrutiny. Part of the discussions will be on efforts by businesses to eliminate the tax on business equipment, which failed in the 2007 Legislature. Republican lawmakers have said that tax breaks were created with little regard for whether they actually made sense for the overall economy and fairness of its tax system.
Source: Associated Press