A daily dose of online news from beyond the Beltway.

California Gov. Gray Davis (D) is being criticized from all sides over his recently announced proposal to exempt public school teachers from paying state income tax, a plan he offered as a way for California to attract and retain top educators.

However, Republicans and Democrats alike say the plan is a bad tax policy and view the proposal as a way for Davis to regain the support of the powerful California Teachers Association Lobbying Group, an organization that has grown less and less enamored of Davis since pouring $1.2 million into his 1998 campaign. Even the teachers he's targeting view the plan as circumspect, while other public workers like police officers and firefighters are unhappy over the perceived favoritism.

"(George W. Bush) will help America once more become a 'shining city on a hill.'" Former first lady Nancy Reagan, borrowing one of her husband's favorite political phrases as part of her formal endorsement of the Texas governor. (Dallas Morning News, May 18)

• Teacher Tax Plan Ripped
(San Jose Mercury News, May 17)
• Even Teachers Skeptical Over Income Tax Exemption
(Los Angeles Times, May 16)
• Teacher Tax-Exempt Plan Criticized
(Sacramento Bee, May 17)
• Tax Plan for Teachers
(San Jose Mercury News, May 14)
• Profile: Gov. Gray Davis

In a legal challenge that could carve new ground in the old battle over providing equal educational opportunities, civil rights attorneys representing students in 18 school districts across California filed suit against the state Wednesday, alleging low-income and minority students were being denied the "bare necessities" of a quality education.

• ACLU Sues State Over Public School Conditions
(San Francisco Chronicle, May 18)
• ACLU Files Class Action Suit Against State
(Sacramento Bee, May 18)

N.H. Governor to Seek Third Term Amid State Funding Woes
Effectively ending speculation that she could be on Vice President Gore's list of vice presidential possibilities, New Hampshire Gov. Jeanne Shaheen confirmed Monday that she intends to seek a third, two-year term – a feat no Democrat has accomplished in 30 years.
• Shaheen Makes Her Bid Official
(Concord Monitor, May 16)
• Shaheen Says She'll Run for Third Term
(The Telegraph, Nashua, N.H., May 16)

Though she remains a generally popular leader, Shaheen may find a few bumps in the road to her third term. Conservatives and liberals alike have various combinations of qualms with Shaheen, on issues ranging from education funding to property taxes to state spending increases.
• Key Democrats Won’t Support Shaheen’s Reelection Bid
(Foster's Daily Democrat, Dover, N.H., May 16)

So far, four Republicans have announced their candidacies to oppose Shaheen, including former state and U.S. senator Gordon Humphrey, who has seized the crisis in education funding as a leading issue.
• Humphrey Fourth GOP to Announce Run for Governor
(Foster's Daily Democrat, Dover, N.H., May 17)
• Humphrey Officially Declares for Governor, Discloses Education Plan
(Boston Herald, May 17)

Wyoming Governor Sues State Legislature
Reacting to a proposed constitutional amendment that would severely limit his ability to use the line-item veto, Wyoming Gov. Jim Geringer (R) filed suit Monday to try to stop the measure from reaching voters in November.
• Geringer Sues Legislature Over Line-Item Veto
(Billings Gazette, May 16)

Anti-Abortion Advocates Find Friends in Michigan Legislature
For those standing opposed to abortion, "these are the best of times" in Michigan. However, for abortion rights supporters, the state is a "legislative danger zone." In recent times, Michigan's legislative make-up has tilted increasingly anti-abortion as lawmakers continue to pick away at the controversial issue.
• Abortion Foes Control Legislature
(The Detroit News, May 15)