Stateline - Weekly News Digest - November 28-December 4, 2003

This week Stateline launched their State of the States 2004, an annual report of the biggest state policy stories of the past year. Subjects include:

GOP gains power, looks for more in 2004 - Republicans enter the presidential election year in command of 28 governorships and hoping to build on that momentum. Although the country remains narrowly split between the two major parties, GOP chief executives preside in states with 59 percent of the population and the biggest Electoral College prizes.

High-cost drugs, problems of uninsured vex states - Congress will close the year with a Medicare bill in its trophy case, but the soaring number of uninsured Americans and rising insurance premiums and prescription drug costs promise to make 2004 a challenging season for state health care officials.

Other issues dealt with this past week:

States vie to stave off military base closings
Few states self-police with environmental impact laws