The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "state legislature" ...
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Who Can Vote? Comprehensive Database of U.S. Voter Fraud Uncovers No Evidence That Photo ID Is Needed
“Who Can Vote?” is the 2012 project of News21, a multimedia investigative reporting initiative funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and headquartered at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. Twenty-four students from 11 universities across the country worked on the project under the direction of journalism professionals. The project, launched just before the 2012 political conventions, consists of more than 20 in-depth reports and rich multimedia content that includes interactive databases and data visualizations, video profiles and photo galleries. Student reporters conducted an exhaustive public records search and built a comprehensive data base of voter fraud cases that revealed: • Since 2000, while fraud has occurred, the number of cases is infinitesimal. • In-person voter impersonation on Election Day, which prompted 37 state legislatures to enact or consider tough voter ID laws, is virtually non-existent. Only 10 such cases over more than a decade were reported. • There is more fraud in absentee ballots and voter registration than any other category. The analysis shows 329 cases of absentee ballot fraud and 364 cases of registration fraud. A required photo ID at the polls would not have prevented these cases. • Voters make a lot of mistakes, from people accidentally voting twice to voting in the wrong precinct. However, few cases reveal a coordinated effort to change election results. • Election officials make a lot of mistakes, giving voters ballots when they’ve already voted, for instance. Election workers are often confused about voters’ eligibility requirements.
Tags: elections; fraud; public records; voters; ballot
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Salt Lake Tribune reporting, editorial stance, lobbying efforts to help keep Utah's open record law intact
In the waning days of the 2011 Utah Legislature, lawmakers quietly introduced House Bill 477, a measure designed to dramatically weaken the state's open records law, the Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA), in effect for the past two decades. Work done by The Salt Lake Tribune led the way to the recall of HB477.
Tags: Utah; legislation; bill; house; lawmakers; open; records; law; public; records;
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Watchdog website and its web pages
The Oklahoman/NewsOK.com started this project in 2008 with the Right to Know page, a collection of databases developed internally to go along with stories and links to relevant public information. That site became part of the Watchdog page in 2009. In 2010, the staff continued to evolve the Watchdog page with "mini-sites" of investigative topics, such as a political corruption case at the Oklahoma Legislature; the staff's FOI fight over the birth dates of public employees; and allegations of bid-rigging with a married lawmaker and lobbyist for a private company seeking a state juvenile justice contract. Other "mini-sites" under Watchdog include ongoing coverage of the state Department of Human Services and the federal stimulus package.
Tags: continuous coverage; online; watchdog; bid-rigging; Department of Human Services; federal stimulus; FOI; Right to Know
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Selling California
After Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed selling off two dozen state buildings to private investors, one reporter found this to be a costly deal for the state. The state legislature approved those sales and in closed-door negotiations gave Schwarzenegger the power to sell the properties without oversight.
Tags: Arnold Schwarzenegger; California; state buildings; state legislature; closed-door
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Sponsored Bills in Sacramento: How Our Laws are Really Made
The series takes an in-depth look at how many bills in the state legislature are written by outside sponsors and their lobbyists. It examines the connection between lawmakers who introduce these bills and the campaign contributions they receive from the groups that sponsored the bills.
Tags: bill; lobby; government; bill process; state government
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Oregon Radio System Failures
In 2005, Oregon launched a $414 million project to build an emergency radio network that would allow public safety officers to communicate to each other in a crisis. This investigation shows that project officials had misled lawmakers and the public about the tremendous cost to the state and falsified progress reports given to the legislature and governor.
Tags: radio; budgets; cost; public safety; whistleblower
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Medical Misadventure: Deaht at the State Hospital
The investigation began with the death of a mental health patient, Josh Garcia. He had checked himself into the hospital and as a result an attorney was appointed to represent him and oversee his treatment. This attorney had strayed away from him and told the court, after his death, that he had agreed to take the medicine. This is false and this medication led to his death. Further, this attorney receives taxpayers’ money for every case through the hospital. As a result, the state is looking into the rights of mental health patients and whether this is a major problem.
Tags: Pueblo State Hospital; involuntary medication; Office of Attorney Regulation; state legislature; legal representation; secrecy
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Secret Settlement
This series describes a secret deal with the assistant of the former mayor to pay her a great deal of money plus benefits if she would drop a sexual harassment against the former mayor. Further, the series revealed a confidentiality clause, which forbid anyone in the deal to talk about it and city officials could deny its existence. As a result of this series, the state legislature is considering making it illegal for government officials to enter into confidential settlements.
Tags: local government; corruption; Papillion; Nebraska; city; James Blinn; city council; resignation
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"Long session led to many missed votes"
Twenty-one of Arizona's 90 state legislatures missed more than 20 percent of the floor votes held during 2009. The percentage is five times that of 2008. Lawmakers whose attendance and voting records fell in that percentage were interviewed, revealing discontent with the way the legislature is being run.
Tags: Arizona State Legislature; Rep. Rich Crandall; Sen. Debbie McCune Davis; Sen. Paula Aboud; Rep. Olivia Cajero Bedford; Bob Burns; senate
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Behind the Politics of Alabama's Community Colleges
"Alabama legislators received jobs and contracts from the state's two-year colleges, often for work that included their legislative duties. it's not clear from system records what lawmakers did for the money the received from the colleges, and in some cases system officials could not determine if any work was performed."
Tags: colleges; higher education; legislatures; state government; public records