Massachusetts
Latino, Business Community Protest Casino Bill
Latino community leaders and business people are criticizing Gov. Deval Patrick's (D) casino legislation, saying it is unfair to Western Massachusetts. Patrick originally pledged to license three casinos in the state, including one in Western Massachusetts. However, the introduced legislation lumps western and central Massachusetts together as one region. The three resort casinos would generate 20,000 jobs and $400 million dollars in annual revenue, according to the governor's office.
Source: The Republican

Rhode Island
Unemployment Remains Unchanged Despite Budget Fears
The state added no new jobs last month and the unemployment rate held at 4.9%, a government report released today shows. The state's job market has now remained essentially flat for five of the last six months. The lackluster jobs report from the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training comes amid a state budget shortfall that Gov. Donald Carcieri (R) has said will require the elimination of 1,000 state jobs by the end of June.
Source: The Providence Journal

Alabama
State Ranks Low In Tax Incentives, Disclosures
Only two states scored worse than Alabama in a new national report that evaluates the amount of online data about economic incentives and lobbyist activity. Alabama received an F and scored 40%, better only than Wyoming and West Virginia in "The State of State Disclosure" report released last week by Good Jobs First. The Washington, DC-based watchdog group researches the use of tax incentives and promotes full disclosure by state governments.
Source: The Press-Register

Virginia
Governor's Academies to Focus on Science, Math
Gov. Tim Kaine (D) plans to open up to six Governor's Career and Technical Academies by next fall, adapting the challenging curriculum model to emphasize science, technology, engineering, and math. The academies—intended to be partnerships between school divisions, colleges, governments, and businesses—will aim to produce graduates ready to start work in technical fields immediately after high school, and will be established with the assistance of a $500,000 grant awarded to the state from the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices.
Source: The Richmond Times-Dispatch

Iowa
14 Businesses Receive Economic Development Funds
Economic development officials have approved state incentives for 14 businesses with a promise that nearly 1,000 jobs will be created and hundreds more will be retained. The recipients include companies that plan to locate in Iowa and other companies already in the state, including Rockwell Collins Inc., Monsanto, and Wellmark. The incentives were given in the form of tax benefits and cash awards, including $1.7 million for a new wind turbine tower manufacturing plant and a port facility.
Source: Associated Press

Ohio
Small Businesses to See Only Slight Dip in Workers' Comp Discounts
Smaller employers who pool their workers' compensation risk will likely continue to enjoy discounts of close to 90% despite efforts to decrease those premium discounts, according to the board that oversees those discounts. Heavy manufacturers and others on the outside of risk-pooling groups argue that their base premiums subsidize overly generous group-rating discounts. About 250 business and trade association representatives attended a public hearing on the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation, which is considering reducing the maximum discount to 87%.
Source: The Toledo Blade

Arizona
Economist: Low Retail Job Numbers Signal Slow Holiday Season
The state's unemployment rate rose slightly in October, and state economists expressed concern about fewer retail jobs being created than normal. The state unemployment rate rose to 3.5% in October from 3.3% in September, the Arizona Department of Economic Security reported Thursday. Only one-third of the number of retail jobs normally added in October were created, causing economist Don Wehbey to express concern about the holiday shopping season.
Source: The Arizona Republic

Hawaii
One-Year-Old Smoking Band Still Hurting Businesses
A year after a tough new law regulating smoking in public places went into effect, operators of some licensed bars in Honolulu complain that they're losing business. Some bar owners in Hawaii say that they've seen a dramatic drop in revenue since the ban went into effect, and at least 20 licensed bars and cabarets have closed, according to critics of the ban. Businesses that fail to comply with the law face a $100 fine for a first offense, $200 fine for a second violation and a $500 fine for every subsequent offense.
Source: The Honolulu Advertiser